《Ankoku Kishi Monogatari ~Yuusha wo Taosu Tameni Maou ni Shoukansaremashita~》


 Chapter 1 - Summoned By the Demon King to Protect the Hero

    <h4>Chapter 1 - Summoned By the Demon King to Protect the Hero</h4>


    Summoned Youth, Kuroki.


    I was surrounded by a group of monsters when I opened my eyes.


    To be honest I don¡¯t even know why and how this happened.


    I was asleep, on the floor of a great hall with glowing letters written in a circle formation.


    And then, these monsters were surrounding me, who just woke up, from all sides.


    One with dog¡¯s face, one with bird-like shape, one with tentacles, one with just big eyes, though a minority of them are shaped like humans,most looked from from human.


    Should I scream out of extreme fear at this point?


    But if I do, I won¡¯t understand why this happened, I need to resolve it myself.


    Could it be that I¡¯m unable to think due to this extremely unlikely scenario ?


    It seems the monsters don¡¯t want to approach me and are just surrounding me from the distance.


    They¡¯re only looking at me from where they¡¯re standing.


    As expected, in the current situation, I¡¯ll definitely scream if they close distance between us.


    But, I regained a bit of myposure as they¡¯re not any closer.


    Where might this ce be?


    My memories beforeing to this ce, they are quite blurry right now.


    One thing¡¯s for sure at least, I¡¯m not in my own room back in Japan.


    Why am I in this ce?


    This could be a dream¡­¡­¡­¡­


    But, I know that this is not a dream as I can clearly feel the sensation of the cold floor.


    If this is not a dream, what kind of ce is this, Hell?


    If that was so, I¡¯m already dead, right.


    There are way too many things flying around inside of my brain.


    ¡¸How wonderful , our savior has arrived!! ¡¹


    A voice suddenlye from the tform diagonally overhead.


    Savior? Is he talking about Me?


    Those words are obviously about me.


    I quickly turned towards the direction of the voice. In my surroundings, which is surrounded by monster, there¡¯s a crevice in the middle in which there are no monsters.


    I can feel that there¡¯s something inside that darkness.


    After straining my eyes to look at that ce, there was a big monster .


    Why could I see it clearly despite such darkness around me?


    That monster is clearly different from the rest of the monsters surrounding me, as even I can feel its mighty power.


    Its form is simr to that of a huge pig standing with both of it¡¯s rear legs[bipedal]. It has tusksing out from its lower mouth and a big horn on its head. Its nose was blowing what looked like ck mes from its nostrils.


    It wore a jet-ck robe without even trying to hide its violent presence.


    This huge monster is approaching towards my direction.


    It then bowed it¡¯s head in front of me.


    ¡¸Our name is Modes. The one who¡¯s called as demon king. And then, the one who¡¯s ruling thisnd called Nargol. May I hear your name, savior-dono?¡¹


    The monster who is calling himself as the demon king brought his face closer to my own.


    ¡¸Ah¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Yes, It¡¯s Kuroki¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Yukisaki¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ Kuroki¡¹


    I unintentionally answered honestly due to the vigor of the demon king.


    ¡¸Ooh, so you¡¯re called Kuroki-dono huh! ! Please Kuroki-dono! Please save this Modes¡¹


    Modes is again bowing his head towards me.


    The big monster, who seemingly can easily kill me, is bowing his head for me.


    This is bing harder and harder to understand.


    ¡¸Uhm, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­¡­¡­.. I don¡¯t understand what do you mean¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. Why do I have to save you?¡¹


    I asked timidly.


    ¡¸Ooh. You¡¯re right¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ You won¡¯t be able to understand even if I¡¯m asking you to save us after suddenly being summoned¡¹


    Modes is raising his face and begins his exnation with a slightly warped face.


    ¡¸The truth is, currently, this Nargol which is governed by this Modes is facing an invasion¡¹


    ¡¸Invasion?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, invasion. It¡¯s because of the hero who was summoned from the spirit world by the goddess of Elios, Rena¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ She¡¯s not satisfied with just banishing me from thend of Elios, she even wants to snatch my treasure¡­¡­..¡¹


    Modes is saying that with sad expression.


    And then, an eerie smile appears on his face as he looks at me again.


    ¡¸I want to make a request to Kuroki-dono to fight and defeat that hero¡¹


    Hero he says¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ It¡¯s a word which I¡¯ve never heard of except in games and manga.


    ¡¸Hero¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡¹


    ¡¸Yup, hero. The brave and heroes of this world are no match for this Modes. That¡¯s why Rena summoned the hero from the world of spirit¡¹


    Hearing Modes¡¯ story, my feeling is like ¡°What the heck is that¡±.


    Hero from another world, just like the story from the fantasy novel which I read long time ago.


    If I remember it correctly, it was the story of a boy who lived in the modern era of Japan who was summoned by the goddess to defeat the demon king.


    But, my situation is the exact opposite of that.


    Somehow I was being summoned to this world by Modes, who proimed himself as the demon king, to defeat the hero.


    Being summoned by the demon king to fight against the hero¡­¡­¡­¡­


    Isn¡¯t that something a viin would do¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­


    ¡¸Let me show to you how that hero looks like, Kuroki-dono. Mona! ! ¡¹


    A woman ising out from amongst the monsters after being called by Modes.


    When I saw her, I felt as if the world came to halt.


    She was an extremely beautiful woman.


    Her beautiful and silky ck hair was down to her waist.


    Looking from the side, she had an extremely well ordered face.


    My eyes are captivated by the rich bulge of her breasts.


    The silhouette of her slightly transparent white robe made me sure that she has a well proportioned body.


    I can¡¯t stop looking at this beauty.


    Being surrounded by such ugly monsters, I saw her as a shining star.


    I can¡¯t take my eyes off from that woman.


    ¡¸What do you think, Kuroki-dono, she¡¯s beautiful right. Her name is Mona. She¡¯s my beloved wife. Mona, please greet Kuroki-dono¡¹


    Modes is proudly introducing the woman called Mona.


    I received a tremendous shock.


    How could have this earth shattering beauty be the wife of Modes.


    She and Modes are basically beauty and the beast. To be honest I¡¯m envious of him.


    ¡¸It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you Kuroki-sama, my name is Mona. Please treat me well after this¡¹


    Mona¡¯s greeting while smiling at me.


    Her smile ispletely resembling that of cherry blossom petals.


    I¡¯m unintentionally charmed by her smile.


    ¡¸Mona, show the figure of the hero to Kuroki-dono with your magical power¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, honey¡¹


    Mona¡¯s muttering something as she spreads both of her hands


    Thereupon, some sort of glittering image is being disyed high in the sky.


    Something was shown in there.


    Large amount of monsters are rushing to attacking mere few humans.


    But, despite few in numbers, the human side is far more superior.


    After I¡¯m taking a good look at them, I can see they¡¯re youth around my age. No matter how you look at them, their age is no more than 20 years .


    Their party is made up of one man amongst 5 women.


    The man is brandishing his shining sword to fight against the monsters. His truly knight-like appearance is something out of a fantasy story.


    Even the appearance of the girl who¡¯sing out afterward is fantasy-esque.


    One of the woman has a swordsman-like appearance, three other women have a magician-like appearance, thest one has a ninja-like appearance.


    They, along with the man, are once again disying overwhelming power in the battle against the monsters.


    ¡¸Kuroki-dono, that one in the midst of those women is the hero, Reiji¡¹


    Modes is pointing at the only man who¡¯s fighting as the center of those people. Thereupon, the image of the man in the center if being erged.


    ¡¸What the¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ That guy¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ You say his name is Reiji¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡¹


    I unintentionally mutter such words when I saw that man.


    It was the face that I knew. Moreover, I was familiar with his name too.


    Midou Reiji. Nickname, Reiji.


    That is his name.


    He was someone that I preferred not to remember about.


    I take a look at the women behind him. Their faces are also familiar.


    Though they are a bit different from the ones in my memories, I won¡¯t mistake them for someone else.


    A woman with long and beautiful ck hair wearing magician-like attire, Mizuouji Chiyuki.


    Behind her, the brte woman who wears a white robe, Yoshino Sahoko.


    The twin tailed girl who shooting fire from her hands, Sasaki Rino.


    The girl with bob cut who¡¯s vigorously swinging around her short sword toward the surroundings, Todoroki Naomi.


    And then, the sworddy who does her long hair in ponytail is my childhood friend, Akamine Shirone.


    Everyone of them were famous beauties who were attending Kayou high.


    And, those girl and Reiji were supposed to be missing.


    Those guys are fighting inside of that image.

 Chapter 2 - Childhood Friend and Hero of Light

    <h4>Chapter 2 - Childhood Friend and Hero of Light</h4>


    The Youth Who¡¯s Summoned By The Demon King, Kuroki.


    Why is Reiji in this ce?


    And why did he be a hero?


    And why is my childhood friend Shirone in there too?


    I¡¯mpletely unable to understand the situation.


    But, I¡¯m d to know that Shirone is alive.


    These were my thoughts when I saw that image.


    As for the reason, it¡¯s because Reiji current whereabouts are unknown.


    Shirone went to y in Reiji vi right after the summer holiday had begun.


    And then vanished just like that.


    They even mobilized a search party for them. In addition, I also went to that vi in order to look for Shirone.


    But, I¡¯ve no memories of what happened afterward. What happened to me.


    ¡¸But, thank god¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Shirone is safe and sound¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡¹


    I¡¯m muttered in a low voice.


    Me and Shirone have been acquaintances since as long as I can remember because our parents were always close with each other .


    And then, our rtionship goes on as we keep growing.


    There¡¯s even the time in which we¡¯re running around the mountain together when I was a child.


    And we¡¯re learning swordsmanship together in the swordsmanship dojo of Shirone¡¯s father.


    Thus I was worried when Shirone went missing.


    Shirone and the others were alive in this ce.


    I should be d about that.


    And they¡¯re currently fighting inside of that image.


    It seems the this image of battle was taken a while before now.


    Maybe because they¡¯re already annihting the whole army, Reiji and those academy beauties are having a friendly conversation.


    Tears are dripping from my eyes when I see that scenery.


    Surrounding Reiji were beauties who were prominent even back in our high school. Those girls are happily talking with Reiji.


    I¡¯m really jealous of him.


    ¡¸Fumu¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡¹


    I suddenly hearing a voice from my side.


    Before I know it, Modes, who was on my side, is looking at my face.


    ¡¸Fumufumu, I see¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡¹


    There might be something strange on my face.


    Modes is nodding as if perceiving something.


    ¡¸Kuroki-dono, let¡¯s continue our story. The hero suddenly appeared half-year ago¡¹


    Modes begins his exnation.


    Half year ago?


    I¡¯m sure they disappeared around one week ago.


    I am left wondering.


    ¡¸Up till the point where they suddenly came and started raiding Nargol territories, the armies of the goddess weren¡¯t even close to defeating the armies of Nargol. Naturally, I wasn¡¯t just sitting and doing nothing, I send our subordinate demons and magical beasts but, it¡¯spletely simr to standing on the edge of sharp de. Just 5 days ago, they even defeated our strongest elites, The Chivalric Order of Dark Knight. At this rate they should arrive this castle by tomorrow¡¹


    Modes saying so with vexed tone.


    ¡¸When I was investigating about them, I was told that they¡¯re summoned from the spirit world in order to defeat me. Thus, this Modes came to a thought. It should be okay if we also were to summon an existence from the spirit world who can defeat the hero¡¹


    Saying so, he¡¯s looking at me.


    ¡¸That person was you, Kuroki-dono¡¹


    ¡¸EH, wait a minute¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡¹


    What¡¯s that about¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    I¡¯m screaming like that from the bottom of my heart due to Modes¡¯ words.


    ¡¸How is it, Kuroki-dono. Please save us from them, from the hero¡¹


    Modes is bowing to me.


    ¡¸That¡¯s too absurd¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡¹


    In short, he¡¯s telling me to fight against Reiji and the girls.


    That¡¯s an extremely unreasonable story.


    Midou Reiji, or more known as Reiji is a popr figure in the bigbined school of Kayou middle and high to which I¡¯m also attending.


    He has well ordered face along with slender and well proportioned body that¡¯s around 180 cm tall.


    Maybe because his mother came from foreign country, he has bright brown colored hair which can be seen as blonde under the sunlight.


    To make matters worse, he has a good grades and is also good at sports.


    And his family is very rich.


    He¡¯spletely just like a character in a manga.


    He¡¯s extremely popr with girls for these reason.


    But, even if he is highly rated amongst girl, it¡¯s the extreme opposite for the boys.


    The reason is simple, because Reiji has apletely different attitude when he¡¯s facing those from the same sex versus those from the opposite sex.


    He¡¯s nice, only for the girls.


    That¡¯s what I think about Reiji.


    And somehow, Reiji has this strange ability of saving cute girls who are in danger at that ce.


    The number of women saved by Reiji is high .


    Maybe for that reason, the girls falling in love with Reiji has never stopped.


    By the way, I¡¯ve never heard of the stories in which Reiji saved men.


    No matter how troubled they¡¯re, if it¡¯s men, he¡¯ll somehow forsake them for himself.


    Though Reiji¡¯s extremely kind toward girls, he¡¯s extremely strict toward boys.


    This is the reason for the hate that¡¯sing from the men¡¯s side.


    In the first ce, Reiji himself might have not worried about such matters.


    The number of boys whose crush has been taken by Reiji is too many.


    Moreover, there¡¯s another reason for his low poprity.


    But, since Reiji¡¯s never forcing something against a girl¡¯s wish, the girls came to like him, and I¡¯ve never heard anyints from the boys.


    They¡¯ve no choice but to wait in silence.


    The grumbling of the boys because of the girls to whom they¡¯re taking fancy to surrounding only Reiji ising all out.


    They can¡¯t beat the handsome guy.


    And then, my childhood friend, Shirone, Akamine Shirone, is also one amongst them.


    Could it be Reiji greeted her because Shirone is cute?


    Or it might be because he was greeted by Shirone, I don¡¯t know which one.


    As for me, I don¡¯t want them to be together thought. It was then turned into a quarrel when I told Shirone about that.


    That was what happened before the summer vacation.


    My first love is crushed.


    I, who have nothing butmon skills. [TL : Your average guy]


    Am at disadvantage when facing against Reiji. I didn¡¯t have any choice but to abandon my first love.


    This monster who call himself as demon king is telling me to fight that Reiji.


    That¡¯s unreasonable.


    Reiji is all powerful in a brawl.


    I¡¯ll be ended being beaten ck and blue.


    Once upon a time, the captain of karate club is taking his revenge on Reiji and then brawling against him since the girl he have a crush on is taken by Reiji.


    The result, the captain of the karate club have his jaw broken which need full 3 month to recover.


    By the way, Reiji is unharmed.


    Maybe because Reiji parent are moving behind scene, or maybe because the captain of karate club is fearing the retribution, I don¡¯t know which one it is.


    But, it was somehow didn¡¯t goes on public.


    But, it was an open secret amongst the student in the school.


    In addition, there¡¯s this guy who love martial arts and goes to challenge Reiji.


    There was even adult with body bigger than Reiji amongst them.


    But, no one evere victorious. Naturally myself included.


    Reiji might have not rememberred that I was amongst the opponent which he defeated in the past.


    I¡¯m not even wanting to remember such miserable defeat.


    Moreover, the fighting scene is bad.


    I myself is a pacifist.


    It was only by chance at that time.


    The matter about that fight is just too forced.


    ¡¸Please wait a minute, your majesty!! ! ¡¹


    Someone is forcing his way through the crowds of the monster.


    Thus I saw the figure of a lone man who wore jet ck armor standing on that ce.


    He have darkish skin with well ordered face and then pale blond hair. If it¡¯s only that, he¡¯ll ended as a yankeed who loves to cosy but, there was pair of horn growing from the head of that man.


    ¡¸Ooh, isn¡¯t it lord Runfeld! ! Is the wound inflicted by that hero already cured? ¡¹


    The man called Runfeld is bowing respectfully.


    ¡¸Thank you for your worry, your majesty. But, you¡¯ve no need to borrow the power of someone with unknown nature like him. Though we were suffering such embarrassing defeat once, our chivalric order of dark knight is still in full power. Please just give a dispatch order to us¡¹


    The man called Runfeld is making an appeal to Modes.


    ¡¸Moreover¡­¡­¡­¡­..¡¹


    He¡¯s ring at my direction.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t think that this man can win against that hero¡¹


    It¡¯s as he say.


    I¡¯m unintentionally nodding at his words.


    ¡¸Let me to see your power!! ¡¹


    After saying so, he¡¯s drawing the sword on his hip and then shing it at me.


    ¡¸WAIT A MINUTE!! ¡¹


    I¡¯m twisting my body to avoid that sh. Somehow I feel that my body feels lighter than usual.


    ¡¸HA!! ¡¹


    Runfeld is keeping at me.


    Naturally, I¡¯m dodging his next attack too.


    My knees are weak, and I¡¯m shuffling my feet to dodge the attack that keeping from Runfeld.


    I¡¯m dodging the attack of my opponent with least movement without destroying my stance.


    I unintentionally catch his arms after he send who know how many attack to me and fling him just like that.


    ¡¸KUHAA!! ¡¹


    Runfeld who¡¯s toseed to the ground is raising a groan.


    ¡¸Ah, sorry!! ¡¹


    I unintentionally apologizing for the matter of tossing him to the ground.


    But, that wasn¡¯t the end of it.


    ¡¸DAAAAMNN!! ¡¹


    Runfeld is propping his body as he pushed out his left hand toward my direction.


    He pushed the ck me that was flickering on his left hand.


    ¡¸Wait a minute, lord Runfeld! That magic is! ! ¡¹


    Without even paying heed to Modes warning, Runfeld is throwing the ck me on his left hand toward me.


    ¡¸EAT THIS BLACK FLAME OF MINE! ¡¹[TL : GUAAAAAAA¨C>The trantor received 9999 mental damage]


    The ck me on his left hand keep expanding in size.


    I can¡¯t avoid this one.


    If I¡¯m going to running away from that me, I¡¯ve no choice but to run toward the flocks of monster who surrounded me. Moving toward that ce with such close distance between me and the me is quite difficult things to do.


    The ck me is keep approaching.


    So I unintentionally stretching my hand to the front to catch that me.


    My eyes opened with at such astonishing scene.


    me is an immaterial object, it should be a matter that couldn¡¯t be catched by hand.


    Was what should happened in normal situation.


    But, I¡¯m currently catching that ck me with both of my hand.


    When I¡¯m trying to crush the me, it¡¯s dispersed easily.


    ¡¸No way, the ck me of mine is¡­¡­¡­.¡¹ [TL : GUAAAAAH, that¡¯s the sound of your beloved trantor receiving mental damage]


    Runfeld is hanging his head down while muttering such words.


    Could it be that it was actually his greatest technique.


    It felt strange.


    Though I¡¯m taking a look at my hand to confirm it, there¡¯s no burn scar on it.


    When I¡¯m recalling the sensation from a while ago, the ck me suddenly erupting from my hand.


    ¡¸! ! ? ¡¹


    What a surprise, I crushed the ck me in my hand in panic.


    And then i can hear the crackling sound of someone pping his hands.


    ¡¸As expected of you, Kuroki-dono. Runfeld-dono is the strongest knight of Nargol and yet, even that Runfeld can¡¯t even touch you, moreover, you even learn the ck me¡¹


    Modes isughing. Even the hero might be defeated if I¡¯m using this.


    What the hell is this ck me?


    Come to think of it, they¡¯re also making me or lighting out of their hands in the image shown to me a while ago.


    Could it be that I can use an unusual power after Ie to this world?


    My brain already unable to catching up with the situation.


    Moreover, what the hell did he say about fighting against them for real.


    In the first ce, I¡¯ve no reason to fight them.


    The reason is because I shouldn¡¯t fight them.


    What will be of me if I¡¯m fighting against them?


    Will I unable to return to my original world if I¡¯m not fight them?


    Maybe they¡¯re in the same situation as me too in the fact that they won¡¯t be able to return to their original world unless they beat the demon lord?


    If that was the case, it should be better situation for me to cooperating with them to defeat the demon lord?


    And then, I¡¯ll ask the goddess who summoned them to returning us to our original world.


    But, Is Reiji willing to cooperating with me?


    Reiji¡¯s cold towards men.


    He might kick me out after saying that he don¡¯t want to see troublesome guy.


    Though he might¡¯ve saved me if I¡¯m a cute girl, unfortunately I¡¯m a man, there¡¯s something dangling on my crotch.


    After beating the demon lord without my help, they might be returning to our original world while leaving me behind.


    Should I wear female clothes? And then getting closer to them hiding the fact that I¡¯m Kuroki.


    ¡­¡­¡­.. Am I just turning into an idiot.


    I¡¯m shaking my head which is thinking about such foolish action.


    That¡¯s too prideless action.


    Though there¡¯s a reason for Reiji, I don¡¯t even want to meet Shirone in that situation.


    In the first ce, I¡¯m currently in the middle of quarreling with Shirone.


    That¡¯s why, cooperation is impossible.


    In that case, I just have to do it right.


    In the first ce, I might not be able to be back if I leave the person who summoned me.


    I¡¯m sending a sidelong nce at Modes.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Am I won¡¯t be able to return to my original world if I¡¯m not defeating them? ¡¹


    I¡¯ll try to ask for the time being.


    ¡¸Eh¡­¡­?¡¹


    But, Modes¡¯s letting out exaperated voice as if he wasn¡¯t expecting that question.


    ¡¸¡­¡­¡­. The way to retuning Kuroki-dono, is it?¡¹


    Modes started pondering deeply.


    And then, he too out something like paper from his pocket.


    I¡¯ve a bad feeling about this.


    It seems Modes was reading the letter written on that paper.


    ¡¸Could it be¡­¡­¡­¡­.. You don¡¯t know the method to send me back?¡¹


    Modes keep his silent to that question.


    The unpleasant silent is dominating our surrounding.


    ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­ It seems there¡¯s no method to send you back in this summoning art¡¹


    It was the worst result.


    ¡¸W-WAIT A MINUTE¨D¨D¨D!! ! ¡¹


    I unintentionally shouted loudly.


    ¡¸WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!! ! ¡¹


    And unintentionally shouting at the top of my lung capacity.


    That¡¯s irresponsible right?


    ¡¸Yeah, my apologies¡¹


    Modes is apologizing.


    It seems he¡¯s quite timid person in contrast to his build.


    ¡¸Please wait a minute, Kuroki-sama¡¹


    Mona who was on the side is standing in front of Modes.


    And then looking at my direction with the face as if she¡¯s going to cry.


    I can¡¯t say anything when I¡¯m looking at that kind of eyes.


    Those kind of eyes are lethal weapon to me who isn¡¯t used to woman.


    ¡¸Please, Kuroki-sama. Please hear Modes-sama¡¯s story¡¹

 Chapter 3 - The Reason to Fight

    <h4>Chapter 3 - The Reason to Fight</h4>


    ¡ôThe Summoned Person, Kuroki


    Long ago, there was one male god who live in the blessednd of god, Elios.


    Though that male god held a mighty power even amongst the gods who lived in Elios, he was ugly.


    For this reason, he¡¯s still a single man despite his peers being already married.


    Nevertheless, the male god wanted to have a wife and went to court the single goddesses.


    But, no one ever paid attention to him.


    Thus, he courted the fairies and angels who were serving under those goddesses. But, they disliked that ugly male god and thus they asked for the help of the goddesses they were serving.


    The goddesses who hated that ugly male god schemed to expel this male god.


    The goddess who was moving as their pivot is the one called Rena.


    The goddesses then made a false charge to the king of god, Oudith, about that male god forcing the fairies and angels to be his wife.


    After consulting with the other gods, Oudith decided to banish that male god to thend of darkness, Nargol.


    The male god cried. It was because that male god had never coerced anyone.


    The male god also made an appeal to Oudith.


    But, the goddesses conspired together to write an evidence which made that male god to fall into a disadvantageous situation, thus the decision was never overruled.


    The male god couldn¡¯t do anything but to follow the verdict.


    At that time, the male god made a request to Oudith. He¡¯ll obey their decision if he can get a bundle of hair from Rena, the most beautiful amongst the single goddess.


    Oudithplied with that request and then negotiated with Rena.


    In the end, even Rena had to give a bundle of her hair, albeit unwillingly.


    The male god then left toward thend of Nargol.


    In thatnd, the male god made a decision: if there was no one willing to be his wife, then he¡¯ll make one on his own.


    After various attempts, the male god sessfully made one goddess with Rena as her origin.


    But, that goddess was an existence which you could say as the clone of Rena.


    Rena who noticed the fact that the male god had made her clone was furious; she demanded Oudith to give the order to send that goddess clone back to her.


    After Oudith is discussing those matter with the other god, they decide to make a demand to that male god to send that clone goddess to Rena.


    That male god didn¡¯tply with their demands.


    He erected a barrier around Nargol to show his resolution to resist them till the bitter end.


    Rena made an appeal to the gods to subjugate that male god.


    But, as expected, that was too much.


    That male god was powerful; no one but Oudith could match him in power even amongst the gods.


    But, Oudith just couldn¡¯t easily depart from Elios, thend of gods.


    The other gods didn¡¯t want to fight that male god, save for Rena.


    Unwilling, Rena then sent troops and the heroes of humankind to Nargol.


    That was the beginning of the battle.


    The male god who didn¡¯t abide to the gods demand soon became the one called as the demon king.


    That demon king is Modes.


    The troops of Modes and Rena shed fervently.


    The result is Modes troops¡¯ overwhelming victories.


    In the end, Rena, who couldn¡¯t think of any way to achieve victory, asked for the help of goddess Casa who possessed the power of prediction.


    Casa predicted that Rena can win against Modes if she summoned heroes from the spirit world.


    Rena then summoned existences who could defeat Modes from the spirit world.


    And those existences were the hero of light, Reiji, and hisrades.


    Modes wasn¡¯t aware of this prediction at first.


    Not until the hero Reiji and hisrades broke through his line of defense one after another at a terrifying speed.


    Modes was astonished at the existence of the hero and hisrades and thus became aware of the existence of that prediction.


    Modes might end up getting defeated if he fought against the hero ording to that prediction.


    Therefore, Modes couldn¡¯t choose the option to fight the hero.


    So, he gathered even more information.


    Therefore, like how Rena begged to Casa and got a prediction, he also got a prediction from her and came to know of the fact that the one who could stop the hero was another person who was summoned from the spirit world.


    Thus, Modes stole the summoning arts which originally Rena used and summoned an existence who could stop the hero.


    That summoned being is me.


    This was the summary of Modes¡¯ story.


    If Modes is defeated, Mona¡¯s existence might be erased. That¡¯s the only thing that he wants to avoid at all costs.


    Modes is narrating that story to me while sobbing.


    By the way, if it goes by Modes¡¯ story, the way to go back isn¡¯t written on the summoning arts that he stole from Rena.


    Either way, maybe there¡¯s no way to send me back or I haven¡¯t found it yet.


    In short, I can assume that even Reiji¡¯s side doesn¡¯t have the means to send us back.


    I couldn¡¯t feel a lie in Modes¡¯ words.


    Most of all, it¡¯s still better than a threat like ¡°You won¡¯t be sent back unless you do as I say!¡±.


    If it¡¯s ording to the above pattern, why are Reiji and the others fighting?


    But, I won¡¯t reach the answer even if I think about it right now.


    I went to the courtyard of Modes¡¯ castle.


    It seems this courtyard is made based on Modes¡¯ residence back in the Elios.


    It doesn¡¯t have that much splendor since it was designed to make one feel relieved.


    It seems that only a select few people can enter this courtyard, including Modes and Mona.


    I heard the events in detail until this point from Modes who sat on the round-shaped chair.


    It seems the thing that was prepared by Mona in front of me was a tea.


    Because the peculiar fragrance of tea was drifting around.


    When I tried a sip of it, it¡¯s slightly bitter taste was superb.


    I¡¯m thinking of what I must to do from hereafter.


    Must I have a rematch with Reiji?


    I feel like I am dreaming.


    If I fight him, it seems Modes will make another goddess just for myself.


    Though it seems that it¡¯s not easy to make another goddess, it seems to be okay to add another one.


    That is such a charming proposal.


    Because, I never got the chance to be closer with girls till now.


    Rather, they were avoiding me as if I was a filthy person. [TL : The main reason will be exinedter]


    I recalled about my past.


    At first, the girls who were normally talking to me, suddenly started to take some distance for some reason. [TL : AGAIN, The main reason will be exinedter]


    It seems that I was unconciously ogling at the body of cute girls.


    Shirone is the one who told me about this. Normal attire aside, it seems my eyes are unconsciously ogling at the body of girls who were wearing miniskirt.


    Even when she said that, it couldn¡¯t be helped since it was like an instinct to me, wasn¡¯t it¡­


    Thus, I was doomed with the fate of being a cherry boy forever.


    Somehow, I feel sadness surging inside me when I think about such a thing.


    Let¡¯s stop thinking about such sad things¡­


    Moreover, I even had a look on the appearance of goddess Rena.


    She closely resembled Mona despite the slight difference between them.


    The next goddess to be made might be as beautiful as Mona, right.


    There¡¯s no way she won¡¯t be charming if I can get her.


    And most of all, she¡¯ll give her love unconditionally, just for me.


    I¡¯m not a handsome person.


    But still, I also want to flirt around with cute girls.


    Not several of them like Reiji, I¡¯m fine with just one.


    This world might be a happy one if I can get such an extremely cute girl.


    But¡­


    For that, I must win in a fight against Reiji.


    To be honest, I don¡¯t think that I can win against him.


    In fact, I fought against Reiji a long time ago.


    That was an uninteresting match.


    Maybe it¡¯s just short while ago, Reiji who be interested in learning kendo during middle school fought all the members of the kendo school.


    I was amongst his opponents.


    I was mercilessly defeated by Reiji.


    It¡¯s not like I feel that I¡¯m that strong either.


    But, I never expected that I¡¯ll be easily defeated just like that.


    It was quite a shock for me.


    First, his movements were different. I thought ¡°Why can he move his body like that despite having simr age?¡±


    I still remember Shirone¡¯s words who saw that match even now.


    ¡¸Kuroki can¡¯t win against Reiji-kun. So don¡¯t mind about it¡¹


    Though Shirone said those words tofort me, I felt really miserable on hearing that.


    To be honest, I even wanted to stop doing kendo at those times.


    But, I kept doing it for some reason even until now.


    Maybe I became a little stronger, but Reiji might have be even stronger than me.


    Anyway, I really can¡¯t refuse Modes¡¯ request.


    Maybe I¡¯ll die if we fight using a real sword.


    Though the reward is charming, it¡¯s no use if I lose my own life.


    In the first ce, i didn¡¯t have any obligation to fight for Modes.


    I can even abandon Modes.


    But, there¡¯s something that caught my interest deep in my heart.


    The thing caught within the depths of my heart is something rather insipid.


    And, Modes finally got himself a wife in Mona.


    For some reason, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to abandon them.


    ¡¸Please, Kuroki-dono!! I have no choice but to rely on you¡¹


    Modes is sping my hands with tears spilling from his eyes.


    I couldn¡¯t do anything but let out a weakugh.


    ¡¸¡­Excuse me, will you give me a little time¡­.¡¹

 Chapter 4 - The Mysterious Dark Knight Appears

    <h4>Chapter 4 - The Mysterious Dark Knight Appears</h4>


    The Comrade of the Hero, Sage Chiyuki.


    ¡¸It¡¯s just a bit more right, Chiyuki-senpai.¡¹


    Sasaki Rino, otherwise known as Rino, is saying that while dancing around me.


    Rino loves to sing and dance and originally aimed to be a model to dance and sing in our world.


    Could it be that the reason is because recently she¡¯s aware of the fact that she¡¯s being called as the goddess of dancing?


    She bes the center of attention wherever she goes since she keeps dancing while walking in the middle of the city.


    The problem is she prefers a miniskirt-like attire.


    Because of that there are many asions in which she¡¯s exposed to the indecent sight of many men.


    When I point that out, she says that she doesn¡¯t care about such things since she¡¯s used to it; it seems the person herself doesn¡¯t care about it.


    Modelling is a line of work which no one will be able to do unless they get used to such gazes.


    I definitely won¡¯t be able to endure it if I was in her position.


    ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s just a bit more, Rino-san.¡¹


    I¡¯m nodding to Rino.


    The demon king castle is just a little ahead.


    We can go back to our original world once we defeat the demon king Modes who lives in that castle.


    And put an end to this long journey.


    ¡¸Yeah, this painful and long journey will end atst.¡¹


    Reiji¡¯s saying so with a deep voice.


    ¡¸That¡¯s a lie, you seem to be the one who¡¯s always enjoying this journey, aren¡¯t you?¡¹


    ¡¸Did it look like that to you?¡¹


    When I tell him that, heughs back.


    For him, who was summoned as the hero of light, he might actually be enjoying all of what happened.


    Or not, it¡¯s not just him.


    Rino and Nao were also enjoying this.


    We came to this world around half year ago.


    We were summoned by a woman called Rena who proimed herself as a goddess.


    Rena made a request for us to defeat the demon king.


    It waspletely a manga-like situation.


    To be honest, we were dissatisfied. What she did was a kidnapping. Definitely something unforgivable.


    But, Rena told us that we couldn¡¯t be back from this world.


    Being asked by such a beautiful woman, Reiji easily agreed to help her and went to exterminate the demon king.


    Due to that reason, the other girls were also involved with him.


    But, in the end, I was the only one who¡¯s dissatisfied with the situation; Reiji, Nao, Rino, and the others are overjoyed at being able toe to this game-like world.


    And just like that, our adventure began.


    I was anxious at first.


    I was anxious whether we can live in this world.


    But that worry ended in an instant.


    We were strong in this world.


    After we came to this world, our physical strengths had raised to an absurd level just like a superman.


    ording to my observations, the rise in our physical strength is in proportion of our own abilities in our original world.


    Because, Reiji and Nao, who originally had the highest physical ability amongst us in our original world, possessed the highest physical ability aftering to this world.


    And yet, even Sahoko, the owner of weakest physical ability amongst us, can easily toss several average adult males of this world.


    Another thing is magic.


    It seems that only a handful amount of the humans in this world can use magic.


    And we, all of us can use this magic. Moreover, we can even use the highest level magic that can¡¯t be used by the humans of this world.


    By the way, the ranking of our amount of magical power is me, Sahoko and Reiji at the highest, and Nao is the least one amongst us.


    I couldn¡¯t understand the reason why we couldn¡¯t use magic in our original world.


    But regarding this magic, all of us couldn¡¯t use simr type of magic.


    I¡¯m not very good at using thunder and me magic like Nao and can¡¯t win against healing magic of Sahoko. Instead, Rino and Sahoko can¡¯t use magic such as transfer magic.


    Rino is a spirit system magic user and Sahoko is a healing system magic user, as said by Nao in a game-like way. And then, I¡¯m a magical power system magic user.


    We, who can freely manipting this kind of power became the strongest in the world.


    Especially Reiji, hisbat ability as the one who¡¯s summoned as the hero of light is terrifying. Even if the five of us form a group, it is still not enough to defeat him.


    ording to Rena, it seems that hisbat power alone is on par with the king of gods, Oudith.


    Even if it is a dangerous ce for girls like us, we can easily get over it thanks to Reiji.


    This journey will be ending very soon.


    I think it¡¯s fine for us to be a little greedier when I think about it now.


    Isn¡¯t that natural since we¡¯ll basically be sent back to our original world without even demanding some sort of remuneration?


    Reiji couldn¡¯t make a demand for remuneration since he readily epted Rena request, but it¡¯s still not toote even if we demand for remunerationter.


    Maybe Reiji¡¯s weakness for beauties will bite back at him sooner orter.


    I think that it¡¯ll be a good thing if he turns that kindness toward males too, but it seems he has no interest in the men.


    ording to what he says, a man must solve their own problems by themselves, thus he saves nothing but girls.


    But from my eyes, seeing him saving those cute girls with pinpoint uracy must be just my imagination right.


    ¡¸I can see the demon king castle¡«¡¹


    Nao who had went to scout the situation has returned.


    She¡¯s the ace of track and field club of our academy who came along with us and her physical ability is on the same level as Reiji.


    In spite of being called as the feral child of the academy, she¡¯s actually a cute girl once you know her.


    In game terms, her assigned job is Thief or ranger, so the matter of scouting like this is left to her.


    ¡¸How is the situation, Nao-san?¡¹


    ¡¸Uh~n, there are no traps and they didn¡¯t even strengthen their defenses with soldiers. I think it¡¯s safe for us to advance¡¹


    ¡¸And yet it¡¯s theirst stronghold, isn¡¯t that strange?¡¹


    ¡¸Are they staying inside in fear of us? ¡¹


    Rino¡¯s saying that with an optimistic tone.


    ¡¸Maybe it¡¯s just as simple as there¡¯s no soldier left to protect him, isn¡¯t it? I mean, didn¡¯t we just beat the one who called themself as the chivalric order of dark knights the other day. Despite their appearance, you might think that they¡¯re thest ones¡­¡­¡­..¡¹


    Shirone¡¯s saying so without self confidence.


    Shirone¡¯s home runs a kendo dojo, and she also learns kendo.


    She¡¯s already one of the strongest ss swordsman of this world and she¡¯s the next strongest after Reiji, if those amongst us fight without using magic.


    When I see her figure when she fights, her lively swaying ponytail made it as if she¡¯s dancing.


    Thus, she wears a lightweight armor for ease of movement.


    Reiji advised her to wear bikini armor, but as expected, she rejected that t on the spot.


    By the way, she¡¯s saying about the chivalric order of dark knights who fought us four days ago.


    Reiji took a different action at that time and the matter of us being cornered when we fought without Reiji is of great concern..


    Especially the guy called Runfeld-or something who was acting as their leader was powerful; his swordsmanship was equal to Shirone, and have high magic resistance, we were being cornered.


    Reiji, who noticed our situation, immediately took a U-turn and then rushed to save us. Runfeld ran away while barely keeping his dear life.


    The chivalric order of dark knights was almost annihted due to Reiji¡¯s counter attack and only few of them managed to survive.


    ¡¸I felt that we¡¯re not the best, but¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    Sahoko says that.


    She¡¯s the one who hates dispute the most amongst us.


    She¡¯s a gentle girl who will offer a healing for injury or disease whenever she has some free time.


    She¡¯s being referred as ¡®the Saint of healing¡¯.


    ¡¸Yeah, they definitely don¡¯t put any kind of resistance, and it¡¯ll be bothersome if only weak guyse out to meet us¡¹


    I agree with Sahoko.


    ¡¸Well, we should know about that very soon. Everyone, let¡¯s go! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸O~h!! ¡¹¡¹


    Rino and Nao raise their voice of approval toward Reiji¡¯s remark.


    We¡¯re advancing toward the demon king castle.


    Few minutester.


    We arrived at the main gate of the castle without meeting any sort of trouble.


    There are no troops. But, someone who wore jet-ck armor was standing at that ce.


    ¡¸Dark¡­. Knight?¡¹


    It was a figure which closely resembled the dark knight we fought before.


    In spite of being unable to see his face since his head is covered with helmet, it seems he¡¯s not Runfeld.


    But, why is he alone?


    Everyone is tilting their head, except for me.


    The dark knight who¡¯s standing alone wasn¡¯t our enemy.


    What is that demon king thinking about.


    The dark knight draws his sword.


    ¡¸My name is dark knight Diehart! ! Hero Reiji, I request for a duel! ! ¡¹


    The Youth Who Became The Dark Knight, Kuroki.


    ¡¸My name is dark knight Diehart! ! Hero Reiji, I request for a duel! ! ¡¹


    I stand in front of them and introduce myself while wearing the armor of dark knight that is wrapping around my body.


    I make a sweeping motion with the sword in my hand.


    It was a cursed sword which was given to me by Modes. I¡¯m told that it¡¯s sharpness varies depending on the magical power of its wielder.


    The de of the sword is ck in color with several red patterns running across its surface.


    The feeling of holding real sword is different from holding a shinai[i]. .


    It was closer to the feeling when I held a katana back in japan.


    This de, a naked de, was different from the drawn katana at that time, this sword might really kill people.


    In the end, I couldn¡¯t refuse Modes¡¯ request.


    I was just unable to refuse the request of his miserable self.


    Moreover, I wanted tough at myself when I introduced myself as Diehart.


    Diehart. That is the name of the viin of the anime which I saw a long time ago.


    He¡¯s a clown with uselessly high pride who is easily defeated by the hero.


    That name is definitely fitting for the current me.


    I called myself with the name of the viin in the anime since I don¡¯t want anyone to notice that it was me, especially Shirone.


    The helm given by Modes is the one that¡¯s used as a defensive gear by the dark knight and is the type that covers my entire face.


    I chose this one so that Shirone won¡¯t recognize that it¡¯s me.


    It seems the helmet is equipped with the magic that won¡¯t hinder my words in spite of wearing a helmet.


    And then, this magic also slightly altered my normal voice.


    My usual voice will be heard as a different voice by the other party as long as I wear this helmet.


    And, there were red gems attached on the eyes part of this helmet. It seems the effect is to protect my eyes from the magic that will affect my vision.


    Moreover, in spite of the red gem covering the eyes, my field of vision is wider than usual because of magic.


    I can see them from behind this helmet.


    The one with fascinating, long and beautiful hair is Mizuouji Chiyuki.


    The soothing beauty who¡¯s Reiji childhood friend is Yoshino Sahoko.


    One of the two junior, a model, Sasaki Rino.


    The other one is the feral child of the academy and also the ace of track and field club, Todoroki Naomi.


    And then, my childhood friend, Akamine Shirone.


    All of them form an army of beauties. They¡¯re surrounding Reiji.


    Shirone¡¯s standing beside Reiji.


    To be honest, I didn¡¯t want to see her standing beside Reiji.


    That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want to see it.


    Never did I think that I¡¯ll see that scene today.


    I look at Reiji.


    Golden patterns are engraved on top of his pure white armor.


    He is wearing a golden circlet with a blue gem embedded on it on his head.


    There¡¯s a luxurious-looking crimson mantel attached to his back.


    That was exactly the ideal figure of the hero of light who¡¯s summoned by the goddess.


    To be honest, I feel that he¡¯s cool.


    On the other hand, I¡¯m the underling of the demon king. Moreover, I¡¯m standing alone without anyrade beside me.


    What the hell is with these differences. This tragic situation made me want to cry.


    ¡¸Everyone, fall back¡¹


    As expected, Reiji¡¯s telling the girls to fall back.


    It seems he¡¯ll grant my one-on-one match request.


    I feel great pressure as I stand before him.


    Now, I¡¯m starting to regret my decision.


    Why the hell am I not showing any refusal.


    This is not a match but a battle to death.


    And yet, I don¡¯t have the resolution to die.


    I¡¯m burdened by fear.


    I only have a feeling of being ughtered miserably.


    Fool, I¡¯m such a big idiot.


    Even at this moment, I can still throw away my sword and then beg for forgiveness from my opponent.


    But, why do I keep tightening the grip on my sword.


    Reiji¡¯s also drawing his sword.


    His sword de is exuding brilliant light. It seems that my opponent also has a magic sword in his possession.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll end this in one attack¡¹


    Reiji let out a refreshing smile. That smile is the form of his absolute confidence in the fact that he absolutely won¡¯t lose.


    This will be our second fight. I think that his smile is simr to his smile during our first match.


    We face against each other for several seconds.


    ¡¸If you¡¯re not going toe, I¡¯lle to you!! ¡¹


    The first to move is Reiji.


    Reiji kicks the ground and instantly closes the distance between us. His speed is far more higher than Runfeld.


    But, I can see that his movement isn¡¯t that much different from that time.


    Reiji suddenly vanished when he¡¯s right in front of me.


    I also anticipated that move. It was the same move which defeated me.


    I hold my sword in my right hand.


    A shockwave is transmitted to the swordde. I parried Reiji¡¯s attack with my sword by turning my wrist and turning my waist while shuffling my feet.


    Though Reiji stance is crumbled due to that¨D


    ¡¸Oops!! ¡¹


    One¡¯s stance usually will crumble if they¡¯re put in the same situation as him. That Reiji regained his stance with his self-styled rotation is¡­


    Truly a monkey-like movement. Just what kind of reflexes does he have in him?


    When Reiji regained his bnce, he¡¯sing to attack from the front.


    I won¡¯t take that attack from the front; I parry it by turning my sword and then side stepped with sliding movement in order to not destroy my center of gravity.


    The sliding movement on the ground[i] is something that I just learned recently after such long and arduous training.


    Reiji, whose bnce is crumbled, turns to the side.


    Just like that, our des interlock again.


    Everytime our des interlock, the inside of my head¡¯s bing pure white.


    The sound of our swords shing at each other is resounding loud and clear.


    ¡¸Kuh!! ¡¹


    And then, during who-knows-how-many-of Reiji attack ising at me.


    It was a sloppy attack which ising with an impatient voice.


    I just naturally swing my sword while dodging that sloppy attack at thest moment.


    The feeling of my sword tearing something is being transmitted to my hand.


    I can feel as if the time stopped at that moment.


    The sword that I swung tore Reiji¡¯s body from his right shoulder all the way to his left waist.


    It might be a fatal wound and yet, it couldn¡¯t slice his body in two.


    Blood is bursting out from his wounds.


    ¡¸E~h ¡­¡­.¡¹


    Reiji¡¯s face possessed a disbelieving look while he looked at his own body.


    And then, slowly falling forward.


    ¡¸Reiji-kun!! ¡¹


    ¡¸Rei-kun!! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸Reiji-senpai!! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸Reiji-kun!! ¡¹


    ¡¸Reiji-kun!! ! ¡¹


    Five screams resounded at the same time.


    The girls make their move.


    I retreat to the back as I feel their killing intents.


    That moment, a gigantic lump of fire came crashing down on the ce where I was standing a moment ago.


    Before I knew, a giant from that gigantic fireball is standing in front of me.


    Standing on it¡¯s side is Sasaki Rino.


    ¡¸Go, king of me!! ! ¡¹


    When she screamed, that me giantes to attack me.


    I, who feel the iing danger, stretch my left-hand which isn¡¯t holding my sword to the front.


    ¡¸O ck me!! ! ¡¹


    The ck meing out from my hand protected me from the attack of that giant.


    It¡¯s the only magic that I remembered before this fight.


    ¡¸Rei-kun!! Heal the wound, ART OF HEALING¡¹


    Yoshino Sahoko is rushing to the side of the copsed Reiji.


    ¡¸Everyone! ! Gather at Reiji-kun¡¯s side! ! ¡¹


    The girls are standing on Reiji¡¯s side on hearing the panicking voice of Mizuouji Chiyuki.


    ¡¸Transfer£¨TELEPORT£©!! ¡¹


    The attack of me giant stopped almost at the same time as I heard Chiyuki voice.


    Thus, I couldn¡¯t see the trace of people in front of me just a while ago.


    ¡¸Have I won¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    My body is trembling as I muttered those words.


    Just like that, I fall on my knees.

 Chapter 5 - Melancholy of a Goddess

    <h4>Chapter 5 - Mncholy of a Goddess</h4>


    God of Craftsmanship, Heibos.


    ¡¸You¡¯re the god of craftsmanship, Heibos isn¡¯t it!! ¡¹


    That angry voice is resounding in this room.


    This is my home, the sole dark ce in the brilliant Elios.


    This ce might be a suitable ce for me who¡¯s an exception amongst those beautiful gods of Elios.


    The other gods also rarelye to such gloomy ce of mine.


    But, today is an exception.


    So, I¡¯m going out of my house to see that rare visitor.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, O goddess of wisdom and victory, Rena. For you toe to this ce of mine without your usual messenger¡¹


    At that ce was the angry Rena.


    The angry face of Rena who¡¯s one of the three most beautiful goddesses is also lovely.


    It¡¯s been a long time since I meet her.


    Rena always sends her messenger whenever she has some important matter with me.


    The important matter which told by her messenger before was regarding her request to make the summoning-assistance device to summon the hero from the spirit world.


    Rena didn¡¯t evene to my home when I made that assistance device.


    And today, that Rena hase to my house, all by herself.


    ¡¸IT¡¯S NOT WHAT¡¯S THE MATTER!! ¡¹


    Rena¡¯s raising her angry voice.


    ¡¸You¡¯re Heibos, right. You must have told the matter about the hero to the demon king Modes! ! ¡¹


    Rena¡¯s inquiring me.


    Modes, he was my only friend back when he was in Elios. There¡¯s no reason to not tell him about what I know.


    ¡¸Yup, I¡¯m the one who told him indeed, Rena. He asked me about it, after all¡¹


    I managed to get the full knowledge about the summoning arts when I made that summoning assistance device.


    Modes, driven to the corner because of the hero, sent his own messenger to me. At that time, I taught everything I know about the summoning arts and the hero to Modes.


    ¡¸Modes disobeyed the decision of the gods. He¡¯s the enemy of this Elios! ! ¡¹


    And I did not participate in that decision. By the way, I never even knew about that decision.


    The first reason might be because I never left my gloomy house.


    So, before I knew about it, Modes was already banished from Elios.


    It seems the reason is because Modes did immodest things to the fairies and the angel who were the subordinates of the goddesses.


    But, the Modes that I know will never do such direct harassment. At most, he¡¯ll be ogling at them from afar.


    But, it can¡¯t be helped if the matter was already decided that what he did was harassment.


    And, why Modes is fighting against Rena.


    The origin of the war is because he made the clone of Rena.


    So, it¡¯s not unreasonable if Rena is angry at the fact that Modes arbitrarily made her clone. [TL : Ehm, copyright infringement]


    Thus, Modes is clearly in the wrong side for this matter.


    But, I won¡¯t condemn Modes for what he did. Since Modes is just like me, an ugly person, he won¡¯t get a beauty on his hand unless he did that. I¡¯m fully aware of his feeling.


    I¡¯m fully aware of Modes¡¯ feeling as to why he¡¯s refusing to deliver Rena¡¯s clone.


    In spite of him being hailed as demon king for doing that.


    Moreover, I also helped him to make that summoning-assistance device.


    I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to condemn Modes.


    Even if Modes became the enemy of Elios, I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to be his enemy.


    ¡¸Modes definitely didn¡¯t abide by Elios¡¯ decision. But, it can¡¯t be helped since Elios¡¯ side made that decision without even contacting Modes first¡­¡¹


    The decision of the gods can¡¯t bind him. Those gods of Elios have no right to decide how they¡¯ll move.


    The other gods couldn¡¯t do anything to Modes if he isn¡¯t following their decision.


    Modes is strong, and no one but Oudith can win against Modes. If the gods of Elios want to beat Modes, Oudith has no choice but to make his move. Oudith, the king of gods, can¡¯t do anything since he can¡¯t leave Elios just like that.


    And it¡¯s not like Modes is attacking Elios too. There¡¯s no problem even if Elios just left Modes at his own device.


    For this reason, the other gods can¡¯t help Rena.


    That¡¯s why Rena summoned the hero.


    ¡¸That¡¯s just sophistry¡¹


    Rena gives a cold reply to my words.


    ¡¸Well then, what would you do then, Rena. Kill this Heibos?¡¹


    Rena is silenced.


    Rena¡¯s stronger than me and she can easily kill me.


    ¡¸It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to kill you¡­ You¡¯re the craftsman who¡¯s needed by Elios¡­.¡¹


    Rena¡¯s saying those words in a vexed tone.


    ¡¸But, if you help Modes just like this, I will consider disposing you. This is my warning, Heibos¡¹


    Rena¡¯s about to go back after saying so.


    ¡¸By the way, Rena. Can I ask another question?¡¹


    I stop Rena who¡¯s about to leave.


    ¡¸And what that question might be, Heibos?¡¹


    ¡¸The heroes possess such mighty power. I wonder, what you are going to do after they defeated Modes? ¡¹


    Though I never met the heroes in person, I heard that they¡¯ve powerparable to the gods.


    So, it might be dangerous to leave them as such.


    Or they might be weed as the gods of Elios?


    But, those matters need the consensus of the other gods. It won¡¯t be an easy matter.


    ¡¸Something thates from the spirit world will return to the spirit world, that¡¯s just natural, right?¡¹


    I tilt my head in confusion.


    That summoning arts can easily summon the heroes toward this world, but it¡¯s difficult to return them to their original world.


    Most likely, those heroes will be sent to another world which is different from their original world. If they¡¯re unlucky, there¡¯s the possibility that they might be stranded forever in the border between two worlds.


    You can¡¯t even say that as returning them. At least I think so.


    ¡¸Since they came from another world, they¡¯ll be back once everything ends¡¹


    I finallyprehended the meaning of Rena¡¯s words.


    Rena¡¯s considering everything, both outside and inside. It¡¯s fine as long as it¡¯s not inside this world.


    That¡¯s the same thing as releasing the fish caught from the ocean into freshwater.


    ¡¸Then I¡¯ll go back if you¡¯ve no more questions to ask, Heibos¡¹


    Rena¡¯s leaving.


    ¡¸Fuhm, the hero is a disposable tool, huh. Modes is ugly but he¡¯s at least not as wicked as you guys, gods of Elios¡¹


    I¡¯m muttering that to myself as I watch Rena leaving from the entrance of my house.


    I knew it. Rena deeply influenced the n to banish Modes. That goddess is beautiful, but her personality is the worst.


    And then, I read a certain note on top of the desk as I walk toward my workce.


    That¡¯s a thank-you letter sent by Modes.


    He¡¯s written a letter of gratitude to me since he managed to repel the hero thanks to my summoning-assistance device.


    ¡¸What a honest fellow¡¹


    I unintentionally smile when reading his letter.


    He likes to send a thank-you letter to all kind of guys who made various things to him.


    He wished to say his gratitude to those heroes too since Modes would be defeated by them if I just leave him alone.


    The gods of Elios, witnessing the power of the hero with their own eyes, decided to seal the summoning art forever.


    That¡¯s why Rena can¡¯t use the summoning art anymore.


    In addition, using that summoning art isn¡¯t that simple. Various catalysts are needed before performing the summoning ceremony. It¡¯s not that hard in case of Elios, but it¡¯s close to impossible to collect those catalysts so many times in Nargol.


    It might be a good thing since it¡¯s close to impossible to see the people of spirit worlding to this world after this.


    Dark knight Diehart.


    That¡¯s the name of the person summoned by Modes.


    Defeating Modes will be even more difficult due to the existence of Diehart.


    The power of the hero is needed to oppose Diehart.


    Thus, even Rena can¡¯t treat the hero like a disposable tool.


    ¡¸Well then, I wonder how things will turn out after this¡¹

 Chapter 6 - Queen of Darkness Speculation

    <h4>Chapter 6 - Queen of Darkness Spection</h4>


    Queen of Darkness, Mona.


    ¡¸Woah, how brave of Mona-sama toe into a ce like this¡¹


    When I entered one of the rooms in the demon king castle of Nargol, the elderly person who¡¯s the owner of the room came to greet me.


    That old one then bows respectfully toward me. This person¡¯s appearance is simr to a normal human but with a pair of horns growing on this person¡¯s head just like Runfeld.


    His name is Rugaas. He was once one of the gods who governed over knowledge in Elios, just like my beloved Modes. When my husband was exiled from Elios, Rugaas followed along with him, since he¡¯s my husband¡¯s subordinate.


    And now this person is the prime minister of Nargol.


    Rugaas¡¯s strong point isn¡¯t his power, thus he couldn¡¯t participate in the fight against the hero.


    ¡¸Raise your head, Rugaas¡¹


    When I say so, Rugaas raised his head and then he guided me to the chair at the center of the room.


    ¡¸May I ask what kind of business you have today, Mona-sama?¡¹


    Rugaas¡¯s asking me.


    ¡¸Rugaas. Kuro-¡­¡­¡­¡­. No, what do you think about lord Diehart? ¡¹


    ¡¸Lord Diehart?¡¹


    The duel that happened the other day. Everyone in the castle witnessed that duel. Naturally, Rugaas had also witnessed it.


    ¡¸I think he¡¯s an extremely powerful person since he managed to defeated that hero. It¡¯s reassuring that such a person is our ally¡¹


    Lord Diehart is strong, no doubt about it. He defeated that terrifying hero by himself.


    But, that is also the reason why I must consider that factor.


    ¡¸Only that?¡¹


    Rugaas is tilting his head in confusion.


    ¡¸Anymore to say about him?¡¹


    ¡¸The old and wise Rugaas. The hero is a man who came from the spirit world due to the prediction of that goddess called Casa. And then, lord Diehart also came from the spirit world¡¹


    ¡¸! ! ¡¹


    Rugaas exhibited a surprised expression.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Mona-sama is¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, it seems there¡¯s a possibility that Diehart-sama is a hero. We must dispose him if he¡¯s a danger threatening Modes-sama¡¹


    Lord Diehart has no loyalty. There¡¯s a possibility that he¡¯ll betray Modes.


    ¡¸But, Mona-sama. Because of the invasion of the hero, the demon king army is in a devastated state. Going against lord Diehart in this situation is too unreasonable¡¹


    Rugaas¡¯s argument is based on the fact that it was easy to rebuild the goblin race¡¯s troops and undead races which are easy to reproduce, but it¡¯ll take a bit longer for the other races to rebuild their troops.


    Especially the demon race and troll race, these two strongest races are in devastating situation.


    In fact, the troll race received almost no damage in the fight against the hero. The king of trolls quickly surrendered after seeing the fact that he was no match for the hero.


    In addition, this king of troll went as far as betraying the Nargol and even guided the hero. But then, it seems something happened on the way, making him unable to guide the hero till the end and leaving them alone.


    In fear of being purged by lord Diehart who defeated the hero, the king of troll escaped from Nargol.


    On losing their king, the various tribes of the troll race started to fight amongst each other which chipped away their unity. They won¡¯t be war potential for now.


    But on the other hand, with regards to the demon race, the demon race is the strongest race of Nargol, no, they might be the strongest race in this world right below the divine beings.


    The appearance of the demon race is simr to human race which became the basic feature of every race, but their distinct feature is the horn that¡¯s growing from both sides of their head.


    Though the demon race is far more stronger than the troll race, they¡¯re also the most proficient one in magic in the entire race in Nargol and even overwhelming the entire race in this world in term of magic. The angel race may be the only race who could possibly contend against them.


    Few days ago, the chivalric order of the dark knights, the best of this race, was almost annihted by the hero.


    The demon race is a race with long lifespan; thus, it was difficult to increase their number, because of this reason, it¡¯ll take a long time for their war potential to recover to their original state.


    Lord Runfeld, the bravest of the demon race, seems to be troubled over something too.


    For this reason, rebuilding the demon race which is the core power of demon king army won¡¯t be that easy.


    ¡¸In addition, Mona-sama. Even if for example we can restore our troops, it¡¯s still impossible to beat lord Diehart¡¹


    The hero destroyed the demon king army. Rugaas is exining that ¡°doing something like defeating lord Diehart who defeated that hero is impossible even if the demon king army ispletely restored.¡±


    Instead, one can say that lord Diehart is the best war potential that the demon king army possesses now.


    ¡¸And lord Diehart has already be the brave of the demon race. If possible, I don¡¯t want to think him as our enemy¡¹


    Rugaas says that with a troubled face.


    He doesn¡¯t want to do something that will make the morale of the demon race, the core race of Nargol, to go down. It seems that was Rugaas¡¯s opinion.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t want to make an enemy of lord Diehart too. But, we need to think about such scenarios too¡¹


    ¡¸Uhm Mona-sama, is your majesty¡­¡¹


    ¡¸No, Modes-sama doesn¡¯t even consider the dangerous factor in lord Diehart like me. In addition, it seems the Modes-sama is also favoring lord Diehart. He says, ¡°He possesses an extremely simr smell as me.¡±¡¹


    Modes, my beloved husband is weing lord Diehart without even a speck of consideration for his betrayal.


    ¡¸In addition, Modes-sama is someone who can¡¯t tell lies. That¡¯s his attitude when I convey my worries to him¡¹


    Thus, this matter couldn¡¯t be said to others.


    ¡¸Therefore, this talk is a secret between us, Rugaas. You have to think ¡°what if¡± the matter happens, for you are the wisest man in Nargol. Because no matter how strong someone is, he ought to have some weak point. There¡¯s no loss in gathering information about him, right?¡¹


    Rugaas is nodding.


    ¡¸Because that information is definitely important¡­. I¡¯ll send my subordinate to lord Diehart. For this one will be the one who investigates lord Diehart¡¹


    ¡¸I wish for your help then, old Rugaas¡¹


    I leave the room after saying such brief sentence.


    It looks like Rugaas had not even considered the potential danger in lord Diehart.


    No, maybe he just doesn¡¯t want to consider about such a possibility.


    Lord Diehart had already be an indispensable existence for the demon king army.


    No one would ever want to consider that such person could be their enemy.


    But, someone has to take some action.


    ¡¸Ah~, my dear Modes-sama. This Mona will definitely protect you¡¹

 Chapter 7 - Power of magic

    <h4>Chapter 7 - Power of magic</h4>


    The Youth Who Became The Dark Knight, Kuroki.


    ¡¸And this is the flight magic, Diehart-sama¡¹


    Is what Rugaas is saying to me while I am floating in the middle of the room.


    This event is happening early afternoon a day after my fight against Reiji. I¡¯m currently receiving Rugaas¡¯s lecture about magic in a room within the demon king castle.


    I received great praises from Modes after my battle against Reiji.


    My current status in Nargol is second only to Modes.


    I¡¯m okay with receiving his gratitude, but I wanted to be pardoned from being embraced by him while telling me¡¸Oh my best friend~¡¹.


    But I have to wait for a while for the reward regarding this matter. It can¡¯t be helped that I have to wait in order to get the reward.


    ording to Modes, I can¡¯t go back to the earth with the summoning magic that was used to summon me; it seems that I¡¯ll be either stranded in the dimension gap or transported to a world which is different from earth. Therefore, the magic needed to go back ought to be a different one.


    Unfortunately, Modes wasn¡¯t well versed in this kind of magic in spite of being the one who summoned me.


    Modes gave his promise to find a safe way to send me back.


    Elios might have the method to send me back, right?


    When I inquired about that matter.


    Modes told me that the possibility for that is quite low.


    Though I don¡¯t know where his self-confidence for that remark ising from, I can feel that it is from a reliable source.


    Though it¡¯ll be a different story if Modes is lying to me. For reasons such as ¡°we won¡¯t send you back unless you beat the hero¡±.


    But, I don¡¯t think that Modes is lying. It¡¯s too much of a roundabout way of lying if he wants me to fight the hero.


    Moreover, I think Modes isn¡¯t the kind of person(?) who will say such things.


    I think as such on looking at a ¡°Deredere¡± Modes when he has a conversation with Mona.


    I think the two of them will still be a bakaple even if the woman isn¡¯t Mona. [TL : Baka Couple]


    If that¡¯s the case, what is the reason for this fight?


    For Elios to forcibly summon someone from another world in spite of having no way to send them back to their original world.


    Though I think that Reiji was seduced by that beautiful goddess, I don¡¯t know the reason for the other girls to join this fight.


    I think Reiji and the others want to go back too.


    By the way, I heard they managed to save Reiji this afternoon.


    I felt relieved on hearing that news. Since, in fact, I never had any intention nor did I try to kill Reiji. I don¡¯t think that Reiji is detestable to the point that he deserves to die.


    The relieved me then received lessons regarding these magic things, this world, and the nargol from Rugaas.


    I need all information irrespective of how insignificant it is.


    The old man with a horn growing from his head and pointed ears in front of me was apparently the wisest sage and the prime minister of this Nargol. By right, he should do government work for Nargol and have no need to to do something like teaching me, but let alone doing that, it seems that he was ecstatic when I asked him to be my teacher.


    And then, currently I¡¯m receiving his lessons about magic.


    ¡¸¡­It seems that there¡¯s no problem with your flight magic. But, please be very careful, you¡¯re in a defenseless state when using this magic since you basically cannot use another magic when using this one. You must not be the prey for arrows¡­¡¹


    I create a small ck fire ball on my index finger while floating in the air.


    ¡¸¡­Though I¡¯m telling you about the necessary precautions, it seems that my worry is baseless for lord Diehart.¡¹


    Rugaas told me that with amazed expression.


    Guessing from Rugaas¡¯s tone, it seems that using two magic at once is quite hardcore.


    ¡¸You and the hero, the people of another world are truly enigmatic. Honestly speaking, even a normal human needs long and arduous training just to master the flight magic¡­ Lord Diehart is also the same as therades of the hero since they can use high-ranking magic too.¡¹


    By saying so, it seems that Reiji and the others are also capable of using high-ranking magic so easily, which normally can¡¯t be used without long training, as soon as they arrived to this world.


    And then, it seems that they are simrly capable of using high-ranking magic as me too. If one were to ask the reason for such ease, to be honest, I don¡¯t know.


    I cancel my flight magic and then descend to the ground.


    ¡¸And then, it¡¯s about that ck me. Lord Runfeld and your majesty the king is supposed to be the only one who can use that me and yet, lord Diehart can use it too. But, you¡¯re very interesting, lord Diehart, you can use the ck me so easily despite being unable to use any normal fire magic¡­ To tell the truth, it should be the opposite of that you know¡¹


    Rugaas is waving his head as if he couldn¡¯t believe what he saw.


    ¡¸But, it¡¯ll be inconvenient since you can¡¯t use normal me with your own magical power. Well then, now let¡¯s try to use fire magic with spirit of fire.¡¹


    Rugaas¡¯s muttering something while seemingly pondering about something. Thereupon, a book suddenly appearing on hands of Rugaas.


    ¡¸Now, let¡¯s try to use spirit magic. Please be careful since this magic is different from the other magic skills that I taught so far¡¹


    I recalled a little about that magic before receiving the teaching from Rugaas.


    It seems that this world has two major systems of magic, the magic that originates from one¡¯s own self, and magic that originates from external source. It seems that flight magic is the former and the spirit magic is theter.


    The spirit magic is a wish of one¡¯s own to use magic and the invisible spirit by means ofmunication, in other words, a magic to hear the user¡¯s wish. But, one must have a high mutual understanding with the spirits if they are to use this spirit magic.


    The mutual understanding by means of magic is something that resembles a telepathy; they, who can¡¯t understand each other words would gain mutual understanding by means of magic. It seems that I can use this mutual understanding by means of magic automatically since I can have a conversation with Modes who doesn¡¯t understand Japanesenguage. In fact, it¡¯s not a conversation with words, it was a conversation in which one triggers magic during conversation.


    It seems that this magic can be learned easily as long as someone has sufficient intelligence tomunicate with words, but it seems one needs an even higher knowledge to have a mutual understanding with magic beast or spirit who is notmunicating with words and then, I¡¯m also told that even someone with high magical power can¡¯t use spirit magic unless one¡¯s mutual understanding of magic is high enough.


    ¡¸O FIRE SPIRIT IN THE AIR, HEAR MY WISH!! ! ¡¹[TL : CRITICAL HIT]


    Thereupon, a small me formed on the fingertips of Rugaas.


    And then, it left his index finger as it is. The little me remains as such even after leaving his index finger.


    And just like that, Rugaas is maintaining the little me in the air. When he repeated his action for the tenth time, the fire is extinguished.


    ¡¸Please try to do it like me¡¹


    I mutter the same words as Rugaas.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ O SPIRIT OF FIRE IN THE AIR, HEAR MY WORDS!! ! ¡¹


    I mutter the same words as Rugaas while making my index finger to point up. Thereupon, the me that was forming on my index finger suddenly ran away from my index finger to the separated room.


    ¡¸UWAAA!! ! ¡¹


    I avoided that me in panic. And just like that, the me vanished after running around in this room and then crashing on the wall.


    ¡¸My apologies, Rugaas-dono!! ! ¡¹


    I¡¯m bowing to Rugaas.


    ¡¸Dear me, it would have been a mess if I had not set a defensive magic in this room beforehand. It seems that you can¡¯t use spirit magic very well¡¹


    Rugaas is saying so with an expression of great interest.


    After that, I couldn¡¯t make the rampant spirit of fire to abide my words no matter how many times I tried to do it.


    Rugaas is telling me that I¡¯m not very good in controlling the spirit of fire, so I¡¯m trying to use the spirit of water since he tells me that it¡¯s easy to use even for humans.


    But, irrespective of whether I tried to use the spirit of water or spirit of wind, I couldn¡¯t do anything but witness them scattering around in the room or flooding the room.


    I¡¯m considerably tired a while after the training to use the low-ranked spirit of undine since spirit of water will be somewhat convenient to me. Well, summoning a high-ranked spirit might be quite a burden for me.


    It seems that I couldn¡¯t get into a mutual understanding with spirits who can¡¯tmunicate with words.


    I remembered that Sasaki Rino was using something that resembled a high-ranked spirit during my fight against Reiji.


    I¡¯m sure that her mutual understanding ability£¨Communication Skill£© by means of magic is high.


    Besides, even if it¡¯s impossible for the spirit, I¡¯ve not tested it with magical beast who are also unable to express their intentions with words. I feel like testing it now.


    ¡¸And that¡¯s our lesson for today¡¹


    The book on Rugaas¡¯s hand vanishes as he closed it.


    ¡¸Uhm Rugaas-dono¡­ May I ask a question?¡¹


    ¡¸What could it be?¡¹


    ¡¸Rugaas-dono, why are you opening that book while using magic?¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, I see what you mean, it is a grimoire¡¹


    A book suddenly appeared on Rugaas¡¯s hand as he muttered those words.


    I nod at him.


    ¡¸Lord Diehart, in fact this Rugaas is unable to use spirit magic¡¹


    ¡¸? ¡¹


    I tilt my head in confusion.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ You were using spirit magic just now¡¹


    So I ask him.


    Rugaas used spirit magic just now. Why is he suddenly saying that he can¡¯t use spirit magic?


    ¡¸I can use it since I¡¯m borrowing the power of this grimoire. Even I can¡¯t use that spirit magic just now unless I¡¯m using this grimoire of the spirit of fire¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, in that case, I can use that spirit magic if I¡¯m using that grimoire too, isn¡¯t it? ¡¹


    He should have said it sooner if he has such a convenient tool.


    ¡¸Want to try it?¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, I can use it?! ¡¹


    I nod to Rugaas¡¯s offer as I received the grimoire.


    The grimoire doesn¡¯t react at all when I try to open it.


    ¡¸I¡¯m sure that it was shining when Rugaas-dono opened it¡¹


    ¡¸Fwofwofwofwo, this grimoire is a special one and no one but me, the owner, can use it¡¹ ¡¡Rugaas is saying that whileughing.


    ¡¸I see, so that¡¯s the reason¡­ That¡¯s a bit regretful¡¹


    I¡¯m saying those words with a crestfallen mood.


    ording to Rugaas, it seems that he can use any kind of magic save for spirit magic and healing magic which he can¡¯t use, unless he¡¯s holding the grimoire that corresponds to those magic. It seems that he has already surpassed Modes just based on the number of magic skills that he can use.


    This Rugaas, who couldn¡¯te to fight the hero, will take a slightly longer time to use magic since he would have to change his grimoire correspondingly following the magic that he used, and it¡¯s still not yet ready forbat since the magical power needed for summoning the grimoire and then using the magic is almost twice the amount of magical power needed to use the same normally.


    ¡¸As for me, I¡¯m really envious of lord Diehart who can use that ck me. Because I can¡¯t use that ck me even with a grimoire¡¹


    Rugaas is saying so with a regretful tone.


    And then, he¡¯s muttering something as he received his grimoire back from me; thereupon, the grimoire vanished as it left my hand.


    ¡¸This power is sure convenient. Is there a magic which can recall something to a separated ce to return?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, transfer object magic is surprisingly easy to use as long as you have a special magic item. For example, lord Diehart¡¯s cursed sword¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, is that so? ¡¹


    I recalled the cursed sword that I received from Modes. Needless to say, it was the sword that almost killed Reiji.


    ¡¸Please try to call that sword toe to this ce in your mind¡¹


    I¡¯m going to call the cursed sword to my hand.


    Come! !


    Several secondster, a sword appeared in my hand.


    ¡¸So you really are acknowledged as the master by that cursed sword. Such weapons with their own unique magical power will choose their own master. It¡¯s easy to call them too¡¹


    I¡¯m looking at the cursed sword. The cursed sword looks quite sinister with the red pattern on its sword de.


    ¡¸The name of this cursed sword is the cursed sword of vile blood. Something sliced by this cursed sword will be infected by its dark power and will be gradually eaten from inside. The hero who received a sh from this sword is currently on the verge of dying due to this sword¡¯s power¡¹


    Rugaas isughing happily.


    Those words stirred my heart.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ I heard they managed to save the hero life though¡­¡¹


    Or so at least from what I heard, I¡¯m relieved when I heard that Reiji survived, but¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..


    ¡¸It seems that his life is currently anchored due to the power of the saint. But, even that is just a matter of time¡¹


    Rugaas¡¯s saying so while chuckling.


    Reiji is the enemy of Rugaas and the demon king army, so it¡¯s natural for him to be happy when that enemy is dying.


    But, I couldn¡¯t do that.


    No matter what I say, I¡¯m the one who did that to the hero, but I never had any intention to kill Reiji.


    Though he¡¯s not someone that I like, I don¡¯t hate him to the point of wanting to kill him. While it might be true that I hate him, it¡¯s not to the point of wanting to hurt him.


    To be honest, I¡¯m worried.


    As expected, I should go see his situation all by myself.


    In fact, I¡¯m not just worried about Reiji but also all of them.


    Most of all, I¡¯m worried about Shirone.


    Shirone didn¡¯t show signs of missing her original world.


    This Shirone exists in this world. No matter how I look at it, I¡¯m worried about her.


    So, I query after thinking about that matter for a while.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ Rugaas-dono. I¡¯ve something that I want to tell you¡¹


    Kuroki Meets The Demon King.


    ¡¸I see, you¡¯re worried about the hero¡¯s condition. Understood, let me prepare the things that you¡¯ll need for a long journey¡¹


    Modes is nodding in agreement.


    I¡¯m relieved by the fact that he agreed to my request.


    During the audience at the demon king¡¯s castle, I state my wish to Modes that I would like to see the condition of the hero.


    Though I thought it was impossible at first, Modes readily agreed to my wish. Though he might think that I¡¯m going to finish him[the hero] off, since I did not say the reason why I want to see his[the hero] situation.


    But, I¡¯m relieved that I got permission from Modes. This is because I¡¯ve almost no knowledge about this world. His assistance for my journey will make a great difference for sure.


    ¡¸Rugaas, prepare the necessary things needed for lord Diehart in his journey¡¹


    Rugaas stepped forward upon the call from Modes.


    ¡¸Yes, I am finished with the preparations since he had already consulted with me about this matter yesterday. Let¡¯s assign a guide to him since lord Diehart barely knows about the human race territory. Come here, Nut¡¹


    A small animal shows itself at the foot of Rugaas when Rugaas called forth.


    It looked like a rat or maybe a squirrel with red colored fur. This small animal walked forward till it arrived at my foot.


    ¡¸My pleasure to meet you Diehart-sama, my name is Nut of the fire rat race¡¹


    The rat which called itself Nut introduced itself while bowing lightly at me.


    In normal situations, a rat speaking is©`! Made me surprised indeed, but I¡¯ve seen many impossible creatures already. I won¡¯t be surprised anymore.


    ¡¸I¡¯m Diehart. It¡¯s my pleasure to meet you, Nut¡¹


    I greet it back.


    Nut who¡¯s greeted back by me is showing a surprised expression. Though it might be wrong since it¡¯s a rat face.


    ¡¸¡­It¡¯s nothing, I really can¡¯t trust those rumors. I heard that you¡¯re an extremely horrible person¡¹


    Nut is saying so while shrugging its shoulders.


    I¡¯m smiling wryly for being deemed as an extremely horrible person.


    It seems that somehow Modes¡¯s subordinates are afraid of me.


    In case of Modes¡¯s subordinates, save for the demon race with appearance that resembles a human, most of the races are with appearances resembling that of monsters, so for them to be afraid of me gave me a slightly odd feeling.


    But, I don¡¯t think being feared is a nice thing since I¡¯m going to live in this ce for a while.


    Even in the earth, someone told me to hide my eyes since my eyes are scary. Thanks to that advice my appearance became milder.


    But, since it¡¯s not like they¡¯re from this world and are still afraid of my appearance, I need another means to hide my appearance.


    Well, what should I do then?


    Should I dance while saying ¡¸I¡¯m scary¡«¡¢I¡¯m scary you kno¡«w¡¹.


    Modes and the other guys were showing puzzled expressions as I was thinking about such a foolish idea.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ Lord Diehart?¡¹


    ¡¸No, I¡¯m not thinking about something strange. Thank you for your willingness to be my guide¡¹


    ¡¸Well then, please take a look at this since we¡¯re preparing other necessary things for your journey¡¹


    I received the exnation about the magic tool that I received from another subordinate of Rugaas.


    The map of this world. Magic mantle with hood to erase my presence. Gems to make my soldiers with magic. Gems with sealed transfer magic inside. Gems that might be used to exchange with human race currency.


    ¡¸Next is, just the other necessary things to add, do you want to add something? ¡¹


    ¡¸No, I think it¡¯s plenty enough with just this much¡¹


    So, I say my gratitude. Since I know almost nothing about this world, I don¡¯t even know what I need for my journey.


    ¡¸Lord Diehart, the area outside of this Nargol is the territory of the gods of Elios. If you think that the situation is getting dangerous, return immediately with that gem of metastasis¡¹


    Modes is saying so to me.


    Metastasis magic is a transfer magic to move toward a pre-established position to which you want to move by using magic. The gem of metastasis is a one-time magic tool to activate that magic, even if that person can¡¯t use that magic.


    ¡¸Thank you very much¡¹


    I express my gratitude to Modes.


    I have to show my manners to someone who truly cares about me. Maybe this is themon sense of this world.


    And then, after the audience.


    Dark Knight Kuroki.


    ¡¸This ce is?¡¹


    The ce to which I moved with metastasis magic is a dark ce devoid of people.


    ¡¸This is one of the defense points in Akeron mountain range. In fact, since many of the knight who were stationed here either received grievous wound or killed in the battle against the hero, they¡¯ve no leeway to deploy some of their forces to wee us at this location¡­¡¹


    Nut, getting on my shoulder, was doing the exnation for me.


    Akeron mountain range is the boundary line that divides the world of humans and Nargol.


    The dark knights riding the flying dragon were the ones who were protecting this line to prevent the possibilities of an invasion from this mountain. It is seemingly one of the defense points.


    After making enough preparations for a journey, we left the demon king castle at once with magic.


    We¡¯ll be arriving at the world of humans once we descend this mountain.


    ¡¸It¡¯s strange right, the flying dragon that will send us down to the foot of the mountain is supposed to be standing by but¡­.¡¹


    In fact, it¡¯s faster to descend the mountain with flight magic, but it¡¯s decided that we¡¯ll be sent down by a flying dragon since my interest was piqued by it.


    Something is making a sound from the side of the stone building.


    When I leave the building to see it, there was a lizard-like animal with gigantic wings growing on it sides.


    It was the one called Flying Dragon£¨Wyvern£©One of the dark knights was riding on the back of the wyvern.


    That dark knight isnding his wyvern close to the building and then jumped from the back of the wyvern.


    ¡¸It¡¯s pleasure to meet you, Diehart-kakka[1]! ! My name is knight Gned! ! ¡¹


    The dark knight introduced himself while taking off his helmet.


    If measured by the age of human race, his age is around thetter half of his teens till the first half of his twenties.


    Rugaas had told me about the demon race.


    The demon race is the highest-ranked race in this Nargol. Their appearance resembles that of human race except for the horn growing from both sides of their head. They¡¯re far more excellent than human race both in term of physical body and magic.


    But if one must talk about their weakness, it¡¯s the fact that their numbers are few; their numbers had not even reached 1/20th of the orc race, the race with most poption in Nargol.


    Even so, Rugaas added that the chivalric order of dark knights, the best in Nargol, isposed of the soldiers of this demon race.


    Maybe the face of this dark knight Gned stiffened due to his tension.


    ¡¸It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Gned. No need to be that formal¡¹


    To be honest, I feel that my back is somewhat itchy when he called me with ¡°-Kakka¡± suffix. I¡¯m not that great to be called as such. I wish that he¡¯s more carefree since, going by appearance, his age isn¡¯t that much different from myself.


    But, I noticed that lord Gned¡¯s body is trembling lightly.


    Is he frightened by what I said?


    If that was true, I¡¯ll be shocked you know.


    ¡¸I-I CAN¡¯T DO THAT! ! Since kakka position is just next to the king of this Nargol! ! ¡¹


    I don¡¯t know whether he is saying the truth due to his tension or due to his fear.


    But, it seems that it was impossible to make him drop his formal way of speaking.


    ¡¸A-After this, I-I¡¯ll be the one who¡¯ll send kakka to the foot of the mountain range!! ¡¹


    Gned is saying so as if urging us to get on the back seat on the back of the wyvern.


    ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­Well then, I¡¯m looking forward to work with you, lord Gned¡¹


    ¡¸R-Roger!! ¡¹


    After Gned and I are on the back of the flying wyvern.


    I can feel the wind being sliced by the wings of the wyvern.


    I let out an ¡°Oops¡± voice to this sensation.


    It was quite a nice feeling.


    Right after the flying dragon soared in the sky, I can see the defensive point turning into a dot.


    The sensation of flying in the sky is really nice. Now I want to have a wyvern of my own.


    But, just when I thought about that, the wyvern suddenly lowered it¡¯s flying altitude.


    ¡¸What¡¯s matter, lord Gned?¡¹


    It¡¯s messing the sky with such low-altitude flying.


    ¡¸W-We have to fly in low-altitude ahead of this point since the monitoring is getting stricter!! ¡¹


    I wonder what this monitoring thing is.


    ¡¸Diehart-sama. This region is already under the supervision of those holy knight from Elios. They¡¯ll lock our position if we¡¯re flying at a higher altitude¡¹


    Nut who had entered the bosom pocket of my clothes was the one doing the exnation for me.


    ording to Nut¡¯s exnation, the holy knights of Elios is the elite corpsposed of angel race and the hero of human race who pledged their allegiance to the king of god, Oudith. Naturally, due to hostile rtionship between Nargol and Elios, the holy knights are also in a hostile rtionship with the dark knights.


    And it seems that these holy knights were repeatedly viting the airspace after what happened to the dark knight due to Reiji and the others doing. Thus, it seems that we have to fly in low-altitude in order for them to not discover our presence.


    Gned is awkwardly manipting the wyvern. It was a dangerous flight even just seeing it from the side.


    ¡¸¡­¡­.. Look like it hasn¡¯t been a long time since lord Gned received his wyvern¡¹


    The chivalric order of dark knights is currently experiencingbor shortage. It seems that hecks sufficient skills for riding the wyvern and is basically riding the wyvern as soon as he got one.


    ¡¸¡­¡­ But, we might be targeted by the goblin in the vicinities with such an awkward method of flying¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, why would the goblins be going against us?¡¹


    Rugaas taught me a bit about demons during our magic lesson. Goblin is an ugly creature with green skin and a height around 140 cm in average. Rugaas told me that they have a head harder than iron and have abysmal talent in music.


    But, even though the goblins are also called as demons, maybe they¡¯re actually not subordinates of Modes.


    That¡¯s why I asked such question.


    ¡¸The goblins around this vicinities aren¡¯t the subordinates of your highness Modes¡¹


    ording to Nut, it seems that Modes is also called by the name of ruler of demon. He is called so because no human lives in Nargol andrge number of demons inhabit Nargol, but it doesn¡¯t mean that the demons outside of Nargol are Modes¡¯s subordinate; on the contrary, many of those demons outside Nargol seemingly not even obey Modes¡¯s authority.


    And the goblins in this region don¡¯t obey orders from Modes. Rather, it seems very few demons are actually obeying Modes¡¯s orders.


    There were even those pretending to be the demon king.


    Though Modes has enough power to rule over the entire demon race in this world, it seems that the reason why he never went to attack the humans is due Modes¡¯sck of greed.


    But, it seems that many people think that when the demons outside of Nargol attacked the humans, it was due to Modes order while in the fact was the other way around.


    In short, leaving Nargol means leaving from the subordination of Modes, so the problem that happens outside is their own problem.


    I touch the cursed sword on my waist which I wore since there¡¯ll be a short dy when I summon it. I don¡¯t know whether I¡¯ll draw my sword to cut the demon who chooses to attack me along the way.


    It was when I was thinking about that, an arrow suddenly shot from below.


    ¡¸I-It¡¯s a goblin!! ¡¹


    Nut is screaming in panic.


    When I look below, beings that looked like a kid with green skin were aiming their bow toward our direction.


    The wyvern became more violent on bing the target of the arrows.


    I cling to the wyvern in panic.


    ¡¸CALM DOWN! ! I SAID CALM DOWN! ! ! ¡¹


    Gned attempts to calm down the wyvern came for naught.


    Gned made his wyvern rise even further to avoid the arrows.


    ¡¸UOOOOOOOOOO!! ¡¹


    I scream unintentionally.


    We¡¯re out of the range of the arrows due to our rapid ascent.


    ¡¸CALM DOWN! ! CALM DOWN! ! ¡¹


    For some reason, the wyvern calmed down after we escaped from the barrage of arrows.


    ¡¸It seems we¡¯re safe now, isn¡¯t it¡­.¡¹


    When I expressed my relief, Gned is screaming in panic.


    ¡¸AAAAAAAAAAAAH! ! WE¡¯VE BEEN DISCOVERED! ! ¡¹


    When I look at the direction where Gned is pointing at, people with wings on their back we¡¯re rushing toward our direction. They numbered 10.


    The winged man, wearing golden armor while holding bows in their hands, is aiming at us.


    ¡¸They¡¯re the angel race of the holy knights! ! RUN, LORD GNED! ! ¡¹


    The angel race is a race whose appearance resembles the human race with wings growing on their back.


    The angel race is the race having a pair of wings on their back and have no need for flight magic, thus they can use sword or magic while flying in the air.


    Since normally, one can¡¯t fight while using flight magic, unless they were of the race who can fly such as the angel race or wyvern race.


    Even Gned, who¡¯s more or less just getting on the back of the wyvern, might be defeated just like that since he has not received dragon rider training.


    Even before Nut sent his warning, Gned already made his wyvern to turn around.


    When I think that there¡¯s no other choice, I recite the aria for flight magic.


    ¡¸KAKKA! ? ¡¹


    ¡¸Lord Gned, please keep your focus on controlling the wyvern. Leave the aftermath to me¡¹


    I rush toward the angels while saying those words.


    The angels then shot their arrows toward me.


    Those arrows were too slow.


    ¡¸HA!! ¡¹


    So I draw my sword and knock down those arrows.


    ¡¸NO WAY!! ¡¹


    The angels are screaming.


    ¡¸O ck me!! ¡¹


    I release a gigantic lump of ck fire while flying in the sky.


    ¡¸me Prison£¨Hell me£©!! ¡¹


    The lump of ck fire is spreading out toward the angels.


    It¡¯s just a scare away tactic as I have no intention to hurt them.


    But, I know that the effect is tremendous as soon as my opponents saw that.


    ¡¸That ck me, it¡¯s Runfeld, RUN!! ¡¹


    Maybe because they have some sort of misunderstanding since I wore my hood, the angels are running as they mistook me for Runfeld.


    And just like that, I return to Gned¡¯s wyvern and sit on its back seat.


    ¡¸Amazing¡­¡¹


    I can hear Gned muttering that.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve driven away the angels, lord Gned. Please keep flying at this altitude¡¹


    I¡¯m smiling toward Gned.


    ¡¸U-UNDERSTOOD!! ¡¹


    Gned is saying his gratitude with faltering words at the back of the wyvern.


    The wyvern soars high into the sky, cutting through the air.


    I thought it was wonderful.


    I cannot enjoy the scenery as I have to keep certain level of concentration when flying with flight magic. When ites to flying, flying on the back of something seems a better choice.


    So I thought of asking for a wyvern of my own when I return to Nargolter.


    We¡¯re arrived at the end of Akeron mountain range before long.


    ¡¸Thank you very much, lord Gned¡¹


    I, who jumped from the back of the wyvern, sent my words of gratitude to Gned.


    ¡¸I¡¯m grateful for your words!! ¡¹


    Gned was too tense from the beginning to the end.


    But, I can feel that he¡¯s more rxed than the time when I first meet him.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll be praying for your safety during the journey till you¡¯re back to this ce!! ¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you very much, lord Gned¡¹


    Gned is saying so after riding on his wyvern.


    Well, we¡¯ll be going by foot from this point. ¤µ


    ording to Nut¡¯s story, it seems that the ce where Reiji and the others are living is the country called Holy Republic, Lenaria.


    Though it¡¯ll be faster to go there if I use transfer magic, since I can¡¯t transfer to an unmarked ce, it naturally can¡¯t be used outside of Nargol.


    Though there¡¯s some distance to reach the holy republic, Lenaria, it seems that the I, who came to this world, has transformed into a superman and can move at a faster speed than the me of earth. It won¡¯t take that much time.


    ¡¸Well then, here we go, Nut¡¹


    It was my first step toward the human world.

 Chapter 8 - The Girl Worries

    <h4>Chapter 8 - The Girl Worries</h4>


    ¡¸Is oniisama yet to wake up? If so, then what is Sahoko doing right now! ! ! ¡¹


    Midou Kyouka aka Kyouka is protesting with a loud voice.


    Kyouka is one of Reiji¡¯s two little sisters.


    Though her appearance is similiar to Reiji, he personality isn¡¯t.


    Reiji was defeated by the dark knight and then we returned to the holy republic Lenaria.


    The eight of us were summoned by the temple of goddess Rena in this country.


    We¡¯re currently inside one of the temple rooms.


    ¡¸Kyouka-san, Reiji-kun won¡¯t wake up even if you raise your voice like that, you know¡¹


    I said those words for who knows how many times. Reiji is sleeping in the room beside us, so she should be quiet.


    ¡¸So, you¡¯re not worrying about oniisama, Chiyuki-san? ! ! Come to think of it, oniisama¡¯s wound is because you guys aren¡¯t strong enough! How will you take responsibility for this matter? ! ! ¡¹


    Honestly, I¡¯m toozy to reply to her outburst of anger since it¡¯s too troublesome.


    Kyouka is not participating in the demon king subjugation.


    She and Takayama Kaya, or known as Kaya, were waiting for us in this holy republic Lenaria.


    As for why they¡¯re house-sitting, it is to protect our base of operations, at least officially.


    But, the real reason is because of Kyouka¡¯s ipetence.


    She most likely will attack her own allies as she¡¯s unable to control her own power.


    She¡¯s seemingly learning fencing but to be honest, her strength is questionable. Just like how her gender is the opposite of Reiji, her strength is also dismally low.


    Frankly speaking, she¡¯s nothing but a burden even if we bring her along.


    She¡¯s also on bad terms with the other girls which would make the atmosphere detrimental, if we¡¯re to take her along.


    That¡¯s why she couldn¡¯t participate in the subjugation of the demon king.


    Contrary to that, Kaya, using kenpo and karate, is quite capable herself, but she decided to remain here as she¡¯s unable to leave Kyouka alone.


    Sahoko and Kaya are the daughters of the servants of Reiji house.


    Kyouka and Kaya are going to the princess¡¯s school which is different from the school we¡¯re going to and is located in quite a distant location. Even in our world, the reason Kaya left is to assist Kyouka.


    Kaya and I are currently the only ones in this room.


    It¡¯s been three days since Reiji was defeated.


    Though his body is safe, he had spent a vast amount of his life force, thus he has yet to wake up.


    Though I know that Kyouka is worried about Reiji, I can¡¯t do anything about it. We can only wish for his safety.


    Sahoko is currently on Reiji¡¯s side. Sahoko, who takes care of Reiji even in our world, has already been using her healing magic for three days straight.


    I recall that time. Sahoko keep chanting the aria of healing magic almost all day long on Reiji¡¯s wound. Even Sahoko¡¯s life will be in grave danger if she continues to overdraft in this manner.


    To be honest, it¡¯s thanks to her effort that she managed to save Reiji¡¯s life in spite of that fatal wound.


    Why Sahoko is willing to go that far to save Reiji?


    I heard that Sahoko is Reiji¡¯s childhood friend. Due to the circumstance of his house, Reiji was raised in a different house than the main house of the Midou family, and since Sahoko was the only child around his age in that house, the two became ymates. That¡¯s why I think that there are so many things that may have happened between them.


    And that Sahoko has already nursed Reiji for three days straight, so she must have some rest. Naturally, Sahoko agreed to that proposal, but¡­


    Kyouka tried as hard as Sahoko to nurse Reiji, but she fell after being unable to do anything.


    But, I¡¯m also not that much of a helppared to Sahoko.


    No, no one can rival Sahoko when ites to Reiji.


    After Sahoko returned to rest, three of us, Kaya, Shirone and I took turns to nurse Reiji.


    Kaya and Shirone are currently training in the training ground of the temple.


    Reiji is currently unable to move, so those two will stand as vanguard in case something happens.


    For this reason, Shirone has requested Kaya to apany her with her training.


    By the way, Rino is in her own allocated room in the temple while Nao is strolling outside.


    After Reiji¡¯s defeat, the atmosphere between us became heavy.


    It seems that it was because Reiji had been mortally wounded and was on the verge of death, but what made us shocked the most was his defeat.


    Until now, save for Reiji, we¡¯re the ones who often fall into desperate situations and Reiji is the only exception.


    We felt that it¡¯ll be easy for him no matter who the opponent is.


    It was such a simple matter.


    Dark knight Diehart.


    I¡¯m pondering about the man who defeated Reiji.


    The fight from that time was too fast to be seen by my eyes.


    Before I know, Reiji had already fallen on the ground with blood gushing out from his chest.


    The only one who could see that fight was only Shirone and Nao.


    ording to Shirone, Diehart¡¯s movements seemingly resembled Japanese swordsmanship. Moreover, he¡¯s quite the master at that too.


    Shirone, as the girl of a kendo dojo*, is quite knowledgeable about swordsmanship.[TL* : equivalent to sect in xianxia or school]


    Shirone told us that Diehart¡¯s ability is higher than hers.


    And it¡¯s something that one cannot achieve without swordsmanship training.


    ¡¸Rei-kun!! ! ¡¹


    Sahoko¡¯s voice is suddenly resounding from the room.


    When Kyouka and I enter the room in panic, we saw an awakened Reiji there. Sahoko was currently embracing that Reiji.

 Chapter 9 - Conference of the Heroes

    <h4>Chapter 9 - Conference of the Heroes</h4>


    Chiyuki.


    Eight of us were gathered in the room.


    Though it¡¯s been three days since Reiji opened his eyes, he¡¯s still not in his peak condition. But his recovery is just a matter of time.


    We could finally regain our everyday life after confirming Reiji¡¯s safety.


    And now, everyone has gathered in one of the temple rooms to discuss about what we will do after this.


    ¡¸I think we should just give up with the subjugation of the demon king¡¹


    So I say.


    ¡¸Why Chiyuki?¡¹


    Reiji¡¯s asking me.


    ¡¸Why you say¡­ Why don¡¯t you think of the answer by looking at yourself? You almost died, you know¡¹


    So I scolded him with those words.


    In the first ce, I was going to stop this demon king subjugation if things became too dangerous.


    Until now, we¡¯re on the side who snatched their lives.


    But, our position reversed when we met Diehart.


    To be honest, we should have just given up on this subjugation from the very beginning.


    ¡¸Sorry Chiyuki, I have no intention to break my promise with a woman¡¹


    Reiji¡¯s saying that with a firm tone.


    So my anger switch flipped on hearing those words.


    ¡¸YOU, YOU MADE SAHOKO AND THE OTHERS WORRIED TO DEATH, YOU KNOW! ! THAT DIEHART FELLOW IS STRONG! ! YOU MIGHT DIE IF YOU FIGHT HIM AGAIN! ! ¡¹


    This guy won¡¯t even care about his own life when ites to women.


    But, the foolishness of this man is also what saved me before once.


    That¡¯s why I am travelling along with him until now. There¡¯s Shirone and Nao too. They might have been saved by this guy in the past too.


    ¡¸My bad, but I¡¯ve no intention to give up on saving Rena¡¹


    Of course I know that. This guy just won¡¯t stop from doing such things.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ Chiyuki-san, there are many people who are hurt because of the demons. So, can we really give up on those troubled people? ¡¹


    It¡¯s Rino who¡¯s saying this.


    In the first ce, the purpose of this journey was for the sake of saving the people who were suffering because of the demons.


    The demon king Modes is the king who rules over every demon in this world. And then, hees to attack the humans by using those demons.


    And then, the demon king Modes is trying to rule over this world to destroy the gods of Elios.


    Though it¡¯s not like we heard those rumors directly from Rena, such rumor were spread amongst the citizens.


    Defeating this demon king Modes for the world peace. That is our goal.


    Well, in fact, we only want to enjoy venturing around, but that is our official reason.


    ¡¸There¡¯s also that, but we have something we must to do right? In the first ce, THAT is the problem of this world? ¡¹


    I think it¡¯s strange in the fact that we have to take care of the problem of this world.


    ¡¸Well, that¡¯s true, indeed¡¹


    Though it¡¯s strange that Kyouka is agreeing with me, so be it.


    ¡¸In the first ce, we¡¯re the only ones who are working hard, so what were those gods of Elios doing ? Did they never think of settling this problem themselves? ¡¹


    Several of us, who heard Kyouka¡¯s words, are having the expression that says, ¡°You¡¯re also not doing anything, right?¡±.


    But, Kyouka¡¯s words are reasonable.


    The ones who will be troubled if the demon king Modes attacks Elios were those gods. Why are they not making their move?


    This fact also made me feel uneasy.


    ¡¸Yes, what Kyouka-san¡¯s saying is reasonable¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufu¡¹


    Kyouka¡¯s expression was filled with pride upon hearing my words.


    ¡¸Now, how about we look for Rena and ask for her answer about why the gods aren¡¯t settling their own problem? ¡¹


    Why those gods were leaving the demon king to his own devices.


    We absolutely have to protest if the reason is unreasonable.


    ¡¸Uhm, that should be okay right, Chiyuki-sama?¡¹


    Now it is Kaya¡¯s turn to ask me.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Kaya-san?¡¹


    In fact, I¡¯m not very good in dealing with Kaya-san. She always has that expressionless-like noh mask on her face which makes me unable to determine what she¡¯s thinking.


    Moreover, Kaya has always put some distance whenever she talks with others. That¡¯s the reason why she always added ¡°-sama¡± suffix to everyone. She never opened her heart to anyone amongst us.


    ¡¸Moreover, it¡¯s not like we can¡¯t return unless we beat the demon king, right?¡¹


    Several amongst us nodded after hearing Kaya words after realizing that it¡¯s not like we can¡¯t go back if we¡¯re not subjugating the demon king.


    ¡¸Thus, I have no choice but to negotiate about that matter in some way or another. I don¡¯t think that the goddess will threaten us, even as a joke. I think she won¡¯t say something like we won¡¯t be able to go back unless we beat the demon king¡¹


    In the first ce, we¡¯re talking about Rena, the goddess of abundant affection and appearance.


    ¡¸U~hm Chiyuki-san. Can I have a moment? ¡¹


    Now, it is Shirone¡¯s turn.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Shirone?¡¹


    ¡¸You see, I wonder what will happen if we return? Let¡¯s say¡­ What if another person got summoned to rece us¡¹


    Then that different person will face the hardest trial in their life. So Shirone says.


    ¡¸U~hm, certainly, it¡¯s almost like we¡¯re dumping the trouble on him or her¡¹


    Nao is agreeing with Shirone.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right, Chiyuki. We should think about how to return right now rather than worrying about stopping¡¹


    Maybe, it¡¯s as hopeless as Reiji says. But, I couldn¡¯t be satisfied with such a result. Someone might die. Moreover¡­


    ¡¸But you see, everyone. Someone might think that we¡¯re dead right now. Moreover, it¡¯s been over six months already. Our families might be anxious too¡¹


    Yes, it¡¯s been half a year already. It might be the right time to go back.


    Everyone fell silent on hearing my words.


    ¡¸Shirone-san, you want to meet your childhood friend right? ¡¹


    So, I¡¯m changing the flow of conversation to Shirone.


    I can¡¯t persuade everyone by myself. I need a like-minded fellow.


    ¡¸EH!! I wonder what kind of person that childhood friend of Shirone-san? ¡¹


    Sahoko bit into that topic.


    ¡¸A~h, so Sahoko didn¡¯t know about i~t. He must be a childhood friend that made a vow to be together with Shirone-san, ri~ght¡¹


    ¡¸W¡­ W-Wait a minute Rino-san. Kuroki hasn¡¯t done something like that, you know! ! ¡¹


    Shirone¡¯s raising an objection.


    ¡¸You see, I¡¯m trying to look after him in the dojo of Shirone family since I¡¯m kind of interested in him. He¡¯s quite a in person but definitely a splendid, cool, and handsome man, you know. Maybe, he¡¯ll be popr if it wasn¡¯t for Reiji¡¹


    Though I have only heard the matter about the childhood friend from Shirone, in fact, I have never met him. [TL : Be strong, Chiyuki]


    But, Rino, who works as a model, was used to looking at handsome men. So, the ¡°Quite handsome¡± for this girl might be on the level of a general good-looking guy.


    But the other male students are not that conspicuous since Reiji is in the school. That might be the reason why her childhood friend isn¡¯t conspicuous too.


    ¡¸¡­Handsome? But is he really that good looking? ¡¹


    Shirone¡¯s tilting her head. It seems she never considered him as good looking.


    ¡¸He~¡­¡¹


    Reiji¡¯s letting out a voice with a deep meaning.


    ¡¸Re¡­ Reiji-kun must have misunderstand too, right. I feel nothing about Kuroki! ! ¡¹


    Shirone¡¯s exining to Reiji in a confused manner.


    The girls in this ce, everyone have feelings toward Reiji. Maybe Shirone also doesn¡¯t want him to misunderstand something.


    If it¡¯s from my perspective, Shirone is really someone that doesn¡¯t have some sort of special feeling toward her childhood friend. She might have not been with Reiji if she really possessed some special feelings for her childhood friend.


    But then, maybe her childhood friend likes her.


    But, Shirone says that she wants to apologize to him since she said some cruel things to him just before being summoned to this world.


    ¡¸But Shirone-san, Didn¡¯t you say that you want to apologize to your childhood friend? ¡¹


    So I ask Shirone.


    ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡¹


    Shirone is faltering.


    Rino and Nao bent their body forward to hear Shirone faltering with her words. It seems that the graceful Sahoko is also listening attentively.


    In case of Sahoko and Rino, they¡¯re greatly interested since there¡¯s a chance to decrease the number of their rivals.


    ¡¸Well then, everyone. Should we try to talk to Rena first? It won¡¯t be toote to consider our next n after hearing her story, right? ¡¹


    Reiji interrupted the girls¡¯ stories.


    ¡¸E~h¡¹


    Rino¡¯s saying so while grumbling.


    Certainly, we have so many things that we have to ask to Rena.


    In the first ce, we couldn¡¯t ask about many things before embarking on our journey.


    Why the gods of Elios have left the demon king to his own devices?


    Is it really true that we won¡¯t be able to go back unless we beat the demon king?


    We dissolved our conference after saying a few words.

 Chapter 10 - The Forest of the Elves Dwellings

    <h4>Chapter 10 - The Forest of the Elves Dwellings</h4>


    Traveling Merchant, Raus.


    ¡¸Goddamn it, for this Raus-sama to meet something like this¡­ And just when I¡¯m about to arrive at Phteah kingdom¡¹


    I¡¯m running into the forest when I encountered goblins on the highway during my journey toward Phteah kingdom for trading business.


    Now, I want to add anotherint.


    ¡¸What the hell are you doing, Knight of Phteah kingdom?¡¹


    Those knights were supposed to be protecting the area outside the castle such as the highway. And those demons appeared since they neglected their duties.


    But, there¡¯s no way I can get angry over such matters.


    ¡¸Though I know that I have run quite a distance from the highway, where am I¡­¡¹


    The forest is the territory of the demons.


    And I never know when I will be ambushed by another demon like those goblins.


    I have to return to the highway right away. Since more demons will appear when night descends.


    I must enter the castle rampart by then.


    So, I keep walking.


    But, I couldn¡¯t go back to the highway.


    ¡¸My throat is quite parched¡­¡¹


    My throat is parched since I¡¯m running away from the goblins as fast as I can.


    ¡¸Nevertheless, why did they suddenly stop chasing after me?¡¹


    Goblin are nimble thanks to their short legs. So, I didn¡¯t think that my plump self, who is already over his forties, can get away from them.


    Well, I think it¡¯s fine that way too. Since my life is spared, now I¡¯m thirsty from all that chase.


    ¡¸¡­ A song?¡¹


    I heard a song when I kept walking.


    As I headed toward the direction of the song, there was a huge fountain ahead of me.


    And there was a naked girl whose lower half was immersed inside the fountain.


    That girl was the one who was singing that song.


    She has a beautiful voice. I¡¯m unconsciously fascinated by her voice.


    I unintentionally create a noise upon stepping on a wood branch.


    ¡¸Who is there?¡¹


    Maybe because that beauty noticed the crackling sound, she¡¯s looking toward my direction.


    ¡¸M! ! My apologies! ! I didn¡¯t have any intention to peep on you! ! I just came since I heard your beautiful singing voice¡­¡¹


    I make an excuse in hurry.


    ¡¸No, it¡¯s my fault for bathing in a ce like this. How about youe to take a bath with me?¡¹


    That beauty is smiling at me without hiding her bare body.


    I lost my ability to think anything as if a mist covered my head upon seeing her smile.


    ¡¸No way, how can I take a bath with a beauty such as yourself! ! But, may I drink the water, I¡¯m quite thirsty¡­¡¹


    So, I approach the fountain.


    ¡¸I see. This fountain isn¡¯t owned by anyone. Feel free to drink the water in it¡¹


    ¡¸I see. Well then, I hold back¡¹


    It feels nice since a beauty is saying ¡°Go ahead¡± to me, right.


    Moreover, I¡¯m just thirsty. So, I won¡¯t feel guilty from the bottom of my heart if I want to see her aftering even closer. So I say to myself.


    She¡¯s showing a friendly smile.


    After arriving near the deep fountain, I bend over. But my eyes just won¡¯t leave that beauty.


    I¡¯m scooping some of the fountain water with both of my hands. The water feels so nice, could it be it¡¯s because a beauty is pickled in it?


    When I¡¯m about to scoop water again, but at that instant, I feel something strange in my body.


    ¡¸My body is¡­¡¹


    My body is paralyzed, I can¡¯t move my hand. At that instant, I finally look into the fountain.


    ¡¸WHA¡­!! ¡¹


    There was a face of a huge demon inside of the fountain. That face is looking at me.


    The instant I see that face, the mist that was shrouding my mind is cleared up in an instant.


    That¡¯s right, why would such a beauty be present in this kind of ce. The forest is filled with this kind of demon.


    Maybe that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t notice such an abnormal situation.


    I forcibly raise my face to look at the beauty.


    The beauty is smiling as if enjoying my plight.


    That demon¡¯s face ising out from the fountain. That demon then opens its huge mouth.


    ¡¸AAAh¡­¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t do anything.


    The demon face is alreadying for me.


    And then, I¡¯m swallowed by the darkness.


    Dark Knight Kuroki.


    ¡¸Ha~¡­. we didn¡¯t make it today¡¹


    The fourth day after we left Nargol.


    And I didn¡¯t evene to the city from before.


    We were in the middle of journey toward Holy Republic Lenaria where Reiji and the others live.


    It seems there¡¯s quite a distance from Nargol till Holy Republic Lenaria but, since the me in this world is capable of moving even faster than a horse, I¡¯ve already covered two-thirds of the distance in these four days of journey.


    Though I¡¯ve not measured my movement speed, it might be more than 200 km/hr.


    I became a superman in this world.


    Since I¡¯m doing a superhuman feat like those in the movies, I might beparable to a superman for the people of this world.


    I¡¯m observing what kind of people live in this world during my journey.


    I¡¯m not using the humans of this world living in the surface as the standard.


    There were countless cities closely resembling ancient Greece.


    And then, outside the city walls where the demon were running rampant isn¡¯t the world of humans.


    The humans who live on the outskirts and within the city built a rampart.


    And then there are highways which connect one city with another.


    Since there¡¯s a city-state resembling a vige, a big city-state possessing their own satellite city also exist.


    The form of governance also varied between republic and kingdom and such.


    In short, the difference in the mayors of the city was in whether they were chosen by voting or by heredity.


    There were countries where the nobility, whether the positions of mayor, vice-mayor, or section chief, were inherited, there were countries which only the position of mayor was inherited. Naturally, nobility also exist in republic countries.


    The religion was naturally based on the gods of Elios.


    ording to Nut, even the people who live in the frontiers have faith in the gods of Elios, but it seems they were a savage tribe.


    By the way, the poption of the city-state called Phteah kingdom, which I¡¯m stopping by for a short visit, is around 20 thousand people.


    In the first ce, those 20 thousand included only those who have citizenship, the poption will increase even further if I have to include the ones who don¡¯t have citizenship.


    The ones who have citizenship are the people of this city-state, and the ones who don¡¯t have it are considered foreigners.


    That¡¯s why, it won¡¯t be that easy for someone without citizenship to enter the rampart.


    Well then, it brings us to cirction of the money. Due to the treaty between the countries, those with citizenship can easily enter the countries that have signed it. The human traffic will have more freedom by making several such treaties.


    Naturally, a self-sufficient country with closed economic policy andpletely isting themselves without forming any treaty at all does exist.


    By the way, for the me who didn¡¯t possess any citizenship, I couldn¡¯t enter any city by official means.


    In that case, if one were to ask ¡°Then what about your food and drinks along the journey until now?¡±


    First, food is avable in abundance in the forest, I can take things like pomegranate as much as I want.


    There¡¯s also a wide variety of fruits. Normal humans couldn¡¯t live in this ce, even if demons don¡¯t exist here.


    But as expected, I have no choice but to enter the rampart in case I want to eat something cooked with fire.


    Entering quietly by flight magic and then stealing one meat skewer while apologizing to the shopkeeper.


    Though I don¡¯t need to do that if I have money, Modes didn¡¯t have currency that was circting in the world of humans.


    I received gems to be exchanged for money when I leave Nargol, but since I[including Nut] didn¡¯t know what I have to do with it since I don¡¯t know the method to exchange it, it remained unused.


    ¡¸Well then, what shall we do for today, Nut?¡¹


    So I asked Nut, my fellow traveler.


    ¡¸How about secretly entering the city by using the shadow mantle?¡¹


    Though I can¡¯t enter the city by formal means from the front, I can enter the city as long as I use the shadow mantle I received from Modes.


    The mantle [with a hood attached on it] which I called as ¡°this shadow mantle¡±, can act just like when I¡¯m using invisibility magic and will also hide my face once I wear the hood.


    The invisibility magic is a magic to erase one¡¯s presence, the one using this magic will disappear from the perception of others.


    But then, the invisibility magic won¡¯t work on someone using detection magic or possessing detection skill; furthermore. once discovered, the invisibility magic will lose its effect.


    And that was the same even with shadow mantle.


    ¡¸No, let¡¯s not touch that topic for now, the information about Reiji and the others was generally same as before¡¹


    Since our purpose is to collect information about Reiji and the others, we should go for a short visit to Holy Republic Lenaria where Reiji and the others are.


    It was the same for the stories about Reiji and the others.


    It seems that many people have been saved by Reiji and the others since they defeated a lot of demons.


    Naturally, they received the gratitude of many people, too.


    But, it seems there are also the people who feared them.


    A fear toward someone who can wield that kind of power unbefitting of a human.


    And it seems some amongst them also received damage from Reiji and the others.


    Thus, I think that the stories about Reiji and the others won¡¯t be that different even in Phteah kingdom. Since I don¡¯t have money, I can¡¯t enter Phteah kingdom and rest in the inn.


    ¡¸Nut, Let¡¯s camp in this area for today¡¹


    ¡¸Well then, shall I look for food and meal?¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s right¡¹


    We should get some rest since the day will turn dark soon.


    Fortunately, the forest around this vicinity is rich in natural resources, so there¡¯s no way we¡¯ll be troubled for food.


    The demons also won¡¯t approach me as long as I use barrier magic.


    I keep walking into the forest, looking for food and water.


    It was a while after I walked away from the camping ground.


    I can hear a songing from the deep forest.


    ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­ A song¡¹


    I tilt my head in confusion.


    This ce is inside of the forest where the demons are running rampant, so it was considered an abnormal situation when someone was singing in this kind of ce.


    ¡¸It¡¯s a nice voice, isn¡¯t it¡­¡¹


    Nut is saying so with an entranced voice. He couldn¡¯t think of anything.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t you want to go there, Diehart-sama?¡¹


    Nut is saying so while heading toward the direction of the voice.


    Nut¡¯s condition seems to be strange judging by his voice.


    Somehow, he became like this after hearing this song.


    ¡¸Understood, let¡¯s go¡¹


    I wanted to see the owner of this voice too.


    After walking for a while, we arrived at a vacant plot ofnd with a huge fountain.


    There was a naked woman immersing herself in the fountain with her lower half inside the fountain; it seems this woman-like thing is the one singing this song.


    ¡¸Who¡¯s there?¡¹


    Maybe because she noticed our presence, the woman is looking at our direction.


    ¡¸Ah, no¡­ My apologies for disturbing your singing session. We were wondering who was singing with this wonderful voice¡¹


    I apologize. In fact, I am thinking, ¡°Thank god my curiosity won over me, I got to see a rare thing.¡±


    ¡¸It¡¯s nothing, please don¡¯t worry about it. How about youe to take a bath too? ¡¹


    ¡¸No, we¡¯ll refuse that offer. Well, we¡¯ll excuse ourself then. Please continue your singing session¡¹


    When I¡¯m about to leave.


    ¡¸Diehart-sama. The water is so pretty. How about spending our night here? ¡¹


    Nut, who remained on his ce, is saying so.


    ¡¸Nut, you can¡¯t drink this water, you know. There¡¯s poison mixed in the water¡¹


    ¡¸EEH, POISON!! ¡¹


    Nut shouts with a surprised expression.


    There¡¯s poison, made of magic, mixed in the water of this fountain. It seems to be the type that will paralyze your body.


    ¡¸Why that kind of poison is¡­ Let¡¯s rest for a while¡¹


    The woman¡¯s saying so.


    I could feel a bit of agitation in her words.


    This woman is looking at myself like some kind of predator.


    I became sensitive toward the gaze that neither had malice or hostile ever since I came to this world.


    Even if, for example, we were separated by dozens metres, I can feel the malice as long as it¡¯s being directed at me. ording to Ruugas, it¡¯s seems like enemy perception ability, but I don¡¯t feel good at all on being exposed to such an unpleasant gaze.


    Moreover, this woman is using charm magic upon us since a while ago.


    That¡¯s also the cause of such unpleasant feeling. Maybe, Nut bing strange is also thanks to the song a while ago.


    This woman might be a demon as I can¡¯t feel anything on seeing her body[naked].


    She was a demon that preyed on the charmed living beings that approached her because of her female-like human body and her song.


    Naturally, I have no intention to be eaten by her.


    But, I couldn¡¯t get into the mood to fight this demon.


    So, I¡¯m thinking of leaving it alone. That¡¯s why I want to leave this ce immediately.


    For that reason, I activate my intimidation so that she won¡¯t be hostile toward us. Though we were frequently be targets for demons along with our journey, most of the demons will run away as long as I send my intimidation toward them.


    But my prediction is way off, this woman shaped demon has turned even more hostile toward me.


    ¡¸You bastard!! ¡¹


    The woman¡¯s expression twists into anger and a gigantic head of a beast suddenlyes out from the fountain. There are six beast heads that are rushing to attack me by stretching their long necks.


    My prediction is way off, that beast didn¡¯t have any intention to let me go. Moreover, its agility didn¡¯t match its appearance.


    ¡¸HA!! ¡¹


    I¡¯m avoiding one of the heads thate to attack me first and then kill it while drawing my sword.


    ¡¸GUUUUUUUUUUUUU! ! HOW DARE A MERE HUMAN! ! ! ¡¹


    The woman is showing an anguished expression. That face already lost all of its grace from a while back.


    ¡¸EVEN THOUGH YOU¡¯RE MERELY FOOD!! ! ¡¹


    The water of the fountain then rises in the air to form a gigantic lump of water.


    ¡¸Bubble Shot£¨Water Ssh£©!! ! ! ! ¡¹


    As the demon shouted, the gigantic lump of water is descending upon me.


    ¡¸Magic Shield£¨Magic Shield£©!! ¡¹


    A circr shield of light engulfed my entire body as I shouted that name. ¡®Water ssh¡¯ is thwarted by my magic shield.


    As I stopped the water shot, the demon came out of the water.


    The lower half of its body hidden within the fountain became exposed in bright daylight. Several tentacles and six gigantic beast heads were its lower body parts and woman-like upper body parts respectively.


    That was an ugly figure.


    The demon is trying toe toward me.


    It¡¯s not that agile, so it might not be able to move quickly on thend. ¤¢


    ¡¸Are you safe, Nut?¡¹


    ¡¸Yesh¡­ Somehow it be quite hectic¡¹


    It seems Nut couldn¡¯t follow such a rapid development.


    ¡¸Get down, Nut¡¹


    After Nutnded on the ground, he immediately retreated behind me.


    ¡¸H-HOW DARE YOU TO DO THAT TO ONE OF MY HEADS!! ¡¹


    The demon is looking at me with eyes that are filled with rage. ck blood that spilled on the ground from the head that I cut is decimating thend. White smoke is rising from the path where the ck blood is flowing at. The vegetation in the surroundings where the blood spilled is withering. Maybe there¡¯s poison in this demon blood.


    Though I noticed it doesn¡¯t have quick movements, I¡¯ll be safe as long as I run away, but the condition of the demon made it clear that it¡¯ll chase me till the end.


    That was a bit troublesome. Moreover, I might be able to win if I fight.


    ¡¸A MERE HUMA~~N!! ¡¹


    The demon is heading toward me. Its movements are slow.


    Its beast heads and tentacles are attacking me.


    I twist my body and retreat after cutting off it¡¯s tentacles and the second beast head.


    ¡¸NO WAY!! ¡¹


    The demon is surprised by such a scene.


    I jumped behind the demon and just like that, I killed it with a sh from my sword to it¡¯s woman-like upper body.


    ¡¸N¡­. NO WAY¡­..!! ¡¹


    Just like that, the demon had fallen.


    The demon is bending its neck to look at me.


    ¡¸I¡­ I see¡­ Y¡­ You¡¯re a divine being huh¡­ To think that I took you as a mere human¡­ Such¡­ Such a disgrace¡­¡¹


    After saying so, the demon crumbles down.


    ¡¸¡­ I¡¯m not a divine being though¡¹


    But I¡¯m sure that it won¡¯t be able to refute my remark.


    The demon eventually disappeared along with the arising white smoke. It seems I just defeated it.


    ¡¸Diehart-sama~. Are you alright? ¡¹


    Nut is making a detour while passing the ce where the demon had died and ran toward me.


    ¡¸I had never seen that kind of a demon until now, quite a formidable foe huh¡¹


    I only saw goblins or ogres along our journey, thus I never saw this kind of demon.


    ¡¸Yup¡­ It¡¯s also my first time seeing this kind of demon¡¹


    I was surprised by the fact that Nut had also never seen it before. It seems that it was quite a rare demon huh.


    Well, it should be okay to ask about this demon from someone else, right.


    I¡¯m looking into the forest.


    Someone was looking at us, but I can¡¯t feel any hostility from that person¡¯s gaze. It seems that one isn¡¯t a goblin or an ogre. I wonder what kind of being it is.


    ¡¸May I ask who¡¯s there?¡¹


    I¡¯m raising the question first.


    When I ask that person, a girl then showed up from the shadow of the tree.


    Her age might be slightly below me. She was a blue-haired beauty with white skin.


    Why this kind of girl is in this ce, she might be a demon of the same kind as the previous one.


    But I don¡¯t feel any hostility from her, and her gaze isn¡¯t unpleasant like the demon from before.


    ¡¸Diehart-sama. That¡¯s an elf¡¹


    ¡¸An elf¡¹


    Surely, upon looking at her ears, I realized that it was long like the ones in the description of elf race¡¯s features.


    I¡¯m sure that Ruugas told me before about the elven race beingposed nothing but woman and having an extremely long life spanpared to a human¡¯s. In addition, every elf is far more powerful in using spirit magic than the average human, that¡¯s why they can live inside the forest where demons are running rampant without relying on the rampart.


    And, it seems that they repeatedly kidnap the human males with whom they fall in love with.


    I¡¯m looking at her. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad thing for a young man even if he¡¯s kidnapped by her. Well, that has nothing to do with me.


    I wonder what business this elf has with me.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ Are you a god?¡¹


    The elf girl is asking timidly.


    ¡¸Nope, just a human?¡¹


    I reply as a rhetoric.


    In fact, I feel a bit anxious. Is it really okay to take the people of the human race in this world as the same with the human race in my world?


    Why because, irrespective of whether it was me, Reiji, or the others, we have superhuman powers far surpassing the realm of humans in this world. The only thing that didn¡¯t have much difference is just our outward appearance.


    ¡¸No way, how can a human beat that Scy when even us, the elf race, aren¡¯t a match against it. Are you really not a god?¡¹


    It seems the demon from before is called Scy.


    ¡¸Nope, I¡¯m definitely not a god¡­¡¹


    I¡¯m not that much of an important character to be called as a god.


    ¡¸I see¡¹


    The girl is approaching me. And after she came right in front of me, she¡¯s taking a good look at me from head to toe.


    ¡¸Hum, by the way, what kind of a person are you?¡­.Why are you in this kind of ce? ¡¹


    The girl¡¯s face keeps approaching me.


    I am reflected in her eyes. I unintentionally avert my gaze. My heart is beating loudly since no girl but Shirone had ever approached me back in Japan.


    ¡¸N¡­ No, I¡¯m just a traveler. And I¡¯m looking for a ce to rest for a while¡¹


    I reply with a flustered tone.


    ¡¸Eh, you¡¯re not going to the residence of the humans?¡¹


    ¡°The residence of the humans¡± might be referring to the rampart. I¡¯m nodding to answer the elf girl¡¯s question.


    ¡¸Yes¡­ I am caught in a special circumstance¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸Hu~m, then I take that you have nowhere to go. Hey, how abouting to my house? ¡¹


    ¡¸EH! ? ¡¹


    I¡¯m perplexed. I hear that despite the fact of elven race falling in love with a young human, they¡¯re not that friendly with the humans.


    When looking at her, I can¡¯t feel any hostility at all. Her gaze is neither unpleasant nor creepy.


    After pondering for a while.


    ¡¸Well then, please allow me to receive your good will¡¹


    I lost to my curiousity. I was curious in what one called as the dwelling ce of the elves.


    ¡¸Yup, it¡¯s okay¡¹


    The elf girl starts guiding me into the forest with a light smile.


    ¡¸It seems she likes you¡¹


    Nut is saying so in a joking tone.


    Certainly, I can feel something like goodwill from the elf girl.


    The girl keeps walking ahead.


    A whileter, an unusual phenomenon happened in front of our eyes.


    Though it¡¯s still like a normal forest, I can feel that something is different.


    ¡¸You noticed that barrier just now, it¡¯s amazing right?¡¹


    ¡¸Barrier?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s a magic that will make those who enter the boundary to lose their way. That¡¯s why, you must follow me¡¹


    The girl continues to walk ahead just like that.


    And then, we arrived at the base of a big tree.


    That was an extremely big tree. There are several houses on a branch of the tree.


    I was unintentionally dazed as I looked at that. That was a tree house which I had only seen in the TV.


    In fact, I have a bit for yearning for this kind of house, since it felt more like a secret base.


    ¡¸This ce is my house.¡¹


    So she says.


    ¡¸Tess!! ! ¡¹


    A voice is calling from above. When I look at that direction, a womanes out from one of the tree houses.


    The woman looks like she¡¯s just a few years older than the elf girl. That woman is getting down from the tree.


    ¡¸Ah, mama! ! I¡¯m back! ! ¡¹


    I¡¯m surprised when the elf girl called that woman ¡°Mama¡±. And, here I thought that she might be the elf girl¡¯s elder sister.


    ¡¸Tess!! It¡¯s not ¡®I¡¯m back¡¯. Where did you run away!! Moreover¡­¡¹


    The mother of the girl is looking at us.


    ¡¸Who is this gentleman?¡¹


    The mother of the girl is staring at us.


    She was a beauty just like her daughter. I just couldn¡¯t keep my calm when I see her.


    ¡¸Mama! ! He¡¯s an amazing person you see! ! I mean, he¡¯s the one who defeated that Scy! ! ¡¹


    The girl introduces me to her mother while clinging onto my arm.


    I can feel the softness of the girl¡¯s body sticking on my body.


    ¡¸Scy¡­Is it the Scy of that fountain?¡¹


    The mother is scanning me from head to toe.


    ¡¸He¡­ Doesn¡¯t seem to be that strong, isn¡¯t he?¡¹


    And then says those words.


    ¡¸Mama! ! You¡¯re being rude to him! ! ¡¹


    The girl is rebutting her mother.


    ¡¸Ah, you¡¯re right, my apologies. It¡¯s my pleasure to meet a human gentleman such as you. I¡¯m Davia of Hardy forest and the mother of that Tess beside you¡¹


    Davia offers her greeting. It seems the name of the elf girl is Tess.


    ¡¸Yes, My name is¡­ Kuro. I¡¯m in the middle of a journey¡¹


    I pause for a moment and then introduce myself with an alias. Though it would okay even if I use my real name, there¡¯s a possibility that my name will somehow reach Shirone and co.¡¯s ears. So, the usage of my name is extremely restricted.


    ¡¸Mama, Kuro is in the middle of a journey, so can hee to our house?¡¹


    Tess is trying to allow me to enter into her house even without her mother¡¯s permission.


    ¡¸Uhm, Tess-san¡­¡¹


    When I¡¯m about to say whether it¡¯s really okay to go without the permission of her mother.


    ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped then. Wee to our home then, Kuro-dono¡¹


    But, she easily let me into the house.


    Honestly, is it really okay for her to let an unfamiliar man into her house? Or rather, is it a part of their culture?


    ording to Ruugas, the elven race was not that friendly to humans. There¡¯s no way for Ruugas¡¯ knowledge to be incorrect.


    Tess¡¯ house is located high in the giant tree. There¡¯s nodder or stairs to ascend to her house.


    How are we going to climb it? When I¡¯m thinking about the problem at hand, Tess gently floats upward and reaches her house. Somehow, this height isn¡¯t a problem for the elven race who are excellent in spirit magic.


    ¡¸Come over here, Kuro!! You should be able to fly, right? ¡¹


    Tess is showing a nonchnt smile.


    Certainly, this height isn¡¯t that much of a problem to me.


    Since I¡¯m interested in this tree house and her mother has also given her permission, let¡¯s enter the house.


    I arrive at the tree house while controlling my excitement.


    And then, ¡°Oops¡± is what I think upon seeing the tree house.


    This tree house isn¡¯t built on top of a tree. The tree house is growing on the tree; the tree has swelled to form a house. It was an extremely mysterious house.


    It seems to be growing properly. When I look inside, the light that was illuminating the house doesn¡¯t seem to be made of fire, but it was using light spirit. Upon looking at this, I remembered that in the world of humans, they were using a torch or an oilmp as the source of illumination. From this, I came to a conclusion that the livelihood of the elves might be more dependent on magic.


    The furnishings that I see inside the house is also splendid. It¡¯spletely different from the world of humans. It seems that they have reached the point of using magic in their daily lives.


    Though the houses of the elven race seem primitive at nce, the interiors seem to be far morefortable than the dwelling ce of the humans in this world.


    This world is more developed in a certain way than my own world due to the existence of magic.


    Maybe my world will also develop just like this one if it¡¯s a world where one can use magic.


    ¡¸Please sit down over there, Kuro-dono. I¡¯m going to make tea right away. Come and help me, Tess¡¹


    ¡¸O~K¡¹


    After returning to the tree house, Tess and Davia are walking toward the ce that might be a kitchen.


    From the sign, it seems that the two of them are the only ones who live in this house.


    The two of theme back a whileter. They brought tea and snacks on a wooden tray.


    The two ce the wooden tray on the table in front of me.


    A fragrant aroma is drifting from the red colored tea. The food is one big and t bread, soup that boiled together in cabbage-like vegetable and round, sliced carrot-like vegetable, and thest one is a cake with dried fruit in it.


    ¡¸Go ahead, Kuro-dono¡¹


    I¡¯m sipping the tea. It was the first time I tried this taste, but it¡¯s delicious.


    And then I try the vegetable soup. To be honest, it¡¯s a bit too mild, but I am still satisfied with it since I never had a satisfactory meal recently.


    ¡¸How is it?¡¹


    Davia¡¯s asking me.


    ¡¸Well, I have never had a satisfactory meal until now. Even so, this meal is delicious¡¹


    The elven style meal is more satisfying to me than the human world¡¯s. The gatekeeper in charge of the security for entering the Phteah city from before drove me out of the city as if I¡¯m a suspicious person. In fact, though I might look like a suspicious person in this world, I don¡¯t want to be treated that way.


    And yet, Tess and her mother were giving a warm wee to me which almost made me cry.


    ¡¸Is that so, then please enjoy your meal¡¹


    Davia¡¯s encouraging me to eat my food.


    To be honest, it¡¯s been a while since I had a decent meal.


    Tess was looking at me with a friendly smile on her face.


    Dark Knight Kuroki.


    ¡¸It¡¯s finally a bed after a while¡¹


    As the night lingers on, I¡¯m guided to a bedroom.


    ¡¸This is a bit too strange, right¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    Nut is saying so with a puzzled tone.


    ¡¸Though I don¡¯t know much about the elven race, why are they going as far as this to wee us? This is just iprehensible¡¹


    I also shared the same doubt as Nut.


    They just met us today. Everyone is extremely cold-hearted toward me when we made short stops at a few cities of the human race. Why the elves, basically not of my race, are so kind toward me?


    Moreover, it seems that there¡¯s a rare case of an elf falling in love with the youth of human race, but they were fundamentally not so friendly toward humans.


    ¡¸But, you see Nut, I can¡¯t feel any hostile intent from her¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t feel any unpleasant feelings from the girl called Tess, rather it was only good intentions directed toward me.


    ¡¸Are they not using spirit magic?¡¹


    ¡¸¡­¡­¡­..Nope, I can¡¯t feel that sign¡¹


    It¡¯s normal for Nut to ask that. Honestly, I can even say that my magical power is far superior whenpared to Nut.


    If they were using magic, Nut¡¯s condition might be strange like the time with that Scy from a while ago.


    It will be apletely different case if the magic is only used on me, but Tess has seen me talking to Nut. So, I can take that it¡¯s justmon sense for her to notice that. Even if she¡¯s scheming something, why would the magic be used only on me?


    ¡¸But, maybe we can expect something¡­. Like something that she wishes from me¡¹


    I don¡¯t know what is that something. Even so, I should return this favor of one night¡¯s lodging and meal as much as I can.


    ¡¸Maybe she has some kind of wish?¡¹


    ¡¸She has seen me defeating that Scy. Maybe she¡¯s going to ask me to exterminate another demon¡¹


    ¡¸¡­I see, that¡¯s usible¡¹


    Nut is nodding in agreement.


    Then, he enters the bed after giving his agreement. I was surprised by the softness of the bed when I tried it.


    ¡¸Amazing, even my world didn¡¯t have a bed as soft as this one¡¹


    It¡¯s just my imagination since I have never sleep on a high quality quilt, but this bed may be beyond that.


    Tess even politely prepared a bed for Nut.


    ¡¸Good night, Nut¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸Good night¡¹


    It¡¯s a proper bed after a long time. The feeling of a bed after such a long time smells good.


    To be honest, I couldn¡¯t sleep well along the journey. That¡¯s why I¡¯m extremely drowsy even though I¡¯m just a bit tired.


    I felt that my consciousness is slowly sinking into the darkness.


    Elf Girl, Tess.


    ¡¸Tess, it seems Kuro-dono is already asleep¡¹


    Mother is telling me that.


    ¡¸Have you reported this to dear father?¡¹


    This is the bedroom of father and mother.


    I told my father about Kuro just a while ago.


    My father is sleeping on the bed where I¡¯m sitting on. My father is always sleeping ever since I was born.


    I think that he¡¯s handsome since mother has fallen in love with him. Naturally, Kuro also won¡¯t lose in that matter.


    I have never see him wake up even once.


    My father is a human. In the case that a female is born from an elf mother, her race is elf, and when a male is born, his race is the same as his father.


    Because majority of us don¡¯t want to copte with ugly races like goblin or orc, it left us with just humans.


    To be honest, I heard that my older brother and little brother were sent immediately to the dwelling ce of the humans to get used to their customs.


    Even now, my siblings were living in the dwelling ce of humans.


    And, since the elf who fell in love will kidnap the male human, the quarrel with the female humans never died out.


    Even mother had a serious dispute with the humans when she kidnapped father. But then, mother, who defeated a female human without even using magic, is the best proof that father is mother¡¯s possession.


    But, seeing that father is a human with a short life-span, it¡¯s just normal for him to die a short whileter.


    Even though the lifespan of the humans can be extended to be the same as the elves by using magic that is only usable by the queen of elves, the queen won¡¯t use that magic on the person if they have no qualifications to be the knight of elves.


    Thus, prolonging their life with evesting magic along with sleeping magic bes the mostmonly used method.


    Father, who received this magic, is always sleeping, even now on the bed.


    Though he¡¯s always asleep, father will be alive without dying, and since his physical body is still okay even when asleep, he can still make a child even when asleep.


    In case we want to talk to him, we will enter into father¡¯s dream with Mind Dive magic. I also talked to father in his dreams about Kuro just now.


    ¡¸It seems he has a good sleep when I saw his sleeping face. I peeked a bit into his heart and seems like a kind person, since you have an excellent intuition just like me¡¹


    I nod upon hearing mother¡¯s words.


    ¡¸Of course he is, I mean he is the man that I chose. It felt like a fate when I saw Kuro for the first time¡¹


    I felt my heart beat when I saw Kuro for the first time. I felt the urge to make him into my spouse.


    Mother said that intuition is important, since it¡¯s just normal for us. Because it was also like this when father met mother, though mother forcibly abducted him by using magic. [TL : Did she tell her ¡°When I Met Your Father¡±?]


    Mother said that she had no problem, since he was pretty and it was better than bringing back an ugly human.


    She said the same thing for Kuro. That¡¯s why, I was happy since I can be together forever with Kuro in this ce. Since he didn¡¯t seem to show any signs of dissatisfaction toward me.


    That¡¯s just natural since I¡¯m far more beautiful than the average human female.


    ¡¸Well, mother, I¡¯m going to Kuro¡¯s room then¡¹


    I leave the bedroom of my parents and change ces with mother.


    I¡¯m thinking about the conversation inside my dream with Kuro.


    He is basically defenseless inside the dream. There are so many things that I want to hear from Kuro.


    Thus, I head toward my bedroom where Kuro is sleeping.


    Dark Knight Kuroki.


    ¡¸My deepest gratitude for your kindness¡¹


    Nut and I express our gratitudes to Davia and Tess.


    Tess is looking at me with sad face.


    I can¡¯t see her entire face. Last night, Tess became my sweet lover inside my dreams. That dream strangely felt real to me. I feel extremely embarrassed since it¡¯s inside my dreams.


    ¡¸Be careful on the way¡¹


    Davia is also making a sad face.


    ¡¸My apologies, I¡¯m in a hurry since there¡¯s a ce that I have to visit¡­.¡¹


    Tess and Davia didn¡¯t even say their requests in the end.


    It seems it was an act out of pure kindness.


    But, something is worrying me in the morning. Tess was already awake when I woke up in the morning. She is acting a bit strangepared to yesterday. That¡¯s making me worry about her.


    But, I still have to go.


    ¡¸Thank you very much. I definitely will return my gratitude for the kindness that you disyed yesterday¡¹


    I say so before I¡¯m about to leave the tree house.


    ¡¸Kuroki!! ¡¹


    Tess is calling me.


    ¡¸Tess?¡¹


    ¡¸Kuroki¡­ We will meet again¡­ right?¡¹


    Tess¡¯s eyes are already brimming with tears.


    ¡¸Yeah, we definitely will meet again, Tess¡¹


    I¡¯m brushing Tess¡¯ cheeks. I definitely will die from the shame for this kind of action which didn¡¯t suit me, but it¡¯s still betterpared to what happened inside my dream.


    Then, I left Tess while turning around to wave my hand so many times to them.


    And then, I noticed a fact a little while after I left her hometown.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, why does Tess know my real name?¡¹


    Elf Girl, Tess.


    ¡¸Are you okay, Tess?¡¹


    I¡¯m shaking my head upon hearing mother¡¯s question.


    ¡¸¡­.I mean, it can¡¯t be helped you know. I never expected that he¡¯s a man of a different world¡­ I¡¯m sure that Kuroki has some kind of role in this world. There¡¯s no way I can keep him for myself¡­.¡¹


    The night that I enjoyed inside the dream with Kuroki will be the most important memory of my life.


    I came to realize Kuroki¡¯s true identity inside his dream.


    Kuroki¡¯s power was as amazing as those divine beings. I can make him mine forever with magic if he is a normal person, but my magic doesn¡¯t work on Kuroki.


    I didn¡¯t even know what I have to do upon seeing that Kuroki is leaving.


    I¡¯m looking at Kuroki¡¯s back.


    Kuroki turned around so many times. At least he doesn¡¯t hate me.


    Maybe we can meet again.


    ¡¸See you again, my kind dark knight¡¹


    Dark Knight Kuroki.


    ¡¸Diehart-sama. That is the Holy Republic Lenaria¡¹


    I¡¯m looking at a big city from on top of the hill.


    This country was located on the intersecting estuaries of the river and the holy sea that originates from Elios mountain.


    Two days after separating with Tess, I finally arrived at my destination.


    ¡¸Well, shall we go then, Nut?¡¹


    The elves of this world have many simrities with a nymph.

 Chapter 11 - The Country of the Goddess

    <h4>Chapter 11 - The Country of the Goddess</h4>


    Dark Knight Kuroki.


    Holy Republic Lenaria is one of the biggest states amongst the other big states in this world.


    It has several satellite cities with the poption of Lenaria city alone being around 200 thousands.


    In the first ce, that count is only when one were speaking about the people who own citizenship. That number will increase further on adding people who don¡¯t possess citizenship.


    Holy republic Lenaria is a country without kingship lineage, as its name stated, and is a country that is ruled by a council elected once every four years.


    The council seems to be elected, but it¡¯s different from how a general republic does. The temple of Lena chooses the council from amongst the people who have received referrals from the ones who have certain number of citizens¡¯ votes.


    Even so, temple of Rena possesses the right of veto against the council and the gathering of human organizations of people with citizenship.


    In short, the political power of this country ispletely under the control of the temple of Rena. Naturally, this country¡¯s supreme ruler is also the temple of Rena.


    The temple of Rena in this Holy Republic Lenaria is the greatest holynd of the believers of goddess Rena and the ce where her believers from all around the worlde to pay homage to her in the temple.


    Since it¡¯s a rich country, there are many people who visit other than for the temple of goddess Rena.


    And Ie to this country as one of its visitors.


    ¡¸What are you going to do after this, Diehart-sama?¡¹


    Nut gets on my shoulder and queries me with the aforementioned question.


    ¡¸Uhm, now that you asked that¡­ Let¡¯s look for a base for now¡¹


    Saying so, I walk toward the city outside the rampart.


    When the city is veryrge, there are things that you can do outside the city.


    Since the outside city also has another rampart.


    If it¡¯s the outside city, I can enter it as I please without even the need to show the citizenship for the sake of entering the country.


    If by normal standards, it¡¯s dangerous to stay outside at night.


    But, people who don¡¯t possess citizenship anywhere can do nothing but stay in the outside city, since they have no other ce to go.


    The one who stays in the outside city is usually people of the ruined country or a criminal who¡¯s chased by a country.


    That¡¯s why the public order is really bad.


    Honestly speaking, it¡¯s the job of the knights to protect the public order outside the rampart.


    Inside of the rampart is protected by the pce guards and vignte corps, while the knights are protecting the safety of the people who go to the highway outside the rampart.


    Since wild demons frequently appear in the highway, if they don¡¯t periodically exterminate them, the people who use that highway will die.


    They must fight the demons in an area that is even bigger than the city. That¡¯s why they¡¯re mounting a horse, and must be someone who is skilled enough to work as a knight.


    Since the country will be troubled if someone with that kind of ability rebels against the country, a knight must have loyalty toward their country and their king.


    However, in the end, a knight is just someone who protects the city to which they¡¯re tied to by treaty or birth(hometown).


    The knights won¡¯t protect someone who doesn¡¯t have citizenship.


    That¡¯s why the knights won¡¯t do anything at all even if humans killed each other in the outside city.


    On the contrary, if someone without citizenship harmed someone with citizenship, the knights will kill the one without citizenship.


    If it¡¯s from the knight perspective, people of the outer city are no different from wild demons.


    But then, why are the knights not driving away people from the outer city?


    That¡¯s because, ording to the knights, even the people who disturbed public order were lucrative existences as cheapbor for the merchants.


    The manpower, far cheaper than the normal citizen, is contributing to the development of the city.


    For that reason, the knights allow people without citizenship to exist in the outer city. But, it¡¯s the story as long as they don¡¯t harm the citizens.


    Someone who looks like a bad person just passed by me.


    ¡¸Where are we right now?¡¹Nut, who moved to my bosom pocket, is asking me.


    ¡¸I¡¯m going to search for an inn if possible, but¡­ It seems that even a decent inn is quite rare in the outer city¡¹


    If going by location and security, the inn inside the rampart may be the best one right.


    But, I can¡¯t lodge in the inn when I am already having a hard time entering the rampart without citizenship.


    I can enter the rampart in secret, but I might be suspected by the people in the inn.


    It will be for the best if I possessed the ability to use magic to manipte one¡¯s will, but I don¡¯t have such ability.


    That¡¯s why, I¡¯m looking for a ce at which I can stay sometime in the outer city.


    I¡¯m walking around the outer city.


    The puddles of water due to yesterday¡¯s rain made my shoes dirty everytime I took a step.


    ¡¸¡­ It seems better than the outer city of the one from which we came before¡¹


    I mutter to myself while looking at my surrounding.


    Of the cities that I came upon, this is the third outer city.


    The public order of the two before this one was really bad.


    At any rate, the corpses of humans scattering around everywhere, is just everyday urrence.


    It was the first time for me to see the body of a murdered human.


    But, I felt it is slightly unpleasant due to that sight and nothing more.


    I think it would have caused an uproar if it were in my world.


    Maybe it was a side effect applied to my mindset when I got summoned to this world.


    I didn¡¯t get scared even when I was surrounded by the demons during my summoning.


    Rather, Reiji and Shirone¡¯s side is even scarier than them.


    Maybe it¡¯s the same case for Shirone¡¯s.


    Since it seems that Reiji and Shirone have defeated many demons.


    Don¡¯t they feel scared?


    I discover a ce that looks like an inn as I saunter around while pondering about such things.


    But, I just passed by it.


    The reason is because I¡¯m penniless.


    So, the first thing I should do is to look for a ce to endure wind and rain.


    My feet ended up bringing me to a slightly separated ce from outer city.


    Wannabe Male Soldier, Dozumi.


    ¡¸God damn it¡­ What¡­ should I do now¡­¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t get any better ideas no matter how much I look for it.


    It won¡¯t pop up even when I drink some liquor.


    I feel a bit unwell.


    So, I enter a ce with lesser people to vomit for a while.


    ¡¸Oi Dozumi!! ¡¹


    A voice calls me from behind, while I¡¯m vomiting.


    Dozumi, that is my name.


    Not my real name. Since my face look like a rat[Dobunezumi], they just abbreviated it into ¡°Dozumi¡± to call me.


    When I turn around, there are five people standing behind me with a towering high bald man at their center.


    I was familiar with their faces.


    They are my fellowrades of a band of freedom fighters to which I used to belong.


    Seeing the people that I didn¡¯t want to see awakened me from intoxication.


    I belong to the soldier battalion which exists in the outer city of Holy Republic Lenaria.


    Even if I say that it¡¯s a troop, it¡¯s nothing but just a gathering of hoodlums.


    Different from the knights, it was an organization solely existing to exterminate wild demons which aren¡¯t under the control of the city.


    But, we never did something like exterminating the wild demons.


    Our opponents are the same humans as us.


    We¡¯re a gathering of ignoble guys who get our daily meal by snatching it from the weak ones. That is the organization to which I belong.


    I joined it because one can¡¯t live without being a part of any organization to stay alive in this outer city.


    That¡¯s why I neverin even if the organization to which I belong is like shit.


    But, I am crying because the soldier troop to which I am supposed to belong to is trying to kill me.


    ¡¸Isn¡¯t this my leader¡­ What can I do for you today? ¡¹


    I¡¯m looking at the leader while sneering at him.


    He was the big man with a scar on his face and bald head.


    Though his stomach is slightly bulging out, his arms are thick and really strong.


    ¡¸Where are you going to run now, Dozumi? Aren¡¯t you in deep trouble? Everything is because you pricked hero-sama, you know?¡¹


    Leader isughing.


    ¡¸WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, I¡¯VE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE HERO¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡¹


    I¡¯m shouting while crying.


    ¡¸HA~h! ! That¡¯s because you murdered the hero¡¯s lover¡¯s father! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸IT¡¯S NOT ME! ! I¡¯M NOT THE CULPRIT! ! THE ONE WHO KILLED THAT MAN SHOULD BE YOU! ! YOU¡¯RE THE ONE THAT GIRL IS AIMING FOR AFTER BECOMING THE HERO¡¯S WOMAN! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸Oi, don¡¯t shout with such a loud voice!! ¡¹


    Leader is approaching me.


    I¡¯m retreating back.


    ¡¸THE HERO WAS ALMOST KILLED BY ME, SO YOU¡¯RE TRYNG TO MAKE ME INTO YOUR SCAPEGOAT SO THAT YOU CAN ESCAPE FROM HIS RETALIATION AFTER HE RECOVERS FROM HIS INJURY!! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸SHUT UP!! ! ¡¹


    The leader¡¯s drawing his sword.


    I might be killed at this rate.


    But, even if I run away, my legs can¡¯t move very well because of the liquor that I drank.


    Am I going to die just like this?


    NO.


    I DON¡¯T WANT TO DIE.


    ¡¸Uhm, excuse me?¡¹


    Suddenly, I hear a voice.


    From the tone, it seems to be the voice of a young man.


    The leader is turning around.


    I¡¯m unable to see his silhouette because of the gigantic body of the leader.


    But, the owner of that voice ising toward me during the momentary nk out of leader.


    The body of the person in front of me is wrapped entirely in a ck robe and hood.


    ¡¸Excuse me¡­ Can I hear the story you said just now? ¡¹


    The person who was wearing a ck hood is asking me.


    I can¡¯t see his face since it¡¯s covered by hood.


    What he¡¯s asking about?


    It doesn¡¯t matter, everything is okay right now. I¡¯m happy as long as there¡¯s someone who is willing to hear my story.


    ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s as you heard¡­ Or rather, please hear my story¡­¡¹


    I¡¯m trying to tell him everything that happened to me so far.


    ¡¸Oid, wait a minute. We¡¯ll be in trouble if you hear that guy¡¯s story! ! ¡¹


    The leader was thrusting his sword to the throat of the hooded person from behind.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ Since you dare to point your sword at someone, you shouldn¡¯tin if he fights back!¡¹


    After saying so, the person wearing ck hood seizes the leader sword. Thereupon, the sword of the leader vanished after being engulfed by a ck me.


    ¡¸WHA! ! WHAT THE! ! MAGICIAN? ! ! ¡¹


    Leader is letting out an astonished voice.


    ¡¸Sorry, but I won¡¯t let you talk for a while¡¹


    When the person wearing the hood turns around, the leader fell on his knees.


    I don¡¯t even know what just happened.


    The leader is holding his hands on his mouth.


    At a closer look, it seems his jaw is disconnected.


    ¡¸FU ga¡­ Fu Ga¡­¡¹


    Leader is looking at the hooded person to say something.


    His eyes are dyed with fear.


    ¡¸It¡¯ll be the best for you if you don¡¯t tell anyone about what happened in this ce¡¹


    After the person wearing hood said so, leader and the others escape from this ce.


    ¡¸Well then¡­ Will you tell me the detailed story about that event? The hero¡­Reiji is still alive, right? ¡¹


    I nod upon hearing his question.


    Dark Knight Kuroki.


    Nut and I move toward the usual nesting ce of the man who calls himself Dozumi.


    Dozumi¡¯s nesting ce is a wooden shack whose location is slightly away from the outer city.


    There are holes in various ces as if it¡¯s going to break anytime soon.


    So that was what happened huh¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Hehe, that¡¯s right, master¡­¡¹


    ording to Dozumi¡¯s story, the girl, on whom the leader of the soldier troop which he belong to had taken a liking upon, was snatched by the hero.


    Even if I say ¡°taken a liking¡±, it doesn¡¯t mean that she got along with the leader, the leader just forcibly approached her against her will.


    The leader then threatened the girl that he¡¯ll kill her father if she does not do as he said.


    The girl didn¡¯t receive the protection ofw since she didn¡¯t have the citizenship of Holy Republic Lenaria, so she couldn¡¯t do anything but perform as the leader said.


    And then, the hero Reiji appeared.


    The girl asked Reiji to save her. Reiji saved her since the girl was a beauty.


    The leader couldn¡¯t do anything but to withdraw since there¡¯s no way he could win against the hero certified by Rena temple.


    But, the rumor about Reiji dying in the hands of a dark knight then spread around.


    The girl lost the protection she had with Reiji¡¯s death and her father was killed by the leader.


    But, Reiji was still alive.


    As expected, even if it¡¯s in the outer city, he won¡¯t forgive the killer.


    It seems that the girl also doesn¡¯t know the culprit who killed her father. But then, there¡¯s no way that he won¡¯t get his retribution after doing that.


    That is why the leader tried to present a person as a scapegoat, fearing Reiji¡¯s retribution.


    And that scapegoat was this Dozumi in front of me.


    Though I don¡¯t think that Reiji¡¯s eyes can be deceived by such third rate tactics, I just hear in silence, since I don¡¯t know what this leader is thinking about.


    ¡¸Thank you, I got to hear important information¡¹


    I take out several gems from the back of my waist and give it to Dozumi.


    Dozumi is looking at the gems with a dumbfounded look.


    ¡¸This is¡­ The real deal? ¡¹


    Dozumi is looking at the gems from different angles and then tries to bite into it.


    ¡¸Is that¡­ Too little?¡¹


    Dozumi is shaking his head on hearing me ask that question.


    ¡¸If this is the real thing, I can escape from this kind of ce toward a different outer city¡­ Even so, master! ! Are you really not going to regret the fact that you gave such valuable things to me? ! ! ¡¹


    Dozumi¡¯s teeth tters as he mutters those words.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, I got the information that I need after all¡­ Moreover, you let me to rest in this nesting ce¡¹


    When he heard me saying that, this time, Dozumi is nodding to my words.


    ¡¸Naturally! ! I¡¯ll even give this nesting ce to you, master! ! I¡¯m going to leave this city! ! So please use this ce as you like! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸Then¡­ Will you teach me about some things after this?¡¹


    ¡¸As long as I can answer it, feel free to ask anything!! I¡¯m prepared to answer it even if master is a devil!! ¡¹


    Dozumi is nodding his head whileughing. Thus, I acquired a base of operations.


    The next task is to investigate about the current condition of Reiji.

 Chapter 12 - An Encounter With a Pervert

    <h4>Chapter 12 - An Encounter With a Pervert</h4>


    Dark Knight Kuroki.


    Guests are chatting inside the bar located in the outer city of Holy Republic Lenaria.


    Judging by their appearances, they maybe people who belong to soldier battalion.


    Or rather, they look like ruffians.


    I¡¯m listening attentively.


    ¡¸Oi, did you hear, it seems the hero Reiji failed in demon king¡¯s subjugation!¡¹


    ¡¸I heard about that, too. From what I know, isn¡¯t he currently on the verge of dying from several grievous wounds¡¹


    ¡¸That strength. I never imagined that hero-sama will be defeated. As I thought, the extermination of the demon king is too much for a mere human, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸See, even the strongest hero isn¡¯t a match against the demon king¡­¡¹


    ¡¸No, I heard that the one who beat the hero isn¡¯t the demon king¡¹


    ¡¸WHAT! ! REALLY! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, I heard that he was defeated by the dark king, the demon king¡¯s underling¡¹


    ¡¸He~, this is the first time I heard that the demon king has such a powerful underling¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, but that has caused a problem¡¹


    ¡¸Problem?¡¹


    ¡¸The demon king, for some reason, has nevere out from Nargol until now. However, this person seems to be different ¡¹


    ¡¸WHAT! ! Are you saying that the dark knight wille to attack us? ¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m not sure for the time being. But, it seems that the demons became even more active after the hero was injured. There are some rumors saying that the dark knight has attacked various ce by leading flocks of demons¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s the dark knight after the hero¡­ What an awful world¡­¡¹


    I¡¯m not drinking liquor but just sitting on the nearby chair, listening to their conversation.


    The rumor that have been mentioned are far from the truths.


    I have no intention to attack at all. In the first ce, Modes also has no intention of destroying the human race. Or so at least from what I heard from him.


    I¡¯m looking at the guests who are drinking their liquor.


    The liquor present in their wooden mugs is liquor made from fermented wheat and is called ale.


    It¡¯s something like the beer in my world.


    Though I have never drank beer or ale, I feel that ale may not be as delicious as beer.


    Anyway, that¡¯s because this world has no refrigerator.


    For the ale to be not cold is just normal.


    Nevertheless, I managed to hear a rumor about Reiji.


    As expected, Reiji and co. have made their base in this city.


    ¡¸Diehart-dono¡­¡¹


    I hear a voice from below the chair. There¡¯s a rat below my chair.


    Nut was collecting information in the Rena temple located right in the middle of Holy Republic Lenaria.


    ¡¸Wee back, Nut. Shall we go back to our base then? ¡¹


    Dark Knight Kuroki.


    I¡¯m going back toward Dozumi¡¯s hut along with Nut.


    Dozumi isn¡¯t in this ce anymore.


    He already left this country.


    No, it¡¯s not just Dozumi.


    It seems that the members of the soldier troop to which he belonged to is gone too.


    It might be because they are afraid of Reiji¡¯s retaliation.


    ¡¸Diehart-sama. That¡¯s the situation of the temple¡¹


    I¡¯m hearing about the temple from Nut.


    ording to Nut, the temple jad been built by the dwarves.


    It seems the dwarves are quite formidable in construction.


    Naturally, the knights who monitor the temple are rigorously selected from the elites, so the security is also strict.


    But, the problem is the magic rms that are installed in various ces in this temple which number more than the knight¡¯s headcount.


    This rm device, made by the dwarves, is capable of seeing through half-hearted invisibility magic or other such methods at once.


    That¡¯s why I believe there¡¯s a high possibility that Reiji and the rest are in this temple.


    It¡¯s hard to infiltrate into Rena temple due to how strengthened the line of defense is, so I was waiting for Nut toe back.


    ¡¸I can easily enter the temple by myself, though¡­¡¹


    Nut is saying so with an apologetic tone.


    Maybe the rm won¡¯t resound for an animal below certain size whenever a small animal goes in there. That¡¯s why, Nut, who has a small body, can easily enter the temple without being spotted.


    It¡¯ll be fine if I could use transformation magic, but unfortunately, I can¡¯t use it.


    ¡¸It¡¯s nothing, thank you for telling me that. That really saved me from a lot of trouble, you know¡­¡¹


    Nut can¡¯t use magic, but his knowledge is amazing. I¡¯m told that his direct supervisor was the former god of knowledge himself.


    But, Nut¡¯s unique selling point is his ability for gathering information and infiltration. I heard that he had even infiltrated Elios to send a message to friends of Modes.


    Without Nut apanying me along my journey, I might not have been able to go this far peacefully.


    I must send my gratitude toward Modes for sending an amazing subordinate like Nut as my guide.


    And he really brought back the information about the temple in this manner.


    ¡¸Infiltration seems to be quite difficult, isn¡¯t it?¡¹


    I¡¯m sighing.


    ¡¸U~hm, Diehart-sama. So it¡¯s not possible with the information that I heard during my infiltration? ¡¹


    Nut is querying me.


    ¡¸Certainly, I¡¯ve figured out a lot from your information, but¡­¡¹


    But, it won¡¯t do since I¡¯ve arrived at this point.


    In the first ce, the reason I came here isn¡¯t for gathering information as their enemy.


    Nor to determine whether the gathered information will be of use to me.


    I should be collecting other information such as the type of equipment used or their military force if I¡¯m gathering information as their foe.


    Maybe, Nut has mistaken that my goal foring to this ce is to deliver a finishing blow to the hero.


    The information gathered by Nut is definitely vital for that kind of action.


    Since Nut doesn¡¯t know my intentions, the information that he brought back isn¡¯t necessarily the information that I want.


    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. I want to see them with my own eyes¡¹


    I turn down Nut¡¯s offer.


    ¡¸I see¡­¡¹


    Nut¡¯s voice sounds gloomy, maybe he presumes that I¡¯m not trusting him.


    ¡¸More important stuff. Let¡¯s have a meal¡¹


    We leave the hut, Dozumi¡¯s former house.


    As we leave the hut, we ced our feet firmly on the barren earth.


    It¡¯s differentpared to inside the rampart. There are no stone pavements at the outer city.


    It was the second day after I came to this Lenaria city.


    Maybe because I¡¯m walking out in the afternoon, the fragrance of dishes is drifting out from the stalls. Having some cereal porridge might be nice.


    There are many people who are heading toward the stalls.


    But, eating the food of outer city is dangerous due to sanitary problems.


    Anyway, since there¡¯s no equality inw, even if it¡¯s not an instant death, there might be some poisonous nts added inside it.


    That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t eat anything in the bar.


    If you are to ask what I¡¯m doing in the bar then, it¡¯s simply for gathering information.


    Nut and I decided to have a meal inside the rampart.


    We entered the city via the main gate while I¡¯m wearing the shadow mantle.


    I invoked invisibility magic which hides even my face. The invoked invisibility magic was one that distorted people¡¯s consciousness. After invoking this magic, even the people beside the caster won¡¯t notice the presence of the caster.


    But, it seems that the people with a certain level of detection ability can easily notice it.


    The interior of the rampart is clean and pretty,pletely different from the outer city where trash seems to be littered everywhere.


    I¡¯m heading toward the bakery which I discovered yesterday.


    There are two kinds of bread: One made with inferior rye [ck bread] and other with fine quality wheat[white bread].


    The bread made with fine quality wheat didn¡¯t even lose to the ones made in Japan.


    Though the city was different, there¡¯s this extremely delicious honey-filled bread.


    Is the bread made in this city?


    After walking for a while, our destination is a boisterous ce.


    When I¡¯m trying to peek at the gap between the human fences, two pairs of full armored knights are walking, while keeping a close watch.


    ¡¸That¡¯s the temple knight. What is that knight doing in there?¡¹


    In Holy republic Lenaria, the only one who can give orders to the knights is the head of the temple.


    Thus, the knight¡¯s job were maintaining the safety in the highway and protecting the temple in general.


    Nut never said that they would be walking in the middle of the city in full armor like that.


    Two girls are walking behind those knights.


    Both of them were beauties.


    The woman walking in the front is the very definition of a well-bred princess. Her bright colored hair is as impressive as her strong willed look.


    The woman walking behind is a bit short with her hair tied like a bun on top of her head*. It¡¯s just that her face is as if she¡¯s wearing a noh mask. As the two of them are having conversation, the woman in the front disys a variety of emotions and yet, the one in the back doesn¡¯t even reply anything other than the bare minimum. [TL*: Her hairstyle should be simr to Saber from FSN]


    Even from far away, I can figure out that the two of them are wearing first-ss clothes. It seems they¡¯re quite rich.


    And then, it seems that the knights walking in front and on their back are their bodyguards.


    I wonder who they are?


    ¡¸Diehart-sama. She¡¯s the exploding princess¡¹


    Nut is pointing at the woman walking in front.


    ¡¸Exploding princess!? ¡¹


    Exploding princess, what a strange nickname. Nut proceeds to give an exnation after thinking about that matter for a second.


    ¡¸Once upon a time, that princess hit the man who tried to make a pass on her with magic. At that time, the power of her magic indiscriminately ripped apart innumerable buildings regardless of their value, and thus, she got the nickname ¡°Exploding Princess¡±.¡¹


    ¡¸Haaah¡­¡¹


    I let out a stupid looking voice upon hearing Nut¡¯s exnation.


    And now, these knights were given a duty by the temple to not let anyone approach that exploding princess.


    ¡®You aren¡¯t bodyguards?¡¯ It makes me want to retort.


    The four knights were like a chaperone who surrounded the two beauties from a slight distance.


    ¡¸In addition, that exploding princess is the hero¡¯s little sister¡¹


    I¡¯m astonished by Nut words.


    The hero¡¯s little sister!? To put it in another way, she¡¯s Reiji¡¯s little sister.


    I¡¯m surprised by the fact that she was Reiji little sister, but I am also surprised that the number of summoned people is just one in demon king castle.


    What the hell are they trying to do by summoning that many people?


    When I inquired about that matter.


    When I was summoned, I was alone.


    Though I¡¯m a bit dissatisfied by it, it¡¯s just a matter of chance.


    Shall I go closer to hear their conversation?


    I¡¯m straining my ears to eavesdrop.


    I can¡¯t hear anything.


    I, who be a superman in this world, can¡¯t hear their conversation. If I strain my ears, I can even hear the sounding from far away.


    But, I absolutely cannot hear their conversation.


    Let¡¯s tail them then. So, I decided my next n of action.


    ¡¸Sorry Nut, will you wait for a while here?¡¹


    ¡¸Understood¡¹


    Nut drops down from my shoulder.


    Though it should be okay even if I address them from the front, I want to avoid being discovered by Shirone due to their description as much as I can.


    I invoke the invisibility magic present in the shadow mantle.


    The two of them are walking toward the bakery where I¡¯m going to go.


    I¡¯m tailing them at a reasonable distance.


    When I¡¯m a bit closer to them.


    I noticed that I can hear their voice.


    When I¡¯m thinking of getting even closer to them.


    I start hearing their voices normally after I got quite close to them.


    ¡¸Hear me Kaya, the bread they sell in this bakery tastes so good, you know¡«¡¹


    It¡¯s the voice of Reiji¡¯s little sister.


    ¡¸Please wait a minute!! Ojousama! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Kaya?¡¹


    She rarely calls to stop her.


    It was at that time.


    I bend my body to the back at once.


    At that time, something with extreme speed passed at the ce where my head was, a moment ago.


    It¡¯s a roundhouse kick.


    The woman behind Reiji¡¯s little sister jumped toward me and released a roundhouse kick.


    Moreover, in spite of her back facing me, her kick aimed at my chin with terrifying precision.


    I might be done for if I had reacted just a bitte.


    And, I might have fainted if I got hit on my jaw.


    Using the momentum of her roundhouse kick, she twisted her body and attacked me with a heel drop.


    I can¡¯t see the inside of her skirt.


    I avoid that heel drop by rolling to the side.


    The stone pavement where her heel dropped on got smashed and created fissures with the dropping point as the center.


    She¡¯s pursuing me right away.


    The attacks are sharp, but maybe because she¡¯s in a hurry, her center of gravity¡¯s a bit off.


    I instantly catch her and fling her.


    Crap. So I thought.


    At this rate, she¡¯ll fall on the ground, head first.


    So, I follow her momentum to make her fall on her bottom by circling my arms around her back.


    ¡¸UH!! ¡¹


    The woman is moaning.


    It still hurts even if you fall on your bottom.


    ¡¸I-I¡¯m sorry!! ¡¹


    I unintentionally apologize to her.


    ¡¸KAYA!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO KAYA!! ¡¹


    Reiji¡¯s little sister is facing me.


    But, she slipped. And that brought her to her fall.


    If she continues to fall in that manner, she might fall on the pavement, face first.


    ¡¸WATCH OUT!! ¡¹


    I spontaneously catch her body.


    FUNYU.


    There¡¯s a soft sensation transmitted on to my palm.


    ¡¸WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!! ¡¹


    It seems I identally grabbed her breast when on catching her.


    ¡¸THIS PERVERT!! ¡¹


    A powerful pes toward my face.


    Since my hand didn¡¯t separate from her chest. I can only receive it head on.


    At that time, my hood slipped.


    ¡¸OH SHIT!! ¡¹


    I leave that ce immediately while trying to hide my face.


    The knights who noticed what just happened are rushing at me immediately.


    I entered the shadow of the road after taking down one of the knights.


    I believe I have escaped far enough. On noticing my surroundings, I seem to be already in the hut of the outer city.


    There, I¡¯m catching my breath.


    I¡¯m recalling her movements. Those movements of her seem to belong to some sort of kenpo.


    And then, it might be the kenpo that came from the earth.


    She was a summoned person, too. Moreover, her movements are the movements of a trained person.


    But, more than that.


    ¡¸I failed¡­.¡¹


    I¡¯m muttering so.


    It might be even more difficult to gather information anymore.


    What should I do from now?


    ¡¸Diehart-sama~. Are you alright¡«? ¡¹


    Nut is running toward me.


    Then, I remember preceding events upon seeing Nut.


    Should I tell him the truth?


    If it¡¯s Nut, he can easily gather the necessary information.


    We more or less became the hero¡¯s enemies.


    How would his thoughts change if he knows that I don¡¯t want to be in dispute against the heroes?


    But, at this rate, I¡¯ll be left with no other choice.


    I¡¯m considering about several matters.


    And then, I¡¯m looking at my left palm.


    ¡¸It was soft¡­¡¹

 Chapter 13 - In the Temple’s Training Location

    <h4>Chapter 13 - In the Temple''s Training Location</h4>


    Comrade of The Hero, Chiyuki.


    Reiji and Shirone are sparring in Rena temple¡¯s knights¡¯ training ground.


    They are using light wooden swords for training their swordsmanship.


    ¡¸Uhm, Chiyuki-san¡­.¡¹


    Sahoko, who is beside me, is calling me with a worried voice.


    ¡¸I understand. I¡¯ll stop them before things be too dangerous¡¹


    I reply as such to calm Sahoko down.


    Reiji wanted to learn swordsmanship from Shirone for the sake of a rematch with Diehart.


    Reiji had just woken up and wanted to practice immediately.


    However, it might be because lying down for so long doesn¡¯t sit well with him.


    So, he wanted to learn swordsmanship from Shirone.


    When I heard that, I was astonished.


    Never did I think that this man will say that he would train in his martial arts.


    Reiji is a greenhorn in martial arts.


    Though Reiji¡¯s father tried to make his son learn some martial arts, it seems no one could teach martial arts to Reiji due to his personality since childhood.


    However, from what I heard from an insider of Reiji¡¯s family, it seems that he¡¯s a cheeky brat from an adult¡¯s point of view, and no one will teach martial arts since no one wants to get beaten by the employer.


    Nevertheless, Reiji¡¯s physical ability is extraordinary even without the practice of any kind of martial arts.


    That¡¯s also the reason why Reiji didn¡¯t try his hands on any martial arts.


    Rather, I¡¯m really surprised that he is this strong even without learning anything.


    And that Reiji told us that he wants to learn martial arts. I suspect it has something to do with his fight against Diehart.


    This is actually an extremely positive development for him.


    Reiji¡¯s talent has only brought him so far, but now, he can go even further by learning.


    His childhood aside, Reiji never lost even once after he grew up.


    I read in some book that ¡°A defeat will make people grow¡±.


    I think it won¡¯t be easy to gain victory against Reiji after he learns martial arts, even for Diehart.


    Since no one can win against a genius who puts in great effort.


    But, since his body isn¡¯t in proper condition, Sahoko naturally opposed that.


    I¡¯m looking from the side to stop them when things are getting dangerous. So, it¡¯s a training with such a condition attached.


    If one were to ask why me, it seems I¡¯m the most cool headed amongst our party.


    Well, apart from Sahoko who is against the training, it¡¯s impossible to appoint this role to the other members.


    Even Shirone thinks that Reiji is a hero, so she didn¡¯t consider the fact that Reiji might be too rash.


    That¡¯s why I became the stopper.


    Shirone is teaching Reiji the way to grip his sword. She teaches him to grip it moderately and only strengthen his grip when he swings his sword.


    Even by just looking from the side, I am able to gain new knowledge from them.


    But I can see that Shirone isn¡¯t a good teacher.


    Though the person herself says it, it really seems that Shirone doesn¡¯t have much talent in kendo.


    Her teaching methodology is also clumsy.


    Moreover, there¡¯s a peculiar negative effect for special training in this world.


    It is the fact that we are superhumans in this world.


    For example, consider we¡¯re doing weight training.


    Even 100 kg dumbell of this world bes extremely light in our hand.


    Even the weakest of us, Sahoko can lift 100 kg with one hand.


    Our 100 kg is vastly different from 100 kg of the people from this world.


    That¡¯s why weight training is useless.


    But, by saying so, the special training will end up in us learning the skills.


    That might be the same for Shirone who possesses high physical ability, though not as much as Reiji. It seems her skill wasn¡¯t that developed.


    Moreover, there¡¯s a nk period of almost two years since she left her family dojo. That¡¯s why the contents of her lesson are also probably limited.


    I heave a sigh. I feel bad for Shirone even though Reiji finally showed interest in learning martial arts. He might need a better master.


    Shirone¡¯s coaching ss continues in spite of its poor quality.


    Even Reiji is obediently receiving Shirone¡¯s teaching.


    Reiji¡¯s face is showing an unusually serious expression.


    Reiji has a charming face, thereupon I got unintentionally charmed by that face.


    ¡¸Thank you, Shirone¡¹


    Shirone¡¯s face flushes a little when Reiji said those words with a refreshing smile on his face.


    Even though Sahoko is looking, aren¡¯t you a bit too close to Shirone?


    Sahoko, seeing them from the side, is having a slightly grim face.


    Or rather, that¡¯s just natural for her to be worried since Reiji and Shirone are so close to each other.


    But, it seems that Sahoko isn¡¯t the only one anxious about it. We are not the only ones in this training field. There are almost 20 civilian women or girls who work for the temple and came to visit Reiji.


    They had gathered on hearing Reiji¡¯s recovery.


    Since this training field is separated from the main building of the temple, it¡¯s rtively easier for them to enter.


    That¡¯s why many women have gathered today to see him.


    To be honest, it¡¯s better to chase them off since they¡¯re just a hindrance of Reiji¡¯s training.


    But, I will look like a girlfriend driving away the insects swarming her boyfriend.


    It seems I¡¯ve gained a reputation of being an arrogant woman in the eyes of the girls in this Lenaria city.


    We, on Reiji¡¯s side, aren¡¯t that popr amongst the girls of Lenaria city. The reason is because we are always beside the popr Reiji.


    Well, the one who receives most of the hate is Kyouka, though.


    Kyouka is hated by women and feared by men.


    Previously, she devastated the downtown when she used her magic against a pervert. She ended up wounding so many people who got dragged into her mess. The men kept their distance from her due to this reason.


    The one who¡¯s fairly popr in the female poption amongst our group was Shirone. The brave Shirone is particrly popr amongst the younger woman.


    Currently, there are even kids whoe to this training field to see Shirone.


    On the contrary, the most popr amongst the men was Rino. Well, she¡¯s popr due to her cute and charming figure.


    Though Sahoko is also popr, in her case, it¡¯s closer to respect and affection rather than poprity. She heals the sick and injured and is hailed as the saint.


    From watching Reiji¡¯s training, Reiji¡¯s sluggish movements are clearly visible.


    With such a deep gash on his chest, that¡¯s natural. Currently, Reiji¡¯s life has been forcibly maintained with Sahoko¡¯s magic.


    That¡¯s why he can¡¯t force himself for now.


    This is it for today¡¯s training I guess.


    When I think so, the training field bes noisy.


    ¡¸Please step aside for a moment¡¹


    When I am thinking about it, pair of women push their way through the throngs of women ande to see Reiji.


    They are Kaya and Kyouka.


    These two should have been on their way to a certain bakery that they found delicious.


    They made a rude entrance and are heading toward us.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Kyouka-san?¡¹


    Sahoko is asking Kyouka.


    ¡¸A BIG INCIDENT JUST HAPPENED TO US, YOU KNOW!! ¡¹


    Kyouka replies to her as such.


    But Kyouka has a habit to exaggerate things, so it shouldn¡¯t be that serious.


    I¡¯m looking at Kaya.


    ¡¸It really was a serious incident¡¹


    It seems it really was a big incident.


    So I stopped Reiji¡¯s and Shirone¡¯s training and drove away the unrted spectators.


    ¡¸What happened, Kyouka?¡¹


    While walking toward us, Reiji asks Kyouka.


    ¡¸Onii-sama~. I met a pervert. Kyouka is scared¡¹


    The pervert was definitely a dangerous one.


    ¡¸Is that so. That is dangerous for sure, Kyouka. Leave it to me, I¡¯ll shred this pervert to piecester¡¹


    If it¡¯s this world, Reiji might really shred that pervert to pieces. But that is not the only problem.


    ¡¸What does that mean, Kyouka-san?¡¹


    So I ask Kyouka to tell the entire story.


    ¡¸That pervert groped my breasts¡¹


    Did it mean the pervert went as far as groping Kyouka¡¯s breast? What were those escort knights doing then?


    ¡¸And then, what happened?¡¹


    So I ask her to continue her narration.


    ¡¸After groping my breast, he ran away¡¹


    That wasn¡¯t the thing I want to hear the most.


    ¡¸And then, what about your magic? Is the city alright? ¡¹


    Since Kyouka destroyed the city with magic in the previous incident, it was my primary concern.


    ¡¸Chiyuki-sama. Ojousama did not use her magic¡¹


    Kaya is the one who replied instead.


    I feel relieved on hearing that.


    It seems the city is safe.


    ¡¸And then. What happened to that pervert? Did you catch him and hand him over to the knights? ¡¹


    ¡¸No, he fled¡¹


    ¡¸Is that so? From you? That¡¯s strange¡¹


    If Kaya were serious, escaping from her grasp isn¡¯t that simple. She might have let him flee on purpose.


    ¡¸Yes. I couldn¡¯t catch him since I was thrown away by that person¡¹


    ¡¸Eh¡­¡­?¡¹


    My eyes opened wide in astonishment after hearing her words.


    Kaya got tossed?


    Kaya is Kyouka¡¯s attendant, and also acts as her escort. She has learned barehanded martial arts such as Kenpo and Karate.


    She¡¯s quite skilled, and that¡¯s why even an average adult won¡¯t be able to defeat a martial arts expert like her back in our world.


    Much less to say in this world, Kaya can even beat several hundred adults.


    And that Kyouka was tossed by that pervert. Isn¡¯t that dangerous?


    When I tried to ponder her story a bit, there are several strange parts in Kyouka¡¯s story, too.


    If Kyouka pped that pervert with her full power, if it¡¯s an adult of this world, his head should have blown away.


    But, that didn¡¯t happen. That pervert isn¡¯t your average joe.


    ¡¸GATHER EVERYONE!!WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY MEETING!!¡¹

 Chapter 14 - Identity of the Pervert

    <h4>Chapter 14 - Identity of the Pervert</h4>


    Comrade of The Hero, Chiyuki.


    ¡¸Now, what kind of a man is that pervert?¡¹


    Nao is asking Kaya.


    There were the words¡ºEmergency Meeting: Miss Kyouka¡¯s Breast Fondling Incident¡» written bright and clear on the ckboard.


    Naturally, the culprit is Nao. It seems the person herself is going to take up the role of a detective just like in those dramas.


    ¡¸His height is around Reiji, he hides his appearance with a ck mantle attached with a hood¡¹


    Kaya replies with an expressionless face.


    ¡¸It¡¯s decided then, the culprit is REIJI¡¹


    Rnio is saying so while pping her hands.


    ¡¸Rino. That is impossible¡¹


    Reiji is ying along with her.


    Yup, in the first ce, Reiji is not the culprit. Everyone here knows about that.


    ¡¸N-No way, onii-sama was the culprit¡­ I¡¯ll let you to fondle it as long as you want if you asked for it, you know¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m taking back what I said before¡¹


    ¡¸I object, Rino-chan. Rei-kun was with us all along. He has a perfect alibi, you know¡¹


    Sahoko is putting forth her objection. Well, it¡¯s not like Rino¡¯s really thinking that Reiji is the culprit.


    ¡¸Be quiet everyone, we have yet to gather the testimonies from all the witnesses¡¹


    Nao is telling everyone to be quiet.


    ¡¸Well then, Kaya-san, will you exin the situation during that incident?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, we were passing by the central za on the way to buy bread with ojou-sama. There, I noticed that someone was tailing us from behind¡¹


    There¡¯s one point that makes me worried from Kaya¡¯s testimony.


    ¡¸Kaya-san, did the knights fail to notice him? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, it seems that the person used invisibility magic¡¹


    Invisibility magic is a magic to hinder perception. Someone without certain level of perception skill won¡¯t be able to notice it.


    Once recognized, the magic will be solved.


    ¡¸So, that¡¯s means the culprit is a magician. Then we can start working from this¡¹


    There¡¯s only a small number of magicians, usually at least one per city state.


    Though there are several magicians in case of this city, it might be easier to investigate them.


    ¡¸This person approached us from behind with invisibility magic. When he came right behind me, I sent a roundhouse kick toward him¡¹


    ¡¸Your roundhouse kick you say. Isn¡¯t that person already dead¡­.¡¹


    Kaya is shaking her head in denial in response to Shirone¡¯s words.


    ¡¸That person dodged my kick¡¹


    ¡¸Na~~¡­.¡¹


    Some people were holding their breath.


    Kaya¡¯s martial arts prowess will even give Reiji a good run for his money. Since he can avoid that kick, he isn¡¯t an ordinary person.


    ¡¸When I reached him for the third attack, he seized my arm and flung me away¡¹


    ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    Everyone is speechless and surprised after hearing her words.


    Including me.


    Kaya¡¯s martial arts skill were famous even back in our world.


    Say nothing of him avoiding her attack, he even managed to fling her away.


    It¡¯s impossible for even Reiji to fling her away.


    And someone from this world actually managed to do that. It really makes me wonder what kind of person he is.


    ¡¸After doing that, he groped ojou-sama¡¯s breasts. Finally, he fled from that ce¡¹


    ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    Everyone is dumbstruck. But, for a different reason from a while ago.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s try to make a timeline for the situation¡¹


    Nao starts writing on the ckboard.


    £±£® His height is simr to Reiji.


    £²£® He used invisibility magic.


    £³£® He can toss Kaya-san.


    £´£® He likes Kyouka-san¡¯s breasts.


    ¡¸These might be the points¡¹


    Nao is saying so as she turned around.


    ¡¸An abnormally skilled pervert, huh¡­¡¹


    Rino is speechless.


    To be honest, I am too.


    ¡¸No way, my breasts¡­ has been targeted by that kind of pervert¡¹


    Kyouka is saying so while hiding her breasts.


    Kyouka¡¯s breasts are the biggest after Sahoko¡¯s. It¡¯s natural for men to aim for it.


    ¡¸I envy those who have smaller breasts¡¹


    Kyouka is saying so while looking at Nao and Rino.


    ¡¸B-BIGGER IS ALWAYS BETTER YOU KNOW!! ¡¹


    ¡¸M-MINE IS STILL GROWING!! ¡¹


    Rino and Nao are pouting.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Rino, Nao. I¡¯ll do something about it¡¹


    I don¡¯t know what he meant by ¡°Do something about it¡±, but, I really want to hit his hands that are making some unpleasant gestures.


    ¡¸Even so, I wonder what kind of a person the culprit is?¡¹


    Shirone is saying so.


    I¡¯m also worried about that matter.


    We can find people who fulfilled the first and second points written by Nao.


    But, the problem is the third point. Could it be that there¡¯s someone else who can toss Kaya in this city, apart from Reiji?


    And then, it bes even more confusing with the fourth point.


    Well, I don¡¯t even want to know what was going on inside that pervert¡¯s head.


    ¡¸Anyway, shall we go to the magician¡¯s association tomorrow? Maybe they could possibly someone who fulfills these four points¡¹


    So, I make a suggestion. I¡¯m nning to search for someone who can fulfill the first and second requirements.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll make sure to teach that bastard who dared to reach his hand to someone¡¯s little sister¡¹


    Reiji¡¯s face is scary.


    ¡¸Yeah, I can¡¯t let that person roam around freely¡¹


    Rino gives her agreement, too.


    Everyone is giving their resolution.


    ¡¸Please wait a minute!! ¡¹


    Everyone is looking at Kaya. It¡¯s very rare for Kaya to start the conversation.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Kaya-san?¡¹


    ¡¸Something has been worrying me¡¹


    Everyone is tilting their head.


    ¡¸Something is worrying you? ¡¹


    Kaya is nodding.


    ¡¸I noticed that the technique used by that person to toss me is simr to the one used by Shirone-sama during our match sometime ago¡¹


    Shirone¡¯s family dojo teaches a grappling technique that closely resembled Judo.


    And Kaya said that pervert used the exact same technique.


    Shirone-san. Have you taught that technique to someone? ¡¹


    Shirone is shaking her head in denial.


    ¡¸Uhn. I just showed it to Kaya-san right after we came to this world¡¹


    Thereupon, it¡¯s Kaya¡¯s turn to shake her head.


    ¡¸My deepest apologies. That person¡¯s ability is far more stronger than mine¡¹


    Kaya is saying so with a grim expression.


    ¡¸Is he even stronger than me?¡¹


    Shirone is asking.


    ¡¸My deepest apologies¡­.¡¹


    Kaya is saying so in an apologetic manner.


    ¡¸Uhm, I don¡¯t mind, Ju-jitsu isn¡¯t my strong point after all¡¹


    Shirone is saying so whileughing.


    ¡¸But, even if you say that he used the same technique, what does it have to do with Shirone?¡¹


    Rino says so.


    ¡¸It just maybe a simr technique of this world¡¹


    I also agree with Nao words.


    That possibility is much higher. Maybe there¡¯s a simr technique in this world.


    ¡¸There could certainly be simrities between different tossing technique. Maybe that person just happened to have a simr technique as Shirone-sama. In fact, it¡¯s a technique that¡¯s simr to the ones from Ju-jitsu¡¹


    Kaya also agreed with Nao.


    And then, she continues after brief pause.


    ¡¸But, I think it might be a technique that came from our world¡¹


    Everyone is looking at each other¡¯s face after listening to Kaya¡¯s words.


    She just dropped a bombshell.


    ¡¸So you mean another person came to this world aside from us?¡¹


    Kaya is nodding in affirmation to Reiji words.


    ¡¸Everything wille together as long as you think about it¡¹


    I¡¯m pondering again about the meaning of her words.


    ¡¸If that is true, then everything will be clear¡¹


    If he is a human from the same world as us, he might be not a small fry seeing that he can avoid Kaya¡¯s attack and even toss her.


    Naturally, it¡¯s not strange for him to be able to use magic simr to us.


    ¡¸But, Rena didn¡¯t tell us anything¡¹


    Some of us are nodding on hearing Reiji¡¯s words.


    Certainly, Rena didn¡¯t say anything about someone else being summoned beside us. In conclusion, she forgot to tell us about such an important matter.


    ¡¸Maybe, there¡¯s someone else who can use the summoning mechanism¡­.¡¹


    There¡¯s also that possibility.


    ¡¸So, let¡¯s try to ask Rena about it, since there are several other things that I want to ask her about, too¡¹

 Chapter 15 - Conversation With the Goddess

    <h4>Chapter 15 - Conversation With the Goddess</h4>


    Chiyuki¡¯s conversation with Rena.


    ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, goddess Rena¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Chiyuki¡¹


    A considerable amount of time has passed since I met Rena previously.


    Thest time we met was around three weeks ago.


    Rena and I are the only individuals in this room inside the temple.


    Because Reiji will try to achieve what Rena wishes for if he were here.


    Though reluctant, we somehow managed to persuade him.


    Now, since we can¡¯t leave Reiji alone, everyone else also left with him.


    ¡¸What brings you here today, Chiyuki?¡¹


    I¡¯m looking at Rena.


    Beautiful face with hair glistening like a star; abundant chest that is even bigger than Sahoko. Reiji aside, this beauty is definitely capable of charming many men to do her bidding.


    ¡¸Yes, I called you here since there is something that I wish to confirm¡¹


    The truth is I wanted to solve my quandary by directly going to this goddess¡¯s dwelling in Elios.


    But, it seems we can¡¯t go there unless we get permission from the king of gods, Oudith. Thus, I did not have any choice but to summon Rena to this ce whenever I have something to ask.


    Though Reiji has tried to enter Elios without caring about those things, Reiji eventually gave up when this goddess asked him to do so by slouching and highlighting her breasts.


    ¡¸First, why have the gods of Elios left the demon king to his own devices?¡¹


    I ask the first question.


    ¡¸It¡¯s not like they have left him to his own devices, but¡­ The gods have their own circumstances, you know¡¹


    Rena replies as such with an apologetic expression.


    ¡¸May I hear what these circumstances are? ¡¹


    ¡¸My apologies, Chiyuki. I¡­ can¡¯t divulge that¡¹


    From her attitude and response, it seems that she won¡¯t tell me about it.


    ¡¸So, that¡¯s it¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Is that the only thing that you wanted to ask? ¡¹


    Of course not.


    ¡¸No, there is an even more pressing matter that I wanted to ask¡¹


    ¡¸An important matter? I wonder what it could be¡­¡¹


    I take a deep breath, and then open my mouth.


    ¡¸Goddess Rena, there¡¯s someone else that was summoned aside from us, right? ¡¹


    Upon hearing that question, Rena¡¯s face bes gloomy.


    ¡¸So Chiyuki noticed it, huh¡­ It¡¯s as you imagined¡¹


    I¡¯m more surprised after hearing Rena¡¯s words.


    ¡¸As I thought, so it¡¯s true¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, Chiyuki. Even I came to know about this matter only five days ago¡¹


    5 days ago? Knew?


    Could it be that the person wasn¡¯t summoned by Rena?


    ¡¸Goddess Rena, could it be that you are not the one who summoned that person? ¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, me? For what reason? ¡¹


    I¡¯m convinced upon seeing Rena¡¯s reaction. The one who summoned that person is not Rena.


    There¡¯s another person who summoned an otherworlder aside from Rena.


    Though I didn¡¯t hear the particr details about the summon from Rena, it¡¯s not strange for another person to be capable of performing a summon.


    In that case, there¡¯s no need to dig deeper into this.


    ¡¸My apologies, goddess Rena. It seems that I doubted you¡¹


    ¡¸? ¡¹


    Rena¡¯s expression changed into curiosity.


    Could it be that she never considered being doubted?


    Well then, let¡¯s move to a different topic.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s switch the topic, but there¡¯s something that I wish to ask in the next topic¡¹


    ¡¸A¡­ wish is it? ¡¹


    ¡¸Please send me and Shirone back to our own world¡¹


    After hearing my request, Rena is showing a troubled face.


    In fact, it should have been ¡°All of us¡±. However, Reiji absolutely won¡¯t give up on his promise to Rena.


    Even so, it¡¯s been half a year already. We can¡¯t continue to remain irresponsible, and should be back immediately.


    Thus, as a result, Shirone and I decided to go back.


    And then, we will be the ones reporting our safety to everyone¡¯s family.


    ¡¸So you won¡¯t cooperate in defeating the demon king anymore? ¡¹


    Rena is saying so with moistened eyes.


    ¡¸It¡¯s already half a year. We can¡¯t stay in this world any longer than this¡¹


    ¡¸Why is that?¡¹


    Rena is pleading toward me. If I¡¯m Reiji, I might be hearing her plea.


    But, that kind of eyes won¡¯t work on me.


    And then, I suddenly stumbled upon a certain idea.


    ¡¸Understood¡¹


    ¡¸So you will grant my wish¡¹


    Rena is smiling. It¡¯s as if her smile is capable of making a flower blossompletely.


    ¡¸On thinking upon it again, there¡¯s another person who used the summoning magic, right?¡¹


    When I say about what I thought.


    Rena¡¯s expression became more severe than a while ago.


    ¡¸Chiyuki, what is the meaning of your words? ¡¹


    ¡¸If you¡¯re not going to fulfill our wish, I just need to go to that person¡¯s ce¡¹


    When I¡¯m saying so, Rena¡¯s expression became even more scarier.


    That was the face that Rena never showed me until now.


    My back is drenched in cold sweat.


    ¡¸Chiyuki! Is that what all of you are nning to do? ¡¹


    I¡¯m being pressured by Rena¡¯s vigor.


    Could it be that she doesn¡¯t want us to return so much?


    ¡¸N-No. At the very least, I¡¯m the only one¡­.¡¹


    Practically, I¡¯m the only who¡¯s saying that I want to go back to our world. Next is Shirone who wants to go back for a while.


    When I¡¯m saying so, Rena¡¯s face returned to normal. I¡¯m relieved after seeing that Rena¡¯s vigor vanished.


    ¡¸Understood, Chiyuki. So it¡¯s okay if I just send you back, isn¡¯t it?¡¹


    Rena smiles toward me.


    Dark Knight Kuroki.


    It¡¯s already been two days since that event.


    When I think carefully, it still seems impossible.


    It was impossible to know the situation about the hero party without letting them understand about me with my abilities.


    And yet, I can¡¯t be careless at the same time.


    From Nut¡¯s information, the hero party didn¡¯t make any special movements.


    But, just to be sure, I¡¯m staying in this hut without even entering the rampart.


    I¡¯m leaving the entire process of infiltration and information acquisition to Nut.


    So, I¡¯m wondering for what reason I came so far.


    In the end, I decided to tell everything to Nut.


    When I did so.


    ¡¸WHAT, THE HERO IS ACTUALLY DIEHART-SAMA¡¯S RIVAL IN LOVE!!!¡¹


    Was what he said.


    It seems he¡¯s misunderstanding about something. In the first ce, I¡¯m not even his foe and yet¡­.


    I still couldn¡¯t break his misunderstanding.


    ¡¸Certainly, that¡¯s why you were summoned to his majesty demon king¡¯s side¡¹


    He told an iprehensible thing to me.


    And then, he continued with this subsequent reply.


    ¡¸Please leave everything to this Nut¡¹


    He assured me as such.


    I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s happening.


    But, with this, maybe he will bring the information that I want to know.


    Thus, Nut is monitoring the situaiton in the temple.


    From the conversation of the temple¡¯s priest, he informed me that the goddess has descended in the temple.


    She was the culprit who summoned Reiji. Maybe something serious just happened.


    ¡¸I¡¯m ba~ck, Diehart-sama~¡¹


    Nut has returned.


    ¡¸Did you get the information about why goddess Rena has descended? ¡¹


    Nut is shaking his head to show hisck of knowlegde.


    ¡¸It seems she¡¯s having some kind of discussion with the one called Chiyuki, but I can¡¯t hear the content of their conversation due to the strict defenses¡¹


    As expected, it seems the goddess is heavily guarded. It is to the point that even Nut can¡¯t infiltrate to gather the information.


    ¡¸I see, well it can¡¯t be helped then¡­. Thank you, Nut¡¹


    ¡¸But¡­. There¡¯s something that¡¯s worrying me¡¹


    ¡¸Something that¡¯s worrying you?¡¹


    ¡¸Yesh, it seems that Shirone-san, the sweetheart of Diehart-sama wants to go back to her original world¡¹


    ¡¸¡­¡­EH? ¡¹


    Unconsciously, I let out a dumbfounded voice.


    ¡¸But¡­. it seems that the ones who wish to return are just Shirone and the one called Chiyuki¡¹


    That¡¯s definitely a worrying information.


    ¡¸If I¡¯m not wrong, Elios didn¡¯t have the method to perform reverse summoning too, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸Of course, they don¡¯t¡­.¡¹


    Since there¡¯s a method to perform reverse summoning in Elios, could it be that Modes is the only one who didn¡¯t have it?


    ¡¸Is that true¡­. that they have the method to perform reverse summoning? ¡¹


    ¡¸Diehart-sama!HEIBOS-SAMA WON¡¯T DO THAT KIND OF TRICKERY TO MODES-SAMA!! ¡¹


    Nut replies as such with full confidence.


    Heibos, the god of craftsmanship. I heard that he is a friend of Modes.


    And Nut is saying that Heibos isn¡¯t the kind of guy who will withhold such information.


    But, the method for reverse summons is not avable yet, at least for now. In the worst case, they¡¯ll end up drifting in between the dimensional boundary.


    Shirone says that she wants to go back.


    But, Nut is telling me that there¡¯s no method to return.


    There¡¯s a contradiction in this information.


    Maybe Rena isn¡¯t aware that she can¡¯t send them back with the current summoning magic.


    But, what if she sent Shirone back despite knowing about such information?


    Either way, Shirone is in a dangerous situation.


    ¡¸Could it be that Rena will really perform the summoning ceremony? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yesh¡¹


    ¡¸And she is currently in the temple right? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yesh¡¹


    I should just confirm these facts right from the goddess herself.


    ¡¸Nut, let¡¯s raid the temple¡¹

 Chapter 16 - Intruder

    <h4>Chapter 16 - Intruder</h4>


    Dark Knight Kuroki.


    I¡¯m standing on the central za in the rampart.


    The dark park where only moonlight shines upon.


    I¡¯m wearing theplete set of armor which I made with special magic using magic tools.


    This is the second time I am wearing this dark knight armor.


    It might turn into a serious battle.


    There¡¯s an extremely thick line of defense in the temple, and Reiji¡¯s also in there.


    That¡¯s why I wore the strongest equipments amongst the ones I received from Modes. I¡¯ll appear in front of them in a simr dress like that time during our first encounter.


    I shall go, then. I¡¯ve decided.


    My goal is to talk directly with Rena.


    But, I have to confine her and prevent her from escaping, while I¡¯m breaking through from the frontline.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯ll use this.


    Currently there are thirty small white gems inside the pouch that I held in my hand.


    It was a magic item made with dragon fangs as the raw material.


    Modes gave these to me when I left Nargol to use in case I needed them.


    He said that not anyone can easily use these gems, but I might be able to use it.


    I¡¯m scattering these white gems at certain intervals.


    And then I start reciting the aria.


    ¡¸O SOLDIER MADE FROM THE FANG OF A DRAGON, ARISE FROM THY SLUMBER! ! ¡¹


    After reciting the aria, fully armed soldiers, wearing armors on their bodies, ocher helmets on their heads, round shield on their left arm, and sword in their right hand, crawling out from the ground. They numbered thirty.


    They were the soldiers born from the magic called Dragon Fang Soldier,£¨Spartoi£©.


    One can¡¯t feel any life in them from their eyes shining red from the little crevice of their helmets.


    Spartois line up and stand in an arrangement in front of me.


    Gazing at these spartois made me think that magic is truly wonderful since these soldiers were just born from those tiny gems.


    I was half-convinced whether these soldiers would really arise when I received the exnation about the magic gems from Modes.


    Now, I can feel the magical power-like link with the spartois that were born from the magic gems.


    If that¡¯s the case, it seems I can manipte them with ease.


    ¡¸Nut, Please wait outside of the temple¡¹


    I request Nut who is sitting on my shoulder. He¡¯ll be in danger if it turns into abat zone.


    ¡¸Aye¡¹


    Nut quickly descends from my shoulder.


    ¡¸And then, maybe I won¡¯t be able to return. That¡¯s why¡­¡¹


    I took a gem from my bosom pocket and gave it to Nut.


    ¡¸NO WAY, DIEHART-SAMA! ! ! ¡¹


    It¡¯s a Metastasis gem. It was a magic item which can be used once even by someone who can¡¯t use metastasis magic.


    ¡¸I am just talking about the ¡°worst¡± case. You must go back by using that gem in case I don¡¯t return tomorrow morning¡¹


    ¡¸Diehart-sama¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Nut, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to die, you know. I will definitely retreat if things became too dangerous¡¹


    On hearing those words, Nut¡¯s tensiones down.


    ¡¸If that¡¯s what you mean¡­. Understood, may the fortunes of war be with you¡­¡¹


    Nut reluctantly agreed to my request.


    ¡¸SPARTOI, MOVE! ! ¡¹


    The spartois are starting to move. Their nimble movements makes it feel like they are not wearing heavy armor.


    These spartois jump on the rooftop of houses like me, while moving nimbly without any difort.


    Our target is Rena temple.


    The spartois would invade from all the sides as a distraction while I break in. My own raid is dyed by one beat.


    ording to Nut¡¯s story, Rena is currently in the altar room located at the center of the temple, since she¡¯s making preparations to send Shirone back to our world.


    It seems they are going to do the reverse summoning tomorrow. So, this is the only chance left for me to make my move.


    We start advancing toward the temple of Rena.


    Comrade of The Hero, Chiyuki.


    ¡¸WAIT A MINUTE, REIJI-KUN, ISN¡¯T THIS LIQUOR! ! ¡¹


    I¡¯m protesting in regards to the beverage served before us.


    ¡¸Well, it¡¯s alright, Chiyuki. I mean, this might be thest night you¡¯ll be here¡¹


    Reiji is saidying so with a jesting tone.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right, Chiyuki-san, don¡¯t-don¡¯t say such serious words¡¹


    ¡¸She¡¯s right, Chiyuki-senpai. Please do not mention such words¡¹


    Rino and Nao also chime in with a merry tone.


    I¡¯ll be returning with Shirone to our original world tomorrow.


    That¡¯s why Reiji and the rest held a simple farewell party.


    Reiji asked the people fromof the temple to prepare a light meal and beverages.


    This prepared beverage iswas a liquor.


    The one in my hand right now iswas a liquor that was made by mixing honey, sea water, and liquor made from a grape-like fruit.


    This liquor has a low alcohol content, and it i¡¯sn¡¯t supposed to not make you drunk. Except for Kyouka who got knocked out with only one sip of it.


    That Kyouka is lying down on the nearby sofa while being nursed by Kaya.


    But, no matter how low the alcohol content is, ALL OF US ARE BASICALLY MISEINEN[MINOR], WE¡¯RE BANNED FROM DRINKING LIQUOR. [TL : I¡¯ll left minor as it is in japanese, miseinen for the sake of act 2]


    I might have failed to notice those facts if it¡¯s not for the drunk Kyouka.


    ¡¸But, this might be thest time you¡¯ll be here Chiyuki, and we won¡¯t be able to meet again for a while. So, let¡¯s just enjoy yourst moment in this world¡¹


    Reiji is saidying so.


    ¡¸I won¡¯t meet anyone for a while, isn¡¯t it¡­.¡¹


    Shirone is saidying so with a lonely tone.


    Everyone be slightly gloomy due to her words.


    ¡¸See that, Chiyuki. The mood became gloomy. So, you should enjoy this along with everyone else¡¹


    Rino and Nao approved his words.


    ¡¸Geez, it can¡¯t be helped then¡­¡¹


    I reluctantly agreed to drink the liquor.


    I mean, I also hate the fact that the mood turned gloomy.


    I remember the old times when I was always saved by Reiji.


    I was raised with strict education by my parents.


    Reiji was the one who took that kind of me to see the outside world.


    I¡¯m recalling the time when I skipped the school for the first time with just the two of us. We were ying in the city while everyone was studying. Though I kneow that I musn¡¯tcan¡¯t do that, I still enjoyed such a refreshing experience that I never felt until that time.


    Even our adventure in this world, though I was angry at Reiji, I have no doubt that I¡¯m actually enjoying it deep within, too.


    Fighting against dragon, went to caves, seas, mountains, meeting with elves. These were things that were supposed to be part of fantasy.


    Naturally, there was danger and some painful experiences, but everyone enjoyed it because Reiji was there. It might have been very painful if I were toe to this world by myselfalone.


    That¡¯s why everyone doesn¡¯t want to go back.


    But, this adventure of mine will end tomorrow.


    I¡¯ll be back to my normal everyday life. To be honest, I¡¯m also reluctant to do so.


    But we can¡¯t act recklessly be like that without no one returnsing to our world.


    I won¡¯t let the mood turn even gloomier.


    As a result, I drink the liquor. This slightly sweet liquor is delicious.


    Normally, we can¡¯t drink such liquor with so many impurities inside without a straw made from a nt with hollow stem.


    But, this liquor that we took from the temple has all of its impurities carefully removed, so it¡¯s easiery to drink.


    We¡¯re chatting happily with each other while drinking the liquor.


    ¡¸Sorry, Reiji-kun. Our training stopped halfway through¡¹


    ¡¸Well, it can¡¯t be helped. It was a sudden decision, after all¡¹


    Shirone is apologizeing to Reiji too.


    Since Shirone suddenly decided to returngo back, it can¡¯t be helped that the training to develop countermeasures against Diehart would be stopped. Moreover, Shirone hads also said that coaching Reiji is impossible. Therefore, we need different measures.


    ¡¸Everyone, please take care of Reiji. You must not let him fight without a guarantee of victory, especially against Diehart! ! ¡¹


    Everyone is nodsding calmly.


    Diehart is strong. But, he is not the kind of opponent that we should fight by betting our own life on the line.


    I¡¯ll ask Kaya to search for that pervert. Depending on the situation, we might have to find the other person who can do the summoning ritual aside from Rena.


    We might have no choice but to ask for that person, since it seems we won¡¯t be able to beat the demon king without defeating Diehart first.


    After that, we continued to enjoying the liquor.


    SuddenlyAnd then, when I was wondering whether we should end the party to prepare for tomorrow.


    KANKANKAN.


    Several bell tolls are resounding throughout the entire temple.


    ¡¸What sound is that!? ¡¹


    Everyone is looking at each other¡¯s face with curious expressions.


    ¡¸INTRUDE©`R! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸THEY ARE COMING FROM THE WEST ENTRANCE! ! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸WE HAVE ALSO CAUGHT THE SIGHT OF STRANGE INTRUDESGUYS AT THE EAST ENTRANCE! ! ¡¹


    It was the panicked voice of the knights.


    ¡¸Intruder! ? ¡¹


    The bell that resounded a while ago was a warning equipment.


    ¡¸Intruder huh, do we need to wee them? ¡¹


    Reiji is pondering about it now.


    The first thing that I want to know is about the identity of the intruder.


    ¡¸Nao-san, Can I leave this to you? ¡¹


    ¡¸Understood¡¹


    Nao is closeding her eyes and then enters a meditative state.


    Nao has superior perception skills. It is one of the abilities that she learned aftering to this world.


    Whether what or where, it¡¯s the kind of ability that will let her know the enemy even if that guy can¡¯t be seen with eyes.


    Reiji, Shirone, and Kaya can also use this ability. But, other than Reiji, the two have their perception limited to the radius of 8-9 metres, while considering Nao whose perception almost reached a radius of 2 kilometres.


    In the first ce, generally, they would know nothing but the fact that something is there. When she focuses her mind, her perception will rise to another level, to the point that she can figure out the form of the enemy.


    Naturally, even her perception ability has its own weak point. There are¡¯s many things that she can¡¯t feel, such as formless magical power, and she can¡¯t sense the other party in case she is sealed inside a barrier.


    Though there¡¯s a barrier made of magic erected around this temple, she can sense the enemies since they¡¯re also inside the barrier.


    ¡¸It seems the number of the intruders surrounding the temple are just thirty¡¹


    I¡¯m tilting my head after hearing Nao¡¯s report. The goddess had also descended into this temple, so the defense is even tighter than usual.


    There should be around 300 knights on the duty for today. So they might be able to arrest those thirty intruders immediately.


    ¡¸¡­.We meet these guys sometime ago. They are the ones called spartoi¡¹


    Everyone is surprised after hearing Nao¡¯s report.


    Spartoi was a demon that we met when we fought in Nargol.


    If I¡¯m not wrong, their strength depends on the capacity of the magical power of the one who summoned them.


    ¡¸Does that mean the demon king ising to attack us? ¡¹


    Rino is saidying so with an anxious tone.


    ¡¸Nao-san, if it¡¯s spartoi, the one who summoned them should be around¡¹


    If it¡¯s really spartoi, the summoner should be around.


    The spartoi should vanish as long as that guy is defeated.


    ¡¸Understood! ! ¡¹


    Nao is concentratesing even further.


    ¡¸¡­.I found someone who has a different appearance from the others¡¹


    Nao identified another intruder who is not a spartoi.


    Maybe this guy is the one who summoned the spartois.


    In that case, it¡¯ll end as long as this guy is defeated.


    ¡¸This figure is kni~¡­ NO WAY, THE DARK KNIGHT? ¡¹


    Everyone is thinking the same thing upon hearing Nao words.


    ¡¸Could it be that Diehart ising for us? ¡¹


    Nao stops her meditation upon hearing Reiji¡¯s word.


    ¡¸Maybe¡­ I think it¡¯s possible¡¹


    ¡¸Could it be that his target is¡­. Rei-kun? ¡¹


    Reiji hasn¡¯t recovered yet. He¡¯ll be defeated miserably if he fight in his current condition.


    ¡¸No, he¡¯s going for another person¡¹


    Reiji is stoodanding up with his weapon afterwhile saying so.


    ¡¸WAIT, WHERE ARE YOU GOING! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸Maybe Rena is in danger! ¡¹


    Reiji is saidying so while he¡¯s preparingtrying to leave the room.


    Certainly, Diehart came after receiving the news of Rena¡¯s descent.


    The probability of him aiming for Rena is higher than for Reiji.


    He must have heard that Rena made the preparations to send us back tomorrow.


    ¡¸NO, YOU WON¡¯TCAN¡¯T WIN AGAINST HIM! ! ¡¹


    Sahoko is embraceding Reiji while trying to stop him.


    ¡¸Yeah, you can¡¯t go!! You¡¯ll only get yourself killed by going there! ! ¡¹


    There¡¯s no need to put his life on the line for Rena¡¯s sake. He should just abandon her.


    But, Reiji is shakesing his head in denial.


    ¡¸My bad, I¡¯ll go. If Rena is in danger, I¡¯ll go to help her, and if everyone of you is in danger, I¡¯lle to save you guys too¡¹


    Reiji is about to leave. He¡¯ll put his life on the line if it¡¯s for the sake of a beautiful girl.


    That¡¯s why everyone is here by Reiji¡¯s side.


    ¡¸NO, YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN¡¯T GO THERE! ! ¡¹


    Sahoko¡¯s putting more strength into her arms.


    ¡¸Sorry, Sahoko. Please, aAllow me to go there¡­¡¹


    But, Reiji won¡¯t even heed to her pleas. He couldn¡¯t shake off Sahoko who is embracing on him.


    ¡¸You should know yourself about your current condition, right!¡¹


    Sahoko was the weakest in term of powers amongst us. But the current Reiji can¡¯t even shake her off.


    Reiji isn¡¯t ready forbat, yet. Going there is futile.


    That¡¯s why she absolutely has to stop Reiji.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll go! ! ¡¹


    Everyone is looking toward Shirone.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll protect Rena-san! ! That¡¯s why, please calm yourself and stay right here with everyone, Reiji-kun! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸Shirone-san! ! ! ¡¹


    Shirone left the room after saying those words before I could even stop her.


    A Temple Knight.


    ¡¸WHAT THE HELL IS THIS! ! WHAT THE HELL¡¯S WRONG WITH THESE GUYS! ! ¡¹


    In spite of swinging my sword, my opponent stopped the blow with it¡¯s round shield.


    And just like that, the intruder in front of my eyes pushed me back with it¡¯s shield.


    Being pushed like that, I bumped against the guy behind me.


    ¡¸KUHAA!! ¡¹


    ¡¸GUHE~! ! ¡¹


    Two idiotic voices ovepped from behind.


    ¡¸SUCH POWER!¡¹


    I¡¯m looking at the intruder who¡¯s wearing armor in front of me.


    It¡¯s eyes are shining with scarlet light from the gap of the helmet.


    ¡¸They are not humans¡­¡¹


    Maybe they¡¯re demons.


    The goddess-sama has descended, so I, who was supposed to be off-duty, was summoned back to guard the temple.


    When I was cracking some jokes with my fellow knights about whether we can see the figure of goddess or not during our stand-by, intruder rm reverberated.


    The bells were ringing around the entire temple, thus we know that the intruders are raiding the temple from multiple directions.


    And then, these guys appeared at our assigned post.


    When I look around, six of my fellow knighty sprawled on the ground.


    Some were cut on their arms or legs. Some were hit by the shields of our enemies. But, strangely no one died.


    I felt that our enemy isn¡¯t even interested in taking our lifes.


    Even though I think that they are going to take my life when I fell on the floor, nothing happened.


    ¡¸W-What the¡­. Are they ying around with our lives¡­? ¡¹


    I support myself and then stabilized my stance.


    There¡¯s three of my fellowrades left at this ce. Moreover, we arewere facing just a single enemy.


    We outnumbered our opponent. But, none of us could evennd an attack.


    The nine of us arewere facing a single opponent and yet, six of us were beaten in the blink of an eye.


    So, it can¡¯t be helped but be extremely careful.


    ¡¸Un ?¡¹


    One of myrades is suddenly shrieking.


    When I follow the line of sight of myrade, there was one shadow looming behind the intruders.


    LOn looking at the shadow, the first thing thate to me was a reinforcement. The one who wore jet ck armor wasing toward our direction.


    A shiver runs along my spine when I¡¯m looking at that shadow.


    The pressure released by this person is iparable than the one released by theat other intruder.


    ¡¸Ah, The dark knight¡­¡¹


    My other fellows started shrieking.


    ¡¸Dark knight, don¡¯t tell me he is the dark knight Diehart!! So, the rumor was true! ! ¡¹


    Dark knight Diehart. Currently his name is echoing throughout the entire world. The man who defeated that invincible hero.


    And then, it¡¯s rumored that the dark knight Diehart would lead the army of demons to destroy human race inof the entire world. [TL : What a cruel rumor]


    Could it be that he was aiming for goddess Rena from the very beginning?


    ¡¸G-Goddess-sama is in danger¡­.¡¹


    I can¡¯t stop the trembling of my hand as I set my stance. Just standing in this ce made me almost suffocate to death.


    The dark knight came right before me and stretched his hand.


    ¡¸Sleep¡­.¡¹


    As I heard those words, I was assailed by an intense drowsiness. When I¡¯m tried to looking at my surroundings, it seems that myrades are also suffering from a simr fate.


    ¡¸Sleeping¡­ magic¡¹


    When I noticed the origin of my drowsiness, it was toote.


    ¡¸I¡¯m sure that the altar room is just behind this door¡­¡¹


    Was thest thing I heard as i lost my consciousness departed.

 Chapter 17 - Confrontation With Childhood Friend

    <h4>Chapter 17 - Confrontation With Childhood Friend</h4>


    Dark Knight Kuroki.


    ¡¸It was surprisingly easy¡¹


    No one was able to resist my sleeping magic till I arrived here. I made everyone who I met so far to sleep.


    If I knew that it¡¯ll be this easy, I wouldn¡¯t have worn my dark knight armor. I considered the possibility of things turning out into a fierce battle, but¡­.


    I just shake my head, as carelessness will bring your fall, after all. Better be safe than sorry.


    As long as I open this door to the altar room, I expect to meet Rena there.


    I send a telepathic order to the spartois to stop anyone from entering this room.


    After I open the door and entering it, I find the altar room to be extremely wide. The room is being illuminated by several light magic tools.


    A huge magic formation is drawn at the center of the room.


    And there was a stonentern which is just a bit higher than me standing at the 4 corners of the magic formation.


    The stonentern is somewhat simr to the one that I saw when I was summoned by Modes. Undoubtedly, these are tools for summoning assistance made by god of craftsmanship, Heibos.


    And then, a woman was standing at the center of the magic formation with her back facing me.


    ¡¸Have you captured the intruder, chief priest?¡¹


    Rena asked that question without even turning around.


    ¡¸My apologies, I¡¯m not the chief priest¡¹


    Rena turns around after hearing my words.


    ¡¸Dark knight¡­ No way, DIEHART! ! ¡¹


    Rena stammered with a panicked face.


    ¡¸Transfer,£¨TELEPORT£©!! ¡¹


    But the magic formation couldn¡¯t be invoked.


    ¡¸My apologies, I sealed transfer magic the moment I started this temple raid. No one in this area can utilize transfer magic for now¡¹


    Renashowed a surprised expression.


    I remember hearing that the magic to seal your opponent magic cannot be used if there¡¯s a big difference in magical power level with your opponent. So, I guess the amount of Rena¡¯s magical power and mine isn¡¯t that much different.


    If this method didn¡¯t work, then it can¡¯t be helped. I¡¯m relieved that everything went so smoothly.


    When I approach Rena, she took astep back while scanning her surroundings.


    Perhaps, she is looking for a weapon.


    But, it seems nothing in this room can be turned into a weapon.


    ¡¸Your target is¡­ me¡¹


    I shake my head in denial and then take off my helmet.


    I can hear Rena catching her breath.


    ¡¸Nice to meet you, Goddess Rena. My deepest apologies for intruding your temple in this manner¡¹


    Thus, I disyed my manner while holding my helmet on my side.


    I became anxious as to whether I¡¯m following the proper manners to her.


    I learned from Modes regarding the manner toward the gods of this world. I thought that I needed to learn the manner after guessing that I will end up travelling this entire world.


    The manner of this world wasn¡¯t that much different with the one from my world. Since it seems that there¡¯s no point of contact nor simrity of the cultures of the countries with my world, maybe it just happened to be simr.


    The matter of me showing my manner is because it¡¯s not yet decided that Rena is a bad person.


    Though she may not be a bad person, I can¡¯t just disy an impolite gesture in front of her.


    When I raise my head and look at her, I saw a figure that was even more beautiful than her image.


    Rena is gazing intently at my face.


    I was waiting to hear Rena¡¯s words.


    But, she just kept looking at my face without saying anything.


    ¡¸Goddess¡­. Rena? ¡¹


    I timidly call her name.


    ¡¸Yesh¡­. EH¡­¡¹


    It seems she finally came back to her senses. Rena is slightly confused.


    ¡¸I-It seems that your target is not me. What are youing here for then, dark knight? ¡¹


    Rena smiled gently. Unintentionally, I was charmed by her smile.


    Maybe she¡¯s relieved since I¡¯m not aiming for her life.


    ¡¸Goddess Rena, may I confirm something from you?¡¹


    ¡¸A¡­ confirmation? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. Are you¡­. going to summon the people of spirit world like me again? ¡¹


    There, I told a lie. I was thinking of getting as much information as possible from Rena, since I¡¯vee all the way to this ce.


    ¡¸Ah, so it¡¯s about that huh¡­ You¡¯ve misunderstood, dark knight Diehart¡¹


    It seems that Rena was thinking that I hade here to prevent the summoning.


    ¡¸Then¡­ what? ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s to send therade of the heroes back. Wouldn¡¯t that be more convenient for you? ¡¹


    Rena¡¯s still thinking that there¡¯s antagonism between the hero and me. Maybe she thought that it¡¯ll be more convenient for me if therade of the hero became non-existent.


    ¡¸It¡¯ll only decrease my war potential since the summoning of the people from spirit world has already been banned by the god world. So, there¡¯s absolutely no summoning¡¹


    ¡¸Is that true? That¡¯s strange, as far as I know, returning the summoned people to their original world with this arts is¡­. supposed to be impossible, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, it seems you already know about that from Modes¡­ But, you have no choice but to trust him. No more summoning is the truth, you know¡¹


    ¡¸Understood, let us assume that I trust your story. But then, your actions will put therades of hero in great danger, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s certainly is true. But, it has nothing to do with you, right?¡¹


    When I heard Rena saying those words, I wear my helmet again.


    I¡¯ve confirmed everything.


    ¡¸Dark¡­. knight?¡¹


    Since my state changed so suddenly, Rena is calling out to me with a bewildered voice.


    Further questioning is useless.


    I draw my sword while jumping high and then sliced one of the summoning assistance devices.


    ¡¸W-WHAT¡­.¡¹


    It¡¯s Rena¡¯s surprised voice.


    The top part of the assistance device crumbled down and crashed to the floor with a bang.


    Following that, I sliced the second, and the third device.


    After slicing the fourth one, I point my sword toward Rena.


    ¡¸What are the heroes to you?¡¹


    I¡¯m saying so while supressing my rage.


    Rena is confused upon hearing my question. There¡¯s a little fear mixed in her expression.


    ¡¸¡­ That¡¯s right¡­ It¡¯s natural since you¡¯re a summoned person, too¡¹


    Rena¡¯s mumbling with slightly misunderstood guess.


    ¡¸Why are you going as far as to trick the heroes¡­¡¹


    I say so while pointing my sword toward Rena.


    ¡¸It was an extremely big problem, you know¡­ I worked on the summoning art to¡­¡¹


    Rena said with a bitter face.


    Somehow she lost herposure to the point of going as far as making the summoning art.


    ¡¸While it might be true¡­¡¹


    ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped you know; it was such a disgusting thing. That ugly Modes went as far as creating my clone¡­.¡¹


    Rena said while averting her gaze.


    ¡¸He finally got expelled from Elios after such hardship, and yet¡­. WHY DID HE DO SUCH THINGS!!!¡¹


    I can¡¯t reply anything after hearing her words.


    The origin of her dispute with Modes was due to his ugly face. And then, we were summoned to settle this dispute.


    To be honest, I lost my strength after hearing that.


    But, when I try to think about it again, maybe the cause of any dispute, in general, is because of such emotional circumstances like this case.


    Nevertheless, I¡¯m starting to get a headache on thinking that nothing would have happened if Modes was the type of man that would be loved by women.


    The demon king in the story has kidnapped the princess. Maybe the story used to gather the heroes to travel and beat the demon king is in order to not cause headaches after hearing the truth?


    In the first ce, if the demon king was a hunk, he wouldn¡¯t need to kidnap woman if he was liked by all of them, and thus there won¡¯t be a conflict. Rather, why the hell do they even need to fight?


    The silent princess who has no chance to say a line during the course of the story might even curse, ¡°DIE, YOU DISGUSTING UGLY PIG!¡± to the demon king. Since I have never heard the story where the kind-hearted princess spares the life of the defeated demon king.


    But, that is not the reason for her to trick Shirone.


    She has to at least tell them the real reason. That might be the best oue for Rena and the other summoned beings.


    ¡¸Goddess Rena, please tell the truth to the heroes¡¹


    I direct my sword toward Rena.


    A tense air drifts between me and Rena.


    ¡¸¡­.Hey, will you be my knight? ¡¹


    But, Rena said the most unexpected words.


    ¡¸HAAH!?¡¹


    I let out an extremely surprised voice.


    ¡¸It¡¯s strange for someone like you to serve under Modes. That¡¯s why, you should just be my knight¡¹


    What the hell is this goddess talking about?.


    Then, what will be of the hero?It was when I listened to such a strange request.


    A shadow leapt out from the opened door.


    ¡¸ZEYAAAAH! ! ¡¹


    The shadow approaches and shes towards me just like that.


    I retreat to dodge that sh.


    ¡¸Thank god you¡¯re alright, Rena! ! ¡¹


    That shadow was none other than Shirone.


    ¡¸Sorry for beingte. There were those spartois guarding along the way¡­¡¹


    Shirone is pointing her sword at me while protecting Rena behind her.


    ¡¸You coward. HOW DARE YOU POINT YOUR SWORD TOWARD AN UNARMED WOMAN! ! ¡¹


    Shirone is looking at me with an angry face.


    To be honest, I rather not to have her looking at me with those kind of eyes.


    ¡¸Run, Rena! ! Leave the rest to me! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, yes¡­ I understand, Shirone¡­ I¡¯ll leave the rest to you¡¹


    Rena, who was being pressured by Shirone¡¯s spirit, rushed toward the door.


    ¡¸WAIT¡­.!!¡¹


    When I try to chase after her, Shirone blocks my path.


    ¡¸You won¡¯t pass beyond this point! ! Your opponent is me! ! ¡¹


    Kuroki Childhood Friend, Swordswoman Shirone.


    I can¡¯t let Reiji fight this battle.


    I¡¯m watching Sahoko frantically trying to stop Reiji.


    She couldn¡¯t let Reiji-kun go since anymore than this will hurt him.


    That¡¯s why it was my turn.


    Reiji-kun is our hero.


    I knew about Reiji-kun when I was in middle school. At that time, I just recognized him as a hunk.


    Till an event that urred on a certain day.


    At that time, I wanted to save my junior female friend from getting herself involved with delinquents.


    I was quite confident with my own skills that I trained in my home. I really wanted to save my junior.


    That¡¯s why, that day, I went to save my junior while bringing along my wooden sword.


    There, I met five men surrounding three girls. Maybe because the men were highschool students, they were releasing violent-looking aura from their body.


    I never lost to a boy of my age until this point. I was sure that I can beat them as long as I have my wooden sword.


    But, I was wrong on that day.


    A man who be enraged when I pointed my wooden sword at them attacked me with an iron pipe.


    I received his attack with my wooden sword. It was a terrifying attack. That time, my hand became numb, and I dropped my wooden sword.


    They were sneering at me as I got frightened after losing my weapon.


    Reiji-kun made his appearance during such a time. Not just me, my juniors also called for Reiji-kun to save them.


    I can very well remember Reiji-kun¡¯s maneuvers at that time. Reiji-kun is using his bare hands despite facing armed opponent, and yet he easily took out five of them.


    Though he had no weapon when facing against opponents taller than himself, he easily beat them all. His figure was like that of a legendary hero.


    That Reiji-kun was smiling gently at me who was trembling due to fear. I started crying upon seeing that smile.


    Reiji-kun received a wound on his right hand due to the brawl. So, my junior and I decided to taking care of Reiji till his wound healed. Naturally, I nned to protect Reiji-kun if something were to happen to him.


    I met Sahoko-san and Chiyuki-san during that time.


    There were all kinds of teasing when we became Reiji-kun¡¯s followers.


    I was annoyed by such things. Even though I don¡¯t care if they¡¯re ridiculing me, I definitely won¡¯t forgive anyone who ridicules Reiji-kun.


    Even though Reiji-kun didn¡¯t do something bad against them.


    I even quarrelled with my childhood friend, Kurok,i due to that matter. Though Kuroki didn¡¯t say it frankly, he obviouslyined about Reiji. It made me extremely irritated.


    No, maybe this is the reason why Kuroki became so angry.


    This time, I noticed that I might have said too many bad things to Kuroki. I think Kuroki might have been dismayed when I said such cruel things to him.


    I thought that I might have overdone it this time. Even so, Reiji-kun is a hero, and I wanted Kuroki to recognize that.


    And that Reiji-kun is the hero of this world.


    Now, I recall the anime that I watched a long time ago. It was the story about a hero who came from another world to defeat the demon king. The current situation is exactly like in that story.


    Long time ago, Kuroki and I role yed as the hero of that anime. The hero is I, while Kuroki was role ying as the viin and his subordinates. By the way, I forgot the name of the viin.


    I know that Kuroki always wanted to y the role of the hero too. But, I wouldn¡¯t yield, thus I always became the hero.


    But, maybe the true hero is Reiji-kun. And not me.


    When Reiji-kun almost died in the previous battle, I received a shock.


    Before I noticed that, I considered Reiji-kun as the legendary hero who won¡¯t lose to anyone.


    But, I noticed that I was wrong when I saw Reiji-kun wounded till he was on the verge of his death.


    I noticed of that fact when he lost to Diehart.


    Sahoko-san became desperate at that time. She was desperately trying to heal Reiji-kun.


    For Sahoko-san, Reiji-kun was a special existence.


    Just like Kuroki for me.


    Kuroki is definitely worried about me.


    That¡¯s why I have to go back.


    I¡¯m going back to our world with Chiyuki-san so that Kuroki will be at ease.


    You¡¯ll be worried if someone important to you is injured.


    I can¡¯t stop worrying about that when looking at Sahoko-san.


    Thus, I rushed out.


    It¡¯s my duty to fight when Reiji-kun is injured.


    I went to the altar room and defeated two spartoi.


    When I entered the room, Diehart was pointing his sword toward Rena.


    Seeing that, I lost my cool.


    Reiji-kun will never turn his sword toward unarmed woman.


    And this guy actually did that.


    ¡¸DEYAAAAH! ! ! ¡¹


    I draw my sword as I faced against Diehart.


    Dark Knight Kuroki.


    ¡¸PREPARE YOURSELF, DIEHART! ! ! ¡¹


    I parry Shirone who¡¯s attacking while saying those words.


    Why did things turn out like this.


    Moreover, speaking of Diehart, isn¡¯t this just like the continuation of my and Shirone¡¯s role ying hero long time ago?


    I must tell the truth of the matter to Shirone. But, I can¡¯t reveal my identity. That¡¯s why things had turned into this.


    I think about that while crossing swords with Shirone.


    Shirone is swinging her sword with killing intent.


    I am d that Shirone¡¯s pattern is easy to read. That¡¯s why it¡¯s easy to defend against her.


    I noticed this during my match with Shirone.


    The reason I was able to notice it is because I was defeated by Reiji at that time. So, I had questioned myself why Reiji had won against me.


    The first time I fought him, I couldn¡¯t read his pattern at all.


    Thus I lost, and it was a devastating lost. I wouldn¡¯t have been defeated just because I wore a heavier protector than my opponent.


    And then, I couldn¡¯t find the reason for my defeat. Anyhow, I couldn¡¯t see my opponent¡¯s sword. Thus, I was confused and couldn¡¯t shake off my fear.


    When I fought against him for the second time, somehow I could see his movement pattern. Thus, I won.


    And then, I noticed it again when I¡¯m fighting against Shirone.


    Shirone¡¯s pattern is based on the foundational basics of swordsmanship. That¡¯s why I can understand the logic behind it.


    Opposite of that, Reiji¡¯s pattern isn¡¯t a pattern of someone who had properly learned swordsmanship ¨C it was aplete mess. That¡¯s why I feared him, since I couldn¡¯t understand the logic behind Reiji¡¯s movement when I fought him a long time ago.


    If I have to speaking frankly, it¡¯s not a bad pattern to use in a brawl, but it wasn¡¯t a movement pattern of someone who learns martial arts.


    But, Reiji has extraordinary physical abilities. The way he fought was that of a beast which relies on its brute strength.


    That might be the reason why the people who learnt martial arts in the school couldn¡¯t win against him.


    Because martial arts are originally skills to fight against humans. That¡¯s why those guys were puzzled with the beast-like movement patterns of Reiji.


    Naturally, the same applied to me in our first match. Since one couldn¡¯t do such haphazard movements in kendo.


    But when we fought for the second time, Reiji¡¯s movement pattern didn¡¯t change at all. That¡¯s why I could read his movement pattern, and win against him.


    And then, when facing against Shirone, I noticed that Reiji¡¯s movement pattern is simr to that of a beast.


    I can win against Reiji as long as I think that the one I¡¯m facing against is not a human but a savage beast.


    I definitely would¡¯ve missed this fact if I had rejected Modes¡¯s request at that time.


    Even now, Reiji is a beast-like man.


    A savage beast who is faithful to his own desires. Normally, you can¡¯t live as freely as him by his way of living. That¡¯s why the women are yearning for him, and the men are jealous of him.


    I can¡¯t live as freely as him. Could it be that Shirone was also charmed by his way of living?


    Maybe I can¡¯t win against Reiji in this aspect even if I can defeat him with my sword, or so I thought.


    Shirone is brandishing her sword against me.


    It¡¯s been a long time since I had a sword match against Shirone. Could it be that Shirone has got weaker due to that?


    I feel that the former her was stronger. Or else did I be so strong?


    I must finist this lukewarm match.


    I have to tell Shirone about the truth. For that reason, I have to make her listen to my story.


    Maybe she won¡¯t listen to me as Diehart.


    But before doing that, I must disarm Shirone.


    In fact, I can¡¯t win against Shirone. It doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m going easy on her, it¡¯s just that for some reason, I can¡¯t hit her. That¡¯s why I still lost in the end.


    And then, currently in my hand was a real sword, not a wooden sword. That¡¯s more reason for why I can¡¯t hit her. Since I know that I¡¯m bound to injure Shirone when I attack her.


    And I can¡¯t end this fight without injuring her.


    Well, what should I do then?


    Kuroki¡¯s Childhood Friend, Shirone.


    Strong. My sword can¡¯t reach him.


    I think so while looking at the enemy in front of me, Diehart.


    He¡¯s easily parrying against all my attacks.


    My movements have beenpletely seen through.


    My opponent is dodging my attack with paper thin margins.


    As far as I know, there¡¯s only one person who can do that gliding movements on the ground.


    And that person is the uncle who came for training to my home¡¯s dojo.


    The uncle who came to train frequently was an acquaintance of my father.


    My father once said that the uncle was a sword genius.


    Sometimes, I saw the match between my father and that uncle. That strong father of mine was defeated without even touching that uncle.


    Diehart¡¯s movements are simr to that uncle¡¯s movement. I¡¯m sure that Diehart might be as strong as that uncle.


    But, even that strong uncle didn¡¯t have the eyes to judge people.


    I mean he said that Kuroki had talent. Even though Kuroki never won even once against me. [TL : Uhm, must I put a retort for this line?]


    That uncle taught so many things to Kuroki.


    I would have been happy as long as I could learn some swordsmanship from that uncle.


    As for why I couldn¡¯t learn from him, it was because the guidance of that uncle was strict and made me giving up right away.


    Now, I¡¯m starting to regret my decision.


    If I had learned from him for a bit longer, I might have been able to fight against Diehart.


    I¡¯m almost crying. Properly speaking, the match has been decided a long time ago.


    The reason why my battle against Diehart¡¯s dragging out for a long time is because my opponent is not attacking.


    He¡¯s toying with me, or so I thought.


    I¡¯m vexed. My opponent is a coward who¡¯s turning his sword toward unarmed woman. I¡¯m annoyed since I can¡¯t win against this kind of opponent.


    But, I couldn¡¯t do anything but swinging my sword.


    And then, after who knows how many times.


    My hands feel lighter along with a ¡°kin¡± sound.


    I¡¯m looking at my own hands. The sword that should be in hands is no more.


    My sword had fallen to the side.


    I¡¯m dumbfounded when I noticed what my opponent did to me.


    I was attacked during my weak moment.


    Normally, I loosen the grip on my sword and only put strength to my hand when swinging my sword.


    The empty moment is when I loosen the grip on my sword.


    The full moment is when I grip strongly on my sword.


    Diehart attacked right before I strengthen the grip on my sword to brandish my sword.


    My sword was struck down by Diehart¡¯s when it was still loose and flew away from my hands.


    I can¡¯t believe what I see. To think that there¡¯s someone who can do such god-like feat.


    He is a monster, was what I thought as I look at Diehart.


    I¡¯m dumbfounded. But, Diehart didn¡¯t do anything.


    Maybe I wasn¡¯t even a threat to him.


    ¡¸I couldn¡¯t be a hero¡­¡¹


    Before I noticed, tears wereing out from my eyes.


    ¡¸DON¡¯T THINK THAT YOU WIN WITH JUST THIS! ! ! ¡¹


    I¡¯m ring at Diehart while crying like that.


    Dark Knight Kuroki.


    It went well, or so I thought.


    I managed tond an attack when she was unguarded.


    This skill isn¡¯t a skill that can be used on a rookie who always put more strength on their sword.


    The reason why I can use this skill on Shirone is because she had learned swordsmanship and my experience of our past matches.


    Shirone lost her sword and can¡¯t fight anymore. Next is just how to make her listen to me.


    I approach Shirone.


    ¡¸I couldn¡¯t be a hero¡­.¡¹


    Shirone is muttering those words with her head hanging down.


    My feet stopped up on hearing her words.


    ¡¸DON¡¯T THINK THAT YOU HAVE WON WITH JUST THIS! ! ! ¡¹


    Shirone is shouting those words while ring at me.


    She was crying.


    I can¡¯t say anything when I¡¯m looking at her tear-stained face.


    ¡¸SOONER OR LATER, REIJI-KUN WILL BEAT YOU!!!¡¹


    And then, she catches her breath and says these words with a louder voice.


    ¡¸BECAUSE REJI-KUN IS MORE HANDSOME THAN HUNDREDS OF YOU! ! ! ¡¹


    Those words pierced deeply into my heart.


    Honestly, it¡¯s too painful.


    Then I remember her saying the same thing in the past.


    It¡¯s just like when I quarreled with Shirone about Reiji.


    That time was an extremely painful moment, too.


    The thorn that pierced my heart at that time is still painful even now.


    Yeah, I couldn¡¯t win. Even if I win in swordsmanship, I can¡¯t win against Reiji.


    After shouting loudly, Shirone sat down on the ground and started weeping loudly.


    I¡¯m at a loss in what to do when I look at the crying Shirone.


    I made her cry. Aren¡¯t I the real bad guy in this case?


    I can feel my mood sinking even further.


    Though I have to tell the truth to her, I¡¯m at a loss as to how to tell her.


    The summoning tools are destroyed, so at least Shirone won¡¯t be in any danger for now.


    Even though Rena said that she won¡¯t do anything but still.


    ¡¸Are you alright, SHIRONE!!!¡¹


    ¡¸SHIRONE-SAN!!!¡¹


    Reiji¡¯s voice came when I¡¯m still pondering about such things.


    ¡¸R-REIJI-KUN¡­.? ¡¹


    Shirone is sobering a little and smiling as she saw Reiji.


    Seeing that, now I¡¯m the one who wants to cry.


    ¡¸YOU¨D!!STAY AWAY FROM SHIRONE!!!¡¹


    Reiji is preparing to draw his sword.


    His figurepletely resembles a heroing to save a princess.


    If that was the case, the evil me had no choice but to disappear.


    I sheathe my sword and then walk toward the opposite direction of Reiji and Shirone.


    I don¡¯t care about Reiji¡¯s bewildered voice behind me.


    As I walk, a ck me appeared on my hand.


    It¡¯s as if this ck me is something that¡¯s gushing out from the bottom of my heart.


    I fire that ck me toward the ceiling of the temple. It melts the ceiling and creates a hole without even leaving a speck of dust.


    And just like that, my figure leaped from the top of the temple with flight magic and returned toward Nargol.


    That darknd might be suitable for me.


    I don¡¯t care even if the gods from Elios find me while I am using flight magic.


    My lonely figure was flying alone under the moonlight.

 Chapter 18.1: Their Impressions

    <h4>Chapter 18.1: Their Impressions</h4>


    ¡¸That was a close call, Rena¡¹


    Someone called me when I¡¯m about to reach my house in Elios.


    When I look at the direction of that voice, a man is standing on that ce.


    ¡¸What¡¯s your business, older brother?¡¹[TL : she is calling him ¡°Aniue¡± which can only directly tranted as ¡°older brother¡± without any cute meaning behind it]


    I asked god Alphos, my twin older brother¡¯s business in hising to see me.


    I¡¯m in a bad mood. I really hate this god-brother of mine. Though our appearance resembling each other, the character is extremely different. [TL :¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­..]


    ¡¸I heard that dark knight is aiming for your life, Rena¡¹


    ¡¸Rather than that, how did you hear such things? ¡¹


    I said with a slightly displeased mood.


    ¡¸Yeah, I just knew about such things, you see. That dark knight is just a small problem¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m aware that he is a problem¡¹


    Alphos is shaking his head.


    ¡¸Just a moment ago, he single-handedly destroyed the chivalric order of holy knight¡¹


    ¡¸EH?¡¹


    The chivalric order of holy knights isprised of individuals handpicked from the elites of angel race and the heroes of human to serve under the godking, Oudith.


    It¡¯s the elite force of Elios, and the strongest chivalric order in this world.


    The one who could be their match might be just the chivalric order of dark knights serving under Modes.


    So one can imagine just what kind of a person is one who can single-handedly destroy the chivalric order of holy knight, right?


    ¡¸It¡¯s because the skies around Elios is under their jurisdiction, right?. Naturally, the skies of Holy Republic Lenaria also fall under their jurisdiction. He used flight in these skies¡¹


    The sky is the juridiction of the gods. Basically, no one, except for birds, can fly in these skies without permission. And I, at the least, managed to make those heroes to not fly in the skies.


    Needless to say about the angel race, the heroes of the human race also guard the skies by riding on a pegasus. Trespassers will definitely be caught by them as long as they are flying carelessly.


    ¡¸And then, he annihted them in a battle when they tried to arrest him. Well, I¡¯m not surprised by the person who defeated the hero who annihted the chivalric order of dark knights to be able to do at least that much¡¹


    Alphos said detachedly.


    I recall about the dark knight Diehart. His appearance made me unable to connect him with a subordinate of Modes.


    His masculine face with a slight shadow on it along with his dark hair, almond shaped eyes entuated by his dark pupils. Why¡¯s someone so handsome like him serving under the ugly Modes?


    ¡¸You seem so happy hearing about him, Rena¡¹


    Alphos is saying so.


    ¡¸EH! ?Is that so? ¡¹


    I¡¯m touching my lips.


    ¡¸And then, what will Oudith do then?¡¹


    I tried to distract the conversation.


    ¡¸Ah, he reconciled with Modes, you know¡¹


    ¡¸RECONCILED! ? ¡¹


    That was an unexpected word.


    ¡¸Did he make such a decision without assembling the gods?¡¹


    The decision of the gods, normally called as the summon and decision of Oudith, is the way to restrict the gods belonging to Elios.


    The summon and decision of Oudith doesn¡¯t mean that Oudith could make any decision that he liked. Oudith will make the final decision based on the most votes that came out during the congregation. Oudith would then have to act in ordance to that decision. Since no one would abide to Oudith if he doesn¡¯t do so.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t remember participating in any meeting where they made such decision¡¹


    Though I have no obligation to participate in such a meeting, there¡¯s a chance that they would have made an unfavourable decision without my knowledge.


    Thus, I was never absent from such meetings.


    And then, there should be a message sent to each gods when the meeting happened. Without that message, the decision made in the meeting would be invalidated.


    ¡¸You¡¯re wrong, Rena, Oudith is the only one who reconciled with modes. Therefore, there¡¯s no need for the other gods to abide by this¡¹


    ¡¸What does that mean?¡¹


    Certainly, it might be a good thing if such a meeting didn¡¯t happen.


    ¡¸Maybe the condition for the treaty is for Oudith to oppose you¡¹


    ¡¸Certainly, maybe you¡¯re right¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s why Oudith might be offering an exchange for him to not invade Nargol with the destruction of summoning tools owned by Modes¡¹


    ¡¸WHAT DID YOU SAY!!¡¹


    From the viewpoint of the agreement, only Oudith won¡¯t invade Nargol, but Oudith is the king of gods. If Oudith doesn¡¯t make his move, no one in Elios will.


    In essence, Modes is tied by a non-aggression pact with Elios in exchange for his summoning tools.


    ¡¸For Oudith, that dark knight and hero are even more troublesome than Modes, since the dark knight¡¯s a monster who single-handedly annihted the entire chivalric order of holy knights, after all. That¡¯s why he considered the disposal of the summoning tools owned by Modes so that there¡¯s no more summoning beyond this¡¹


    ¡¸Then, what about the heroes and the dark knight who have already been summoned? They should be a problem, right?¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, I¡¯m here to pass you the message that you¡¯ll be the one taking care of them. Since you¡¯re the one who summoned them anyway¡¹


    They poked at the right ce.


    At first, this matter was supposed to be done easily, and I was supposed to send them back to the spirit world as soon as they defeated Modes. But, the dark knight appeared right at thest moment.


    Moreover, we lost all of the summoning tools.


    It¡¯s been decided a few days ago that summoning is banned along with the further manufacture of magic tools.


    Mobilizing the heroes beyond this point might be a dificult matter.


    ¡¸Wait a minute, I¡¯m not the one who summoned Diehart!!¡¹


    The one who summoned him is Modes, so I have nothing to do with him.


    ¡¸Yeah, that is true, but Modes mentioned that the action of the dark knight depends on your hero. That¡¯s why it still ended up on your head¡¹


    Even if Oudith won¡¯t invade, it¡¯ll be the end if Modes was attacked by the hero first. It¡¯s natural for Modes to demand such a condition.


    ¡¸Thus, I came to tell you about that, Rena. We wish that you won¡¯t make the hero to move in a way that will deter Elios¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t reply to that.


    Seeing that I am capable of defeating Modes, I have to control the action of the hero. Any wrong action by them will cause me to lose my position in Elios.


    ¡¸Understood, older brother, let me to do something about the hero. And then, if that¡¯s all you want to say, will you get off my sight now?!!¡¹


    I replied toward him with an angry voice.


    ¡¸Sorry but, there¡¯s another matter, you see¡¹


    ¡¸And what could it be!?¡¹


    I¡¯m ring at Alphos. But my older brother won¡¯t flinch with only that much.


    ¡¸When will you get married, Rena? ¡¹


    ¡¸Huh?¡¹


    What the hell is he talking about?


    ¡¸Is that a message from Oudith, too? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nope, just an older brother worrying about his still yet-to-wed little sister¡¹


    I think it¡¯s none of your business.


    ¡¸The male gods of Elios, everyone of them is a dishonest jerk. I have no intention to marry such jerks¡¹


    The male gods of Elios, ALL OF THEM have mistresses. How can I tolerate them, who keep adding mistresses while proposing to me.


    And then, amongst them, the one I hate the most is this OLDER BROTHER of mine. He is a bachelor and yet has more than 2000 mistresses. And I hate those woman swarming upon my older brother, too.


    ¡¸Oya, there¡¯s those honest-to-the-bone male gods too, you see¡¹


    ¡¸I hate the ugly ones even more¡¹


    Sincere or not aside, the only ones who are left aside from those dishonest male gods are the ugly male gods.


    That¡¯s why, I¡¯m still single.


    ¡¸If it¡¯s not a god, is it the hero?¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s impossible, he is just like you¡¹


    In some way, Reiji is similiar to Alphos. That¡¯s why, I can¡¯t bring myself to like him.


    ¡¸That¡¯s harsh. If that was the case, who can be your husband then? ¡¹


    I¡¯m silent for a while before replying to him.


    ¡¸¡­¡­¡­NONE!!¡¹


    My older brother then showed an exasperated gesture with a light smile on his face.


    ¡¸In that case, I have no other choice then. Let this older brother that you hate to take his leave then. See ya, Rena¡¹


    When my older brother turned away. I¡¯m ring at his back.


    And then, I shake my head while pondering about his question.


    Why did Diehart¡¯s face suddenly appear in my mind out of nowhere?


    The Female Comrade of The Hero, Chiyuki.


    We lost the means to go back.


    Never did I think that the summoning tools would be destroyed.


    After that, we chased after Shirone who left us behind to face Diehart.


    In the first ce, for me, Shirone¡¯s life is even more important than Rena. Shirone, who rushed to protect Rena, might have be a fool who came to sacrifice her own life.


    We lost her so many times while chasing after her due to the spartoi that we encountered along the way.


    Reiji wasn¡¯t in his normal condition, so Kaya could do nothing but stick closely to Kyouka who was already crushed by the might of liquor. We, who lost almost all of our vanguard, were forced to a close match. Moreover, Rino and I, who have high firepower, can¡¯t use our magic since we were inside a building. Thus, we were having a hard time against the spartoi.


    And then, what we saw when we finally arrived inside the room was Diehart standing still in front of the crying Shirone.


    Diehart sheathed his sword and then left when he saw us.

 Chapter 18.2: Their Impressions

    <h4>Chapter 18.2: Their Impressions</h4>


    We heard from Renater, but it seems Diehart misunderstood the fact that Rena is going to summon a new person. Thus, he came to destroy the summoning tools.


    But the truthpletely betrayed our expectations.


    The information must have been leaked out from somewhere, right? But, that question was resolved by Nao. It seems that a small animal was frequently sneaking into the temple nowadays.


    There¡¯s no doubt that this small animal might be our enemy¡¯s familiar. And then, it turned into a misunderstanding when he saw Rena who made the preparation to send us back.


    Nao apologized to everyone since she had only noticed about thatter. But, it was toote and no one care about her carelessness anyway.


    It seems Diehart¡¯s goal was just to destroy the summoning tool, and no one died during that raid.


    That¡¯s why Shirone was also saved by that fact.


    After reuniting with Shirone, I scolded her. That¡¯s just how much we were worried about her.


    Shirone was apologizing while crying.


    Though Shirone trained in martial arts, she was, in fact, a frail girl. Moreover, though she could manage it somehow or another while holding her sword, that frail part bes even more prominent once she loses her sword.


    From Shirone¡¯s story, we understood that she waspletely defeated by Diehart. We noticed again about how powerful Diehart was.


    Even if Reiji¡¯s injury is healed, the subjugation of demon king must be postponed for a while.


    By the way, though Reiji also wanted to scold her, he had no qualifications to do so since he would be facing Diehartter.


    Nevertheless, we have way too little information about Diehart. Though he is simr to Reiji in the matter of disliking useless killing, everyone who point their sword toward Reiji will definitely die while in the case of Diehart, he doesn¡¯t even kill the one who direct their swords toward him. Isn¡¯t thatpletely un-heinous-subordinate-of-demon-king-like?


    Or else, could it be that he¡¯s simr to Reiji and won¡¯t kill woman? Even if that is the truth, it won¡¯t exin why he put the temple knights to sleep without killing them.


    As I thought, he¡¯s truly an enigmatic subordinate of the demon king. That demon king Modes is just shutting himself inside Nargol without doing anything while his subordinates are the one doing the conquest. The damage caused by the subordinates of that demon king is horrible. We saw how horrible the situation in a country that got attacked by his subordinates. In fact, what¡¯s with that Diehart anyway?


    But, I, who was unintentionally thinking about that couldn¡¯t help but wonder that there might be more to it.


    Even more important than that, we have to think about what we have to do after this.


    We can¡¯t repair the tools for summoning nor can we get one.


    That¡¯s why we were currently left with no choice but to look for someone who can use summoning magic to send us back. In addition, we already confirmed with Rena that there¡¯s another person who can use it.


    When we asked Rena about the information about that person, she only said that she had no idea about that person except for the fact that he¡¯s capable of using the summoning magic. Though her strange expression at that time worried me, well, so be it.


    The fastest method is to look for the pervert who assaulted Kyouka to find that person. Though, I¡¯m personally against it, it can¡¯t be helped.


    I heaved a sigh.


    ¡ôDemon King Modes.


    ¡¸I see, so lord Diehart has that kind of rtionship with a woman around the hero, huh¡­. I put you in quite a trouble, Nut¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s my duty¡¹


    Nut gives his gratitude to my praise.


    I received this information from Nut standing on the shoulder of Rugaas, who was standing in front of me just a moment ago.


    ¡¸Then, what about the current situation of lord Diehart? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, it seems that nothing much has changed on the surface. But¡­¡¹


    ¡¸But? ¡¹


    ¡¸I think he¡¯s simr to your highness when you just came to thisnd¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡­¡¹


    Though I don¡¯t know what happened in the temple from Nut¡¯s report, I¡¯m sure that it might be something unpleasant regarding that woman.


    I was crying at that time. Due to how much I was hated.


    I could get back on my own feet since I was driven by my desire to make Mona.


    For the sake of creating Mona, I needed several other media, Rena¡¯s hair for the secret arts of life creation(Pygmalion) and one¡¯s nature of magical power, and then mix it together with the tool made by my friend, the god Heibos.


    I could persist on myself to make my own goddess who won¡¯t lose to the goddess of Elios who drove me out.


    And the result is Mona.


    When I think about Mona.


    ¡¸Deyufufufu¡¹


    ¡¸Uhm¡­. What¡¯s the matter, your highness? ¡¹


    Rugaas called my name with a worried face.


    I was thinking about my night with Mona, and then unintentionally let out such a voice.


    Forget it for now, forget it for now.


    ¡¸Oh, sorry, it was about lord Diehart, huh¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, yes¡¹


    ¡¸Let¡¯s give a goddess to cheer on lord Diehart, then¡¹


    ¡¸Someone like Mona-sama? ¡¹


    I nod to Rugaas¡¯s words.


    I want lord Diehart to be in this Nargol, if possible.


    And then, I want him to protect this Modes and Mona.


    In that case, what should I do?


    The best thing I can offer him is a woman, right?


    Moreover, the gods of Elios should have banned the creation of fake goddess.


    In that case, he¡¯ll turn into the enemy of gods, too. And then, he will settle in Nargol whether he wants it or not.


    Someone as strong as him, who can annihte the chivalric order of holy knight on his way back to Nargol, isn¡¯t a scary person as long as I can enlist him as my ally.


    My lips naturally form a smile.


    ¡¸Gufufufuffufufu¡¹


    ¡¸Uhm, you majesty¡­¡¹


    Rugaas is calling me with a worried voice while I keptughing.


    ¡ô Dark Knight Kuroki.


    The room given to me in Modes¡¯s demon king castle is extremely spacious.


    But then, the only furnitures inside such a spacious room is only a desk, a carpet spreading below, and a bed.


    I don¡¯t know what should I say to the demon with bear-like face, my exclusive attendant. It seems I just need to mention it as long as I need something.


    It seems I am already receiving VVIP treatment in Nargol.


    Though it doesn¡¯t mean that Nargol is poor, it isn¡¯t a beautifulnd. The scenery outside the windows is dreary with gloomy air drifting around.


    And then, it seems Nargol is unsuitable for procuring the ingredients for food. Even the bed is special whenpared to the bed of the elves who took care of me in the middle of my journey.


    But, it seems that this bed is also of the finest quality in Nargol.


    I felt that it seems my living condition isn¡¯t that much better than when I was in Japan.


    What should I do from now on then. I lie down on my bed.


    I knew the situation of Shirone. Shirone and the rest didn¡¯t know that they can¡¯t go back with that summon arts.


    They were deceived by that goddess Rena. Maybe they¡¯ll be in danger as long as they are under Rena¡¯s care.


    Should I help them?


    No, there¡¯s no need for me to help them. The art of manufacturing summoning tools was banned by Elios a few days ago. At least they won¡¯t send them back to the spirit world.


    Moreover, it¡¯s too roundabout. I have no intention to harm the heroes tantly. And then, when I heard that Rena won¡¯t send them back, I didn¡¯t have to worry about threatening them anymore.


    That¡¯s why, I think it¡¯s okay to ignore Shirone and the rest for the time being.


    I shake my head while denying my idea just now.


    To be honest, I don¡¯t want myself getting too involved in it. This is the truth.


    Moreover, what do you think I should do to save the sad Reiji?


    Since they should have been banned from attacking Nargol, I should stop worrying about them. Yup, let¡¯s do that.


    Anyhow, they should have tried to do something to our side, but I¡¯m alone while they have an advantage in numbers. It¡¯s the truth; it¡¯s not like I¡¯m jealous of them or something.


    ¡­.No good, let¡¯s change the topic now.


    Let¡¯s think about what should I do from now on.


    First is to look for a way to return, too. Though Modes said that he¡¯ll look for it, maybe it won¡¯t be found immediately.


    For now, I¡¯ll have to live in this world.


    Then, I noticed that there¡¯s a possibility that I¡¯ll live in this world for a long time.


    It was an unpleasant premonition because I have norade in this ce.


    I thought that I would need arade since I have to live in this world for a long time.


    Though Modes is there as myrade, it¡¯s slightly different from what I want.


    As expected, I¡¯m jealous of Reiji. He has a lot ofrades.


    Moreover, all of them are beauties.


    And then, I remember about Modes¡¯s promise.


    A clone of the goddess.


    Maybe it¡¯s time for me to get my reward from Modes.


    Moreover, a cute girl if possible for me to get over many things.


    Yosh, let¡¯s ask him.


    I definitely want to get a cute girl, or so I thought.

 Chapter 19.1: Under the Skies of Nargol

    <h4>Chapter 19.1: Under the Skies of Nargol</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    ¡ô Dark Knight Runfeld


    ¡¸It¡¯s so quiet nowadays, isn¡¯t it Runfeld-sama?¡¹


    The dark knight who is riding on his own wyvern is saying so with a carefree voice.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t let down your guard. There¡¯s a chance that the information about the annihtion of those holy knight chaps is a fake information. Let¡¯s continue with our usual patrol¡¹


    When I¡¯m cautioning so, the dragon is flying on top of the mountain, the boundary region of Nargol. When I nce behind, I can see the knights following after me.


    ¡¸As I thought, rebuilding our force is a tough task, huh¡­¡¹


    I mutter those words which isn¡¯t mean to anyone.


    More than half of the dark knights were killed in the battle against the hero a while ago. Even the survivors were bearing a wound or two.


    In the first ce, the people who possess enough aptitude to be a dark knight is scarce even amongst the demon race; it is even more so for one capable of riding a wyvern. Almost all of the skilled knights have been done in by the hero. The only one who remained right now is the one who can get on the wyvern.


    Currently, the number of the dark knights who can be dispatched is no more than twenty. It¡¯s an urgent matter that entirely depends on me to rebuild the chivalric order of dark knights.


    Those holy knights of Elios were frequently trespassing the boundarytely.


    When thinking about that, my head is filled with fury.


    But then, they keep insisting that the skies of the entire world belong to the gods of Elios. It¡¯s us who are viting the airspace rules despite flying in Nargol territory.


    Naturally, I have no intention to approve their ims.


    Though they approached the boundaries of Nargol time and time again before theing of the hero, they never invaded into Nargol territory. And then, those guys started to invade Nargol territory almost everyday after the chivalric order of dark knights was almost annihted by the hero.


    They are trespassing into our airspace as if to mock us.


    Though we advise them to leave, they act as if they don¡¯t hear us, so we have no choice but to watch them in silence due to ourck of war potential.


    But, even their airspace vition was finally put to an end two days ago. Moreover, when I think about the person who is the main reason for that, I feel nothing but pure fear spring inside me.


    Our patrol also ended peacefully for this reason.


    ¡¸Yosh, let¡¯s go back to the fortress!!!¡¹


    The wyvern circles around upon my order. It maintained its altitude on top of the Akeron mountain, the natural dividing barrier between the human world and Nargol.


    After continuing to fly in this way for some time, I can see the fort on top of the mountain range.


    This fort is built for the sake of protecting Nargol from Elios. Wend on the wide space in the middle of the fort.


    ¡¸Wee back, Runfeld-sama¡¹


    I entrust my wyvern to my subordinateing out from the fort. I start walking toward my residence located inside the fort.


    ¡¸Father!!!¡¹


    ¡¸Dear father!!!¡¹


    Two kids appear from the fort.


    ¡¸Reyli, Reyfaldo!!Why are you in this ce?¡¹


    My kids rush toward me.


    Reyfaldo is a boy who will turn 120 years old this year while Reyli is a girl who will turn 90 years old this year. Both of them are my children. They should have been near the demon king castle, since the demon race vige is around its vicinity.


    ¡¸It¡¯s because mother wants to help father¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, mother wants us to help father in order for us to be a knight in the future¡¹


    Reyli and Reyfaldo reply as such.


    ¡¸I see¡­¡¹


    In fact, we¡¯re experiencing a shortage of personnel in the fort right now. Anyhow, as a matter of fact, even the people we recruited in the previous battle included nonbatants. Currently, we were even willing to go as far as asking a helping hand from a passing by cat. But now, I¡¯m hestitating whether it¡¯s okay to let my two kids in the fort as it is.


    ¡¸Please father. Please let me[Boku]¡­ No, please permit me[Watashi] get on the wyvern¡¹


    ¡¸Reyli too wants to do the same!¡¹


    I¡¯m troubled up on hearing their words. Excluding the sortie for battles, the misceneous matters of the fort were numerous. Maybe there¡¯s some job that can be done even by children.


    Maybe it¡¯s okay to slowly give them a job rted to bing a knight, especially to Reyfaldo.


    It was when I was considering about such matters.


    The wyvern house suddenly became noisy.


    ¡¸What! ! Just happened! ! ¡¹


    I¡¯m asking my subordinate who¡¯s in charge of the wyvern house.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know!!The wyverns have suddenly be restless!!¡¹


    My subordinate is desperate, and he¡¯s still trying to appease the wyverns.


    ¡¸RUNFELD-SAMA!!IT¡¯S AN EMERGENCY!!¡¹


    A knight on watch duty in the tower is raising his voice with a confused tone.


    ¡¸WHAT¡¯S THE MATTER!!¡¹


    ¡¸IT¡¯S A DRAGON!!A DRAGON¡­ IS HEADING TOWARD US!!¡¹


    I¡¯m looking toward the direction in the sky where the knight is pointing his finger at. Something that¡¯s flying like a bird is present in the sky where he is pointing at. The one flying at a distance isn¡¯t a wyvern ¨C it¡¯s a dragon.


    ¡¸What should we do, Runfeld-sama!!¡¹


    When I look around, the soldiers of the fort are holding crossbows and arrows in preparations to face a dragon.


    ¡¸PUT DOWN YOUR WEAPONS!!DON¡¯T POINT YOUR CROSSBOWS TOWARD THE DRAGON!!¡¹


    The knights are questioning my order.


    ¡¸Why we have to drop our weapon, Runfeld-sama?!¡¹


    ¡¸JUST LISTEN TO ME AND DON¡¯T QUESTION IT!!GATHER EVERYONE!!¡¹


    If it¡¯s really as I imagined, that dragon isn¡¯t hostile toward us.


    All of the people in the fort have been gathered.


    The dragon is nearing the fort at a terrifying velocity. When ites close, the dragon is howling.


    ¡¸UWAAAAAAAAA!!¡¹


    ¡¸Dear father!!¡¹


    ¡¸Father!!¡¹


    Several of my subordinates lost their posture due to fear, and Reyfaldo and Reyli are clinging onto my legs. The howling of a true dragon is imbued with fear magic. People who can¡¯t resist it won¡¯t be able to move their body due to fear.


    My emotions experienced another huge change when seeing a dragon from up close.


    The dragon, whose body is many timerger than our wyvern, is upying the entire space in central za afternding down in the fort. It is a ck dragon which lives in Akeron mountain range and once hailed as ¡®Demon Dragon¡¯. This dragon possesses a violent temper, and anyone who carelessly approaches it will be the prey of it¡¯s breath.


    But, that¡¯s only until yesterday.


    When I run my gaze at the back of the dragon, a dark knight was sitting there.


    === === ===


    Dark knight, Diehart.


    Nargol¡¯s hero who annihted the chivalric order of dark knights a few days ago.


    Diehart descends toward the fort.


    ¡¸ALL MEMBERS, SALUTE!!!¡¹


    There are still some people who can¡¯t stand due to fear and ignore my order. I bow my head while cing my hand on my chest.


    ¡¸Lord Runfeld¡­. Such a thing is¡­¡¹


    Diehart unfastens his helmet while saying so. Slender face with fair skin apanied by ck-colored hair.


    To be honest, he looks like a man of gentle demeanor; he¡¯s nothing like an extremely strong individual. No matter how I look at him, he was a frail human being without any horn.


    But, I must not let his appearance trick me. The true form of this seemingly weak looking man is a monster.


    He defeated that terrifying hero and then annihted the chivalric order of holy knights.


    And then, I look at Diehart¡¯s armor. The armor worn by Diehart is the armor of ck devil. The armor worn by every member of dark knight is a weaker version derived from his armor.


    And this man¡¯s just nonchntly wearing the armor which could be worn only by people with sufficient magic power. This hornless person can do something that the demon race¡¯s unable to do. I¡¯m frustrated just by thinking about it. This Diehart is currently someone who¡¯s just below our king.


    Humans are inferior living creatures. Some demons have antipathy for being ced under this human. Naturally, such individuals also exist in this fort.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t mind it, your excellency is a hero after all!!¡¹


    Diehart is showing a troubled face after hearing my words. Diehart is not very good with being treated in such a way by someone who¡¯s older than him. But, it doesn¡¯t mean that I can just show my impolite attitude when the one I¡¯m facing is a monster-like existence who annihted the chivalric order of holy knights single-handedly.


    ¡¸What is your order today, your excellency? ¡¹


    My tone became slightly stiff since, to be honest, I don¡¯t want him toe to this fort.


    ¡¸My apologies for arriving during such a hectic day, Lord Runfeld. I found you when I was practicing on riding Glorious, and¡­. I came to express my gratitude for introducing the dragon. And while I¡¯m at it, I also decided to take a look at the fort, since I was curious about the fort on the boundary¡¹


    Diehart is looking at the dragon when saying those words with a slight hestitation in his voice.


    The name Glorious seemingly means glory in Diehart¡¯s world¡¯snguage. Truly an appropriate name for Diehart.


    And then, the dragon named as such was a dragon which was feared as demon dragon until yesterday. Diehart made this dragon his personal mount just yesterday.


    Suddenly, I recall the events that happened yesterday.


    I introduce about the demon dragon living in Akeron mountain range to Diehart when he wanted his own personal wyvern. That was somethinging out of my own personal calctions. Even the demon race has a hard time taming a wyvern, much less to say that it¡¯s hundred-fold harder to have a true dragon as a personal mount.


    Naturally, I thought that Diehart would also have a hard time taming it.


    At that time, I said, ¡¸Your excellency should be able to ride on a dragon, right?¡¹with hints of sarcasm in my voice.


    As a result, Diehart easily got a dragon for himself.


    Nowadays, I feel miserable for saying those words with hint of sarcasm in my voice. And then, he came to convey his gratitude to me who spouted such sarcasm. I¡¯m spitting on my miserable self.


    ¡¸I¡¯m unworthy of such gratitude¡­¡¹


    I¡¯m saying so while looking at Diehart¡¯s face. For some reason, Diehart is looking toward my feet.


    When I follow his line of sight, I find Reyli and Reyfaldo continuing to clutch onto my legs.


    ¡¸Children?¡¹


    Diehart questions me about the children.


    ¡¸Yes, these children havee to provide a helping hand for the fort¡­¡¹


    But, I couldn¡¯t finish my line. Because I felt a strong pressure emanating from Diehart.


    ¡¸Are you harassing children and forcing them to participate in battles? ¡¹


    His voice ispletely different from his previously timid voice. This voice was extremely cold. My spine froze when I heard this voice.


    ¡¸My deepest apologies, your excellency! We were experiencing shortage of soldiers after the battle against the hero¡­. My deepest apologies!!¡¹


    I apologise twice. But, Diehart became calmer when on hearing my words.


    ¡¸No, my apologies, I¡¯ve been too ignorant about your own situation¡­¡¹


    Diehart said in an apologetic manner.


    I heave a grand sigh when Diehart¡¯s pressure calmed down.


    This man is even more terrifying than the dragon behind him.


    ¡¸They¡¯re my children, Reyfaldo and Lely. Come and greet his excellency¡¹


    ¡¸Y-Your excellency, my name is Reyfaldo!!¡¹


    ¡¸M-My name is Lely, Diehart-sama!!¡¹


    Lely and Reyfaldo are giving their greetings while slightly fumbling with their words.

 Chapter 19.2: Under The Skies of Nargol

    <h4>Chapter 19.2: Under The Skies of Nargol</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    ¡¸You have such good children, don¡¯t you¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    Diehart¡¯s praising the children.


    ¡¸Now, I don¡¯t mind if everyone returns and continues with their job. It¡¯s busy, after all¡¹


    Diehart is walking toward the fort.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll guide you inside the fort, your excellency¡¹


    ¡¸No, it¡¯s okay. I think I¡¯ll be back after inspecting a bit¡­¡¹


    After saying so, Diehart went into the fort alone.


    === === ===


    ¡ôDark Knight Kuroki


    After a brief inspection of the fort, I ride on Glorious.


    ¡¸It seems I¡¯m an annoyance, huh¡­.¡¹


    I unintentionally mutter so.


    ¡¸That¡¯s not true. It¡¯s thanks to Diehart-sama that those guys have survived!!¡¹


    Nut¡¯s voice of resentment resounds from inside my armor¡¯s pocket.


    The members of fort of demon race were obviously troubled against me. Nut became angry due to that.


    ording to Nut, I was summoned in order to save them. Practically, I saved them and took out the hero.


    Even though I was summoned without my consent, I¡¯m not the type of person who feels happy for doing something cruel.


    Unexpectedly, I think that I¡¯m enjoying this world in my own manner like Reiji.


    I heard many things that maligned him on my way to Holy Republic Lenaria. Things like he was quite a selfish person or that he was always doing things with brute force.


    But, I think that I won¡¯t live in a such manner.


    Well, it¡¯s mainly because I care about the people¡¯s impression about me. I won¡¯t be able to feel calm even if a stranger¡¯s hostile toward me.


    That was why I continued to show appropriate manners toward the demon race.


    But, it seems I was being an annoyance since they¡¯re not weing me.


    To be honest, I think the only ones who would warmly wee me in this world are just Nut and Modes. Naturally, I would have been angry if the ringleader who summoned me was a cruel individual.


    Though there might be someone else who also weed me, I just couldn¡¯t consider them, since I don¡¯t know them.


    But, it¡¯s not so bad when they¡¯re only being hostile toward me. However, there were people gazing at me with killing intent.


    It feels like I can¡¯t be honest with them.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, thank you for your worry, Nut¡¹


    I convey my gratitude to him since he got angry for my sake.


    ¡¸Rather than that, where are we going now?¡¹


    I pat the neck of Glorious.


    There¡¯s nothing better than doing something else when something unpleasant happens. Currently riding on a dragon, I point my sword toward the vast expanse in front.


    The one who gave this name was me. Though the meaning of that name is exactly opposite to my fame, it was still a good name.


    It seems subduing a dragon is a hard thing, but it was unexpectedly easy for me.


    We are flying on top of the Akeron mountain range.


    Previously, I had flew on top of this mountain range on a wyvern when I travelled from that fort to the nearby human city. Flying like this with my own dragon feels even more satisfying than riding on someone else¡¯s wyvern.


    Though the Nargol¡¯s sky isn¡¯t that pretty due to the existence of magical power-filled clouds covering it, that itself made me feel happy.


    But, I¡¯ll try to fly toward a slightly different ce right now.


    After crossing the Akeron mountain range, I¡¯m flying toward the nearby plot ofnd where the humans are residing.


    ording to Nut, the Akeron mountain range below us is the boundary separating human world and Nargol.


    But, it seems that the expanse of the Akeron mountain range starting and ending points are still a mystery.


    That was the source of dispute with the holy knights of Elios.


    That Akeron mountain range is the greatest home for the goblins of this world, and there are a variety of goblin kingdom in this mountain range.


    That¡¯s why I can see many goblins as I fly on top of the Akeron mountain range.


    Though it seems that the majority of these goblin kingdoms follow Modes, it seems the one on human side is not so, and there¡¯s even the possibility of them showing hostility toward them.


    It seems they won¡¯t go as far as attacking a dragon, but let¡¯s raise the altitude a bit higher just to make sure.


    It was when I was thinking so.


    I saw an impossible thing halfway up the mountain.


    ¡¸Nut!!Those are humans, right? ¡¹


    There were figures of human beings in the middle of Akeron mountain range.


    And then, those human-like figure were being assaulted by the goblins.


    ¡¸Glorious!!¡¹


    I unintentionally lower Glorious toward that ce.


    The goblins scatter at once while screaming loudly when they see the figure of a dragon.


    I¡¯m looking at the human crowd. There were around twenty of them. There are no adult males amongst them, they areprised mostly of women and children.


    The humans show dread on their faces because of the dragon¡¯s howl.


    ¡¸What¡¯s your name!!?¡¹


    I ask as such to the humans while continuing to maintain my position on Glorious.


    But, the humans aren¡¯t replying as they are still terrified due to the dragon that appeared out of nowhere.


    It¡¯s starting to get on my nerves.


    What¡¯s with these people, don¡¯t they know that they¡¯ll be attacked once they enter the territory of the goblins?


    Maybe it was unnecessary for me to save them, it¡¯s just like the event at the fort a while ago.


    But, seeing that I already saved their life, I should hear their situation.


    After going down from Glorious back, I take off my helmet.


    They¡¯re starting to raise a ruckus.


    ¡¸Hu-¡­ Man?¡¹


    ¡¸The dark knight is¡­ Human? ¡¹


    The faces of the humans who saw my face were softened a bit.


    ¡¸My name is dark knight Diehart! ! Is there someone amongst you who can tell me about your situation!!¡¹


    The humans be noisy once they hear Diehart¡¯s name.


    A whileter, a womanes out.


    She¡¯s young, maybe around the first-half of her twenties. Upon a closer look, her dress is the best amongst these people.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ M-My¡­ My name is Regena, the princess of Algore kingdom. These people are my blood rtives¡­.¡¹


    The woman is replying so with a stuttering voice.


    ¡¸¡­.Princess? Why would a princess be in this kind of ce? ¡¹


    I couldn¡¯tprehend the situation. A princess, or should I say royalty should be living in the castle, right?


    What are they doing in this kind of ce?


    When I asked Nut, it seems he also doesn¡¯t know about the situation in Algore kingdom. Nut¡¯s knowledge is only about human kingdoms that are considered powerhouses, which means that Algore isn¡¯t a power house.


    ¡¸¡­.We were exiled, and we came to thisnd¡¹


    Regena timidly said so, but she kept exining their situation.


    It seems Algore is a certain kingdom that¡¯s located close to Nargol.


    It seems that the king is chosen from amongst the few ns who live in Algore kingdom.


    Regena¡¯s n monopolized the king throne for these few decades. As a result, the other ns who couldn¡¯t take that incited a rebellion. Thus, Regena¡¯s n was defeated and banished from the kingdom.


    ¡¸Banishment, huh¡­.¡¹


    It¡¯s more like an execution rather than banishment.


    The people who incited the rebellion feared that Regena¡¯s n wille for revenge after restoring their power in another city. That¡¯s why they drove away Regena and the rest toward Nargol. Naturally, they will be goblin food. I feel that it¡¯s quite a cruel exile.


    Regena is telling me that while crying. It seems at first there were hundred of them, but the number dwindled after the attacks of the goblin. The adults became victims first for the sake of protecting the women and the children. She also mentioned that her older brother and her father were amongst them. That¡¯s why there¡¯s none but women and children amongst them.


    ¡¸Please. Please save us¡­.¡¹


    Regena is pleading to me. ording to Regena¡¯s story, Algore is on bad terms with the neighbourhood kingdom, so no kingdom will wee Regena, a royalty of that kingdom. That¡¯s why Regena has nowhere to go. They are refugees.


    I heave a sigh while looking at the sky.


    I don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll save them if the story ended just like that. Even if I guide them to leave the habitat of the goblins, they won¡¯t be able to enter the kingdom as refugees. They might be victims of other demons as long as they stay outside the rampart.


    Though they might be able to survive if I brought them to one of the powerhouse kingdoms, but myself aside, I can¡¯t take everyone amongst Regena¡¯s group.


    ¡¸Please¡­ I¡¯ll do anything for you¡­.!¡¹


    Regena is pleading to me. Maybe they¡¯ve suffered thoroughly while travelling to this ce. Her voice is already hoarse.


    The other people are also bowing toward me.


    I thought that things have be even more troublesome.


    What should I do¡­.? It¡¯s easier if I just run and abandon them to their fates.


    The goblins mighte for them as long as I leave them in this ce.


    There won¡¯t be any future issues as long as I do so.


    Suddenly, I¡¯m wondering what Reiji will do if he is in my position.


    I look at Regena. She¡¯s quite a beauty herself.


    Reiji will definitely save her. And then, he would push the job of taking care of them to someone else in an unknown ce. No one could go against him as long as he uses the privilege of the hero, and then, he would only take the sweetest part of it. In the worst case, if something ever happenedter, he held no responsibility for it.


    Seeing Regena, it made me a bit worried. When I was thinking that Reiji wouldn¡¯t fret over such things, I decided.


    === ==== ===


    ¡ô Dark Knight Kuroki.


    ¡¸KAKKA!What does that mean!!¡¹


    Runfeld is raising an objection inside the fort.


    ¡¸I¡¯m bringing over my ves since you seem to becking the members for taking care of the daily chores of the fort, Lord Runfeld¡¹


    I¡¯m saying that as I point to Regena¡¯s group.


    In the end, I moved back to the fort with magic and then taking someone along till the defense location of Regena¡¯s.


    Naturally, it¡¯s for the sake of making them work in this fort.


    I have faint expectations that they won¡¯t dare to act too rude if I said that Regena¡¯s my property, in other words they are my ves.


    ¡¸Children won¡¯t do for such things, right!!¡¹


    It seems that they can¡¯t take them.


    ¡¸Oya,st time I heard that this fort is experiencing a shortage of personel that they went as far as borrowing the hands of the children, right? ¡¹


    I return his words while implicitly pointing toward Runfeld¡¯s children.


    There¡¯s discontentment echoing from the members of the fort of the demon race.


    The demon race look down on inferior creatures like human race. It was natural for them to feel so since those humans hade to work in this fort.


    But, I ignore those voice.


    ¡¸No need to say your gratitude, Lord Runfeld. Please make full use of my ves, be it dish-washing or cleaning. But, I want you to at least give them meals and a ce to sleep¡¹


    I say so while acting dumb.


    It made me look like that I am truly worried about the fort, but, in fact, I¡¯m just dumping the job of looking after them upon Runfeld.


    I can hear the demon race members secretly muttering, ¡°Stop doing such things¡± behind my back.


    It seems they think that I can¡¯t hear them, but I could hear them since I¡¯ve be a superman in this world.


    I think there won¡¯t be any problemster.


    I then nce at Regena. I give a simple exnation since they felt anxious.


    Maybe there was the possibility that they¡¯ll be killed by the demon race in an unknown ce. But, I don¡¯t know what I can do for them anymore than this.


    I can¡¯t look after them till the end. I just feel that this is better than bing goblin feeder.


    ¡¸KAKKA! !¡¹


    Runfeld is still trying to raise an objection.


    ¡¸Lord Runfeld, my apologies, but I have to go back to demon lord castle. If you have something to talk about, please tell me on another day. I¡¯ll leave my ves to you UNTIL THAT TIME, LORD RUNFELD!!¡¹


    I put more emphasis at the end of my words so that he won¡¯t make any further objections.


    It seems that Runfeld couldn¡¯t reply anything in seeing my attitude.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll return to demon king castle, then¡¹


    After saying so, I mount on Glorious whilepletely ignoring the discontented Runfeld.


    Glorious is raising a howl as it soars into the sky.


    The people in the fort raise a dreadful voice.


    With Glorious soaring into the sky, the fort instantly turned into a small dot.


    In the skies, I¡¯m wondering as I ride on Glorious.


    In the end, I¡¯m just acting like Reiji, doing whatever I want without taking any responsibility for my action, receiving even further hostility from the demon race.


    I don¡¯t know what will be of Regena and the other memberster.


    But I definitely will regret it if I did not save their life. Reiji, who does this kind of act, definitely won¡¯t be troubled at all.


    That¡¯s why I shouldn¡¯t think about it either.


    Rather than that, I should just think about the goddess to be created starting from tomorrow. That is more enjoyable.


    I¡¯m riding on Glorious and yet, my heart is as dark as the skies of Nargol.

 Chapter 20.1: The Land Where The Holy Dragon Lives

    <h4>Chapter 20.1: The Land Where The Holy Dragon Lives</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    ¡ô Rox kingdom¡¯s Knight, Rember.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll leave it to you then, lord Rember¡¹


    I bowed deeply after hearing the words of the king a while ago.


    I¡¯m a knight of the Rox kingdom. Hence, I have to follow the king¡¯s order.


    By no means, it was a gloomy order.


    I walked along the street after leaving the castle. The street is bustling with life despite the dark sky.


    Maybe everyone is busy since they¡¯re preparing for the festival that will start tomorrow.


    But, I don¡¯t think that this festival will be a good thing.


    After walking for a while, I finally arrive at the store which was my destination.


    It¡¯s a bar and dining store called ¡¸White Scale Restaurant¡¹. The one I¡¯m looking for is there.


    I went into the store. On entering the store, I can see many customers since it¡¯s dinner time.


    This White Scale restaurant is quite special within the Rox kingdom. If one were to ask the reason, it¡¯s because the guests whoe to the store are rather abnormal.


    Almost all of the guests in this store are armed.


    Demons are overflowing outside the city rampart, and manying from the outside will at least have an edged tool with them, even if they¡¯re just normal individuals. In the end, it¡¯s just for safety when demonse out. Guests of this store are unlike normal travelers who keep regr weapons; they have their shield or armor which is nothing but the minimum requirement they need.


    Still, they have toned muscles that are iparable to those who live a normal life; they are the people who disy their worth in a battle.


    Freedom fighters.


    That¡¯s what people call them.


    If knights were the kingdom officials, they¡¯re what you call as the private army. The defense of highways that connect the country with neighboring countries is an extremely important matter to all countries. The knights are responsible for exterminating the demons appearing on the highway.


    But, the reality is that a knight, whose jurisdiction is limited by the so-called country, can¡¯t protect the peace of the highway by himself.


    For example, if the diplomatic rtionships with other nations became tensed, it¡¯ll cause economic problems.


    In that case, people cannot be stopped from crossing the national border, and it is a difficult situation for the country to fulfill all demands needed while crossing borders.


    That¡¯s why the need for freedom fighters arose. They can act with more flexibilitypared to the knights. Basically, the knights can¡¯t sortie without the order of the king, but freedom fighters don¡¯t fall under that category. They hear the requests of the other citizens, and they decide to act as fast as possible if they deem that it¡¯s necessary. Knights can¡¯t take actions without orders, and they only need to abide by their own country¡¯s orders; freedom fighters would protect the other country as long as they determine it to be necessary.


    And this White Scale restaurant is the gathering ce for those freedom fighters. The people who have a request for the freedom fighters in the Rox kingdom normallye to this store.


    Right now, almost all of the freedom fighters gathered in this ce are those who havee due to themission from the Rox kingdom.


    the Rox kingdom has been performing a major cleanup operation against the demons in the vicinity of the city since three days ago for the sake of tomorrow¡¯s festival. The cleanup work had also ended today. Thanks to them, the people arriving at the Rox kingdom don¡¯t need to fear the demons for a while. The freedom fighters have gathered together in this shop after finishing their job.


    I look for someone as I walk inside the shop. I could easily find the one I¡¯m looking for.


    At any rate, that man is huge with his outer appearancepletely resembling a bear. His presence stands out in spite of being seated in the inner part of the store.


    His back is facing my direction. So, I approach that man.


    His age is just below thirty; he has a sunburnt face along with numerous scars carved on his muscle which definitely distinguish him from normal people.


    Maybe because he noticed me approaching him, the man turned around.


    ¡¸Yo~, isn¡¯t it Rember? You¡¯re as gloomy as ever, huh¡¹


    ¡¸And you¡¯re as amazing as ever Gallios-senpai! Is your injury from yesterday already alright? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, more or less. I can move after being healed by healing magic from Nimri-sensei¡¹


    Gallios grinned from ear to ear.


    It seems that he couldn¡¯t resist it even though he was about to die. Could it be that people who be freedom fighters are actually not afraid of death?


    Gallios is a freedom fighter who lives in this the Rox kingdom. He¡¯s a former knight and also my senior. He almost died during the demon extermination yesterday.


    I approach the table and sit next to Gallios.


    There, I suddenly noticed that someone has been sitting in front of Gallios for a while.


    His frame is feeble whenpared to Gallios with a huge body frame.


    I failed to notice his presence when I came due to Gallios¡¯s overwhelming figure.


    ¡¸So you came along too, huh. Good day, Kuro-dono¡¹


    I nod at him.


    And then, I look at Kuro. He is a mysterious youth with a strange atmosphere that I never see in this neighborhood.


    He has an extremely handsome face apanied by his jet-ck hair that would mix well with darkness. Those young girls won¡¯t leave him alone as long as he dresses well.


    But then, it seems that this youth is the quiet type.


    I just happened to want to express my gratitude to Kuro for today¡¯s matter. He has suitably appeared along with Gallios.


    ¡¸Good day, Rember-dono¡¹


    Kuro also nods back while looking at me.


    Kuro isn¡¯t the same as the freedom fighters in this store.


    It¡¯s about the matter when I met with Kuro yesterday evening.


    I heard from my sister, Gallios¡¯s wife, that Gallios who left for demon extermination yesterday evening won¡¯t being back.


    There¡¯re a lot of demons in the night. Moreover, humans who couldn¡¯t see at night are as good as dead if they meet a demon outside the rampart. It¡¯s the same even for a skilled soldier.


    When I was hesitating whether I should search for Gallios or not, Kuro appeared with Gallios being carried by his shoulder.


    It seems that around noon yesterday, Gallios received injury on his legs and fell from a small cliff after losing a fight against a goblin and an orc.


    Though he managed to climb back, he became gloomy once he found out that he couldn¡¯t move his legs. There, he met Kuro by chance who happened to pass that ce.


    My sister was extremely delighted after seeing Gallios safe and sound.


    Just like that, Gallios was carried by Kuro to Nimuri-sensei who can use healing magic for treatment.


    Kuro¡¯s body is the slender type. It¡¯s definitely not the type of body which that could carry Gallios, the man with a gigantic build that¡¯s probably the biggest in the kingdom, on his shoulder while traversing the forest road with almost non-existent trails. ording to the story from Gallios, they neither met with any ident nor lost their way while walking in the dark forest in the evening.


    ording to Nimuri-sensei, Kuro may be capable of using night vision magic. In short, this youth called Kuro might be a magician.


    When I think of it from this perspective, I could ept the fact that he can walk in the forest while carrying Gallios with a much bigger build than me. Maybe he was using some kind of mysterious magic to carry Gallios.


    The existence of a magician is precious. If Kuro is a magician, I definitely want him to reside in this kingdom by all means. Currently, the only one who can be considered a magician in this kingdom is Nimuri-sensei. Though the female doctor who settled in this city two weeks ago seems to be able to use a bit of magic, it seems that her ability isn¡¯t enough to be termed as a magician.


    Gallios couple is the one who will be taking care of Kuro, their savior, during his stay in this kingdom.


    Since Kuro didn¡¯t fuss about luxury, it¡¯s pretty easy to take care of him. No, from what I could see, Kuro preferred simplicity. Even now, the two of them just atemon food. In contrast to Gallios who drinks ale, Kuro has chosen the herb tea. When the Gallios couple tried to give him liquor to show their gratitude for saving Gallios¡¯s life, it seemed he didn¡¯t want to drink it since he is still a misenen. [TL: I¡¯ll leave ¡°Misenen¡± untranted forter chapters] [ED: I guess ¡®misenen¡¯ means ¡®underage¡¯]


    Though I didn¡¯t know what this misenen thing is, could it be that it is some kind of discipline that needs to be mantained by him?


    He behaved like those ascetic monks.


    When I think about it, there¡¯s no gap even in the way he walks, maybe he is in pursuit of something.


    Today noon, Kuro tagged along with the other freedom fighters to exterminate the demons. I, who also participated in it as the knight of the kingdom, realized that Kuro¡¯s battle style was splendid. It never came to me that he could fight by only using a small sword. Even if, for example, he used magic, I don¡¯t think he could make that kind of maneuvers. From the way he carried himself, maybe he learned martial arts from somewhere.


    Not greedy, can use magic, and also abat expert, I could say that he is the most suitable person for the current duty.


    ¡¸By the way, what is the matter that brought you here now, Rember? You¡¯re currently not off duty, right?¡¹


    Gallios asked about my business.


    Though the maintenance of the public order inside the rampart is managed by the pce soldiers, if necessary, some knights may end up guarding the pce. Strictly speaking, I should be in the pce right now.


    ¡¸In fact, there¡¯s something that I want to ask to you, Gallios-senpai¡­¡¹


    Thus, I tell him the reason why I came here.


    ¡¸Hou, from your face, it doesn¡¯t seem to be a trivial matter. Fine then, I¡¯ll inform everyone about it¡¹


    Thereupon, Kuro stood from his seat.


    ¡¸If it¡¯s such aplicated matter, shall I leave for the time being? ¡¹


    Kuro is being tactful in consideration for us.


    ¡¸No, this is something that I wished to ask to Kuro-dono, too¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸Me too? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Kuro-dono¡¹


    After I say so, Kuro sits down on his seat again.


    Kuro is disying a curious face.


    But, I continue talking without minding it.


    ¡¸I want to ask you to be a certain person¡¯s bodyguard¡¹


    ¡¸Bodyguard?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, those certain people suddenly decided toe to this kingdom. And I received an order from His Majesty to be their bodyguard, but I feel anxious for doing it alone. That¡¯s why I want to borrow senpai¡¯s power¡¹


    ¡¸Certain people? Somebody like royalty of a different kingdom? ¡¹


    I shake my head in denial after hearing what Gallios said. When I think about the people who wille in the future, they¡¯re more than just another kingdom¡¯s royalty.


    ¡¸No, they¡¯re not, butparable to that¡¹


    ¡¸Huhm. Who is it, then? ¡¹


    Gallios is asking with a puzzled voice.


    ¡¸To be honest, the one who wille tomorrow is the hero, Reiji-sama, and his wives¡­ Eh, what¡¯s the matter, Kuro-dono! ? ¡¹


    Suddenly, Kuro spurts out the tea in his mouth.


    The spurted tea sprayed right on Gallios¡¯s face.


    ¡¸I¡­ I¡¯m sorry Gallios-dono¡­.¡¹


    Kuro apologized to Gallios.


    ¡¸No, it¡¯s okay, but¡­ What¡¯s the matter, Kuro-dono¡¹


    Gallios and I are surprised to see Kuro¡¯s behavior. Kuro¡¯s current state isn¡¯t normal.


    ¡¸It¡¯s nothing, I just choked¡­ My apologies¡­ Please continue the story¡¹


    Kuro apologizes while coughing lightly.


    ¡¸Yeah, back to the story, why did the heroe to this ce? Is he going to sightsee the festival that starts tomorrow? ¡¹


    Gallios asks that question while wiping his face with a cloth.


    ¡¸It seems that is the reason, but¡­ Gallios-senpai. You know about the hero Reiji-sama¡¯s injury, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, he was defeated by an extremely powerful dark knight. I thought that no one but a god could injure that hero, but the world is vast, huh¡¹


    ¡¸I did think so, too. Thereupon, Reiji-sama will being to bath in the hot spring in this the Rox kingdom to heal the wounds inflicted by the dark knight¡¹


    This the Rox kingdom is famous for its hot spring. The main source of ie for this kingdom is that hot spring.


    ¡¸Thus, I request the two of you to be bodyguards for the hero¡¹


    I look at their expression.


    Gallios and Kuro hadplicated expressions.


    ¡¸Uhm, Rember-dono. Why do we need to protect them? Rei¡­ I mean the hero-sama-tachi are already extremely powerful¡¹


    It seems Kuro also knows the matter about hero-sama, so it¡¯s natural for him to be aware of how powerful the hero is. In the first ce, finding someone who doesn¡¯t know about the hero is a difficult task.


    ¡¸Certainly, your question is natural¡­ Save for those gods, the only one who can harm hero-sama-tachi might be just that dark knight, right?¡¹


    ¡¸Then why? ¡¹


    ¡¸In fact, you¡¯ll be bodyguards in name only; your actual job is to keep those guys with strange thoughts toward the hero¡¯s wives away, you know¡­¡¹


    All women on hero Reiji¡¯s side are beauties. Thus, someone with strange thoughts might appear again.


    There was a great disturbance when a guy who tried to do something strange appeared during the hero¡¯s previous visit.


    ¡¸I cannot let them displease hero-sama-tachi. I can¡¯t let the rampart to be wrecked even further, you know¡­¡¹


    I convey my real intentions.


    ¡¸I see¡¹


    ¡¸No, somehow, I can understand your reason¡­¡¹


    Gallios nodded his head. It seems Kuro¡¯s also guessing something.

 Chapter 20.2: The Land Where The Holy Dragon Lives

    <h4>Chapter 20.2: The Land Where The Holy Dragon Lives</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    The west side of the Rox kingdom rampart is currently in a half-destroyed state.


    The cause is an extremely powerful offensive magic.


    In the first ce, this is the second time the hero¡¯s party ising to this kingdom.


    Since there was a fool who tried to mess with those girls when they came to this kingdom before, the angry girl destroyed the rampart with magic.


    I happened to hear that the hero¡¯s party also caused a simr incident in the capital of Holy Republic Lenaria. It seems Rena temple always assigned a convoy whenever the hero¡¯s party takes a stroll in the city.


    That¡¯s why, to prevent simr idents like thest time, our kingdom also decided to assign a convoy to the hero¡¯s party. The one in charge of that is me.


    A big country like Holy republic Lenaria can assign any number of guards, but our the Rox kingdom knights number no more than 20. When considering about the need for maintenance of public order for the festival that will begin tomorrow and the usual defense of the highway, that number can¡¯t be avoided. It won¡¯t be bad if normal people were drafted to work around that area, but they¡¯re not skilled enough. So, we had to recruit as many skilled individuals as possible.


    Thus, we decided to recruit skilled freedom fighters as their convoy.


    The criteria for selection is someone who won¡¯t cause unpleasant feelings even when looking at the hero¡¯s woman and isn¡¯t hostile toward the hero.


    Gallios is someone who I can trust after long years of association, and even if I only know Kuro for a while, he is skilled; moreover, he is calm, and I can¡¯t see him as someone hostile toward the hero. The most important point is that I can¡¯t see him as someone who will cause unpleasant feelings with his harmless appearance.


    That¡¯s why I want to employ their help no matter what.


    ¡¸That¡¯s why, please. Will you help me with this job? ¡¹


    I bow to them.


    ¡¸I¡¯m not in the mood to do it¡­.¡¹


    Gallios is saying so as he continued.


    ¡¸In the first ce, I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m suitable for the job if the other party is a noble¡¹


    Gallios has the same attitude toward anyone. He spoke with the same tone irrespective of whether it was toward me or royalty of another country. Though the king of Rox didn¡¯t mind about his attitude, it¡¯s might be considered a rude action toward the other country.


    If we were unlucky, we might anger the hero.


    ¡¸No, no need to worry about such things since the one to apany them is Almi¡­ Is the princess. We¡¯re going to escort them from a secret ce so no suspicious persons will approach them¡¹


    I tell him about my n.


    ¡¸Princess, are you talking about Almina? ¡¹


    I nod to the question from Gallios. Almina, who will turn 17 this year, is the youngest princess of the Rox kingdom.


    On hearing that the hero is soft toward girls and since it won¡¯t cause any unpleasant feelings to the hero¡¯s women if a woman was to apany them, adding to her perfect manner, it was decided that the princess will apany the hero.


    ¡¸I see, both the future husband and wife will apany the hero, huh¡¹


    Gallios said with a wide grin on his face.


    ¡¸Please don¡¯t tease me with that, senpai¡¹


    It¡¯s a fact that princess Almina is my childhood friend and also my fiancee.


    ¡¸It¡¯s a good thing for you and princess Almina. I¡¯ll lend a hand if weren¡¯t for apanying the hero¡¹


    Gallios isughing with ¡°GAHAHA¡±. Then, he nced at Kuro.


    ¡¸What about you, Kuro? ¡¹


    To be honest, Kuro seemed unwilling to do this job.


    But, Kuro, who can use magic, will be a great help in this case.


    ¡¸Please help me with this job, Kuro-dono! ! ¡¹


    I bow toward Kuro.


    ¡¸Well, I think it¡¯s okay as long as it is not directly apanying the hero¡­¡¹


    Kuro unwillingly epted my request.


    Thus, I gained their cooperation.


    And the matter regarding the hero¡¯s also settled for now.


    Somehow, I have a bad premonition about this sudden visit of the hero.


    === === ===


    ¡ô Dark Knight Kuroki.


    I think that it¡¯s quite strange.


    I never thought that I, who summoned to beat the hero, will one day be his escort.


    I epted Rember¡¯s request because it seems that it¡¯s an important matter for him and because I consider him as one of my friends outside Nargol.


    From Rember¡¯s story, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to meet them directly, so I think it¡¯s okay since it just involves escorting them from a rtively isted ce.


    As for why I came to the vicinity of the Rox kingdom, it¡¯s to gather the ingredients to create a goddess.


    I recalled the conversation I had with Modes before Ie to this ce.


    ¡¸I need a dragon horn. Moreover, we can¡¯t make a goddess unless the horn is from a dragon king¡¹


    Modes told me that when I asked for mypensation.


    Surely, it¡¯s not like I will receive mypensation in an instant.


    But, it seems that special ingredients are needed to create a goddess, and it seems that we can¡¯t make a goddess unless we use those ingredients.


    I was told that a dragon, hailed as the holy dragon king of silver, is living in the vicinities of this the Rox kingdom, and we definitely can make a goddess by using that dragon king¡¯s horn. By the way, it seems that Mona is made by using the horn of the dragon king that was hailed as the demon dragon king of lustrous ck. Maybe that¡¯s the reason for Mona¡¯s beautiful ck-colored hair that¡¯s different from Rena.


    Nevertheless, the matter of acquiring the horn of a dragon king is a highly difficult subject, right?


    When I researched about it, the dragons hailed as dragon kings are considered terribly strong. I don¡¯t think that acquiring the dragon horn will be an easy matter for me.


    It is as if I¡¯vepletely be an errand child for Modes.


    Or else, it¡¯s maybe because he judged that it¡¯ll be an easy matter for the powerful me.


    Moreover, I didn¡¯t want to hurt a dragon just for my own desire.


    It¡¯ll make me remember Glorious.


    Thus, I rode on Glorious all the way till this the Rox kingdom. Though I heard that the people without permission will be chased around by the holy knights of Elios, those holy knights were already annihted by me.


    To be honest, I¡¯m reflecting on my actions that went overboard. That evening, I lost my temper, so I just crushed everyone who came toward me without thinking much about it. Before I noticed, it seems that I had already annihted the holy knights. On hearing about their annihtion, I still wonder how much damage I caused to them. I can¡¯t confirm it even now.


    Well, since there are no holy knights, it¡¯s mean that I can ride on Glorious.


    Compared to Nargol, the majority of the expanse of the skies of this world is beautiful with a perfectly clear blue sky like the one from my world.


    In that matter, riding on the back of a dragon while flying under the blue sky was truly wonderful expression.


    Though I can fly with flight magic, flying on the back of a dragon feels much better.


    I definitely won¡¯t be able to forgive anyone who wants to take the horn of Glorious, since he made me feel the wonder of flying under the sky.


    That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t get excited with the matter of killing off the dragon king who¡¯s simr to Glorious.


    Moreover, the reason why I came to this ce is because I have nothing to do.


    I thought it¡¯s better to have something to do than nothing; thus, I traveled on Glorious all the way till here. By the way, Nut isn¡¯t with me right now.


    I first arrived at a certain tower in the forest, since I can¡¯t enter the city with Glorious in tow.


    It seems it is an abandoned tower with no life. The hollow on top of the tower is the most suitable ce to hide Glorious.


    I came to see the situation a while ago, but it seems that Glorious liked that ce.


    ording to Ruugas, it seems that dragons will eat when it¡¯s the time to eat and eat nothing when it isn¡¯t the time. It seems that Glorious is currently not in eating mode.


    I immerse myself till my shoulders while thinking about those things.


    Currently, I¡¯m inside the public hot spring in the Rox kingdom.


    The other guests are also bathing along with me.


    Though I¡¯m still reluctant about the matter of acquiring the horn, I¡¯m extremely grateful for the existence of this hot spring. I think it¡¯s worthwhile toe to this ce just for this alone.


    The hot spring established by the Rox kingdom wasn¡¯t built in an borate manner; it just contained a rock bath.


    There¡¯s a liquid foam made from the oil of a certain nt, and they even have sauna-like rooms ¨Cplete with the equipment. While immersing myself in the hot spring, I recall about Japan.


    Not even one month has passed since then, but I¡¯m already feeling homesick.


    I wonder if everyone is alright?


    Can we go back safely?


    My head is filled with nothing but such thoughts. It seems that I¡¯ve soaked a bit too long in the hot spring.


    ¡¸Ooi Kuro, going up already? ¡¹


    Gallios inquires me about my action.


    I look at Galios. He¡¯s a hairy man. There are scars all over his body, and those scars are the testament of his way of life.


    I met Gallios yesterday night.


    I found Gallios with wounded legs when I was wandering in the forest for food. [TL: Poor Kuroki]


    Unfortunately, the healing spell that I can use is the type of healing that can be used on no one but me. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t heal Gallios. Thus, I carried Gallios on my back all the way to the Rox kingdom.


    Nevertheless, it turned out that Gallios is quite a famous figure even in the Rox kingdom. Even the gatekeeper of the rampart simply let me through when they saw Gallios on my back. It¡¯s hard to believe that they kept refusing me at the door until now.


    In fact, this is the first time I entered the rampart from the front gate.


    However, the Rox kingdom provided more freedom for people to go in and out as long as they won¡¯tmit crimes.


    It seems that there are a different means to enter each country: there¡¯s a country which will allow you to enter as long as you pay money, there¡¯s also a country which won¡¯t allow you to enter if you¡¯re not their citizen or a citizen of their allies.


    And speaking of money, different from myst journey, I¡¯m bringing money for my use it in human society.


    Thus, the problem of money that was present during the visit to Holy Republic Lenaria was solved in a jiffy.


    That is not because I understood the method to exchange avable gems for money.


    It¡¯s good as long as I can make some money ¨C the so-called private mint. [TL: Producing money on your own<¡ª WARNING!!! THIS IS ILLEGAL SO DON¡¯T TRY THIS AT HOME!!!]


    To put it simply, the cirction of money around this area uses currency issued by the Holy Republic Lenaria.


    But, it isn¡¯t like the Holy republic Lenaria is the only one who has the right to issue currency. Every country has the right to manufacture currency, so it¡¯s not too hard to make money in private. The problem is whether the one that I made can pass the inspection or not.


    There¡¯s metal that resembled copper, silver, and gold even in this world; the diameter of the coin is around 2~3 cm, whether they were copper coins, silver coins, or gold coins.


    There¡¯s a high possibility that my self-minted money can pass as normal gold coin as long as I use the gold coin issued by the Holy Republic Lenaria as the standard. [TL: WARNING!!! THIS IS ILLEGAL ACT!!!]


    In short, to make my own money, I just need to acquire metals such as copper, silver, and gold as much as I want.


    Naturally, there are also the people who make poor quality currency such as the yen coin which is made by mixing metal amongst them.


    Nargol doesn¡¯t collect gold or silver and just mines a bit of copper. From there, I¡¯m mass producing copper coins based on the sample coin that I got from Holy Republic Lenaria. Even if it¡¯s self-made, I think they came out rather nicely.


    When I showed this copper coin in Gallios¡¯s ce, it seems that it can be used normally in the Rox kingdom.


    In the first ce, it seemed it would¡¯ve been better even if I didn¡¯t mint these coins for use in the Rox kingdom.


    This is because Gallios would take care of my living as long as I remain in the Rox kingdom to express his gratitude for saving his life.


    Today, he brought me to this hot spring establishment. Naturally, he paid the entrance fee, too.


    I think he doesn¡¯t need to go to that extent. I feel a bit sorry in that regard.


    ¡¸Yeah, shall we leave now?¡¹


    I stand upon hearing Gallios words.


    Gallios line of sight is looking at my lower body.


    ¡¸To think that you possess such a fiendish thing that¡¯s unsuited to your baby face. And it¡¯s already monstrous even in normal state huh¡¹


    Gallios teased me.


    ¡¸W-Where are you looking at!! ¡¹


    I covered my little bro.


    I was teased a lot in a simr manner back in my world. In fact, having such fiendish little bro isn¡¯t always a good thing. Rather, I have suffered severe hardships due to it.


    ¡¸Oi oi, no need to be shy about it. If it¡¯s at your size, no matter what kind of woman you face, you can satisfy them. So, how many women have cried because of your little monster? ¡¹


    Gallios¡¯s wide smile remained stered on his face.


    ¡¸No, I¡­ have never gone out with a woman before¡¹


    I said with a crestfallen voice.


    No matter how big the size is, it¡¯s useless if I have no one to use it against. So, no matter how big it is, it¡¯s just a useless piece of junk.


    ¡¸No matter how big your size is, if you have no one to use it¡­.(cry)¡¹


    I wanted to cry.


    To be honest, it¡¯s not that I never got close to a woman. My female acquaintances are almost 0.


    Shirone, the one closest to me, is one of Reiji¡¯s women. It doesn¡¯t seem that the time for me to use it wille anywhere in the near future since I can¡¯t even have a proper conversation with a woman.


    Though my master often teased me with the ¡¸Your wife will have hard future, huh¡¹, I¡¯m crying now since that future might not be possible anymore.


    ¡¸No¡­ Sorry for bringing out that painful topic. Moreover, it seems that I made you recall a painful past. That¡¯s right, let me take you to that kind of shop next time¡¹ [TL: Brothel][ED: Stop Hinting it! Children are reading]


    Gallios¡¯s words eased my painful heart a lot.


    ¡¸EH!!CAN I?!Peneroa-san won¡¯t be mad at you? ¡¹


    Peneroa is Gallios¡¯s wife. Well, does she know that her husband often goes to that kind of store?


    ¡¸Ooops, that one is bad. Please just pretend that this talk never happened¡¹


    Tch. It seems I said some unnecessary things.


    After that, Gallios and I left the hot spring while cracking these kinds of jokes.


    We dried our body with the towel in the dressing room, wore our clothes, and then left the hot spring.


    I¡¯m staying in a house that¡¯s slightly away from Gallios¡¯s since yesterday.


    Since this is my first contact with human society ever since I came to this world, I felt like staying in this city for a while longer and postponing the matter of round off matter of the horn of dragon king.


    After arriving at Gallios¡¯s home, his wife came out to greet us. Some time ago, I heard the fact that she¡¯s Rember¡¯s older sister.


    ¡¸We¡¯re back, Peneroa¡¹


    ¡¸We¡¯re home, Peneroa-san¡¹


    Gallios¡¯s wife, Peneroa is a gentle and caring woman and a person who gives you the feeling of simplicity.


    However, ording to Gallios, it seems that she turns into a scary woman when angry; I just can¡¯t imagine this gentlewoman to get angry.


    ¡¸Wee back honey. My little brother ising, you know¡¹


    ¡¸What? Rember? What¡¯s the matter?¡¹


    Gallios tilted his head.


    I also feel that it¡¯s strange. We met him in the bar just now. Did something happen for him to meet Gallios immediately?


    As we entered the house, we spotted Rember in the parlor room.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve been waiting for you, senpai and Kuro-dono¡¹


    It seems Rember had been waiting for us.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Rember? Was there some kind of situation? ¡¹


    Gallios enquires Rember about the situation.


    ¡¸In fact, a problem just happened. Thus, I want to borrow Kuro-dono power¡¹


    Rember is saying so while looking at me.


    ¡¸My, strength?¡¹


    ¡¸The truth is, an urgent notice just came from the pce guard stationed at the rampart. It seems that flocks of demon-like things appeared outside the rampart¡¹


    ¡¸WHAT!?DEMONS? THAT¡¯S STRANGE. ARE YOU SURE? ¡¹


    Gallios-tachi has swept away the demons in this region by gathering freedom fighters three days ago. I had also lent my hand to them, so there should be no demon in the vicinity of the Rox kingdom. It¡¯s way too early for the demons from a far ce to reach here.


    Even I doubt the judgment of the pce guard at the rampart. Since human eyes can¡¯t see at night, they might be mistaking it for something else.


    ¡¸I also agree with you, but¡­ ording to the pce guard, when they illuminated those flocks with lighting equipment, they determined that it¡¯s most likely goblins or orcs¡¹


    There¡¯s lighting equipment to illuminating for far distances by making use of mirrors in the rampart. Maybe they used that.


    But, I heard that the orc settlement and goblin nest in this area have been swept already. Is that the truth?.


    ¡¸How many of them? Are they injured?¡­. How many of them survived the sweeping? Those sons of a gun, even though the festival will start from tomorrow¡­.¡¹


    Gallios smacked his lips.


    I heard this afternoon about the story. There¡¯s a demon clearance event in the vicinities of the Rox kingdom in order to ensure the safety of touristsing to the city. But, it seems that some of them slipped out of the clearing.


    ¡¸It seems that their shadows are still near the rampart. We are lucky because they¡¯re not strong enough to climb the rampart. But then, ording to the pce guard, the way those goblins and orcs are moving seems to be strange¡¹


    ¡¸The movements are strange?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, so I¡¯m thinking about taking a closer look since I feel uneasy about it. That¡¯s why I want to borrow Kuro-dono¡¯s power to use his Night Vision skill,£¨Dark Vision£©¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡¹


    Gallios nods on listening to Rember¡¯s exnation.


    ¡¸What do you think about it, Kuro? I¡¯ll go along if you decide to go¡¹

 Chapter 20.3: The Land Where The Holy Dragon Lives

    <h4>Chapter 20.3: The Land Where The Holy Dragon Lives</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    Rember and Gallios look at me.


    ¡¸Yeah, sounds good, let¡¯s go!¡¹


    I ept the request.


    I¡¯m indebted to this couple, after all. Since Rember is Gallios¡¯s younger brother-inw, I should help him to return the favor.


    Thus, we headed toward the rampart.


    === === ===


    ¡ôDark Knight Kuroki.


    We have entered the forest.


    Night in the forest is dark to the point that except for me, no one can see one inch ahead of them without any lighting, so everyone except for me is either using magic or magterns.


    Leaving the rampart at night is dangerous. But since we were close to the rampart, we could evacuate immediately if something untoward happened.


    There are four other people with us other than Rember, Gallios, and me.


    Gallios called for the freedom fighters to move immediately.


    ¡¸As expected of the night, it¡¯s scary¡­.¡¹


    The other member of our party, freedom fighter Steros mumbles so. He¡¯s not a native of the Rox kingdom. Though he¡¯s a bit haughty, he backed it up with his skill.


    ¡¸Geez, we absolutely can¡¯t see anything with thesenterns and small balls of light¡¹


    Another freedom fighter called Poxins as such. He¡¯s also a native of another city just like Steros.


    In contrast to Steros in his first half of his 20s, Pox seems to be even more of a veteran soldier than Gallios.


    ¡¸Sorry, this is the limit of my magic¡­.¡¹


    Nimri apologizes for his inability.


    He¡¯s the magician living in the Rox kingdom. It was him who healed Gallios yesterday. It seems that he was originally a child who was abandoned in front of the rampart gate of the Rox kingdom. He is the so-called lost child of the elf. The elf race isposed of nothing but women, and they make a child by cross-breeding with another race. If a girl is born, she¡¯ll be an elf and if a boy is born, he¡¯ll be the same race as his father. They were a race that has a hard time living along with another race due to various reasons. The boy will be abandoned in the nearby settlement of the same race as his father, even though the elf might not be willing to abandon them.


    As a matter of fact, children born from elves have high magical power to the extent that even racescking in magical power could use high-level magic. Those kind of people are precious to humans, so those children are raised carefully for the benefit of this country. Those kinds of children are usually future magicians. It seems to be the main reason why there are so many male magicians in human society,


    Nimri was raised by this country and learned magic from the court magician who passed away ten years ago.


    Nimri appearance is like a man in his forties while he¡¯s already more than eighty years old. I believe that it is due to the elven blood in him.


    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean it that way¡­.¡¹


    Pox apologizes to Nimri. Basically, Pox is a good person, but he¡¯s insensitive.


    Nimri just smiled at him while showing an expression of not being concerned with such remarks. I met and talked with Nimri yesterday; he seems like a good-natured person.


    ¡¸Stor, have you discovering something? ¡¹


    Gallios questions Stor, a ranger.


    ¡¸Nay, the forest in the night is too much even for me. It¡¯s better if ya asked thatd over there¡¹


    The one he referred as ¡°thatd¡± is me. I¡¯m the only one who can use night vision amongst the ones in this ce. Even the magician Nimri can¡¯t use it. This is a matter ofpatibility rather than the low ability of the magician. For example, I can use night vision, but I can¡¯t use lighting magic like Nimri.


    Hence, there I am, standing on the front lines since I can use night vision.


    ¡¸How is the situation, Kuro-dono? ¡¹


    Rember asks me.


    ¡¸We are being surrounded¡¹


    ¡¸WHA!!?¡¹


    I can hear surprised voices when I tell them the truth.


    Several shadows havee to surround us in slightly separated ces within the darkness of the night.


    ¡¸WHAT DID YOU SAY!!Which ones are we facing against, goblins or orcs? ¡¹


    Gallios asks with a flustered voice.


    Everyone draws their respective weapons.


    ¡¸We are facing against both, but¡­.¡¹


    Everyone is tilting their head on hearing my vague answer.


    ¡¸There are both goblins and orcs? What does that mean? ¡¹


    Gallios questions my reply.


    ¡¸There are goblins and orcs. However¡­ They seem to be zombies¡¹


    My eyes can clearly see the things that the other member can¡¯t see.


    I can¡¯t feel any life force from the goblins and the orcs that are approaching us from a nearby distance.


    All of them have some wounds on their bodies. Some of them even have arrows sticking out of their bodies.


    I was taught by Ruugas that they¡¯re termed moving corpses (Zombies).


    The undead a.k.a. zombies hate living beings and will charge toward the direction of the sign of life.


    Maybe they¡¯re approaching us because they noticed our presence.


    The other members except for me are raising a ruckus upon hearing my words. They are having a discussion with each other.


    ¡¸They¡¯re approaching with greater numbers than us. Perhaps those demons that were swept by us in the afternoon turned into zombies¡¹


    The reason why I thought so is that I saw an orc that I met in the afternoon amongst them.


    I participated in the extermination of demons in the forest during the afternoon due to an invitation from Gallios.


    I¡¯m sure that orc is the one that I defeated this afternoon. I should have ended its life.


    Now, I¡¯m seeing that orc as a zombie. It¡¯s still wearing the same tattered armor and sword that is used when it was alive. Perhaps it¡¯s making use of the things that would be used by humans.


    Even this afternoon, I felt that they werepletely different from orcs and goblins living in Nargol.


    Their appearances were the same, but the orc soldiers of Nargol wear splendid unified armaments; in addition, they are also well mannered.


    In contrast, the orcs who I met this afternoon are just like a savage race. They were rustic and violent ¨C by no means the kind of race that you canmunicate with at all.


    In fact, I, who was summoned by the demon king, should be standing on the side of the demons. Yet, from their appearances, I wanted to stand on the human side.


    Moreover, the orcs I saw this afternoon readily considered me as their enemy when they saw me. They obviously charged at me as if they were looking at delicious food on the tter; some amongst them even charged at me with apletely different emotion than the desire for food. Bing an ally with those guys is impossible.


    Moreover, the demons outside of Nargol don¡¯t serve Modes; in addition, they are also considered to have betrayed him.


    The shadows approach us at high speeds. The trees in the forest, which are trifling existences under normal circumstances, be huge obstacles for them when they turn into zombies; it seems they are struggling to reach our location.


    One of them arrived at our ce.


    I draw my short sword and kill the one that approached us.


    The reason why I¡¯m using the short sword is that I can¡¯t afford to show my demon sword to them.


    This short sword is something that I obtained from Nargol. Different from the demon sword, it¡¯s kind of a substitute. I brought along another sword since it¡¯s extremely troublesome to deal with every single trifling matter with my demon sword.


    The shadow is struggling as it fell backward.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes focus on the copsed shadow.


    It became a figure of an orc without limbs and head. But, in spite of losing its head, its limbs are still struggling.


    ¡¸Yup, it¡¯s a zombie¡­¡¹


    Gallios is confirming that while being alert toward the surrounding.


    ¡¸Why¡­ the hell they became zombies¡­ Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s the Striges¡¹


    Rember muttered those words with an astonished face.


    ¡¸If there are zombies around, there¡¯ll also be the ones who created them¡¹


    Some of us nod our heads on hearing Nimri¡¯s guess.


    I learned about zombies from Ruugas that undead like zombies isn¡¯t something that exists in nature. The matter of it being born due to Departed Soul Magic(Necromancy) is a general knowledge. In short, this zombie was created by someone.


    ¡¸What shall we do? The other zombies areing, you know? ¡¹


    Everyone starts shouting again when I say so.


    Zombies move slowly. But it¡¯s dangerous to be surrounded by them. Now, we still have the chance to escape.


    ¡¸What shall we do, Rember?¡¹


    Gallios asks Rember.


    Rember is the leader of this party. We were waiting for his orders.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s withdraw. It¡¯s safer to wait until the morning in the rampart rather than face against undead opponents from the front in total darkness¡¹


    Everyone agrees to Rember¡¯s judgment and decision.


    The zombies move at an extremely slow pace. But, fighting against them from the front isn¡¯t rmended since swords and spears have almost zero effect on them. Even if we were to fight them, it¡¯ll only end up in wasting our stamina with our current equipment.


    Though I can annihte them by myself, I, who¡¯s currently hiding my true identity, shouldn¡¯t show too much of my power.


    Moreover, all undead are weak to sunlight; they¡¯ll dissipate when they are exposed to sunlight. That¡¯s why waiting until the morning is faster and efficient than fighting against each of them.


    Though some high ranking priests can use magic to create sunlight, no one amongst us is capable of using that magic.


    That¡¯s why entering into the rampart to protect ourselves is a better choice than fighting against them. Everyone evacuates in hurry after hearing Rember¡¯s decision.


    ¡¸This kind of undead outbreak ispletely simr to the one when the hero came one month ago!!¡¹


    Stor, Nimri, and Rember agree with Gallios¡¯s statement. They have been living in the Rox kingdom for some period, after all.


    Could it be that something like this happened in the past?


    ¡¸Yes. Maybe it has some sort of rtionship with heroes-tachi¡¹


    Nimri replies to him about his guess.


    ¡¸The Striges is really still alive, then¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s Striges¡¯s doing or not¡­ But, it¡¯s a fact that someone created this undead. We better raise our vignce¡¹


    Those were what they discussed and decided on the way back. I don¡¯t know about that story myself since I just reached the Rox kingdom yesterday. I¡¯mpletely in the unknown regarding this matter.


    But from their conversation, it seems this has something to do with the hero.


    Maybe Shirone is also involved in this matter. Suddenly, I think about that possibility.


    Nevertheless, why is the heroing at such a timing?


    I suddenly have a premonition that something ominous is about to happen.

 Chapter 21.1: The Hero’s Visit

    <h4>Chapter 21.1: The Hero¡¯s Visit</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    ¡ô ck-haired Sage, Chiyuki


    Rox kingdom is located around two days away with a coach from Holy Republic Lenaria. It¡¯s located in the center of the widely used big highway of the eastern part of the continent.


    The ruler is a king called Rocros the eighth with a poption of around 30000.


    If it¡¯s only that much, every country in this world is simr to it.


    But, Rox kingdom has two features that can¡¯t be found in another kingdom.


    First, it¡¯s a hot spring. Many peoplee to this hot spring for its curative effects. The reason for our disguise toe to this ce is also for the same.


    Second, the Holy Dragon King of Silver lives in the Holy Dragon mountain in this vicinity. In the first ce, the founder of Rox kingdom was granted permission to make a kingdom in this area after his pledge with this holy dragon king.


    And today is the founding day of the Rox kingdom. Rox kingdom will hold a festival for one week starting today. During that time, the hotel charges for the inn and fee for hot spring are cut by half; moreover, anyone can freely enter this kingdom. That¡¯s the reason why many peoplee for a visit. The number of people is more overwhelming than the time when we came before.


    It¡¯s the second time we areing to this kingdom. The reason for our previous visit was because of this kingdom¡¯s hot spring.


    For Japanese people like us, it¡¯s truly difficult to fight against the charm of the hot spring. It¡¯s been around a month since thest time we came to this Rox kingdom for taking a short break from demon king subjugation.


    At that time, we exterminated the demon called Striges who tried to peek on us while we were bathing with our full powered magic, resulting in one part of the rampart being destroyed.


    We didn¡¯t know about the existence called holy dragon king when we came before. It might be due to some kind of barrier since even Nao¡¯s superior perception can¡¯t catch it.


    If a dragon like that is really present in this ce, I want to meet it.


    I¡¯m told that the Holy Dragon King of Silver is a white dragon that symbolizes good luck. It¡¯s just like a fantasy novel by Ende*. [TL: A novel author]


    Regarding this Holy Dragon King of Silver, our true reason foring this time is for the horn of this Holy Dragon King of Silver which lives in the vicinity of this Rox kingdom.


    We are supposed to obstruct that dark knight Diehart from getting his hands on the Holy Dragon King¡¯s horn. We were bewildered when such a request suddenly came from Rena.


    Reiji¡¯s wounds have almost healed thanks to the secret potion of the gods and Sahoko¡¯s healing magic.


    But, even though Reiji has healed, Diehart is powerful. We must avoid the case of fighting him at all costs.


    But, just like any other case, Reiji is weak toward a request from Rena. If it was Reiji alone, he might get beaten to the verge of dying just like thest time we fought against Diehart.


    I want him to at least considering his surrounding. Moreover, I don¡¯t wish to see Sahoko and Shirone cry again.


    That¡¯s why I moved slowly on purpose.


    But then, for some reason, Diehart is yet to cut off the horn of the Holy Dragon King. The bell that we got from Rena is yet to ring.


    It seems that Rena and her subordinate angel has set an rm simr to the one equipped in Rena¡¯s temple that will ring when an unauthorized person trespasses the Holy Dragon mountain.


    In the end, the bell never rang.


    In the first ce, why does Rena know about Diehart¡¯s movement? Could it be that she has her spy hidden in Nargol?


    And then, why is the dark knight aiming for the horn of Holy Dragon King?


    Well, though I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s going to do with it, it might not be a good thing since he¡¯s going to snatch the horn of the Holy Dragon King, hailed as the white dragon of sacred fortune.


    Leaving along the main street of Rox which stretches from the rampart gates of Rox, we continue to travel till we enter the ce close to the rampart gate and leave our coach in the care of the pce guards. We¡¯ll be walking until Rox kingdom¡¯s royal pce from here.


    I can feel a few gazes looking at us as we walk in the city. And quite unpleasant ones on top of that. There are many people who have gathered to see us. Mostly, it¡¯s the men.


    For this reason, the temple knights came with us from Holy Republic Lenaria as our escorts to drive away these mobs. Different from the previous visit, it¡¯s a correct choice to bring along our escorts.


    Their rather rough method is just the right way to clear away the people.


    ¡¸Uhm, Chiyuki-san¡­ It¡¯s really embarrassing, you know¡¹


    Shirone, exposed under simr unpleasant gazes as me, says so with a tone that¡¯s on the verge of crying.


    ¡¸Please don¡¯t say that¡­ Even I don¡¯t want to think about it¡¹


    Looking at Shirone, I think she possesses a splendid figure. It¡¯s as if she¡¯s only wearing her underwear. She is wearing what you call as bikini armor. It matches very well with Shirone¡¯s bnced proportion. But then, it seems the person herself doesn¡¯t want to wear that.


    But then, it¡¯s not like I can say that to her. Currently, my figure also won¡¯t lose to her with the gothic lolita and ultra-mini skirt costume that I am wearing. I must be very careful with my movements since it seems that my underwear can be seen just by slightly bending my body.


    If you were to ask why we wore such an embarrassing get up, it¡¯s to lure the pervert who groped Kyouka¡¯s breasts.


    We lost the way to return to our world after Diehart destroyed the summoning tools. We were slightly discouraged when we learned that we can¡¯t go back.


    No matter how amusing the amusement park is, there¡¯s no way we can enjoy it if we can¡¯t even leave it. That¡¯s our current situation.


    But, there¡¯s still a hope to return to our own world. We have ced our hopes on the other person in possession of the summoning tools. The reason we arrived at such a conclusion is that the pervert who groped Kyouka¡¯s breast seeminglyes from the same world as us. In short, there¡¯s another person who is in possession of these summoning tools. We have no choice but to look for that person.


    Thus, we will start with catching the pervert who groped Kyouka¡¯s breasts.


    This person was aiming for Kyouka¡¯s breasts. So he might love women breasts a lot.


    That¡¯s why all of us[girls only] decided to lure this pervert by wearing such embarrassing get up which emphasizes on our breasts.


    Though we were originally going to use Kyouka as a bait, we met with Kyouka¡¯s strong objection, so Reiji suggested a proposal for all of us[girls only] to wear these embarrassing costumes since that pervert might be lured by breasts other than Kyouka¡¯s.


    For this reason, it¡¯s not just me and Shirone, the other girls are also wearing the same kind of extremely embarrassing dresses.


    We are going to wear this get up when we are out. That doesn¡¯t change even at Holy Republic Lenaria.


    By the way, the costume that we are wearing is brought by Reiji. The parts that are exposed isn¡¯t just our chest, the other parts are exposed, too. ording to Reiji, it¡¯s to increase the possibility of that pervert to approach us.


    No matter how I think about it, it¡¯s nothing but his secret desire; without any clue of that pervert and without any means to lure him out, we ended up resorting to such a method.


    Certainly, arge number of perverts wille toward us. In fact, I can feel that the number of men who havee to see us as we walk in the city has increased three-fold.


    But, the pervert we¡¯re looking for is yet to appear.


    Since we resorted to this kind of method, the temple also increased our escort by three times. They¡¯re apanying us to this Rox kingdom. And now, the men who are trying to get closer to us are being hindered by them. If it¡¯s the pervert who can fight on par, if not better, than Kaya, our escorts won¡¯t pose a problem to him. That¡¯s why I know that he is yet to appear.


    I wish that he¡¯ll appear as soon as possible. How long are we going to wear this embarrassing attire?


    Though this attire could pose problems during battle, Diehart aside, we can easily win againstmon demons or humans. Also, our armaments can be summoned at any time with magic, so there¡¯s almost no danger to us.


    I am looking at the other members¡¯ appearances now.


    First is Nao, wearing a nekomimi paired with mini cheongsam*. [TL*: Cat ears and Chinese dress.] The slit of the cheongsam looks very good with Nao¡¯s slender limbs. Though Reiji thought of giving a cattail along with nekomimi, Nao rejected it after consulting us.


    I asked Reiji since I don¡¯t know about it, it seems that the tail is apparently an essory to be inserted in a strange ce. When I heard about it, I incinerated the tail while exuding a silent but heavy pressure. Unknown to me, it seems Reiji disyed a slightly sad expression.


    That¡¯s why Nao is only wearing nekomimi right now.


    Nevertheless, I¡¯m still wondering why Reiji has this kind of clothes. I want to smack those guys who made these clothes with Reiji.


    Rino is wearing a cheerleader costume. It¡¯s a perfect fit for the cute Rino. In Rino¡¯s case, it doesn¡¯t pose that much of a problem since she always wears clothes with such a level of exposure.


    Since she works as a model, she can wear this kind of embarrassing clothes without flinching.


    Though at first, Reiji tried to make Rino wear only a ribbon which twined to cover her important parts, he stopped it since it was already too much. Geez, what on earth was he thinking about¡­.


    Kyouka is wearing a dancer¡¯s outfit. She wore the showiest dress in order to lure that pervert.


    That¡¯s only natural since that pervert aimed for Kyouka¡¯s breasts in the first ce.


    The one with the best style amongst us is Kyouka; her dress that emphasizes on her constricted waist and abundant chest continuously lure the other men.


    Her personality aside, her style will even make another woman feel jealous when seeing her.


    Though she was reluctant to wear such an attire at first, she finally agreed after Reiji¡¯s vehement persuasion. Despite being a sibling and in contrast to Reiji, she has an old way of thinking which contradicts her age. She doesn¡¯t want to wear the clothes with too much exposure. But then, since she is wearing such gaudy swimsuit now, her standard has be too obscure.


    Kaya¡¯s attire is the miniskirt of a maid; originally, Kaya seems to have always worn a maid outfit on a daily basis as an attendant at Kyouka¡¯s house. The white knee-high socks under her miniskirt make her beautiful and slender legs even more prominent.

 Chapter 21.2: The Hero’s Visit

    <h4>Chapter 21.2: The Hero¡¯s Visit</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­.


    Though Reiji tried to make her wear more revealing clothes, it seems he is no match for Kaya¡¯s silent pressure. I want to be like her, too.


    Thus, it makes me wonder why Kaya follows Kyouka? The rtionship between them hasn¡¯t changed even aftering to this world; I don¡¯t think that they have just a mere master and servant rtionship. Maybe there¡¯s more to it. But then, it didn¡¯t mean that I can just readily barge into someone else¡¯s family matter.


    Thest is Sahoko, she¡¯s wearing a white bunny attire. This attire, emphasizing the breast area, worn by Sahoko with the biggest breasts amongst us, is causing an extremely destructive impact.


    Though Sahoko¡¯s slightly plump figure can¡¯t match Kyouka¡¯s best proportion amongst us, it¡¯s still destructive enough to attract the men¡¯s lustful gazes. ording to others, some men prefer Sahoko¡¯s style.


    However, she is quite embarrassed with her high-leg leotard emphasizing her easy-delivery hips. The person herself seems to be almost crying from embarrassment. The fabric isn¡¯t theplete see-through kind but still transparent on some parts ¨C absolutely something that can¡¯t be shown to the public eyes. If it were me, I absolutely won¡¯t wear that attire. But, since Sahoko was never able to refuse Reiji¡¯s request, she¡¯s wearing such an attire, albeit unwillingly.


    Her gaze has remained painful for quite some time now. If those temple knights aren¡¯t there as our escorts to protect us from the strange guys that are trying to approach us, I might as well as have used explosion magic£¨Explosion£©to blow away those curious men to smithereens due to my embarrassment.


    We are heading toward Rox kingdom¡¯s royal pce while enduring such embarrassments. The first thing we have to do is to meet the king of this kingdom.


    I heard that it¡¯s a custom for important persons from another country to have an audience with the king when they visit the country of that king. We already heard about that even beforeing here.


    Though it¡¯s not like we were VIP¡¯s, we have no choice due to the praise from our surrounding.


    Moreover, we need to at least have a permit to easily win the trust of the foreign knights.


    The escort knights were the people chosen by the temple. Rather than to protect us, they are here with us to prevent us from using our power. If you ask for the reason, it¡¯s because our actions will be a disgrace to goddess Rena. Though I think they¡¯re rude on us, I can¡¯t say anything since Kyouka or Reiji on a white horse could triggerplete destruction in the city with their magic.


    The Knights of Rena¡¯s temple be temple knights as a vow of their love to goddess Rena, so it seems that their hearts won¡¯t be perturbed in the slightest even when they see us. Though it doesn¡¯t want them to look at me, sometimes I feel vexed by that. Well, we are definitely at a disadvantage if we are to bepared with Rena.


    But then, I¡¯m told that Rena is currently moving separately from us with her subordinates. Are you kidding me? I wish that she fights along with us and not leave us alone when ites to a battle. I¡¯m still wondering, is Rena really standing by in the vicinity of Rox kingdom?


    We arrive at the royal pce of Rox. Rox¡¯s royal pce is just one-third of Holy Republic Lenaria¡¯s government office.


    Moreover, it seems a bit too cramped for us who are used to living in Rena¡¯s temple that¡¯s bigger than the government office of Holy Republic Lenaria. But this size might be just right for a kingdom of this size with around 30000 people.


    ¡¸Wee to our ce, hero Reiji and the wives of hero¡¹


    After entering the royal pce, the king of Rox greets us.


    Learning from his previous experience, the attitude of Rox¡¯s king is that of someone greeting people with higher status than him. Reiji also shows an impudent attitude in front of the king.


    ¡¸Yeah, we¡¯ll be in your care again¡¹


    Reiji says so with a smile on his face. This kind of attitude actually often causes several troubles to befall upon us in many ces; I wish he shows a bit of respect for the king.


    But then, it seems that Reiji has no intention to change his attitude.


    Reiji thinks about him along the lines of ¡®I AM THE BEST MAN IN THIS WORLD,¡¯ maybe he won¡¯t change his attitude even in front of the king of gods.


    And then, there¡¯s no one here who can make him change his attitude. For as long as I can remember, Reiji has always defeated the ones who oppose his way irrespective of whether it¡¯s in this world or in our world.


    When was it again I wonder, in Algore kingdom, didn¡¯t he annihte the military power of the king who opposed him.


    The coup d¡¯etat after that might be due to Reiji. In fact, you might as well say that Reiji¡¯s power alone can easily annihte a kingdom. So, it¡¯s better to behave if one want things to end in a peaceful manner, and the matter of the king of Rox bowing his head to Reiji is the correct option from his perspective.


    It¡¯s our second time meeting the Rox king. Isn¡¯t he a bit more haggard than our previous meeting?


    Almina, the princess of this kingdom, is by the king¡¯s side. It¡¯s our second time to meet her, I wonder how her rtionship with her fianc¨¦ knight is?


    ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Almina. How do you do?¡¹


    Naturally, Reiji won¡¯t change his attitude even before the princess of this kingdom. An overly-familiar attitude.


    Though the king should be there, he isn¡¯t there. Maybe because he simply can¡¯t stand with Reiji¡¯s attitude from before.


    ¡¸Yes, Reiji-sama. Almina is full of spirit as always¡¹


    Almina is looking at Reiji. Those are the eyes of a maiden in love.


    Though her father and brother are suffering from cruel treatment from Reiji, Almina wees him with a face full of smiles. Is her fianc¨¦ okay with this?


    The content aside, Reiji has an extremely handsome face, and many girls are charmed by it. Moreover, the person himself is gentle with girls but harsh to men. He will never refuse any girl no matter who they are.


    The fangirls of Reiji in Holy Republic Lenaria always intrude into Rena¡¯s temple. Maybe they¡¯ll follow him all the way to this Rox kingdom if there were no demons outside.


    Reiji and Almina exchange passionate gazes. Kyouka and Rino by his side are pouting upon seeing that. Sahoko is a bit sad in seeing that. Shirone and Kaya are calm despite the happening events. Nao doesn¡¯t seem to be interested in this. It¡¯s always like this when Reiji talks to any other girl except for our group. I¡¯m already used to this situation.


    Though it¡¯s just an everyday urrence for me, that¡¯s not the case for Almina. She¡¯s almost crying after being red by Kyouka and Rino. Maybe I should at least save her from this situation.


    When I ponder about that, one man pops out.


    He looks like a generous man who wants to do something about this situation.


    When I look at him, I determine that this man is the prime minister of this kingdom.


    ¡¸Almina-sama, it¡¯s about the lodging of the hero-sama and his wives, but¡­ Since they came so suddenly¡­.¡¹


    The notice from Rena¡¯s temple about our arrival was just sent day before yesterday. And judging by the speed of the horse of this world, Rox kingdom should have received the notification just yesterday. Maybe they did not have enough time to make the preparations to greet us. His face turned pale in worry for causing Reiji¡¯s displeasure.


    Then, he turns around. He saw the regiment of the temple knights that havee as our escorts. Our group bes quite big if we include those temple knights. Maybe not all members of our group can get amodation.


    ¡¸There¡¯s no other problem aside from that¡¹


    Maybe because she could guess something from the previous exchange, Kaya walks forth.


    ¡¸Y-You are, Kaya-sama!!¡¹


    Prime minister is astonished upon seeing Kaya. I guess he failed to notice Kaya since she was hidden behind Reiji.


    ¡¸It¡¯s been two weeks since thest time we met, right prime minister-dono?¡¹


    Did she meet the prime minister two weeks ago? All of us, save for Kyouka, are surprised after hearing her words.


    ¡¸No need to worry. I already made arrangements regarding our lodging and other matters¡¹


    Kaya smiles lightly.


    === === ===


    ¡ô ck-haired Sage, Chiyuki


    We are moving toward a mansion that is slightly away from the Rox¡¯s kingdom royal pce.


    ¡¸We have been waiting, Ojou-sama¡¹


    Three maids are bowing to greet us at the mansion¡¯s entrance.


    This mansion is the vacation house bought by Kaya.


    And those maids were Kaya¡¯s subordinates.


    In fact, Kaya became involved in trading business when she was house sitting with Kyouka during our demon king¡¯s extermination journey in the past, and soon enough, she turned into an extremely rich female tycoon.


    Naturally, the reason she delved her hand into trading business was to earn massive amounts of money for Kyouka, so rather than saying that Kaya became an extremely rich female tycoon, it¡¯s better to say that Kyouka¡¯s the extremely rich female tycoon.


    Though I was surprised by Kaya¡¯s skill who garnered such money in just two months, she mentioned that she uses the hero¡¯s name to earn money in a way that can¡¯t be used in our world.


    Anyhow, Kaya doesn¡¯t pay any tax when she trades.


    The government office of Holy Republic Lenaria didn¡¯t dare to take any tax from the little sister of the hero, the same case happened to any other countries. In short, her profit is as much as her ie. Thus, she bes an extremely rich female tycoon. It seems she made a killing by using a slightly mean trick in another ce, too.


    In the recent days, she used that to build a big mansion in Holy Republic Lenaria for Kyouka.


    And then, it seems she bought a vi in Rox kingdom due to the presence of hot springs. Kaya has purchased houses at several other countries and it seems that this vi in Rox kingdom is one of them.


    It seems she met the prime minister of this kingdom when she purchased this vi. In fact, the hot spring in this country is monopolized by the royal family of Rox kingdom and is not private property. It seems that Kaya has forcibly broken that fact.


    Though I feel bad for the prime minister for what happened to him at that time, thanks to that we get a vi along with a private hot spring, so I am fine with it.


    This mansion, originally one of the hot spring establishments of this kingdom, transformed in two weeks after Kaya bought it.


    It¡¯s still under renovation but has enough space for us and our escorts. Now, I can feel at ease since I finally released from this embarrassing attire.


    The maid of the vi is guiding us.

 Chapter 21.3: The Hero’s Visit

    <h4>Chapter 21.3: The Hero¡¯s Visit</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    This maid is one of Kaya¡¯s subordinates in Holy Republic Lenaria. In addition, Kaya is also leveraging the value of a maid girl in Holy Republic Lenaria. It seems that none of the girls who applied to be a maid to get closer to Reiji remained. Kaya chose the best maid from amongst the surviving maids. The standard of her choice is a cut-above-the-rest face and ability.


    And that one girl is currently guiding me.


    The chosen girl has seemingly received guidance from her senior maid or Kaya and is well versed in etiquette.


    Everyone gathered in one room after changing their clothes in their own rooms respectively. Everyone changed into their normal attire. Reiji¡¯s showing a slightly disheartened face. As if I care about that.


    ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s talk about our future ns¡¹


    We are only ones in this room, without our escorts or the maids. We cleared out the outsiders since we¡¯ll have a meeting after this.


    ¡¸First is regarding those suspicious guys, right? ¡¹


    Some of us are nodding along with me.


    ¡¸They were everywhere¡¹


    Rino says so. But the suspicious person she means might not be the special one.


    ¡¸¡­.Let¡¯s ignore those people¡¹


    We have no time to suspect every one of them.


    ¡¸Nao, how about your side?¡¹


    Nao¡¯s perception ability is the best amongst us.


    Perception ability is divided into poison perception, enemy perception, magical power perception, and object perception.


    Reiji, Shirone, and Kaya can use object perception; Kyouka and I can use magical power perception; enemy perception is also Shirone¡¯s and Kaya¡¯s skill.


    However, Nao is capable of all of them.


    My magical power perception is superior to her, but in regard to enemy perception and other perceptions, Nao is the best.


    If even Nao can¡¯t find that suspicious person, no one amongst us can find him.


    ¡¸There were strange guys indeed, but none of them are special like Chiyuki-san described¡¹


    Though we have no need to take extra precaution if the hostile gazes were the usual ones from Reiji¡¯s fans, it seems there was nothing noteworthy amongst the gazes of the men.


    ¡¸Then next is about Diehart¡­.¡¹


    Everyone¡¯s expression changes when I say that name.


    That¡¯s just natural. He defeated Reiji and overpowered Shirone. Currently, he is the most dangerous existence for us.


    And then, our real purpose foring to this Rox kingdom is to hinder Diehart¡¯s n.


    And his goal is the horn of the Holy Dragon King. We don¡¯t know what he will use that for. Maybe for a dangerous n to swallow this world.


    But then, the gods of Elios have done nothing to hinder his n. The one who¡¯s in the move is just Rena.


    For the gods of this world to not make their move when there¡¯s a danger to their world and making us bet our life is wrong.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯m vehemently opposing the n to fight Diehart.


    But, Reiji can¡¯t ignore Rena¡¯s wish. As long as Reiji makes his move, the other girls including me will go with him and it might culminate in a battle.


    The best thing I can do right now is dy time as much as possible. As a matter of fact, we could have arrived at Rox kingdom even faster, but I dyed the departure purposefully to avoid abat against Diehart. But then, we still arrived on time.


    I wonder where Diehart is right now?


    ¡¸Do you think that Diehart has already arrived at Rox kingdom? ¡¹


    I¡¯m looking at everyone.


    ¡¸As expected, we have no way to know that. ording to the information avable, I couldn¡¯t find that dark knight¡¹


    Nao says with dejection. ording to her perception results, when she tried to sense his presence right after our arrival to this kingdom, he wasn¡¯t within a two kilometers radius of us. Though there¡¯s a possibility that he is hiding in some kind of a barrier, it¡¯s hard to imagine such a strong guy hiding inside a barrier. Could it be that he¡¯s yet to arrive at this kingdom?


    ¡¸I will know if he is directing his hostility toward us, but¡­.¡¹


    Shirone says so. Though Shirone, Kaya, and Nao can use enemy perception, it¡¯s useless when the other side isn¡¯t directing hostility toward them.


    In spite of fighting against Shirone, Shirone couldn¡¯t feel any hostility from Diehart. It might be because he isn¡¯t even considering Shirone as an enemy. What a guy.


    Come to think of it, Reiji is the only one who almost died under Diehart¡¯s sword. Maybe Reiji is the only one whom he deemed as a proper opponent.


    But then, that Reiji can¡¯t use enemy perception ability. Only the closebatants, Shirone and Kaya, can use them. Maybe there¡¯s a reason why Reiji isn¡¯t capable of that.


    Reiji can keep hisposure no matter how many hostilities from the men of our world were directed toward him. It seems enemy perception is unnecessary for Reiji as he was always being showered with hostilities from the surrounding men.


    ¡¸How about we look for him in this area? ¡¹


    Nao puts forth a suggestion.


    ¡¸No, I think it¡¯s not a good idea. I don¡¯t want to identally poke a snake under the bush. Moreover, this bell will let us know when Diehart ising to cut the corners of the horn of the Holy Dragon King¡¹


    I take out a bell. Moreover, it¡¯s not like we have to search for him.


    ¡¸I agree. It¡¯s been a while since we havee to the kingdom of hot springs after all. Let¡¯s just enjoy our day at ease¡¹


    Reiji is saying so with a cheerful expression.


    ¡¸You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s enjoy the hot springs here!¡¹


    I noticed that it¡¯s been a while since my opinion matched with Reiji¡¯s.


    Unpleasant events keep unfurling one after another: Reiji¡¯s near-death experience, losing the way to go back to our world, and doing queer things such as this one. I want us to have some change of pace at this point.


    I think we should just enjoy our time in this kingdom where hot spring gushes forth.


    Thus, we decided to enjoy the hot springs at the end of our meeting.


    === === ===


    ¡ô Rox kingdom¡¯s knight, Rember


    ¡¸We are enough as escorts of hero-sama; we have no need for you guys. Your only job is to just patrol around the city to make sure that no one in the city plotting something against hero-sama¡¹[TL: though the ¡®you¡¯ here isn¡¯t kisama, it¡¯s still a bit too rude]


    This was the reply from the temple knights who became the escorts of hero-sama.


    Some of the chosen freedom fighters are enraged by the impolite words of the temple knights.


    Even though I managed to gather some trusted people, since there¡¯s no need for escort unlike thest time they came here, my effort seems to have been wasted.


    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. I asked all of you toe and yet¡­.¡¹


    I apologize to the freedom fighters who have gathered at this ce with me.


    ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped, we won¡¯t get our change if those famous temple knights be their escorts, after all¡­¡¹


    Gallios is trying tofort me.


    ¡¸Well, it really can¡¯t be helped, Rember-dono. There are some things that we can¡¯t do even with great effort¡¹


    It seems Kuro isn¡¯t that much bothered by it, either.


    Naturally, some of the invited freedom fighters were angry about it, but they¡¯re persuaded by Gallios.


    Moreover, nothing will change no matter how angry they are.


    Chivalric order of the temple knights of Holy Republic Lenaria is the best in the eastern part of this continent and twenty of such knights havee as hero¡¯s escorts. It¡¯s natural for someone like us to not even get our chance.


    So, we have no choice but to patrol the city as the temple knights told us to.


    It¡¯s sound a bit pathetic.


    It makes me wonder why I have to do this.


    Maybe I¡¯m just unfortunate. In fact, different from the other knights, my job should have ended yesterday before the festival. I was supposed to be the first to sortie in case an unexpected matter happened during the festival.


    Because of this reason, I ended up drawing the short end of the stick by the hero¡¯s sudden visit. There¡¯s also the matter of those zombies. Too many things suddenly happened in one day.


    In fact, I should be enjoying the festival with Almina around this time. Since the things that could cause problems aren¡¯t happening, I concurred that there¡¯s no problem.


    But then, I can¡¯t enjoy the festival with Almina since she became the hero¡¯s guide. Misfortune keeps piling one after another.


    Since no one is willing to patrol the city, the gathered freedom fighter also dispersed.


    The only ones left are just Kuro and Gallios.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll be patrolling around with Rember. What about you, Kuro? ¡¹


    Gallios is asking Kuro.


    ¡¸I¡¯m going to patrol the area, too. And then, I think we have to keep our eyes on the festival to prevent any idents¡¹


    Different from the other freedom fighters, Gallios and Kuro are willing to do the job. When I say my gratitude to them, they justugh it off by saying ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter¡±.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right, Kuro. How about you try to woo some womening to this kingdom after this job is done?¡¹


    Gallios suddenly pushes Kuro to woo some woman.

 Chapter 21.4: The Hero’s Visit

    <h4>Chapter 21.4: The Hero¡¯s Visit</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    A lot of harlotse this time around as tourists. Maybe Gallios is referring to them.


    Though Kuro doesn¡¯t seem to be someone who¡¯s used to such things, maybe he won¡¯t be able to hold it anymore after seeing the women brought by the hero.


    The store which provides that kind of service might be experiencing a boom in their business because of those men who saw the women led by that hero just now. Men whose carnal desires got incited by the scenery are definitely flocking those ces right now.


    I felt it¡¯s necessary so that they won¡¯t assault normal female civilians.


    ¡¸Well, let¡¯s do our best then¡¹


    Kuro is saying so while smiling wryly.


    From his tone, it seems that he takes Gallios¡¯s words as a joke. But, Gallios might really be meaning it.


    Kuro went out just like that. He might be patrolling around as he already said.


    ¡¸Peneroa also gave her permission to bring a woman back to your room¡¹


    Gallios is saying so to Kuro¡¯s back. Kuro just waves back at him without even turning around.


    ¡¸Well, I should do my job too, then. Come to think of it, what should we do about those zombies?¡¹


    Naturally, I¡¯m referring to the zombie incidentst night.


    ¡¸Almina will try to ask the hero-sama and his party for their help. It¡¯s not like it doesn¡¯t have any connection with the hero-sama either if the enemy turned out to be the Striges¡¹


    There¡¯s a demon called Striges.


    A living being that simr to thebination of female human and bird.


    It¡¯s figure closely resembles a siren living in the southern sea or a harpy living at the center of the mountain range.


    The difference between them is the fact that harpies have eagle wings, sirens have wings of seabird, while Striges have wings of an owl.


    Maybe because the Striges are a cross-breed between female human and an owl, they are nocturnal.


    But, that¡¯s not what makes them dangerous. The most terrifying fact about Striges is the fact that they drink human blood. Moreover, they are a race excelling at necromancy.


    And someday, these Striges settled down in the tower built in Rox kingdom¡¯s vicinity.


    A lot of people in the surrounding countries fell to them as their prey. Rox kingdom also suffered from the same fate.


    The ramparts are useless against them as they can fly with their wings.


    Since they were nocturnal, the only time to attack them is during noon. But, the subjugation still failed since those Striges remain inside the tower during the daytime and prepared clever traps by summoning undead to block anyone who enters the tower.


    Though I don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s a good thing or not, those Striges didn¡¯t go as far as ruining the surrounding country and have no intention to turn humans into their fodder. Nevertheless, it won¡¯t justify the death of their victims.


    The situation changed about a month ago. One of those Striges attacked a member of the hero¡¯s party when that person was strolling at night.


    In fact, that Strige was defeated in her own game. [TL: Surprised? Yes, Rember always referred Striges as ¡®she¡¯ since all of them are females.]


    But, things didn¡¯t end so easily. Somehow, those Striges came to raid the Rox kingdom along with their armies of undead and zombies in the evening after that incident. Maybe it was to take revenge for theirrade¡¯s death.


    But, it was a foolish choice. Their undead armies weren¡¯t a match against the hero staying at Rox kingdom; those undead were instantly annihted by the pseudo-sun he created with his magic.


    After that, the hero-tachi headed toward the tower andpletely annihted those Striges without even leaving one of them alive.


    Therefore, those Striges are no more. Or that¡¯s how it supposed to be.


    The zombies appeared again as if waiting for the day of the festival. Maybe a Striges managed to survive that ughter.


    And that Striges seems to be full of resentment against this kingdom. But, Striges are so strong to the point that it¡¯s hard for us to fight against them. That¡¯s why I decided to borrow the hero¡¯s power.


    There¡¯s no way the hero, who¡¯s always kind to woman, will refuse Almina¡¯s request.


    ¡¸Are you really okay with asking for the hero¡¯s help? Are you really okay with involving the princess in this matter?¡¹


    Gallios is saying so with a worried expression.


    ¡¸As if¡­. Hero-sama already has so many splendid women. There¡¯s no way he¡¯ll turn his hand toward Almina¡¹


    Though I say so, I¡¯m a bit anxious in regards to that matter. The one who proposed to be the hero¡¯s guide is Almina herself, after all. Almina had already met the hero before that. Maybe something happened during that time.


    But, even I couldn¡¯t do anything about that. I can¡¯t do anything to the hero, and despite being my lover, Almina is a princess, so I can¡¯t evenin about my troubles.


    I hope nothing happens between them.


    But, I feel rather uneasy about that.


    === === ===


    ¡ô Dark Knight Kuroki


    ¡¸That was an amazing sight¡­.¡¹


    I recall Shirone¡¯s wonderful attire.


    Her appearance remains saved into a separate folder in my brain¡¯s vault so that I can enjoy it anytime I want.


    The men along the way where Shirone and the rest passed by were sending passionate gazes toward their procession.


    It was natural to see the scenery. Even I myself was unintentionally pulled in by that scene.


    It can¡¯t be helped that my lower body reacted due to her appearance after a while.


    I would have be the very definition of a pervert if I didn¡¯t wear my mantle.


    In the first ce, there¡¯s very little stimtion in Nargol. I mean there¡¯s no human in my surroundings. The women of demon race who have appearances closest to the human race are Mona¡¯s aides, and I can¡¯t even approach them since Mona seems to hate me.


    Then, I recall about Regena, the human princess whom I saved recently. I think she will let me do hi deeds as long as I ask since she¡¯s my ve. But then, I realized that I couldn¡¯t destroy her future just because of a moment of carnal desire.


    I want to look after them as much as possible until the end. I think I¡¯ll send her back to the human society. So it¡¯s better to send her in perfect shape for the sake of the man who will be her husband in the future.


    Moreover, it¡¯s difficult to walk in my current situation.


    Shall I go to that kind of shop to do the deed which I took as a jokest night?


    I rejected the offerst night since buying a woman with money just doesn¡¯t click with me.


    Everything is Shirone¡¯s fault. That attire is too deadly. Shirone¡¯s butt waspletely exposed.


    Though we had bathed together in our childhood, I have never seen her in her swimsuit.


    She¡¯s grown that much, huh¡­ Her breasts have gotten bigger and her waist has be much slimmer. My heart¡¯s beating loudly upon seeing my childhood friend¡¯s growth.


    Could it be that Shirone¡¯s always showing such an appearance in front of Reiji when I¡¯m not around?


    I recall Reiji¡¯s face when he passed by the road.


    Reiji had a smug look on his face.


    Reiji¡¯s expression told everything. ¡°See, you guys can¡¯t even walk on the street with such fine girls on tow, right?¡± He¡¯s unting his girls.


    The men who saw Reiji would surely have understood his thoughts.


    Though I don¡¯t know why they are wearing such revealing attires, it¡¯s undoubtedly Reiji¡¯s idea.


    I¡¯m so jealous since Shirone never let me see her in that kind of attire even if I begged her.


    I¡¯m sure that her silent fists will rain incessantly on my body the moment I made that request to her.


    I feel depressed when thinking about such things. But thanks to that, I managed to appease my raging lower body.


    Let¡¯s do one round of patrol for now, then.


    To be honest, the idea of escorting Reiji¡¯s absurd. But, I have promised Rember.


    Now then, should I look for the people who are hostile toward Reiji and the rest?


    I ascend to the top of the rampart, the highest point in Rox kingdom to see the townscape.


    My eyesight improved tremendously ever since I came to this world. I could even see what everyone is doing right now in detail despite seeing them from on top of the rampart.


    Let¡¯s try to find suspicious personnel.


    I¡¯m looking at the center of the city. There, at a nce, I saw one group obviously saying something dangerous. It was the fan club of Sasaki Rino which I could find even in Holy Republic Lenaria. They were holding a g with Sasaki Rino¡¯s picture on it.


    Could it be that they chased her all the way to this ce?¡­ To be honest, I¡¯m shocked by their action.


    They are a dangerous group, but the temple knights should be enough to deal with that kind of guys. Let¡¯s just ignore them.


    I switch my focus and then notice an abnormality when I try to concentrate at a different ce. Come to think of it, why are there crowds of men in the surroundings?


    I strain my eyes to take a good look at them again. It wasn¡¯t a dangerous situation.


    They were selling the portraits of the women on Reiji¡¯s side. And not just the portrait of Sasaki Rino, all members, including Shirone¡¯s portrait, were also sold amongst the goods. Moreover, it¡¯s the portrait of them in today¡¯s attire.


    Maybe it was mass produced with some kind of art printing. It seems they brought quite a number of pictures with them.


    I can do nothing but grind myself in frustration for overlooking such important information.


    Let¡¯s buy themter.


    Next is looking at the right side of the town. Then I found five temple knights in that area with nothing special to note about.


    Those temple knights were different from the ones whom I met a while ago.


    It¡¯s the second time I¡¯m meeting them. They are the same guys as the one wearing uniform surcoat when I raided Rena¡¯s temple back then.


    What are they doing in this kind of ce?


    The thing that I can consider as a possibility is that it might be because they take turns to rest.


    Taking a closer look, they were having a spat with amoner.


    I¡¯m straining my ears to hear their conversation. It seems they were scrambling for harlots.


    The temple knights swore their love to Rena and shouldn¡¯t fall in love with other women, but as expected, the reality is different, after all.


    Well, it can¡¯t be helped since it¡¯ll only make them suffer even longer to not do the deed after they saw Shirone and the rest in those attires. Rather, that¡¯s the reaction of a normal human.


    I nce at the left side of the town for thest time. It seems nothing¡¯s special in there, too. But then, a woman in that ce caught my intention. This woman is hiding her face with a hood. She seems like a normal tourist.


    But for some reason, I can¡¯t take my eyes off her.


    I strain my eyes to have a closer look at her while wondering about it. And then, I¡¯m surprised when I see through her identity.


    I will fail to notice her unless I intentionally focus my attention on her.


    Why is she in this city?


    Don¡¯t tell me a dangerous existence has reallye to this city and is aiming for the hero¡¯s life?


    I descend from the rampart in hurry.


    Then, I dashed toward that girl¡¯s ce at full speed.


    She finally noticed my presence.


    ¡¸D¡­ Diehart!?¡¹


    The girl is looking at me with a surprised face.


    ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, goddess Rena¡¹


    I greet the woman in front of me.


    Though she¡¯s pretending to be a normal human, she won¡¯t be able to deceive my eyes.


    The woman in front of me is undoubtedly the one and only goddess Rena.

 Chapter 22.1 : Goddess’s Holiday

    <h4>Chapter 22.1 : Goddess¡¯s Holiday</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    ¡ôGoddess of Wisdom and Victory, Rena


    Mona.


    That is the name of the fake goddess made with my hair as the material. In short, my clone.


    If you ask why I know about her existence, the very reason was the person herself. Though it¡¯s not like Modes was trying to hide her.


    Though I don¡¯t know the reason, someday she just appeared in my dream with me seeing her point of view.


    Maybe because she is my clone.


    Moreover, though I can get any information from her, she can¡¯t do the same thing to me. Maybe that¡¯s the distinguishing attribute between the original and the copy. It seems Mona doesn¡¯t know that I can get information from her.


    Thus, I know information about Nargol first hand while still remaining in Elios.


    But then, I alsoe to know about information that I don¡¯t want to know.


    To make things worse, I am forced to see Mona and Modes having a s#x EVERY NIGHT. For some reason, I have to see the naked body of that ugly Modes even inside my dream; to be honest, it¡¯s a nightmare to me. Why did it turn this way¡­


    That¡¯s why I summoned Reiji to defeat Modes.


    But, my n derailed since Modes also summoned Diehart.


    Though I have consulted Casa, the goddess with the power to see the future, as to whether I can do something about Diehart, the result was nil. Casa¡¯s power only enabled her to see a certain future amongst countless futures, so strictly speaking, she could only see into the future instead of predicting the future.


    She can¡¯t see the future that won¡¯t happen or a future that doesn¡¯t exist. Moreover, the ability itself is unstable and dangerous. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t rely on Casa beyond this.


    I have no choice but to do this myself.


    But, I only know the information about Nargol that Mona knows. It seems Modes doesn¡¯t talk about too many things with Mona. Sometimes, the information was also unreliable.


    The matter about Diehart¡¯s summoning is also something that¡¯s unknown to Mona until the veryst minute. This is not because Modes didn¡¯t trust Mona, he only wanted to find peace andfort from Mona and didn¡¯t intend to tell her about the problems in Nargol.


    But, sometimes he informs her about some important information.


    Thus, I knew the information about Diehart heading for the ce of the silver holy dragon king to gain the ingredient to make my clone.


    Thus, I decided to foil their n.


    But, Diehart is too powerful. It will be difficult to stop him with just me and my war maiden(Valkyrie) squad that¡¯sposed of my subordinate female angels.


    Theirbat power is even weaker than the chivalric order of holy knights. Thus, I¡¯m sure that they aren¡¯t a match for Diehart who annihted those holy knights.


    That¡¯s why I used Reiji.


    That is the base of my n.


    I¡¯m erecting a barrier at the entrance of the cave where the holy dragon king reside. This barrier will notify us when Diehart enters the cave.


    And then, after Diehart trims the horn of the holy dragon king.


    He¡¯ll be stopped by Reiji when hees out from the cave.


    And then, my war maidens will snatch the horn while he¡¯s distracted by them.


    The bell that I gave to Reiji is to let them move toward the cave as soon as the bell notifies them about Diehart.


    And then, when I received contact from a scouting war maiden that Diehart had already arrived at Rox kingdom, we came in a hurry to thisnd via a flying ship.


    But then, though I contacted them yesterday, they just came today. I wonder what they did during that time.


    Knowing their power, they should be able toe way faster than this.


    Reiji aside, the people who came with him from another world are also powerful. To be honest, their powers rival the divine beings of Elios.


    They¡¯re treated as humans for the time being. But then, I¡¯m pondering whether it¡¯s okay to treat them the same way as humans.


    Currently, they¡¯re not treated as divine beings. Speaking of god, one isn¡¯t a god unless one is nominated by the divine beings of Elios. One also won¡¯t be treated as a divine being without the consent of the other gods of Elios.


    And they won¡¯t be treated as a superior race such as angel race or elven race since they have no special characteristics of those two races. That¡¯s why, in the end, there¡¯s no choice but to treat them in the same way as humans, a lower race. They have god-like power and yet they are humans. There was a time when we were troubled about how to treat them.


    Now, I¡¯m pondering about the reason for their tardiness. It might be due to Chiyuki. She opposed the idea of having Reiji fight against Diehart. Thus, I¡¯m sure that she deliberately dyed their arrival.


    I¡¯ll be the one in trouble if they¡¯re not going to sh. Otherwise, for what reason did I summon them, then?


    If she bes a hindrance, I have no choice but to use this¡­. I take a small bottle from my bosom.


    Love potion.


    The person who drinks this potion will fall in love with anyone they saw first. The magic potion has been further strengthened to an absurd level with charm magic. I will make Chiyuki drink this.


    This is an extremely dangerous potion which will turn anyone who drinks this potion into a ve.


    Though ruling magic should be enough in the case of a ve, the ability of the other party who bes the target of this ruling magic is lowered aspensation¡­ Though I want to use this magic, I don¡¯t want to lower her ability.


    But, this potion makes it possible for someone to rule over another without lowering the target¡¯s ability.


    And then, this potion was the potion that I was about to use on Reiji when I summoned him. It¡¯s because the summoned target doesn¡¯t necessarily act ording to the will of the summoner.


    Therefore, I prepared this potion in case things didn¡¯t pan out as I wished.


    But, I never had the chance to use this potion, since Reiji easily epted my request. I guess I should have use this potion on Chiyuki from the very beginning.


    But, there¡¯s a restriction in the effect of this potion.


    First, in regard to the target who drinks this potion, the other party must have some sort of affection toward the other party who they saw first. The magic potion will lose its effect if the other party¡¯s race traits are too far apart. For example, a monkey who drank this potion won¡¯t fall in love with a dog even if they saw a dog. Though it¡¯ll be a different story if that monkey has some sort of strange tendencies. And then, even if both are of the same race, the effect will be greatly weakened if the target seen was extremely far apart from the preferences of the target. However, they¡¯ll be good friends.


    That should be enough in case I stealthily make Chiyuki to drink this. In short, it¡¯s fine as long as she isn¡¯t stopping Reiji from abiding my request.


    Second, this potion will lose its effect in case the target ispletely in love with another party. In short, this potion is ineffective after the the target drinks it once. At the same time, it will stop someone from loving a different person. It¡¯s ineffective to someone who exists to love something from the very beginning or a familiar who exists to love their master due to the simr nature of love.


    And, the effect of this potion varies depending on the magic resistance of the target and the quantity of the potion drank by them. The potion will lose its effect if a target with powerful resistance only drinks a small dose of the potion.


    I wonder how much I should feed this potion to Chiyuki. The potion in my hand right now is an especially powerful magic potion, after all. One drop should be enough to make a normal human to love someone forever.


    Then what dose should I use against a target whose magic resistance rivals those of divine beings?


    This is the first and thest magic potion I can get my hands on. This potion is banned goods in Elios due to its extremely dangerous effect, after all.


    Since the effect of this potion can¡¯t be cancelled from outside once the target ingests it. One has to rely on their own magic resistance to cancel the effect of this potion.


    Things won¡¯t just end with banishment if it¡¯s known that a divine being used this potion on their fellow divine beings of Elios. That¡¯s just how dangerous this potion is.


    It¡¯s unknown how effective this magic potion is to someone who has magic resistant as powerful as the general popce of divine beings of Elios, since it¡¯s never been used on any divine being.


    The sh between Reiji and Diehart is a must.


    I definitely mustn¡¯t let him to cut the horn of the holy dragon king.


    But then, Diehart isn¡¯t making his move so soon. It seems he¡¯s yet to cut the horn despite already having arrived in this kingdom. Though Reiji-tachi waste ording to the schedule, they¡¯re still notte due to the current circumstances.


    But then, I couldn¡¯t determine where Diehart is hiding right now.


    My subordinate war maidens aren¡¯t too skilled in tracking. Thus, they¡¯re not a good choice for scouting.


    Since they¡¯re standing by in a flying ship in stealth at a different ce in order to be not noticed by Diehart, I don¡¯t know what should I do right now.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯m sneaking alone into the Rox kingdom to scout the situation and make Chiyuki drink this potion.


    Though my war maidens wanted to go along with me, it won¡¯t be covert if I were moving along with them. Thus, I came alone. This way is at least inconspicuous than moving with them.


    Though I¡¯m not that skilfull in covert action, at least I won¡¯t be found out by humans easily.


    The problem is Diehart; I don¡¯t know how powerful his detection ability is. He might be able to discover me with ease if his detection ability is as powerful as Reiji¡¯srade, Nao.


    In fact, even if his detection ability isn¡¯t as powerful as Nao¡¯s, he can still easily find my location with detection ability if it¡¯s around Kaya¡¯s or Shirone¡¯s level. My invisibility magic isn¡¯t that powerful.


    Thus, I embarked on my journey to Rox kingdom while filled with such anxiety.


    I went toward the direction from which I could sense the bell I gave to Reiji.


    But then, someone is standing on my way.


    I was quite surprised when seeing this person¡¯s face.


    Previously, I saw his face in the temple.


    His two quartz-like pupils which adorned his well-ordered and slender face along with that ck hair isn¡¯t something that I can forget.


    ¡¸D-Diehart!?¡¹


    The person standing before me is Diehart.


    No way, to think that he can so easily find my location.


    ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, goddess Rena¡¹


    Diehart sent his greetings to me.


    === === ===


    ¡ô ck-haired Sage, Chiyuki


    The hot spring of the mansion is wide andfy.


    Though Kaya only managed to gain a rtively small hot spring establishment, it¡¯s still on the scale where more than a few people can enter into the hot spring and there¡¯re just six of us. Even with that, it¡¯s wide enough for us to swim in it.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Nao?¡¹


    Nao is ring at me as the six of us immerse ourselves in the hot spring.


    ¡¸I just think that your hair is so pretty, Chiyuki-san¡¹


    ¡¸I see, thank you¡¹


    This is not the first time someone praised me for my hair. But, it doesn¡¯t feel bad no matter how much someone praises my hair.


    On the other hand, it then came to me that my hair is the only thing ever praised by someone.


    ¡¸As expected of the only thing which made you famous as ck-haired sage¡¹


    ck-haired sage is my nickname. And I¡¯m not the only one who has such a nickname.


    Shirone is ¡®maiden of sword¡¯ and Rino is ¡®fairy dancer¡¯.


    Those two are also currently immersed within the hot spring. Those two give different kinds of aura when they let down their hair. There¡¯s tinge of pink in their white skin.


    When I look at them, theye to my side, too.


    ¡¸Hey, what are you guys talking about? ¡¹


    Rino is butting into our conversation.


    ¡¸We were talking about Chiyuki-san¡¯s beautiful hair¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Chiyuki-san¡¯s hair is really pretty. It makes me so jealous¡¹


    ¡¸Come to think of it, Shirone-san¡¯s hair is pretty too¡¹


    I shift my gaze toward Shirone¡¯s hair. She has currently let her usual ponytail loose.


    ¡¸Agreed. Her ponytail flutters around so beautifully, especially when she swings her sword. As expected from the sword maiden¡¹


    Shirone is blushing lightly after Nao praised about her hair.


    ¡¸Sword maiden huh¡­. What a good name¡¹


    Rino is burning with envy.


    ¡¸Ara, I think Rino¡¯s fairy dancer is nice, you see¡¹


    ¡¸YUP!! Shirone-san and Rinohi have cool nicknames. I want one too¡­.¡¹


    As a matter of fact, Nao has no nickname. I definitely won¡¯t tell her the fact that she is nicknamed feral child back in our world.


    ¡¸It¡¯s good, isn¡¯t it? At least it¡¯s better than having a strange name attached to you¡¹


    Rino is looking at the two from a slightly distant ce.


    Then, there¡¯s Kaya and Kyouka.


    Kyouka¡¯s nickname is exploding princess. It¡¯s a nickname she got after she used explosion magic in the middle of the city. The person herself hates this nickname.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right¡­.¡¹


    Nao agrees to her response.


    ¡¸Speaking of nicknames, where is our white saint and hero of light right now? ¡¹


    Rino asks about the whereabouts of the two who aren¡¯t here right now.


    ¡¸Our white saint is preparing for dinner¡¹


    The one called white saint is Sahoko. We decided to let Sahoko handled the meal since this mansion only has a few maids currently. Moreover, I heard that the royal chef of the Rox royal pce also came over to help her.


    Sahoko and Kaya are the only ones who can cook amongst us.

 Chapter 22.2 : Goddess’s Holiday

    <h4>Chapter 22.2 : Goddess¡¯s Holiday</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    Sahoko is master of home cooking while Kaya can make georgeous meals that you could only set your gaze upon in parties.


    Though I¡¯m unable to match their skills, I can cook to a certain extent.


    Rino, Nao, and Kyouka have zero disposition for cooking.


    Shirone is somehow uninterested in cooking. Naturally, I won¡¯t tell them that.


    I remember she distributed salty cookies some time ago.


    Though she brought it for Reiji, even Reiji couldn¡¯t eat that. That¡¯s just natural since he normally eats Sahoko¡¯s cooking.


    It couldn¡¯t be helped, but I heard Shirone gave her cookies to her childhood friend, and I also heard that he ate her dishes with delight.


    Was his stomach alright?


    Though I¡¯m yet to meet her childhood friend, I heard from Rino that he¡¯s quite handsome himself.


    Moreover, it seems that Shirone¡¯s childhood friend had a crush on her. But then, I feel bad for him since the one that Shirone loves might be Reiji.


    I wonder where Reiji is right now.


    ¡¸As for our hero of light, I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s doing right now¡¹


    Though a separate bathroom for Reiji was also prepared, it seems he isn¡¯t using it right now.


    ¡¸Well, it seems he isn¡¯t peeping on us either¡¹


    I set a powerful barrier magic to prevent a peeping tom.


    Even that Reiji won¡¯t be able to bypass that barrier without being noticed by us.


    The problem is the fact that this barrier can¡¯t detect anything outside its range. So, I won¡¯t know anything even if some sort of problem happened. It¡¯s good as long as Reiji isn¡¯t doing anything abnormal.


    Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t even know what Diehart or Rena is doing right now.


    By the way, where the heck are those two people in question, right now?


    I continue immersing myself in water till my shoulders while pondering about such things.


    === === ===


    ¡ô Dark Knight, Kuroki


    At noon, stalls are lined up next to each other in the main street and so many people are walking around.


    Looking at these row of stalls made me reminisce about festivals in Japan.


    Though I didn¡¯t attend the festival in recent years, I was always going around with Shirone back in our childhood days.


    It¡¯s meaningless to go to a festival without Shirone.


    Yup, it¡¯s a man¡¯s romance to go to a festival with a cute girl.


    That¡¯s why this situation should be an extremely delightful situation.


    There¡¯s a woman walking by my side. This woman can¡¯t be identified due to the deep hood she wearing.


    But, I know that she¡¯s beautiful even just with the lower half of her face.


    Goddess Rena.


    The one who summoned Shirone.


    This is the second time I¡¯m meeting her. I wonder why she¡¯s in this ce.


    Moreover, is she trying to do something to Shirone?


    I believe that she has nothing to do with Shirone anymore.


    But, I¡¯ve been asked to escort the hero. I¡¯ve been also tasked to search for any person who might be hostile toward the hero.


    To be honest, I wasn¡¯t that serious when I received this request. Reiji is powerful to the extent that nothing can threaten them.


    On second thoughts, the task of escorting them should be left to the temple knights.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯m extremely surprised when I caught a sight of her from the top of the rampart. Though she wore her hood, I knew that she was Rena.


    I can¡¯t just let her go after I caught a sight of her.


    Because, she is the most dangerous existence for the hero and his party.


    Thus, I appeared before her.


    But now, I¡¯m stuck and don¡¯t know what should I do after this.


    By the way, I want to find her intention for appearing in this kind of ce. Naturally, I¡¯ll flee if she¡¯s going to call Reiji.


    ¡¸You¡¯re surprisingly a coercive person, aren¡¯t you?¡¹


    Rena is ming me a while after we started walking together.


    Herment made me recall our exchange a while ago.


    She said that she was sightseeing the festival when I asked her about the reason for her appearance. Naturally, it¡¯s an outright lie. Thus, I forced her to sightsee with me if she really came for sightseeing the festival.


    I have no choice but to absolutely force her to go with me as long as she doesn¡¯t tell me about her real purpose. Eh¡­¡­¡­. Aren¡¯t I just wooing ady in the middle of an open street?


    ¡¸I¡¯m not, it¡¯s because I can¡¯t just leave you alone¡­.¡¹


    It¡¯s definitely not a lie.


    ¡¸Hhm, I see¡¹


    Rena raises her hood a bit with her hand as if to appraise my intentions.


    Her beautiful eyes are staring into mine.


    My heart beat is rising just because of that.


    ¡¸Fine then, I¡¯ll let you to be my escort¡¹


    Rena began to walk. I¡¯m following by her side.


    I¡¯m sightseeing the festival along with a beautiful girl.


    Isn¡¯t this what you call as a date?


    === === ===


    ¡ô Dark Knight, Kuroki


    ¡¸There are so many humans walking around¡¹


    Rena said after walking for a while.


    ¡¸It¡¯s festival after all¡­. That¡¯s why there are so many people. Please bear with it since everyone hase to enjoy the festival¡­.¡¹


    I reply as such to Rena.


    ¡¸I see¡¹


    Rena is a goddess, so she might not have that much patience.


    So, I ended up bing a living shield to prevent others from bumping against Rena.


    ¡¸Oops¡¹


    I pull Rena toward myself. Rena¡¯s back hit my chest.


    Though I tried to shield her as much as I could, it can¡¯t be helped since there¡¯s too many people walking so close to each other on the street.


    ¡¸HEY! !¡¹


    Rena shouted angrily.


    ¡¸Sorry, Rena¡¹


    I apologized to Rena.


    ¡¸No man has ever touch me like that, though¡¹


    Rena is implying the gravity of the matter by saying those lines to me.


    ¡¸Ah, my apologies, Rena. But, you shouldn¡¯t erase those people with your power¡¹


    Since there¡¯s so many people, we have no choice but toe to a mutual understanding.


    ¡¸Well, it¡¯s okay, please release me for now¡¹


    Thus, I separate myself from Rena.


    ¡¸Right. So, I can erase those who aren¡¯t a hindrance, right?¡¹


    Rena told me that while pointing at the street stalls.


    ¡¸No, those things are necessary for a festival¡­.¡¹


    In fact, I can¡¯t buy the goods of the street vendor, since it¡¯s expensive. But then, a festival without street vendors is just too lonely.


    ¡¸Uhn¡¹


    Rena replied with a bored expression.


    Thus, I continue walking together with this girl who already in a bad mood.


    If this was a real date, I might get heartbroken by such a sight.


    In the first ce, street vendors exist just for the sake of the festival, right?


    Though she said that she came for sightseeing the festival, now I know that it isn¡¯t the case. As I thought, sightseeing the festival is just a big fat lie.


    Rena suddenly stopped walking.


    ¡¸What is that?¡¹


    When I¡¯m looking at the direction where she is looking at.


    There was a g with Sasaki Rino¡¯s picture pasted on it.


    I¡¯m a little surprised by that. To be honest, it¡¯s not something that can be seen by a woman.


    ¡¸That is¡­ Rino¡¹


    I stopped walking a while after Rena.


    There are less buyerspared to a while ago.


    Rena is peeking at the street vendor beside the g.


    When I try to look at the vendor along with her, I see them selling pictures of Shirone.


    It¡¯s the picture of Shirone in today¡¯s costume. What an extremely dangerous picture.


    Good job. Though I want to gaze at it for a while longer, I hold myself back in front of Rena.


    ¡¸Diehart. Are they the worshippers of Rino?¡¹


    Rena¡¯s tone is a bit too heavy.


    ¡¸They¡¯re¡­ In a certain way¡¹


    To be honest, even I¡¯m confused how to describe them.


    Should I call them chasers of idol?


    ¡¸And yet, she¡¯s not even a divine being¡­¡¹


    Rena¡¯s attitude was beyond my expectation. Maybe it¡¯s not a trivial matter for a goddess like Rena to see them worshipping someone who isn¡¯t a divine being.


    ¡¸You also want those pictures right?¡¹


    Rena said while pointing to one of the pictures.


    The one she pointed at was the picture of Shirone. And for some reason, her voice is filled with killing intent.


    To be honest, I want to buy it.


    But there¡¯s no way I¡¯ll say ¡®Yes I do¡¯ in front of another girl. So, I can only say that in my heart.


    I steel my resolve and turn my eyes to not look at that picture. I face Rena who¡¯s standing before me.


    This is something that I don¡¯t want her to hear. Though it¡¯s just a false impression acting as her escort, doing something like talking about another woman is wrong.


    ¡¸No, you¡¯re here with me after all¡¹


    I told her so while looking at Rena. Thus, I choose to act indifferent toward the other girls.


    ¡¸Eh?!¡¹


    Rena let out a surprised voice on hearing my words.


    Rena raised her hood a bit and took a closer look at my face.


    My face is reflected in her eyes. Please don¡¯t look at me with those kind of eyes.


    You¡¯re an extremely beautiful woman after all. My head feels like it¡¯s boiling when being stared at like that.


    Rena pondered for a while. And then, she nodded as if she noticed something.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right, that¡¯s only natural, after all. I¡¯m more beautiful than them¡¹


    Rena is smiling.


    ¡¸That¡¯s why, those are just fake goods¡¹


    Yeah, yeah, I can only nod at her words. I don¡¯t know what she meant, though.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go then, Diehart¡¹


    We resumed our touring. Thanks god, she¡¯s a god though.


    Even though she seems to have been in a bad mood just sometime ago.


    ¡¸Ah,e to think of it¡¹


    She suddenly stopped and turned around to face me.


    ¡¸This should be the same posture as that picture, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸Na!?¡¹


    WHY DID Y¨C! ! !


    I¡¯m screaming in my mind. It was the loudest scream in my entire life.


    I mean, Rena is taking that posture. Rena breasts are so big to the point that I can see them despite her cloak.


    When asked so, I wonder who would have the best posture.


    Shirone? Or the royal sister of Reiji? Wrong!! It is the white bunny costume that was worn by Yoshino Saho-¡­.


    My thoughts were interrupted at that point.

 Chapter 22.3 : Goddess’s Holiday

    <h4>Chapter 22.3 : Goddess¡¯s Holiday</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    I then came back to my senses and looked at Rena. She is looking at me with a scornful look.


    ¡¸Just kidding¡­. But you¡­ Aren¡¯t you surprisingly gulliable huh¡¹


    Rena said so with a shocked voice.


    ¡¸Uuuh¡­.¡¹


    I want to cry right now. I waspletely led by my nose and ended up exposing my real thoughts. Though I wanted to act cool and nice in front of a girl, it can¡¯t be helped since I¡¯m severelycking in experience.


    After saying so, she keep walking while pretending to not see me.


    I miserably chase after her.


    We entered a less crowded street, then. And then, we keep advancing toward the small aley which is almost deste.


    When I¡¯m about to turn to Rena since it seems we won¡¯t be able to advance beyond this point, she suddenly stopped.


    When I look to the front, I saw people wearing knight uniforms.


    The knights were wearing their knight uniforms with white flower and vines crest sewn on their uniform.


    It¡¯s a crest I saw so many times in Holy Republic Lenaria, the holy crest of goddess Rena.


    I was told that the flower holy crest, resembling Reeve¡¯s spiraea, has the meaning of ¡°pure heart¡± in flowernguage and is also called as Rena herb.


    I realize from that crest that those knights were the very same ones who escorted Reiji and the rest here.


    And now, five of them are blocking our way. What the hell are they trying to do?


    ¡¸They¡¯re your knights, aren¡¯t they?¡¹


    I stop myself and ask that question to Rena while looking at those knights.


    ¡¸They¡¯re not my knights, they¡¯re the ¡®temple¡¯s¡¯ knight. They¡¯re not fit to be my knight¡¹


    Rena spat out those cruel words. Though it¡¯s a known fact that the temple knights swear their love to Rena, that love, unfortunately, seems to be one-sided.


    Poor people, so I thought.


    ¡¸So Reiji is your only knight, isn¡¯t it?¡¹


    I¡¯m trying to ask a slightly meanie question.


    Though asking about another man during my escort duty is a breach of conduct, this is a little revenge for a while ago.


    But, it seems that Rena isn¡¯t perturbed by my question.


    ¡¸Fufu. Reiji can¡¯t be a knight. Because a knight is someone who should respect oaths and manners. There¡¯s not an inch of resemnce of such conduct in the free, unrestrained, and arrogant Reiji¡¹


    Rena responds so with smile on her face.


    Hee, so you understood that much, huh. Unexpectedly, she seems to be a keen person.


    ¡¸But in your case, I think you¡¯re the appropriate person to be my knight, what do you think about it?¡¹


    Rena questions as such while looking at me.


    I¡¯m also looking at Rena.


    My heart is jumping in excitement the moment I heard those words.


    To be honest, I¡¯m so~ delighted in hearing those words.


    It¡¯s as if I removed the biggest thorn in my heart.


    Maybe I¡¯m just d that I received a superior evaluation than Reiji. To think that there¡¯s such a foolish rivalry entrenched deep inside my heart. Just how long has it been in my heart?


    To think I¡¯m such a sore loser. That¡¯s why I keep polishing my swordsmanship since that day. I started to pay attention to my appearance to catch up to him even just a little.


    But, no matter what I do, I don¡¯t have such confidence in myself.


    That¡¯s why Rena words shook my heart.


    But¡ª-


    I shook my head to calm my mind.


    I can¡¯t do that.


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to trust Rena.


    No matter how beautiful she is, I can¡¯t let my guard down just because of a few sweet words.


    That¡¯s why I shake my head in denial.


    ¡¸I¡¯m truly delighted to receive such a wonderful invitation, but unfortunately, I can¡¯t be your knight. Moreover, someone who easily betrays others isn¡¯t qualified as a knight, isn¡¯t it?¡¹


    I refused Rena¡¯s request easily.


    ¡¸Certainly, a betrayer isn¡¯t qualified as a knight¡¹


    It seems Rena approves my words.


    I feel relieved upon seeing that. I thought she¡¯ll be pouting on hearing my reply, but it didn¡¯t happen.


    In the first ce, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m qualified to be a knight.


    Even if, for example, I can trust Rena, I might have refused her invitation even without using Modes as my reason.


    ¡¸Hey, what are you looking at!!¡¹


    Someone is calling us.


    When I search for the source of the voice, a temple knight is approaching us.


    Maybe they were the temple knights who I saw while I was on the rampart earlier.


    They should be fighting for harlots.


    But I couldn¡¯t see any woman nearby, did she just escape?


    The approaching temple knight is looking at me and then took a nce at the person beside.


    Oops?! It seems he noticed Rena on my side.


    Though Rena is supposed to be using invisible magic, it seems that this man has a considerable amount of magical power.


    ¡¸You¡¯ve brought a woman with you, huh. Is she your lover?¡¹


    That knight asked that question to me.


    It¡¯s annoying since he asked that question with such an interrogative tone. This isn¡¯t your home country. So, why are you asking about such a thing?


    ¡¸No, she¡¯s not my lover¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸Ho~, if she¡¯s not your lover, why did you bring a woman to this kind of ce?¡¹


    When I take notice of my surroundings, it seems to be a normal alley, but the atmosphere is somehow different.


    It seems that we somehow stepped into a slightly indecent ce.


    ¡¸Well, in fact¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸Huhm, you are trying to tell a lie. Unfortunately, you were exposed¡¹


    The temple knight is trying to pick a fight.


    Currently, he can¡¯t see Rena¡¯s face, deeply covered by her hood.


    Maybe she thought something along the line, ¡®Now teach this fool a lesson for picking a fight with you¡¯.


    However, Rena is hiding her identity using invisibility magic. That¡¯s why she¡¯s not saying anything.


    And that Rena is looking at the development without any response.


    ¡¸We are currently in the middle of a patrol, looking for any suspicious person trying to harm hero-sama!! So, I assume that you¡¯re not one of those foolish people, aren¡¯t you?¡¹


    ¡¸No¡­ I¡¯m not¡¹


    I tly deny his ussation.


    ¡¸It seems that there¡¯s a pervert like you who tried to do suspicious things toward hero-sama. But, I¡¯ll overlook it on this asion. Now, leave at once!!¡¹


    The man is waving his hand as if he is driving away a dog.


    ¡¸This is a dangerous ce for women¡¹


    This temple knight is trying to touch Rena.


    That moment, I felt a bad premonition.


    I caught the hand of the temple knight who¡¯s trying to touch Rena and tossed him.


    The tossed temple knight fell on his back.


    ¡¸YOU B*STARD, WHAT ARE YOU DOING! ! ¡¹


    That temple knight is drawing his sword while shouting such words.


    I did that to protect your life, you know. I want to tell him that.


    Just a while ago, I felt killing intent emanating from Rena when he was about to touch her.


    I know that she won¡¯t hesitate to kill that temple knight on the spot.


    If I let the temple knight to touch her, he might be cinders the very next moment.


    The other knights are also rushing in toward us after hearing suchmotion.


    They¡¯re drawing their swords, too.


    I never thought that it¡¯ll turn into a dispute.


    Normally, I¡¯ll just run away when I meet such a troublesome situation, but I couldn¡¯t do that as Rena¡¯s by my side.


    Or should I say that, at this rate, Rena is going to kill them. Thus, I should avoid that sort of situation at all costs.


    ¡¸There¡¯s no need to dirty your hand against such opponents, so please wait behind my back, Rena¡¹


    I take a step ahead in front of Rena while saying those words in a low tone.


    ¡¸I see¡¹


    Though she only replied with a short word, it must be my imagination that she¡¯s rather delighted when she said so.


    ¡¸Fuhm, if you want to apologize, this is yourst chance¡¹


    Could it be that they think I¡¯m afraid when they point their swords toward me?


    Though Rena¡¯s denying their existence, they¡¯re indeed her knights.


    And despite me being the dark knight, aren¡¯t I more like Rena¡¯s knight in this situation?


    Though they wear splendid dress, their actions aren¡¯t that much different from the orcs that I met yesterday.


    I won¡¯t kill them since it¡¯ll only soil this wonderful festival with blood. Maybe I¡¯ll let them to taste a slightly painful experience.


    Thinking so, I approach the temple knights.


    I felt that killing emotion slowly disappearing from my heart.


    ¡¸Y-YOU BASTARD! TRYING TO FIGHT US HUH!!¡¹


    It seems he¡¯s surprised when I fought back.


    Though I haven¡¯t understood the international rtionships of this world, there¡¯s no way that I can cause a problem in this country so easily.


    It seems they drew their swords just to threaten me.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ Can you just let go of this matter¡¹


    Thus, I propose such a n considering both sides¡¯ situation.


    On the contrary, it seems like I just added fuel to the fire. The faces of those knights are dyed in red.


    ¡¸ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!¡¹


    Maybe because he thought that I¡¯m making fun of him, the knight in front of me brandishes his sword toward me.


    Too slow.


    I pinch the sword de that swung downward with my thumb and index finger.


    The knight let out an astonished voice in seeing that.


    ¡¸No¡­ Way¡¹


    ¡¸Im¡­.possible¡¹


    The other knights mutter such words with pale faces. Their face turned from red to pale blue.


    Geez, whatever. Let¡¯s end this quickly.


    ¡¸Here I go¡­.¡¹


    After saying so, I slip through the gap between those knights.


    ¡¸GAHHA!!¡¹


    ¡¸GUH!!¡¹


    ¡¸GEH!!¡¹


    Those knights are tumbling around while raising such pained voices. Theyy on the ground, writhing in pain.


    They won¡¯t die since I went easy on them.


    Rena approaches from the opened path.


    ¡¸So, you¡¯re not killing them¡¹


    Rena said such terrifying words with calm expression.


    ¡¸They¡¯re your temple knights, after all¡­. So, I¡¯m going easy on them¡¹


    It¡¯s a lie.


    ¡¸Is that so, I should say my gratitude then? ¡¹


    I never thought that Rena will say her gratitude in this way.


    I can feel that she takes the life of hu- No, the life of her knights lightly.


    But now, I can understand what she feels a little.


    Because her knights are way too weak.


    I had to be very careful in controlling my power a while ago in order to not identally kill them.


    Killing them is as easy as stepping on a small insect.


    In case of Rena, she might have mercilessly crushed them. Maybe that¡¯s the same case for the other gods.


    Since humans might be nothing more than insects in the eyes of gods.


    Well, what should I do then?


    Aren¡¯t I the very same existence known as human in this world?


    If I¡¯m not, then what am I?


    It¡¯s at such times I feel this sense of istion. I¡¯m the very same existence as Reiji in this world. But, I¡¯ll never be able to be theirrade. In the first ce, why do I have to be theirrade?


    I wouldn¡¯t havee this far to cut the horn of the holy dragon king if I could be theirrade, right?


    But, no one can answer that question.


    ¡¸No. Let¡¯s get going, Rena¡¹


    I left the alley along with Rena.

 Chapter 23.1 : Magic Potion of Love

    <h4>Chapter 23.1 : Magic Potion of Love</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    ¡ô Gallios¡¯s Wife, Peneroa


    ¡¸I¡¯m back, Peneroa-san¡¹


    Kuro has just returned.


    He¡¯s the benefactor of my husband, Gallios.


    I was truly surprised when he suddenly appeared while carrying my husband whose body is twice as big as his lean body.


    ording to my little brother, Rember, Kuro might be a magician.


    Though I don¡¯t know anyone but Nimri-sensei when ites to a magician, I felt that Kuro is even more mysterious than Nimri-sensei.


    Kuro is a quiet and calm youth. It made one feel calm just by being close to him.


    ¡¸Uhm, I met my acquaintance during my patrol, can I invite that person?¡¹


    When Ie out to greet him, Kuro said that while looking at me.


    At first, I failed to notice that person but then, I saw a hooded woman.


    That surprised me.


    ¡¸My husband has said that Kuro might bring home a woman, but¡­. It seems that was true¡¹


    Kuro didn¡¯t seem to be that type, after all.


    ¡¸Y-You¡¯re mistaken! ! She is someone I met before!! And today, I really met her by some sort of coincidence!!¡¹


    Kuro is denying it while blushing furiously. It seems he¡¯s a shy one.


    When I look at the woman behind him, I can¡¯t see her face since it¡¯s being covered by hood. However, I could determine that she¡¯s quite a beauty from the shape of her lips.


    The woman is calm andposed which is in contrast to the flustered Kuro.


    It might be one-sided love for Kuro.


    ¡¸I¡¯m just teasing you, and wee to the Rox kingdom. Let me wee you as Kuro¡¯s acquaintance¡¹


    Thus, I led those two toward the room that was separate from our house.


    Kuro will be using the room that¡¯s separate from our house during his stay in the Rox kingdom.


    After that, I call Kuro.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter? ¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯ll bring beverages for you guyster, what¡¯s your choice? ¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you very much, Peneroa-san. Please give me the usual¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, since you¡¯re a misenen*, huh¡¹ [TL : Underage, in katakana ]


    ¡¸Yeah, since I¡¯m still a miseinen*¡¹ [TL : Minor, in kanji]


    ¡¸What about yourpanion? Is she a misenen too? ¡¹


    When I asked him so, Kuro replies after pondering for a while.


    ¡¸¡­. I¡¯ll leave the choice to you. I think she might not be a miseinen¡¹


    ¡¸I see, I¡¯ll bring a good one then¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you very much, Peneroa-san¡¹


    Kuro bows his head toward me. Such a polite child.


    After that, I separate ways with the two of them.


    Since I just acquired a first-ss mead from our neighbour, I¡¯m thinking of sharing a bit of it with the woman brought by Kuro.


    Mead is the kind of liquor that¡¯s drunk by newly-wed couples after all.


    Thus, I¡¯ll give her this liquor so that the Kuro¡¯s love will be a smooth sailing event.


    === === ===


    ¡ô Goddess of Wisdom and Victory, Rena


    I can¡¯t be your knight.


    I became shocked when I heard him saying those words.


    But it¡¯s as he said, someone who easily betrays others isn¡¯t qualified to be a knight.


    For this very reason, I want this man.


    Moreover, the intention of this man isn¡¯t a problem.


    Even if he isn¡¯t willing to be mine, I¡¯ll prove that he¡¯s wrong.


    Subsequently, I touch the small bottle in my pocket.


    I¡¯ll not use this love potion on this man.


    I was extremely surprised when I met Diehart.


    It seems Diehart didn¡¯t have any intention to kill me just like the first time we met.


    I couldn¡¯t feel any malice from Diehart. Though I believe it¡¯s natural due to my beauty.


    This man doesn¡¯t seem to be dazzled by my beauty.


    But then, Diehart might be the strongest swordsman of this era. So, it would be for the best if this kind of man bes my ve.


    I didn¡¯t consider turning him into my ve just because of his strength, but Diehart¡¯s appearance is more to my preference than Reiji¡¯s. I¡¯ll give him a cor once he be my ve.


    A faint smile spreads on my lips just by imagining it.


    I imagine the figure of Diehart wearing a cor while prostrating before me. What a good sight to behold.


    I¡¯ll even let him kiss my feet.


    I spout a lie in the moment Diehart asked why I¡¯m in this kingdom.


    Though he naturally wouldn¡¯t believe such lie.


    As long as I can remove Diehart from the game, it¡¯s my victory. I can use Diehart to eliminate Modes even without relying on Reiji.


    I even allowed Diehart to escort me for this opportunity.


    And then, he brought me to the residence of the human, his current base.


    I have to do my best to endure this shabby residence of the human.


    The room where Diehart¡¯s staying at is an extremely small one, there is only a bed and a table in it.


    He then began taking out a chair for me.


    It¡¯s a shabby chair, but let¡¯s endure it for now.


    That aside, I¡¯m going to leave the room since I have to do something.


    ¡¸Where are you going, Rena? ¡¹


    Diehart asked that question.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll be back immediately. Moreover, it¡¯s not something that you should ask to ady¡¹


    Just like that, I silenced Diehart.


    Men are easy creatures after all. I felt that he¡¯s even easier to handle than Reiji.


    I leave the room and then search for the woman from before. I found her immediately since it¡¯s a small house.


    I erased my existence and approached that human woman.


    That woman prepared two beverages. It seems it was for me and Diehart.


    I secretly approach her and take a closer look at the containers of the beverages. One seems to be liquor and another one¡¯s tea.


    I know the reason why the beverages are different.


    Though Reiji drinks a lot of liquor, the female camp starting from Chiyuki won¡¯t touch them.


    It seems that it wasn¡¯t a good thing for a woman of Reiji¡¯s world to drink liquor.


    Since Diehart also came from the same world as Reiji, I believe that the beverages are different for the same reason above.


    I added the entire bottle of magic potion of love into the liquor.


    Just one drop would be enough for a normal human to swear their endless love.


    I wonder if this much is enough to turn Diehart into my ve.


    After adding the potion, I go back to Diehart¡¯s room.


    No problem, Diehart doesn¡¯t even seem to suspect me.


    Moreover, I have this. I touch my ne while thinking so.


    It¡¯s a ne to deceive the eyes of a sage.


    When the magic of this ne is invoked, it¡¯ll inhibit all kind of detection magic over a fixed distance.


    Since the magic potion has a trace of magic, he might be able to detect the presence of the potion with magical power detection. I am wearing this ne to prevent him from doing so.


    I brought this in advance since Chiyuki has powerful magical power detection.


    If there¡¯s a problem, the user will also be affected by this effect. That¡¯s why it¡¯s hard to use.


    A short timeter, the woman brings those beverages.


    ¡¸Thank you very much, Peneroa-san¡¹


    Diehart expressed his gratitude to the woman.


    The woman then ced the beverage in front of me and Diehart, one person each.


    ¡¸Well then, enjoy your time¡¹


    After saying so, the woman left. She seems to be enjoying this situation.


    But, I don¡¯t care about such trivial matters. I take my hood off while secretly invoking the magic of the ne.


    And then, I¡¯m looking at Diehart who¡¯s picking up the cup in front of him.


    ¡¸Diehart, I heard there¡¯s a ¡®Kanpai¡¯ custom in Reiji¡¯s world. Shall we do that ¡®Kanpai¡¯ too? ¡¹


    Though I don¡¯t know what is the meaning of this ¡®kanpai,¡¯ I know how to do it. It¡¯s doing a toast with the beverage in your hand, followed by drinking your own beverage.


    ¡¸Ha~¡­. I don¡¯t know why are you asking for us doing a ¡®kanpai,¡¯ but¡­. Whatever¡¹


    Diehart is offering his own container while saying so.


    I¡¯m also doing the same with mine.


    ¡¸Kanpai¡¹


    Diehart and I perform a toast with our own beverage containers and then drink the beverage.


    I¡¯m looking at Diehart who currently drank one mouthful of his beverage.


    Diehart¡¯s throat is making a gulping sound as he drinks his beverage.


    I WON.


    So I thought.


    We~ll then, look at me. I drink another mouthful of my own beverage. It¡¯s quite delicious despite being inferior to the liquor made in Elios. Maybe because this liquor is filled with the sweet taste of victory.


    Diehart is looking at me.


    With this, you are mine. It somehow made me happy. Though it¡¯s being hindered by something, that feeling seems to be magnified by looking at Diehart.


    Diehart. No, I¡¯m sure that his real name is Kuroki, isn¡¯t it?


    Kuroki. My chest feels hot whenever I think of that name.


    ¡¸Fufufufu¡¹


    I unintentionally let out a smile.


    Because I know that Kuroki eyes is looking at me with a passionate gaze.


    ¡¸KUROKI¡¹


    Thus, I pulled Kuroki¡¯s face while saying so.


    === === ===


    ¡ô Dark Knight, Kuroki


    ¡°Oh crap,¡± was what I thought.


    I¡¯mpletely following my opponent¡¯s pace.


    I have no idea at all about Rena¡¯s goal.


    The day then became an evening without me being able to discover anything.


    But I can¡¯t leave Rena to her own devices since she might harm Shirone.


    In the first ce, I don¡¯t even know why Rena, Reiji, and Shirone are in this ce.


    This woman is definitely up to no good.


    But I don¡¯t know what that is.


    The degree of difficulty is way too high for a person like me who has never had any proper conversation with a woman.


    It¡¯s an area beyond myprehension.


    I couldn¡¯t just let her go, but to my surprise, she agreed easily when I invited her for a dinner.


    But the stores that offer dinners are so crowded that it¡¯s basically impossible to bring Rena into that ce.


    So, I reluctantly decided to ask permission from Peneroa-san to use the room.


    ¡¸Kanpai¡¹


    We do a toast with the beverages brought by Peneroa-san.


    After that, we drink our own beverage.

 Chapter 23.2 : Magic Potion of Love

    <h4>Chapter 23.2 : Magic Potion of Love</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    Rena¡¯s throat is making a low gulping sound.


    She has currently removed her hood. Now, I am able to have a better look at her face. A genuine beauty; she should probably be the most beautiful woman I¡¯ve met so far, right?


    I couldn¡¯t think anything when I¡¯m alone with this kind of beauty in this kind of atmosphere. I feel more ufortable than happy for being so close with this beauty.


    The experienced Reiji might be able to do something about it. Oh, I can¡¯t help but think of such things.


    Rena is letting out an alluring smile while gazing at me.


    That smile is simply foul y.


    Though there¡¯s charm magic, I think Rena will be able to charm her opponent without even resorting to that kind of magic.


    Rena is looking at me with moist eyes.


    ¡¸KUROKI¡¹


    Rena suddenly blurted out my real name.


    EH!? I thought, how do you know my real name?


    I¡¯m being pulled by her while I¡¯m pondering about that question.


    I couldn¡¯t believe it, but Rena¡¯s extremely beautiful face is right in front of me.


    I feel dizzy.


    And then, Rena¡¯s red lips ovepped with mine. The smell of liquor enters my nasal cavity.


    I could hear the sound of something being broken in my head.


    === === ===


    ¡ô The Captain of Temple Knights, Lucullus


    ¡¸What are you doing!! Hyllus!!¡¹


    I ended up shouting those words.


    I ced my hand on my mouth.


    Raising a loud voice was unbing in the holiday vi of hero-sama.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, lord Lucullus?¡¹


    A girl approached me.


    ¡¸Ah, Chiyuki-sama¡¹


    I bow at her.


    To this beauty.


    ck-haired sage, Chiyuki.


    That is her name.


    She seems to be a girl at nce. But, this girl has unrivalled magical powerpared to those bunch of magicians in the temple in Holy Republic Lenaria.


    Even those magician from Saria academy may not be be able to match her magical power.


    Maybe because that ck-haired sage was just out of the bath, her wet hair looks really sexy.


    ¡¸The truth is, the people who were investigating the city are yet to return¡¹


    ¡¸Investigating¡­. Ahh, about the things we asked, right. We ended up causing you trouble, lord Lucullus¡¹


    She then bowed to me. I¡¯m bewildered by her action.


    ¡¸It¡¯s nothing, that¡¯s the job of temple knights, after all¡¹


    I reply so while straightening my posture.


    It seems that the hero-sama is looking for a certain person. So we, the temple knights are helping them search for that person.


    Hyllus is on the move, since the person they¡¯re looking for can use invisible magic.


    While the temple knight Hyllus has his own skill, he is also gifted with ability to gaze through and discover the truth behind invisibility and illusions.


    Thought he can¡¯t see through the illusion magic of the fairy dancer, he can still see through high level illusion magic.


    That¡¯s why I left the search to him.


    But, maybe that was a mistake on my part.


    Though his ability is ranked 1~2 amongst the temple knights, he¡¯s prone to cause amotion. Though his habit is being overlooked due to his ability, that also has its own limit.


    Even if the ability of the subordinates chosen by him is quite high, they have problematic behaviors. It¡¯s already way past the time for them to go back.


    In the past, they¡¯ve caused trouble for women during their duty, so the same thing might be happening right now.


    Though something might have happened to them right now, they would have blown the whistle to inform us in case there was an emergency situation. If they can¡¯t even do that, then they¡¯re disqualified as temple knights.


    We can¡¯t decrease the number of guards anymore than this just to search for them. I be more and more vexed just by thinking about that fact.


    What should I do when they return?


    ¡¸Let¡¯s punish them when they return¡¹


    ¡¸No, it¡¯s our selfish request after all. At the least, please be gentle with their punishment¡¹


    Chiyuki-sama is speaking for Hyllus.


    Though this ck-haired girl is feared due to her ability to use powerful magic, I just recently discovered that she¡¯s actually a kindhearted girl.


    ¡¸That aside, lord Lucullus. Did you happen to know where Reiji¡¯s going to? ¡¹


    ¡¸The hero-sama? Though I¡¯m sure that he is secluding himself in his room, I don¡¯t know where he is right now since no one has entered his room after that. Do you want to enter?¡¹


    Chiyuki-sama is nodding at my question.


    Properly speaking, the targets of protection also included hero-sama, but we can¡¯t do anything if hero-sama can¡¯t do anything.


    Chiyuki-sama also won¡¯t be ming us since she knows clearly about this matter.


    ¡¸Geez, where did he disappear to¡­¡¹


    She heaves a sigh.


    === === ===


    ¡ô Princess of the Rox kingdom, Almina


    ¡¸Reiji-sama¡¹


    On top of the bed, I bring my face closer to the chest of my beloved person.


    There¡¯s an ugly scar running from his right shoulder to his left hip.


    There wasn¡¯t such scar when we first met before.


    I hate that dark knight who inflicted such a scar upon Reiji, the one hailed as the hero of light.


    The wound inflicted by that dark knight seems to have left a scar that won¡¯t disappear even with the healing power of the saint, Sahoko-sama.


    How dare that dark knight do this kind of thing to the beloved man of the goddess-sama. I¡¯m sure that goddess-sama will bring punishment upon that sinful man. [TL: ¡­.]


    Suddenly, when I¡¯m thinking of such things.


    Is goddess-sama embracing him in this way, too?


    Though I¡¯ve never met that goddess, it seems that sometimes she descends at the Holy Republic Lenaria.


    She might havee to meet Reiji-sama.


    The man loved by that beautiful goddess Rena. Is him. [TL: ¡­.]


    Though this might be rude, I feel like I¡¯ve be a goddess when I¡¯m with him.


    My beloved person went down from the bed. Exposing his bare body.


    It¡¯s a beautiful body which makes me want to stare at it even more.


    But, this is also the end. Since it¡¯s not only limited to goddess Rena, there are several more beautiful girls around him. I can only enjoy a slight amount of time with him.


    ¡¸Are you going to leave?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, I should be back soon¡¹


    I recall about the ck-haired sage from Reiji-sama¡¯s words.


    Chiyuki-sama is a beauty and an extremely terrifying person. If our rtionship were to get discovered, it¡¯ll be the end for me.


    Well, she could easily demolish that firm rampart with her magical power. I¡¯m definitely no different from a pebble when facing against such terrifying magical power. My fear surfaces just by thinking about that event.


    Nevertheless, I want to be together with Reiji-sama.


    ¡¸I see¡­.¡¹


    I said so with a slightly lonely voice. I want to remain in his memory even just a little.


    But my wish was also in vain as Reiji-sama is wearing his clothes now.


    ¡¸Ah,e to think of it, Almina. I¡¯ll do something about the matter you¡¯re talking about¡¹


    Reiji-sama said so while smiling at me.


    It was the zombie outbreak matter fromst night.


    The survivors of Striges mighte to exact their revenge on this kingdom.


    Since Striges are powerful demons, we decided to borrow Reiji-sama¡¯s power.


    This is the request of my fiancee, Rember.


    I feel bad for Rember since I have this sort of rtionship with Reiji-sama.


    Though I don¡¯t hate Rember, I can¡¯t bring myself to see another man ever since I knew Reiji-sama.


    ¡¸Striges huh¡­. To think that they managed to survive. I will definitely eradicate them for you, Almina. You have my word¡¹


    I feel relieved upon hearing Reiji-sama¡¯s words.


    === === ===


    ¡ô Temple Knight


    ¡¸I¡¯ll leave it to you then, Orua-san. We¡¯ll go contact the mansion of hero-sama¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, leave it to me¡¹


    I hear such an exchange from the top of the ce I¡¯m lying at.


    My body can¡¯t move. When I¡¯m trying to look around, the temple knight who is suffering the same fate as me is also being carried in the same manner.


    I heard the voice of the men who carried me till this ce.


    Why did it be like this? It makes me want to cry.


    I can only regret the fact that I didn¡¯t blow the whistle fast enough.


    Just who the hell was that man we met in the alley?


    He seemed like your usual kind person at a nce, but that man¡¯s maneuvers was anything but normal.


    I was beaten down without even having any chance to resist.


    Though I don¡¯t know what kind of move he used at that time, my body and mouth were already paralyzed.


    Still, I feel a dull pain running throughout my body.


    I felt that everything is captain Hyllus¡¯s fault.


    I hate him.


    It¡¯s all because captain Hyllus was unreasonably doing such things.


    The man called Hyllus, his ability to court women is unparalleled.


    After seeing Sahoko-sama in that kind of attire, we also went to woo women due to captain Hyllus¡¯s invitation.


    Then, I recalled Sahoko-sama¡¯s attire. I never thought that a such pure and gentle girl like her would wear such an attire.


    I simply can¡¯t forget her figure. It¡¯s still vivid in my memories even when I close my eyes.


    Consequently, I¡¯m jealous of the hero who receives love from Sahoko-sama.


    I feel healed just by being at her side.


    No one but Sahoko-sama can make one feel healed like that.


    Any kind of wound will be healed by her, the white saint.


    I wonder if I will have the chance to touch her hand.


    If so, then I will say my gratitude to that man who made me feel this pain.


    Who is that man anyway?


    Could it be that he is Sahoko-sama¡¯s target?


    I must tell Sahoko-sama about this.


    Maybe she¡¯ll praise me for telling her that.


    ¡¸Kukuku, how¡¯s your body?¡¹


    The approaching woman is the owner of this house.


    After beaten by that man in the alley, we were brought to the nearby doctor immediately, this woman¡¯s house.


    I somehow managed to see the figure of the woman from my lying position.


    She is a ck woman.


    She¡¯s wearing ck hood and ck clothes to hide her pale face and eyes.


    Though I don¡¯t know how she looks like since I almost unable to see her figure, I think she¡¯s quite old based on the way she spoke.


    It seems this woman has poor sight. I knew from the story of the men who carried us here that she can¡¯t live in an extremely bright ce.


    That¡¯s why the room is gloomy, since she closed all the windows in her house. Only a miniscule amount of light from the setting sun managed to enter the room through the gap between the windows.


    As you might expect from a doctor, her house is filled with the smell of medicinal nts.


    My head is dizzy just by sniffing that odor.


    ¡¸You guys are the knights protecting that hero, right?¡¹


    Then, I felt a dissonance on hearing her words.


    The tone of this woman was filled with killing intent.


    ¡¸Kukuku¡­. How lucky am I today, for my prey to deliver themselves to me¡¹


    Prey? What the hell is this woman talking about?


    There¡¯s nothing unusual about this woman.


    And then, I was agape when that woman untied the cloth that covered her eyes.


    Those aren¡¯t the eyes of a human.


    Bird¡­. The eyes of a bird.


    The woman¡¯s bird eyes has ck pupils surrounded by yellow color where there should be white.


    Her eyes shining with fiery rage aren¡¯t human eyes.


    Thus, I noticed a fact.


    She is a demon.


    ¡¸Uuurgh¡¹


    My cogues and I are groaning upon seeing her eyes.


    ¡¸You guys will be my pawns¡¹


    She startsughing. Suddenly, I spotted long canines from the gap between her lips.


    ¡¸To destroy the one who killed my cute daughter, the hero and this kingdom. ¡¹


    Sheughed terrifyingly.


    Unfortunately, we couldn¡¯t do anything but groan in pain.

 Chapter 24.1 : Night Banquet

    <h4>Chapter 24.1 : Night Banquet</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­. ¡­


    ¡ôck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    ¡¸The surviving Striges¡­.¡¹


    I re at Reiji with an expression that¡¯s as cold as possible for me.


    But Reiji¡¯s showing a nonchnt face while ignoring my re.


    Even if he notices it, he¡¯s not the kind of man who cares about the ill intention of others.


    I want him to at least notice it, though.


    ¡¸Yeah, the corpses of goblins and orcs that were already turned into zombies had gathered around the rampart just yesterday night. So, it might have something to do with the surviving Striges, right?¡¹


    Striges are demons that possess a form that crosses between a human woman and an owl.


    They should have been exterminated by us around one month ago.


    At that time, we made use of Nao¡¯s perception ability to search for their survivors inside their nesting ce.


    Currently, only the undead made by them as intercepting force could be found in that tower.


    Could it be that that undead hase out of the tower?


    But the undead shouldn¡¯t be able to move without its mastermand.


    When I think about it, maybe it was because there were no Striges in that tower at that time we searched or they might have hidden from Nao¡¯s perception with some kind of means.


    In the first ce, those Striges were the ones in the wrong.


    However, from Reiji¡¯s story, it seems it couldn¡¯t be concluded whether the culprit was really those Striges.


    ¡¸What shall we do then?¡¹


    So I coldly enquired him.


    ¡¸Ah, let¡¯s beat those Striges for the sake of this kingdom¡¹


    Reiji¡¯s smiling while saying so.


    ¡¸Humph, for this kingdom huh¡­. Then I assume that it¡¯s a requesting directly from princess Almina, right?¡¹


    Reiji nods to my question.


    It seems that Reiji was sauntering around with Almina to enjoy the festival when we were enjoying the hot spring.


    Thereupon, she asked him to take care of the zombies¡¯ matter during that time.


    But, I know that it¡¯s just a lie. There¡¯s no need to hide his whereabouts if he was just enjoying the festival with her.


    It¡¯ll make you even guilty. Thus, I can imagine the general situation. That is the reason why I¡¯m looking at him with such a piercing cold re.


    ¡¸Look at me, where do you think those Striges are right now? ¡¹


    ¡¸Who knows?¡¹


    Reiji is raising his hands to make a gesture indicating that he does not know the answer.


    ¡¸Youuu¡­.¡¹


    I ce my hand on my forehead.


    The one at fault during the previous incident is definitely the Striges. Their nest location is also well known.


    But we don¡¯t know whether the Striges are the culprit in this incident.


    ¡¸Geez¡­. We really can¡¯t do anything unless we know who the real culprit is¡¹


    I can¡¯t believe it, this man received such a request without knowing the situation just because it came from a princess.


    Maybe we have to start from looking for the culprit first? Please stop making such unreasonable promises since we are upied with the Diehart matter already.


    ¡¸Well, we¡¯ll be able to do it somehow¡¹


    Reiji is smiling confidently.


    I¡¯m staring daggers at Reiji.


    ¡¸Reiji-kun, be more serious about this matter, you¡¯re basically the one who¡¯s responsible for this¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m always serious you know¡¹


    Reiji retorts so in a nonchnt tone.


    He doesn¡¯t seem to be serious at all.


    ¡¸But then, I don¡¯t feel like searching for the culprit¡¹


    Reiji is surprised upon hearing that.


    ¡¸Searching?¡¹


    I nod after hearing what Reiji asked in a questioning manner.


    ¡¸You won¡¯t search the culprit?¡¹


    Reiji nods.


    ¡¸Why?¡¹


    When I ask him for the reason, his reply is as follows:


    ¡¸Because they¡¯ll show themselves sooner orter. It seems they¡¯re making use of those zombies. I¡¯ll make my move at that time¡¹


    I understand what his n was after listening to his words.


    ¡¸They definitely will show themselves¡­.¡¹


    They¡¯re definitely that type. They¡¯re bound to cause some sort of incident.


    Maybe it¡¯s faster than scouring for the culprit one-by-one.


    It seems Reiji¡¯s answer has few meanings.


    Reiji hates simple jobs such as gathering information and investigation.


    He never even considers the option of preventing the incident; he always makes his move after the incident has happened.


    In exchange for that, he moves as soon as the incident happens.


    The problem lies in the fact that there might be some victims if he moves after the incident has happened.


    Not choosing to prevent the incident but to settle it after the incident has happened. Maybe his actions are just like a hero in a certain meaning. At any rate, he¡¯s praised by everyone for that kind of action.


    ¡¸Thus, let¡¯s take our own time until it happens¡¹


    I think ¡°Is that so?¡± in hearing his words.


    ¡¸Hey, Chiyuki-san. If it¡¯s about Striges¡­. There¡¯s that tower, isn¡¯t it?¡¹


    Shirone suddenly interrupted my conversation with Reiji.


    The tower she¡¯s referring might be the tower where those Striges made their nest.


    ¡¸Well, the culprit might be there but¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸In that case, we should try searching in that ce¡¹


    ¡¸Certainly, it¡¯s better if we investigate this matter faster¡¹


    I reply with slightly evasive words.


    ¡¸They are quite the troublesome people¡­. It¡¯ll be a different story if we demolish that tower, though¡¹


    Reiji responds with such extreme words. Though Reiji will have no trouble in destroying that tower with his power, it¡¯s way too barbaric.


    ¡¸Reiji-kun. We won¡¯t know whether there are Striges or not in that tower if you end up demolishing that tower. If you¡¯re going to do that, do it after proper investigation¡¹


    Will this incident be solved as long as that tower is demolished?


    So, we should investigate this matter properly. But that tower itself is bothersome since the inside resembles abyrinth. Moreover, I don¡¯t want to approach that ce due to those loitering zombies.


    In fact, that is the reason why I¡¯m hesitating to investigate that tower. Moreover, the result of our investigation might end up beingpletely unrted to this incident. Honestly, this matter is annoying.


    Though it¡¯s not Reiji, we might as well demolished that tower thest time we went there.


    ¡¸Shall we travel to that tower tomorrow?¡¹


    Shirone suggests that.


    ¡¸Shirone-san, I think it¡¯s better to leave the investigation part to Nao-san¡¹


    Shirone isn¡¯t that good in terms of investigating. If it¡¯s for investigation, Nao and I are better choices.


    When I nce at Nao, she shakes her head indicating that she doesn¡¯t want to go. Well, I don¡¯t want to go, too.


    ¡¸We will only look at the situation for a while. Beside¡­. I want to swing my sword a bit¡¹


    It seems that¡¯s her real intention. After losing the way to return to our world on top of losing to Diehart, Shirone fell into a slump. Maybe she wants to vent her stress out.


    ¡¸I see, that sounds good to me¡¹


    Reiji agrees with her, too.


    ¡¸In that case, please lend your hand, Shirone-san. I think you won¡¯t meet any danger, but run as soon as the situation bes dangerous¡¹


    Though there might be no danger, just in case.


    ¡¸Yeah, just call my name if you ever encounter some dangerous situation, Shirone. I¡¯lle to save you right away¡¹


    Reiji asks Shirone to call for him if needed.


    Though he can¡¯t use normal transfer magic like me, he can use stalking move magic. This magic can be used to teleport toward the position of the people that be the magic¡¯s target.


    What makes it different from standard transfer magic is the fact that it can only transfer one person and will fail if the target resists it.


    Reiji always saves us from danger with this magic.


    The exception was when Diehart raided the temple. It seems that dimension freezing magic was applied to prevent any transfer magic inside the temple during that time; thus, he couldn¡¯t save Shirone.


    But, it seems that Reiji will go to save Shirone no matter how far the distance is as long as there¡¯s no dimension freezing magic.


    ¡¸Yeah, I understand¡¹


    Shirone starts smiling after hearing our words.


    ¡¸He~y, are you done with this topic¡¹


    When I look toward the source of that voice, I could see Rino puffing her cheeks.


    ¡¸If we don¡¯t finish this, our meal will be cool!!¡¹


    The already prepared meal is ced on top of the table in front of us. These dishes are cooked by Sahoko and the Rox Kingdom chef.


    ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s the dishes that were painstakingly made by Sahoko-san. Let¡¯s enjoy it¡¹


    Eventually, though Reiji doesn¡¯t make a decision about what we have to do, we felt that things usually yed in this manner.


    I do a kampai with everyone.


    That was the beginning of our small banquet.


    === === ===


    ¡ô Rox Kingdom¡¯s knight, Rember


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Almina? ¡¹


    When walking alongside with Almina, I feel that her behavior is rather strange since a while ago.


    ¡¸It¡¯s nothing¡­. I am just a bit tired¡¹


    Almina was apanying the hero and just relieved from her duty. So it¡¯s normal for her to feel tired.


    That hero-sama might be in the middle of a banquet with his wives right now.


    So, it¡¯s natural for Almina to not participate in it. With respect to that, Almina responded that there¡¯s no way she could fit between such beautiful girls.


    Which reminds me that such things are natural since Almina has no ce around such level of beauties. Gallios is worrying too much.


    ¡¸Ooh, it¡¯s Rember, isn¡¯t it?¡¹


    As we are meandering like that, Gallios¡¯ couple approaches us.


    ¡¸Nee-san, senpai. Are you guys sightseeing the festival?¡¹


    ¡¸Who knows. We just don¡¯t feel like entering our house right now¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸Eeh, so that¡¯s it. It¡¯s just a bit, you see¡­.¡¹


    Gallios and Peneroa reply with a sly grin on their faces.


    What just happened?


    ¡¸Come to think of it Rember, how about that matter? ¡¹


    He is referring to the incident that happened to the temple knights.


    This evening, we found five temple knights copsed in the back alley of the west street.


    Since the one who discovered first was a man with wounds on his shin, he told Gallios about this matter, avoiding the pce guard.


    After Gallios and that fellow carried those temple knights to doctor Orua living closest to that ce, he informed me and the vi of the hero about the incident.


    Maybe Gallios is just curious about what happenedter.


    ¡¸No problem. They were moved to hero-sama¡¯s mansion¡¹


    ¡¸I see. But then, I feel uneasy about the one who defeated those temple knights¡¹


    Gallios is pondering while touching his chin.


    That¡¯s also one of my worries.


    The temple knights of Holy Republic Lenaria are said to be the best in the eastern continent.


    Each one of them is a master of martial arts. Moreover, a majority of them are magic users, too. Even Gallios and Ibined won¡¯t be a match against them, that¡¯s just how powerful those temple knights are.


    Someone who can beat those temple knights is currently in this kingdom. So, it¡¯s just natural for us to worry about such things.


    ¡¸It¡¯s certainly a worrisome matter¡­. But we can do nothing even if we ponder about it¡¹


    ¡¸Sure, that¡¯s true¡¹


    Galliosughs heartily on hearing my words.


    What can we do against an opponent who can easily dispatch those temple knights?


    Moreover, it seems that the one who attacked the temple knights isn¡¯t a dangerous person.


    If one were to ask for the reason, it was because all of the attacked temple knights received nothing but minor injuries. The culprit also didn¡¯t steal anything.


    Maybe that person just gave them a little lesson.


    And, if the culprit is a dangerous existence like a goblin, they¡¯ll surely aim for the lives of the temple knights.


    I¡¯m worried about what that guy will do to me.


    We then separated from the couple.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go, Almina¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Rember¡¹


    We continue our stroll.


    Nevertheless, I wonder who¡¯s the culprit of this incident. The reaction of the maid when we carried those guys to the vi of the hero was weighing on my mind.


    If I¡¯m not wrong, that maid is called Kaya-sama. She¡¯s a beauty yet hardly disys any expression; I even wonder whether her beautiful face is just a mask.


    The expression of the maid called Kaya changed ever so slightly when she saw the injury on those temple knights.


    Could it be that she has a clue about the culprit of this incident?


    Even then, I can¡¯t help but worry about such things. Well, I just want to enjoy my time with Almina right now.


    === === ===


    ¡ô ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    ¡¸Reiji-kun. You are still drinking liquor!! ¡¹


    I lost track of how many times I warned him about this.


    Reiji¡¯s drinking his liquor. Moreover, it¡¯s a distilled liquor.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Chiyuki. Oh!! This new product is great, isn¡¯t it?¡¹


    ¡¸Uhm, it seems it¡¯s to your liking, Rei-kun¡¹


    Reiji and Sayoko continue to enjoy their drinks while having such a conversation.


    It seems they¡¯re tantly disregarding my words.


    Surely, Sahoko dishes are delicious.


    It¡¯s possible to recreate Japanese food as long as one uses the fish sauce made from a fish resembling sardine in this world.


    It seems that Sahoko has made Reiji¡¯s favorite dish using that fish sauce.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Chiyuki-san. If it¡¯s Reiji-kun, he¡¯ll be okay no matter how much liquor he drinks¡¹


    Shirone isforting me.


    But, I can detect a slight smell of alcohol from her breath.


    You¡¯re drunk, too. I wanted to retort to Shirone like that.


    But it¡¯s as Shirone says, Reiji¡¯s never drunk no matter how much liquor he takes. Just like back in our home world. Frankly speaking, Reiji¡¯s physical power was just too abnormal.


    It became beyond abnormal aftering to this world. It¡¯s already not at the level of a heavy drinker anymore.


    In fact, our bodily functions have be abnormal ever since we came to this world.


    It seems that we won¡¯t suffer from acute alcohol poisoning no matter how much liquor we drink. I think the way he drinks right now is his way to get revenge since he still conducts himself properly back in our home world.


    Not just in terms of liquor, but also in terms of food. We won¡¯t gain any fat no matter how much we eat.


    A wound will be healed immediately. Our skin has be glossy; our health¡¯s also top-notch.


    We became even more beautiful aftering to this world.


    Considering such circumstances, I might just be needlessly anxious about this matter.


    The reason why a minor[Miseinen] is forbidden from drinking liquor as it¡¯ll cause harm to their yet-to-mature body. On the contrary, it¡¯s okay to drink liquor as long as it doesn¡¯t harm your body.


    Moreover, there are people who drink liquor at our age in certain countries outside Japan.

 Chapter 24.2 : Night Banquet

    <h4>Chapter 24.2 : Night Banquet</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    ¡ô ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    Naturally, there will always be an exception. Take Kyouka for example, it seems she is also not really good with liquor even in our original world. These pair of siblings are the exact opposites of each other. In short, the difference is in their body metabolisms.


    Our physiques also have slight differences based on our individual abilities.


    But it seems that Kyouka is worried about something.


    There, I noticed a slight change in her when Kaya isn¡¯t with her.


    Kaya never eats her meal with us. Could it have something to do with their master and servant rtionship? It seems she has her meal alone after everyone has finished their food.


    In other words, she¡¯s not beside Kyouka side only during her meal. But now, she has left her seat. Where are you?


    ¡¸Hey, Kyouka-san. Where¡¯s Kaya-san? ¡¹


    So, I ask Kyouka about Kaya¡¯s abnormal behavior.


    ¡¸Kaya is at the ce where they treated the temple knights who were carried here¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, at that ce¡­.¡¹


    The temple knights Lucullus was worried about the discovered unconscious today¡¯s evening.


    It seems they were defeated by someone. The defeated temple knights carried to this mansion were neither able to move their body nor speak.


    It seems Kaya heard from those temple knights that they were defeated by someone.


    After returning, Kaya exined the situation.


    ¡¸How¡¯s the result, Kaya-san? Did you find something?¡¹


    Kaya fixes her gaze at me.


    Kaya is wearing her usual noh mask-like expression which makes it hard to read her emotions.


    ¡¸It seems the person that caused the previous incident is currently in this country¡¹


    Everyone focusses at Kaya after her words.


    ¡¸What are you talking about, Kaya?¡¹


    I want to hear the details from her.


    ¡¸From the condition of the wounds, the person who defeated the temple knights seems to be a skilled martial artist. Maybe even I am no match for that person¡¹


    Then, Kaya narrated the state of the temple knights.


    The temple knights were defeated to the point that they won¡¯t die; in addition, it seems that person in question can skillfully adjust his power ¨C a difficult task even for Kaya. There are traces of being beaten but no noticeable wounds. It seems one of the temple knights was able to move right after receiving recovery magic.


    And then, it seems Kaya came to a conclusion that someone who can do that much should only be the person of that incident.


    ¡¸U~hm, the person that Kaya-san mentioned about is the one who groped Kyouka-san¡¯s breasts, right¡­?¡¹


    Kaya nods to Rino¡¯s question.


    ¡¸It¡¯s highly possible¡¹


    Everyone is showing a surprised face.


    ¡¸It¡¯s normal to think that he is following after us, right¡­.¡¹


    Shirone is asking that question with a troubled face. To be honest, I¡¯m in the same predicament as her.


    ¡¸It seems that cosy strategy has proven to be a sess¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, it seems so¡­. To think that such a strategy actually proved to be effective¡­.¡¹


    I am visibly surprised.


    It seems a pervert was summoned to this world. Moreover, that person¡¯s skill is equal to Kaya¡¯s.


    ¡¸What shall we do about this? ¡¹


    Kaya asks everyone for the next action.


    ¡¸Naturally¡­. Looking for him, tomorrow¡­.¡¹


    Everyone voices their displeasure when I answer so. I don¡¯t want to meet that pervert too, you know.


    But, we must find a way to return to our original world.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­. Can I not participate in this search? I have to go to the tower tomorrow¡¹


    Shirone¡¯s saying so with a timid voice.


    To be honest, it looks like she¡¯s trying to run away from this, but the search for the pervert is taking highest priority and the severity is low.


    In this case, I don¡¯t think that Shirone who¡¯s bad at searching will make that much difference anyway.


    ¡¸Well, it can¡¯t be helped then¡­.¡¹


    I agree to her.


    ¡¸Ah, so cunning!!¡¹


    ¡¸Shirone-san is too cunning!! Then I¡¯ll go to the tower, too!!¡¹


    Rino and Nao are voicing theirints.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t run away. It¡¯s not like we are going to find him tomorrow immediately. Nothing will change since Shirone will be participating in our search from the day after tomorrow¡¹


    We couldn¡¯t find him even after looking for him throughout Holy Republic Lenaria. You might say that this will be a drawn-out battle.


    Moreover, we have confirmed that the pervert is actually near us. Quite a harvest we got there.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Rino, Nao. Since I¡¯ll beat that guy if he appears before you¡¹


    Reiji is showing a daring smile.


    ¡¸Reiji-kun¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸Reiji-senpai¡­.¡¹


    Rino and Nao are moved upon hearing his words.


    Honestly, did he know that our goal is not to beat that pervert?


    ¡¸By the way, Kaya-san. Did those temple knights take a look at that pervert face?¡¹


    I noticed a slight change in Kaya¡¯s eternally impassive face after that question.


    ¡¸Well, it seems someone has fiddled with their minds¡¹


    I¡¯m slightly surprised in hearing Kaya¡¯s words.


    Speaking of magic to fiddling with the mind, there¡¯s ruling magic, memory manipting magic, and memory loss magic.


    With the easier one being memory loss magic and the hardest one being ruling magic.


    ¡¸Does that mean their memories have been erased?¡¹


    Kaya is nodding at her words.


    Could it be that the pervert erased those temple knight¡¯s memories about himself after beating them?


    ¡¸That¡¯s the most likely. Though those temple knights can move their body, it seems they lost memories of an entire day¡¹


    Kaya is saying so as if troubled by it.


    ¡¸Uhm, it¡¯s probably memory loss magic, but¡­.¡¹


    I can¡¯t be sure about it since memory maniption magic and ruling magic have simr symptoms.


    Ruling magic and memory maniption magic are far more difficult than the fairly simple memory loss magic. It¡¯s a magic that will distort the memory of the other party but won¡¯t work very well unless the user has higher magical power than the target.


    That¡¯s why I can¡¯t determine the magic used to erase their memories.


    But in case it¡¯s memory loss magic, there¡¯s a high possibility that the temple knights saw the face of their opponent.


    Could we do something about that information?


    ¡¸Maybe we have no choice but to rely on Rino-san¡­.¡¹


    I direct my gaze toward Rino.


    Rino can infiltrate the mind of the other party using her mind dive magic.


    And then, she can extract even forgotten information as long as she dives deep enough.


    ¡¸E~h, don¡¯t wanna¡­.¡¹


    However, Rino isn¡¯t agreeing to that idea.


    It seems she¡¯s not that fond of those temple knights. Then, we have no other choice.


    Mind dive magic tends to strongly influence the magic caster. Especially in Rino¡¯s case who has that strong tendency, she vehemently refuses to enter deep into the mind of someone she hates.


    Though I hear that mind dive is more toward emotional aspect¡­. It seems that it¡¯s closer to sexual intercourse. It seems she doesn¡¯t want to do that unless it¡¯s someone she loves.


    Thus, we won¡¯t be able to scour for memories containing that pervert.


    ¡¸Well, it can¡¯t be helped if Rino-san doesn¡¯t want to do it. Let¡¯s search for him manually, then¡¹


    Mind dive is the most effective method, but I guess we have no choice since the person in question doesn¡¯t want to do it.


    Nevertheless, I wonder what kind of person that pervert is? For what reason is he hiding?


    And then, where and what are you doing right now?


    The night keeps flowing on as I am unable toprehend the situation.


    === === ===


    ¡ô Dark Knight, Kuroki


    The night ended and the morning dawned.


    When I open my eyes, I realized that I can¡¯t move my body.


    The reason is that someone¡¯s body is lying on top of me.


    The one lying on top of me is a goddess with a beautiful face and brilliant hair.


    And then, my face turns red on recallingst night¡¯s events.


    This goddess then opens her eyes.


    ¡¸Fuu, Kurok¨C¡­. EH, WHY?¡¹


    To be honest, I don¡¯t even dare to look at her face.


    Because I recall the abnormal state between Rena and mest night.


    ¡¸U~hm¡­. AAAAAAAAAAAAH! ! ! ! ¡¹


    It seems she finally sobered up. She is groaning with a flushed red face.


    ¡¸Uhm, Re¡ª BUGYAA!?¡¹


    She suddenlynded a hit on me when I try to speak to her.


    I can¡¯t deal with this sudden turn of events.


    I sneak a nce at the bewildered Rena while stroking my face that was just punched by her. She¡¯s ring at me.


    She suddenly draws herself closer to me.


    ¡¸L-LOOK INTO MY EYES, KUROKI!!¡¹


    ¡¸E-EH!!!¡¹


    With my head still in a chaotic state, I look into her eyes as she told me.


    My eyes met with her beautiful and ebullient eyes.


    Her eyes are shining. That light then enters into my bodies through my eyes.


    Though I knew that she tried to use some sort of magic, I simply couldn¡¯t resist her.


    ¡¸PPPPPLe~~~ase For~~Get~~~EVERYTHING! ! ! ! ! ¡¹


    Rena¡¯s screaming.


    Memory loss¡­. Magic?


    I finally know what sort of magic she¡¯s trying to use on me.


    My consciousness dimmed.


    ¡¸FUEEEEEEEEEE! ! ! ! ¡¹


    Though I heard Rena doing something while weeping, I¡¯m already unable to do anything.


    === === ===


    ¡ô ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    We weed a rare visitor the first thing in the morning.


    Before my eyes is a person with wings on her back.


    An angel.


    The angel race rarelyes down to the ground. That¡¯s why this person is a rare visitor.


    I was woken up by this visitor.


    ¡¸Sorry for bothering you in the morning, Chiyuki¡¹


    This angel doesn¡¯t seem to be feeling sorry judging by her tone.


    The angel race¡¯s a beautiful race with wings on their back, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to like them since they are haughty creatures that look down on humans.


    ¡¸Well, it doesn¡¯t matter¡­. So, what¡¯s the matter, Nier?¡¹


    To be honest, I have no choice but to apany her since it seems like an urgent matter despite my sleepiness.


    Nier is a female angel who¡¯s the captain of war maidens that serve under Rena. I met her once in the past.


    The matter of meeting Nier started from that point. I wonder what matter it is.


    I can hear the fuss in the vicinity of the mansion. It seems the one making such sounds are the angels who descended to the ground.


    I really want to have the ability to hide even if it¡¯s just a little. This kind of fuss is so unbearable.


    ¡¸It seems Rena-sama isn¡¯t visiting this ce?¡¹


    Nier is asking in an interrogative tone.


    ¡¸Eh, Rena what?¡¹


    I never met Rena ever since I arrived at this country.


    ¡¸The truth is, we lost contact with Rena-sama sincest night. We assumed that she came here, but¡­.¡¹


    Nier¡¯s saying so as if she¡¯s troubled by the situation.


    ¡¸That Rena? She never came to this ce, you know¡¹


    When I reply so, Nier¡¯s face bes pale.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me, something happened to Rena-sama¡­.¡¹


    Nier is trembling. It seems she is imagining quite a worrisome situation.


    She¡¯s just worrying too much, it¡¯s only one night. Moreover, it¡¯s not like Rena is a kid.


    ¡¸Why did I not search for her immediately!!!¡¹


    ¡¸Uhm¡­. Nier¡­.¡¹


    I¡¯m trying to calm down the panicky Nier.


    That time, I felt a powerful magical powering from the outside.


    When I look through the windows, I saw a light object flying in the sky.


    ¡¸Eh, Rena-sama!!¡¹


    Nier shouts aloud.


    The light object keeps flying toward the direction of Elios.


    ¡¸WAH!! We have to chase after Rena-sama!! Chiyuki!! I¡¯ll leave the aftermath to you!!!¡¹


    After dumping the tasks, Nier left my room through the window to chase after the light object.


    I was left alone in my room.


    ¡¸What on earth just happened? ¡¹


    === === ===


    ¡ô Dark Knight, Kuroki


    When I woke up in the morning, my face is stinging with pain.


    Moreover, why did I sleep in this ce?


    I was lying on my bed.


    When I tried to recall what happenedst night.


    ¡¸Eh!! What happenedst night?¡¹


    I can¡¯t remember what happenedst night.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right. I was suddenly kissed by Rena¡­. E~h, then¡­. I can¡¯t remember anything¡­.¡¹


    I remember the beautiful face of Rena approaching mine.


    I writhe in pain remembering that event.


    Could it be that she drugged me with a sleeping drug when she kissed me?


    And then, did she try to do something while I was asleep?


    Rena had already left this room.


    I feel that something important was lost when I did not see Rena¡¯s face.


    Though I don¡¯t know the reason, Rena¡¯s face simply won¡¯t disappear from my head.


    Someone, please tell me what just happened?


    ¡¸I HAVE NO IDEA~A!!! WHAT IN THE WORLD JUST HAPPENE~~D!!!¡¹


    I roll around on my bed while holding my head.


    When I rolled around like that, my body stumbled upon something.


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    On a closer look, a small bottle is present on my bed.


    ¡¸What is this?¡¹


    The content of that small bottle seems to have been already emptied. It seems that the entire content was spilt on my bed.


    Maybe Rena dropped it by mistake.


    Though it seems like it¡¯s a magic potion, I don¡¯t know what kind of potion it is since it¡¯s already empty.


    Maybe it has something to do with what Rena wanted to do.


    I search around for more evidence.


    I¡¯m looking around inside the room. My room became slightly disordered.


    ¡¸Crap¡­. I don¡¯t know what happened but¡­. If I don¡¯t tidy the room¡­.¡¹


    When I¡¯m about to clean the bedsheet with magic, two things fall when I raise the sheet.


    First is some kind of cloth.


    When I look at that cloth, I realize that the surface area is scarce.


    That cloth is rted to a certain something.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s keep this for now¡­. And carry it with me¡¹


    For some reason, my instinct¡¯s telling me to do so.


    The other one is some unusual metal.


    I¡¯m trying to pick it up.


    It¡¯s a ne with a ck gemid in the center.


    ¡¸What the heck is this ne?¡¹

 Chapter 25.1 : Tower of Striges

    <h4>Chapter 25.1 : Tower of Striges</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    ¡ô Dark Knight Kuroki


    ¡¸I hope you enjoyed thest night to the fullest¡¹


    That was the first thing that was mentioned when I left the separate room to Gallios¡¯ house.


    To be honest, I couldn¡¯t answer anything since I can¡¯t recall anything that happenedst night.


    I wonder what had happenedst night?


    I don¡¯t know about Rena¡¯s goal.


    In fact, she must have some sort of emergency event since she left in hurry.


    ¡­ Or so was supposed to be.


    ¡­ For some reason, I believe it should be fine.


    Because Reiji¡¯s movements have nothing to do against me. Absolutely not.


    I got up in the morning and remained bewildered for a long time.


    I tidied my messy room up as though I wanted to escape right away.


    After that, I noticed that a few hours have passed, and it¡¯ll be bad if I didn¡¯t escape immediately.


    When I realized it, my room had be sparkling clean.


    It seems I overdid it. Though I didn¡¯t use any softening agent, the sheets have be fluffy andfy. Good grief, what should I do¡­.


    I could determine nothing no matter how much the time passed. I didn¡¯t find any traces of battle in this room.


    Could it be that Rena had no intention to have a go with me?


    So, she didn¡¯t report about me to Reiji?


    Or, did she report to Reiji but gave an evaluation that I¡¯m a worthless existencepared to him?


    Thest one is the most usible exnation.


    Though I would be angry if that¡¯s the case, as a matter of fact, I don¡¯t know what should I do if that was really the case.


    ¡¸Kuro, is that girl in there?¡¹


    He might be referring to Rena. Gallios is grinning as he asked that question.


    ¡¸She¡¯s gone when I woke up¡­.¡¹


    I reply honestly. I would also like to know the whereabouts of Rena.


    Gallios is showing a surprised face after hearing my reply.


    ¡¸That¡¯s strange, I should know if someone really passes by¡­.¡¹


    Maybe she left with flight magic.


    Did she go to Reiji¡¯s ce?


    Gallos is tilting his head while showing a surprised face. But there¡¯s nothing he can do since he doesn¡¯t know about it.


    ¡¸If you have time after this, Kuro, I suggest you look at your reflection on the mirror. That¡¯s an amazing face you got there¡¹


    Gallios is saying so whileughing heartily.


    ¡¸?¡¹


    Following Gallios advice, I went to the washroom that has a mirror inside.


    The mirrors of this world are made of polished metal. Though it¡¯s rather hard to see my reflection, it¡¯s already sufficient enough.


    There¡¯s a trace of assault on my face. And then, there was a lot of something in red color.


    ¡¸This is¡­. What kind of red mark is this?¡¹


    But, it seems I can wash it.


    I pour water from the jug where they kept water to wash my face.


    ¡¸It won¡¯t disappear that easily¡­.¡¹


    Could it be that this red mark is cursed so that it won¡¯te off that easily?


    Abandoning this action, it looks like it¡¯s better to just hide my face for today.


    ¡¸Gallios-senpai, is Kuro-dono in there!?¡¹


    A loud voice suddenly resounded. It was Rember¡¯s voice. What happened?


    When I arrived at the living room, Rember is there.


    ¡¸Senpai!! Kuro-dono!! Please lend me your power!¡¹


    Rember bows his head toward Gallios and me out of nowhere.


    === === ===


    ¡ô Sword Maiden, Shirone


    Unfortunately, it¡¯s cloudy today.


    It doesn¡¯t seem like an enjoyable weather to stroll outside the rampart.


    But well, I won¡¯t be asking for more luxury today since I¡¯m not wearing that embarrassing armor anymore.


    Today, everyone but me is searching for that pervert.


    It¡¯s good if we find a way to go back, but¡­.


    To be honest, except for Chiyuki-san, everyone isn¡¯t that keen to go back.


    Reiji-kun, Rino-chan, and Nao-chan seem to have no problem with not being able to return.


    Sahoko-san is okay as long as she can remain beside Reiji-kun side; Kyouka-san and Kaya-san don¡¯t seem to have intentions to return, either.


    Then, what about me?


    To be honest, I don¡¯t know.


    I¡¯m having fun with everyone. Some parts of me feel relieved that we lost the way to go back.


    I¡¯m happy and I still want to be together with everyone.


    But, it doesn¡¯t mean that I don¡¯t want to go back at all.


    What Chiyuki-san said is correct, there¡¯s someone I want to meet in our world.


    I won¡¯t forgive that Diehart, the one responsible for why we lost the way to go back.


    I was really annoyed when I lost to that guy.


    Maybe I wish for a rematch with that Diehart.


    I want to stretch my body a little before the rematch.


    That¡¯s why I wanted to go to the tower to blow off some steam.


    I stretch myself and then readjust my breathing.


    Someone ising to my side. His name is Rember, a knight of this kingdom. He¡¯ll be my assistant today.


    ¡¸Shirone-sama, I have gathered all of them¡¹


    I turn around after hearing Rember¡¯s report.


    There¡¯s a group of men with various kind of weapons gathered near the gate outside the rampart.


    They¡¯re the people from the Rox Kingdom who will being along with me to investigate the tower.


    Since I have no detection skill, Chiyuki-san had appealed to the Rox Kingdom to dispatch manpower.


    Naturally, the king agreed to dispatch the kingdom¡¯s personnel.


    Well, that¡¯s natural since they¡¯re the ones who were harmed by the Striges.


    The number of dispatched personnel is 12. Since Nao-chan isn¡¯ting with me, we have no choice but to fill the gap with numbers.


    The problem is the fact that I don¡¯t know whether they can deal with the demons inside the tower.


    Since there should be some demons left inside the tower, even if I¡¯m alright, it might be not the same for them.


    Though I won¡¯t say that I¡¯m as strong as Reiji-kun, I want them to be at least strong enough to protect their own self.


    Though I know that it¡¯s too pitiful topare them with the powerful Reiji-kun, it¡¯s just aparison.


    Not good, I haven¡¯t fixed this bad habit of mine.


    It¡¯s as Chiyuki-san said, I shouldn¡¯tpare another man with Reiji-kun as the standard.


    I bow lightly toward them after looking at them.


    ¡¸I¡¯m looking forward to working with you today, everyone¡¹


    When I bow to them, they also bow.


    A look at the members.


    First is the leader of this party, Rember. The person is a knight from a family that has served as knights of the Rox Kingdom for generations. He has considerable status in this kingdom due to his betrothal with the princess.


    Next is the one who feels like the true-leader, Gallios. Though he seems like a former knight, he is currently working as a freedom fighter. He managed to gather this much personnel in this short amount of time showing his considerable capability.


    Next is the ranger, Stor. It seems he is this kingdom¡¯s best ranger and the one who exterminated the demons in the forest together with Gallios.


    The magician, Nimri. The person who is working as the staff officer of this party and the magician of Rox Kingdom. He appears like how a normal magician would usually be.


    After that, as expected, I can¡¯t remember the names of the other 8 freedom fighters. By the way, I can only remember 4 people amongst them.


    These 12 and Ibined to form the 13-person party for tower investigation.


    ¡¸Well, shall we go then, everyone?¡¹


    When I say so, a littlemotion happened amongst them.


    ¡¸Uhm Shirone-sama¡­. Can I have a minute with you? ¡¹


    One persones toward me. It¡¯s the ranger Stor.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯ll take us half a day to arrive at the tower from our position. So, do you want to camp near the tower? We haven¡¯t made any preparations¡­.¡¹


    Stor asks so with concern.


    ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s okay. We will make use of movement type magic¡¹


    When I say so, the members nkly stare at each other.


    Though not as skillful as Rino, I can use wind spirit magic.


    It¡¯s a magic to make the people following behind the user of that wind spirit magic to move at the same speed as the user of the spirit magic with the user as the vanguard.


    If I go as the vanguard, I should be able to arrive at the tower within 30 minutes, along with everyone.


    Everyone is exchanging looks with each other when I exined it to them.


    But, exining more than this was more troublesome.


    ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s go!!¡¹


    === === ===


    ¡ô Sword Maiden, Shirone


    We arrived at the tower of Striges.


    ¡¸Eh, did our number just decreased?¡¹


    When I look behind, the number of the freedom fighters is lesser than when I met them at the rampart¡¯s gate.


    ¡¸I¡­. It seems, s-some of us¡­. dropped out along the way¡¹


    Rember is saying so between his panting breaths.


    ¡¸I ¡­ it seems ¡­ t-this speed ¡­ is ¡­ too much ¡­ for them¡¹


    I feel disheartened after hearing those words.


    I actually lowered my movement speed as much as possible, but it seems that my reduced speed is still too much for them.


    Four of the freedom fighters had dropped out. It didn¡¯t take half of them.


    The four freedom fighters whose name I remembered, including Rember, were present, too. With a total of 9 members including me, it seems it isn¡¯t possible to search the whole tower. However, when I take a nce at the remaining freedom fighters, all of them save for one have fallen t on the ground while gasping for breath. To be honest, it seems they¡¯re totally useless in this case.


    The sole remaining freedom fighter was the one of those whose name I couldn¡¯t remember. This person is wrapping a cloth around his face to hide it and was calmly nursing Nimri beside him.


    Maybe he is the only one avable amongst the freedom fighters. Let¡¯s ask for his name againter.


    I leave the other freedom fighters under his care and then head toward the tower¡¯s gate.


    ¡¸That?¡¹

 Chapter 25.2 : Tower of Striges

    <h4>Chapter 25.2 : Tower of Striges</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    I notice an unusual phenomenon.


    ¡¸Could it be ¡­ a barrier¡¹


    Somehow, I can feel a different magic barrier than thest time.


    It seems there¡¯s a detection inhibition barrier present within the tower.


    Though Chiyuki-san might be able to unearth more information, I, of all people, is the worst choice in this area.


    Moreover, it seems that the one who set this power has quite the powerful darkness power.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me it really is in this ce?¡¹


    If that was the case, it¡¯s way too easy. But, I couldn¡¯t feel any Striges with such powerful magical power previously.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Shirone-sama? ¡¹


    Rember approaches with an unsteady gait.


    ¡¸To go, of course. We entered from the skyst time, and since you guys are with me this time, we are entering from the front¡¹


    In fact, the top floor of this tower is the residential area of the Striges.


    We thought we had beaten all of those Striges since there was nothing but signs of undead even with Nao-chan¡¯s detection ability, so we left it as it was.


    There should be some remnants of traps, for repelling the intruders, and undead inside the tower.


    But, seeing that we have already arrived all the way here, I might as well as search from the residential area, which I am yet to see, all the way toward the lowest floor. I¡¯m thinking of breaking from the front gate since none of the other members can fly in the sky.


    Moreover, I don¡¯t know what is waiting in there.


    However, once I enter this tower, I will know about it immediately.


    ¡¸Since it¡¯s better if I work alone, do your best to protect your life, everyone. If you think that the situation is dangerous, run immediately¡¹


    I mention the same things that Chiyuki-san said to me as protective measures. To be honest, I wish they do not force themselves. I¡¯ll be troubled if they die.


    Thus, we went into the tower.


    === === ===


    ¡ô Dark Knight Kuroki


    That was close.


    Just how many times have I felt like this today?


    Glorious is inside that tower.


    It all began when Rember came to Gallios¡¯s house in a hurry.


    It thought that this will expose my identity.


    But, it seems I¡¯mpletely wrong.


    The one who raised the request to Rember was Shirone.


    Though I never expected that Shirone will be there, I¡¯m d that I hid my face with a cloth to hide the red marks on my face.


    After that, I understood from Shirone¡¯s reaction that nothing was reported to Reiji-tachi.


    But then, apletely different problem surfaced.


    At this rate, Shirone will meet Glorious. One way or another, Glorious will be defeated by Shirone.


    We arrived at the tower without me being able to devise any good idea.


    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry¡­. Kuro-dono¡­.¡¹


    Nimri¡¯s apologizing to me.


    I was the one who hauled the seemingly-about-to-copse Nimri by the time we arrived at this tower.


    Though Nimri barely made it to the tower, some of the freedom fighters were left stranded inside the forest. I pray for their safe return.


    Though we¡¯ve subjugated demons in the forest, it doesn¡¯t mean there¡¯s none left anymore. Danger could be lurking everywhere.


    Are they going to be alright? The humans of this world are weakerpared to summoned people like us, after all.


    Moreover, people who managed to arrive until this ce are gasping for their breath, unable to move their body.


    However, Shirone hurriedly jumped into the tower, leaving the other immobile people behind.


    I wish she¡¯ll at least pity these people but that¡¯s impossible ording to Shirone¡¯s personality.


    Shirone is strict toward men.


    To be exact, it¡¯s toward the men weaker than her. I can somehow guess the reason for that.


    There wasn¡¯t a male kid born in Akamine house, Shirone¡¯s family.


    Though he never said it loudly, uncle Akamine might have wished for a boy child to inherit the dojo.


    And I think those wishes of his unknowingly came out in his attitude.


    Maybe Shirone had also guessed her father¡¯s wish for a boy. That¡¯s why she does her best to not lose to men.


    Thus, Shirone became far more powerful than men around her age. Consequently, Shirone hated men far weaker than herself.


    Thinking that girls are weaker, Shirone saved those weak girls from brutish men. For that reason, Shirone was extremely popr amongst the females.


    I noticed that the reason Shirone rampaged to exterminate the evil guys is also due to the influence of manga and novels that she liked.


    I recall the memories of my past when I role-yed as the viin while ying with Shirone.


    I happily took up the role of the viin since Shirone loved to be the protagonist.


    Lately, I havee to realize that I might have been hated by Shirone since I was exactly that kind of viin.


    Also, Shirone definitely loved the kind of man who saved girls and fought against evil like the ones in the story. And I know that man is Reiji.


    Maybe Reiji is that kind of existence for Shirone.


    Moreover, against myself, I mean a viin, I am even hiding my identity from Shirone.


    But, I won¡¯t let Shirone be a dragon yer hero this time around.


    When I look at the status of the group, it seems that Rember and Gallios have recovered enough to be able to move. Then, we chase after Shirone in the order of the recovery.


    Naturally, it includes me too.


    Well then, what should I do. I have to do something about this situation. I tightly gripped the ne in my bosom pocket while trying to sketch a n.


    Since Striges are a winged race, the entrance to their residence doesn¡¯t have to be on the first floor.


    That entrance is there for the sake of letting their prey, humans, to enter the tower.


    ording to Rember, despite the surrounding countries¡¯, including the Rox Kingdom¡¯s, attempts to subjugate the tower via subjugation parties, none of those who entered the tower returned. Maybe their blood was sucked by the Striges until they died and were then turned into undead.


    There are still numerous traps and demons to capture the intruders of the tower even now.


    It¡¯ll be okay, though. After all, Shirone and I are going along with them.


    ¡¸Come to think of it Kuro-dono, why are you covering your face with that cloth?¡¹


    Rember¡¯s question hit my sore spot perfectly.


    Though I do have many reasons to hide my face, the most urgent reason, for now, was to hide my identity from Shirone. However, to be honest, there¡¯s no way I would say that. What should I do? Deceive him?


    ¡¸Well, you see, Rember¡¹


    Gallios approaches Rember while beaming and then whispers something to him.


    ¡¸I see, so that¡¯s the reason. Even Kuro-dono unexpectedly does that, huh¡¹


    Rember smiles while speaking those words.


    ¡¸Hey?! What did you tell him?!!¡¹


    I protest against Gallios¡¯s action.


    It seems he won¡¯t ept my reason for hiding my face since I have no idea of what happenedst night.


    ¡¸Oops, my bad. Let¡¯s get going then¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, Kuro-dono. We¡¯ll be left behind by Shirone-sama¡¹


    The duo moves ahead with those weird smiles on their faces.


    Though it¡¯s vexing, I have nothing toment on this matter either; I enter the tower after them.


    The tower¡¯s interior is gloomy and spacious; I¡¯m fine since I have night vision, but Gallios couldn¡¯t see anything.


    Though the magician Nimri can illuminate the space with magic, it isn¡¯t to the point of being able to illuminate this ginormous towerpletely.


    Shirone won¡¯t even care about things like herrade¡¯s pace inside such a gloomy tower. She will advance at her own pace.


    ¡¸Rember, I think this tower is still dangerous even without those Striges. Is it okay to let that little miss go ahead of us?¡¹


    Gallios is saying so while looking at Shirone who¡¯s walking ahead of us.


    ¡¸No need to worry about that. Shirone-sama is far stronger than any of us¡¹


    Shirone¡¯s appearance is that of a lovely girl. She doesn¡¯t seem to be that powerful from Gallios¡¯s perspective.


    ¡¸Shirone-sama is a skilled swordswoman. Even more, though not that skilled in it, she¡¯s a magic warrior who can use sunlight magic, recovery magic, and spirit magic. We won¡¯t able to beat her even if we ganged up on her. That¡¯s why we have to do our best to protect our lives to make sure we don¡¯t be a hindrance to her¡¹


    Rember issues such instructions to the other freedom fighters.


    ¡¸Nimri-sensei, please illuminate our surroundings with magic; Stor, please heighten your vignce to detect anything unusual. The people behind, go forward to protect Nimri and Stor¡¹


    The vanguard was the same as yesterday, Steros, with me being the rear guard.


    It seems that Steros himself wished to be the vanguard.


    It seems he possesses some sort of impure thoughts toward Shirone and might be wanting to see Shirone¡¯s back by acting as the vanguard.


    It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t understand his feelings after seeing her wear that kind of costume in yesterday¡¯s parade. However, she¡¯s wearing her normalbat attire today.


    Naturally, I¡¯ll stop him at all costs if he¡¯s trying to do something to her.


    Shirone suddenlyes to a halt.


    ¡¸Something is there¡¹


    Stor, walking right behind her, suddenly points forward as he noticed something.


    Though Gallios might not be able to see it, my eyes can see what¡¯s ahead of us.


    It was a zombie. Moreover, it seems like a former human too since they¡¯re armed.


    It may be members of one of the previous subjugation teams. There are five of them slowlying toward us.


    ¡¸SUNLIGHT!!¡¹


    After she loudly uttered, a dazzling lightes out from Shirone¡¯s hand and shines over the zombies.


    Sunshine magic could only be used by high ranking priests.


    The body parts of zombiesing into contact with the light start evaporating. They disappeared a few minutester, leaving behind their clothes and equipment.


    ¡¸Amazing, to insta-kill them¡­.¡¹


    Nimri is admiring Shirone¡¯s skill.


    Undead is an extremely troublesome opponent as normal attacks won¡¯t work on them.


    Moreover, those zombies were skilled persons when they¡¯re alive. The sword-wielding zombie from before also showed signs of having wielded a shield.

 Chapter 25.3 : Tower of Striges

    <h4>Chapter 25.3 : Tower of Striges</h4>


    ¡­. ¡­ ¡­


    It might turn into a drawn-out battle with just Gallios alone.


    This is undoubtedly the kind of magic to counter undead.


    ¡¸Defeating them with magic isn¡¯t that amusing, right?¡¹


    But, Shirone seems to be dissatisfied with that.


    ¡¸Another one ising!!¡¹


    Stor warns us.


    Dozens of zombies approach us.


    We continue to meet hordes of zombies as soon as we go further into the tower.


    However, it¡¯s possible to exterminate them in an instant as long as we have that Sunlight magic.


    But, Shirone is unsheathing her sword and then facing against those armies of zombies.


    ¡¸EH, WHAT ABOUT SUNLIGHT MAGIC!!¡¹


    I¡¯m retorting to her action.


    ¡¸FLAME BLADE!!¡¹


    A zing me coils around Shirone¡¯s sword as soon as she let out that cry.


    ¡¸FLAME DECAPITATION!!¡¹


    And thus, she began her killing spree in the midst of the zombie army.


    ¡¸W¡­. WOOOOW¡­.¡¹


    Gallios unconsciously exims with awe visible in his tone.


    ¡¸Any kind of attack shouldn¡¯t be that effective against undead, yet¡­.¡¹


    It seems Nimri is also entranced by that scene.


    Undeads are always a troublesome opponent since, for example, take a zombie: they¡¯ll be a skeleton after they are burnt with fire and then converted into a vengeful spirit without a corporeal body after their skeletal frame is smashed apart.


    Especially the ethereal body, the kind of body that can¡¯t be attacked by normal weapons. Normal weapons won¡¯t hurt them unless you attack them with an enchanted sword.


    Shirone¡¯s pale blue light sword is a magic sword. The fire element within that sword, aside from causing damage to the corporeal body, is also cleaving the ethereal body, bone, and flesh of the zombies.


    Shirone¡¯s assault is terrifying; those armies of zombies are annihted in a sh.


    Everyone is shocked by watching her assault.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to defeat them with only my sword while remaining inside their formation.¡± I want to retort like that.


    ¡¸Well, let¡¯s get going¡¹


    Shirone turns toward us with a refreshing expression and marches forward.


    We silently gaze at her back.


    === === ===


    ¡ô Dark Knight Kuroki


    ¡¸That¡¯s too amazing, right Rember¡­. The hero¡¯s wife is so powerful¡¹


    Gallios mutters in awe.


    We could advance safely till the halfway point in the tower, thanks to Shirone.


    Naturally, whether it¡¯s undead, giant spiders, or vampire bats, none of them are Shirone¡¯s opponents.


    Almost all of the demon attacking us was defeated by Shirone.


    Despite sporadic traps present here and there, Shirone just broke through them with her raw power.


    Arrows trap fell down even before hitting the target, she flew in the air without falling into pitfalls, even the falling ceiling traps were pushed back by her with a single hand.


    To be honest, are we even needed in the first ce?


    ¡¸I¡¯m also astonished. Though I witnessed hero-sama¡¯s power before, I never thought that even his wives were extremely powerful¡¹


    Nimri and Gallios are also praising her without any restraint.


    I can do this kind of feat too, you know. But, it seems this is already an amazing feat for them.


    Moreover, I just can¡¯t stomach it when they say that Shirone is Reiji¡¯s wife.


    She wasbeled as Reiji¡¯s woman back in our world, too. It seems thatbel isn¡¯t that much different even in this world.


    When I think about that, I feel like a fool for protecting them.


    Should I go to cut the horn of the dragon right now?


    It might be a good thing to get a beautiful woman simr to Rena, too.


    For some reason, my heart is beating faster when I remember Rena¡¯s face.


    I¡¯m also worried about Rena.


    What the hell is Rena thinking about now?


    While I was pondering as such, Shirone suddenly stopped walking.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Shirone-sama? ¡¹


    Rember inquires Shirone as to why she stopped walking.


    I see a door in front of Shirone. The room¡¯s door is different from the one so far.


    ¡¸There¡¯s something in there¡¹


    It¡¯s as Stor just said, there¡¯s something behind that door.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go¡¹


    Shirone opens the door and enters inside.


    ¡¸Light?¡¹


    Someone utters that word.


    The light in this room is notably different from the other rooms. It can¡¯t bepared with the illumination magic of Nimri.


    But, that wasn¡¯t the only thing different.


    Someone is standing in the middle of that room. A living human who¡¯s obviously not a zombie.


    He possessed a pale face, golden-colored hair, and wore a ck mantle. His cloth quality¡¯s splendid, far from the clothes of those zombies and undead.


    ¡¸Oh, just when I thought that master has returned, it turned out to be a human. You¡¯vee till this far, huh¡¹


    The man isughing while looking at us.


    ¡¸LOOK AT HIS EYES! HE ISN¡¯T A HUMAN!!!¡¹


    Stor warns us.


    His eyes are shining in blood red color. A pair of fangs peeks through his lips.


    ¡¸A VAMPIRE!¡¹


    Nimri shouts so.


    Different from the zombies that came until now, a vampire is a high-level undead possessing intelligence and can use magic.


    ¡¸To think that the Striges went as far as using a vampire¡­.¡¹


    Rember is saying so with a dumbfounded face.


    ¡¸SUNLIGHT!¡¹


    ¡¸NIGHT ROBE!¡¹


    Shirone and the vampire invoke their respective magic skills.


    The dazzling light that came from Shirone¡¯s hand is thwarted by a dark mist that¡¯s covering the vampire¡¯s body.


    ¡¸It might be possible if it¡¯s real sunlight. You can¡¯t beat me with this level of magic¡¹


    The vampire isughing.


    ¡¸Hee, not bad¡¹


    Shirone seems to be enjoying this situation.


    ¡¸Fufu, back to you. Despite yourdy-like appearance, it seems you¡¯re a high ranking priest. This Elkitos praises thee. Are you interested in bing my bride?¡¹


    The vampire called Elkitos says so while smacking his lips. The fangs peeking out from his mouth are shing.


    In this case, bing his bride means that she¡¯ll be his retainer for sucking her blood.


    I won¡¯t let him achieve that.


    ¡¸My bad, but I¡¯m not interested in a man weaker than myself¡¹


    Shirone points her sword toward Elkitos.


    ¡¸Is that so? So does it mean you¡¯ll be my bride if I¡¯m stronger than you?¡¹


    Pair of bat wings springs forth from Elkitos¡¯s back.


    It seems the battle is going to start immediately.


    ¡¸W-Wait a minute, Shirone-sama!!!¡¹


    Nimri is suddenly shouting at her.


    ¡¸N? What¡¯s matter?¡¹


    She¡¯s looking at Nimri with a pouting face since he hindered her fight.


    ¡¸There¡¯s something that I need to confirm¡­.¡¹


    After saying those words, Nimri hesitantly looking toward Elkitos.


    ¡¸Disturbing my time with her, what a boorish man¡¹


    The vampire¡¯s also annoyed.


    ¡¸Are you the one who made those dead demons into zombies over these few days?¡¹


    Nimri asks the vampire.


    In the first ce, the reason why we came to this tower is to search for the Striges, the source of the zombie incident.


    Apart from the Striges, a vampire can also use necromancy. So, it¡¯s not that strange if this vampire is the culprit of the recent incident.


    It seems Nimri is trying to confirm that.


    ¡¸Ah, that¡¯s right!! We have to investigate that too!! Nice!!¡¹


    Shirone is praising Nimri. To be honest, that¡¯s why we came here.


    Did we reallye for demon extermination? That¡¯s also one of the oues from our action until now. Well, if that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s better if the number of demons decreases.


    ¡¸N¡­. No, even if you praise me¡¹


    Nimri mutters so with a troubled face.


    Though I thought it¡¯s okay to let Shirone go alone, maybe it¡¯s a good thing that Rember came along, too.


    Shirone will end up rampaging alone in the tower if we let her go alone. Consequently, we might lose our chance to get information about the culprit.


    ¡¸Uhm, I don¡¯t know what are you talking about since I awakened just 3 days ago¡¹


    Elkitos is saying so with a sullen face.


    I don¡¯t think that he¡¯s lying. I never expected him to be the culprit, after all.


    But, speaking of 3 days ago, doesn¡¯t that coincide with my arrival to this tower?


    ¡¸You just awakened 3 days ago? Then, does that mean you were not in this tower before, right? Could it be that you were sleeping in this tower?¡¹


    ¡¸Fufu, I was in a sealed state you know. Those women don¡¯t possess enough power to employ me¡¹


    Elkitos has a happy expression on his face while announcing that fact.


    It was in sharp contrast to Nimri¡¯s and Shirone¡¯s expression. He¡¯s a little annoying.


    ¡¸Then, why did you awaken?¡¹


    ¡¸It was 3 days ago. Though I don¡¯t know the whereabouts of that personage, he/she was the one who used dark magic in this tower. I was unsealed due to the magic wave of that personage. Fufu, that personage should be an amazing person to possess that kind of power¡¹


    Elkitos is speaking as if he was entranced.


    That was strange. I couldn¡¯t feel any signs of this vampire when I came to this tower 3 days ago.


    Nevertheless, it¡¯s a fact that I applied barrier magic to this tower 3 days ago. It¡¯s a powerful magic to hide this tower entirely. I should be able to feel something in case this guy¡¯s power reached a certain level.


    Or else, the owner of that power might not be that personage he¡¯s referring to.


    ¡¸That personage is¡­. Hey, is that personage in this tower right now? ¡¹


    Shirone is happy upon hearing those words. Does she want to fight against that Personage?

 Chapter 25.4 : Tower of Striges

    <h4>Chapter 25.4 : Tower of Striges</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­.


    But, Elkitos shakes his head in denial.


    ¡¸No, that personage left for somewhere else while leaving his familiar¡¹


    ¡¸Uhm, I see~. That¡¯s unfortunate. Then that familiar is in this tower. What familiar is it?¡¹


    ¡¸A dragon. I don¡¯t know where it came from, though¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸WHA!!! ¡¹¡¹¡¹


    Everyone¡¯s voices ovep in shock.


    ¡¸A¡­ dragon. No way¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸Moreover, as a familiar¡¹


    ¡¸There¡¯s no way we can win against a dragon¡­. Right? ¡¹


    It seems everyone is shocked by the fact that there¡¯s a dragon in this tower.


    But, I¡¯m surprised for a different reason.


    Could it be that I¡¯m the one who awakened this vampire?


    ¡¸Dragon huh¡­. What about it, there are many kinds of dragon after all. However, this will be fun for sure¡¹


    Shirone responds as such with a happy face.


    ¡¸My apologies then, you have to beat me if you¡¯re going to point your de toward that esteemed individual¡¯s familiar¡¹


    Elkitos takes his stance, ready to battle with Shirone.


    Shirone also draws her sword followed by Gallios.


    ¡¸The guys behind, you are a hindrance. Let¡¯s take this outside. Illusion Demon Eye!!¡¹


    Elkitos eyes are shing with a red light.


    ¡¸GUWAAA!¡¹


    ¡¸GEH!¡¹


    ¡¸GUWAAA!¡¹


    Everyone exposed to that light, save for me and Shirone, fall down while screaming.


    It seems it was a mistake on my part for resisting the magic.


    ¡¸I snatched the freedom of your body. Fufufu, I¡¯ve no intention to kill you. You¡¯re delicious only when you¡¯re still alive. Now, please be the witnesses for our marriage from that ce¡¹


    Elkitosughs disgustingly.


    Gallios and the rest are still groaning on the floor.


    I can¡¯t do anything and don¡¯t know what to do further since I don¡¯t know recovery magic.


    Though Shirone seems to be able to use recovery magic to some extent, it seems she has no intention to cure Gallios.


    ¡¸Fufufu, with this, you and me are the only ones who remain sta-¡­. Eh, there¡¯s still another one left?¡¹


    Elkitos stares at me. It seems he noticed that I¡¯m still standing.


    ¡¸GUWAA~A!¡¹[Monotone]


    While thinking ¡°Oh, crap¡±, I quickly pretend to fall on the ground.


    ¡¸It seems it was just my imagination. Well then, let¡¯s enjoy our date¡¹


    It seems he was deceived despite my obviously unnatural and bad acting.


    Or it might be the case that he simply has no interest in me.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right, I¡¯ve been tired of waiting¡¹


    Shirone¡¯s alsopletely oblivious of my poor acting.


    Please pay more attention to the people behind you.


    The two face against each other.


    It seems we¡¯re no longer in their line of sight.


    It was my chance. I¡¯ll use this chance to go to the ce where Glorious is present.


    Thanks to myst position on the line, Gallios won¡¯t be able to see me.


    Moreover, it seems Shirone doesn¡¯t need my assistance if her opponent is only at this level.


    I slowly crawl along the floor to leave this ce so that no one will notice my disappearance.


    I think that my current movements resemble a cockroach.


    === === ===


    ¡ô Sword Maiden, Shirone


    I stare at the vampire before my eyes.


    He might be stronger than the Striges who used to rule this ce.


    But, I won¡¯t be defeated.


    I won¡¯t underestimate my opponent, either.


    In fact, it might be better to call Reiji-kun. This vampire seems really strong after all.


    But I won¡¯t call him. Chiyuki-san might get angryter.


    Moreover, I want to get rid of my frustration umted due to my defeat in the hands of Diehart in this ce.


    I point my sword.


    My sword de is emanating a faint azure-colored light.


    Souten Tsubasa Tsurugi [Azure Sky Winged Sword]. [TL: The name is so~me and hard to trante]


    It¡¯s my beloved sword with ornamental wings on its hilt.


    ¡¸Well then, here I go. ULTRASONIC WAVE!¡¹


    Elkitos yells out the name of his magic.


    ¡¸WIND WALL!¡¹


    I quickly chant defensive magic.


    Despite shaving the floor, my defensive magic blocks the shockwave from Elkitos¡¯s spell.


    ¡¸Hou. Not bad¡¹


    Elkitos disys a carefree smile.


    But, that will be on his face only for now, though.


    ¡¸FLAME BLADE!¡¹


    I sh toward Elkitos with the me residing in my sword.


    ¡¸WING BLADE!¡¹


    Elkitos receives my sh with those huge wings that sprouted from his back, along with his scream.


    ¡¸Quite fast, aren¡¯t you? But I¡¯m stil-¡­. WHAT THE!!¡¹


    Elkitos lost hisposure.


    Because the sh imbued with my power has severed his wings.


    Do you think that will be enough to stop my sword?


    ¡¸WHAAAAAT!¡¹


    I sever the body of Elkitos along with his wings.


    ¡¸GUUUH!!¡¹


    Elkitos retreats while wailing severely.


    He¡¯s healing the severed ce in his body. His body and wings restore as if nothing happened.


    If it were a normal human, they won¡¯t be able to kill a vampire even if they cause a fatal wound.


    Though it seems like that there¡¯s some damage inflicted on him, it¡¯s hard to beat him without sunshine.


    ¡¸You basta¨D¨D¨D¨DAAAARD!! HOW DARE YOU, A LOWLY HUMA~N!¡¹


    Elkitos¡¯s face portrays an enraged expression.


    ¡¸Huh, it seems I¡¯ve wounded your pride¡¹


    His gentlemanly behavior from before haspletely vanished.


    ¡¸I WON¡¯T PLAY AROUND WITH YOU ANYMORE, I WILL KILL YOU!!¡¹


    Elkitos draws his rapier-like sword from the scabbard hanging on his waist.


    The rapier de shines in a sinister, red-colored light.


    ¡¸NOW, PREPARE YOURSELF FOR MY TRUE POWER, YOU FILTHY HUMA~N!¡¹


    Elkitos enters into his attack stance with his sword.


    ¡¸SONIC MOVE!¡¹


    Elkitos approaches me at a rapid pace.


    ¡¸Huhm!¡¹


    Elkitos, who approached me at high speed, thrusts his rapier an innumerable number of times.


    ¡¸EI!¡¹


    Along with that shout, I maneuver my sword and sessfully repel every single one of his thrust.


    ¡¸DAAAMN IIIT!¡¹


    Elkitos bends his body forward, aiming for my legs.


    I jump in the air to avoid his attack and thennd behind his back.


    ¡¸WHAT!!!¡¹


    Elkitos turns around immediately.


    He tries to turn around in a hurry, but it¡¯s toote.


    ¡¸STRIKE!¡¹


    I swing my sword toward Elkitos who had not yet turned around sessfully. I managed to sever his sword-wielding arm, the right arm.


    ¡¸NO WAY! A HUMAN IS MOVING FASTER THAN ME!!!¡¹


    Elkitos screams while holding onto his severed arm.


    It seems he¡¯s angry, but I don¡¯t care about that.


    ¡¸Pick your sword. Let¡¯s continue our fight¡¹


    I urge him to pick his sword that has fallen down a little farther from him.


    Elkitos slowly approaches his sword and picks it up.


    ¡¸It seems that you ¡­ are not a normal human, am I right?¡¹


    Elkitos stares at Rember from the corner of his eyes while saying so.


    ¡¸EXPLOSION!¡¹


    Elkitos suddenly casts his magic toward Rember.


    ¡¸TSUKUCHI!¡¹[TL : Ground Shrink]


    I immediately activate my movement magic as soon as I realized his intentions.


    ¡¸WATER WALL!¡¹


    The explosion happens after I cover Rember with a wall of water.


    The water wallpletely evaporates due to the might of the explosion, filling our surroundings with vapor.


    ¡¸HEY! Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re not going to kill them!!¡¹


    I protest against Elkitos¡¯s action.


    But, I don¡¯t hear any response from him.


    When the vapor vanishes, I can¡¯t find the figure of Elkitos.


    And then, there¡¯s a huge hole on the ceiling.


    The hole keeps going upward till I can see the cloudy sky outside the tower.


    ¡¸ARRRGH! HE ESCAPE~D!!!¡¹


    I scream exasperatedly.


    ¡¸He¡¯s running away!¡¹


    I focus my attention on my back.


    ¡¸Oh My Seraph Wings!!!¡¹


    A pair of wings grows from my back upon hollering those words.


    Though I can¡¯t use flight magic like Chiyuki-san and Reiji-kun, I can fly by using these Seraph Wings on my back.


    In fact, I have no armor on my back ¨C only naked skin, so I have no choice but to hide it with a short mantle. I don¡¯t wear armor so that can I release my wings immediately.


    This pair of wings is my pride; it¡¯s growing only on me. I could see those envious gazes from Rino-chan and Chiyuki-san when I show my wings to them.


    I p my wings hard and leave the tower through that hole.


    I can fly even faster that Nao-chan in a straight line, thanks to this pair of wings.


    ¡¸Do you really think that I¡¯ll let you escape!¡¹


    I fly at my full speed and instantly overtake Elkitos who¡¯s flying with his bat wings.


    His face shows a surprised expression after seeing me standing on his way.


    ¡¸THOSE WINGS!? I see, so you are a member of the angel race! No wonder you¡¯re so powerful!¡¹


    ¡¸Well, I¡¯m not an angel, but still¡­.¡¹


    Denying that remark is also troublesome.


    What am I? Owning angel wings despite not being from the angel race. I asked Nier-san about this matter in the past.


    But well, that kind of thing is immaterial now.


    ¡¸Prepare yourself, Elkitos! SUNLIGHT BLADE!¡¹


    My sword de glimmers brilliantly upon imbuing it with sunlight magic.


    In fact, I could have taken him down easily if I had used this technique right at the start of our fight.


    ¡¸If the sunlight can¡¯t pierce through your night robe, I just need to make it pierce your body!¡¹


    I raise my sword overhead.


    ¡¸W-WAAAIIIIIT! ! ¡¹


    Elkitos is panic-stricken.


    Naturally, I don¡¯t care for his plea.


    ¡¸ITTOURYOUDAN! [TL : basically ¡°sever¡±]¡¹


    ¡¸GYAAA!!!¡¹


    When I swing my sword against Elkitos¡¯s body, ck smoke starts rising from the shed parts and eventually gets extinguished.


    ¡¸What the hell ¡­ is that¡­.¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t grasp thest words said by that El-something.


    ¡¸He¡¯s not that powerful huh¡­. Is that familiar stronger than him?¡¹


    To be honest, I was deceived by his appearance. He couldn¡¯t even bepared with Reiji-kun.


    I p my wings and return to the tower.


    When I returned to the tower, maybe because I defeated Elkitos, everyone had already recovered.


    ¡¸Wings¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸A-Angel¡¹


    ¡¸How beautiful!¡¹


    The freedom fighters behind Rember are surprised due to my wings.


    It seems that humans are also charmed by my wings. Well, it doesn¡¯t feel bad when they¡¯re praising my wings.


    Though I want to showcase my wings even longer, I still retract it in the end.


    The Seraph Wings will be quite an annoying hindrance in a closed room like this. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t use these wings in my fight against Diehart.


    ¡¸It seems everyone is safe and sound. Well, let¡¯s get going¡¹


    We go up for another few floors until we arrive at the room that used to be the nest of the Striges.


    When I look up, I can see the sky due to the huge circr hole at the roof of this room.


    ¡¸It seems there¡¯s nothing in here¡­.¡¹


    Stor the ranger is reporting the results of his investigation.


    I was also unable to feel anything when I scoured the room.


    ¡¸Shirone-sama. That vampire shouldn¡¯t have lied to us, right?¡¹


    Rember questions the vampire¡¯s ims.


    ¡¸Uhm, I couldn¡¯t feel that he is lying to us but still¡­.¡¹


    I don¡¯t think that El-something lied to us.


    But, there¡¯s nothing above this residential area. No need to investigate further, then.


    ¡¸Though there are traces of something having been present at this ce previously, it is no longer in this ce now¡¹


    Few people nod upon hearing Stor words.


    Could it be that it is in hiding?


    ¡¸We will be able to get more information if Nao-chan was with us right now, but¡­.¡¹


    Searching any further is futile.


    ¡¸Shirone-sama, it seems we have no way to investigate further. Let¡¯s go back to Rox¡¹


    It¡¯s as Rember says, we have no reason to stay in this ce anymore.


    ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped then¡­.¡¹


    I muttered so in a low voice. We decided to head back.


    === === ===


    ¡ô Dark Knight Kuroki


    ¡¸Sorry, Glorious¡¹


    Glorious was hiding inside the forest near the tower.


    When I approach Glorious, he brings his nose closer to me.


    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry for robbing your freedom¡­.¡¹


    Glorious purrs happily when upon brushing his nose.


    ¡¸But, it¡¯s amazing, right?¡¹


    I nce at the ne attached to Glorious¡¯s right horn.


    The fat and huge trees inside the forest aren¡¯t enough to hide Glorious.


    Nevertheless, no one will be able to notice Glorious thanks to the ne on his right horn.


    When I examined the ne left behind by Rena, I found out that it has the power to inhibit detection magic.


    Glorious is so powerful that it¡¯s easy to notice him in a normal situation, but he couldn¡¯t be detected thanks to the power of the ne.


    ¡¸It¡¯ll be a deadly weapon in skilled hands¡¹


    The fault of this ne lies in the fact that it inhibits the detection skills of the user too.


    There¡¯s a possibility that I could end up causing a deadly blunder if I make a mistake while using it.


    For what reason Rena did leave behind this kind of ne?


    Maybe I ought to investigate that.

 Chapter 26.1 : Dark Fog

    <h4>Chapter 26.1 : Dark Fog</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    ¡ô ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    ¡¸So something like that happened¡¹


    I asked about what happened since Shirone just returned from the tower.


    Our team also finished with our investigation, for now, we¡¯re returning to the holiday vige.


    Noon has trickled away. It¡¯s just before the evening.


    ¡¸I¡¯m worried about ¡°the personage¡± that vampire mentioned about¡¹


    That personagees to the tower and awakens that vampire, leaving his familiar behind; where did that personage go to? Moreover, the familiar who should¡¯ve been there wasn¡¯t in the tower either.


    ¡¸What do you think, Chiyuki-san?¡¹


    Even though Shirone asks for my opinion, I can¡¯t make any conclusion just from that much information. Though it¡¯s possible that ¡°personage¡± might be Diehart, in that case, it¡¯s strange for him to not do anything for these 3 days. Moreover, Diehart didn¡¯t possess a dragon during our previous encounter.


    And since that personage is stronger than the vampire, there¡¯s no way it¡¯s the Striges as they are far weaker than the vampire.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know who that ¡°personage¡± could be¡¹


    ¡¸I see. Well, it can¡¯t be helped if even Chiyuki doesn¡¯t know about it¡¹


    Shirone replies in a dejected manner.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, did you find that pervert?¡¹


    I shake my head in denial upon hearing Shirone¡¯s question.


    ¡¸We couldn¡¯t find him despite Nao-chan searching the entire Rox Kingdom by using Kyouka-san as the bait¡¹


    Eventually, we couldn¡¯t find that man. We couldn¡¯t find him even after searching like that, so he¡¯s actually a master of stealth?


    I also considered the possibility of him being in another kingdom, but his timing is way too good.


    Thanks to that, Nao is currently lying down due to exhaustion.


    ¡¸But we hit a jackpot. We found something that resembled the Striges¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, REALLY!!¡¹


    Shirone is surprised.


    Nao found a demon disguising as a human in the middle of her search.


    There are demons who can disguise themselves as humans. Though I considered that pervert is the demon at first, that demon is a woman who was already in this kingdom even before we came to this ce.


    Doctor Orua. That¡¯s the name of the demon.


    ¡¸Now, what will we be doing?¡¹


    ¡¸Nothing for now. Since it¡¯s not like that woman is the culprit¡¹


    Though I said so to Shirone, I think that woman is the culprit.


    Moreover, she¡¯s already an extremely suspicious individual for disguising herself as a human.


    We have to take a wait-and-see attitude due to this low possibility. In case she isn¡¯t the culprit, she may not be a dangerous existence for humans.


    Naturally, I believe it¡¯s better to follow Reiji¡¯s advice to exterminate her immediately. However, I¡¯m slightly hesitant to do that.


    ¡¸Lucullus and his team are currently on standby. However, since Shirone just returned, I think it¡¯s better if you report this to lord Rember¡¹


    We are outsiders in this case. So, I think it¡¯s better to let the knights of this kingdom make their first move.


    However, I think Rember will just do fine even without information. Or rather, Rember is the only useful knight in this kingdom. Though I have met with other knights, to be honest, I¡¯m quite reluctant to leave this matter to them.


    So, it might be a better choice to leave the matter of guard duty to Rember-tachi than to the temple knights.


    In that case, Lucullus should be able to return to his original duty.


    How did Lucullus fare with his guard duty?


    === === ===


    ¡ô The Captain of Temple Knight, Lucullus


    ¡¸Hyllus¡­. You. Are being controlled¡­.¡¹


    There, while fallen down, he sees the figure of a temple knight. That temple knight has lost his focus. It¡¯s as if he¡¯s sleepwalking.


    Lucullus received a sneak attack from the temple knight who was supposed to be his subordinate while monitoring the demon who disguised herself as a human.


    We couldn¡¯t react fast enough since they suddenly tossed out smoke bombs mixed with paralysis poison.


    Their body seems to be unable to move since the smokescreen is made with a considerably powerful medicinal nt.


    ¡¸Captain Lucullus¡­.¡¹


    My subordinate, also done in by paralysis poison like me, calls for my name.


    Their voices are blurring. When I try to walk, I see a woman walking toward us.


    ¡¸Though it seems they noticed it, I¡¯m d that I instructed these temple knights who were brought to your ce to not tell you guys about me. The hero¡¯s woman seems to have noticed it, but as expected, she didn¡¯t know about my existence¡¹


    I never heard any report about Hyllus and this woman having a contact. So, the people who carried Hyllus-tachi to our ce might have been under control too since I never heard them talking about the female demon in front of me.


    Maybe we should just defeat her quickly as hero-sama says.


    ¡¸But Orua, there¡¯s no doubt that the hero has noticed about you. What are you going to do after this?¡¹


    A voice is audible from behind the woman, our monitoring target.


    Despite my numbing body, a chill runs down my spine when I hear that voice.


    The owner of the voice appears from behind that woman.


    I don¡¯t know what kind of face this person is hiding behind that mask of his. The neer seems like a man from his voice. Moreover, he seems like a friend of the monitoring target.


    It is at this moment I recalled, ording to Chiyuki-sama, our monitoring target should be just one person. Then, who is he? I never heard about this kind of person.


    ¡¸Yes, Zarxis-sama. Should we change our n since they¡¯ve sniffed me?¡¹


    The woman is bowing respectfully.


    From her attitude, it seems that man is her superior.


    ¡¸I see, shifting our n, huh. In that case, let¡¯s start executing our n without hiding it anymore. The hero was never a part of my n after all. You¡¯re alright as long as you can exact revenge against the hero, right?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Zarxis-sama¡¹


    The man called Zarxis leaves.


    After Zarxis leaves, the woman called Orua stares at us.


    ¡¸In exchange for not killing all of you, you guys will be tools for my revenge¡¹


    The woman approaches us. I try to escape, but my body won¡¯t move.


    ¡¸Now then, let¡¯s put an end to this kingdom¡¹


    The woman lets out a high-pitchedugh.


    ¡¸Chiyuki-¡­. Sama¡¹


    I utter the name of the ck-haired girl.


    There, my consciousness ceased.


    === === ===


    ¡ô A Certain Gatekeeper of the Rox kingdom


    Though the night is yet to arrive, it¡¯s already dark due to the clouds in the sky.


    I can feel that the night is starting when I see the sky from the hut¡¯s window in the checking station.


    Lord Rember just returned a while ago when we were doing our job as gatekeepers protecting the gate. I¡¯m currently free from my gatekeeper job.


    It¡¯s been 10 years since I became a gatekeeper.


    The gatekeeper job is an important job that manages emigration and immigration.


    That¡¯s why the wages are even better than being a pce guard above the rampart, my previous job.


    But, bigger wageses along with bigger responsibilities.


    And unlike the job of a soldier who only needs to be vignt with the demons, a gatekeeper must remain vignt even against humans.


    If a country lets all kinds of people in and out of the country, the food condition and public order of the country will deteriorate.


    That¡¯s why our job is to choose the people who enter and leave this kingdom.


    Citizens of our kingdom aside, there are also the people with warranty ¨C the ones with letters of introduction from our citizens, and citizens of our allied countries. There are no refugees since there¡¯s basically none in our kingdom. Some refugees have filed aint while some use threats. One needs a heart of steel to be not swayed by such things. That¡¯s why a gatekeeper must not show any gaps and exhibit overbearing demeanor toward the refugees who don¡¯t possess citizenship.


    However, there are always exceptions. Even those refugees are allowed to enter the Rox kingdom during the festival day.


    Naturally, we won¡¯t just let them enter like that. We must make a record about their previous location, age, and name. For that reason, the workload of a gatekeeper during the festival is thrice than any other regr day.


    I¡¯m also dead tired from the interaction with more than usual number of individuals yesterday.


    There should be a change of personnel when the sun sets. So, I¡¯ll drink to the brim after leaving my duty.


    It was then I noticed an unusual phenomenon. I can hear panicked voices from the top of the rampart.


    ¡¸What happened¡­.¡¹


    And then, I noticed an unusual phenomenon myself. Something ising closer to the gate of the rampart.


    The number of things approaching the gate is more than a hundred.


    ¡¸Those are¡­ demon¡¹


    The things approaching the rampart were not human; they¡¯re goblins and orcs, collectively known as demons. Moreover, it¡¯s not just limited to demons.


    ¡¸Zom-bie?¡¹


    Headless demons and ones with gaping holes on their bodies were also mixed amongst those demons.


    I recalled the zombie incident that happened the other day.


    ¡¸C-CLOSE THE GATE IMMEDIATELY! CONTACT THE ROYAL PALACE!!¡¹


    3 gatekeepers are always at standby 24/7 and worked on shift. I turn around and issue instructions immediately.


    But, there¡¯s no reply from the other side. When I look carefully, one of my coworkers seems to have fallen already. Suddenly, there¡¯s another co-worker on my side.


    ¡¸OH! OI, WHAT HAPPENED!!¡¹


    That another coworker of mine is gazing at me vacantly. His eyes have lost their focus. In addition, his hand is holding something that resembles a club.


    ¡¸You¡­.¡¹


    He swung that club toward me.


    === === ===


    ¡ô ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Nao-san?¡¹


    I ask Nao upon meeting her when I was about to leave the mansion to go to the royal castle.


    Nao should be lying on her bed due to exhaustion culminated from today¡¯s investigation.


    And Nao, who shouldn¡¯t be able to wake up so easily once she falls asleep, will awaken once there¡¯s an emergency.


    ¡¸Uhm, you see¡­ Chiyuki-san, it seems something eerie ising toward us¡­.¡¹


    Nao¡¯s saying so with a troubled face.


    Though I don¡¯t know what¡¯sing to us, since Nao is the one who¡¯s saying it, they¡¯ll definitelye at us.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll see what that thing is. Please gather everyone during that time, Nao-san¡¹


    Then, I fly to the sky.


    The sun¡¯s already set.


    I could somehow observe the situation in the kingdom since the gate and the top of the rampart are already equipped with watch fires.


    It seems some sort ofmotion happened near the gate.


    So, I employ far sight magic.

 Chapter 26.2 : Dark Fog

    <h4>Chapter 26.2 : Dark Fog</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    Though not to the degree of Nao¡¯s far sight, I can see faraway ces by using this magic.


    ¡¸That gate isn¡¯t destroyed!¡¹


    I saw the invading zombiesing from the south main gate.


    ¡¸The situation is¡­ rather dangerous¡¹


    I return to our mansion immediately.


    === === ===


    ¡ô Freedom Fighter of the Rox Kingdom, Gallios


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Kuro? ¡¹


    Walking beside me, Kuro suddenly stands still.


    We were on the way to my home after we parted with Rember who left to the royal castle to report the results of our investigation.


    When I gaze at Kuro, he¡¯s looking at a certain direction. Kuro¡¯s current state of mind was strange.


    But then, this is the first time I saw him in this kind of state since the first time I met him.


    I recall the first time I encountered him.


    It was when I, unable to move my legs, was crawling my way to return home in the middle of the pitch-ck darkness of the forest.


    ¡¸Are you okay?¡¹


    When I twisted around to the direction of the voice, a youth was standing there. That was the moment I met Kuro for the first time.


    Though I failed to notice him till he spoke, once I noticed him, I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off him.


    I was even more surprised when he carried me on his back with a frame far slender than mine.


    Maybe Kuro isn¡¯t a human. And he is an extremely powerful person on top of that.


    Even in the tower a while ago, the only one who advanced without a hitch amongst us was Kuro.


    I wonder why he¡¯s pretending to be a human.


    I just couldn¡¯t ignore this youth. Thus, I invited him to my house.


    And then as a result of my observation, I couldn¡¯t think of him as a bad person.


    ¡¸Gallios¡­.¡¹


    Kuro is calling my name. Though he seemed a bit distant at first, calling me with ¡°-dono¡± all the time, now we were close enough for him to call my name without any formality.


    ¡¸Maybe we have to call all the freedom fighters that just parted ways with us a while ago¡­. I have an eerie premonition¡¹


    Kuro is saying so with a flustered voice.


    I wanted to ask Why do you think so? at that moment.


    ¡¸I can¡¯t tell you about the details, but it seems something bad is going to take ce¡­. Please believe me¡­.¡¹


    Kuro is saying so as if preparing for something.


    His eyes were serious. I have just known him for a while, but I don¡¯t think Kuro is the kind of person who will spout that kind of a joke.


    ¡¸Understood¡¹


    I decided to trust Kuro.


    Kuro can see something that can¡¯t be seen by us. Something big might be happening soon.


    ¡¸Thank you, Gallios¡¹


    Kuro expresses his gratitude.


    ¡¸Me too!!!¡¹


    I turn around to call back the freedom fighters who just parted ways with us.


    === === ===


    ¡ô Citizens of the Rox Kingdom


    ¡¸ZOMBIEEE!¡¹


    ¡¸WHO! JUST WHO LEFT THE GATE OPEN!?¡¹


    ¡¸SOMEONE SAVE ME!! ¡¹


    The surrounding people descend into panic.


    The sun has set, and the day just turned into night. The zombies pouring out from the gate are rushing toward the citizens.


    ¡¸WHAT IN THE HELL ARE THOSE GATEKEEPERS DOING RIGHT NOW?¡¹


    The gatekeepers are the one responsible for closing the gate when demons approach the city.


    Those gatekeepers aren¡¯t doing their duty.


    ¡¸INFORM PALACE GUARDS AND KNIGHT-SAMA RIGHT AWAY! ! ! ¡¹


    The slowly moving zombies are only at the za near the gate. But they¡¯rerge in number and will be a huge trouble if left alone.


    At that time, a squall urred at the za.


    ¡¸What is¡­.¡¹


    When they look again, the zombies are no longer at the za.


    They¡¯re reced by a girl with wings growing from her back.


    ¡¸ANGEL-SAMA!¡¹


    ¡¸ANGEL-SAMA HAS COME TO SAVE US!¡¹


    The people start shouting almost at the same time.


    ¡¸LEAVE THIS PLACE TO ME AND GO FIND A SHELTER IMMEDIATELY!¡¹


    The girl smiled when she turned around.


    === === ===


    ¡ô ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    ¡¸It seems we made it in time, huh¡¹


    Shirone is restraining the zombies packed around the gate.


    And then, I look toward the north. The Rox Kingdom has a back gate in the north direction, in addition to the main gate in the south. Maybe that ce is also in a simr situation. That¡¯s why Kaya and Kyouka have been dispatched to that ce.


    Rino and Sahoko are traveling around the city ¨C treating the wounded.


    As for Nao, she¡¯s on her way to capturing the disguised demon who might be the culprit of this zombie outbreak.


    As for me, I¡¯m on standby to give aid in case something unexpected happened anywhere.


    After that, we swept away the zombies in one go by using Reiji¡¯s sunlight magic.


    ¡¸Everything is smooth-sailing so far, but¡­¡¹


    I mutter so.


    What caused all of this?


    Could it be that our surveince has been exposed?


    Is it because of a blunder from Lucullus and his team?


    I think the demon decided to take action since our movements have been exposed.


    Maybe it was for the best to eliminate her as fast as possible. I¡¯m starting to regret my decision.


    Maybe she¡¯s no longer in her ce. It¡¯ll be good if she¡¯s found right away.


    ¡¸Sorry to make you wait, Chiyuki¡¹


    Someone calls my name from behind.


    ¡¸No, it can be considered rather fast in your case¡¹


    I cast a nce at Reiji while replying to him.


    I don¡¯t know when he wille since Reiji moves at his own pace. Sometimes, he¡¯s too slow.


    Even though I said those words with a tinge of sarcasm, Reiji is as nonchnt as ever.


    ¡¸Well, what shall I do then?¡¹


    Reiji¡¯s hand starts to shine brightly.


    Thereupon, I, who¡¯s close to him, have a hard time seeing my surroundings.


    Reiji tosses that shining light high into the sky.


    That sphere of light is shining in the night sky like a sun ascending from its eastern throne for the second time.


    It¡¯s sunlight magic at maximum power. It¡¯s a Reiji¡¯s unique spell since he possesses light attribute.


    That sunlight is shining upon the entire Rox Kingdom. With this, the zombies might be swept away in one go.


    I gaze at the scene below me.


    ¡¸Eh, no¡­ way¡¹


    The kingdom is wrapped in something that resembles ck fog.


    I just noticed that due to the brightness of the sunlight magic.


    ¡¸That¡¯s night robe¡¹


    As Reiji mentioned, the thing that resembles a thick ck fog is night robe, a magic that can protect the user from sunlight magic. But, this is the first time I¡¯m experiencing a night robe that can cover the entire kingdom.


    With this, Reiji¡¯s maximum sunlight magic won¡¯t be able to reach the zombies.


    ¡¸Using suchrge-scale magic¡­. Is the culprit really just a mere member of the Striges? ¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t think that the culprit is the same Striges whom we fought in the past. Maybe the culprit is an even more powerful demon.


    If that was the case, then Nao is in danger. Maybe I have to go to save her immediately.


    ¡¸Reiji-kun. I¡¯ll go to save Na-¡­.¡¹


    I¡¯m saying so while looking at Reiji. However, Reiji is looking toward the royal pce.


    His look is strange.


    ¡¸Reiji-kun?¡¹


    ¡¸Chiyuki!¡¹


    Suddenly, Reiji shouts toward me.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Reiji-kun?¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m going to save Almina! I¡¯ll leave the aftermath to you¡¹


    ¡¸Wait a minute, REIJI-KUN!¡¹


    Reiji has already vanished without me managing to stop him in time. It¡¯s movement tracking magic. Maybe he went to Almina¡¯s side.


    ¡¸Geez¡­. Acting at your convenience¡­.¡¹


    Iin to the vacant space where Reiji was a moment ago. What do you think about our side?


    I noticed that his treatment toward us is a bit sloppy after we came to this world.


    Though I want him to listen to theints of mine in the royal pce, I didn¡¯t have the time to do that. I have to go to Nao¡¯s location right away.


    Nao¡¯s offensive ability is low in exchange for her high evasion rate. That¡¯s why she¡¯ll be put through a hard battle.


    Though it wasn¡¯t that much of a threat if the demon caught in her search before is a Striges, it will be a different story if it¡¯s a stronger demon. I have to hurry.


    Thus, I scour for Nao¡¯s position with magic.


    === === ===


    ¡ô Rox Kingdom¡¯s Knight, Rember


    nking sounds are heard when my sword meets with another sword.


    ¡¸No way¡­. Lord Lucullus. Why¡­?¡¹

 Chapter 26.3 : Dark Fog

    <h4>Chapter 26.3 : Dark Fog</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­. ¡­


    I call the name of the man who¡¯s shing his sword at me.


    It¡¯s the temple knight Lucullus, the escort of hero-sama.


    His battalion hase a few times to visit this kingdom.


    He is different from the other temple knights and won¡¯t look down on others, truly a man of character.


    Why is that kind of person attacking the royal pce?


    Still armed to teeth after the investigation in the tower, I was heading to the royal pce to make a report and met Almina along the way.


    And then, when I was chatting with Almina, I heard a scream.


    I sensed something amiss and met Lucullus on the way to confirm the safety of the king along with Almina.


    At that time, I saw Lucullus defeating one of my fellow knights.


    When I nced around, he seems to have defeated a few knights and pce guards already.


    To be honest, I¡¯m still confused.


    And then, Lucullus suddenly shed his sword toward me.


    I somehow managed to stop the first attack in the spur of the moment.


    ¡¸Why? Lord Lucullus! Why are you attacking us!¡¹


    But, Lucullus isn¡¯t replying to me. It seems my voice isn¡¯t reaching him.


    Then, I noticed Lucullus¡¯s lifeless eyes. It¡¯s as if his eyes were devoid of any emotions.


    But, I didn¡¯t have the leisure to worry about that right now.


    I crossed my sword with Lucullus¡¯s. My opponent sword was fast, and I could barely protect myself.


    Moreover, my body feels heavy since a while ago.


    ¡¸Rember¡­.¡¹


    Standing behind me, Almina is calling my name with an anxious voice.


    There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll let myself get defeated with Almina watching behind me.


    Lucullus is swinging his sword even faster.


    To be honest, it¡¯s fast. I barely managed to protect myself.


    As expected of a temple knight. He is obviously more powerful than me.


    I draw my sword closer to defend myself against Lucullus¡¯s relentless assault.


    After our swords crossed at each others several times, Lucullus suddenly pulled back from attacking.


    ¡¸What is¡­.¡¹


    Before I noticed, another person¡¯s already standing behind Lucullus.


    ¡¸You¡¯re¡­ Orua¡¹


    I know her.


    Orua¡¯s a doctor who arrived at this kingdom around two weeks ago.


    Orua has bad eyesight and always wore a ck cloth around her eyes. She¡¯s currently untying that said cloth.


    ¡¸You were a Striges all along, huh¡­.¡¹


    Orua¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t the eyes of a human. She has big round eyes with yellow color on the white part; that was the eyes of an owl, a Striges.


    And then, I noticed something. Last night, the defeated temple knight was carried from Orua¡¯s store after receiving first aid from her.


    ¡¸I see, it¡¯s at that time huh¡­¡¹


    It¡¯s toote.


    ¡¸You¡¯re different from the other knights. It seems you¡¯re a bit stronger than them¡¹


    Orua is approaching with an evil smile while saying those words.


    Never did I think that there could be a Striges who can shapeshift into a human.


    Regarding the matter of entering a country, no one can enter a country unless they¡¯re introduced by a citizen of the country or they¡¯re a citizen of an allied country.


    But, there¡¯s always an exception to such a rule. And that¡¯s the case when the candidate¡¯s a holder of special skills such as magic. The reason is naturally that it¡¯ll benefit the said country.


    Orua was also allowed to stay in this kingdom due to her expertise in medicine.


    I think we should put some restriction for any skilled person to enter this country after this.


    ¡¸Well, shall I grab that princess? She will be a tool to defeat the hero¡¹


    ¡¸As if I¡¯m going to let you do that!¡¹


    It seems she¡¯s going to use Almina as a shield against the hero, but I won¡¯t let her achieve that.


    I raise my sword and rush at her.


    It¡¯ll be the end as long as I defeat this woman. Orua is careless for pulling back Lucullus. Now is my chance.


    ¡¸Feather Arrow!¡¹


    Orua makes a sweeping movement with her hand and then something is fired from it.


    ¡¸Na!¡¹


    I desperately defend myself.


    ¡¸GUH¡­.¡¹


    The feeling of pain is coursing through my body.


    I can¡¯t ward all of them; thus, a few of them lodged itself into my body. The things that lodged itself into my body were bird feathers.


    The bird feather that lodged into my body was strong enough to pierce my armor.


    ¡¸Dammit¡­.¡¹


    I fall on my knees. My body won¡¯t move at all.


    ¡¸REMBER!¡¹


    Almina cries grievously.


    ¡¸Almina¡­. Run¡¹


    But, it might be impossible. We can¡¯t go back from where we came from, we¡¯re at a dead end.


    Tears are streaming down from my eyes. Why am I so weak? I can¡¯t even protect the woman whom I love.


    ¡¸Huhm, it seems that I¡¯m taking lightly of a woman¡¹


    Oruaes closer and kicks me. Receiving such a kick, I tumble toward the end of the passage.


    Just like that, Orua went toward Almina.


    ¡¸No way¡­. Almina¡­.¡¹


    I¡¯m truly saddened at not being able to do anything but watch it.


    ¡¸Now,e obediently with me¡¹


    Even without looking at her face, I know the fact that Orua is smiling delightedly.


    ¡¸NOOO! HELP ME, REIJI-SAMA¨D¨D!¡¹


    Almina shouts the name of the hero.


    ¡¸Fufufu, calling the name of the hero huh. That I~¡¹


    When Orua was about to say something, something is shining in front of Almina.


    ¡¸WHAT!¡¹


    Orua is retreating by jumping above me.


    ¡¸REIJI-SAMA!¡¹


    I could hear Almina¡¯s delighted voice.


    After the light settled down, standing there was the hero.


    ¡¸Almina! I havee to save you!¡¹


    The hero is smiling at her.


    The expression that Almina showed to the hero was an expression which she never disyed toward me.


    === === ===


    ¡ô Sword Maiden, Shirone


    ¡¸DEYAAAAAAAAH, SUNLIGHT BLADE! ! ¡¹


    I swing my sword incessantly and defeat zombies one after another.


    ¡¸GEEZ, what is this shadow-like thing!¡¹


    I mutter so with a vexed tone.


    It seems that Reiji-kun summoned a sun, but this ck fog-like thing spreading in this region prevented it from disying its full power.


    My sunlight magic also couldn¡¯t reach them, so I have no choice but to use my sword.


    I¡¯m breathing heavily.


    I notice that I¡¯ve exhausted far earlier than usual.


    When I nce at my surroundings, I saw the freedom fighters, including Gallios, fighting against the zombies.


    If not for them, those zombies might have attacked the civilians.


    Though it was unexpected, I was saved by the fact that the freedom fighters mobilized right away. Moreover, it feels like the movements of the pce guard and the knights of this kingdom are rather slow.


    Could it be that something¡¯s happening in the royal pce?


    I want to confirm it, but I have to do something about the zombies before my eyes for now.


    I tear apart the zombies that are approaching me.


    Gallios-tachi also managed to somehow fend off those zombies.


    But, the zombies keeping without any interruption. They might reach their limits soon enough.


    In fact, even I can¡¯t exhibit my full power.


    ¡¸Could it be that this ck fog-like thing is the cause?¡¹


    Maybe our strength is suppressed by this ck fog.


    ¡¸Could it be that¡­. We¡¯re actually in a really dangerous situation?¡¹


    === === ===


    ¡ô Rox Kingdom¡¯s Knight, Rember


    ¡¸Amazing¡­.¡¹


    The hero and the temple knights were fighting against each other in front of me.


    I¡¯m spectating that fight with my wounded body.


    The hero is defending against the attack of Orua and the temple knights against whom I¡¯m powerless.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Rember. Reiji-sama will definitely save us¡¹


    Almina is snuggling closer to me.


    It seems I was unconscious about the blood flowing out from my wound.


    But, it¡¯s strange. I get this feeling that one of the hero¡¯s wives was stronger in the tower.


    For some reason, it seems that the hero isn¡¯t going all out.


    ¡¸Reiji-sama¡­.¡¹


    Almina¡¯s also looking at the hero with a worried look on her face since she might have noticed the strange situation of the hero, too.


    ¡¸O¡¯ great goddess, please¡­. Protect Reiji-sama¡¹


    Almina is praying.


    Subsequently, I closed my eyes while praying for the same thing to the goddess.


    === === ===


    ¡ô ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    ¡¸So there¡¯s this kind of underground passage in this country¡¹

 Chapter 26.4 : Dark Fog

    <h4>Chapter 26.4 : Dark Fog</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    I mutter so while walking ahead.


    While I searched for Nao¡¯s location with magic, I discovered an entrance to an underground passage near the back street of the capital.


    Maybe because it¡¯s usually closed, I felt Nao¡¯s signing from the entrance that was opened now.


    When I entered the passage, it didn¡¯t seem like a long passage.


    ¡¸Nevertheless, the consumption of magical power is quite severe¡¹


    My fatigue increased at a terrifying pace just by using mere illumination magic.


    It might be because of the thick fog that¡¯s enveloping this entire kingdom.


    Just by this, I can guess the amount of magical power of the being who created this fog.


    I¡¯m bing even more anxious about Nao¡¯s safety. I have to find her as soon as possible.


    At this time, I discover a door in the middle of the passage. Nao was behind this door.


    Opening the door, I find myself inside a capacious room.


    The illumination isn¡¯t bright enough for the room and is only dimly lighting it.


    And then, I found Nao copsed not too far away from the door.


    ¡¸NAO-SAN!¡¹


    I rush over to Nao¡¯s side.


    ¡¸HANG IN THERE, NAO-SAN!!¡¹


    ¡¸Chiyuki¡­ san¡¹


    Nao replies with a frail voice.


    Though her life is spared, her face still pale; I couldn¡¯t feel any of her usual vigor.


    ¡¸Nao-san¡­. Who is the one that did this to you?¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t hide my shock.


    Nao has the best perception amongst us. No one could defeat Nao after we came to this world.


    And that Nao is beaten.


    ¡¸Stop¡­. Chiyuki-san. Don¡¯t touch¡­. Nao¡¹


    Nao sends a warning to me.


    When I taking a closer look, I can see something resembling a dark briar coiling around Nao¡¯s body.


    Maybe it¡¯s briar magic. It seems this is the reason why Nao couldn¡¯t move her body.


    Though Nao told me not to touch her body, it¡¯s not like I can leave her just like this.


    I proceed to tear off the briar.


    ¡¸Uuh¡­.¡¹


    It felt like my power was sapped just with a single touch of that briar.


    ¡¸What is this?! What¡¯s wrong with this briar?¡¹


    Though I¡¯m trying to use my knife, it couldn¡¯t do anything since the thorns of the briar are preventing it.


    ¡¸Stop it ¡­ Chiyuki-san. You must leave this ce before that guy ¡­ is back¡¹


    Nao is shaking her head and urging me to leave this ce.


    ¡¸Who is that guy! The one who did this to you?!¡¹


    Though I ask her, it seems Nao didn¡¯t have any energy left to answer me.


    ¡¸Please¡­. Run¡¹


    Nao isn¡¯t replying with anything but that.


    ¡¸NAO-SAN! Hang in there!!¡¹


    Nao isn¡¯t replying when I call her with her name.


    ¡¸Hou¡­. It seems another butterfly was caught again¡¹


    Someone is appearing from the inner part of the room.


    ¡¸WHO?!¡¹


    I stand up to face that person.


    From the eerie darkness of the room¡­. Wearing a mask, maybe a man ising toward us.


    An ominous spider ornament is etched on the mask of that man.


    ¡¸You¡¯re the one who did this to Nao-san? Who are you?¡¹


    Nao couldn¡¯t find this guy during the search at noon. Could it be that the one she found is actually his fellow demon?


    ¡¸Your enemy, ck-haired sage¡¹


    He clearly said that he is my enemy.


    I know that he is quite powerful. And obviously leagues apart from a normal demon.


    If he¡¯s at that level, could it be that he¡¯s from Nargol?


    ¡¸Could it be that¡­¡­¡­ You¡¯re the subordinate sent from Nargol?¡¹


    When I ask that question, the man nods his head.


    ¡¸That¡¯s true, indeed¡¹


    There¡¯s no doubt about it, he¡¯s a subordinate of Modes. We never met this guy when we arrived at Nargol.


    Does the demon king have the habit of maintaining a grudge?


    ¡¸Well then. Allow me to make the two of you, the subordinate of that annoying young goddess, be my offering!¡¹


    I can feel a powerful wave of magical power from that masked guy.


    It seems that he¡¯s going to use some sort of magic.


    So, I decided to disturb him.


    ¡¸Ultrasonic Wave! ! ! ¡¹


    After reciting that aria, a sound wave is rushing toward that masked man.


    But, the sound wave disappeared right in front of that masked man.


    ¡¸No way!? Protection without defensive magic!¡¹


    And then, I¡¯m assaulted by extreme fatigue. Even this level of magic made me feel too tired. Something is clearly wrong right now.


    ¡¸This kingdom has already be my territory. Someone who doesn¡¯t have divine protection of Nargol-sama will have their power sapped in this area¡¹


    Just as he says, my body feels so tired.


    ¡¸How do you feel, you feel powerless, right? It seems you guys have power rivaling those of the gods of Elios, but you won¡¯t be able to do anything inside this area¡¹


    That man is approaching us.


    I retreat.


    I can¡¯t win against him all by myself. I feel bad for doing this to Nao, but I have to call reinforcements to this ce. When I¡¯m trying to leave the room.


    ¡¸I won¡¯t let you leave. Bind her, O¡¯ Venous Blood Rose!¡¹


    The masked man uses his magic when he senses me about to leave this ce.


    ck ivies like the ones that were binding Nao appeared from the ground and coiled around my limbs.


    ¡¸It¡­ hurts¡­.¡¹


    I¡¯m moaning in pain due to the ivies. I can¡¯t exercise my power.


    ¡¸I¡¯m lucky. Originally, I was nning to sap the life force of the people of this kingdom, but I never thought that the hero-tachi wille to this ce¡¹


    The masked man isughing.


    ¡¸Thus, I came with a n to kill the hero-tachi. The matter about investigating you guys was easy peasy. You guys are way too conspicuous. Even that little girl with superior detection ability couldn¡¯t do as much as unmasking my hiding ce. You won¡¯t be able to find me since I¡¯ll be fine as long as I made sure to not get discovered by that girl. Well then, let¡¯s end this¡¹


    He¡¯s stretching his hand toward us.


    ¡¸You¡¯ll be our offering. I won¡¯t kill you right away, but I¡¯ll only suck your life force, little by little¡¹


    A feeling of fear is surging from inside my body.


    ¡¸No! NOOO! SAVE ME, REIJI-KUN!¡¹


    I shout for Reiji¡¯s name.


    ¡¸The hero won¡¯te to save you. I¡¯ve erected a barrier around this ce, somunication is impossible. Moreover, the hero is currently fighting against Orua to save the princess of this kingdom. He won¡¯t have any spare time to save you. And then, even the hero will eventually be powerless as long as he¡¯s inside this area of mine. I¡¯ll be the one who turned the tables on him when hees for revenge¡¹


    The masked man said such cruel words.


    Am I going to die just like this? No, someone please save us! I¡¯m screaming deep inside my heart.


    The hand of the masked man is touching my cheek. That man¡¯s hand felt like cold ice on my skin.


    I shut my eyes.


    I¡¯m scared.


    At that time, I heard the sound of the door being opened from my back.


    ¡¸WHAT!¡¹


    The masked man seemed surprised by that.


    My body suddenly became free and I was taken away from that man.


    ¡¸Are you okay?¡¹


    It was an extremely kind voice.


    When I watched my savior, I saw a man hiding his face with a mask. From his voice, he might be a man.


    He is holding my body on his right arm. I noticed that I no longer feeling scared when I feel the warmth of that man.


    ¡¸That girl¡­.¡¹


    Nao was held on the left arm of the man hiding his face. Simr to me, Nao had been freed from the binding ivies, too.


    Then, he ced me and Nao on the ground.


    ¡¸Uuuh¡­.¡¹


    Nao is moaning. It seems she¡¯s just unconscious.


    I circle my right arm around her shoulder to support her.


    ¡¸Who are you?¡¹


    After making his sudden appearance, he freed me and Nao from our binding and then carried us until the door. His series of actions were way too fast. He¡¯s not an ordinary person.


    But, the man hiding his face pointed at the door without answering my question.


    ¡¸Take that girl and leave this ce immediately. Leave the rest to me¡¹


    Who is he? The masked man is dangerous. Can he face that masked man alone?


    But, somehow I felt relieved when I heard his voice.


    ¡¸Understood¡­. Thank you very much. But I¡¯m going to call for reinforcements, so please don¡¯t force yourself¡¹


    I leave from the door. I must call Reiji. The man who hid his face might be in danger facing that masked man alone.


    I trudge along the underground passage while supporting Nao. In this world, I can move faster even while carrying one person thanks to the power of my muscles. But, the current me was powerless.


    I have to leave this ce immediately. But, my pace isn¡¯t getting faster.


    ¡¸Maybe I should¡¯ve asked for his name¡­.¡¹


    I¡¯m slightly regretting it.


    I¡¯ll look for him and express my gratitude if we can survive this predicament.


    While thinking about it, I walk toward the ground above while carrying Nao.

 Chapter 27.1 : He Who Radiate The Light, He Who Drove The Darkness

    <h4>Chapter 27.1 : He Who Radiate The Light, He Who Drove The Darkness</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    ¡ô Dark Knight, Kuroki


    ¡¸WHO ARE YOU, YOU BASTARD?¡¹


    The masked man is cursing at me.


    I should be the one asking that, though.


    Who in the hell is this masked man?


    ¡¸And then, why you can move in my domain! Divine protection of dead person of Nargol-sama should snatch your power!¡¹


    Even if you say that, I think it¡¯s because your domain has no effect on me.


    When I¡¯m trying to find the source of the dark magical power which gave birth to this thick fog, I arrived at that door, and upon my arrival, Mizuouji Chiyuki and Todoroki Naomi were already caught by him.


    And thanks to the masked man who seized them, I unintentionally rushed out toward Mizuouji Chiyuki and saved them both.


    Both of them have already left this room.


    Currently, I¡¯m looking at the masked man.


    Though I might look like a suspicious person from an outsider¡¯s perspective due to fact that I¡¯m hiding my face, the one in front of me is also wearing an ominous mask to hide his face.


    He might be the ring leader who created this thick fog.


    ¡¸You don¡¯t seem like arade of the hero! Answer me! Who are you?!¡¹


    Naturally, I never said that I¡¯m Reiji¡¯srade, nor do I¡¯ve the intention to be one.


    On the contrary, I feel sick just by imagining myself getting along with Reiji as arade.


    Well, it can¡¯t be helped if he thinks so since I ended up saving Reiji¡¯srades after all.


    But, the man before my eyes is trying to bring forth a cmity upon this country. I don¡¯t know who he is, but I have to stop him.


    So, I summon my armaments with magic. The cloth that I wore until now vanished, and I transform into the dark knight1.


    ¡¸DARK KNIGHT!¡¹


    The masked man state clearly disturbed by my appearance.


    ¡¸WHY! WHY IS THE SUBORDINATE OF THAT TRAITOR IN THIS PLACE?¡¹


    The masked man¡¯s words made me feel curious.


    ¡¸Traitor? About what?¡¹


    As a result, I asked the masked man about it.


    ¡¸Humph, as if I¡¯m going to tell you! Befriending Elios despite being the most beloved son of that personage and even going as far as destroying that personage!¡¹


    Spitting those words toward me, I receive some impact upon hearing his words.


    It¡¯s a story that I really did not want to hear. Let¡¯s try to ask Modes when I return to Nargol.


    ¡¸And why in the hell the dark knight is saving the hero¡¯s women? They should be your archenemies¡¹


    It¡¯s not like I¡¯m thinking of saving them either. It just ended up like that due to the situation.


    ¡¸It¡¯s not like I¡¯m saving them. Since you¡¯re the enemy of Modes, it¡¯s just natural that you¡¯re my enemy, too. Do I need any reason to fight against his enemy?¡¹


    The truth is, I¡¯m doing this to save this country.


    ¡¸Humph, I see. Though I don¡¯t know where you heard about my n, now that you know it, you have to die!¡¹


    To be honest, coincidences have piled up one after another, resulting in this situation.


    I feel the flow of magical power from the masked man.


    ¡¸A mere dark knight is trying to stop this Zarxis, the right-hand man of Nargol-sama, the god of destruction. IN YOUR DREAMS!¡¹


    Zarxis¡¯s words are making me feel anxious. Nargol, the god of destruction. This is the first time I hear those words.


    ¡¸O PRISON OF ABYSS WHICH FREEZES THE DEAD SOUL, HEED MY CALL!¡¹


    The temperature of the room suddenly plummeted after Zarxis¡¯s aria.


    I know about the magic Zarxis is trying to use.


    There¡¯s an abyss where the wandering souls of dead people are captured within in this world and is feared by the gods of this world. That is the very definition of death in this world.


    Moreover, there¡¯s an ice prison which will capture the souls of dead people within this abyss.


    Zarxis is trying to summon the ice prison of theherworld. I was taught by Ruugas that it was the pinnacle of ice magic.


    But, he cannot defeat me with such magic.


    ¡¸O DARK FLAME, BECOME MY SHIELD AND BURN EVERYTHING TO DUST!¡¹


    With my cry, a dark me appears in the form of a barrier and surrounds me.


    My dark me barrier and Zarxis¡¯sherworld ice prison cancel each other the moment they met.


    ¡¸Dark me, huh. Don¡¯t tell me Runfel-¡­ No, you¡¯re not him. I see, you¡¯re the rumored dark knight, Diehart¡¹


    I¡¯m surprised when Zarxis mentioned that name. It seems I became a person of reputation. I hate to be a person surrounded by rumors, but¡­


    ¡¸For you, who can beat the hero, to appear in this country¡­ Orua sure is unlucky¡¹


    Zarxis sighs heavily.


    I unsheathe my sword.


    ¡¸Shall we end this, Zarxis? I want to erase this thick fog. Moreover, there are so many other things I want to ask about. So, will you tell me? ¡¹


    I want to ask about his rtionship with Modes. Nevertheless, I don¡¯t think that he¡¯s going to be a good child and answer my questions.


    ¡¸It¡¯s not the end yet! ! O MY GREATEST UNDEAD! ! ¡¹


    Zarxis is retreating. At his position, a gigantic object emerges out of nowhere.


    ¡¸This is ¡­ A dragon?¡¹


    A dragon has appeared. Its size might beparable to Glorious. But, it might not be a normal dragon. It is just made of bone.


    ¡¸This is a dragon zombie I made from the body of a fire dragon. I have ced it here to protect this room. You won¡¯t be able to easily beat this one since it possesses fire resistance. Within the time you try to solve it, the hero and this country will be destroyed¡¹


    I¡¯m looking at the zombified dragon.


    ¡¸It was originally a dragon like Glorious, huh ¡­¡¹


    This dragon is dead. I really can¡¯t forgive the one who made it unable to rest peacefully.


    ¡¸Go, dragon zombie! Keep the dragon knight busy!!¡¹


    The dragon zombie charges toward me ording to Zarxis¡¯s order.


    I face that charge from the front and stop it sessfully.


    I¡¯m not blown away by the impact of that charge.


    ¡¸GUH!¡¹


    I unintentionally let out a groan due to the impact.


    ¡¸Good boy! Just like that, stop the dark knight!!¡¹


    Zarxis seems to be cackling.


    I ignore his cackle and focus my consciousness while I¡¯m embracing the head of the dragon.


    I saw something that resembled a ck thread inside the dragon¡¯s consciousness. I insert my magical power to sever that thread.


    ¡¸O¡¯ proud dragon, I¡¯ve severed the thread that was preventing you of your eternal rest. You can sleep peacefully now¡¹


    When I say so, the zombified dragon became obedient.


    ¡¸NO WAY! Taming my dragon zombie!!¡¹


    Zarxis, who tried to leave the room while I¡¯m pinned down by the dragon zombie, is shouting a with disbelieving voice.


    The dead dragon raises a thundering roar.


    Suddenly, I could feel the soul of the dead dragon entering my body.


    ¡¸I see ¡­ So you want to go with me¡¹


    Naturally, I have no reason to refuse it if it wants to go with me.


    The body of the dragon disintegrates steadily.


    ¡¸Kuh. What the hell did you do!? Even those gods of Elios can¡¯t do that!¡¹


    Zarxis seems to be angry.


    ¡¸Eei! It can¡¯t be helped, huh. I feel bad for Orua, but it can¡¯t be helped!¡¹


    Zarxis body slowly became transparent.


    ¡¸Trying to escape? FIRE BIND!¡¹


    I try to catch him with a zing rope made from the fire dragon power that entered into my body previously.


    But, it¡¯s toote.


    ¡¸If only I could use transfer magic¡­¡¹


    It¡¯s truly regrettable. There were so many things I wanted to ask him, but I guess I have no choice but to ask Modes when I return to Nargol.


    My priority right now is to look for a way to eliminate that thick fog.


    So, I¡¯m searching for something that Zarxis must have left behind.


    Thereupon, I¡¯m looking for a ce with a powerful flow of magical power. When I turn toward the ce where I feel the flow of magical power, I discover a huge magic formation that is shining in red.


    The magic formation is drawn from the center forming radial line with the lines are connecting to each other like spider web.


    Something resembling the thick fog is gushing out from that magic formation.


    ¡¸Could it be that this magic formation is the one that summoned the thick cloud?¡¹


    I destroy the magic formation with my demon sword.


    Consequently, the red light and the magical power gushing out from that magic formation disappeared.


    ¡¸This should make the thick fog vanish¡¹


    === === ===


    ¡ô Sword Maiden, Shirone


    ¡¸I¡¯m worn out ¡­ Even if it¡¯s just you, please escape from here ¡­¡¹


    Gallios is saying so with a determined face. I don¡¯t know how much remaining power I have after demolishing the building to make a barricade to prevent those zombies. To be honest, I¡¯m at my limit.


    ¡¸I¡¯m with him, Shirone-sama. We already have no means to run, but you definitely can escape from this ce¡¹


    Nimri persuades me simrly.


    ¡¸You guys ¡­¡¹


    Thank you very much, but even I can¡¯t escape from this ce. My wings couldn¡¯t be summoned out since a while ago.


    Moreover, I¡¯ve a hunch that there¡¯s some kind of barrier in ce to prevent anyone escaping from this kingdom. So, it might be nigh impossible to escape from this ce.


    ¡¸Uhn, I won¡¯t run. Everyone will be alright, Reiji-kun will do something about this!¡¹


    I¡¯ve no choice but to trust Reiji-kun.


    ¡¸He will do something about this situation. It¡¯ll leave a bad aftertaste if this is ended with me still quarrelling with Kuroki¡¹


    I recall about my childhood friend whom I had forgotten about. He¡¯s just a normal person. He¡¯s an extremely boring person who won¡¯t make my heart thump like Reiji-kun. But, that boredom is something that I¡¯m wishing for at a moment like now.


    I take my sword. AS IF I¡¯M GOING TO DIE IT LIKE THIS!


    ¡¸Everyone, please bear with this situation for a while longer!¡¹


    So I tell them.


    Some people are trying to move even if they¡¯ve to crawl in order to follow my words.


    My body also feels listless. I am barely managing to swing my sword for quite some time.


    Some of the freedom fighters don¡¯t even have the power to move anymore.


    But, they have no choice but to force their body to move. Everyone is doing their best. So, there¡¯s no way I can fall here.


    Thus, I raise my sword.


    ¡¸Light!¡¹


    Someone suddenly shouted that word.


    I can feel something warm above me.


    ¡¸The dark fog is vanishing rapidly¡¹


    When I take a look at my surroundings, I realize that the dark fog is vanishing.


    And then, the sun made by Reiji-kun is floating above us.


    I feel power gushing forth from inside my body after bathing under that light.


    The thick fog dispels. The entire kingdom is currently illuminated by this light.


    The copsed people also slowly stand on their feet after bathing under that light.


    The zombies are also extinguished by this radiation.


    It seems we were saved from this dire situation.


    ¡¸See, we were saved by Reiji-kun¡¹


    === === ===


    ¡ô ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    ¡¸Sorry, I¡¯m so useless ¡­¡¹


    Sahoko apologizes to me.


    ¡¸Spirit-san won¡¯te out even when I call them ¡­¡¹


    Rino is saying so with a sad tone.


    ¡¸I see ¡­¡¹


    I mutter disheartenedly.


    I put the unconscious Nao beside me.


    I met with Sahoko-tachi after returning to the ground above.


    Though I asked Sahoko to heal Nao, she couldn¡¯t use her power.


    It might be due to this thick fog.


    It seems we were helpless and unable to do something about this fog.


    So far we were in this kind of dire situation only when we met Diehart.


    But when I ponder about it seriously, we might have been just lucky until now.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll leave Nao-san to you guys¡¹


    I stand up.


    ¡¸Where are you going, Chiyuki-san?¡¹


    ¡¸To that underground passage. I think something in there is the one that is creating this thick fog¡¹


    Different from them, I can still use my magic. That¡¯s why I¡¯m the only person in this ce who can do something about this situation.


    ¡¸It¡¯s dangerous to go alone, Chiyuki-san! There¡¯s also that person who caused this to Nao-chan, right?¡¹


    Sahoko says so.


    ¡¸There¡¯s someone who is fighting that person alone in that basement. I can¡¯t leave him alone¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸EH?¡¹¡¹


    Sahoko and Rino are surprised by my im.


    ¡¸Someone is ¡­ fighting in there? Even though everyone should have lost their power ¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Even we had a hard time in this situation¡¹


    Sahoko and Rino are disying shocked faces.


    ¡¸He ¡­ might be the pervert we¡¯re looking for¡­.¡¹


    It¡¯s just my guess. Currently, there¡¯s another human of another world in this kingdom aside from us.


    The power he disyed in that underground. If he¡¯s that pervert, then everything is in ce.


    I don¡¯t know why he hides his face, though. Did he have something to hide from us?


    And, he¡¯s currently fighting alone in that basement. He might need my help, that masked man is dangerous.


    Thus, I n to return to where I came before.


    ¡¸Ah, the light is¡­.¡¹

 Chapter 27.2 : He Who Radiates The Light, He Who Drives Away The Darkness

    <h4>Chapter 27.2 : He Who Radiates The Light, He Who Drives Away The Darkness</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    I can hear Rino¡¯s voice behind me.


    I direct my sight toward the sky after hearing her voice. Reiji¡¯s sun, which had beenpletely covered by the thick fog, is now appearing in its full glory before us.


    When I analyze my surroundings, I realize that the dark fog is vanishing.


    Did he manage to do something in that basement? I can think nothing but that as the reason.


    ¡¸Not bad huh, you pervert¡­.¡¹


    === === ===


    ¡ô Knight of Rox kingdom, Rember


    ¡¸Reiji-sama¡­.¡¹


    Almina, lying down alongside me, is also looking at the battle between the hero and Orua.


    Almina seems tense.


    Maybe I have the same expression on my face, too.


    The hero movements have also dulled.


    He¡¯s barely dodging the barrage of attacks from Orua and Lucullus.


    ¡¸Huhm! ! As expected of the hero. Even when I¡¯m using berserker magic on these guys, you can still fight on par with us¡¹


    Different from the previous battle, Lucullus¡¯s state is clearly abnormal. His face ispletely like a beast.


    ¡¸Thanks for the praise. I can say the same things for you too, who is always hiding behind his back. How about showing yourself if you want to fight¡¹


    The hero isughing as he says so. Though he put up a strong front, he¡¯s clearly at a disadvantage here.


    Orua is using Lucullus-tachi as her shield while bombarding the hero with magic to disrupt him.


    ¡¸As if I want to fight you from the front. I¡¯ve been investigating about you. You¡¯re strong, but your attack magic is nothing but light element. As long as we develop necessary measures, I can withstand your magic as long as your magic loses its power. Nevertheless, your fighting strength is truly beyond my calctions¡¹


    Orua is sneering at the hero.


    ¡¸You have purposely prepared for this, it seems you¡¯re more troublesome¡¹


    ¡¸You still have someposure. Even so, what can the current you do?¡¹


    ¡¸Even if I can¡¯t do anything, my women will do something!¡¹


    The hero is saying so whileughing. It seems he¡¯s convinced about something.


    ¡¸Hmm, fool ¡­ YOU GUYS, CHARGE!¡¹


    Orua is giving her order to Lucullus-tachi to attack the hero.


    The battle between the hero and Lucullus-tachi resumes. Orua is attacking the hero with her magic from behind Lucullus-tachi. Their battle is so intense.


    I can do nothing but watch their battle.


    It seems the hero is being pushed back as time goes on.


    But the hero still managed to do something abut it.


    I wonder how many minutes are left till the bnce crumbles.


    Suddenly, several temple knights along with Lucullus are blown away.


    And then, every member of Lucullus corps are beaten by the hero¡¯s next attack.


    ¡¸What! IMPOSSIBLE!¡¹


    Orua is screaming in suprise.


    It¡¯s natural for her surprise. The one who should be pushed back has suddenly turned the tables.


    ¡¸What just happened¡­.¡¹


    Orua is still dumbfounded.


    ¡¸The thick fog is ¡­¡¹


    Almina is muttering.


    Almina¡¯s tensed face has returned to normal.


    When I look around, the thick fog which previously pervaded the room is gradually vanishing.


    ¡¸THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE! WHAT JUST HAPPENED HERE!¡¹


    Orua is screaming.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve said it before, right? Chiyuki-tachi will do something about this situation! My women are strong, you know¡¹


    The hero isughing.


    Orua is looking at her surroundings as if she couldn¡¯t ept this situation.


    ¡¸That¡¯s ¡­ impossible. Zarxis ¡­ sama is ¡­ lie ¡­¡¹


    Orua is shaking her head as if unable to ept this situation.


    ¡¸Reiji-senpai!¡¹


    ¡¸Rei-kun!¡¹


    Two persons are calling the hero¡¯s name from afar.


    This is the voice of the femalerades of the hero.


    ¡¸The table has turned¡¹


    The hero isughing as he says so.


    ¡¸Guh ¡­!¡¹


    Orua is groaning in frustation.


    ¡¸I¡¯m still not done yet ¡­ This isn¡¯t the end ¡­¡¹


    Orua is taking a bottle out from her pocket as she retreated.


    ¡¸Originally, I didn¡¯t wish to use this. Since I won¡¯t be able to turn back once I used this ¡­¡¹


    ¡¸My power has returned. I don¡¯t know what are you trying to do, but you lost! ! ¡¹


    The hero is pointing his sword.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s begin then! FEATHER ARROW!¡¹


    Orua is firing several feather arrows. But her target wasn¡¯t the hero.


    The feather arrows are directed toward Almina.


    ¡¸Oops!¡¹


    But, the hero moves faster than the feather arrows and knocks out all of them.


    Orua takes advantage of that opportunity and uses the drug.


    After drinking that drug, Orua¡¯s body from neck below starting to reveal the true bird form ¨C one that belongs to the Striges. Her body seems to be expanding at an rming rate.


    ¡¸GUAAA! ! ¡¹


    After letting out such cry, Orua breaks the ceiling and vanishes toward the sky.


    ¡¸Are you okay, Almina?¡¹


    The hero ignores Orua and smiles toward Almina, instead.


    Almina has already recovered to the point of being able to standing on her own.


    ¡¸Reiji-sama!¡¹


    Almina embraces the hero.


    ¡¸Reiji-sama ¡­ That demon is ¡­¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Almina. I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s trying to do, but she can¡¯t defeat me¡¹


    The hand of the hero is moving around toward Almina¡¯s back.


    ¡¸Rei-kun!¡¹


    ¡¸Reiji-senpai!¡¹


    Someone is calling the hero from behind.


    Before I noticed, therades of the hero have gathered together. It seems those two are in bad mood seeing the hero and Almina embrace each other.


    ¡¸Sahoko, Rino. I¡¯ll chase after that demon. I¡¯ll leave Almina in your care!¡¹


    After saying so, the hero separates from Almina¡¯s embrace and then flies toward the sky through the ceiling that was blown open by Orua.


    ¡¸Wait a minute, Reiji-senpai!¡¹


    ¡¸Geez, he¡¯s gone already ¡­¡¹


    Those two areining while gazing toward the sky.


    ¡¸Uuuh ¡­¡¹


    I¡¯m groaning in pain.


    The two of them who hear my voice then look at my direction.


    ¡¸Eh? This person is injured, Sahoko-san¡¹


    ¡¸He is ¡­ He is Rember, right? Are you okay?¡¹


    They finally noticed me. To be honest, I¡¯m not okay at all.


    It feel like that I was forgotten by the hero and Almina since a while ago. To be honest, I¡¯m on the verge of dying here.


    The white saint chants her healing magic.


    The pain in my body disappeared.


    It seems I barely survived.


    === === ===


    ¡ô ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    ¡¸Are you okay Nao-san?¡¹


    When I ask Nao about her current situation, Nao nods in affirmation.


    The thick fog has vanished and Nao has opened her eyes.


    Though she managed to recover to some degree thanks to Sahoko magic, she¡¯s still too weak.


    Sahoko and Rino went toward the royal castle where the battle still seems to be in progress.


    And then, here I¡¯m with Nao at the entrance of the underground passage for the sake of meeting that person. He might be the one who repelled that masked person.


    Nao and I are waiting for him at the entrance to express our gratitude.


    Though I want to enter the underground passage, I can¡¯t bring Nao along with as she¡¯s yet to recover, and it¡¯s too dangerous for me to go alone.


    Naturally, I¡¯ll go inside if it takes too much time while waiting for him.


    ¡¸Chiyuki ¡­ san¡¹


    Nao is calling my name.


    When I look at her, she¡¯s looking at the sky.


    I know that there¡¯s a bird that Nao keeps looking at since a while ago.


    ¡¸Is that, a bird? Nay, it should be ¡­ a Striges? ¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t confirm it since it¡¯s body is too big for Striges.


    And then, that Striges-like bird body keeps getting bigger and bigger.


    ¡¸What is that?¡¹


    Nao is muttering.


    Nao¡¯s and my eyes are nailed toward the sky.


    The body of that Striges like thing has finally be as big as this kingdom.


    And then, it turned into something that ispletely different from a Striges. It has a bird-like body and lion-like head.


    ¡¸Isn¡¯t that look like the demon bird living in the western desert ¡­¡¹


    I have seen the picture of the demon bird that¡¯s currently flying above this kingdom once in a book previously. The wind that is brought along with the demon bird living in the western desert is said to bring upon a cmity.


    The gigantic body of the bird eclipses Reiji¡¯s sun and casts a huge shadow, covering this entire kingdom.


    ¡¸GUEEE~!¡¹


    Along with such a cry, the demon bird is pping its huge wings to create a tornado. The buildings that are closer to this tornado is cracking.


    ¡¸Things will turn sour if we do nothing to that demon bird isn¡¯t it¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    When I¡¯m about to fly with flight magic.


    ¡¸AH, REIJI-SENPAI!¡¹


    Nao is pointing with her finger.


    A person who¡¯s covered by lightes out from where that demon bird appeared. This time, for sure, it was Reiji who came out from that building.


    Reiji is facing against that demon bird.


    ¡¸YOU BASTARD! DIE ALONG WITH THIS KINGDOM!!¡¹


    The demon bird is screaming. It voice reverberates loudly in the surroundings.


    Everyone in this kingdom might feel fear in hearing those evil emotions packed into that demon bird¡¯s voice.


    ¡¸AS LONG AS I¡¯M HERE, YOU CAN KEEP DREAMING¨D!¡¹


    Now, it¡¯s Reiji who¡¯s shouting back with equal loudness. It was truly simr to the song that I heard a while ago.


    ¡¸EAT THIS!¡¹


    The demon bird is pping its gigantic wings and fired its feathers. The feathers turned into gigantic arrows and swooshed toward Reiji.


    ¡¸As if that will work on me¨D¨D¨D! ! ! ¡¹


    An innumberable amount of light spheres appear around Reiji.


    Those spheres of light take those gigantic feather arrows down. This is Reiji¡¯s magic, thousand light spheres.


    ¡¸Now, it¡¯s my turn!¡¹


    With his cry, a gigantic magic formation appeared in front of Reiji.


    ¡¸That is¡­¡¹


    I unintentionally mutter so. The magic that Reiji¡¯s about to use is a magic that even Oudith and the other gods of Elios are unable to use ¨C the Light Cannon of Heavenly Might. Rena exined with a shocked face when Reiji used this magic for the first time.


    ¡¸GOOOO¨D!¡¹


    The pir of light appearing from Reiji¡¯s magic formationpletely swallows the demon bird.


    ¡¸GUEEEEEE¨D!¡¹


    Death throes of the demon bird are audible. The body of the demon bird eventually vanishes within that light.


    And just like that, the pir of light that disintegrated the demon bird travels far away, reaching the dark horizon.


    The only one left after that is only Reiji along with his sun.


    A silence engulfs the vicinity. Subsequently, it is followed by a wake of loud cheers.


    Though there¡¯s no one around me and Nao, the cheers have reached as far as our ce.


    The cheers that praise Reiji keep resounding in the kingdom.

 Chapter 28.1 : Leaving the Rox Kingdom

    <h4>Chapter 28.1 : Leaving the Rox Kingdom</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    ¡ô Dark Knight, Kuroki


    The zombies have been eradicated. As a result, the kingdom regained its liveliness.


    Currently, I¡¯m walking alone in the main street.


    Along the way, I hear the people in my surrounding praising Reiji.


    As a matter of fact, Reiji is being praised for his exploits in trying to save this kingdom.


    I saw Reiji¡¯sst magic; it was amazing.


    And then, I recall that time.


    I return to the above ground after destroying Zarxis¡¯s magic formation. But then, I was surprised when I found out that Mizuouji Chiyuki and Todoroki Naomi waiting at the entrance. But then, I could slip out easily since it seems their attention was toward the sky.


    A while after I left them, the sky suddenly turned bright. When I looked toward the sky, light was overflowing from Reiji¡¯s direction. The torrent of light was illuminating the sky for a very long distance. It might be impossible to defend against that magic with your normal magic.


    Reiji didn¡¯t use that magic when we fought before. I¡¯ll pay more attention if I fight him again in the future.


    To be honest, I don¡¯t want to fight him. But I might have to fight him if he were to invade Nargol again.


    The problem is Rena. Everything will be fine as long as she gives up on attacking Nargol. What should I do to stop her? That¡¯s the main problem.


    And then, I absolutely have no idea of what she¡¯s trying to do in this kingdom. It seems Rena left this kingdom after that morning. Though I don¡¯t know what in the world she¡¯s thinking about, I have to pay special attention to her every move.


    And there¡¯s another thing that makes me feel uneasy. It¡¯s about Zarxis.


    Who is he? His words make me feel uneasy. He¡¯s calling Modes as a betrayer. Calling himself as the right-hand man of Nargol, the god of destruction. And speaking of Nargol, it¡¯s thend ruled by Modes. But, it seem the word ¡®Nargol¡¯ possesses another meaning.


    I¡¯ll try to ask Modes about it when I return. But before that, I should try to aplish my goal foring to this ce.


    Indeed, I¡¯m going to leave Rox kingdom tomorrow morning.


    Before that, I¡¯ll express my greetings to the people from whom I¡¯ve received favors as much as I can.


    When I¡¯m thinking about such things, I saw a familiar face walking in front of me.


    ¡¸If it isn¡¯t Rember-dono, what¡¯s the matter? ¡¹


    The one who¡¯sing is Rember. But he seems to be different from the usual. It seems he¡¯s worrying about something.


    Moreover, the royal pce should be in the midst of a banquet for celebrating Reiji¡¯s exploits right now. I hear that even Gallios and the rest were invited to that banquet. Since they managed to stop the zombies, it seems they received a special invitation.


    That¡¯s just natural since they fought bravely in order to prevent the zombies from entering the urban area.


    The most miserable one might be those temple knights. Though no one is dead in this incident, they were controlled and forced to raise their sword toward the hero. It seems they¡¯re going to rece the pce guard duty till Reiji and the rest return to Holy Republic Lenaria. Moreover, they said whileughing that making use of the royal pce toe to the banquet might be a humiliation for them.


    Though Gallios doesn¡¯t want to attend the banquet, he has no choice but to attend as the leader of the freedom fighters.


    I was also invited but I refused since I don¡¯t want to meet Reiji. That¡¯s why I¡¯m walking alone right now.


    Is it okay for Rember, a knight, to not attending that banquet? Or else, does he have another duty?


    ¡¸Eh ¡­ Ah ¡­ It¡¯s Kuro-dono¡­¡¹


    Rember nkly gazes at me with gloomy face.


    Though I¡¯m right in front of him, he doesn¡¯t seem to have noticed my greeting.


    ¡¸What happened? Is it okay for you to not be at the royal pce?¡¹


    When I asked him that question, Rember is shaking his head.


    ¡¸No, nothing particr ¡­ Since the royal pce will be fine even without me¡¹


    Rember is saying so without looking at my eyes.


    For some reason, Rember seems to be in low spirits.


    I¡¯ve received much favor from him during my stay in this kingdom. It might be none of my business, but I couldn¡¯t just leave him alone.


    ¡¸Rember-dono. How about we grab a drink? It¡¯s my treat¡¹


    I don¡¯t drink liquor, but I¡¯ll at least apany him.


    === === ===


    ¡ô ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    ¡¸There was such a guy huh¡­¡¹


    When I narrate about that masked man in the underground to Reiji, Reiji disys a vexed expression on his face.


    ¡¸Sorry, Chiyuki. If only I came with you ¡­¡¹


    Reiji is apologizing to me.


    You disappeared for the sake of saving Almina, didn¡¯t you! Though I retort like that within my mind, I won¡¯t say it out loud.


    This might be Reiji¡¯s limit. When two women are in danger at the same time, he can¡¯t save both of them.


    He made the right choice to go to Almina¡¯s side since she possesses no power to save herself, making her different from me. But thanks to that, I got embroiled in such danger.


    It doesn¡¯t mean that Reiji will be okay no matter what happens to me; it¡¯s just because he thought that I¡¯ll be able to solve it myself that he went to save Almina.


    Even if had received the same treatment in our home world, I won¡¯t get angry. I myself have no wish to be saved by a man.


    But, I was truly scared at that time.


    I don¡¯t even want to think what will happen to me if that man didn¡¯te to save me. He¡¯s the second man who saved me after Reiji.


    Though I wanted to say my gratitude, he didn¡¯te out, so I returned to that basement.


    In there, I no longer saw both him as well as that masked man, but I found traces of their fight.


    I believe some kind of deadly magic battle happened there.


    The floor had either melted due to high temperature or frozen into chunks of ice. It seems a high level magic was used during that battle.


    Though the one who came to save me is powerful in closebat to the point of being able to toss Kaya, it seems he might also be an extremely proficient magician. Just who in the world is he?


    ¡¸Say Chiyuki-san, what kind of person is the one that came to save you? Did you see his face? ¡¹


    Shirone¡¯s asking so with sparkling eyes. Shirone really loves this kind of heroic stories.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know. He hid his face¡¹


    I don¡¯t know his face and figure since it seems he hid them. But I could feel his kindness.


    ¡¸A MYSTERIOUS SAVIOR WHO HIDES HIS FACE. THAT¡¯S AN EXCITING DEVELOPMENT, RIGHT?!¡¹


    Nao joins Shirone in the conversation.


    ¡¸RIGHT!¡¹


    Shirone and Nao areughing together.


    Nao was also saved along with me when she was still unconscious. That¡¯s why she might be not be able to feel the same feeling as me.


    ¡¸Nao-san ¡­ You were in a dangerous situation that time, you know¡¹


    I chastise Nao as the one who faced the most dangerous situation this time was her. Though it ended bing an interesting story, it¡¯s not aughing matter in reality.


    ¡¸Well, that¡¯s true. It¡¯s reassuring to know that there¡¯s someone protecting us from the shadows. I want to meet him no matter what¡¹


    Nao responds delightfully.


    ¡¸Oi, oi, everyone. Aren¡¯t you forgetting the fact that he is a pervert? Moreover, he is also suspicious for not showing his appearance¡¹


    Reiji is saying so as if trying to make fun of him.


    He¡¯s trying to be calm, but it seems he didn¡¯t find it funny that we were saved by another man.


    Reiji hates men except for himself.


    He has no friend of the same sex even in our world. Basically, he¡¯s always being surrounded by none but girls. Even if there are people from the same sex at his surroundings, they¡¯re just his followers and not his friends.


    Moreover, since they¡¯re people who approach him while eyeing those girls close to him, it¡¯s usually just a matter of time until Reiji drives them away.


    His actions were simr to that of a male lion.


    Ifpared to an animal, Reiji can bepared to a lion.


    He won¡¯t allow any other male to approach him. Any other male who tries to get closer to him will be bitten to death.


    And then, he makes sure that all the cute girls are his own. Thus, he hates men.


    He won¡¯t recognize any male apart from him; it might be because he¡¯s unbeatable and there are only weak males around him.


    The one who saved us this time is definitely powerful. It might likely turn into a brawl if he got closer to Reiji.


    Maybe he¡¯s not getting closer since he knows that Reiji is that kind of person. But then, that¡¯s doesn¡¯t seem usible. In that case, why did he hide his face? Does he have some sort of reason for doing so?


    As long as we know his reason for doing so, he is a potential ally of us. He might be our aid as long as he is our ally.


    That¡¯s why I want Reiji to ept him as our ally.


    ¡¸Reiji-kun, he¡¯s the one who saved me and Nao-san, you know. Calling him a pervert forever is bad¡¹


    We can¡¯t always call someone who will be ourrade after this a pervert.


    ¡¸Even if it¡¯s true that he saved you guys, you shouldn¡¯t let your guard down, Chiyuki. He might be demanding something indecent in return¡¹


    Upon hearing Reiji words, I retort ¡®That is you!¡¯ within my mind.


    Just how many times you have ced your hand on the girls whom you saved until now? Do you think we¡¯re so blind?


    In the first ce, he shouldn¡¯t hide his identity if he really wants to ask something in return.


    But, from Reiji¡¯s attitude, it seems making him as our allies would be difficult. Maybe it¡¯s better to know about his countenance without looking for him.


    ¡¸Hey, Chiyuki-san ¡­ What about that masked man?¡¹


    Sahoko is saying so with anxious tone.


    I¡¯m also uneasy about that one. Though our savior seems to have won the fight since the thick fog disappeared, I don¡¯t know what became of that masked man. Even if he died, we didn¡¯t find his corpse.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know what became of that masked man¡¹


    I¡¯m answering so while shaking my head.


    ¡¸Say Chiyuki-san, that masked man called himself as a subordinate of the demon king, right? ¡¹


    I nod in affirmation after hearing Nao¡¯s question.


    ¡¸That¡¯s for sure since when I asked him whether he¡¯s a subordinate of Nargol, his answer was positive¡¹


    ¡¸In that case, he¡¯s Diehartrade, right? ¡¹


    ¡¸That might be so. Why are you asking me that question, Rino-san?¡¹


    What does she want to tell me?


    ¡¸You see ¡­ Though we came here to foil Diehart¡¯s n, it¡¯s been on my mind since we¡¯ve not seeing his figure at all¡¹


    Now that Rino mentioned it, it¡¯s true. I¡¯ve not even caught a glimpse of Diehart¡¯s appearance during that event.


    ¡¸That¡¯s true. That¡¯s strange. Just what in the hell is he trying to do?¡¹


    I tilt my head in confusion.


    ¡¸Well, just forget about it. Why are you thinking about those guys who made Chiyuki-san and Nao-chan suffer such a dangerous experience? I¡¯ll beat him the next time I see him!¡¹


    Shirone is saying so with an angry tone. It seems she thinks that Diehart is the main reason for her to lose the way to go back.


    ¡¸Yeah, everyone! I¡¯ll beat him for sure this time!¡¹


    When Reiji said so, everyone but me nod their heads. We can¡¯t leave those dangerous ones alone, but I think it¡¯s better if we¡¯re more careful in the way we act. After all, our life is at stake.


    But, Reiji really might be able to stop. So, it couldn¡¯t be helped.


    ¡¸Uhm ¡­ everyone, the dinner is ready¡¹


    A while after we were talking about that.


    Almina enters the room from the open door.


    All eyes directed at Almina in that instant.


    Almina wore a pretty pink dress as if yelling her fighting spirit.


    Almina¡¯s eyes locked with Reiji¡¯s.


    Her favorable impression toward Reiji who saved her from a peril like a prince on a white horse might have reached maximum. Almina is looking at Reiji with a fervent gaze.


    I wonder how many people look at Reiji with those eyes. What about her fiance?


    ¡¸Let¡¯s enjoy the feast, everyone¡¹


    Reiji deres as such.


    It seems the royal pce is holding a banquet to praise Reiji for his efforts of saving this kingdom. It seems they¡¯re making the preparations in another room.


    It seems that the royal pce prepared a gorgeous banquet to convey their gratitude for investigation of the tower. I think the royal pce¡¯s fear toward us is the reason why they prepared the party for the investigation of the tower.


    As for the result, we sessfully exterminated the Striges for good this time.


    And it¡¯s not just the royalty, the people of this kingdom who participated in this job are also attending this party. Maybe they¡¯re trying to show their utmost respect.


    That¡¯s why the party transformed into a feast.


    We are following Almina.


    === === ===


    ¡ô Dark Knight, Kuroki


    The White Scale restaurant is more deserted than usual; it was as if we were reserving the entire ce.


    It seems the main reason is because their regr patrons, the freedom fighters were invited to attend the party in the royal pce. The usual poster girl who came for the bill is also currently helping in the royal pce, so it was just the master of the store alone right now.


    Rember and I enter the store.


    In front of us are light meal and liquor.


    The meal is surely less than the usual meal served in this store.


    It seems he made nothing but a simple meal since all the cooked dishes were delivered to the royal pce. The banquet to praise Reiji might have just started around this time.


    Though the master of the store is apologizing for the simple meal, it¡¯s enough for me who takes novish meal on a regr basis.


    ¡¸I couldn¡¯t do anything ¡­¡¹


    Rember, sitting in front of me, is saying so with a bitter expression.


    To be honest, I don¡¯t know what to say to him. I¡¯m absolutely helpless in this situation.


    He couldn¡¯t protect his lover who was stolen by Reiji.


    However, Rember and Almina might have lost their lives if they were not saved by Reiji. So, he might not even be able to curse Reiji.


    The current him can¡¯t do anything but curse his own powerlessness.


    ¡¸So, what are you going to do after this, Rember-dono?¡¹


    I wonder what he¡¯s going to do after this. Is he going to cancel his marriage with princess Almina? But the princess herself might not be able to bring herself to marry him.


    ¡¸I think I¡¯ll resign from my position as a knight¡¹


    ¡¸I see ¡­¡¹


    I might have done the same if I were in Rember¡¯s position.


    There¡¯s only Reiji in princess Almina¡¯s heart. Marrying a woman who already has another man in their heart will only bring pain to him.


    So, he has no choice but to leave the stage like a gentlemen if there¡¯s a greater man than himself.

 Chapter 28.2 : Leaving the Rox Kingdom

    <h4>Chapter 28.2 : Leaving the Rox Kingdom</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    Though some men don¡¯t give a damn about such things, I¡¯m similiar to Rember in this matter.


    ¡¸Maybe it¡¯s a good idea to travel along with Kuro-dono after retiring from my post as a knight ¡­¡¹


    Rember is saying so while looking at me.


    Rember is an excellent man. He might just be fine even if he cast away his previous social position as a knight.


    Though he didn¡¯t have to do that, he has no choice in this situation.


    And then, I thought that his retirement might be the most grievous news for this kingdomter.


    I am clear that a man like Rember is needed during peaceful times. Though it doesn¡¯t seem much, the daily peaceful life of this kingdom is protected by someone like Rember. Though he seems like a tedious and boorish person, one will notice how important he is only when they lose him.


    I think that it isn¡¯t something that exists in Reiji. Though Reiji will shine brightly during emergency situations, he¡¯ll rot away during peaceful times.


    That is the life¡¯s meaning of the man hailed as a hero. Because a hero won¡¯t get the spotlight without a cmity called the demon lord.


    ¡¸Journey ¡­ I¡¯m going to leave this kingdom by tomorrow morning, but we might be able to meet again somewhere else as long as we continue our journey separately¡¹


    ¡¸Please apany me for a drink again during that time, Kuro-dono¡¹


    Rember isughing. It seems he managed to regain a bit of his spirit.


    Rember who¡¯s striving to be stronger is manlier than one who keeps sighing non-stop. I also want to be like him.


    ¡¸Yeah, definitely¡¹


    I reply so to Rember.


    I don¡¯t know which direction Rember is heading for. But, I pray for his good luck and for us to meet again someday.


    === === ===


    ¡ô Freedom Fighter of the Rox Kingdom, Gallios


    ¡¸Geez ¡­ What the hell is that? Even though we were doing our best, too¡¹


    Steros, another freedom fighter like me, isining so.


    Steros is looking at where the hero is being surrounded by manydies.


    Due to our achievements, we, the freedom fighters, were also invited to this banquet.


    The young women from all over the country were invited to this banquet in order to give a praise to the people who gained merits in this incident. Young freedom fighters like Steros hade here with a licentious look on their faces but, since all the other women are being monopolized by the hero, currently, only the male camp is enjoying the food and beverages.


    ¡¸Well, it¡¯s how things are. Hero-sama is special, you know¡¹


    Thus, Ifort Steros.


    ¡¸Gallios-san ¡­ But still ¡­¡¹


    Steros is saying so as if to express his dissatisfaction at me.


    It seems that there¡¯s no other way to dispel his dissatisfaction.


    After that short conversation, a woman approaches us.


    ¡¸Shirone-sama!¡¹


    Steros, showing his dissatisfaction until a while ago, is blushing upon seeing her.


    The woman who came to meet us was one of the hero¡¯s women, Shirone.


    ¡¸Thank you for your efforts today, everyone¡¹


    When she said so with a beaming smile, the dissatisfaction of the young freedom fighters vanishedpletely.


    Theing of this flower to this stinking den of men was then followed by a loud cheer from the freedom fighters.


    ¡¸Are you okay with this? Aren¡¯t you going to stay by hero-sama¡¯s side?¡¹


    I¡¯m saying so while approaching her.


    It¡¯s a woman only zone around the hero. It¡¯s already toote now, but aren¡¯t you worried about an illicit affair?


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Reiji is special after all¡¹


    It seems she has no worry about such things after all.


    ¡¸I see ¡­¡¹


    It seems I missed the point. If the women around the hero disperse, they mighte toward Steros.


    The woman before us is also a special existence. She is also unattainable no matter how much Steros want her. That¡¯s why it¡¯s better if there¡¯s a woman in their arm, but now it¡¯s impossible.


    Even if this girl seems different from the others, she¡¯s also one amongst the many girls who are waiting to serve the hero, for no girl can be the hero¡¯s wife unless they have a big enough heart to allow such events. In case of me, if I were to do the same things as the hero, Peneroa will surely stab my back with her kitchen knife.


    ¡¸Uhm, Shirone-sama ¡­ May I have a moment? ¡¹


    Someone suddenly interjected our conversation.


    ¡¸Uhm ¡­ Are you you alright, Nimri-san?¡¹


    Nimri is nodding.


    ¡¸The words of ck-haired sage just now have been in my mind, but ¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, about that huh ¡­¡¹


    I also nod upon hearing Nimri¡¯s words.


    ¡¸Chiyuki-san¡¯s words? Uhm, what did she say?¡¹


    ¡¸Before this banquet begin, I recalled that the person who saved ck-haired sage-sama might be Kuro-dono¡¹


    Before this banquet begin, ck-haired sage told us about the one who contributed the most in this battle.


    The person who hid his face is undoubtedly Kuro-dono. At that time, Kuro-dono said that he¡¯s going to stop this thick fog and took a different action path than us.


    Thus, the one who stopped this thick fog might actually be Kuro.


    Though we couldn¡¯t tell her at that time since we were too far apart, now is the best chance to tell her. For the one with the most merit to not be praised is strange.


    ¡¸Kuro?¡¹


    Shirone is tilting her head. [TL : He¡¯s dropping his inner honorific starting from this point, Shirone¡¯s share took a nosedive]


    It seems shepletely forgot about his existence despite going to the tower along with him.


    Nimri and I exin to her about Kuro.


    ¡¸U~hn. In fact, I don¡¯t know since I never met the person himself. Let¡¯s try to confirm it with Chiyuki-santer¡¹


    ¡¸Please then, Shirone-sama¡¹


    I bow to her.


    Though Kuro doesn¡¯t like to stand out, a man like him shoulde out to the spotlight.


    Even if no one believe my words, he¡¯ll be recognized as a brave as long as the hero¡¯srades say so.


    But, from Shirone¡¯s attitude, it seems she didn¡¯t trust me. I couldn¡¯t expect anything from her.


    And yet, I¡¯m still bowing toward her.


    === === ===


    ¡ô ck-haired Sage, Chiyuki


    Honestly, that was annoying.


    Influental persons and the upper echelon of this kingdom keeping at me one after another.


    Thanks to that, I can¡¯t feel at ease.


    Why am I always getting this kind of job? Properly speaking, you guys should go to Reiji, right?


    When I nce at his direction, Reiji is besieged by numerous woman. To be honest, it¡¯s annoying me.


    Sahoko and Almina by his side are showing a dissatisfied face. Almina might have also noticed this fact right now about how it feels to have a rtionship with Reiji.


    The duo of Rino and Nao are nudging toward the food. Kyouka is feeling down as usual. Thus, she left the party along with with Kaya. Shirone left toward the freedom fighters who fought along with her.


    And here I am, having a long chat with these geezers. To be honest, I want to slip out from this hell.


    ¡¸Can I have a minute with you, Chiyuki-san ¡­¡¹


    Shirone, who was supposed to be with those freedom fighters, suddenly called out to me.


    Good job, Shirone! I give a thumbs up to Shirone in my heart.


    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll excuse myself for a moment ¡­¡¹


    Thus, I leave those geezers while saying so.


    ¡¸You saved me there, Shirone-san. What¡¯s the matter you want to talk about?¡¹


    I express my gratitude and then ask for the matter that she wanted to tell me.


    ¡¸There¡¯s something that I want you to hear ¡­¡¹


    Thus I¡¯m listening to Shirone story.


    ¡¸I might be wrong but you see¡­¡­¡­.¡¹


    Shirone narrated about what Gallios said to her, the fact that the man who saved me and Nao in the basement might be a freedom fighter called Kuro.


    But, it seems Shirone doesn¡¯t think so. As for the reason, it¡¯s because that man was also unable to withstand the magic of the vampire when they went along to the tower.


    And that masked man is stronger than that vampire. Thus, it¡¯ll be strange if that man called Kuro won against that masked man.


    ¡¸I understand, that man called Kuro should be at Gallios¡¯s ce. Let¡¯s go to meet him tomorrow¡¹


    I don¡¯t know whether that Kuro is the one I¡¯m looking for. But, I¡¯ll know as long as I meet him.


    Since, without him, I don¡¯t know what will be of us and this kingdom.


    I suddenly think about Reiji who¡¯s being surrounded by many girls.


    The person who should be praised right now isn¡¯t Reiji, it should be the one who saved me. This kingdom should say their gratitude again if he really turned out to be Kuro. Naturally, it includes us, too.


    I wonder what he is doing right now.


    === === ===


    ¡ô Dark Knight, Kuroki


    ¡¸Ar~e yo~u The~re, Kuro-dono~¡¹


    Rember is dead drunk right now.


    Honestly, I want to ask myself, what the hell I am doing in this ce.


    ¡¸Rember-dono ¡­ I think it¡¯s time you stop drinking ¡­¡¹


    ¡¸No wa~y! ! I am yet to drink to my fi~ll! ! ! Drink with me too, Kuro-dono~¡¹


    Though I don¡¯t know what the hell he is talking about in the end, Rember keeps drinking the liquor.


    Even if you say so, I don¡¯t want to drink liquor, thus I won¡¯t drink them. I did try to drink liquor with my senpai in the dojo before, but I feel sick just by looking at it.


    Ever since then, I decided to not drink any liquor.


    The drunk Rember keeps drinking his liquor. He¡¯s already the worst amongst the dead drunk.


    ¡¸Why the heck did it turn out like this ¡­¡¹


    I wanted to cry.


    Thus, the night passed by.


    === === ===


    ¡ô Dark Knight, Kuroki


    After packing up my luggage, I informed the Gallios couple that I¡¯m going to leave.


    ¡¸I see, where are you nning to go after this ¡­¡¹


    Gallios is saying so with a reluctant face.


    Both Gallios and I returned quitetest night.


    Thus, I am informing them about my departure this morning.


    Though the Gallios couple requested me to leave tomorrow, I decided to leave now since there¡¯s something that I¡¯m worrying about.


    ¡¸I have an urgent business ¡­¡¹


    I gaze at the mountain visible from the kingdom ¨C the one where the holy dragon lives.


    ¡¸Thank you for what you did to Remberst night ¡­¡¹


    Peneroa-san expresses her gratitude. Rember was dead drunkst night. Thus, I delivered him to Gallios¡¯s house since I don¡¯t know where he lives. He¡¯s sleeping soundly in the guest room right now.


    I think it¡¯s a good thing that I met Rember.


    ¡¸See ya, Kuro!¡¹


    I nod upon hearing his words.


    I¡¯lle again.


    It¡¯s regrettable, but I left the Rox kingdom.


    === === ===


    ¡ô ck-haired Sage, Chiyuki


    ¡¸He left right in the morning?!¡¹


    I¡¯m told so when I go to Gallios¡¯s house.


    It seems I¡¯m one step toote.


    It¡¯s not like I can force the Gallios couple since I neither said anything to keep him here nor I told them that I¡¯ll go meet him. That man called Kuro also didn¡¯t tell them about his destination.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Chiyuki-sama?¡¹


    Kaya, who came along with me, asks that question. I wanted Kaya to confirm his identity since she had already met him once.


    ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped, let¡¯s go back¡¹


    Moreover, there¡¯s a chance that we¡¯ll meet again if he¡¯s actually following us. I should give up on him right now.


    When I decide to go back.


    The pouch on my hips are starting to ring.


    When I open the pouch, the thing that¡¯s ringing is the bell that I got from Rena.


    ¡¸No way ¡­ Diehart¡¹


    I then gaze at the mountain where the holy dragon lives. This bell is informing us about Diehart¡¯s arrival at the mountain.

 Chapter 29.1 : Mortal Combat in the Holy Dragon Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 29.1 : Mortal Combat in the Holy Dragon Mountain</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    ¡ô Dark Knight, Kuroki


    I descend from Glorious and go toward the entrance of the cave at the mountainside ¨C the dwelling ce of holy silver dragon king.


    The cave is so big, even Glorious¡¯ huge body can easily enter it.


    I¡¯m currently in my dark knight form as this might be turn out into a battle out of nowhere.


    If that were the case, I¡¯ll escape right away.


    I don¡¯t want to forcibly snatch away the dragon horn. I¡¯ll try to negotiate and exchange for the horn. However, the possibility of that is quite low.


    Darkness pervades inside the vast and deep cave.


    I walk along with Glorious.


    I suddenly seem to have arrived at a vast space after walking for quite a while. This wide space is bright despite being located in a ce without sunlight.


    The source of that brightness is the countless light crystals that illuminate the interior of the cave.


    And then, a dragon is present right in the center of that room. This dragon is definitely the holy dragon king.


    This dragon is far bigger than Glorious, and on top of that, an extremely beautiful one, too.


    It appears that this dragon doesn¡¯t have scales like a normal dragon. It is instead covered with silver colored hair, with each one of those silvery hair glimmering with light.


    And then, the silvery body of the dragon that is sparkling under the illumination of the crystal light reallypletes the fantastic scene.


    I am unintentionally fascinated by the scenery.


    Noticing my arrival, the dragon is looking at my direction. The blue pupils of the dragon are focussed at me.


    I couldn¡¯t feel any hostility from it. This might be a sign that I can settle this matter peacefully.


    ¡¸You have finally arrived, dark knight. I know the reason for your visit¡¹


    Its voice is clear and transparent.


    Did it just say that it knows the reason for my visit? Could it be that it could prognosticate?


    ¡¸It¡¯s because Modes told me about this matter¡¹


    But the answer provided by the dragonpletely betrayed my doubt.


    ¡¸Modes told you?¡¹


    The dragon nods to me.


    ¡¸I was troubled since my horn had grown too long. If it¡¯s someone of your caliber, you might be able to trim my horn beautifully, right?¡¹


    ¡¸Hah ¡­ Ah¡¹


    I feel exhausted after hearing those words. Even though I came here fully prepared for a sudden attack, the result was rather anti-climatic. Nevertheless, I should be delighted now since I can end this without using force.


    Come to think of it, Modes did say that I had to travel here to trim the horn of the dragon, but he never said that I literally had to cut the horn of the dragon.


    It seems it was a misunderstanding on my behalf.


    In the end, it was nothing but a simple errand. I must apologize to Modes for doubting his intentions in my heart.


    I¡¯m currently looking at the head of the dragon. Its crystal-like transparent horn is shining even brighter than the surrounding crystals.


    When that horn is added to its already gigantic body, it ended up bumping on the roof of the cave. It definitely would make one ufortable.


    ¡¸Will you make a beautiful cut at the center? Since it¡¯ll grow to the same length in around 5000 years, please take care of my horn again when the timees¡¹


    Though I don¡¯t know whether I¡¯ll be there 5000 yearster, I just nod to the dragon¡¯s request.


    ¡¸Understood. Please leave it to me¡¹


    === === ===


    ¡ô Dark Knight, Kuroki


    After I mounted the trimmed horn on Glorious¡¯s body, Glorious is trembling lightly due to it¡¯s weight.


    ¡¸Sorry, Glorious. Please endure this for a while¡¹


    I apologized to Glorious.


    The horn is too big that it can¡¯t be ced on transfer magic along with Glorious. And I couldn¡¯t bring such a huge thing while flying. Thus I decided to mount it upon Glorious and take it to Nargol.


    ¡¸Woah, you saved me there¡¹


    The holy dragon king expresses its gratitude.


    ¡¸I should be the one saying that. Thank you very much, Holy Silver Dragon King¡¹


    I bowed again to the Holy Dragon King.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­¡¹


    Holy Dragon King is also nodding back in response.


    ¡¸Is there something ¡­¡¹


    I asked the Holy Dragon King.


    ¡¸As expected, it seems that you are really capable of using dragon abilities. I can smell a nice fragranceing from you¡¹


    The holy dragon king is bringing it nose closer and sniffing.


    I¡¯m happy and yet slightly bewildered when its nose brushes on my body. Upon seeing that, Glorious also brings it nose closer to my body.


    The holy dragon king seems happy.


    ¡¸I kept observing all your actions ever since you¡¯re arrived in this kingdom, you know¡¹


    I¡¯m quite surprised in hearing its words. I should have noticed about that matter if such huge dragon had kept observing me closely.


    ¡¸I am capable of irvoyance. Thus, I can see your every action with this ability. Moreover, as I expected, you won¡¯t be able to notice this unless I¡¯m hostile toward you¡¹


    Maybe because it can sense the doubt in my mind, the holy dragon king answers to the question in my mind.


    ¡¸Other than you, I also observed the hero party. As expected, it seems that short-haired girl somehow managed to notice my action¡¹


    This short haired girl might be referring to Todoroki Naomi. It seems her perception ability is more evolved than mine.


    ¡¸Thus, I witnessed about what happened in that kingdom. The thread of Zarxis is connected to god. Even I will be his prey if I were to enter his domain¡¹


    I receive a shock after hearing thest sentence.


    ¡¸You know about Zarxis?¡¹


    ¡¸Naturally. It¡¯s better to ask Modes if you wish to know more about that guy. They¡¯re formerrades, after all¡¹


    This is the first time I heard about this.


    ¡¸That¡¯s also another thing for which I want to offer my deepest gratitudes to you. The one who stopped Zarxis is you, right?. But I couldn¡¯t see the situation in that basement since there¡¯s a barrier surrounding it. There was a bit of rtionship between me and that kingdom. Thank you for protecting that kingdom in my ce. Thank you very much, Dark Knight Diehart¡¹


    Despite the huge size of Holy Silver Dragon King, it seems it iscking inbat prowess.


    ¡¸No, such a grandiose thing is ¡­ Great¡¹


    But, it sure makes me feeling good to receive such a praise from this perso- ¡­ cough ¡­ I mean from this dragon. I know that I¡¯m blushing right now.


    ¡¸I never expected that you¡¯ll cooperate with the hero. As expected, is this a united front against amon enemy?¡¹


    ¡¸No ¡­ It wasn¡¯t a united front¡¹


    I just deny his ussation. I have no intention to fight with him. It was just a coincidence.


    ¡¸Well, whatever is fine, I also have no intention to be involved in the conflict between Rena and Modes. I¡¯ll maintain my position as a neutral party¡¹


    I heard about that matter from Modes. It seems the dragon king is neutral in this conflict.


    ¡¸Even so, I can feel the soul of dragon within you. It might be because you released the soul of the dragon who had been taken captive by Zarxis¡¹


    It seems this dragon has seen through every bit of me.


    ¡¸Despite having grown too long, at first I was hesitating whether to give that horn to you. But then, I changed my mind after observing all your actions¡¹


    ¡¸So, that was the case ¡­¡¹


    ¡¸You can create the best goddess that you wish with this horn. It seems you¡¯re suffering from a simr problem as Modes. You¡¯re not popr with women, aren¡¯t you?¡¹


    I think that¡¯s none of your business. I want to say so.


    Well, I can make a goddess as long as I have this horn. Thus, I should feel grateful toward this dragon.


    ¡¸My power is affiliated with the healing attribute. Thus, the goddess that will be born from my horn will definitely inherit my healing power. She¡¯ll be a great help on your side¡¹


    Holy Silver Dragon King says so while looking at the horn tied to Glorious.


    I brush the horn. It was a beautiful horn that shines even brighter than the crystal of this ce.


    It will definitely give birth to a beautiful goddess.


    ¡¸Thank you very much, Holy Silver Dragon King. I¡¯lle again for a visit after the goddess is born¡¹


    I smiled and bowed again in gratitude to the holy dragon king.


    ¡¸Yeah, see you again, one who bears the power of dragon¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. Let¡¯s go, Glorious¡¹


    After raising my head, I urge Glorious to go with me toward the entrance.


    There are a lot of things I have to do after going back to Nargol. It¡¯ll be a hectic day.


    I walk while thinking about such things.


    After arriving at the entrance of the cave, I suddenly felt powerful magical power mixed with killing intent.


    ¡¸This ¡­ This is!¡¹


    I stopped Glorious on track and then invoked my magic.


    ¡¸Maximum dark hole!¡¹


    A gigantic ck hole formed in front of me. That moment, it faced a torrent of light.


    That was close. The light vanished as it got sucked by the ck hole.


    I knew that light. It was the light magic used by Reijist night. A normal defensive magic might be terminated if it blocked that level of magic. I could somehow devise a way to deal with that magic after seeing it yesterday.


    What the hell is this guy trying to do by using that magic despite knowing that Holy Dragon King¡¯s inside?


    ¡¸Glorious. Wait right there¡¹


    After telling Glorious to stand by for me, I went alone toward the entrance of the cave.


    Just as I expected, Reiji-tachi was waiting for me outside the cave.


    There are 7 of them. All of the members are there except for that girl called Kyouka, Reiji¡¯s little sister. Naturally, Shirone is there, too.


    I don¡¯t know why they¡¯re here, though. They really surprised me.


    ¡¸Diehart!¡¹


    The ck haired woman shouts my name. It¡¯s Mizuouji Chiyuki.


    ¡¸It¡¯s a fact that you¡¯re powerful. And none of us can beat you in personalbat. But then, what will happen if webine our powers?¡¹


    After saying so, Reiji draws his weapon.


    WAIT A MINUTE¨D¨D! ! ! I am screaming inside.


    === === ===


    ¡ô ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    ¡¸Spirit of wind, protect everyone!¡¹


    Our body became lighter along with Rino¡¯s words. Now, we can move even faster and morefortable.


    ¡¸Holy power, bless everyone¡¹


    Our body got covered by white light after Sahoko¡¯s spell. Though this light is scarce, it blesses us with continuous healing power.


    Two people are reciting the magic while setting their stance.

 Chapter 29.2 : Mortal Combat in the Holy Dragon Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 29.2 : Mortal Combat in the Holy Dragon Mountain</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    I start chanting my magic, too. I enchant everyone¡¯s weapon with magic. This should raise everyone¡¯s offensive power.


    We are facing against Diehart, after all. This is the third time we are meeting him.


    It really surprised me when Reiji suddenly used the Light Cannon of Heavenly Might magic toward Diehart. The holy dragon king might be alive in there, you know.


    I don¡¯t know what will happen inside the cave if Diehart didn¡¯t use his magic to protect himself against Reiji¡¯s.


    Since Reiji thinks that it¡¯s okay as long as he doesn¡¯t harm any women, he might not even care about what would happen to the dragon king who is protecting the Rox Kingdom.


    Nevertheless, why could that guy neutralize Reiji¡¯s magic? It shouldn¡¯t be possible to defend against that magic with your average magic skill. I feel again the pressure of fighting a powerful opponent.


    Looking from where Diehart¡¯sing out, I have no doubt that the horn of dragon king was just stolen by him. What the heck is Rena doing right now?


    We haven¡¯t hear any particr tactics about this operation from Rena except that we have to keep Diehart busy.


    And now that I can¡¯t see her figure, did she just encounter an unfortunate incident?


    That¡¯s why the horn of holy dragon king should have been easily stolen.


    Even though I was hesitating whether to fight Diehart or not previously, the situation has changed now. They tried to annihte the Rox kingdompletely. I won¡¯t leave this kind of dangerous guy to his own devices.


    Though I still think that we¡¯ve to act carefully, I¡¯m not hesitating anymore. I¡¯ll take him down with everything I got.


    Our formation has Shirone and Kaya as our vanguards, Reiji in the middle, with Nao supporting from the side. Rino and I will attack with magic as rear guard, and Sahoko would healing everyone on the frontline. This is our sure win pattern.


    Since there¡¯s no thick fog likest night, now we were fighting with our full strength.


    Nao takes the plunge first with her projectile. Nao¡¯s boomerang is whizzing toward Diehart.


    Nao¡¯s boomerang will split when it¡¯s thrown toward the target; moreover, it¡¯ll create vacuum des that are capable of slicing several targets.


    But, after Diehart unsheathed his sword, he made all those vacuum des vanish with one swing of his sword along with all the boomerangs. Splendid, there¡¯s no hesitation in the way he swung his sword.


    Though he can defend himself from those boomerangs, it¡¯s enough for us since Reiji is already rushing to attack him by taking advantage of the gap created when he swung his sword.


    ording to Kaya and Shirone, Reiji¡¯s attack is really hard to dodge and almost impossible to predict. Diehart, whose stance has been disturbed by those boomerangs, might be unable to dodge that attack.


    ¡¸EEEH! ! ¡¹


    The next moment, I didn¡¯t even know what happened. Reiji attack just passed through Diehart¡¯s body.


    Even Reiji is dumbfounded by that situation.


    Though I don¡¯t know what just happened, the next moment, Shirone spread her wings and already dived from above. Though it couldn¡¯t be used in closed spaces or in a room, this open space gave her absolute advantage. She swings her sword while dropping down from overhead. But, Diehart easily dodged that attack by a paper thin margin.


    From below, Kaya rapidly approaches Diehart while unleashing her fists. As long as Kaya¡¯s fists connect, the damage will definitely passing through his shield and armor and destroy him from the inside.


    But, Kaya¡¯s attack also passes through Diehart¡¯s afterimage just like Reiji¡¯s attack.


    ¡¸EVERYONE! MOVE OUT¨D¨D!¡¹


    Upon hearing Rino¡¯s voice, the four people in the frontlines retreat immediately.


    When I turn toward her, a tall woman, wearing a pale blue dress, is already standing in front of Rino. And then, a gigantic bird with thunder coiling around its body is rising above us.


    They are the superior spirits under Rino¡¯smand, the Snow Queen and the Thunder Bird.


    It seems the number of people who could summon superior spirits could be counted using the fingers in two hands even amongst the elves who have great affinity with spirit, much less to say summoning two superior spirits at the same time; I heard that even the elf queen is unable to do that.


    But, Rino can do that easily.


    If physical attack can¡¯t get through to him, how about the attacks from these two superior spirits?


    ¡¸Please, Spirit-san! FINISH HIM OFF!!¡¹


    A storm of iciclences from the Snow Queen and lightning storm from the Thunder Birde into existence along with Rino¡¯s appeal.


    Along with a thunderous noise, my field of vision is blocked by a cloud of dust in the next moment.


    The cloud of dust clears up several secondster. And Diehart is there, standing on his ce.


    ¡¸What¡¯s wrong with that guy! ! He¡¯s not even injured by this level of attack?!¡¹


    I¡¯m shocked. What the hell is wrong with this guy?


    ¡¸He avoided that with his Mikiri*, huh. [TL* : A state inbat where one judges the technique, stance, and movement of their opponent to fight them with paper thin margin.] Our attacks can¡¯t reach him at all. There¡¯s a legend that Miyamoto Musashi can cut a grain of rice on his opponent¡¯s forehead without even wounding his opponent, and this guy might be able to do the same thing¡¹


    Kaya borates about what happened.


    ¡¸What the heck is that!¡¹


    What¡¯s with that godlike ability? Why is he still okay after all those attacks.


    ¡¸But, it seems he couldn¡¯t perfectly withstand the attack of the spirit¡¹


    ¡¸Eh ¡­¡¹


    Looking closely, Diehart¡¯s body seems to be trembling.


    ¡¸Moreover, he isn¡¯ting to attack us since the start of the battle and is always on a defensive stance¡¹


    I smiled upon hearing Kaya¡¯s words. We can win as long as we can somehow inflict some damage upon him.


    ¡¸In that case, let¡¯s attack him without giving him any chance for rest¡¹


    I am really scared of what happened in that basement, after all. It¡¯s wasn¡¯t done personally by Diehart, but he might be simr to that masked man. I¡¯ll make you pay for your sins.


    Now, I¡¯ll make Diehart pay for what he did including the share of the Rox kingdom¡¯s citizens.


    === === ===


    ¡ô Dark Knight, Kuroki


    ¡¸Ouch ¡­ That ¡­ Hurts¡¹


    Maybe it is because I couldn¡¯t perfectly dodge the attack of the spirit. My body is in pain.


    As expected, 7 against 1 is just too much. [TL: This might be what thest boss feels when he¡¯s against the hero party.]


    Why did things turn out like this.


    It¡¯s just a simple matter for me to dodge Shirone¡¯s attack; I used to spar with her so many times, after all. It¡¯s just the same even when she¡¯s attacking from above. No, it¡¯s easier to dodge her aerial attack since it¡¯s follows a linear pattern.


    The attack of the girl who used her fists was sharp. But, it was not at the level of a master. I could dodge her attack by parrying it.


    Reiji¡¯s attack was scary. This guy already killed a few people even back in our world. Every one of his attacks were aiming for my life.


    But, I can read Reiji¡¯s attack pattern to some extent. He neveres to attack me from the front; the attack alwayses from outside my field of view. Just like a beast.


    Normally, one can¡¯t do that kind of feat, but Reiji¡¯s physical capability enables him to do so. That¡¯s why I can deliberately guide him to attack a designated spot by shifting my line of sight.


    But still, I can¡¯t protect myself from the spirit attack. Though I might be able to protect myself from that attack as long as I use my magic barrier, their vanguard won¡¯t give me the leeway to do so.


    Well, what should I do now?


    I have no choice but to escape by looking for a gap. But, that¡¯s also difficult. Even if I were to escape with metastasis magic, I can¡¯t leave Glorious in this ce.


    When I¡¯m looking around, Reiji and his party rush toward me again.


    It¡¯s not so bad if it¡¯s just Reiji alone, but the mental damage caused to me is too much when even those girls are fighting to take my life.


    I have no intention to fight against Reiji¡¯s women.


    ¡¸Why did things turn this way ¡­¡¹


    I wanted tough on myself.


    But when I think carefully about it, maybe I know why things turned out this way.


    Anyone who makes an enemy of Reiji will also be the enemies of the women around him. That¡¯s the one thing that doesn¡¯t change whether in our world or in this world. I should have anticipated this matter when I fought against Reiji.


    That¡¯s why anyone who makes an enemy of Reiji will be hated by everyone. You can say that Reiji is a protector of girls in a certain sense.


    Those women are standing on Reiji¡¯s side. Truly an unpleasant situation, isn¡¯t it.


    And the result of following my foolish sense of rivalry is this messy situation I¡¯m currently at. I might be an idiot.


    I should have prepared myself to be the enemy of those girls the moment I made an enemy of Reiji.


    Now I¡¯m driven to the corner since I¡¯mcking that resolution.


    Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have saved Mizuouji Chiyuki back then. Her magic is aiming for my life now. I mean I¡¯m sure that she wanted to be saved by Reiji, not me.


    That¡¯s why I shouldunch my counter attack and not just remain defensive. It would mean that I must make the resolution to cut them down, including Shirone.


    It might be only a matter of time before I die unless I retaliate.


    The attacks from Reiji and the girls are reaching me now. If it¡¯s not for the damage of the previous attack, it¡¯s not that difficult to dodge their attacks.


    Reiji is attacking as the vanguard while the magic bombardment ising from behind.


    Though my power keeps falling, it isn¡¯t the case for Reiji-tachi, thanks to Yoshino Sahoko who¡¯s restoring their stamina repetitively.


    I know that I¡¯m slowly being driven to a corner.


    But I couldn¡¯t force myself to attack those girls. Why am I such an idiot?! Even after reaching this point, why am I more worried about them than my own safety.


    ¡¸GUH!¡¹


    I wonder how many times I have received that spirit attack now. I fall on my knees due to the pain.


    Though my power has fallen, I have to still fight. I wonder how many times I would have to say those words to inspire myself.


    But, that¡¯s no longer enough for my current state.


    The way Reiji-tachi is retreating isn¡¯t normal, they took quite a far distance from my .


    ¡¸What is¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡¹


    And then, it was toote by the time I noticed so.


    I don¡¯t know since when but, Mizuoji Chiyuki fired a gigantic light ball that set aze toward me.


    I can feel an absurd amount of magical power from this magic ball.


    ¡¸This is thepression of several fire magic and explosion magic skills, OVERLIMIT FIERY EXPLOSION MAGIC!! ! NOW YOU¡¯LL PAY FOR YOUR SINS, DIEHART!! [TL: HE IS INNOCENT!] ! ! ¡¹


    Mizuouji Chiyuki is shouting that words.


    Crap. I can only see that magic in silence. It¡¯sing toward me.


    I couldn¡¯t dodge it with Glorious right behind me.


    I then start releasing every bit of magical power in my body. At least I¡¯ll do my best to protect Glorious. That is my resolution.


    The magic ball is colliding against my defensive barrier.


    And then, a gigantic storm of energy envelopes this area.


    === === ===


    ¡ô ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    ¡¸Did I do it ¡­¡¹


    It is the most destructive magic inside my arsenal. Yep, I want to believe that he has died by that attack.


    The problem is that I might ended up demolishing the cave of the Holy Dragon King, but I will bet on the defensive magic of Diehart.


    As long as we can end this fight with my magic alone, we don¡¯t need to destroy this cave.


    And then, as if proving my premonition, even though the power behind this magic should be enough to demolish this mountainpletely, the mountain isn¡¯t damaged in the least. It seems he took the brunt of that magic by himself. I might have to praise Diehart for his toughness.


    ¡¸In the end, this viin is done for good¡¹


    I¡¯mughing.


    ¡¸As expected, Chiyuki-san¡¹


    Nao is approaching me.


    ¡¸It¡¯s not my own power, it¡¯s everyone power¡¹

 Chapter 29.3 : Mortal Combat in the Holy Dragon Mountain

    <h4>Chapter 29.3 : Mortal Combat in the Holy Dragon Mountain</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    Since it takes quite some times to prepare for that magic, our opponent can easily kill me during that time.


    Reiji-tachi is the one who was filling those gaps, and I managed toplete that magic.


    ¡¸Thank you, Spirit-san¡¹


    Rino unsummoned her spirits after we confirmed our victory. The forms of Snow Queen and the Thunderbird be more transparent and eventually vanish.


    ¡¸Did we kill him ¡­ Should I finish him off with my own hands ¡­¡¹


    Shirone is saying so with a sad face.


    ¡¸It¡¯s the same for me, Shirone. At any rate, he should be heavily injured right now¡¹


    Reiji is saying so while looking at the entrance of the cave where Diehart was.


    We couldn¡¯t confirm his death with all that smoke from that explosion.


    The smoke is gradually receeding.


    ¡¸NO WAY!¡¹


    As the first one who noticed the situation, Nao is shouting loudly.


    Diehart still standing right there on that ce.


    ¡¸NO WAY!? THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!¡¹


    I¡¯m screaming. He shouldn¡¯t be able to survive from the collision with the magic into which I poured my entire magical power head on.


    ¡¸How can he survive that kind of explosion ¡­¡¹


    Even Sahoko is showing a face of disbelief.


    ¡¸No, this is the end. Look closely¡¹


    Kaya is saying so while pointing at Diehart.


    I take a close look at Diehart with magic. There are cracks on his armor and helmet. And then, it seems he was in pain to the point of using his sword as a cane.


    ¡¸Fuh! As expected, it seems he won¡¯t die just from that attack! But, this is the end!¡¹


    Reiji is pointing his sword at Diehart.


    ¡¸Wait, Reiji-kun!¡¹


    I¡¯m trying to stop him in panic.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Chiyuki¡¹


    Reiji is turning around with a dissatisfied face. That¡¯s natural since I stopped him when he tried to put up a front.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Chiyuki-san. Are you trying to save him?¡¹


    Rino is asking me.


    ¡¸She¡¯s right! He is dangerous, you know! We should finish him off right here! This is strange, why are you trying to save him!¡¹


    Shirone said so.


    ¡¸Save him? As if I would! There¡¯s something that I wanted to ask him¡¹


    ¡¸Something that you wanted to ask?¡¹


    I nodded in hearing her question.


    ¡¸You want to ask him too, right? It¡¯s about that masked man¡¹


    I have a debt I want to repay to that masked man. Thus, I want to know the information about him.


    ¡¸That¡¯s why, let¡¯s keep his life for a little while longer¡¹


    We won.


    ¡¸¡­ If you say so, I have no choice then¡¹


    Shirone and Rino agreed to my request.


    ¡¸In that case, maybe we should enquire several things that we want to know about. Even if we have to force him to spit it out¡¹


    Reiji isughing. It seems he¡¯s going to torture Diehart.


    ¡¸¡­ Do it moderately, you¡¯re in front of girls after all¡¹


    Though I¡¯m quite used to it aftering to this world, I¡¯m still hesitant to use torture, even toward demons.


    Nevertheless, it¡¯s apletely different case if he¡¯s not going to be obedient.


    I went toward Diehart with smile on my face.


    === === ===


    ¡ô Dark Knight, Kuroki


    Reiji is yelling something.


    Though my consciousness is hazy, I heard him.


    It¡¯s as he says. There¡¯s no goddess who wille to save me.


    This is the difference between Reiji and me. An absolutely unsurpassable wall for me.


    I¡¯m alone facing against seven of them. To be honest, that¡¯s quite unfair.


    I couldn¡¯t help but think about such things after going this far.


    The magic from before was too much. It¡¯s already a miracle that I¡¯m still alive after receiving such magic head on.


    I¡¯m cing my hand on my chest. I can feel the breath of fire dragon inside myself.


    ¡¸You saved my life ¡­ Thank you ¡­ But then ¡­ I guess I¡¯m done for¡¹


    I muttered disappointedly.


    I could withstand the me explosion thanks to the fire resistance I got from the soul of the fire dragon. This is the reason why I survived that attack.


    But, I couldn¡¯t withstand the shockwave from that explosion. Thanks to that, my armor is tattered right now. I¡¯m barely standing on my feet.


    I see them approaching me. All of them are smiling delightfully.


    They might be delighted being able to defeat me.


    I know that I¡¯ll be in a deep quandary if things keep going on like this, but my body couldn¡¯t move.


    Why am I still okay after all of those attacks? They might spare my life as long as I reveal my identity and apologize properly to them.


    But, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do such things. Though my life is already in jeopardy, I wonder why I am such a blockhead.


    Because I know from the sign behind me that Glorious is ready to pounce at me at anytime.


    ¡¸Stop it, Glorious ¡­ Keep yourself hidden in there¡¹


    They shouldn¡¯t be able to find Glorious in its hiding ce. That should at least save the life of Glorious.


    They are ¡­


    My body is staggering, and I shook my head to keep my consciousness.


    ¡¸Ah ¡­¡¹


    By the time I noticed, it was toote.


    It might be because I shook my head. My heavily damaged helmet fell to the ground.


    === === ===


    ¡ô ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    Diehart¡¯s helmet falls on the ground at the same time as his body staggered.


    At that moment, Diehart¡¯s face is exposed to us.


    ¡¸Eh ¡­ A human¡¹


    I¡¯m surprised. I¡¯m sure that it was the face of a demon behind that helmet.


    His face is not that of a demon nor a monster; it was the face of a normal human. His slender features and that ck hair. His slightly flushed red face.


    ¡¸A¨D¨DAAAH! ! ! ¡¹


    Rino suddenly screaming while pointing at Diehart.


    ¡¸What¡¯s matter!? Rino-chan!¡¹


    I look at Rino.


    ¡¸AH! I¡¯ve seen him before, you know!¡¹


    Rino has met Diehart before.


    ¡¸Ku, roki¡­?¡¹


    Shirone is muttering in a low voice.


    Upon hearing those words, everyone is looking at Shirone.


    ¡¸W-WHY ARE YOU HERE, KUROKI¨D¨D!¡¹


    Shirone scream reverberates throughout the surroundings.


    ¡¸AH! ! THAT¡¯S RIGHT, HE¡¯S SHIRONE-SAN CHILDHOOD FRIEND! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸E¨D¨DEEEEH! ! ¡¹¡¹


    Nao and I are screaming in response to Rino¡¯s words.


    Come to think of it, Rino did say that she had seen Shirone¡¯s childhood friend before. And to think that the he was Diehart.


    That person might be him, right?


    Why Shirone childhood friend is here?


    My head is in chaos.


    ¡¸Why¡¯s Shirone¡¯s childhood friend here? ¡¹


    Reiji is asking that question. I want to know that, too.


    After that, I look at the childhood friend.


    Indeed, that¡¯s the face of someone who is one step away from his grave.


    ¡¸Ah, he is falling!¡¹


    Rino is shouting.


    His body is swaying, and then falling backward.


    ¡¸AH, KUROKI!¡¹


    Shirone is about to rush toward him.


    But, a gigantic shadowes out from the cave even faster than her.


    ¡¸EH, A DRAGON!¡¹


    The one that came out was a jet-ck dragon.


    After that dragon picked him from the ground and ced him on its back, it flew away at a tremendous pace.


    We couldn¡¯t move due to such an absurd development.


    ¡¸Eh, what ¡­ WHAT JUST HAPPE¨D¨D¨D¨DNED!¡¹


    Shirone continues to scream. It seems she was at a loss about what just happened.


    The dragon that took him had already became a dot in the sky.


    I couldn¡¯t do anything but to watch that dragon flying away with dumbfounded face.


    === === ==


    ¡ô Dark Knight, Kuroki


    I¡¯m flying on Glorious back.


    ¡¸You saved me there, Glorious¡¹


    It seems Glorious jumped on reflex upon seeing me fallen.


    As a result, Glorious saved my live.


    I have no Goddess of Victory, but I have a dragon who saved my life. That¡¯s why, even if I lost, I survived.


    For some reason, Reiji-tachi isn¡¯t chasing after me. I don¡¯t know what their reason.


    I ced my hand on my face. My helmet is no more. It¡¯s my bare face.


    ¡¸My identity is exposed huh ¡­¡¹


    I¡¯m no longer Diehart, just an extremely despicable person called Kuroki. At any rate, I was the one who cut down the one they love, after all. There¡¯s no turning back for me.


    ¡¸As I thought, I really can¡¯t win, huh ¡­¡¹


    If such a sense of rivalry is useless, I wonder for what reason I am fighting.


    ¡¸I really am an idiot, aren¡¯t I¡­¡¹


    I snickered on my own foolishness.


    Then, I touch the horn of holy dragon king on Glorious¡¯ back.


    ¡¸I wonder if a goddess wille to me with this ¡­¡¹


    I might be able to defeat them the next time we meet.


    My consciousness is getting fainter by moment. As expected, I¡¯m worn out.


    ¡¸Sorry, Glorious ¡­ I¡¯m going to sleep for a while¡¹


    My consciousness is fading away on Glorious back.


    Glorious is flying under a vast, blue sky. Flying above the clouds, the sun is shining upon us.


    Thus, I fell asleep on Glorious¡¯ back.

 Chapter 30 : The Creation of A New Goddess

    <h4>Chapter 30 : The Creation of A New Goddess</h4>


    .. ¡­ ¡­


    ¡ô Demon King Modes


    ¡¸To think that Death God Zarxis is still alive ¡­¡¹


    I heard about Zarxis after Lord Diehart returned to Nargol.


    Zarxis was the subordinate of my dear mother, Nargol.


    My mother tried to destroy this world and is dubbed with the name of ¡®Demon King of Destruction¡¯ or ¡®God of Destruction¡¯.


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to destroy this world, so I betrayed her along with my subordinates, and working alongside with Oudith, the opposition leader.


    Mother was defeated in thisnd by my own hands and Oudith¡¯s. Ever since then, thisnd is cursed by eternal night, and thus this cursednd came to be called by the name Nargol.


    Moreover, Zarxis was supposed to have died by my own hands. I never thought that he had actually survived.


    ¡¸What the hell is he trying to do ¡­¡¹


    Zarxis was the loyal subordinate of my mother. He might be trying to bring a cmity upon this world.


    ¡¸But then, Your Highness, the power of Zarxis is immaterial before yours. He¡¯s not worthy of your attention¡¹


    I nodded in response to those words from Ruugas.


    Zarxis usually created his own domain and snatched away the power of the people who walked into that domain.


    It¡¯s the same even for gods since many gods have be the prey of Zarxis.


    The only exception of that power are the people who have the power of my mother, Nargol, or someone recognized by Zarxis. That power won¡¯t work against my mother. Thus, it also didn¡¯t work on me who has the same power as my mother.


    Even though there¡¯s a slight remnant of my mother that survived, it isn¡¯t a threat to me.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, Zarxis¡¯ power also didn¡¯t work on Lord Diehart, what does that mean?¡¹


    Ruugas¡¯ question made me curious about the same thing. It seems Lord Diehart can move just fine within Zarxis¡¯ domain.


    I can think of several reasons. For example, the demon sword in Lord Diehart possession is something made by my mother. Maybe that demon sword protected him. But, that¡¯s nothing more than a guess.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know. What is he doing right now?¡¹


    He was on the verge of dying when he arrived at the Demon Lord castle. I¡¯m told that he seems to have been ambushed by the hero party after trimming the horn.


    I don¡¯t know why the hero party was there, though. It turned into a fierce fight after he encountered the hero party, and then he lost. As expected, the full hero party is too much for Lord Diehart to handle all by himself.


    That was a problem. I need to think about some kind of measures. If he is defeated, we losepletely.


    Maybe Lord Diehart needs arade by his side. But, the one who possesses power rivaling that of hero¡¯srades in Nargol is just Lord Runfeld. But, I feel uneasy if it¡¯s just Lord Runfeld. Maybe I need to strengthen the entire troops of Nargol.


    ¡¸Currently, Lord Diehart is preparing for the goddess creation ceremony¡¹


    ¡¸Humph!¡¹


    It¡¯s only one day since he returned, is his body capable of moving around already?


    ¡¸Yes. He says that he wants to perform the ceremony right away¡­¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡¹


    I have nothing to say if the person himself says so. At least the number of persons who can match the women of the hero would increase by one with this.


    Thinking about the rarity of the material, the user of that secret ceremonial arts won¡¯t be sessful as long as he doesn¡¯t possess high enough magical power. But, it¡¯ll be okay if it¡¯s Lord Diehart.


    ¡¸At least we can feel at ease for now¡¹


    I muttered to myself.


    === === ===


    ¡ô ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    ¡¸Hey, Chiyuki-san. What should I do?¡¹


    Shirone is pacing around restlessly inside the room.


    ¡¸Calm down, Shirone-san. Walking around restlessly like that won¡¯t solve our problem¡¹


    Shirone became restless like this after we returned to our room in the Rox Kingdom. Please stop pacing back and forth restlessly in my room. I have a hard time calming myself.


    ¡¸But then, why is Kuroki in this world, too ¡­ Geez, this is too confusing¡¹


    Shirone is at her wits end.


    I¡¯m also in simr situation. To be honest, I don¡¯t know why is this happening.


    I¡¯m racking my own brains here, you know. The identity of Diehart was that of Shirone¡¯s childhood friend.


    We almost killed him in that fight.


    At that time, save for Reiji, the rest of us were in a chaotic state.


    Shirone, who should be able to overtake that dragon, couldn¡¯t move due to the chaotic situation and desperately stopped Reiji who was about to use his Light Cannon of Heavenly Might.


    I even think why did we have to mercilessly attack the childhood friend of Shirone.


    Reiji said that it¡¯s just a shapeshifter who took the form of Shirone¡¯s childhood friend.


    But, since Rino, who possessed the mystic eyes of truth which can rip apart any kind of illusion, affirmed that he really was the childhood friend of Shirone, he must be the real one.


    In the first ce, how did our enemies gain the information about the appearance of the childhood friend of Shirone.


    Beside, speaking of disguise, they should just turn him into a beauty instead. Since it definitely would stop Reiji.


    That¡¯s why I concluded that he is the real childhood friend of Shirone.


    I think the possibility of him being a shapeshifting demon was really low. Or rather, Reiji is more suspicious whether he is a fake or a real one. Could it be that he wasn¡¯t attacking us since he was the real one? I can¡¯t help but think so since the real person himself might be ying dumb.


    And then, if he¡¯s really the real childhood friend of Shirone, why is he in this world?


    ¡¸There¡¯s someone who should have performed the summon in demon king¡¯s side¡­¡¹


    I muttered my hypothesis.


    That¡¯s the only conclusion.


    ¡¸And that guy is the one who summoned Kuroki¡¹


    I nodded upon hearing Shirone¡¯s words.


    ¡¸And then, naturally they did some kind of mind control on him after summoning him, right?¡¹


    Thus, I can understand the reason for him to willingly be the dark knight.


    ¡¸That ¡­¡¹


    Shirone¡¯s face paled.


    I¡¯m surprised at her expression. From her story, I got the feeling that he¡¯s not someone special to her, just her acquaintance who she knows ever since their childhood. But, her attitude when she knew Diehart¡¯s identity is abnormal.


    She should be calmer than this.


    ¡¸Get a grip already, Shirone-san. There¡¯s nothing we can do even if you fuss over that matter in this kind of ce. You should calm yourself and think about a way to get him back¡¹


    I says so while tapping Shirone¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡¸Yeah ¡­¡¹


    Though Shirone is nodding to my words, I know that she¡¯s yet to calm herself.


    This is something that we have to think about after this.


    He is a hostage in a certain meaning. Now, we cannot afford to recklessly attack Nargol.


    Moreover, the nature of the man can¡¯t be applied to Reiji. If we invade Nargol, it might turn into battle to death against him who¡¯s protecting Nargol. We can¡¯t do that, too.


    There¡¯s still another problem. And that was when he came to attack us. At that time, I have no idea of what we should do.


    The childhood friend of Shirone was extremely powerful. Far more powerful than Reiji. He isn¡¯t the kind of opponent against whom we can go easy.


    My former impression of him ording Shirone story is just an extremely weak guy. But, he is ,in fact, anything but weak.


    A monster in certain meaning who can take on all of us together. I think that he might be strengthened with some kind of magic. The matter of regaining him back might prove to be far more difficult.


    I should consider some sort of measures.


    Nevertheless, I wonder how many people were summoned to this world aside from us.


    I¡¯m thinking about the event in that basement. We might be able to settle this if we have that man¡¯s cooperation. But then, that man always hid his face and never showed it. Is there some sort of reason for him to do so?


    Some kind of secret that¡¯s unknown to us. That¡¯s also unknown to me.


    ¡¸It seems there¡¯s so many things I need to think about ¡­¡¹


    Since I don¡¯t know, and I¡¯m toozy to think about the things that even Shirone don¡¯t know about.


    And Shirone has yet to cool her head.


    I heaved a sigh upon watching her.


    === === ===


    ¡ôGoddess of Wisdom and Victory, Rena


    ¡¸Rena-sama. The horn was sessfully stolen by the dark knight¡¹


    Nier reported to me.


    ¡¸So the horn was still stolen, huh ¡­¡¹


    I¡¯m heaving a sigh.


    I, who was shocked by what happened in that night, returned to my own house in Elios.


    Since I can¡¯t negate the effect of that magic potion from the outside, I have no other way but to negate the effect from the inside.


    Thanks to my tremendous magic resistance, I can negate the effect in just one night.


    That¡¯s why I don¡¯t really want to think about Kuroki again. I never want to think about something like sleeping together with him, or have a meal together, or even think about strolling around with him, while he¡¯s wearing a cor on his neck in all these instances. I definitely do not want to think about such things. No, and by that I mean, absolutely NOT.


    But, it¡¯s true that I want him. At that time, let¡¯s give him a cor with a beautiful gem. It would definitely be a perfect match with him.


    But, the matter of him taking the horn was a failure on my side.


    Because I headed back to Elios, those girls who felt that there¡¯s something strange with my action followed me all the way back to Elios, too. As a result, the horn was taken away.


    He¡¯s going to use that horn to make a fake goddess with my hair.


    I can¡¯t let him to do that. Why do you want to make a fake goddess, Kuroki? Even though you have the real one here!


    ¡¸YOU HAVE NO NEED FOR A FAKE GOODIE, JUST TAKE ME AWAY WITH YOU!¡¹


    I unintentionally shouted out what I thought.


    Nier is showing a puzzled face.


    ¡¸Uhm ¡­ Rena-sama ¡­¡¹


    ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing. Thanks for the report. You may go back to your duty, Nier¡¹


    Nier leaves my room in heed of my order.


    Leaving me alone in this room.


    I can¡¯t calm myself. My heart is in turmoil. This side of mine is something that I never show to my subordinates, the war maidens.


    And I know the cause for all of this. I recall the origin of all of this.


    ¡¸As if I¡¯m going to let things end in this way. Prepare yourself, KUROKI!¡¹


    I made such a deration while looking toward Nargol¡¯s direction.


    ¡ôDark Knight, Kuroki


    A girl is standing before me.


    A girl with silvery white hair.


    She is the new goddess that I created right after I returned with the horn of the holy dragon king, thest ingredient.


    With thebination of the hair of the beautiful Rena and the horn of the Holy Dragon King as ingredients, she was born as an extremely beautiful girl.


    She is shorter than Mona or Rena in terms of height, but her breast size is around the same.


    ¡¸YEAH!¡¹


    I unintentionally made a guts pose. Thereupon, my wounded body starts screaming in pain.


    ¡¸Ouch ¡­¡¹


    I should restrain myself from making excessive movements. Though my wounds have recovered to some extent with healing magic, I can¡¯t overexert my body yet.


    Nevertheless, I wanted to perform the secret ceremony as soon as possible.


    I recall the scenery on that mountain.


    They seem to be really enjoying themselves.


    Reiji, who is surrounded by Shirone and the others, seems to be really happy. That was such a dazzling scene.


    I, who couldn¡¯t move any longer due to the wounds that covered my body, couldn¡¯t do anything but look at that spectacle.


    The spectacle of Reiji and those goddess. I was jealous of them.


    Really, really jealous of them. I¡¯m fine with just one goddess. But, the goddess that I wanted was none of them.


    The goddess that I actually want is the one in front of me right now.


    This small goddess is looking at me with a curious expression.


    ¡¸Since you were born from my magical power and Rena¡¯s hair, your name is Kuna¡¹ [TL : Kuroki + Rena = Kuna]


    I slowly brush Kuna¡¯s hair.


    ¡¸Kuna?¡¹


    Kuna is tilting her head.


    ¡¸It¡¯s your name, Kuna. My name is Kuroki. Please take care of me after this, Kuna¡¹


    Kuna is staring at me.


    ¡¸Kuroki¡¹


    Kuna calls my name with her cute voice.


    All the thorns that were binding my heart disappeared when I heard her voice. With her by my side, I won¡¯t fear anything.


    I stared at Kuna.


    Her beautiful pupils are staring back at me.

 Chapter 31.1 : Capital of Dwarf

    <h4>Chapter 31.1 : Capital of Dwarf</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    ¡ôDark Knight, Kuroki


    Elios, the abode of the gods. Elios is a kingdom in the sky that floats above the clouds on top of the Elios mountain, the highest mountain in this world.


    There are three methods to enter Elios. The first method is to enter via the sky. The second method is by climbing the mountain. Thest method is to enter from the underground.


    Each one of those routes are insanely difficult to enter.


    The first method is naturally by flying in the sky, and yet anyone who would be entering from the sky without permit of the chivalric order of holy knight serving under god Oudith will be killed on sight just by approaching the mountain.


    The second method, though Elios mountain is too steep to be climbed, there¡¯s elven kingdom in the sea of forest at the base of Elios mountain. One must have the permit of the elven race to enter this forest.


    The underground tunnel of the third method is under the protection of the dwarf, no one can enter without those dwarven permission.


    The route I¡¯m taking right now is the third route, the underground tunnel.


    After a short distortion of the scenery, the scenery of the current room is changed from the previous room. The magic square below my feet is still letting out a pale light.


    ¡¸Where are we, Dario-dono? ¡¹


    ¡¸Here is the small shrine at the end of sea of tree, Diehart-dono. The ce we¡¯re going to is below the ground via underground tunnel¡¹


    The one who was replying to my question is a big man whose height reached my shoulder but, his body width is twice as mine.


    Dwarf. That is his race.


    The dwarf is a natural born ck smith and has longer lifespan than human. Dwarven made the best tools in this world.


    Many of the dwarves have long since freely going in and out Nargol due to the long rtionship between their god, Heibos and the demon king Modes. Though the one who profit the most might be the dwarf since thend of Nargol is rich with mineral resource.


    Dario who bes my guide to enter Elios right now is one of those dwarves who have free ess to Nargol.


    The reason I goes to Elios is to meet Heibos who is living at the lowestyer of Elios mountain. I want to ask him to make me a new armor to rece my previous armor that had been tattered in the battle against Reiji-tachi.


    ¡¸Shall we go then¡¹


    After saying so, Dario began to walk.


    It seems there¡¯s underground tunnel inside of the shrine which can be used to enter the Dwarven Kingdom.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go, Kuna¡¹


    I¡¯m looking at Kuna who keeps embracing my arms on my side.


    Kuna is nodding to me. Thereupon, I caught a glimpse of her pale face between her silver forelock from under the hood that hides her face.


    I¡¯m walking side by side with Kuna.


    Though it¡¯s a bit harder for me to walk with Kuna who is always embracing my arm, but I can definitely endure it.


    She¡¯s the beautiful girl that I¡¯m always wishing for after all. For that I won¡¯t mind even if it¡¯s a bit harder for me to walk.


    In the first ce, was there any beautiful girl such as Kuna fell for me up till now?


    Though it was obvious for her to love me since she is a goddess that was made solely for my sake, I won¡¯t care about such thing after looking at thepleted Kuna.


    Thinking about what happened until now, I¡¯m going to enjoy my time with her.


    ¡¸Are you crying¡­¡­¡­. Kuroki? ¡¹


    Kuna is asking that question while peering from below her hood. Her gesture is just soo cute.


    ¡¸No¡­¡­¡­. This is just sweats from my eyes. Let¡¯s go, Kuna¡¹


    After leaving the underground tunnel, the ce we¡¯re arriving at have small vessel-like thing with strange shape.


    ¡¸From here on we¡¯re going to board this vessel, Diehart-dono¡¹


    ¡¸Boarding this vessel? Dario-dono¡¹


    It¡¯s not like there¡¯s water body around us. It¡¯s just a vessel ced on top of a road.


    ¡¸Fufufufufufu, well you¡¯ll know when we¡¯re boarding the vessel¡¹


    Dario can¡¯t hold to his grin.


    Me and Kuna then boarded the vessel with Dario on the lead.


    After all of us boarding on the vessel, it is suddenly rising from the ground.


    ¡¸OOh! ! ¡¹


    I unintentionally letting out astonished voice.


    After rising from the ground, the vessel is moving forward by itself.


    ¡¸How¡¯s that, even the dark knight is surprised by this right¡¹


    Dario was saying so whileughing happily.


    ¡¸Yes. I¡¯m surprised¡¹


    I told him my honest impression.


    I really am astonished by the level of technology in this world. It¡¯s more developed than my original world in certain meaning.


    The vessel is advancing at quite fast pace.


    Now we¡¯re already in the underground tunnel of the Holy Land. Holynd is a ce where no one but dwarf race, elven race, and angel race who is approved by the gods of Elios can enter. Much less to say about me, a person of Nargol, the enemy of Elios. It¡¯ll be quite a situation if I were to be found out by any of those above race except for the dwarf race.


    The vessel keeps advancing. Due to its enormous size, the underground tunnel below the holynd is also quite long, I couldn¡¯t see our destination despite already advancing at quite fast speed with the vessel.


    Though it¡¯ll be faster if we¡¯re moving using transfer magic, it is unusable since there¡¯s a seal from above the defensive line that prevent transfer magic inside the entire Holy Land.


    After maybe around one hourter that I could finally see the way to exit.


    After the vessel stopping on its ce, we were descending from the vessel and now walking on the slightly small passage.


    At the end of that small passage, we arrived at a huge ce.


    Various light is shining upon us. Though the lighting of the passage is bright too, this kind of light is different from those.


    This townscape that was colored by various light such as yellow, green and red is making me forgetting the fact that this city is under the ground.


    The entire townscape is donned with beautiful ornaments, and those ornaments were the one who is responsible for creating this fantastic scenery by letting out various light.


    ¡¸Ooh! ! This is too¡­¡­..¡¹


    I shouted a voice of admiration since this is the first time I¡¯m seeing this kind of scenery.


    Dario is showing a proud look upon his face in seeing my amazement.


    ¡¸Wee, Dark Knight Diehart-dono. Here is the capital of Dwarf, Volundr¡¹


    === === ===


    ¡ôDark Knight, Kuroki


    Volundr, the capital of Dwarf which is located beneath the holy ground of Elios mountain is a city that was created by gathering the best of the magic and craftsmanship.


    In the city which was piled up from numerous floors, the things that connecting between the floors is below and above gem-like elevators to move between the floor despite nothing resembled a rope to hold it. This is something that not exist in the world of human. The dwarf is undoubtedly having far more advanced magecraft than the human world.


    On top of that, the ornamentals beautiful gem that scattered in the entire city is shining in prismatic color due to mage craft. And despite located under the round, it doesn¡¯t feel cramped due to perfectlyyed out city design.


    There¡¯s around twenty thousands of Dwarf living in the Volundr. Though the number of Dwarf is far cry from human, this city is deste from human. But, this city which be the territory of God of Craftmanship and God of Dwarf, Heibos is special existence amongst the dwarf race.


    We¡¯ve been passing by numerous dwarves along our way, I can only say that it¡¯s natural since we are in the capital of dwarf.


    But there¡¯s also none dwarven race that is passing by us once in a while. Looking carefully, others living being which couldn¡¯t be called as livestock is also living in this city. The body that look like pipe with t smooth face. They might be the golems that was made by the dwarf.


    Golem are the dolls that made by using things such as iron, wood and rock as materials. They¡¯re simr to the robot back in my original world.


    Those golems are the attendant of the dwarf, they¡¯re also the one who is going to clean and sweep the road.


    I heard some bit of trivia about the golem from Rugaas. The golems are of various kind of type frombat to household type.


    The golem that was sweeping right now might be of the sweeping type.


    Come to think of it, maybe that huge steel doll at the shrine was also a golem.


    Maybe the type of golem that repulsing the intruder who wasing in without permit. We might be in danger if we were noting along with Dario.


    ¡¸Do not be surprised yet, Diehart-dono¡¹


    Dario said so as he looked at me who was looking around restlessly since a while ago.


    ¡¸Yes, Dario-dono. In spite of being underground, I¡¯m truly surprised by the scale of the city that was made by the Dwarf¡¹


    Dario is delighted in hearing my honest impression.


    ¡¸Fufufufu. But, Diehart-dono. That¡¯s all the surprise for you. Prepare yourself since we¡¯re going to go to an even more amazing ce¡¹


    Dario is saying so as his expression turned serious.


    Then, I nodded at him.


    ¡¸Hide your face, Kuna¡¹


    I told Kuna who walked along with us while clinging to my arm without even saying anything.


    ¡¸Uhn¡¹


    After I say so, Kuna is putting on her hood to hide her face.


    We¡¯re getting on the elevator-like things and then arrived at the upper level. We must move carefully from this point ahead.


    This point ahead is the workshop of the dwarf, an extremely restricted area which was located in Volundr.


    And then, the workshop of god Heibos is on top of that after leaving the workshop area.


    We were entering the workshop area. It was apletely different with the ornamental area from before, apletely dreary yet practical area is spreading ahead of us.


    Many of the Dwarves inside those workshop is especially moody, we can¡¯t make a ruckus here.


    Though I think it¡¯s better to not bringing Kuna along since beautiful girl have the tendency of disliking to enter this dwarf workshop, in the end I¡¯m still bringing her along with me since Kuna doesn¡¯t want to leave my side and I feel anxious to leave Kuna alone in Nargol.


    If one were to ask what kind of anxiety it is, it would be her rtionship with Regena, the former princess of Algore.


    After I saved Regena and her rtives in Akeron mountain, she became a maid who took care of me in the demon king castle.


    And for some reason, Kuna seems to hate Regena. It seems those hatred are one-sided hatred of Kuna since Regena doesn¡¯t seem to hate Kuna, thus I feel anxious to leave Kuna alone in demon king castle while I¡¯m away from her. Thus I bring her along with me.


    We were leaving the workshop area in silence. Though I¡¯m curious about what those dwarf doing in their workshop, I restrained myself since they¡¯re the type that disliking someone who is trespassing their area.


    And then, we finally arrived at the workshop on top of the workshop area.


    There was a strange room here.


    This workshop is cramped due to various kind of gems, paper, and tools as it¡¯s a room that made anyone who was seeing it would be confused since the form of the room itself is confusing.


    It seems this is the workshop of God Heibos. If that was the case, it means that this area is the boundary between Volundr and Elios. ording to the story, god Heibos is living in the lowest ce of Elios which also happens to be the highest ce in Volundr.


    We are entering the workshop of God Heibos.


    And thening out to a slightly spacious ce. In there, a man was waiting for us. Though he gave the impression of a weak person with his crooked-like body and bushy beards, I can feel his sharp spirit from the glints that peeking out from his side profile and his brawny arms.


    ¡¸Heibos-sama. I brought the dark knight¡¹


    Dario is bowing to that man. Thus there¡¯s no mistaking it, this man is God Heibos.


    Heibos is looking toward us.


    The sharp glint in his eyes is locking on my figure. It seems God Heibos himself isn¡¯t gifted withbat prowess but, the glint in his eyes feel like an extremely veteran warrior to me.


    ¡¸It¡¯s nice to meet you, God Hei¡ª-¡¹


    ¡¸No need to greet me, Dark Knight Diehart¡¹


    He¡¯s interrupting my greeting.


    ¡¸You should hear about my request from Dario. Can you show me that sword? ¡¹


    Heibos is stretching his hand.


    I give him a short sword which I kept in my bosom pocket.


    The short sword length is generally shorter than long sword.


    This short sword is something that I made myself after Dario taught me about know-how to make sword.


    When the short sword is drawn from its sheath by God Heibos, its de is exposed to the light.


    ¡¸This one can understand few things after seeing this sword. One look and this one can understand better than hundreds words¡¹


    Heibos eyes are locking on to the sword. I made this sword with my own ck me while taking a lesson from Dario, and I finallypleted this one after numerous failures.


    On top of the scarce material that can withstand my dark me, I made heap of wrecked sword due to the difficulties in adjusting the degree of the power and the timing.


    Eventually when I finished the short sword, the sword de is cast a dark light which might happened due to its long exposure in the dark me, it was quite sharp too.


    Though I thought it was a nice sword, I lost all of my confidence when showing such crude sword to the God of Craftsmanship.


    ¡¸Fumu, I see¡­¡­¡­ You made a good sword. But please wait for a minute¡¹


    Heibos left us for a while after saying so. When he returned a whileter, he¡¯s holding a beautiful short sword which was different from the one I gave to him a while ago.


    ¡¸This is¡¹


    Heibos is giving the short sword to me.


    I¡¯m stretching my hand to receive that short sword.


    ¡¸Try to unsheathe the short sword¡¹


    When I¡¯m unsheating the short sword, exposing the dark sword de to air.


    ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡¹


    I¡¯m struck by a surprise.


    ¡¸Yeah, this is the sword that was made by you¡¹


    The short sword which he gave me was the short sword that I gave to him. The short sword that I gave to him a while ago didn¡¯t have any pattern or whatsoever, I was just focusing on how I can make it easy to use and easy to hold.


    But, God Heibos doesn¡¯t change the ease to use the short sword at all, he gave a bit yet splendid finishing touch on it. Thus I failed to notice it when he gave that sword back to me.


    I¡¯m admiring it in silence.


    ¡¸The thing that I can grasp is the fact that the sword doesn¡¯t have any ornament at all. So I added a bit of craftsmanship to it. Honestly speaking, I¡¯m not that inclined to do so either. You might be the type of person thatpletely ignoring fashion sense. You are always wearing dark cloth so that you won¡¯t stand out aren¡¯t you? ¡¹


    Heibos words is stabbing like an arrow into my heart.


    How do you know that. I¡¯m surprised that you know that fact.


    Shirone even told me ¡¸Say Kuroki, have you ever worn any clothes other than the one with grey or ck color?¡¹. Dark color makes you feel at ease you know¡­¡­¡­..


    ¡¸Bull¡¯s eye am I? ¡¹


    I can¡¯t even retort in hearing Heibos words.


    Well it¡¯s just way too obvious even without me making a groaning sound since it¡¯s the fact.


    And then, looking at the sword.


    ¡¸But, I can feel a good will residing inside this sword¡­¡­.¡¹


    Then, Heibos is looking at me.


    ¡¸You¡¯re a clumsy man in a certain meaning. You cannot do anything even if there¡¯s a woman that you love, furthermore you just keep resigning frompeting with another woman to win the love of the woman you love???


    His words once again pierced like an arrow into my heart.


    ¡¸Maybe it¡¯s not just limited to woman, you basically won¡¯tpete for anything and just keep resigning aren¡¯t you? In the end you¡¯re at lost for what you have to do and ended up doing something that you shouldn¡¯t do¡¹


    And then, Heibos is changing his line of sight.

 Chapter 31.2 : Capital of Dwarf

    <h4>Chapter 31.2 : Capital of Dwarf</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­. ¡­


    ¡¸Simr to Modes¡­¡­¡­.. Though Modes put up a good fight, he ended up retreating to Nargol. Thus due to his own desire, starting a dispute from which both party unable to fall back¡¹ [TL : referring to Rena¡¯s clone]


    And then Heibos is smiling lightly.


    ¡¸But then, this Heibos who is shutting himself in his own small studio and refusing to have any interaction with others doesn¡¯t have the right to say that¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡¹


    Heibos is muttering such words.


    ording to Nut, Heibos is always shutting himself inside this narrow workshop and never even goes out to the meeting of the gods. That¡¯s why it was only muchter on that he aware the fact about Modes banishment to Nargol.


    Heibos feels that he had some sort of responsibilities for that. That¡¯s why he is agreeing to help Modes.


    And now, looking at the short sword in my hand.


    ¡¸Our talk is straying a little huh. Though it¡¯scking any sort of decoration, it¡¯s a proper sword to be used as a sword. In term of usabilities, it¡¯s by no means inferior to any dwarf made sword¡¹


    Those words are basically the highest praise I can hope for.


    ¡¸Thank you very much¡¹


    I¡¯m bowing at Heibos as a gratitude for his praise.


    ¡¸Can you show me the sword that you received from Modes?¡¹


    I unsheated the demon sword strapped on my waist and then giving it to Heibos.


    Its name is Demon sword of Venous Blood due to the red blood pattern etched on its sword de.


    ¡¸It¡¯s a wonderful sword no matter how many times I see it. Even this Heibos can¡¯t make this kind of sword¡¹


    That was a surprising wordsing from him.


    ¡¸You¡¯re not the one who made this sword? ¡¹


    Heibos is shaking his head after hearing my question.


    ¡¸The one who made this sword is Nargol, the mother of Modes. Nargol who hailed as the god of destruction do have the power to make the weapon of destruction. To the degree that it¡¯s beyond this Heibos skill. In fact, as long as it is limited to weapon, Modes can make a weapon which is rivaling the weapon created by me. But the person himself aren¡¯t too eager to make any weapon. And then, I think you might be able to do the same thing¡¹


    Heibos is saying so whileparing the short swort made by me and the demon sword.


    The power to make a sword.


    In short, the power of swordsmith might be included to the power that I got after summoned to this world. But the world of sword is too profound to the point that there¡¯s a saying ¡°One whole life for polishing¡±.


    Though I did in fact received a bit of lesson from a swordsmith of my master acquaintance, I knew that it isn¡¯t something that can be understood just by such brief lesson.


    And that might be the reason why I could make an article that won¡¯t lose to dwarf to the point of precise movement aftering to this world. That¡¯s why I might not be able to make a sword at the same level of the one that I showed to Heibos if I was in my old world.


    ¡¸Well, though your appearance is far apart, you¡¯re simr to Modes in this regard. You may give this sword to someone. You might dislike this sword of yours since I make it a bit too gaudy¡¹


    So he said that while returning the short sword.


    To whom should I give this sword I wonder.


    Though on my side, Kuna¡¯s making an expression of wanting this short sword, I want to give Kuna something that even better than my hand made sword.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll give you an even better one someday, Kuna¡¹


    Saying so, I kept the sword back to my pocket and then patting Kuna head.


    Though she looked dissatisfied by my decision, she recovered in the next moment when I pat her head.


    ¡¸As for the armor, you can find it over there. Follow me¡¹


    After saying so, Heibos is leaving the room and guiding us to another room.


    The room in which he guided us was filled with armor and helmet. Though I see the same ck colored armor with the one I used before, the magical power loaded in it is far more stronger than the previous one.


    ¡¸Different from your previous armor, I made this one to fit your stature. Though I made it with those scrap of dark knight armor which you wore before, Try to wear it since I¡¯m not very sure myself whether it will fit your stature¡¹


    When I tried to wear the armor ording to heibos words, it fit perfectly on my body. Despite looking solid and heavy the armor is by no mean hindering my movement.


    ¡¸Amazing. ¡­¡­¡­¡­ I can move at ease despite wearing such big armor¡¹


    No one can make this level of armor even back in my original world.


    ¡¸And this one is for thisss¡¹


    Heibos is taking out something that look like a long pole. It was a huge scythe.


    ¡¸This is¡­¡­¡­¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸Yup, I¡¯m told by Modes. He asked me to make this one since it seems thisss preferred this kind of weapon. So I made one for her¡¹


    After saying so, Heibos gave the scythe to Kuna.


    When Kuna is holding that scythe, it¡¯s not too short nor too long for her height. It¡¯s a perfect match for her.


    Though I¡¯m reluctant to involve Kuna in battle, I of all people know very well the pain of having no power.


    Though I don¡¯t want to involve her in a battle, there¡¯s always ¡°If¡± in any kind of situation.


    ¡¸Thank you very much, God Heibos¡¹


    I bowed at him while expressing my gratitude.


    ¡¸There might be something that you¡¯re not willing to give in no matter what, thus I pray for you to be able to protect that¡¹


    After saying so, Heibos turned his back.


    It seems there¡¯s nothing more to say to us.


    After bowing again toward his retreating back, we¡¯re returned to Nargol.


    === === ===


    ¡ôSilver Witch, Kuna


    We¡¯re back to the demon king castle with metastasis magic.


    I¡¯m looking at the scythe which I got from that old man called Heibos a while ago.


    Now Kuna can fight alongside Kuroki with this scythe. With this Kuna can be Kuroki¡¯s power.


    When I¡¯m trying to swing the scythe, it fit perfectly in Kuna hand. Even so it¡¯s useless if I¡¯m not training in using this like Kuroki.


    Kuroki is swinging his sword every morning.


    I¡¯m told that it¡¯s something you call as ¡°Training¡±. Mine is not a sword, so it might be better if Kuna also swing her scythe everyday. Since Kuna can train along with Kuroki in doing so.


    ¡¸Eh, Kuna-sama¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ W-wee back ¡¹


    I met a woman when I¡¯m walking on the corridor. This woman is bowing when she sees Kuna.


    Her name is Regena.


    This woman smells fishy. She is always trying to get closer to Kuroki.


    I¡¯m Kuroki¡¯s. That¡¯s why one might call that Kuroki is mine too.


    Kuroki is so kind to this woman even though he¡¯s supposed to be exclusive to me. That¡¯s something I absolutely can¡¯t ept.


    I want to attach a cor to Kuroki and made him exclusive to me only. But, Kuroki might hate me if I do that.


    In that case, I have no choice but to do something about this woman aren¡¯t I. How about I kill her? But, Kuroki might be sad if I do that.


    Thus, I have to think about another method.


    ¡¸Regena¡¹


    ¡¸Y-YES! ! WHAT¡¯S MATTER KUNA-SAMA! ! ¡¹


    Regena is showing a frightened expression when I called her name. I¡¯m not going to kill you yet anyway. But it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to tell her that.


    I just suddenly noticed the thing on Regena hand.


    ¡¸What is that? ¡¹


    So I¡¯m asking while pointing at the thing in her hand.


    ¡¸I¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. It¡¯sundry desu! ! ¡¹


    Her voice seems to be higher, did she just got scared when I asked her.


    ¡¸Of whom? ¡¹


    ¡¸¡­¡­¡­ Master¡¹


    Her voice became way smaller now.


    The only one Regena called as ¡°Master¡± is Kuroki. It feel like a zing dark me arose inside of me whenever I heard her calling him that way.


    ¡¸Are you going to wash that? ¡¹


    Regena nodded at my word.


    ¡¸A princess never did that, aren¡¯t they? ¡¹


    Regena should be a princess of human kingdom called Algore.


    In the story that I know, a princess shouldn¡¯t do something likeundry.


    Kuroki has been reading various book for the sake of learning the letter of this world.


    He read various tales about human amongst the book he read, and then he¡¯ll tell Kuna the story inside those books before we were going to sleep.


    Sleeping while hearing Kuroki gentle voice is a moment of bliss for Kuna.


    And then, the story of princess was included amongst them.


    The princess in those stories doesn¡¯t do this kind of things. I mean it¡¯s always the duty of their attendant. That¡¯s why I¡¯m surprised that Regena could do such thing.


    ¡¸N-No, I just want to express my gratitude to my master¡­¡­¡­ Thus¡­¡­¡­¡­.. I¡¯m learning to doundry from my wet nurse¡¹


    Regena is replying with flustering voice.


    Certainly, Regena was picked along with her attendants. Thus she might learn to doundry from them.


    ¡¸I see¡­¡­.¡¹


    And then, I see theundry in Regena hand. I saw Kuroki underwear amongst them.


    That was the underwear that was used by Kuroki yesterday. There¡¯s no doubt about it since I¡¯ve confirmed it so many times.


    ¡¸¡­¡­. Did you suck it? ¡¹


    So I¡¯m asking Regena.


    ¡¸¡­¡­¡­.. EH? ¡¹


    After I asked that question, Regena¡¯s lowering her line of sight to theundry. Naturally, Kuroki underwear is there.


    ¡¸I¡¯M NOT DOING S-S-S-S-S-SUCH THING! ! ! SOMETHING LIKE S-S-S-S-SUCKING IS¡­¡­¡­!!!! ! ! ¡¹


    Maybe because she couldn¡¯t understand what I mean at first, Regena reply is slightly dyed.


    ¡¸Putting it on your head¡­¡­¡­ How about licking it¡­¡­¡­..¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯M NOT ! ! I¡¯M NOT DOING THAT! ! ! ¡¹


    Regena is shaking her head in denial.


    ¡¸WHAT WITH THIS SUCKING! ! ! AND LICKING! ! ! I¡¯M NOT DOING THAT! ! ! I just sniffing it a bit! !¡¹


    Though Regena frantically denying it, there was a remark that I can¡¯t let to pass.


    ¡¸You sniffed it? ¡¹


    ¡¸Ah ¡­¡­.. ¡¹


    A silence is dominating this ce.


    This is bad¡­¡­¡­.. If I don¡¯t do anything soon¡­¡­..


    ¡¸ReGEnA¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Y-YESH! ! ! ¡¹


    I¡¯m bringing my face closer to Regena.


    ¡¸Teach Kuna how to washundry¡¹


    Since I can¡¯t kill her. Kuna have no choice but to protect Kuroki underwear by learning how to wash theundry.


    ¡¸Eh? To you, Kuna-sama? ¡¹


    Regena is showing a surprised face. I don¡¯t know the reason.


    ¡¸And not just washing theundry, you¡¯ll teach Kuna everything Kuna need to look after Kuroki. I want to be able to do everything to help Kuroki¡¹


    ¡¸B-But, for the daughter of your majesty demon king to do such things is¡­¡­¡­.¡¹


    Regena is saying so as if feeling apologetic for it.


    Unaware to Kuna, it seems Kuna is regarded as the daughter of the demon king. It might be because Kuna resembling Mona.


    They¡¯re wrong but, it¡¯s not like Kuna need to deny that.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay¡­¡­¡­.. Just teach me¡¹


    As long as Kuna can reach the point of being able to do anything, there¡¯s no need for maid of Kuroki, Regena.


    At that time, I can send Regena to somewhere else.


    Maybe I need to think about where should I send her too. The kind Kuroki might prepare some ce if Regena has nowhere to go.


    The name of one cee to my mind.


    Algore kingdom.


    Regena was the princess of that ce. Now then, what should I do to send this princess back to her kingdom?


    It should be a better choice for Regena since Kuroki also won¡¯t disagree to returning the princess.


    Thus, I came with a really good n.

 Chapter 32.1 : Saria Academy

    <h4>Chapter 32.1 : Saria Academy</h4>


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    ¡ô ck-haired Sage, Chiyuki


    While flying above Kisonia Great Prairie, I could see people running across the prairie below me.


    The ones running across of the prairie possess the upper body of a human and lower body of a horse ¨C centaurs.


    Those centaurs are looking at us in panic.


    The cause might be me. I¡¯m currently riding on a griffon, after all. They might be afraid of the griffon.


    There are many races inhabiting this Kisonia Great Prairie. The representatives of them are the centaur race below us and the satyr race who have the lower body of a goat and upper body of a human.


    Though I felt excited at first when I saw those races which only came out in a myth, that fantasy of mine was smashed by the current cruel reality.


    Centaur race is a lustful race who rush at us upon seeing us, save for one part of them. Though we can drive them away, it seems their race isposed of nothing but men, and thus will assault female human for the sake of perpetuation of their race.


    Though that was one of the reasons that smashed my fantasy, when I think about it again, they also have that kind of personality in the myth about them.


    Though I was deeply moved when I saw the dragon from the myth, those dragons are fiendish existences for human of this world. That characteristic also doesn¡¯t change from the myths in my original world.


    It¡¯s the difference between hearing the story and seeing the reality. Though we can justugh it off due to our power, in fact, this world is a cruel world for humans to live in. I must never forget about that fact.


    And properly speaking, the griffon itself is a huge demon beast after all.


    ¡¸Even so, they¡¯re cute, aren¡¯t they¡­¡¹


    I slowly brush the griffon.


    The griffon is a demonic beast that is aposition of the body of a lion, a pair of wings, and the head of an eagle. They¡¯re usually living in the middle of mountain range, and their field of activity covers arge area from the westside of Minon ins all the way to the west of Kisonia prairie.


    In a mountain range without any dragon inhabiting it, the griffons be the strongest existences. And these strongest demonic beasts of the Kisonia prairie is obediently letting us ride on their backs.


    By making the full use of the powers of Nao and Rino, we sessfully made four hippogriff-like creatures and griffons as our mount. We can also summon them at any time by making full use of a dwarven summoning tool.


    With mediation from Rena regarding the matter of flying in the sky, we were treated as exceptions regarding the ban of flying in the skies of territories of Elios. For this reason, this griffon also can fly away from their original habitat.


    Our field of activity also expanded even further due to the presence of the griffon.


    Currently, we are riding on the back of a griffon toward a certain ce.


    After riding a while on the griffon, I can see a tall and steep mountain ahead.


    This mountain is the one that splits the continent into eastern and western parts.


    When we fly near the middle of the mountain range, I could see numerous harpies flying around.


    Harpy is a race that has the upper body of a female human, pair of eagle wings as arms, and the lower body of an eagle. And they¡¯re not too friendly toward humans.


    But they¡¯re noting to attack us since we¡¯re riding on a griffon which is stronger than them, or should I rather say that they¡¯re running away from us, instead.


    Different from the centaur race, harpies areposed of nothing but females. They¡¯ll attack male humans for the sake of sustenance of their race.


    By the way, in case of cross breeding, the child will be of the mother¡¯s race if it¡¯s a female and will be the father¡¯s race if they¡¯re male.


    Though it might be a good idea to pair centaurs with harpies, unfortunately both races prefer human race. However, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m making the chart of their most preferred race, it seems most of them simply prefer humans.


    Though I felt it was strange, I couldn¡¯t help but ept such facts.


    While I am pondering about such things, we pass through the middle of the mountain range. From here on lies the westside of the continent. And then, after leaving Minon in, there¡¯s Saria Academy, our destination that is located a little ahead of Ariad inlet.


    The reason we¡¯re going toward Saria Academy was to investigate a certain matter.


    The identity of Dark Knight Diehart was the childhood friend of Shirone. He might have been summoned by the demon king.


    But, there¡¯s something that we couldn¡¯t understand. Why was he cooperating with someone like the demon king?


    While it was true that he was summoned by the demon king, it¡¯s not like he needed to abide by the demon king¡¯s orders.


    ording to Shirone, there¡¯s no way he would cooperate with the demon king due to his kind personality. [TL: ¡­.]


    In that case, he is probably being manipted with some kind of skill or magic.


    The Saria Academy, to which we¡¯re heading right now, is the gathering ce of the schrs in this entire world; it¡¯s a university-like ce where one could learn and research about magic.


    There are records of various magic in Saria Academy. They might have information rted to the means of controlling people. That¡¯s why I am heading to the academy by myself.


    The reason why I came alone was because no one but me could do this kind of investigation. The other member weren¡¯t suited for this kind of boring and in job. Though Kaya would be able to help me in this case, she stayed behind since she was worried about the other members. That¡¯s why, it was decided that I, Chiyuki would go to Saria Academy alone.


    Though Shirone wanted toe along, the current Shirone couldn¡¯t think calmly and was obviously nothing but a hindrance to me. That¡¯s why she chose to go to Holy Republic Lenaria.


    She might be venting her frustration by exterminating the demons in the vicinities of the city around this time.


    Therefore, I rode on the back of the griffon and flew straight toward Saria Academy.


    === === ===


    ¡ô ck-haired Sage, Chiyuki


    Magic City Saria is a city built on a basin surrounded by mountains.


    Though each city of this world was often considered as a separate country, Saria couldn¡¯t be called as such. That¡¯s why something like a Saria citizen doesn¡¯t exist.


    In the first ce, Saria is the city that governs over the Magic Association and has spread its branches across the entire world. One could say that every magician who belonged to the association are essentially citizens of the city.


    The magic association created by Saria Academy was for the sake of nurturing magicians and researching the profound ways of magic.


    When I reached the surroundings of Saria, I release the griffon and head toward Saria.


    Though it¡¯s better if I could establish a teleportation magic circle in this Saria, they are yet to grant their permission to do so. It appears that I need to possess considerable status in the association to be granted with such permission.


    I¡¯m currently passing through the entry procedures at the gates of the rampart. Then, I take out a silver te-like card that disys my status as the magician of the association to the gatekeeper.


    Saria is a city where anyone coulde in and out as much as they like as long as they¡¯re magicians who belonged to the association. I belong to the Magic Association of Holy Republic Lenaria branch. This silver te-like card is something that was issued there.


    I enter Saria and keep walking toward my destination.


    It¡¯s my second visit to Saria. I came for the first time to satisfy my own curiosity after I knew about the existence of Saria. I was confirming the general outline of the location at that time. But now, my destination is Saria Academy¡¯s library.


    When I walk to my destination, I pass by some people that do not seem like magicians. They might be normal people who live in this city.


    A magician could easily be distinguished amongst the normal people since they¡¯re always wearing a ck robe.


    As one might expect from the city of magicians, there were at least a few hundreds of magicians living in Saria.


    Nevertheless, just because it¡¯s being called as city of magicians, it didn¡¯t mean that only magicians might live in this city. The pce guard in the rampart who are protecting this city from demons and monsters are normal people who can¡¯t use magic. It seems that they¡¯re employing the power of free fighters, too. And there were also some shopkeepers who were dealing with daily necessities.


    60% of the citizens might be ordinary people.


    Finally, I arrived at the library. I start performing the procedures for entering.


    Unlike the gatekeeper of the rampart, the receptionist of the library had to be a magician. Using a magician like him as the receptionist of this library was indicating the importance of the library.


    And just like before, anyone is allowed to enter the library as long as they¡¯re a magician of the association.


    Just like the case with the gatekeeper, I show my silver te to the receptionist. Upon viewing the te, the male receptionist has a strange smile on his face. Is there something strange with my card?


    ¡¸Uhm, could it be that you are¡­ The one called ck-haired sage? ¡¹


    The male receptionist was asking that with a timid tone.


    ¡¸Though I never call myself by that name, some people do use that name to refer to me¡¹


    I replied so after knowing the reason for his surprised expression from before.


    I never referred myself as a [Wiseman]. But, I should still reply appropriately since denying it would cause a problem, too.


    ¡¸I just guessed since you are a real beauty; on top of that, the presence of the silver te issued by Holy Republic Lenaria, you really are the ck-haired sage, Chiyuki-dono herself, huh. Meeting you right now is¡ª¡¹


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ I want to enter the library if possible¡­.¡¹


    I interrupted his talk since it seemed this would be going to be a long one.


    ¡¸Ah, my deepest apologies. Please go ahead, Chiyuki-dono¡¹


    Though he seemed like he had more to tell me, I ignored him and went ahead.


    I¡¯m currently searching for a certain location for the book that I had located from the catalogue near the entrance. The book is the one that holds the information regarding the type of magic that could manipte humans from the inside, like manipting their soul.


    Confusion and sleep magic also fell under such category. So, there should be a simr type of magic that might be able to manipte humans in the same way.


    Walking in between the shelves that was used to store the books, I reached my destination before long.


    It seems that the documents about the type of magic that could manipte soul was located in this entire region of shelves.


    Though the title of the book was written with the letters of this world, it¡¯s not a problem.


    This world letters weren¡¯t thatplicated


    The basic letters areposed of 63 letters separated into three different category of lower case letters, middle case letters, and uppercase letters, with each having 21 letters. Moreover, few symbols were added when writing sentences. Moreover, the syntax was easier to learn for us since it¡¯s closer to the Japanesenguage.


    Naturally, it¡¯s easier to say than doing it, and the matter of reading the letters of another world was quite the challenge. Besides Rino who has already given up, it seems it¡¯s still hard for someone like Shirone or Sahoko to read the letters. I doubted my ears when Kyouka said that she could read the letters. It seemed Kaya mastered the letters in her own way.


    The exceptions were Reiji and Nao. The learning speed of those two was incredible.


    Especially in Reiji¡¯s case, his learning speed was breathtaking. Though he didn¡¯t seem to be putting much effort in his study, he could read the letters at the same level as me. It really pissed me off since even I had to put in severalte nights to be able to read the letters with ease. This was why a guy like him really pissed me off.


    Though Nao possesses those incredible physical abilities of her, she¡¯s in fact quite a smart ass, too.


    As a result of my great efforts, I could read and write normally now. But, I still keep having this strange feeling while reading even until now. It feels like all roman letters have turned into Japanese letters.


    Well, I guess I¡¯d get used to it immediately. Moreover, though it¡¯s still difficult for me to read the book that written with profound and archaic words, I have no problem in reading normal books.


    I took a few books. As for the book that were ced out of my reach, I would use¡¶Magic Hand¡· to pick it.


    This magic hand skill creates a transparent hand with magic to pick something that¡¯s out of my reach.


    Though normal magicians were limited to 2-3 ¡¶Magic Hand¡·at the most, I could make up to 100 hands with each one¡¯s length could extending upton 100 metres at maximum.


    But, the weight that could be supported by magic hand was limited to the weight that could be supported by the caster¡¯s own hand power. That¡¯s why a twerp can¡¯t carry a heavy load even if they¡¯re using magic hand. But then, I became quite powerful in this world, thus heavy luggage wasn¡¯t such a big problem for me. If I really wanted to, I could even crush a human cranium.


    After taking out about 20 books, I looked for an empty desk.


    ording to the guide, this library wouldn¡¯t lend any of its books. For this reason, anyone must read the book within the library. For the same reason, the management has prepared several desks for reading the books in the library. Thus, I brought several books with me since I needed to transcribe the contents of the book.


    After discovering an empty desk, I started reading the book. First was the magic about domination magic. The contents of the book was about the experiment about how much one could control a hostile demon of different races. This might be useful for something.


    I read the contents of the book.


    ¡¸ck-haired sage, Chiyuki-dono¡¹


    Someone suddenly called my name with low voice when I was reading the book.


    When I turned around, it was the receptionist from before.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­. Do you need something?¡¹


    I replied with a small voice since we must not speak loudly in the library.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­. Chiyuki-dono. Actually, Vice President Tarabos wants to meet you but¡­. Do you have some spare time to meet the Vice President?¡¹

 Chapter 32.2 : Saria Academy

    <h4>Chapter 32.2 : Saria Academy</h4>


    The receptionist man was saying so with apologetic tone.


    ¡¸The Vice President? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, the Vice President of the Magic association¡¹


    The receptionist nods in response


    I never met the man called Tarabos. But, someone in the position of Vice President did have quite the high standing. So, I have to meet him since it couldn¡¯t be helped.


    I was led by the receptionist toward a certain room in the library.


    When I entered that room, a plump middle aged man was already waiting in there. He was around 50 years old, and his always smiling, friendly made him more like a merchant than a magician. He didn¡¯t seem like a magician at all.


    ¡¸Chiyuki-dono, this personage is Vice President Tarabos¡¹


    The receptionist introduced the plump man.


    ¡¸Ahaha, so you¡¯re that ck-haired sage, Chiyuki-dono, this is the first time we meet. You¡¯re even more beautiful than the rumors¡¹


    The plump man was cing his right hand on his left chest and then bowing to greet me. From his attitude, it seemed this person knows proper etiquette to some extent.


    ¡¸Just Chiyuki. May I ask about your business, Vice President Tarabos?¡¹


    I also greeted him back simrly. Though I, in fact, wanted to return to my research as soon as possible. Please, skip all those idle chatter and just mention your business.


    ¡¸My deepest apologies for bothering you during your investigation, Chiyuki-dono. In fact, I have a request for hero-dono¡¹


    Tarabos was saying so with an apologetic tone.


    ¡¸And that request is?¡¹


    Though I don¡¯t know what kind of request it¡¯ll be, I decided to hear his story since the one who made the request was the Vice President of Magic Association.


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    ¡ôck-haired Sage, Chiyuki


    ¡¸Well then, now I have to report about my investigation¡¹


    After finishing my investigation, I returned to Holy Republic Lenaria. Returning was simple since I only needed to use transition/teleportation magic.


    After I returned, I gathered everyone.


    ¡¸ording to my investigation, there are three methods to control someone namely, charm magic, memory maniption magic, and domination magic. First is domination magic. It is a magic that dominates the named individual. But it has the demerit of lowering the intelligence of the target¡¹


    The one put under domination magic was just like a robot. Though there¡¯s no change in the target¡¯s calction ability and knowledge, the target is incapable of adapting to sudden changes in situation. Depending on the situation, he couldn¡¯t take any action without the correspondingmand each time.


    Once, it was tried on a goblin, and the said goblin becamepletely useless and unable to even make a move without giving detailedmands.


    So, how about his case?


    ¡¸That magic will turn the target into a fool, right? It¡¯s definitely more troublesome to control him, right?¡¹


    I agree with Rino¡¯s words.


    ¡¸I¡¯m also in agreement¡¹


    ¡¸Thus, we can set aside that method¡¹


    Agreeing to Nao¡¯s words, I continued my exnation.


    ¡¸The next one is memory maniption magic, but this magic requires aplete overwrite of the target¡¯s memories to be more convenient for the user. It¡¯ll involve tampering memories to make the target obey the user¡¯smand as if it¡¯s the natural thing to do. But this memory maniption magic is too difficult. It¡¯s almost impossible to overwrite the entire pre-existing memory as there¡¯s a possibility that it¡¯ll cause total mental copse if the caster keeps forcing that way¡¹


    ording to Shirone, he should have led a normal life as a Japanese person. Naturally, it should be extremely difficult to tamper his memories in order to make him obey the Demon King¡¯smands.


    Moreover, trying to erase his entire memories to make it easier to control him was also impossible because the time needed to raise him ever since he was a baby would take quite a lot of time.


    ¡¸The exnation of this magic is more adequate than domination magic. Even though it¡¯s quite a challenge to manipte the memories of the humans of this world, it¡¯s next to impossible to do the same thing to the humans from our world¡¹


    After I express my opinion, everyone is making a subtle face.


    And then, the case needed to use this magic is when it couldn¡¯t be helped. The memories that were lost during the rewritten process couldn¡¯t be recovered. Even if he went back to our original world, it¡¯s already impossible for him to lead a normal life. Because rewriting his entire memories basically implies deleting his life until that point.


    Thus, it really couldn¡¯t be helped that Shirone was making a face with a pained, crying expression. We had no choice but to pray that the demon king didn¡¯t use this magic. Then, I move on to the next magic.


    ¡¸And thest one is charm magic. Rino-san, you might be more knowledgeable about this magic, aren¡¯t you?¡¹


    I look at Rino.


    Rino could use magic such as charm, confusion, and sleep. There should be a case where she used this magic on the demon sometime ago.


    ¡¸Yup, if he¡¯s being manipted, this magic should be the one. Even goblin-san and orc-san will listen to whatever Rino-san says when she uses this magic on them¡¹


    Rino¡¯s saying so as if she enjoys doing it.


    Charm magic was a magic to make the targeted party like the caster of the magic.


    The target would be acting voluntarily for the one they loved unlike the domination magic where the target needs to hear precise orders. It¡¯s just that the ¡°Acting voluntarily¡± part also has its own demerit: the target is capable of performing some unexpected actions.


    ¡¸Even so, I¡¯m convinced that this magic won¡¯t work on demons, isn¡¯t it?¡¹


    ¡¸U~hm, yeah, it¡¯s as you say, Sahoko-san. It works nicely on centaur-san, but it¡¯s not that effective against harpy-san¡¹


    ¡¸It might be due to the difference between a male and a female. That should probably be the weakness of charm magic¡¹


    Charm magic¡¯s effect is to turn the user of the magic into a charming existence.


    The effectiveness in case the target was hostile toward the caster was only to the level of making him being friendly.


    For this reason, this magic was unreliable.


    ¡¸Even so, what do you think will happen if the Demon King himself was the one who is using this magic?¡¹


    I start pondering about Nao¡¯s words. If he¡¯s being manipted by charm magic¡­


    ¡¸Do you mean that Shirone¡¯s childhood friend is¡­ charmed by the Demon King?¡¹


    ¡¸It should be possible if the Demon King¡­. He is the one who charmed him with charm magic, right?¡¹


    I agree with Reiji¡¯s words.


    ¡¸I-In another words¡­ He is currently madly in love¡­ With THAT Demon King¡¹


    Kaya suddenly cut in. Her tone of voice seemed higher than usual.


    ¡¸Uwaa¡­ With THAT¡­ Demon King¡¹


    Everyone was making a subtle face when Nao said so. All of us had seen the figure of the Demon King image via magic. His figure was ugly and atrocious.


    Everyone might be imagining about him doing XXXX with the Demon King right now.


    I also ended up imagining their naked figures embracing each other and felt slight nauseous.


    ¡¸It¡¯s gross¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Not something that you want to see¡­ Right¡¹


    Rino and Kyouka are making disgusted faces.


    ¡¸WAHAHA. IF HE REALLY DOES THAT WITH THE DEMON KING DUDE! WAHAHAHA, THIS IS A MASTERPIECE! ! ¡¹


    Reiji isughing loudly. Maybe too loud.


    ¡¸Reiji-kun¡­.¡¹


    Sahoko is admonishing Reiji. Yup, he should restrain himself a bit in front of Shirone.


    ¡¸But, this is strange. Charm magic shouldn¡¯t work for the same sex, right?¡¹


    Kyouka is pondering about it.


    Certainly, charm magic shouldn¡¯t have that much effect on the same sex.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­. What if he¡¯s in fact a gay?¡¹


    ¡¸W-WAIT A MINUTE! WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, KAYA!!¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s nothing, mydy. Those kind of things also exist here. He is for sure being charmed by the burly body of the demon king¡¹


    Kyouka is slightly flustered due to Kaya¡¯s words.


    However, in the assumption that he¡¯s a gay as Kaya described, it should be the effect of charm magic that made him to like demon king Modes.


    Reiji¡¯sughing even further after hearing that.


    ¡¸SOUNDS GOOD FOR ME, SO LET¡¯S SAVE HIM. LET¡¯S SAVE SHIRONE¡¯S CHILDHOOD FRIEND. KUHAHAHA¡­.¡¹


    Reiji¡¯s saying so whileughing loudly.


    I thought it was truly unusual for Reiji to go his way to save a man.


    Maybe because he considered that a gay isn¡¯t his enemy, thus he could go to save Diehart.


    ¡¸Reiji-sama!¡¹


    Kaya¡¯s suddenly speaking loudly.


    ¡¸WHA¡­. What¡¯s the matter, Kaya?¡¹


    Even Reiji was taken aback by Kaya¡¯s voice.


    ¡¸Since you have decided to save a gay, does that mean you have that kind of preference, too?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes!?¡¹


    Reiji lets out a surprised voice.


    No matter how you look at it, Reiji wasn¡¯t a gay.


    ¡¸A man like him was into that you see. And he¡¯s quite a looker¡¹


    Though there¡¯s no change on Kaya¡¯s expression, she seemed to be quite excited.


    It came as a surprise to me that Kaya could turn like this.


    ¡¸How nice it would be if that was true~¡¹


    Rino¡¯s saying so as if enjoying it.


    ¡¸Surely, if it¡¯s true¡¹


    Nao was also giving a thumb up.


    ¡¸¡­. You too, Nao-san¡¹


    I facepalmed.


    But, he certainly made quite a picture when embracing Reiji rather than with the Demon King.


    Reiji¡¯s handsome, moreover Shirone¡¯s childhood friend was also quite a looker. It might be quite a joy for this side if they were to be a couple.


    ¡¸WHAT THE! STOP RIGHT THERE! I DON¡¯T SWAY THAT WAY!!¡¹


    Reiji started denying with a flustered face.


    Though I feel bad for him, I¡¯m currently enjoying the sight of the flustered Reiji.


    But, Reiji isn¡¯t gay, that is for sure.


    ¡¸E~h, bo~ri~ng¡¹


    Rino is saying so with a disappointed voice in hearing Reiji¡¯s words. For some reason, Kaya seems disappointed too.


    ¡¸Look, we¡¯re in front of Shirone¡¹


    Reiji¡¯s rebuking everyone. You¡¯re one to talk.


    ¡¸U~hn. Unfortunately everyone, Kuroki seems to like women like any normal guy would do. I mean he kept staring at my breasts during summertime¡­.¡¹


    Shirone who remained silent until now is saying so.


    Rino, Kaya, and even Reiji were showing a disappointed face in hearing that.


    You guys are really¡­.


    ¡¸The person himself keeps saying that he isn¡¯t staring at them, but his actions basically betray his words. He also hides quite a lot of porn books under his bed. So yeah, he definitely likes women!¡¹


    Shirone kept insisting her im. Though it¡¯s her intention to protect her childhood friend reputation, she ended up destroying half of it herself. Moreover, it seemed like he had no privacy at all.

 Chapter 32.3 : Saria Academy

    <h4>Chapter 32.3 : Saria Academy</h4>


    ¡¸But in that case, we have another problem¡­.¡¹


    Said Sahoko. Yup, we have a more problematic question now.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, Chiyuki-san. Do you think it¡¯ll work on a powerful person who possesses all magic resistances? I mean Kuroki did have it. His magic resistance is extremely powerful¡¹


    ¡¸Yup, it¡¯s as you say, Nao-san. Whether it¡¯s charm magic or ruling magic, it won¡¯t work on someone who has high magic resistance. And then, from the fact that he can survive from my strongest magic should be proof that his magic resistance is extremely high¡¹


    That¡¯s why he wouldn¡¯t be easily manipted by magic.


    ¡¸Then, what method is the Demon King using to manipte him?¡¹


    I pondered hardly as I heard Rino¡¯s question.


    ¡¸It shouldn¡¯t be a normal method. For example, magic potion of love¡¹


    ¡¸Magic potion of love? What the hell is that¡¹


    Reiji asked a question.


    ¡¸The one you call as love potion. I identally discovered the description about that potion in one book inside the library, but it seems that not even god can resist the effect of such potion¡¹


    ¡¸Then, do you mean that Kuroki is being manipted with that magic potion?¡¹


    I shake my head to answer Shiron¡¯se question.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know about that. It¡¯s not like it won¡¯t eliminate other possible maniption with other methods outside of those I described just now. We won¡¯t be able to pinpoint anything no matter how long we discuss about this matter¡¹


    Eventually, we hit the wall.


    In addition, there¡¯s still the possibility that he isn¡¯t being manipted by magic.


    ¡¸It seems the method to release the one who is manipted by magic also involves extremely delicate work. We need to do more investigation on this matter¡¹


    I conclude our meeting with this deration. In the end, we can¡¯t conclude anything unless we investigate about what kind of situation he¡¯s currently in. And unless we understand his situation, we can¡¯t find a way to deal with him.


    ¡¸I think we should also tell Rena about this matter just in case, so she can help with our investigation. She should have more information about this matter¡­.¡¹


    In short, Rena who knew that Diehart was going to trim the horn of holy dragon king should have long since known that he was Shirone¡¯s childhood friend. I¡¯m sure that she might have her own way to know some information about Nargol. Could it be that she nted her mole in Nargol?


    But, something or another might have happened back in the Rox kingdom, thus Rena didn¡¯t make her appearancetely. We couldn¡¯t expect much from her.


    ¡¸Rena is¡­ It seems something happened to her in Rox kingdom. Is she alright now?¡¹


    Reiji is worried about Rena. The expression of several people in this room turned severe upon hearing that.


    I don¡¯t know what happened. Also, there has been no exnation after her sudden withdrawal from the front lines. Everyone except for Reiji was angry at Rena.


    ¡¸Well, it seems we need to have Rena¡­ To confess about various things¡¹


    There were so many things that I wanted to ask her the next time we meet: about what happened in Rox Kingdom or the identity of that masked man. And then, the number of people summoned by the Demon King. Whether there¡¯s another person summoned by someone else except the Demon King and Rena.


    Especially the fact if Rena knew about the Demon King could do the summoning, too.


    We¡¯re in deep trouble if the Demon King decides to keep summoning more people.


    Thus, we decided to make a report to Rena about the one summoned by the Demon King. But since we couldn¡¯t meet Rena, we had no choice but to ry our report via Nier. Thus, Nier would know about the one summoned by the Demon King.


    And then, I heard the story that the Demon King wouldn¡¯t perform another summon due to the power of the king of gods, Oudith.


    When I asked why she didn¡¯t tell us about such an important matter, it seemed that Nier was also not privy about such information.


    That¡¯s why I need to hear proper exnation from Rena by meeting her.


    ¡¸But, it seems that Rena can¡¯t meet us right now. I think we should just wait for her¡¹


    Reiji is covering for Rena.


    The face of few people turned even more darker due to those words.


    Reiji dotes on Rena. I¡¯m also slightly irritated by such a fact.


    ¡¸Hey, if Rena can¡¯t make her move, let¡¯s just go to Nargol by ourselves!¡¹


    Shirone puts forth a startling suggestion.


    But, that¡¯s an impossibility.


    ¡¸Shirone-san¡­ That¡¯s impossible. We have to breakthrough Nargol in order to search for him. Moreover, it¡¯ll cause a war for sure. Do you want to fight him?¡¹


    Nao is the only one amongst us who could sneak in secretly without being noticed, but it¡¯s too dangerous for her to travel alone.


    ¡¸That¡¯s a bit too much¡­ But¡­ But then, let¡¯s go to the ce near Nargol¡¹


    ¡¸Well, if you¡¯re not going to enter Nargol¡­ But then, we might not be able to gain more urate information¡¹


    ¡¸Just a little information is enough as long as it¡¯s someone who understand Kuroki¡¹ [TL: ¡­.]


    It seems Shirone couldn¡¯t stand still without doing anything. Maybe she wanted to go there even if it¡¯s just a bit closer.


    ¡¸Speaking of which, the closest ce to Nargol should be the kingdom of Veros. How about we go there?¡¹


    ¡¸Well, that ce is surely the biggest kingdom within that area¡¹


    ¡¸But then, it isn¡¯t the closest kingdom to Nargol, though?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, the closest one to Nargol is a kingdom called Algore. But, it is a country who caused trouble to usst time. I heard that a coup d¡¯etat happened after we left, but I don¡¯t know about the current situation of that kingdom¡¹


    I reply to Rino question. Algore kingdom was trying to mess with us when we went there before. The soldiers of the king were taken down by Reiji. We don¡¯t know what happened to that kingdomter since we left immediately to enter Nargol. I heard that a coup d¡¯etat happened after we left.


    ¡¸Well, since I¡¯m also worried about that kingdom, shall we take a look for a bit then?¡¹


    Reiji also had his share of worry. He might be thest person to be concerned with the aftermath of Algore kingdom.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, the princess of Algore is quite a beauty, isn¡¯t she?¡¹


    Nao is saying so with a wide grin on her face.


    ¡¸WHAT THE! NAO!!¡¹


    Reiji¡¯s shouting in panic.


    ¡¸Rei-kun¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Reiji-san¡­¡¹


    Sahoko and Nao were pouting.


    ¡¸Wait a minute, Reiji-kun¡­ You really are¡­.¡¹


    I had enough of this kind of attitude from him. I was sure that her name is Regena. Yup, she¡¯s quite a beauty. Since we only stayed for a short time in Algore, there wasn¡¯t enough time for Reiji¡¯s evil ws to reach her.


    I forgot about her until Nao reminded us.


    After hearing about Regena, we couldn¡¯t let Reiji travel to Algore.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, Chiyuki-sama, What had happened when you were in Saria?¡¹


    Kaya¡¯s words reminded me about it. I briefly told everyone about this matter before our meeting.


    ¡¸Yeah, I met the Vice President of Magic Association in Saria¡¯s library¡¹


    There were three Vice Presidents and one President in the Magic Association. The Magic Association¡¯s branches are spread throughout the central continent and had more authority than the King in each region, and Tarabos is the Vice President of that Magic Association. And that person said that he wanted to meet Reiji.


    I heard that Tarabos was responsible as the advisor of many kingdoms. It seemed that he¡¯s facing quite a lot of trouble in one of those advisor jobs to the point that he needed the help of the hero and also borrow his power, if possible.


    That¡¯s the content of my report.


    ¡¸But he wants to meet Reiji within a few days if possible. In my opinion, we should go meet him, how about you guys?¡¹


    I didn¡¯t know what should I do since I thought that the matter of Shirone¡¯s childhood friend was also important. I really wanted more information. Thus, we had no choice but to wait for Rena¡¯s recovery to get more information about Nargol.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯m considering to go to the Magic Association first.


    Though there¡¯s no specific date and time for Tarabos¡¯s request, it might not be a good thing to reply toote. The faster we meet him, the better his impression toward us would be.


    And our field of activity would expand even further as long as we could have a good rtionship with the Magic Association.


    We were summoned by Rena in the eastern part of the continent where her influence was deeply rooted, and we gained free ess to the kingdoms in eastern parts of the continent which came along with favorable treatment, too.


    But, it seemed that our influence wasn¡¯t that widespread in the western part of the continent. it¡¯s very much possible for us to not be allowed to enter a kingdom.


    Thus, there¡¯s nothing better than building a good rtionship with the Magic Association which has strong influence in the whole continent. There¡¯s no need for us to go to the western part of the continent for now, but better safe than sorry.


    ¡¸Even so, going to Algore is¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m okay with going to Algore by myself. It¡¯s my selfish idea after all. That¡¯s why everyone else can go to Saria¡¹


    Shirone interrupts when Reiji is mentioning about going to Algore.


    Magic Association was basically dominated by men since there were many male magicians who had elven blood from their mother flowing inside their veins. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t want to go. And then, there¡¯s princess Regena in Algore. Whenparing Regena, a young princess with Tarabos, a middle aged man, it was obvious which one Reiji would choose,


    So, it¡¯s not like Reiji was going to Algore for Shirone¡¯s sake. But still, good job, Shirone.


    ¡¸Well then, Reiji-kun wille with us to Saria. Sorry, Shirone-san¡¹


    ¡¸Uhn. Don¡¯t mind it¡¹


    Shirone replied cheerfully. But, there¡¯s a slight gloom within her cheerful face. She might be worrying about the safety of her childhood friend.


    It was an extremely cruel story if it turned out that the Demon King was manipting her childhood friend with the magic potion of love.


    Even so, to think that the Demon King would use such a method to manipte someone he just summoned and had yet to understand the situation with such drug.


    That might have been us if we were summoned by that ugly Demon King. Fortunately, we were summoned by Rena.


    There¡¯s no way a goddess like Rena will use such cowardly methods to manipte us with such drug. [TL: ¡­.]


    I was burning with wrath toward that cowardly Demon King.


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­.


    ¡ôGoddess of Wisdom and Victory, Rena


    I returned to my abode in Elios.


    When I reminisce about it, I felt that someone just called my name in the human country called Lenaria.


    Someone might be talking about me.


    Well, it might be Reiji and his harem. They¡¯re surely talking about my beautiful heart.


    Though Chiyuki seemed to want to meet me when I was asleep, I sent Nier to deal with her. I wasn¡¯t in the right mental state for a discussion at that time.


    But, I¡¯ve calmed down right now. I didn¡¯t want to meet Chiyuki. But still, I¡¯m going to meet her sooner orter anyway.


    What should I tell her at that time, I wonder.


    Though I was not going to let them attack Nargol before, now it¡¯s different. Reiji-tachi who injured him might attack Nargol at any time now.


    I look at the little portrait in my hand.


    Drawn on that portrait was the figure of a young man.


    ¡¸Kuroki¡­.¡¹


    I heaved a sigh in seeing the young man in that portrait.


    I could only dream about him in these days. This was the dream of Kuna.


    Kuroki created a new goddess called Kuna but upon her creation, I no longer dreamed of Mona.


    I don¡¯t know the reason why I became the receiving side, it might have something to do with me being the original.


    But, this was a happy miscalction. Now, I didn¡¯t have to see that ugly Modes inside my dreams anymore.


    Instead, I¡¯m seeing nothing but Kuroki right now. If it¡¯s Kuroki, I¡¯m willing to see him no matter how many times it is inside my dream. For that reason, sleeping has be an enjoyable activity in these days.


    I don¡¯t care about Modes anymore. That¡¯s why I have no need for Reiji-tachi anymore, too.


    ¡¸Ufufufufu¡¹


    I unintentionally let out a smile.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­. Rena-sama¡¹


    Someone was calling my name from behind. I hide the portrait in my hand in a hurry.


    ¡¸NI! NIER!! WHEN DID YOU COME!?¡¹


    The one standing behind me was the female angel subordinate of mine, Nier.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­. Since there was no reply from inside no matter how many times I knocked the door¡­ So I¡­.¡¹


    Nier was saying so in an awkward manner.


    ¡¸O-Oh my, s-so that¡¯s the c-case! Sorry Nier!! Then, I wonder what¡¯s the matter¡¹


    I¡¯m panicking right now. She did not look at the person in the portrait, right?


    ¡¸I came to notify you since it¡¯s almost the time to meet Oudith-sama, but then¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s time, huh¡­. I¡¯ll go right away¡¹


    What¡¯s the matter about, I wonder? Well, I guess I¡¯d know about it once I go there.


    ¡¸Well then, I¡¯ll excuse myself¡¹


    Nier leaves my room after informing about the situation.


    I couldn¡¯t leave my room even if I want to.


    I put on my underwear and then prepared to leave.

 Chapter 33.1: Prince of Algore

    <h4>Chapter 33.1: Prince of Algore</h4>


    ¡ôDark Knight, Kuroki


    We¡¯re flying above Akeron mountain range on Glorious. There¡¯s a huge cave in the ce where the mountains be slightly rugged.


    Inside this cave is a den of goblins. Though not nocturnal, goblins inhabit in darkness. For this reason, many of them choose to live in a cave where light does not enter.


    I¡¯ll be leaving Glorious at the entrance of this goblin den.


    Descending right after me is Kuna who was behind me on Glorious.


    ¡¸Kuroki, is this Karon kingdom?¡¹


    Kuna is saying so while looking at the cave. I nod at her.


    ¡¸Yeah, no doubt about it, but¡­ This is also the first time I havee to this ce¡¹


    Karon kingdom is located in the northern part of Akeron mountain range. In short, this goblin kingdom is just right before Nargol.


    Thus, the goblin kingdom is also under Modes¡¯s governance. This den of goblins is otherwise known as Karon kingdom. I don¡¯t know how many goblins reside in this kingdom, but it seems their number is thergest among the goblin tribes in Nargol.


    We approach the five goblins who are standing at the entrance.


    My eyes are drawn to the goblin that is standing in the middle of their formation. An adult goblin¡¯s height isn¡¯t that much different from the height of a 10~12 years old kid human. But, the goblin in the middle is at least one sizerger than the other goblins.


    ¡¸Gob has been waiting for you, your Excellency Diehart. Gob¡¯s name is Keneo¡¹


    The goblin in the middle is bowing to me.


    ¡¸Gob?¡¹


    Though most words of this goblin called Keneo were hard to understand, I heard it loud and clear. However, the strange title I heard just now was just my imagination, right?


    After that big goblin bowed to me, it then nced at my side. Naturally, it¡¯s looking at Kuna.


    ¡¸Welgob to your Excellency¡¯s honored wife, too¡¹


    It then bowed to Kuna. It seems that strange punctuation wasn¡¯t just my imagination.


    ¡¸Wife¡­ Quite sharp eyes you have there¡¹


    Kuna muttered so. I wonder why. However, Kuna seems to be happy.


    ¡¸Gob way please, our queen has been waiting for you¡¹


    Keneo told us to follow him.


    He is guiding us into the den of goblins. Inside the dark nest of the goblins, the only source of light is just thentern with light bugs inside. [TL: Not firefly but, light bug] Though I¡¯m fine in the darkness due to my night vision, thatntern might be of great help for Kuna.


    We were passing by many different goblins along the way.


    Though they¡¯re in simr size to that of 10~12-year-old human kids, their power rivals that of a human adult. Their head is as tough as a stone de, so your usual weapon can¡¯t crack those tough nuts. If one were to fight a goblin, one needs to aim for another ce. But a good song is the best way to avoid a fight with them. They simply can¡¯t stand a beautiful singing voice.


    Normal goblins fundamentally live in a forest or a cave. The level of civilization is simr to the primitive man in the textbook.


    That is the ecology of goblins taught by Ruugas. In fact, the goblins that I saw until now are textbook examples of that lesson.


    But, it seems the goblins of this Karon kingdom are different from normal goblins. Their standard of living is higher, even the clothes they are wearing isn¡¯t inferior to the ones I saw in Rox kingdom. The walls of the cave were also not just crudely dug; they had ttened the surface and maintained it well.


    The pieces of equipment on Keneo, walking in front of me, aren¡¯t inferior to a human knight¡¯s.


    Soon, we arrived at a wide space. This room is bright since it¡¯s illuminated with severalnterns of light bug all over the ce.


    A gigantic goblin is sitting in the inner part of that room. Its size is around the same as me, but it might have a hard time to move due to its heavy weight. In contrast to the other bald goblins, this goblin has long hair. And then, I can feel a tremendous surge of magical power from this goblin. This magical power rivals the demon tribe¡¯s magical power.


    ¡¸Huge¡­.¡¹


    Kuna is muttering so. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s okay to say such things to this goblin, but this must be the queen of Karon kingdom, isn¡¯t she?


    ¡¸Gob excellency, over there is our queen, Datie-sama¡¹


    Keneo said as he points at the gigantic goblin. Yup, she really is their queen. To be honest, she doesn¡¯t look like a goblin nor a woman, but I won¡¯t say that out loud.


    ¡¸Wee to Karon kingdom, your excellency Diehart¡¹


    Datie is bowing at me.


    I remove my helmet and then ce it under my armpit. Though I¡¯m more or less on a higher standing than her, it¡¯s impolite to talk to someone with your helmet on.


    ¡¸I¡¯m Diehart. I heard that there¡¯s some sort of a problem, but what happened really? ¡¹


    But, Datie is looking at me without saying anything. For some reason, chills run down my spine when I¡¯m exposed to that gaze.


    ¡¸Even though Kuroki is asking you a question, why are you not answering him? Kuna absolutely won¡¯t forgive a silly reason!!¡¹


    Waves of magical power were being released from Kuna¡¯s body.


    ¡¸WHAT THE! Kuna!!¡¹


    I got flustered.


    The goblins in this room including Keneo and Datie are frightened by Kuna¡¯s threat.


    It seems she wasn¡¯t even considering Datie¡¯s status at all.


    ¡¸My apologies, your excellency¡¹


    Datie is apologizing to me.


    ¡¸I-It doesn¡¯t matter. Calm down, Kuna. So, what had actually happened?¡¹


    After soothing Kuna, I asked the same question to Datie.


    ¡¸Yes, the truth is¡­ Some humans have been trying to invade Akeron mountain these days¡¹


    ¡¸EH¡­.¡¹


    I let out a dumbfounded voice after Datie¡¯s answer. That is a big deal.


    ¡¸C¡­ Could it be Reiji-tachi, but¡­¡¹


    Just in case, I put Nut to spy on Reiji¡¯s movements. I heard that he¡¯s going toward the western side of the continent right now. When did hee here?


    ¡¸You¡¯re wrong, your Excellency. The one who came isn¡¯t the hero. Though their arrival is, in fact, insignificant and not worthy of reporting it to you¡­ I just want to make sure of some things¡­.¡¹


    So that means you called us since you can¡¯t make a decision about it.


    If Reiji-tachi ising to attack, this Karon kingdom will be their first opponent. It seems that they had passed through this kingdom without notable resistancest time.


    The Nargol of that time had nomunicationwork, so it had taken a while for them to notice Reiji-tachi¡¯s invasion.


    Due to this experience, the Nargol side decided to install magical warning devices. Even if it¡¯s not an urgent matter, any abnormalities will be known on time.


    And then, the warning device wasn¡¯t used this time. It might be an urgent matter, but this is definitely not an emergency situation.


    ¡¸It began with a few tribes who were dwelling in the southern side, but they started crossing the ridge and came to Karon. At first, I thought they came here due to an internal dispute between the ns, but¡­ ording to the messenger I sent to the south, it was apletely different scenario¡¹


    ¡¸Thus, you became aware that the humans areing to attack you?¡¹


    Datie is nodding at my words.


    ¡¸They¡¯re still crossing the ridge and won¡¯t arrive in a while, but it seems the southern side has been raided by them so many times already. I neither know what they want nor their goals¡­. They¡¯re really scary, your excellency¡¹


    Datie arms are wriggling around and her body is trembling in fear. Such a weird scene.


    It is possible for those humans to have some sort of a goal. Or is it just a goblin subjugation?


    ¡¸You said it before that they¡¯re not Reiji and his group, but do you know about their origin?¡¹


    Though I don¡¯t know whether goblins can differentiate the women, let¡¯s ask her just in case.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll recognize them at once if they¡¯re a hottie like the hero of light, your Excellency. And if the heroes ever came again, this time I¡¯ll even use my body so that they can¡¯t set their foot on Nargol¡­.¡¹


    Upon hearing Datie¡¯s remark, my thought is ¡°Uwaaa¡±. I forgot that the humanoid races of this world, for some mysterious reason, have simr aesthetic senses as humans.


    Poor Reiji.


    ¡¸ording to our information, the one who came to attack is a man called Parish, the hero of Algore. I made someone skilled in painting to draw his picture. He is definitely not the hero of light. Even if Parish is a hottie, he¡¯s not at the level of the hero of light¡¹


    Datie said so while wriggling her eerie body.


    Ever since I heard Datie spoke a while ago, there¡¯s a noun that I can¡¯t ignore.


    ¡¸Algore¡­ That was Regena¡¯s home¡¹


    I remember Kuna¡¯s words.


    ¡¸Yes, it was Regena¡¯s home¡¹


    Algore kingdom should be the country that was ruled by Regena¡¯s father.


    I forgot about that since Regena never talked about herself before she came to Nargol.


    But then, since it¡¯s about that hero of Algore, what was the reason for the hero of Algore to attack the goblins at the southern mountain range?


    I might be able to know the reason if I asked Regena, but I didn¡¯t ask her in the end. Regena¡¯s family was also murdered by the people who took over Algore right now. I don¡¯t wish to ask something that will make her remember about those painful memories.


    Moreover, there¡¯s also the possibility for the hero to have conspired with the current government to exile Regena¡¯s family. There¡¯s still more to ask.


    Does Regena want to exact her revenge against those people? Since Regena had never said anything, I don¡¯t know of it since I never asked her about that, too.


    Though she never told me whether she possessed any grudges against them, I never had any intention to help her in that matter, either.


    I don¡¯t know which way is the best for her. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good thing for her, a female human, to spend a long time living in Nargol, the Kingdom of Demons. She has no choice but to look for a nice country somewhere to settle herself.


    I¡¯m also pondering about that matter.


    Suddenly, I feel a certain gaze toward me. When I raise my face, Datie is looking at my direction.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s nothing, I just feel that your excellency is a hottie on the same level as the hero of light. GUFUFUFU¡¹


    Datie isughing while smacking her lips. It¡¯s as if her gaze won¡¯t leave my body.


    Suddenly, I feel chills running across my spine, again.


    ¡¸Stop looking at Kuroki with those murky eyes of yours! Queen of goblins! Kuroki is MINE! ¡¹


    Kuna got angry when she realized that Datie¡¯s gaze won¡¯t leave me anytime.


    ¡¸AH! It¡¯s okay, Kuna. I know your feeling. Please leave the matter about this hero of Algore to us! Let¡¯s go, Kuna!¡¹


    After soothing Kuna¡¯s anger, I quickly leave this ce.


    I ignore Datie who was trying to keep me there.


    This ce will be in danger if I do not leave immediately.


    I left Karon kingdom in a hurry.


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    ¡ôPrince of Algore, Omiros


    ¡¸FLASH!!¡¹


    ¡¸GUGYAAA!¡¹


    ¡¸GUAAAA!¡¹


    The sh magic fired by Parish exploded.


    The goblins exposed to that sh of light are wailing as they squint their eyes. Goblin, a creature who lives in the darkness is weak to light. They won¡¯t be able to see anything for a while.

 Chapter 33.2: Prince of Algore

    <h4>Chapter 33.2: Prince of Algore</h4>


    ¡¸NOW! KILL THEM BEFORE THEIR SIGHT RESTORED!¡¹


    There are seven people on our side while it¡¯s fifty on the goblin side. We¡¯ll be in trouble if their eyesight recovered.


    So, at the same time I sent my order, I also rush toward the goblins with my sword unsheathed.


    ¡¸DO NOT AIM FOR THEIR HARD SKULL! AIM FOR THEIR BODY!¡¹


    ¡¸I KNOW THAT!¡¹


    Few answers, in the form of retorts, return as responses while I cross swords with the goblins. The goblins are rampaging as they try to dodge my assault.


    Due to the hard skull of the goblins, using sword alone would be insufficient to cut them. Thus, we must aim below the neck. It¡¯ll be difficult for a normal human to do so since their height is much taller than a goblin, but it¡¯s not that much of a problem for skilled warriors.


    And we¡¯re the warriors of Algore. Thus, this goblin count isn¡¯t that much of a threat for us.


    In Algore, which is always exposed to the threat of demons due to it being right next to Nargol, power is highly valued. The men of Algore are fated to be warriors the moment they were born.


    All men in Algore are powerful warriors. They¡¯re the best in this region.


    That¡¯s why they won¡¯t lose even against thisrge number of goblins.


    The situation is advancing to our advantage. But, as expected, we can¡¯t wipe them out in such a short interval since many of them are still attacking violently.


    ¡¸GAAAAAAA!¡¹


    Having recovered their sense of sight, the goblins raised their club and resumed their attack.


    After protecting myself from the goblin club with my shield, I turn around to cleave the body of the attacking goblin.


    Then, I kicked the fresh corpse of that goblin toward another goblin who came from my side and finished him off with a stab.


    ¡¸Not bad, Prince Omiros¡¹


    Parish is saying so while smiling at me.


    That¡¯s enough, I think. This man has killed far more goblins than me.


    Parish isn¡¯t an Algore born. He¡¯s a foreigner who was weed by my father due to his skill.


    His skill is amazing, no one can beat him one-on-one.


    Lately, his fame kept raising in this region and eventually came to be hailed as the brave of Algore.


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to like this man. He¡¯s the worst of the womanizers. Not just the women of our kingdom, his hands won¡¯t spare foreign women, too.


    Different from the previous king, I visited the surrounding country since it¡¯s my father¡¯s policy to build a good rtionship with our neighboring country. This man had also tagged along with me. It seems his evil hands had even reached the foreign noblewomen during that time.


    Parish himself is an extremely beautiful man. There¡¯s no way women will leave him alone.


    ¡¸Well then, it seems this Parish can¡¯t let himself be defeated by your highness. So, here Ie!¡¹


    After saying so, Parish rushes toward the flock of goblins. He then cleaves those goblins one after another.


    He moved like a gale.


    ¡¸Amazing¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸As expected of Parish-sama!¡¹


    Everyone is unanimously praising Parish.


    As one would expect of a brave, Parish is really powerful. ording to the rumors, it seems he can fight against a weak ogre 1 on 1.


    I¡¯m astonished by such a disy of power. His face is handsome, too. His face might rival that hero of light.


    Soon, goblin corpses are scattered around with the majority of them being Parish¡¯s victims.


    ¡¸We won, but¡­ Are we going to advance even further, prince Omiros?¡¹


    Parish is turning around and asking me.


    ¡¸Yeah, let¡¯s advance a bit more¡¹


    I¡¯m saying so with an anxious voice.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s head back¡­ Young master. We¡¯re bound to die if we advance any further beyond this point¡¹


    Balzaza who came along with our group suggests the option of retreat. He¡¯s a subordinate of my father and was assigned as my bodyguard.


    ¡¸Sorry Balzaza. Let¡¯s advance a bit more¡¹


    ¡¸Haven¡¯t we entered far enough already, Omiros? The result is already as bright as a day. The princess of Qupius obviously has been killed and is probably being ravaged by goblins¡¹


    ¡¸MacGius!¡¹


    I grab MacGius by his cor. He travelled all the way here with me, and he¡¯s my cousin.


    ¡¸Goblin don¡¯t always opt to kill humans! Leaving her alive would be more useful!¡¹


    ¡¸Oi, that life would be worse than death¡­ She¡¯ll be a ything for those goblins¡­.¡¹


    Goblins had no more than one reason to keep a female human alive. And that is what MacGius trying to tell me.


    ¡¸Even so¡­ Regena will¡­.¡¹


    I can¡¯t bring myself to finish my words.


    ¡¸MacGius-dono. You shouldn¡¯t tease our prince like that, you know¡¹


    After Parish saying so, MacGius sighs deeply.


    ¡¸Sorry, Omiros. I went too far¡¹


    MacGius is apologizing to me.


    ¡¸There was another hole on the way here. Let¡¯s take a break in there¡¹


    Everyone agrees to Parish¡¯s proposal. We hade all the way to this ce predominantly due to my insistence, after all.


    We traced our way back.


    We finally arrived at the hole. I can see the cloudy sky from another hole present in there.


    Everyone then turned off our handheldntern.


    ¡¸Prince Omiros. I won¡¯t say the same as MacGuis, but how far we should advance forward? ¡¹


    I¡¯m racking my brain upon hearing those words from Parish.


    ¡¸My apologies, Parish-dono¡­ At the very least, I want to know what happened to Regena¡­.¡¹


    When I say so, silence descended upon our group.


    I know what this silence means even without anyone telling me. They might currently be imagining the worst fate that could befall a woman captured by goblins.


    ¡¸Nevertheless, we should have exterminated the goblins in this area¡¹


    I agree with MacGius¡¯s words.


    ¡¸Yeah, let¡¯s advance a bit more¡¹


    When I say so, the warriors disy their opposition.


    ¡¸We must not advance any further! At this rate, we¡¯re going to enter the northern part of the mountain range!¡¹


    ¡¸Please do forgive him your highness, but the northern goblins are far stronger than the southern goblins! Going there is an act of suicide!¡¹


    What they said was reasonable.


    The northern goblins are strong. Even in terms of equipment, the southern goblins use nothing but clubs as their weapon, but the northern goblins are capable of manufacturing iron weapons and armors. Everyone but Parish will die if we go there.


    Several of my subordinates areining. It seems there are nointsing from Parish and MacGius.


    Parish is just silently looking at the situation.


    ¡¸Guys, you shouldn¡¯tin like that. I can understand the feeling of our prince. Princess Regena, is it? She is definitely a beauty. I know why he is being persistent¡¹


    Parish is rebuking everyone.


    But, I almost spurted my blood after hearing his words.


    ¡¸Parish-dono! If you can say so, why aren¡¯t you the one saving Regena! Instead of doing so, you¡­¡¹


    ¡¸The one who made that decision was the king, your father. What could I do about that?¡¹


    I became silent after his response.


    It was as he said. The one who exiled Regena to the goblin nest was none other than my own father.


    In the first ce, there was an internal conflict in Algore.


    And the origin for that conflict can be traced back all the way to the inception of Algore.


    The beginning of Algore dates back to 400 years ago ¨C a fortress in which various forces on the eastern side of the continent gathered to subjugate the demon king.


    At first, it was a stronghold until the fall of Nargol, and then it became a country with its own authority.


    And before one knew, the general became a king, the soldiers and various chivalric orders became the ns.


    In the beginning, Holy Republic Lenaria¡¯s born would be the king, but it led to the dissatisfaction of other ns. As a result of the meeting, it was then decided that every patriarch of the n will be taking turns to be the king every 10 years.


    But, this decision of taking turns for the kingship wasn¡¯t being protected, especially when a certain powerful n was monopolizing the kingship. That was the Regena n.


    Though many ns were enraged by their action, Regena n was powerful. Thus, civil strife had never happened.


    But then, a certain incident happened.


    Qupis, the king at that time had fallen in love with the fiancee of the prince of Velos, a major power of this region during his stay. Thest strand was when they eloped to Algore.


    Naturally, the enraged Velos kingdom demanded him to return the fiancee of the king.


    But, Qupis-tachi didn¡¯t heed them.


    His action enraged the other ns, too. It was like adding fuel to their original hatred toward the royal family.


    The other ns didn¡¯t persuade Qupis to return the fiancee, either.


    As a result, Algore became the enemy of Velos empire; other kingdoms were also starting to iste Algore.


    And for that reason, almost no merchant wanted to trade in Algore, resulting in the alienation of the kingdom. As a result, the other ns were even more infuriated by the royal family.


    Everyone with the same kind of grudge was gathering under the wings of my father, Montas, a patriarch of a powerful n that was opposing the royal family, who wanted to abdicate Qupis and be the king.


    Naturally, Qupis didn¡¯t lend his ears to such a request.


    The royal family was powerful; no other n could fight against their power from the front. The royal family also didn¡¯t possess enough wherewithal to destroy the other family, so a civil war never happened. But, the angst toward the king kept piling up.


    Soon time flowed by, and the fiancee who disappeared without a trace then gave birth to a princess for Qupis. That princess was Regena.


    I met Regena when we were 5 years old. It happened when my father came to a long n meeting at the royal pce.


    It was the first time I came to the royal pce, so I wandered around, full of excitement. That was when I met Regena who was strolling around the royal pce by chance.


    We immediately became good friends since there was no child of simr age around Regena.


    Though the adults were having their internal disputes, it had nothing to do with me and Regena who was just a child at that time.


    We secretly went out to y sometimes behind our fathers¡¯ backs.


    Thus, we grew together.


    The grown-up Regena turned up to be a beautiful woman. Though I couldn¡¯t say this in front of her, I wanted to protect her.


    That was why I left Algore along with MacGius and Belzaza on a journey to polish our skills.


    But, that was my biggest mistake.


    And then, the greatest shock in my life weed me when I returned to Algore. My father, who for some reason became the new king, banished Regena.


    It seemed that king Qupis tried to do something during my absence which caused our n to get almost annihted.


    My father struck back, won the battle, and became the king.


    I couldn¡¯t believe my ears after hearing that for the first time. Even with the internal dispute, I didn¡¯t think that king Qupis was the kind of man who would act recklessly.


    But, he betrayed my expectations.


    Though it might be true that king Qupis had to pay for his own mistake, there¡¯s no need to go as far as to banish Regena too, right?


    But then, I couldn¡¯t condemn my father for doing so.


    At the least, I want to know what happened to Regena. Thus, I asked my father to lend me the hero, Parish to look for her in the Akeron mountain range.


    I am yet to know of Regena¡¯s fate. I want to save her if possible or bring back her remnants if she¡¯s dead. Being imprisoned inside the gloomy den of the goblins is just too cruel.


    ¡¸My prince. Though I understand your heartache, we have to go back by night. We should stop the search today¡¹

 Chapter 33.3: Prince of Algore

    <h4>Chapter 33.3: Prince of Algore</h4>


    I agree to his request. I shouldn¡¯t bring Belzaza and MacGius to their own to their death due to my own selfishness.


    Thus, I stand up from my sitting ce.


    ¡¸Done with your rest?¡¹


    A voice suddenly reverberated. A female voice.


    All the members of our party turn around toward the owner of that voice.


    What we saw over there was an extremely beautiful girl.


    Her silver-colored hair and snow white near-transparent skin enhanced her beauty even further.


    She¡¯s wearing something that resembled a ck dress, and in her hand is a huge scythe.


    It is my first time meeting this kind of beauty. Her beauty seems to be something that shouldn¡¯t be in the mortal world.


    Everyone is charmed by her.


    ¡¸Miss, may I ask about your business? You don¡¯t seem like an ordinary person to me¡¹


    When all of us were stunned, Parish is the only one who can move among us.


    Just as he said, there¡¯s no way for her to be an ordinary girl.


    ¡¸You¡¯re the people who came from Algore, right?¡¹


    She is asking us.


    ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s as you say, but then¡­.¡¹


    I nod at him.


    ¡¸I see¡­ Then, who is this Herpes?¡¹


    We were exchanging nces after hearing her question. There¡¯s no Herpes amongst us.


    ¡¸No one? I heard he is the Brave of Algore¡­¡¹


    I finally understand what she meant.


    ¡¸If you¡¯re asking for the brave of Algore, then it¡¯s not Herpes, it¡¯s Parish, youngdy¡¹


    MacGius corrects her.


    ¡¸I see¡­ Then who¡¯s that Parish chap?¡¹


    It seems that she couldn¡¯t even remember Parish.


    ¡¸I¡¯m Parish, youngdy¡¹


    Parish introduced his name while acting pretentious with his long hair.


    ¡¸Goblin face¡­ You¡¯re that¡­ Parish? ¡¹


    Though it¡¯s troublesome to introduce his name again, in the end, he nodded at her.


    Moreover, she¡¯s saying strange things, goblin face she said. Parish is a beautiful guy even seeing from my perspective as a man. He shouldn¡¯t be resembling those ugly goblins.


    ¡¸Then, fight Kuna. I want to see the fruits of my training¡¹


    After saying so, the girl set her stance with her scythe. Everyone amongst us is surprised by her attitude. Does this girl want to fight us?


    ¡¸Why do you want to fight us? ¡¹


    ¡¸Kuna just wants to see the fruits of her training¡¹


    What kind of reason is that? She¡¯s just a battle maniac.


    ¡¸You don¡¯t understand huh¡­ Are you a Nargol dweller? ¡¹


    The girl is nodding in affirmation to Parish¡¯s words.


    ¡¸Yes indeed, Kuna is living in Nargol¡¹


    We are shocked by her response.


    ¡¸Living in Nargol¡­ You¡¯re not a human, then?¡¹


    Nargol is the kingdom where the demons live. It¡¯s definitely not a ce for humans to reside. It seems this girl isn¡¯t a human. Yeah, she possesses inhuman beauty, after all.


    ¡¸Could it be¡­ You¡¯re that legendary demon race. A witch?¡¹


    ¡¸I heard that the females of demon race have terrifying appearances. But she¡¯s way too beautiful¡­¡¹


    People around me are praising the girl. If she really is the inhabitant of Nargol, she is the enemy of humanity. Is that why she hase to attack us?


    ¡¸Strange, the females of demon race should be more¡­ Are you really a demon race?¡¹


    An idea suddenly shed inside my head after hearing those words from Parish. Did Parish see demon race before?


    ¡¸Kuna isn¡¯t a demon race. Kuna is Kuna¡¹


    The girl answers to it nonchntly. It seems she¡¯s quite impatient herself.


    ¡¸Enough with chit-chat, draw your sword. If you just want to stand there, then I¡¯ll be the one whoes at you¡¹


    It seems she¡¯s going to attack us anytime.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t want to fight a girl if possible, but¡­. I have no choice I guess¡¹


    Parish draws his sword and sets his shield.


    ¡¸My apologies, I¡¯m powerful, you know¡¹


    Parish is strong. But, the girl in front of us isn¡¯t an ordinary person, either.


    ¡¸HERE I COME!¡¹


    The girl then swings her scythe.


    ¡¸Fufufu, that posture¡¹


    Parish is receiving the girl¡¯s scythe with his shield while showing a face brimming with a smile¡­


    ¡¸GOOOOOOOOOB!¡¹


    ¡­. He¡¯s thrown back.


    Parish, thrown back while raising such a strange scream, crashes on the rock wall behind him.


    Everyone is shocked by the events that unfolded before them.


    ¡¸Parish-sama!¡¹


    ¡¸Parish-dono!¡¹


    We snap back after a while and then rush toward Parish.


    ¡¸Gob¡­ Such a power¡­.¡¹


    After crashing against the rocks, Parish still seems to be alive and well.


    ¡¸No way¡­ That Parish-sama is¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸With such small body¡­.¡¹


    In spite of her slender arms, the girl has monstrous strength. No matter how many Algore soldiers fought Parish, none of them could beat him.


    ¡¸What had happened just now? Kuna just swung her scythe lightly¡¹


    Everyone feels dread upon hearing her words.


    That swing just now isn¡¯t her full power.


    ¡¸Her appearance is different, but it seems she¡¯s quite powerful¡­ But, this isn¡¯t the end¡¹


    Parish¡¯s feet are staggering. He set his sword and shield for the second time.


    ¡¸You¡¯re powerful indeed, but how about this! Fireball!!¡¹


    A fireball in the form of a bullet shot forth from Parish¡¯s hand.


    The fired fireball hits the ground in front of the girl, raising a dust cloud. It seems his aim is to create a blind area on the other party¡¯s field of vision.


    ¡¸eleration(Haste)! ! ! ¡¹


    After raising that cloud of dust, Parish started moving while letting out that scream. Parish¡¯s movements became faster. He¡¯s approaching her like a gust of wind.


    After elerating, Parish circles behind the girl and finally stabs toward her unprotected back.


    ¡¸It¡¯s my win. I¡¯ll spare your life if you surrender¡¹


    Parish is saying so while smiling at the girl.


    ¡¸What are you talking about. Is that all you have?¡¹


    When she said so, her figure suddenly vanished.


    ¡¸EH!¡¹


    Parish is shocked.


    The vanished girl is standing right behind Parish.


    ¡¸S-Since when did you!¡¹


    Parish is turning around with a shocked face.


    ¡¸Now is my turn to atack¡¹


    She swings her scythe.


    ¡¸WHAAAT!¡¹


    It¡¯s not just Parish, everyone is shocked by the sudden turn of events.


    The scythe-wielding girl is rushing toward Parish and then splits into many.


    ¡¸UWAAAAAAAAAAAAA!¡¹


    Parish can do nothing but scream. The number of scythes shing toward Parish is already too many to count.


    A few secondster. The scythe vanished.


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    Parish showed a surprised face. He didn¡¯t seem to have died even though innumerable scythes shed on him.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t want your life. I just cut your armor¡¹


    After the girl said so, Parish¡¯s armor began to crumble to the ground.


    The scythe of the girl didn¡¯t touch Parish¡¯s body at all. She had urately aimed for his armor. Parish¡¯s armor crumbles in the next moment.


    But, it¡¯s not just his armor that crumbled. Even the clothes below his armor are cut.


    ¡¸It¡¯s a failure, huh¡­ My aim is still 1 mm off. I have no choice but to start training again¡¹


    The moment the girl said so, Parish trouser slips down.


    Parish¡¯s ass is visible to us in its full glory.


    ¡¸How small¡­ Is yours tiny sized one?¡¹


    The girl mutters so as she looked down.


    That attack is too devious. I feel bad for Parish.


    ¡¸Uuuh¡­. RETREAT! FOLLOW ME!! EVERYONE!!!¡¹


    Parish is running away while desperately covering hisher region. That¡¯s wa~y too uncool of him.


    ¡¸MONSTER!¡¹


    ¡¸WITCH! SILVER WITCH!!¡¹


    ¡¸RUN AWAY!¡¹


    My subordinates are also running away from this ce.


    ¡¸OMIROS! LET¡¯S FOLLOW THEM!¡¹


    MacGius is urging me to run.


    ¡¸Understood!¡¹


    I turn around and run away with the rest.


    When I turn around while escaping from that ce, I can see that the girl isn¡¯ting after us. Then, I noticed that there¡¯s another person besides that girl.


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    ¡ôDark Knight, Kuroki


    ¡¸Too weak. I don¡¯t even know whether my skill is improving or not¡¹


    Kuna is pouting as she said so.


    ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. Kuna is too strong after all¡­.¡¹


    I gently brush Kuna¡¯s hair. Thereupon, Kuna¡¯s expression softened a little.


    ¡¸They escaped. What shall we do then, Kuroki? ¡¹


    Kuna is asking me.


    ¡¸To be honest¡­ I¡¯m also wondering about that¡­.¡¹


    We just identally saw those peopleing out from the goblin nest when we were riding on Glorious.


    I¡¯m sure that whoever they are, they must have some sort of contact with Parish the brave.


    Since they might escape if they see Glorious approaching the goblin nest, I made Glorious tond at a slightly separated ce and approached them while erasing my presence.


    Well then, what should we do now I wonder? Why are theying to this kind of ce? Should I ask for the reason?


    But then, they might be the one who banished Regena into the goblin nest. Those guys might have no decent reason. So, it might be better if I don¡¯t ask them.


    Thus, I wanted to give them the taste of a slightly bitter experience so that they will nevere again.


    And then, when I was about to contact them while thinking of such things, Kuna, currently apanying me, said she wanted to see the results of her training with her giant scythe.


    By the appearance, the scythe is a weapon that is hard to handle. Thus, realbat is definitely the best way to see the result of her training.


    But, I was reluctant to let Kuna fight. But at the end of the day, I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to say no to Kuna.


    Though inurate, I can measure the power of my opponent to some extent. Thus, I know that those guys are weak. They shouldn¡¯t pose much of a threat to Kuna.


    That¡¯s why I agreed to Kuna¡¯s request.


    Thus, Kuna approached them by herself.


    Naturally, I was in hiding so that I could move as soon as the situation turned dangerous. But, they¡¯re much too weak to be considered as a problem. They easily escaped just like that.


    In the end, it seems we can¡¯t make them promise to not return to this ce.


    Should I go after them?


    ¡¸Come to think of it, did you hear what they were talking about previously? ¡¹


    My ears had be much sharper ever since I came to this world. But, I couldn¡¯t hear their voices from my hiding ce.


    ¡¸If I¡¯m not wrong it¡¯s about¡­ Re-¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸Re? ¡¹


    Kuna stopped what she was about to say. And then, it¡¯s as if she was deep in thought.


    ¡¸Uhn, it¡¯s not an important matter anyway. Sorry, Kuroki. Kuna couldn¡¯t hear their voices¡¹


    Kuna is replying so.


    ¡¸Well it can¡¯t be helped, Kuna. You couldn¡¯t hear their conversation, after all¡¹


    Moreover, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m eager to hear that either.


    I would rather ask for their reason. I don¡¯t think that they¡¯re going to be a good child, but Kuna is good at using charm magic, domination magic, and magic to detect deceptions.


    They won¡¯t be able to resist her magic with their low magical power, and we might be able to make them confess their reason immediately.


    ¡¸Well, shall we go back to the demon king castle?¡¹


    I brush Kuna¡¯s hair. Kuna seems to be happy with such a gesture.


    ¡¸Understood, Kuroki¡¹


    Thus, we went together to the ce where we left Glorious.


    ¡¸Kuroki¡­.¡¹


    Kuna who¡¯s walking right behind me is calling my name.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Kuna? ¡¹


    ¡¸Kuroki¡¯s huge, after all¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡­.¡¹


    Did she mean that my back is big? [TL: No, it¡¯s your D1ck]


    Thus, we returned to the demon king castle while having such banter.

 Chapter 34: Ogre-ruled Land

    <h4>Chapter 34: Ogre-ruled Land</h4>


    ¡ôSword Maiden, Shirone


    We are heading toward the north by air.


    Our departure was quite dyed. The reason was the hippogriff that was flying behind.


    Riding the flying hippogriff behind me are Kyouka-san and Kaya-san. The reason for our dyed departure was due to Kyouka-san¡¯s preparation.


    To be honest, I was about to travel alone. I didn¡¯t want to create problems for anyone with respect to Kuroki¡¯s matter.


    I will definitely free Kuroki from the Demon King¡¯s control.


    I am really enjoying aftering to this world. I actually felt the thrill of exploring this world.


    There¡¯s Reiji-kun, Chiyuki-san, and everyone else with me.


    There were painful times, but together, we managed to survive those trials.


    But then, how about Kuroki?


    Kuroki is just a normal human. He had nothing to do with our adventure. He¡¯s different from Reiji-kun. He¡¯s just an ordinary boring guy that you could find everywhere.


    He shouldn¡¯t have been summoned to this world and forced to fight.


    That¡¯s why I must save him at all costs.


    But, the hippogriff is too slow. I want to fly faster but then, there¡¯s no way I canin aftering this far.


    There are two reasons why they¡¯reing along. Firstly, Chiyuki-san was worrying about my safety. Secondly, Kyouka-san wanted to tag along.


    I gaze at the hippogriff. The hippogriff is a demon beast with a lower body of a horse and an upper body of an eagle.


    They¡¯re weaker than griffons but are more suited as mounts due to their docile nature.


    The luggage loaded on that hippogriff is clearly overweight. Kyouka-san¡¯s luggage is just too much.


    It would be better if we had one more hippogriff, but using demon beasts as mounts isn¡¯t thatmon. Since Reiji-tachi were also using them for their part of the journey, we ended up with just this one.


    As expected, this weight is simply unbearable for the hippogriff. We might need to take a break.


    ¡¸Shirone-sama! Let¡¯s take a rest¡¹


    Kaya exactly suggests what was running in my mind.


    I nod at her and lower the altitude.


    I let the hippogriff rest on a slightly open ce.


    ¡¸We shouldn¡¯t continue our journey for the rest of the day. Let¡¯s look for a ce to stay today¡¹


    ¡¸Eh!? We have not traveled that far, though¡¹


    ¡¸We shouldn¡¯t continue for today. The night ising soon. Hippogriffs cannot fly at night¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, you¡¯re right¡­¡¹


    Yeah, hippogriffs basically be blind at night. Thus, they can¡¯t fly at night. But, I¡¯m different. I can still fly even at night. I should be able to arrive at Algore or Veros by the end of the day if keep flying at my top speed.


    ¡¸Shirone-sama¡­ Please stop with such foolish impulses to go there by yourself¡¹


    Maybe because she could easily guess my train of thought, Kaya warns me about my thoughts.


    In the first ce, the reason they areing along is that Chiyuki-san was worried about me going alone and made a request for them to tag along.


    By the way, there was also the idea of letting the temple knights escort us. However, such an idea was dropped when the matter of distance between the Rox kingdom and the Holy Republic Lenaria was taken into consideration.


    Most of all, everyone is worried about me. Thus, I can¡¯t just tly reject their goodwill.


    ¡¸I know, Kaya-san. Even so¡­¡¹


    I¡¯m saying so while looking at the baggage.


    ¡¸Shouldn¡¯t we decrease the weight a little¡­¡¹


    The sluggish speed of the hippogriff is thanks to the heavy baggage on its back. It should be able to fly faster with lesser load.


    ¡¸Oh my, we don¡¯t know how long we¡¯re going to stay in the northern country, you know. So, this much is normal¡¹


    I can¡¯t say anything to refute Kyouka-san¡¯s reasoning.


    It¡¯s my selfishness that brought us to Velos or Algore, the northernnd. We might be able to get information about Kuroki if we got closer to Nargol.


    Thus, we are currently traveling to the north while betting on such a tiny possibility. Since I do not know when I¡¯ll get hold of such information, I have to prepare myself to stay there for a long time.


    Thus, I must express my gratitude to the two of them who had been preparing themselves for staying so long with me.


    Moreover, despite saying it¡¯s Kyouka¡¯s luggage, most of the luggage is, in reality, mine. Thus, I really can¡¯t say anything to them.


    ¡¸Uuh. I understood¡­¡¹


    Thus, I gave up in the end.


    ¡¸Well then, since you agreed, let¡¯s take a little detour since I found a human country a while ago, let¡¯s stay there for the night¡¹


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    ¡ôSword Maiden, Shirone


    This country is too small to be considered as one.


    The poption hasn¡¯t even reached a thousand. The buildings are also shoddy; it reminded me of a thatched hut I saw in a book a long time ago.


    This country-like vige, despite saying so, is called Koki. Coming to such a small country isn¡¯t the first time for me. There was a time when we were staying in the middle of the road during our journey to Nargol.


    But then, the majority of such small countries are closed countries, and many of them even refuse a short visit.


    Naturally, Reiji won¡¯t ept such reasons. He would force his way to stay inside such countries.


    He told us that there¡¯s no way he could let women sleep on the field. Thanks to that, we almost never camped outdoors.


    Kaya-san will be negotiating with the chief of Koki country. Will they refuse our request?


    What is Kaya going to do in that case? Since there is no chance for her to let Kyouka-san camp outside, will she break through with raw power?


    As we walked all the way until the house of the Chief, the residents seem to have been scared by the hippogriff mount we had. We might be able to do something if we use it as a threat against them.


    ¡¸We¡¯re travelers. May we stay here for one night? We will pay for our stay, too¡¹


    ¡¸No, no, no, don¡¯t mind about such things. If it pleases you, feel free to stay in my house¡¹


    But the decision of Koki¡¯s Chief was against my expectations.


    The chief of Koki shed a nice uncle¡¯s smile.


    Suddenly, I feel something is out of ce in his smile.


    ¡¸Well, this way, please. Since that demon beast is going to stay in the barn, I will take him thereter¡¹


    But, Kaya-san is shaking her head in denial.


    ¡¸No, it¡¯s good as long as we can stay in the same room. Please guide us there¡¹


    Kyouka-san and I are astonished by her words.


    ¡¸Y¡­ Yes, this way then¡¹


    It seems that the Koki Chief is also as surprised as us. He¡¯s at a loss.


    Thus, we¡¯re staying in the barn.


    ¡¸What happened to you, Kaya?¡¹


    Kyouka-san is asking Kaya-san.


    Even though Kyouka-san is there, we don¡¯t know why Kaya decided to stay in the barn. Hippogriff aside, I want to decline the ce we¡¯re going to stay.


    ¡¸Youngdy. May I ask something to Shirone-sama?¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, to me?!¡¹


    I¡¯m surprised due to her out of the blue question.


    ¡¸Didn¡¯t you feel that something¡¯s amiss from that man¡¯s expression?¡¹


    I ponder about my feeling again after being asked by Kaya-san.


    ¡¸Yeah. It felt like that the Chief uncle is looking at us in the same way demons look at us¡¹


    Kaya also agreed to my words.


    ¡¸Yes, I felt the same way as Shirone-sama¡¹


    The eyes of that uncle made my enemy perception ring warning bells. That uncle had the same eyes as a demon who had just caught his prey. Previously, since it was only for a moment, I thought it was just my imagination. However, since Kaya-san felt it too, it doesn¡¯t seem to be a figment of my imagination.


    ¡¸It seems the Chief of this country is going to do something bad to us¡¹


    Kaya-san is smiling lightly. A chill runs down my spine.


    ¡¸What shall we do now? Shall we leave this country?¡¹


    If this country is trying to harm us, it¡¯s better to leave this ce immediately. But Kaya-san shook her head in denial.


    ¡¸I would love to do that but¡­ The night hase. It¡¯s hard to find a camping ground at this kind of time¡¹


    Hippogriffs are unable to fly in the night. Most of all, none of us can use night vision or light magic. I can move during the night to some extent with body perception magic, but there¡¯s a limit to that skill.


    As Kaya-san said before, it¡¯s already toote to leave.


    ¡¸But, what shall we do then, Kaya?¡¹


    Kyouka-san is asking. I can feel a tinge of irritation in her voice.


    ¡¸Naturally, we¡¯ll leave after resting for a while. I don¡¯t know what the citizens of this country would try to do to us, but it doesn¡¯t matter as long as we take them down¡¹


    Kaya-san is clenching her fist.


    I heave a sigh. Well, the people of this country might have just targeted the wrong prey.


    But then, it can¡¯t be helped.


    Even Kaya won¡¯t force her way into the country if they were just simply preventing us from entering. But then, it¡¯s apletely different story if they¡¯re trying to harm us.


    At that moment, I could feel signs of people surrounding the barn in which we¡¯re staying.


    I look outside through the windows of the barn. The people surrounding our barn are holding weapons in their hand.


    The Chief of this country is amongst them. It seems that he¡¯s gathering hisrades to stop us.


    ¡¸It seems they havee. Shall we punish those naughty children, youngdy?¡¹


    Saying so, Kaya-san is pping her fist in front of her chest.


    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­


    ¡ôGovernor Echigos


    ¡¸Echigos-sama! PLEASE SPARE HER! PLEASE! PLEASE DON¡¯T TAKE MY DAUGHTER AWAY FROM ME!¡¹


    A man is prostrating in front of me.


    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, that¡¯s beyond my abilities. It has been decided that your daughter will be a sacrifice for Zengu-sama¡¹


    ¡¸Please do something about that! Please take the other girl!!¡¹


    ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped, you¡¯re a man, too. It seems that you don¡¯t care about the fate of the other girl as long as your daughter¡¯s life is spared¡¹


    I ended up sniffling to him. The sorrow of others tastes like sweet nectar to me. This is why I can¡¯t get enough of this job.


    ¡¸Father!¡¹


    Someone is entering the room. I know that face. She¡¯s the daughter of the man who is prostrating in front of me.


    ¡¸Machime! What are you doing here!!¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s enough, father! I have already epted my fate as food for the ogre! That¡¯s why, please stop trying to sacrifice the other girl in my ce!¡¹


    ¡¸But if I do that¡­ You¡¯ll¡­¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s enough, father¡­ I¡¯m really d to be born as your daughter¡­¡¹


    The father and daughter embrace each other.


    Howughable¡­ I mean, what a touching conversation.


    ¡¸Little girl, you¡¯ve quite a strong will, don¡¯t you? Well then, nice resolution¡¹


    I¡¯m saying so to the girl with a somber face while desperately trying to hold back myugh.


    ¡¸Yes, Echigos-sama¡­¡¹

 Chapter 34.2 : Ogre-ruled Land

    <h4>Chapter 34.2 : Ogre-ruled Land</h4>


    The girl is saying so while bowing lightly.


    Such a brave girl. She makes me want to take her in as my possession without offering her to Zengu-sama.


    This country is under the supervision of a certain ogre called Zengu. The citizens of this country are livestock for the ogre.


    And this girl has been chosen to be the offering for the said Zengu.


    Zengu ordered me to choose a girl as a birthday gift for his mother. He told me to choose a healthy one, rather than a fleshy and beautiful one.


    Though I want to choose an ugly girl, my life will be in jeopardy if I lose the favor of Zengu. That¡¯s why, I really am regretting the fact that this brave girl is about to die.


    ¡¸Echigos-sama!¡¹


    Another one ising.


    ¡¸You¡¯re noisy, what is it now?¡¹


    The one who came is my subordinate.


    ¡¸Travelers! Three girls just came! They are quite beautiful, too¡¹


    Beautiful girls.


    I couldn¡¯t let that word pass.


    ¡¸Travelers, huh¡­ Guide me to meet them¡¹


    I went along with my subordinates to meet those girls.


    Thus, when I met those girls-


    ¡¸Hou¡­¡¹


    I unintentionally let out an admiring voice. They¡¯re the most beautiful women I¡¯ve ever met.


    It seems the proud looking woman in the middle is their leader. She¡¯s wearing the finest quality garment, so she might be the princess of a country.


    I want to keep these woman in this country.


    And then, behind those three are definitely hippogriffs.


    I heard that it¡¯s possible to tame the demon beasts, a long time ago, but I never expected to see a tamed hippogriff.


    They might have bought a reared hippogriff.


    In any case, this hippogriff isn¡¯t hostile to humans.


    I must be lucky for getting my hands on the finest women along with the tamed hippogriffs.


    ¡¸We¡¯re travelers. May we stay here for one night? Naturally, we¡¯re going to pay for our stay¡¹


    The woman on the left started to negotiate.


    ¡¸No, no, no, don¡¯t mind such things. If it pleases you, feel free to stay in my house¡¹


    I replied so.


    It¡¯s natural since I¡¯m going to strip them of all their possessions. Thus, I don¡¯t need any rewards right now.


    I looked at those three like a hunter looks at their game while pretending to be calm.


    ¡¸Well, this way, please. Since that demon beast is going to stay in the barn, I¡¯m going to take him thereter¡¹


    When I was about to guide those three to a residence.


    ¡¸No, it¡¯s good as long as we can stay in the same ce. Please guide us there¡¹


    The woman on the left asked me to guide them to the barn.


    With only straws for a bed, the barn is far from enough as a residence for humans. I¡¯m wondering why I felt chills running down my spine when I heard the voice of this maid.


    ¡¸Y¡­ Yes, this way then¡¹


    Thus, I guided them to the barn while thinking about that matter.


    After guiding them to the barn, I gathered my subordinates to ambush them.


    The one we should ce our utmost attention on would be the woman carrying a sword with her hair tied to the back. [TL: Shirone with her ponytail] She must be talented to be able to be the bodyguard of a woman with such high standing.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s about time to enter, Echigos?¡¹


    A voice was calling from behind.


    When I turned around, the one who spoke was a man carrying arge sword. He has a brawny body with muscles bulging at various parts of his body and a pair of canines protruding out from his mouth. No matter how you look at him, he¡¯s such a barbaric man.


    And this man is also another reason why there are no demons invading this country.


    ¡¸So it is Daigan-sama. It¡¯s as you say, they¡¯re the finest quality gems¡¹


    ¡¸Tricking some women and then ambushing them when they¡¯re being careless, huh?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, naturally that¡¯s my n. GUFUFUFU¡¹


    ¡¸Kukuku, Echigos, even the evil me has lost to you¡¹


    ¡¸Nonono, I¡¯m still far away from Daigan-sama¡¯s level. Gufufufufu¡¹


    Daigan isughing.


    That¡¯s right. As long as we have this man, we have nothing to fear.


    I was caught by Zengu the ogre when I was traveling as a merchant.


    But then, by using my ass kissing skills on him, I somehow ended up as thendlord of this ce in which Zengu raises the humans inside as his livestock.


    For the sake of sessfully raising the human livestock in this ce, Zengu lent Daigan to me.


    The people of this country obey me because of their fear of Daigan.


    Even though I¡¯m just a merchant, I¡¯m something like the king of this country now. I can do anything as long as I use Zengu¡¯s power.


    Much less to say when the other party isposed of merely three frail girls, so what do I have to be afraid of?


    What I¡¯m afraid of is that we might injure the girls when we capture them.


    Moreover, I¡¯ll have my way with one of them before offering her to Zengu.


    I unintentionally wanted tough.


    ¡ôGovernor Echigos


    ¡¸Echigos-sama. Those women are inside the barn¡¹


    I receive a report from one of the guards.


    There are fifty armed men in my surroundings.


    Though this number seemingly looks overkill just to capture three women, it¡¯s logical to use such huge manpower since my goal is to capture them without any resistance by showing our overwhelming numbers.


    Well then, how should we break into the barn?


    But the door of the barn was opened before we barged in.


    Standing there were the three women who hadn¡¯t changed at all since we met a while ago. In short, they¡¯re still armed.


    ¡¸At the very least, we need to hear your reason to do this¡¹


    The lordly woman, their leader, is asking so.


    Well, what answer should I give them then?


    ¡¸M-My daughter will be saved as long as you be her substitute! Sorry, but please be her recement!¡¹


    When I¡¯m wondering what to say, the man who prostrated in front of me previously replied ahead instead of me.


    Those three women exchanged nces when they heard his words. And then, they¡¯re seemingly consulting about something.


    ¡¸It seems you have some sort of circumstance. Do tell us your story¡¹


    Maybe because they heard that man¡¯s story, the lordly woman is asking again.


    But, I have no intention to continue such useless storytelling anymore.


    ¡¸Regardless of our circumstances, she¡¯s iparable to you, youngdies. How about putting down your weapons? We won¡¯t hurt you as long as you surrender to us¡¹


    I give them my warning.


    Why in the hell are they asking for our story anyway? No human can beat the ogre.


    As long as they are obedient, I¡¯ll let them have a good time before offering them to Zengu.


    I look at those women while having such indecent thoughts. Thereupon, the woman holding a sword in her hand is ring at me.


    I almost stumbled back unable to support my body after seeing the glint in her eyes.


    ¡¸W-we¡¯re going to use violence if you resist, you know!¡¹


    Those women don¡¯t seem to have changed their attitudes after my warning. Why can they stay calm despite being surrounded by so many people?


    ¡¸Doesn¡¯t matter! Catch them!!¡¹


    On mymand, my subordinates approach those girls.


    ¡¸It seems there are some people who can¡¯t be reasoned with unless they experience some pain, huh? Kaya! Shirone-san! Let¡¯s teach them a lesson!¡¹


    The haughty woman nods to the women on her sides while saying so.


    ¡¸Youngdy. Please refrain from any overwhelming actions¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed you must restrain yourself, Kyouka-san¡¹


    Yup, the woman on her sides were most likely her attendants. And just like that, the proud-looking woman in the middle steps back.


    The woman on the left is making a stance with her fist, while the woman on the right is making a stance with her sword.


    Five of my subordinates are going for the left one.


    ¡¸You choose the painful wa-¡­ EH? ¡¹


    I doubted what my eyes showed me.


    Those five men have already fallen without making any sound. The men are rolling on the ground while growling in pain.


    ¡¸UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡¹


    Someone is suddenly screaming on my right.


    When I look at that direction, the men who tried to catch the woman on the right have already fallen on their asses. Some even fainted.


    Their ropes and weapons have already been shredded to pieces.


    Looking closely, that¡¯s not the only things shredded to pieces. Their hair is gone, too.


    Since I didn¡¯t have any bald subordinates, their hair might have been shredded just at this moment. What speed!


    The rest of my subordinates are already cowering in fear due to those scenes.


    ¡¸HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING! THERE¡¯S ONLY THREE OF THEM! DO YOU WANT TO BECOME OGRE FOOD! CATCH THEM!¡¹


    I look at my subordinates while shouting at them.


    They¡¯re rolling on the ground like the first ones who tried and ended up as a group of bald people.


    These women are strong.


    Even I am starting to fear their power.


    ¡¸Step back, Echigos. Let me do this¡¹


    ¡¸Daigan-sama¡­¡¹


    My subordinates are retreating.


    ¡¸You¡¯re quite strong, huh. Let this one be your opponent¡¹


    After saying so, Daigan¡¯s body starts swelling up.


    His already tall body frame bes taller. Bristles appear from his body; his face and mouth start growing forward.


    ¡¸Werewolf!¡¹


    The woman with the sword cried in shock.


    Daigan¡¯s true identity is that of a werewolf. Zengu the ogre sent him to this country in order to protect the humans in this country who have been domesticated by me.


    This Daigan was already trained by those ogres to not touch the human livestock of the ogre.


    But, his physical prowess as a therianthrope is the real deal. No matter how talented a human is, they won¡¯t be able to beat him.


    ¡¸Hoo, a werewolf, huh. Well then, let me be your opponent¡¹


    The woman with the sword is preparing her stance with a calm face. Even when she¡¯s facing a werewolf, her expression is far from fear, she rather seems to be enjoying this instead.


    Her attitude angers Daigan.


    ¡¸LITTLE GIRL! DON¡¯T MAKE FUN OF ME!!¡¹


    Daigan attacks with his sword.


    I panic after seeing that. He must not kill them. Maybe because she¡¯s unable to move, she does not show any sign of trying to guard against the iing sword.


    ¡¸¡­ EH?¡¹


    Suddenly, Daigan lets out an exaggerated voice.


    I also can¡¯t believe what I am seeing. The sword in Daigan¡¯s grip¡­ Is gone.


    Looking closely, his hands are still gripping the handle of his sword. The sword has not been unsheathed from the sheath on his back.


    ¡¸I-IMPOSSIBLE!? WHEN DID YOU!!?¡¹


    Daigan became flustered.


    There¡¯s no blood spurting from the bisected part of his arms, it¡¯s raising a trail of smoke instead. The sword of that woman is wrapped in mes.


    ¡¸Still want to try?¡¹


    The woman with the sword asks again. Though she¡¯s smiling at us, her eyes don¡¯t seem to be smiling at all.


    ¡¸KYAAAIN!¡¹


    Daigan got cold feet and tried to escape. But, he fell before even that. Now, his left foot is gone. Just when did she slice his left foot?


    ¡¸KYAAAIN! KYAAAAIN! HYIIIII, MY HANDS, MY FOOT!!¡¹


    Daigan is wailing and rolling on the ground in such an unsightly manner.


    ¡¸Who the hell are you guys¡­¡¹


    I¡¯m muttering so. Their power is abnormal.


    ¡¸GIVE IT UP! GUYS!¡¹


    The woman who was using her fists to fight suddenly shouted in a loud voice.


    ¡¸GIVE IT UP! YOU PEOPLE, WHO DO YOU THINK THE PERSON YOU¡¯RE TRYING TO ATTACK IS? THIS PERSON¡¯S NAME IS KYOUKA, THE KIN OF REIJI-SAMA, THE HERO OF LIGHT! SHE¡¯S YOUR PRINCESS! YOU PEASANTS SHOULD JUST GIVE UP!!¡¹


    I¡¯m shocked by what that woman said.


    The hero¡¯s¡­ Little sister.


    I did hear the rumors about the hero. The man had dived deep into Nargol where demons far more terrible than the ogre were waiting to kill him.


    Quite the haughty man who won¡¯t forgive anyone who bes his enemy.


    Even though the demon king wasn¡¯t defeated since he got his ass kicked by the dark knight, one can measure the height of his power by seeing how he can get so far to the point of reaching the demon king castle.


    And, I heard that the hero had already recovered. And if this woman is the little sister of the hero, my life might be in jeopardy if I were to attack her.


    No, even without that, these women are freaking powerful. We¡¯re absolutely no match for them.


    ¡¸Haha~~~!¡¹


    I prostrate in front of that woman called Kyouka. The other men also do the same.


    I¡¯ll submit to the strong till the very end. That is my raison d¡¯etre.


    ¡¸I never knew that you¡¯re the little sister of the hero! PLEASE FORGIVE MEEEE©`©`©`! ! ¡¹


    ¡ôSword Maiden, Shirone


    We are currently sauntering under the moonlight.


    We¡¯re heading for the castle, the living ce of the ogre Zengu.


    Basically, an ogre lives in the mountain and built its castle or pce there.


    Even though it looks like a castle from the human¡¯s perspective, it¡¯s nothing more than a mansion for the ogre due to their huge build.


    Being able to build a castle means that they have considerably high technology. Some of them even excel in magic. High physical power along with magical power, so speaking of theirtent potential, no need to say about humans, even the elves can¡¯t match them.


    But inparison to their power, they¡¯re fairly stupid, it seems they fall behind the humans in terms of wisdom. There¡¯s a story about a stupid ogre whose castle was seized after being tricked by a cat fairy.


    But fortunately, their numbers are far less than humans. For that reason, the majority of humans are living without being ruled by them.


    But then, this country is ruled by one of those ogres.


    ¡¸That¡¯s the ce, Kyouka-sama. Zengu mansion¡¹


    Following the directions of Echigos, Kaya is pointing at the mansion on top of a cliff.


    That was a splendid mansion considering that it was built for the ogre.

 Chapter 34.3 : Ogre-ruled Land

    <h4>Chapter 34.3 : Ogre-ruled Land</h4>


    This castle was around an hour¡¯s walking distance from Koki country.


    The day had turned to night. I wanted to hit the bed and yet here I am, doing this request.


    The craftsmanship of the ogre is high due to the fact that they can build castles and pces on the mountain. It seems that some of these ogres are even capable of building a castle on top of a cloud.


    It is said that various treasures are hidden inside the castle of that ogre. It is also mentioned that the size of an ogre mansion is proportional to the number of treasures hidden within.


    I¡¯m looking at Zengu mansion. Though it¡¯s far more splendid than the residence of a human, looking from the front, it¡¯s on the smaller side for an ogre.


    It seems that Zengu is on the weaker side as an ogre.


    ¡¸Well then, let me too¡­¡¹


    I seize the clothes of Echigos when he tries to run away.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ What¡¯s the matter, Shirone-sama?¡¹


    ¡¸Are you thinking about going back, Echigos-san? I don¡¯t care if it was another person, but there¡¯s no way I can let go of you and that werewolf¡¹


    When I said so, Echigos and Daigan lower their line of sight.


    This Echigos is a human, but different from the other humans in the country, he was the one supervising the citizens of Koki by ttering the ogre. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m just letting him go.


    The country of Koki is being ruled by the ogre called Zengu. ording to Kaya-san¡¯s investigation, countries ruled by a powerful demon like this one aren¡¯t on the rare side.


    This kind of country isn¡¯t attacked by the other demons in exchange for it being ruled by a demon. That¡¯s why at a nce, there¡¯s more merit to it.


    But, that is nothing more than a rtionship between livestock and it¡¯s owner. There¡¯s no way anyone will be fine being treated as food.


    After hearing their story, the citizens gleefully offered themselves to be our guide when we said that we¡¯re going to y the ogre Zengu.


    So, aside from Kyouka-san, Kaya-san, and I, some people havee with us to this mansion of Zengu.


    Being guided by Echigos, Daigan, who has the power of several people, is carrying our baggage after we healed his arms and foot. Several citizens of Koki country are also following behind us .


    I push Echigos to keep moving until we neared the gate.


    ¡¸ZENGU-SAMA¨D¨D¨D!ZENGU-SAMA¨D¨D¨D!PLEASE OPEN THE GATE¨D¨D¨D!¡¹


    After Daigan hollered, that huge gate opened.


    The oneing out from inside is as tall as height of three menbined. It¡¯s a five-meter-tall giant man. This one might be the one called Zengu.


    ording to Echigos, Zengu is the youngest ogre amongst the eight of his mother¡¯s children. It seems that we arrived in this country while Echigos was in the middle of choosing a human sacrifice as a present for his mother¡¯s birthday.


    Zengu seems like a human in thetter half of his thirties. A sloppy type with a bulging belly. Yup, definitely a dumb one.


    In fact, I feel absolutely no threat from Zengu when he came out while scratching hisher region.


    ¡¸Oh, isn¡¯t this Echigos, what¡¯s the matter that brought you to meet me today?¡¹


    And then, Zengu¡¯s eyesnd on us who are standing behind Echigos.


    ¡¸Hou, so you havee to bring the women for my dear mother, huh. It must be hard on you, Echigos¡¹


    Zengu isughing while he¡¯s looking at us. That smiling face is creepy. The racial characteristic of ogre race is the fact that there¡¯s a huge tusk that grows upside down. Thus, they have a huge mouth and a square-shaped jaw. That¡¯s why they look creepy when theyugh.


    The citizens of Koki are frightened.


    ¡¸Let me see, what do you feel now?¡¹


    Zengu is stretching his hand toward Kyouka-san.


    At that moment, I thought ¡°Watch out¡±. Kyouka-san herself isn¡¯t dangerous. Kyouka-san can¡¯t control her own magic. If Zengu ever touches Kyouka-san, the angry Kyouka-san might use magic and turn the entire area into charcoal.


    Thus, I retreated.


    Kyouka-san is always on house-sitting duty. Though Kyouka-san hated that duty at first, as expected, even Kyouka-san agreed to do house-sitting duty when her rampaging magic identally injured Reiji-kun when he was trying to protect Sahoko-san.


    Zengu¡¯s hand is approaching Kyouka-san. But, that hand is swatted away.


    ¡¸You shouldn¡¯t try your luck by touching mydy¡¹


    Naturally, the one who did that was Kaya-san. Even though she was standing behind me, she¡¯s already in front of me since who knows when.


    ¡¸What the hell are you?¡¹


    Zangu leaps toward Kaya-san.


    ¡¸(Heart Break)!¡¹


    She lightly punched the chest of Zengu while uttering so.


    ¡¸GUH!¡¹


    Just like that, Zengu fell down while moaning in pain.


    ¡¯Heart break¡¯ is a skill that demolish someone¡¯s heart without causing any external wounds via the shockwaves that are transmitted when the fist connects to the target.


    Zengu¡¯s heart stopped beating and copsed.


    ¡¸Well then, just when we need food for our hippogriff¡¹


    The people on the surrounding tremble in fear when she said so while looking at Zengu.


    ¡¸No way¡­ That ogre, with one hit¡¹


    ¡¸How can she do that with such a slender body¡¹


    ¡¸Moreover, being treated as food for the magical beast¡­ She¡¯s even more terrifying than the ogre¡¹


    Several citizens of Koki unintentionally utter out aloud. By the way, sometimes I also feel that Kaya-san is scary.


    Kaya-san tosses the body of the ogre to the hippogriff who came along.


    ¡¸I¡¯m so tired, Kaya. Let¡¯s go in¡¹


    Kyouka says so and goes inside.


    When we followed her to enter the mansion of the ogre, the inside was as splendid as its outer appearance.


    ording to Chiyukipedia, the architectural skill of the ogres are on par with the dwarves; there¡¯s even a legend of them building a castle above the clouds.


    So, choosing to lodge for one night in the mansion of the ogre is a better choice than that human house. However, since this is originally an ogre¡¯s residence, we still need to do some cleaning.


    The bedroom seems quite disordered.


    There are a lot of pictures of naked ogre girls pasted on the wall of the room.


    And there¡¯s this underwear-like thing scattered on the floor.


    ¡¸This one seems like a garbage can, yes. But then, there¡¯s a lot of ball-like things in there. It smells fishy¡­¡¹


    Kyouka-san is frowning while saying so. That kind of things appeared inside Kuroki¡¯s room once in a while. I think it¡¯s better to not touch those ball-like things.


    ¡¸ording to the stories, this is the room of a single man, so¡­¡¹


    Kaya-san is muttering.


    ¡¸Kuroki¡¯s room wasn¡¯t as messed up as this one though. Could it be THAT thing is also hidden somewhere in this room?¡¹


    I think Kuroki¡¯s room can be considered clean whenpared to Zengu¡¯s room. There are no such indecent pictures pasted on the wall of his room.


    Even so, I¡¯m sure that hi book is hidden somewhere. The matter of sneaking into his room and reading it became quite an amusement for me.


    Thus, I went into the room.


    ¡¸Ah, as expected, I found one. An hi book¡¹


    I discovered a lot of books with pictures of naked female ogres drawn on its cover ced under the bed. It should be sexy pictures, but I feel that the squarish jaw and tusk are far from the aesthetic sense of beauty of males of the human race.


    ¡¸Shirone-sama. Please do not open this any further¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, sorry. We¡¯re going to dispose of this immediately, right. The ogre¡¯s just simr with Kuroki for hiding those kinds of books¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s filthy. My dear brother doesn¡¯t have such a book, right Kaya?¡¹


    Kaya-san nods to Kyouka-san¡¯s words.


    ¡¸Yes, Reiji-sama didn¡¯t have this kind of books. But then¡­ It might be due to the fact that he didn¡¯t need this kind of books¡¹


    Kaya-san responds so.


    ¡¸Well, that¡¯s true. My dear brother is different from Shirone-san¡¯s childhood friend, he doesn¡¯t have these suspicious books¡¹


    I feel a bit offended after hearing Kyouka-san¡¯s words.


    ¡¸Reiji-kun is amazing indeed, but it¡¯ll make a poorparison if youpare him to a normal boy like Kuroki¡¹


    I reply to defend Kuroki. Moreover, almost all men are poor inparison to Reiji-kun.


    ¡¸That might be the case Shirone-sama, but can you even say that he is a NORMAL boy?¡¹


    ¡¸What do you mean, Kaya-san?¡¹


    ¡¸He won against Reiji-sama. If Reiji-sama is special, that makes him even more special, right?¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡¹


    I¡¯m at a loss.


    ¡¸I never held any strong impression about him whenever you talk about him. But then, it turns out that he is a monster when we fought him before. Are you really sure that he is your childhood friend?¡¹


    Kaya-san is asking such a question.


    ¡¸He¡­ is definitely Kuroki. Yup, no doubt about it¡¹


    I reply to her. I should never mistake Kuroki for another person.


    Kuroki should be spending a normal and boring everyday life in our original world, but he came to this world for some reason.


    That Kuroki appeared before us as a powerful opponent. That, in itself, is strange.


    Especially for a normal and in guy like him. He is definitely Kuroki. I don¡¯t know what she means, though.


    Kuroki could never win against me. He should be far weaker than me.


    Someone like him shouldn¡¯t be able to win against a hero like Reiji-kun.


    But, it was definitely Kuroki. My head is in chaos.


    ¡¸In that case, he was most likely hiding his true ability. I can feel it in seeing myself that his movements belong to someone who trained in martial arts for a long time. Though I train in martial arts too, he¡¯s far beyond me in that matter. No one should be able to reach such heights in martial arts unless they have an extremely powerful drive behind them¡¹


    I receive a stronger shock due to Kaya-san¡¯s words. I was supposed to be one who understood Kuroki the most. But, it was different in reality.


    The time I spent with Kuroki decreased ever since I met Reiji-kun. Did something happen during that time?


    And here I am, really vexed to not be able to see that something.


    ¡¸To be honest, even I don¡¯t know about that. There¡¯s way too many things that¡­¡¹


    I cast my eyes down as I answer Kaya-san.


    ¡¸I see¡­ Well, at least we caught a glimpse of it¡¹


    Kaya-san is saying so, seeing my state.


    I can¡¯te up with an answer no matter how much I think about it now. Then, I¡¯ll just take Kuroki back and make him spit out the truth.


    ¡¸That is so, Kaya. Let¡¯s take a rest for now¡¹


    Kyouka-san seems to want to rest. Yup, I want to sleep, too.


    ¡¸Certainly, I¡¯m going to prepare the meal after tidying this room. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a wise choice to eat meat in this kind of ce, so I¡¯ll prepare a vegetarian meal. Please take rest for now; the sheet quality is far superior than the human-made one¡¹


    I nod to Kaya-san.


    We tidy up the room with the help of the people who came with us and have a meal after that.


    We made good use of the people who came along.


    Especially the father whose daughter almost be a sacrifice, he worked with extreme gratitude toward us.


    But then, it seems some amongst them are working because they¡¯re scared of us.


    I don¡¯t know what will happen to this Koki country after this. The other monsters mighte to invade in the absence of the ogre.


    But, I can¡¯t do any more than this for this country.


    After tidying up the room and having a meal, we send off the people of Koki.


    It seems that the ogre that lived in this mansion had some siblings, but they¡¯ll know that we killed their sibling only when theye to this country.


    After the meal which was followed by a simple hot bath, we slept.


    The sheets of the ogre¡¯s bed aren¡¯t stinking since we used new ones. Though there¡¯s only one bed, it¡¯s enough for the three of us since the ogre bed is fairlyrge.


    Now, I can¡¯t help but think about it. When I¡¯ll meet with Kuroki, I should understand the situation.


    Thus, we fell asleep.


    ¡ôRuined Echigos


    Someone, please save me.


    Even if I want to scream, I can¡¯t talk due to the gag in my mouth.


    As soon as we returned, those citizens of Koki only looked at us with pitying gazes.


    The same things happened to Daigan who is unconscious with his movements sealed with numerous locks.


    Though that woman called Kaya let us live after I led them, she hanged us upside down from the ceiling of the ogre mansion. That woman is a demon.


    I was told that those women called Kaya and Shirone seemed to be able to sense my intent to harm them. Thus, I was arrested by them for having wicked thoughts toward them.


    Thus, I¡¯m in my current predicament.


    The night wind is cold.


    Why must this Echigos-sama suffer from this situation? Tears are streaming down from my eyes.


    What will be of me?


    Someone, please help me!

 Chapter 35.1 : The Goblin And The Prince

    <h4>Chapter 35.1 : The Goblin And The Prince</h4>


    ¡ôYoung Omiros


    The moonlight is shining upon the forest. The two of us keep continue walking in a ce full of shadows.


    ¡¸Sorry¡­ I¡¯m so sorry¡­ Omiros. If only I never said I wanted to pick those flowers¡­ Such things¡­ Such things¡­¡¹


    Regena is sobbing non-stop.


    There¡¯s a certain flower which grows in the Akeron mountain range that can cure her mother¡¯s illness.


    Regena, who knew about it, wanted to acquire that flower for her ill mother, but then we got lost on our way back.


    We¡¯re lost inside this forest and the day has turned into night.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Regena. I wanted to help you, so this much isn¡¯t a problem¡¹


    I¡¯m saying this tofort Regena even though I¡¯m also scared of the dark night. But, I can¡¯t show such an unsightly state in front of her.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m sure that the search party is on its way. We will return home for sure!¡¹


    Regena is nodding after hearing me saying so.


    ¡¸Uhm, if Omiros says so¡­¡¹


    We began walking again, but this time I noticed that something was following us.


    ¡¸Omiros¡­ It seems that something has been following us for some time¡­¡¹


    Maybe due to her anxiety, Regena also noticed that.


    ¡¸Yeah, I know¡­¡¹


    We shouldn¡¯t be walking with our backs facing the Akeron mountain range because we¡¯re the people of Algore, the closest country to Nargol. There aren¡¯t many humans inhabiting the area between the Algore kingdom and the Akeron mountain range, the border separating us from Nargol. The one following us might be a goblin.


    I have heard a lot of things about goblins from my mother, cruel things¡­ They are extremely ruthless monsters, so I don¡¯t know what will be of us if we are captured.


    ¡¸Could it be¡­ A goblin?¡¹


    Now, Regena is uttering my suspicion aloud.


    ¡¸R-Regena! Let¡¯s sing! Goblins should be weak to songs!¡¹


    I heard about it from my mother. Goblins are weak against beautiful singing voices. I don¡¯t really know the reason, but it seems that the human singing voice sounds terrifying to them.


    ¡¸Singing¡­ A song?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah! Sing a song! I¡¯m sure that no goblin will approach us due to your beautiful voice!!¡¹


    I heard Regena singing a song before. I remember that she has an extremely beautiful voice.


    ¡¸Yeah. I understand, Omiros. But, what kind of song should I sing?¡¹


    ¡¸You sang a song in front of me once before, right? Let¡¯s go with that one¡¹


    Regena nodded when I said so.


    ¡¸I understand, that song huh¡­


    In the deep corner of the forest.


    A ck bird is searching for true love.


    Crossing over the mountain in search of love.


    Flying over the blue sky.


    In the middle of the emerald forest.


    It met a white bird.


    The ck bird is singing with joy, and yet.


    The white bird isn¡¯t singing.


    In the midst of the ck bird¡¯s cry.


    It¡¯s flying toward the evening sun¡¹


    We continue walking with Regena singing that song.


    Her beautiful voice reverberates inside the dark forest.


    I¡¯m listening to her singing voice in ecstasy. Our connected hands that trembled slightly have eased up a little. It seems that the song also eased up our fear.


    The signs that someone is following us are gradually disappearing, too.


    It seems we might be able to get back safe and sound.


    ¡¸You¡­ Have a beautiful voice, huh?¡¹


    A voice is saying so from inside the darkness.


    Regena, who stopped singing, and I peer at the darkness. Someone is hiding there.


    ¡¸W-Who are you!?¡¹


    I went in front of Regena in order to protect her.


    Someone ising out from the darkness.


    ¡¸Go¡­ Blin¡¹


    The one who appeared under the moonlight was a goblin.


    He came out despite Regena¡¯s singing voice. Is there a goblin who can resist singing voices amongst the goblins?


    ¡¸I¡¯m not a goblin, human¡¹


    The goblin is saying so with a pouting face.


    ¡¸No way! I¡¯m sure that the one standing before me is a goblin. Your face is that of a goblin!¡¹


    Surely, the goblin who appeared in front of us is closer to a human whenpared to usual goblins, but his features are not that much different from a goblin¡¯s. So, he might be a humanoid goblin.


    ¡¸CEH! You won¡¯t believe me, huh. Eh, whatever¡¹


    The humanoid goblin is saying so while looking at Regena.


    ¡¸My subordinates were running away because of the singing voice of that female over there, thus I had no choice but to show myself¡¹


    ¡¸Running away because of a singing voice? Isn¡¯t that a proof that you are a goblin?!¡¹


    But the humanoid goblin is shaking his head in denial.


    ¡¸My underlings are goblins, but I am a HUMAN!¡¹


    I¡¯m shocked from hearing that. Goblins are supposed to be creatures that tend to attack humans. Or so I¡¯ve been taught.


    And this guy just said that those goblins are his underlings, didn¡¯t he?


    ¡¸If you really are human, you should have saved us you know!¡¹


    When I said so, the humanoid goblin made a surprised face.


    ¡¸Why must this great me have to save you? I hate males¡¹


    The humanoid goblin turned his sight to Regena.


    I saw a dangerous glint in his eyes.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s run, Regena!¡¹


    ¡¸Yup!¡¹


    I felt that this humanoid goblin was up to no good, so I grab Regena¡¯s hand to run away from this ce, especially from him.


    ¡¸As if I¡¯ll let you! PARALYZE!¡¹


    But my body felt sluggish when the humanoid goblin said that word.


    Regena is also on her knees since her body is likely to have been paralyzed, too.


    ¡¸Regena!¡¹


    ¡¸Sorry¡­ Omiros¡­¡¹


    Regena is apologizing. Though the effect is weaker on my body, it seems that Regena has beenpletely paralysed.


    ¡¸Huhm, so you can withstand the magic of the great me, huh?¡¹


    The humanoid goblin is approaching us while saying so.


    ¡¸Stay away from Regena!¡¹


    I stand before the humanoid goblin.


    ¡¸Huhm!¡¹


    Since I can¡¯t see the surroundings because of the darkness, I was tripped to my side by the humanoid goblin¡¯s feet.


    ¡¸UWAAAAAAAAA!¡¹


    I fell while screaming like that.


    ¡¸OMIROS!¡¹


    Regena screamed after hearing my sorrowful scream.


    But, she¡¯s falling over since her body is still in a paralyzed state.


    ¡¸Oops!¡¹


    The humanoid goblin standing in front of Regena seized her chin to take a closer look at her face.


    ¡¸No¡­ Let go, LET GO OF ME¡­!¡¹


    I¡¯m starting to hear Regena¡¯s crying voice.


    ¡¸Release Regena!¡¹


    I¡¯m desperately trying to raise my body, but he kicked me and made me fall again.


    ¡¸GUH!¡¹


    The humanoid goblin then trampled over my back with his foot, all the while his hand holding Regena¡¯s chin.


    ¡¸Be a good child!¡¹


    After saying so, the humanoid goblin put more strength into his feet.


    ¡¸Uuuuh¡­¡¹


    That power is enough to make me moan in pain.


    ¡¸If not, I¡¯ll crush you to death!¡¹


    The humanoid goblin is increasing the amount of pressure on my back. I couldn¡¯t even take a breath anymore.


    ¡¸Stop, don¡¯t do such cruel things to Omiros¡­¡¹


    Regena is saying so despite her condition.


    ¡¸I see, I see. Well, if you say so¡¹


    The humanoid goblin stopped applying his weight on his foot. Thanks to that, I¡¯m no longer in pain, but my body can¡¯t move since his foot is still on my back.


    ¡¸Hyiii¡­¡¹


    Regena screamed in fright. When I leaned my head to the side to see what just happened, the humanoid goblin seems to be embracing Regena.


    ¡¸So you¡¯re a female human, huh?¡¹


    Saying so, the humanoid goblin¡¯s hand brushes on Regena¡¯s skin while sniffing her scent.


    ¡¸Your skin is softer than that of a female goblin, and your smell is so nice¡¹


    It was as if the humanoid goblin is getting excited. It really is frustrating to not be able to do anything but watch.


    Regena became more frightened.


    ¡¸R-Re¡­ Guargh¡­¡¹


    I can¡¯t speak very well. The reason might be the foot that¡¯s ced on my back. Tears are streaming down from my eyes.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve decided! You¡¯ll be my woman!¡¹


    After saying so, the humanoid goblin then licked Regena¡¯s face.


    ¡¸H¡­ HIIII¡­¡¹


    Regena lets out a muffled scream.


    ¡¸I have imprinted my saliva on you. Now, you¡¯re MINE. My name is Goz! Your man!¡¹


    The humanoid goblin called Goz isughing.


    ¡¸I¡¯m going to find you after you be an adult, so wait for me till then!¡¹


    After saying so, Goz vanished into the forest.


    A whileter, the paralyzed me and the crying Regena are left behind.

 Chapter 35.2 : The Goblin And The Prince

    <h4>Chapter 35.2 : The Goblin And The Prince</h4>


    ¡ôPrince of Algore, Omiros


    The morning rays of sunshine made me open my eyes.


    It¡¯s just an unpleasant dream from my childhood. I dream of it almost every night nowadays.


    The bitter memories of the time when I couldn¡¯t protect Regena.


    After that, we were saved by the adults who came looking for us.


    From that day onwards, I trained myself to be even stronger.


    In addition, I wanted to protect Regena from various things within Algore.


    For this reason, I also left Algore for one year on a journey to gain experience, but when I returned, Regena was already gone. Now, I don¡¯t even know for what reason I became stronger.


    I came out of my room after tidying up my bed.


    ¡¸Good morning, prince Omiros¡¹


    Someone called my name when I left my room. When I turned around, I saw a girl standing behind me.


    ¡¸Please stop with that ¡®prince¡¯, Rietto¡­¡¹


    The title prince doesn¡¯t sit well with me. I don¡¯t want to be called with such a title gained from banishing Regena into that goblin nest.


    ¡¸How should I call you then?¡¹


    ¡¸Will you call me by my name just like before¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Okay. Good morning, brother Omiros¡¹


    Rietto is the little sister of MacGius. Because my father was very busy, I was raised alongside Rietto and MacGius. She, who¡¯s basically younger than me by five years, was raised as the younger sister of MacGius, her blood brother and me. This is the reason for her calling me brother Omiros.


    ¡¸Did you go to the mountains again?¡¹


    Her eyes became slightly cold when she asked me that.


    Rietto and MacGius¡¯s parents were executed by the former king, Qupis. That might be why she dislikes the fact that I¡¯m looking for Regena.


    ¡¸I won¡¯t go today¡­ I mean I have to make preparations to attend the ball of the Velos kingdom¡­¡¹


    Parish and I are going to attend the ball of the Velos kingdom which is going to be held five days from now on behalf of my father. And today, I have to to prepare myself for that event.


    ¡¸So you¡¯re still going to search for ¡°her¡± on another day?¡¹


    ¡¸¡­¡¹


    I¡¯m at loss a for words when Rietto asked that question.


    ¡¸She¡¯s already dead, you know¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Rietto!¡¹


    I unintentionally shouted at her.


    ¡¸But you keep saying that she¡¯s alive. Why¡­ Why are you so sure of that? No human, not even the soldiers, cane out alive once they enter the goblin¡¯s nest¡­¡¹


    Normally, it¡¯s as she said.


    But then, I recall the matter of Goz, the human-like goblin who said that he¡¯ll send his subordinates to pick Regena. Why do I see that dream nowadays? Because of it, I know that Regena might have been caught by Goz and may still be alive.


    Thus, I continue searching for her in the goblin¡¯s nest while holding to such a remote hope.


    I never told anyone about that possibility. When I was a child, none of the adults believed me when I told them about that humanoid goblin.


    Though they might have trusted me if Regena also told them, maybe because she didn¡¯t want to recall such painful memories, the person herself didn¡¯t say anything. Naturally, I won¡¯t me Regena for this matter since the one who was the most traumatized by this event was Regena.


    The only one who believed me was Regena¡¯s mother. She was kind to me, the young master of her rival n.


    She was the one who gave me and Regena the magic amulet, which is also my treasure that can repel goblins.


    Regena¡¯s mother passed away two years after I met Goz.

 Chapter 35.3 : The Goblin And The Prince

    <h4>Chapter 35.3 : The Goblin And The Prince</h4>


    Now, the only one who knows about the existence of Goz is me.


    But, no one else, including Rietto, believes in the existence of Goz. From her perspective, I must be the greatest fool.


    ¡¸I mean, an ident might happen during one of the times when brother Omiros goes into the goblin nest¡­ I¡¯ve had enough of seeing people dear to me dying¡­¡¹


    Rietto is saying so with a gloomy face.


    ¡¸Sorry, Rietto¡­¡¹


    I gently caress Rietto¡¯s face.


    Such a kind girl is worrying about my safety. But then again, I couldn¡¯t just stop looking for Regena.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, the brave Parish is also with me. I will definitelye back alive¡­¡­.¡¹


    Hearing my response, Rietto disys a slightly peculiar face.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Rietto?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s about Parish-sama¡­ I don¡¯t want to badmouth him since he¡¯s our lifesaver, but¡­ I noticed that he acts strange sometimes¡¹


    ¡¸Acts strange?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah¡­ I don¡¯t know how to exin it, but I just feel that he¡¯s strange¡­¡¹


    Rietto¡¯s intuition is sharp. Did she notice something?


    ¡¸Come to think of it, where is that guy right now?¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t seen him all day long¡¹


    Rietto replied while shaking her head.


    Parish always disappears like smoke from time to time. It seems he went somewhere today.


    Just where in the world is that guy when we have to make our preparations to go to the Velos kingdom today?


    ¡ô Goblin Prince Goz


    After leaving the filthy goblin vige in the south, I finally arrived in the northern part of Akeron.


    It¡¯s been a long time since I returned to the Karon kingdom.


    It¡¯s a better ce whenpared to the other goblin nests, nevertheless it¡¯s still a goblin nest.


    ¡¸Stop right there, human! ! What¡¯s your business, gob?¡¹


    The crowd of goblins surrounded me. But then, my acquaintance came out from inside.


    ¡¸There¡¯s an image recorded with picture magic gob. He¡¯s a human called Parish gob. What are you doing here?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, general Keneo¡¹


    Ignoring the question, Keneo was surprised when I called his name.


    ¡¸Why do you know about my name gob? ¡¹


    ¡¸It seems that even general Keneo can¡¯t see through it¡¹


    Keneo is quite formidable amongst the goblins. But, it seems he really has no knowledge about my real appearance.


    I cancelled my magic to show him my real appearance. I didn¡¯t want to show this figure if possible but things will go nowhere if I don¡¯t show him my real face.


    ¡¸Ah! You¡¯re P-Prince GOOOOOOOOOOOOZ!!¡¹


    Keneo and those goblins shouted when they saw my appearance. That was natural, since the brave of the humans, Parish, is the son of their queen.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right. It¡¯s Goz, general Keneo. It¡¯s been a while. I want to meet my mother, would you let me pass? ¡¹


    I bow slightly while requesting.


    Keneo is the husband of my older sister. I can¡¯t be so impolite toward him. My older sister is far stronger than me, in short, a dangerous existence. Thus, it¡¯s better if I show my courtesy toward Keneo.


    Keneo ponders for a while after hearing my request.

 Chapter 35.4 : The Goblin And The Prince

    <h4>Chapter 35.4 : The Goblin And The Prince</h4>


    ¡¸Please wait for a while gob! I¡¯m going to ask her highness permission gob¡¹


    After general Keneo said this, his subordinates went to meet my mother.


    ¡¸This way, Goz¡¹


    After Keneo called me, I went along the corridor toward my mother¡¯s room.


    There are several huge gates connected to my mother¡¯s room.


    I fell on my knees and bowed my head toward my mother. This mother of mine is merciless toward anyone who¡¯s rude to her, including her own children. That¡¯s why I have to show my utmost courtesy.


    ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, my dear mother¡¹


    ¡¸Raise your face, Goz¡¹


    I raised my face since my mother alowed it. Thus, I saw the figure of my mother, Datie. My mother was as ugly as ever.


    And the child who was born between the goblin queen and male human is me.


    When ites to crossbreeding, if the child is male, then it¡¯ll inherit his father¡¯s race and if it¡¯s a female, then it¡¯ll inherit her mother¡¯s race. Thus, I am a human.


    Female goblins rarelye out of the nest. The ones thate out of the nest are the males. There¡¯s no such thing where male goblins kidnap male humans and bring them back for female goblins for breeding. And there¡¯s no way human males will mate with those ugly female goblins, anyway. That¡¯s why in normal cases, female goblins almost never give birth to male humans. But, there¡¯s always an exception. Namely, me.


    These goblins will bring back male humans for a powerful queen like my mother.


    I don¡¯t know what kind of a person my father was since he was already dead long before I was aware of my surroundings. But, I can imagine the reason for his death. He might have had quite the handsome visage for my mother to be attracted toward him.


    And then, he must¡¯ve been raped by my mother. As long as someone drinks the powerful aphrodisiac made by her, any male will get an erection even if the other party is ugly as hell. She most likely squeezed him dry till he died.


    I touched my face. Even though there¡¯s no mirror, I can tell that my face resembles that ugly face of my mother. The nature of the parent of the other race is inherited by the child. For example, the male human born from their elf mother possesses powerful magical power.


    That¡¯s why, even though I¡¯m not a goblin despite my mother being a goblin, I inherited her goblin characteristics. My face is that of an ugly goblin. My younger brother who died right after his birth was the same.


    Even if one of my parents is a goblin, goblin nests aren¡¯t a nice ce for humans. The feeble children of humans will die immediately.


    I somehow survived since I inherited my mother¡¯s magical power. But, it seems that my younger brother and elder brother weren¡¯t as lucky as me. They didn¡¯t inherit my mother¡¯s magical power. I heard that I¡¯m the only male born from my mother who survived this long.


    All the others were already dead.


    Looking at my mother, she might be the strongest goblin around since her magic power is equal to that of members of the demon race.


    Though mine is a far cry from my mother¡¯s, this powerful magical power is the sole grace from my mother.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, I rarely see you nowadays¡­ To think that Parish was you in disguise. It seems that the magical power of the scouts couldn¡¯t see through your illusion¡¹


    My mother is saying so whileughing.


    I never told anyone that I went to the human kingdom by changing my appearance for the sake of severing my connection with my mother. Thus, this problem happened.


    ¡¸Dear mother¡­ I was attacked by a silver-haired witch when I was using my identity as Parish a while ago. Do you know about her identity, dear mother? ¡¹


    My mother pondered for a while when I asked that question.


    ¡¸Silver-haired witch¡­ Ah, I remember now. She was the woman who came along with that awe-inspiring Diehart-sama. I made a report to Diehart-sama since some people were making a disturbance in the southern settlementtely. Moreover, I wanted to meet Diehart-sama¡­¡¹


    My mother said so with an fascinated face.


    I can be sure of it now that my mother told me. That silver witch was sent by my mother.


    I did heard about this person called Diehart. He is the dark knight who defeated that terrifying hero. And that beautiful silver witch might be Diehart¡¯s subordinate.


    ¡¸Dear mother, I have no reason to go against you. Naturally, that also includes his majesty, the


    demon king. But, is that matter really that urgent for you to report it to his excellency Diehart?¡¹


    Though I was spared in ourst meeting, it doesn¡¯t mean that I won¡¯t meet her again. There¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to let myself be killed at that time.


    ¡¸I know, I know. This matter has been conveyed to his excellency, you know. Did youe here only for this reason?¡¹


    One of my goals foring to this ce has been achieved, but I have another goal in my mind.

 Chapter 35.5 : The Goblin And The Prince

    <h4>Chapter 35.5 : The Goblin And The Prince</h4>


    ¡¸There¡¯s another matter. Dear mother, may I ask for your aphrodisiac?¡¹


    ¡¸That drug? What are you going to do with that?¡¹


    ¡¸It seems that a ball party or whatever, you might even call it a feast, is going to be held in a human kingdom called Velos. I¡¯m going to use it on those female humans during that time¡¹


    Iughed while saying so. The secret drug created by my mother isn¡¯t just effective on males, it works wonders upon females, too. I¡¯m going to enjoy the ball three days from now to the fullest.


    ¡¸Fufun, that drug, huh. Well, that sounds interesting, take some with you¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you very much, dear mother¡¹


    After saying my gratitude, I left the queen¡¯s room.


    Treading the passage toward my own room, I kicked those annoying female goblins that were ogling on me.


    I have no interest in sleeping with these ugly female goblins after sleeping with female humans.


    After returning to my own room in Karon kingdom, I realized that this ce wasn¡¯t that much differentpared to when I saw itst time.


    This room might be the only habitable ce for humans in this Karon kingdom.


    My room isn¡¯t damp and humid like your usual goblin nest. Despite light entering from the roof, my room won¡¯t leak when it¡¯s raining.


    The males born from my mother, the queen of goblins, are to be raised in this room.


    And while being a human, I was raised as a goblin prince.


    Though my authority as a prince isn¡¯t that powerful since my mother has a lot of children, but since I¡¯m a prince, there weren¡¯t any inconveniences with my life in the Karon kingdom.


    I was raised by goblins.


    My face is as ugly as a goblin¡¯s from a human¡¯s perspective, but I, the most handsome goblin, can sleep with any female goblin I choose as much as I desire.


    I did receive a severe scolding from my mother for overdoing it, though she pardoned me that time for warning me to control myself in the Karon kingdom from that moment.


    Instead of the Karon kingdom, I did as I pleased in the goblin area on the southern side of the Akeron mountains.


    Though the goblins in the southern side aren¡¯t under my mother¡¯s control, I can do as I pleased and no one can stop me since they fear my mother, the queen of Karon.


    But, the nest of those fools stink whenpared to Karon; their females are also as boring as hell and not as good as the ones in Karon.


    I decided to leave the Akeron mountain range for the area ruled by humans, bringing along some of those stupid goblins.


    And then when I led them toward the closest human settlement, I met Regena.


    I thought that I met my destined person.


    I did have a look at female humans from afar before, but it was the first time I wanted to make a female human mine.


    That¡¯s why I drooled.


    And then, I made a n to secure Regena for myself.


    I wanted to kidnap her, but I thought it¡¯s better to wait for her to grow since human children are prone to death in goblin nests.


    That¡¯s why I decided to overlook her at that time and build my power to kidnap herter.


    And then, I learned magic with such zeal that I managed to learn powerful magic a few yearster, even if it can¡¯t bepared to my mother¡¯s magic.


    After that, I headed toward Algore to kidnap Regena.


    No matter how much powerful I became, going against all the humans in Algore was still dangerous. That¡¯s why I decided to look for a chance to infiltrate Algore.


    ording to my investigation, it should have been fairly easy to enter Algore for a powerful warrior.


    But I was rejected the first time I went there.


    The reason was because I¡¯m too ugly.


    Thus, I decided to change my appearance with magic and then go inside. I used an illusion magic that should be able to charm any person with a weaker magical power than mine.

 Chapter 35.6 : The Goblin And The Prince

    <h4>Chapter 35.6 : The Goblin And The Prince</h4>


    I also decided not to use my goblin-like name, so I chose Parish, instead.


    Since there are no magicians in Algore, no one could see through my disguise.


    But, I can¡¯t be careless since even if no one can see through my disguise, some people will feel something off due to my disguise.


    And then, I, who managed to infiltrate Algore as a freedom fighter, finally got a chance to look at Regena from up close. However, since Regena felt ufortable whenever she saw my appearance, I couldn¡¯t get too close to her.


    I couldn¡¯t feel any magic power from the young Regena. I wonder what happened? Did her magical power grow since Ist saw her? Or else, is she being protected from my magic with some sort of magic tool? Either way, I couldn¡¯t get too close to Regena.


    Thus, it was when Ipletely lost my interest in approaching Regena did that annoying heroe.


    For some reason, of all things, that hero is trying to woo Regena, even though she¡¯s mine!


    I must prevent that at all costs, thus I made my move.


    Though I can¡¯t use charm magic, I can still use magic to make someone be more aggressive.


    I used that magic on the younger people of Algore to be hostile toward the hero andter incited them tounch an attack against him.


    The angry hero then fought against the warriors of Algore.


    As a result, the warriors of Algore lost one-sidedly to the hero to the point that they couldn¡¯t fight anymore. Following such barbaric acts, the hero left Algore.


    But then, something happened. Algore¡¯s leadership isn¡¯t inherited by blood, so there was an internal power struggle.


    The warriors of Algore who became agitated due to my own magic started an insurrection.


    Though such insurrection was beyond my expectation in the beginning, I decided to use this chance.


    I continued to pour oil for those small insurrections until they became an all out civil war between the rest of Algore¡¯s ns against Regena¡¯s n.


    Though the n that I supported was weaker than Regena¡¯s, they still won because of my support.


    After executing the king, Regena¡¯s father, I incited the winning n to send Regena to the goblin nest.


    There, as long as I save her and take her to Karon, Regena will be mine for sure.


    But then, another problem urred. Someone took Regena before I had the chance to save her from the goblin nest.


    I don¡¯t know who saved her, but ording to the goblins who I sent to monitor them, the savior was someone who rode a dragon. In any case, I missed my chance again.


    Maybe I should¡¯ve just used another means to get Regena, but it¡¯s toote now.


    Though annoying, there¡¯s nothing I can do to undo this either. Let¡¯s forget Regena for now.


    But instead, I¡¯m going to mess with the other female humans until my identity is exposed.


    The finest ones amongst them will surelye to this ball.


    I am looking forward to it.


    ¡ô Ogre witch, Kujig


    ¡¸Zengu¡­ What in the hell¡­¡¹


    I¡¯m looking at my youngest child who has already turned into bones.


    ¡¸How¡­ could you turn into something like this? WHO IN THE HELL DARES TO DO THIS TO YOU?!¡¹


    My eldest son, Ringu yelled. It seems that he couldn¡¯t hold back his anger after knowing that his youngest brother was killed.


    ¡¸MAMA! BROTHER! OVER HERE!!¡¹


    It seems that my second son Pyoug found something.


    When I looked there, something was written on the wall.


    ¡¸It seems that those guys who murdered Zengu went towards the north¡¹


    He uttered so while looking at the letters on the wall.


    It was written that the murderer of my youngest son is the little sister of the hero.


    It seems that the little sister of the hero went north from this ce. That means she has some sort of business over there.

 Chapter 35.7 : The Goblin And The Prince

    <h4>Chapter 35.7 : The Goblin And The Prince</h4>


    Though it might be a false message, it was easier to understand once I saw that the culprit is the little sister of the hero.


    She might be the little sister of the hero, but I won¡¯t forgive the one who murdered my youngest son. I¡¯m gonna kill her for sure.


    Since my youngest son Zengu didn¡¯te to celebrate my birthday, I just found out about his status after I met his eighth brother, Zaig. I rushed out toward his home at my fastest speed with magic upon hearing information about it.


    ¡¸ANOTHER EMERGENCY OVER HERE, BROTHER RING!!¡¹


    Now it¡¯s the turn of my fifth child, Kaig, who found something.


    ¡¸What is it now?!¡¹


    Ring and Pyoug head toward Kaig¡¯s location and leave me alone over here. Any further searching is unnecessary seeing that we found the culprit.


    ¡¸THIS IS¨D¨D¨D! ISN¡¯T THIS MY TREASURE BOOK THAT I LENT TO ZENG! ! EVERYONE OF THEM IS GONEEEE¨D¨D¨D!¡¹


    ¡¸THE POSTER OF MY BELOVED IVALIA-CHAAAN¨D¨D¨D¨D!!¡¹


    ¡¸GODDAMMIT! WHO DID SUCH A VILE ACT! THIS IS THE LAST OF IT!¡¹


    ¡¸So¡­ Cruel. Even I¨D¨D¨D Am yet to enjoy it!¡¹


    I can hear the agonizing wails of my sons on the other side.


    Maybe because we found out the ce where the culprits are heading to, there¡¯s no way we could stay still in this ce.


    We must go after them!


    Fortunately, she went north, towards my own region. We¡¯re going to catch up with them immediately.


    I went to the firece where my sons are gathering in a circle right now.


    ¡¸YOU GUYS! LET¡¯S GET GOING! LET¡¯S MAKE THAT LITTLE SISTER OF THE HERO TO PAY FOR HER SIN OF KILLING ZENG!¡¹


    My sons nodded in agreement when I said so.


    ¡¸LET¡¯S DO THIS, MOM!¡¹


    ¡¸OOOH! LET¡¯S MAKE HER PAY FOR HER SIN OF BURNING OUR MOST IMPORTANT TREASURE!¡¹


    ¡¸OOOH! LET¡¯S BURN HER IN THE SAME WAY!¡¹


    ¡¸LET HER FEEL MY SORROW AS THE ONE WHO DIDN¡¯T EVEN SEE IT YET!¡¹


    ¡¸ASHES¡­ TO¡­ ASHES¡­¡¹


    ¡¸This pain¡­ Of being unable to enjoy it anymore¡­¡¹


    ¡¸MY IVALIA-CHAAAAAAAAAA¨D¨D¨D¨DN!¡¹


    ¡¸IT¡¯S THE LAST O~~~NE!¡¹


    ¡¸LET¡¯S KILL HER!¡¹


    My sons are directing their anger at the hero¡¯s little sister. It seems that their anger can¡¯t be quenched after seeing their little brother murdered.


    Naturally, mine, too.


    For I am a descendant of the ogre who served the heavenly giant race who once waged war against the gods of Elios.


    Though the heavenly giant race was defeated and had vanished from this world, those ogres were left with their master¡¯s inheritance.


    Even if she is the little sister of the hero, this won¡¯t end in this way as long as I use that inheritance and take advantage of it.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s get going! Though I don¡¯t know who that little sister of the hero is, this ogre from the Kujig family will take your life! Prepare yourself for our revenge!¡¹

 Chapter 36.1 : Capital of North

    <h4>Chapter 36.1 : Capital of North</h4>


    ¡ôSword Maiden, Shirone


    Velos kingdom is the biggest human race kingdom that¡¯s located closest to Nargol.


    Sandwiched between the Akeron mountain range and the thriving blue forest, this kingdom was located at the estuary of a river that flowed down to the central ins.


    The kingdom¡¯s poption is around 150,000 people. Due to the kingdom being located in the demon infested area, there are no other cities outside the rampart. Though the other kingdoms around were poor, Velos kingdom was different from them. Velos kingdom was the biggest source of harvested fruit that resembled apple around this area.


    Due to its sweet vor, there are various requests from other kingdoms to make use of this fruit as a vor or as an ingredient for liquor.


    The fruit of this Velos is exported all the way upto Holy Republic Lenaria, far south from this ce.


    Currently, Kyouka-san, Kaya-san, and I are inside the royal pce of Velos kingdom. By the way, we entrusted our hippogriff to the horse barn of this kingdom.


    Though I pity the other horses, it really can¡¯t be helped since there¡¯s no other option.


    ¡¸If it¡¯s not Shirone-sama, wee to this Velos kingdom!¡¹


    A man in his fifties, the king of this kingdom, Es. This is the second time I am meeting him.


    Es is a nice chubby uncle; he talked to us, people who are even younger than his daughter, politely without even showing any unpleasant expression while doing so.


    His appearance resembles that Echigos guy. But, their inner personalities are pr opposite of each other.


    ¡¸Shirone-sama. And over there is the little sister of hero-kun, I presume? ¡¹


    Es is looking at the one who is sitting on my right in a self-conceited manner, Kyouka-san.


    By the right etiquette, instead of sitting, she should be standing since the king of this kingdom is weing us while standing. Reiji-kun aside, I do think that she¡¯s being rude toward the king.


    But Kaya-san isn¡¯t even reminding Kyouka-san. Rather, it seems that she took it as natural.


    ¡¸It¡¯s as you say, King Velos. That person is the little sister of hero Reiji-sama, princess Kyouka. She wants to stay in this kingdom for a while. Please set up the arrangements for us¡¹


    Kaya-san is saying so in a self-conceited manner.


    ¡¸Hahaha. Naturally. Please feel free to stay in this Velos kingdom for as long as you want¡¹


    Es isughing heartily without even an ounce of anger after hearing Kaya-san telling him so with such rude manners.


    There¡¯s no malice in his eyes, in contrast to when we talked to Echigos. I thought that he was a kind person when we met him before, but it didn¡¯t seem that he changed from the previous time.


    We chose this Velos kingdom as our base to gather information about Kuroki.


    Though Algore kingdom was closer to Nargol, it¡¯s an unsuitable ce for us to stay due to the incident that was caused by usst time, so Velos kingdom is our choice as a base due to its wealth.


    ¡¸By the way, youngdies. The truth is, we¡¯re going to hold a ball dance the day after tomorrow, do you want to participate in it?¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸A ball dance? ! ! ¡¹¡¹¡¹


    Our words are ovepping.


    We exchanged nce in hearing king Es¡¯s offer.


    So a meeting of such big shots exist no matter where you are. This might be the so called high society in this world.


    Especially in a demon-infested world like this one, humans must cooperate to survive.


    Not just inside the rampart, it would be for the best if they cooperate with other countries; for this reason, many high-ranked royalty and nobility of each country often held these kind of gatherings. So to speak, this is a way ofmunication between the countries.


    It was held in the form of tea party, banquet, simple meeting, and ball dance.


    I participated in several ball dance and banquet parties during my journey with Chiyuki-san and Reiji-kun.


    Despite being called as ball dance, it has various forms; it¡¯s not just limited to a ball dance like in Cindere story that first came to my mind.


    It might be held in a form simr to a dance party like the ones in American movies or folk dance-like ball dance.


    ording to Chiyuki, the ball dance has the same meaning as thentern festival dance[Obon Festival] in Japan.


    But well, despite many disparities, the mostmon one is a ball dance where you form a pair of man and woman to dance along with elegant music.

 Chapter 36.2 : Capital of North

    <h4>Chapter 36.2 : Capital of North</h4>


    This kind of ball dance is the one that is usually held in Velos.


    ¡¸What shall we do now?¡¹


    I enquire Kyouka-san and Kaya-san for their opinions.


    To be honest, we should participate in it.


    It doesn¡¯t mean that Es is coercing us to participate, but we¡¯ll be in his care after this. Not epting such an invitation might be a bad choice.


    We should attend it even if it¡¯s just me.


    But I feel bad for Es if the others aren¡¯t too keen to join in.


    The reason is because the ball dance is going to be held for another meaning, namely to look for marriage partners.


    We, who came to this world along with Reiji-kun, have received numerous marriage proposals.


    Amongst them were legitimate heirs of nobilities and a prince of some country.


    Normally, it would be the highest honor for us to receive marriage proposals from those young nobles but, to be honest, I couldn¡¯t feel an ounce of interest in all of them.


    At any rate, everyone is too brittle. With our level of power, a normal male will have their bone broken just by having us gripping their hand a little bit stronger. For this reason, we must be very careful when we dance. Dancing with that kind of feeble men isn¡¯t interesting at all, nor do I feel like epting their marriage proposal.


    In the first ce, even without marrying them, for someone as powerful as us, bing a king in any kingdom is easy. Anyway, I also don¡¯t feel the charm of the position called king.


    Moreover, they¡¯re going to bepared with Reiji-kun.


    Thus, no matter how much marriage proposalse from the people who are way inferior to Reiji-kun, it¡¯ll be iparable. It¡¯s really troublesome.


    Rino-chan stopped going out for the very same reason. Nao-chan wasn¡¯t interested in the first ce. Sahoko-san didn¡¯t attend such parties in the first ce because she can¡¯t stand bing the center of attention. Naturally, I¡¯ve also never attended such a party.


    As expected with the kind of situation where it¡¯ll make us feel bad if no one will be attending, only Reiji-kun and Chiyuki-san have the will to attend such parties nowadays.


    Even now, I wish that I didn¡¯t have to participate if possible.


    Looking at Kyouka-san direction, Kyouka-san doesn¡¯t seem too eager to attend it either.


    She¡¯s extremely beautiful as long as she stands quietly.


    Naturally, whether it¡¯s in this world or back in our world, many men dreamed of marrying her, too. In fact the number of men who courted her was far surpassing any of us. And then, it seems that she eventually got fed up with that. Thus, I expect that she won¡¯t participate in this party.


    ¡¸Understood. We¡¯ll participate in that ball dance. Right, mydy?¡¹


    But then, Kaya-san acknowledges her to participate in that ball dance.


    ¡¸Kaya! Why did you decide this on your own!!¡¹


    Kyouka-san is flustered.


    ¡¸Mydy! Handling this matter is your job, mydy! Moreover, this is reasonable as you should take some distance from Reiji-sama. I think it¡¯s better to use this asion to know about the other gentlemen!¡¹


    ¡¸Uuuuh¡­¡¹


    Even Kyouka-san is at a loss for words when facing against Kaya-san¡¯s pressure.


    Even the always arrogant Kyouka-san is no match for Kaya-san.


    I really can¡¯t gauge the depth of their rtionship.


    Though I feel bad for Kyouka-san, I do think that this kind of job matches Kyouka-san due to her position as the little sister of Reiji-kun. Her figure being wrapped in a ball dance dress might be extremely beautiful.


    ¡¸Ha~¡­ I understood, Kaya¡­¡¹


    Kyouka-san and I unwillingly gave in to Kaya-san¡¯s pressure.


    ¡¸Hahaha, the ball dance should be more exciting with your presence¡¹


    Thus, we decided to attend the ball dance that is going to be held the day after tomorrow.


    ¡ôPrince of Algore, Omiros


    Parsish is riding our horse toward Velos kingdom. Despite the fact that we left Algore early in the morning, it¡¯s already night.


    Velos is a big kingdom that is surrounded by a rampart and a forest without any urban area. Every tree of the forest bears a sweet fruit called as the fruit of Velos, one of Velos¡¯s specialty.


    When I take a nce at the rampart, I could observe the various kind of ornaments that were added all over the high rampart.


    Maybe because it¡¯s originally a fortress for a battle against demons, Algore¡¯s architecture ended up being a bit rustic.


    Different from Algore, Velos is an extremely wealthy kingdom.


    Velos¡¯s development is based on their trade and livelihood in this area.


    The poption is triple that of Algore. Their wealth might be no less than ten times of Algore.


    That Velos kingdom, the central kingdom in this region, has now gathered their neighbouring royalty and nobility for a ball dance under the sponsorship of the royal family. Naturally, we¡¯re included as one of the attendees.


    Though we came too early for the ball dance that is going to be held the day after tomorrow, there¡¯s a reason for that.


    I can¡¯t dance. I think it¡¯s the same for Parsish.


    In the first ce, there¡¯s no hindrance to our daily life even if we can¡¯t dance.


    Though I have been trained as a warrior, I¡¯ve never taken any dance lessons. The one who needs to tackle this kind of trouble is only the one who will be the king.


    I really want to send aint to Montes, my father. Though father should be the one attending the ball dance, he passed that responsibility to me since he can¡¯t dance either.


    Algore¡¯s future is directly rted to this ball dance. How can you really entrust such an important job to me?


    During the reign of previous king, Qupis, Algore was a poor and isted kingdom. We need to have a good rtionship with Velos kingdom, the biggest kingdom of this region to cancel the istion policy that had been set on our kingdom.


    Since the royalties and nobilities of various kingdom are also gathering in this ball dance, it became the most ideal stage to cancel the istion.


    If we seed, we might even manage to provide a good impression to the big shots of various kingdoms in that ball dance.


    That¡¯s why, though I¡¯m unwilling, I must attend this ball dance.


    ¡¸A ball dance, I¡¯m going too enjoy this, your highness¡¹


    Parsish chimes in, seemingly excited by that.


    It seems that, different from me, Parsish is going to enjoy this ball dance. He shouldn¡¯t be able to dance like me, but are you not feeling anxious at all?


    Nothing can be done if you can¡¯t dance. That¡¯s why I want to ask king Es to introduce us to someone who can teach us how to dance.


    No one can dance in Algore. And that was the reason why I havee earlier: to have a dancing lesson.


    It¡¯s already night, but we might be able to meet the king.


    We headed toward the royal pce.


    We told the gatekeeper of the royal pce that the prince of Algore hase.


    I really can¡¯t get used to this prince title, yet.


    The pce guard hase to lead us.


    ¡¸Ooh, you finally came. Parsish-kun, prince Omiros¡¹


    King Es gives a warm wee when we enter the room. He is the prince whose fiancee was snatched by king Qupis.


    For that reason, Algore and Velos wasn¡¯t on good terms during the time Qupis reigned as a king.


    ¡¸Our deepest gratitude for inviting us to this ball dance¡¹


    I express my gratitude.


    ¡¸Not at all, it¡¯s for both sides sake, after all. I hope to be on good terms with Algore from now on¡¹


    Es isughing heartily. King Es is truly a kind-hearted person, and it seems he even allowed his fiancee to elope with Qupis, but the surrounding kingdoms weren¡¯t as kind as him and severed any diplomatic rtionship with Algore. But then, I really want our kingdom to be on good terms from now on.


    ¡¸Nevertheless, you¡¯ve arrived quite early. The ball dance is still the day after tomorrow, you know¡¹


    ¡¸The truth is, there¡¯s something I wish to ask in regard to the ball dance¡¹


    ¡¸And what it might be?¡¹

 Chapter 36.3 : Capital of North

    <h4>Chapter 36.3 : Capital of North</h4>


    ¡¸As a matter of fact, Parsish and I can¡¯t dance. May I ask your majesty to introduce us to a woman who can dance, or someone who can teach us dance?¡¹


    Hearing my request, king Esughs heartily.


    ¡¸Wahahaha, I see. Well, that¡¯s good. Shall I introduce you to people who¡¯ve fulfilled both of your conditions?¡¹


    ¡¸If possible, a beautiful woman would be nice¡¹


    Parsish expresses his thoughts with such impudent response.


    ¡¸Parsish!¡¹


    I lost my cool. I don¡¯t want to incur the king¡¯s displeasure due to such trivial matters.


    ¡¸Hahaha, we have many of them. Allow me to introduce the super beauties of our nobilities¡¹


    But then, king Es didn¡¯t seem to mind that. I feel relieved upon seeing that.


    ¡¸Beauty, huh. That would be for the best¡¹


    Parsish expresses his satisfaction in a delightful tone.


    I heave a sigh while wishing that no problems would happen.


    ¡ôSword Maiden, Shirone


    ¡¸It¡¯s nice to meet you, my dear princess. My name is Parsish. It¡¯s my honor to be able to dance with someone as beautiful as you¡¹


    The man called Parsish bows his head to Kyouka-san.


    There¡¯s a cramp on Kyouka-san¡¯s face.


    Though I don¡¯t want to say something that discredited someone¡¯s face, the face of the man called Parsish resembled that of a goblin. To put it bluntly, it transcended the realm of ugliness. And to be honest, not a desirable dancing partner.


    But since it¡¯s not like he also wished to be born with such an ugly face, I chased away such thoughts.


    But then, I noticed one thing.


    It seems that the man called Parsish made himself look beautiful with magic.


    Because my eyes can see through his magic and hence his real face, his lust-filled ugly face is as clear as day to me.


    Since Kaya-san¡¯s magical power is around the same level as me and Kyouka-san¡¯s is even higher than mine, they might be able to see through Parsish¡¯s disguise.


    Even if not to our level, he obviously has quite an amount of magical power for a human.


    We can use magic without any prior training ever since we came to this world. But then, even individuals among the general poption possessing abundant magical power in this world can¡¯t use magic without prior training.


    There¡¯s no mistaking the fact that he put in quite a lot of effort in his magic training.


    It might have been hard for him to learn the magic to alter his appearance.


    And that said person is showing an elegant expression to Kyouka-san.


    But then, Kyouka-san face stiffened when she was introduced to a man whose face is a billion miles away from her preference.


    The people being introduced to us as ones who don¡¯t have any dancing partner for this ball dance are that Parsish and Omiros who¡¯s standing beside him.


    Es paired me with Omiros and Kyouka-san with Parsish.


    He might look like an extremely handsome guy in Es¡¯s eyes.


    And Kyouka-san is more or less our leader for this ocassion. That¡¯s why Es introduced the best dancing partner to Kyouka-san, our leader.


    But in terms of appearance, Omiros is billions time better than Parsish.


    ¡¸This is the birth of a handsome and beautiful couple. I can¡¯t wait for the ball dance the day after tomorrow¡¹


    Es isughing heartily while saying so. Es isn¡¯t doubting the fact that Parsish is handsome.


    Though I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s going to say once he sees Parsish real appearance, I can¡¯t bring myself to tell him that since that Parsish might be troubled by his appearance, too.


    ¡¸Uhm, may I ask to cha-¡­¡¹


    Kyouka-san is demanding an exchange.


    ¡¸No, this gentleman is good¡¹


    But Kaya-san interrupted her when she was about to ask for an exchange of her partner.


    ¡¸Kaya!¡¹


    ¡¸This is your trial, mydy. As long as you can resist this gentlemen, dancing with any kind of gentlemen thereafter will be a breeze for you¡¹


    Kaya-san mercilessly expresses her reason.


    In fact, opposite to Reiji-kun, Kyouka-san is poor when it came to men.


    Thus, I know that Kaya-san wants to change that point of Kyouka-san.


    But for her to pair Kyouka-san with Parsish, isn¡¯t that more like a desperate measure?


    By the way, Kaya-san isn¡¯t going to dance. Because she¡¯s the type that moves behind the scenes.


    Despite telling us to participate, she¡¯s the only one who isn¡¯t participating. In that point, I¡¯m on the same page as Kyouka-san as I slightly disagree with Kaya-san¡¯s decision.


    ¡¸Right! Ri-ght! Please change him with Shirone-san¡¯s partner¡¹


    Kyouka-san proposes her idea while looking at me with pleading eyes.


    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, Kyouka-san¡­ That¡¯s a little bit¡­¡¹


    I refuse Kyouka-san¡¯s proposal while bowing to her. I also want to be spared from pairing with Parsish.


    When I avert my gaze, Kyouka-san res at me with a reproachful gaze.


    ¡¸Uuuh¡­¡¹


    Kyouka-san is groaning with a vexed voice.


    ¡¸Is there something?¡¹


    Es inquires us in a worrying tone. There¡¯s no way she can tell herint to Es whose job is to only introduce Parsish to us.


    ¡¸No¡­ It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m looking forward to dance with you in the ball dance then¡­ Lord Parsish¡¹

 Chapter 36.4 : Capital of North

    <h4>Chapter 36.4 : Capital of North</h4>


    It seems she finally epted her fate and responded while looking down in disappointment.


    Parsish isughing delightfully when Kyouka-san said so. It¡¯s surely a refreshing smile on his face, but it¡¯s nothing more than a disgustingugh to me who can see his real face.


    ¡¸Well then, please have a pleasant conversation between the youth. I¡¯ll excuse myself for now¡¹


    Es left the room whileughing heartily.


    Which left the five of us in this room.


    Parsish is talking happily to Kyouka-san. It seems he¡¯s truly delighted to be able to dance with Kyouka-san. By the way, Kyouka-san still has that cramp on her face.


    Well, it¡¯s a fact that Kyouka-san is an extremely beautiful woman. She was a beauty even beforeing to this world, but it seems that her beauty became even more refined aftering to this world.


    Aftering to this world, the color of her light brown hair had be closer to gold than ck; her white skin became glossier. Even if it¡¯s not Parsish, the number of men who would want to dance with Kyouka-san would be innumerable.


    But then, Kyouka-san¡¯splexion is rather bad right now, it cast a little shadow on her beautiful face.


    I give my sincere prayer to Kyouka-san in my mind and then look at my own partner.


    ¡¸Best regard¡­ Uhm, I might be lucky to have got Omiros-san?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, best regards too, princess Shirone. I¡¯m Omiros of Algore¡¹


    Omiros bows to me. What he said made me a little bit curious.


    ¡¸Algore? Princess Regena kingdom?¡¹


    ¡¸YOU KNOW ABOUT REGENA!¡¹


    Omiros shouted out aloud when I uttered Regena¡¯s name.


    ¡¸Yes¡­ We met her for a while when we stopped by Algore before¡¹


    ¡¸I see, it¡¯s natural for the wife of hero-sama to meet her. Because I wasn¡¯t in Algore during that time¡­¡¹


    Omiros is saying so with his head lowered.


    His expression is really gloomy. From his expression, it might not be a trivial matter.


    ¡¸Tell me, Omiros-san. Could it be that something happened to princess Regena? ¡¹


    I¡¯m asking just in case since Reiji-kun would worry about princess Regena if he were here.


    ¡¸Yes, the truth is¡­¡¹


    Omiros starts to tell me about what happened in Algore.


    ¡¸No way¡­¡¹


    I¡¯m at a loss for words after hearing the story from Omiros. I never imagined that princess Regena would experience such tragic fate.


    ¡¸It¡¯s a really cruel story, isn¡¯t it?¡¹


    Having heard the story, Kyouka-san is moved to tears.


    ¡¸For their families who were against each other to have torn the two of them. It¡¯s just like a tale that I read in the past¡¹


    After Kaya-san said so, Kyouka-san and I nod in agreement.


    ¡¸Yes, I¡¯ve read that story too¡­ It was an extremely tragic story¡¹


    ¡¸I read that, too. I¡¯m sure that it¡¯s a story which tells about 10 representative ninjas who were sent out to kill each other¡­ It¡¯s such a sad story, isn¡¯t it¡­¡¹


    When I¡¯m saying so, both of them were looking at me with curious faces. Eh?Was that supposed to be a different story?


    ¡¸It¡¯spletely different from the story that I read¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s the type of story that depicted a hellish scenery like that one¡¹


    Why are you looking at me with disappointed faces? I wonder what¡¯s the matter.


    ¡¸I do feel bad about what happened to princess Regena, prince Omiros. Let¡¯s enjoy the ball dance to forget such painful asions! Don¡¯t you think so, princess Kyouka?¡¹


    Parsish is saying so as he took Kyouka-san¡¯s hand.


    Kyouka-san¡¯s face paled when Parsish took her hand.


    ¡¸Y-Y-Yeah, that¡¯s right¡¹


    Kyouka-san stuttered to respond while trying to retract her trembling hand.


    I expected such a reaction since Parsish is truly an ugly one, but I absolutely won¡¯t voice it loud because I might do the same if I were in her position.


    Omiros was looking at a different ce with an expression of reminiscence. He might be thinking about princess Regena.


    He¡¯s not Parsish, but I hope that he will enjoy the party even if it¡¯s just a little.


    ¡ô Silver Witch, Kuna


    I met with the queen of Karon again.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ Where¡¯s your excellency?¡¹


    The goblin queen is searching for Kuroki.


    ¡¸Kuroki isn¡¯t with me. Tell your business to Kuna¡¹


    As if I¡¯m going to bring my dear Kuroki in front of a woman like you.


    The goblin queen looks disappointed.


    ¡¸So, what happened, goblin queen?¡¹


    The goblin queen heaves a grand sigh.


    ¡¸The truth is, it¡¯s about the hero Parsish of Algore in the report few days ago¡­ Parsish is, in fact, my son who has changed his appearance with magic, Goz. That son of mine came few days ago and expressed me that he had no ill intentions¡¹


    I recall about Parsish after hearing from the goblin queen. It seems he changed his appearance with magic, but he can¡¯t fool Kuna¡¯s eyes. His face certainly was of a goblin¡¯s in ordance to the goblin queen¡¯s exnation.


    ¡¸Is that so, then?¡¹


    ¡¸I would like to really apologize for asking your excellency for this¡­ But I want to end this matter¡¹


    The goblin queen bowed down.


    After pondering for a while, I felt bad for the goblin queen, but I didn¡¯t have any intention to withdraw from this matter.


    The people from that time were definitely speaking Regena¡¯s name.


    I couldn¡¯t understand the reason why they spoke Regena¡¯s name out of nowhere. I just want to confirm the reason for that. The reason why I¡¯m doing this is to eliminate Regena from Kuroki¡¯s side as soon as possible.


    ¡¸Understood, I¡¯ll tell Kuroki about that. And then, what¡¯s your son doing right now?¡¹

 Chapter 36.5 : Capital of North

    <h4>Chapter 36.5 : Capital of North</h4>


    I ask that question while hiding my real intentions.


    I wonder what that goblin queen¡¯s son is trying to do? That is something that I have to hear.


    ¡¸I didn¡¯t go as far as asking what he was going to do, but¡­ Come to think of it, he said that he¡¯s going to a ball dance which is going to be held today in a kingdom called Velos¡¹


    There is something that I¡¯m curious about after hearing the goblin queen¡¯s answer.


    A ball dance.


    I recalled that the word ¡®ball dance¡¯ came out sometimes in the stories that I asked Kuroki to read for me. For some reason, my heart is attracted to that word.


    I imagine a scenery where I¡¯m dancing along with Kuroki in that ball dance. It was such a great spectacle.


    ¡¸A ball dance, huh¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s a ball dance. I¡¯m sure he said that he needed aphrodisiac after going to that ball dance¡¹


    ¡¸Aphrodisiac?¡¹


    That¡¯s also something that piqued my interest.


    ¡¸Yes, a drug to invigorate men. It¡¯s something created using nectar of the queen bee who lived in the forest of darkness located to the west of the demon king castle. As long as a man drinks that, they¡¯ll move their hip like a centaur in heat, and in case of woman, they¡¯ll shake their hip like an elf in heat¡¹


    Such interesting words came out.


    ¡¸If you¡¯re interested, how about I give you one bottle?¡¹


    ¡¸Really?!!¡¹


    I ended up blurting it out.


    ¡¸But, with a certain condition¡¹


    ¡¸Muh¡­ What¡­ Is your condition? ¡¹


    I¡¯m on guard knowing that this isn¡¯t over yet.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, no need to be on guard. I just want to receive a strand of your hair¡¹


    The goblin queen¡¯s words betray my expectation. So I just need to give a strand of my hair.


    ¡¸Understood. A strand of hair is an eptable price¡¹


    After pulling out a strand of my hair, I give it to the goblin queen.


    ¡¸Yes, I received it. I¡¯ll give the medicer. You should give it to your excellency by mixing the drug with tea. Gufufufu¡¹


    The goblin queenughed eerily. She might be imagining about Kuroki right now.


    I have to endure seeing that filthy smile for the time being.


    Soon enough, a goblin brought the drug. It¡¯s a transparent drug that filled a small and beautiful bottle.


    ¡¸Let me say my gratitude for the drug, goblin queen¡¹


    Saying so, I leave the Akeron mountain range after taking the drug.


    ¡ôSword Maiden, Shirone


    On the mirror is my figure that is wrapped by a light blue dress.


    My skirt is fluttering around when I swirl my body once.


    Yes. It¡¯s a beautiful dress even in my perspective.


    But I feel like I¡¯m going to lose to the one on my side.


    On my side is Kyouka-san wearing a rose-colored dress. Kyouka-san in her dress is really beautiful.


    Her well-proportioned style and tight waist; her voluminous cleavage which I can see from the opening of the chest part of her dress. Even me, a member of the same sex can¡¯t help but look curiously at her ample breasts.


    ¡¸You look great in that dress, mydy¡¹


    The one who¡¯s praising us is Corfyna, Es¡¯s wife. She¡¯s a kind woman who doesn¡¯t possesses the air of arrogance. Despite being the wife of the king, Corfyna doesn¡¯t feel like a queen at all.


    This is also my second time meeting with Corfyna.


    From what I heard from Chiyuki-san, it seems that Corfyna was originally a merchant¡¯s daughter who fell in love with Es when she met him during her time she was apanying her father for trade in Velos and just like that got married to him. Marrying for wealth and status.


    But, Corfyna¡¯s low social status made many people oppose the idea of her bing a queen.


    But after his fiancee eloped with the king of Algore and seeing the depressed Es, it seems that the people around him had no choice but to acknowledge their marriage.


    Corfyna is an elegant beauty, and Es became cheerful again after marrying her.


    Due to her background as a merchant¡¯s daughter, Corfyna is well versed in ounting and supports her husband on the financial affairs of the kingdom. Thanks to that, Velos became even more prosperous. Now, everyone acknowledges her as a full-fledged queen.


    And standing between her and king Es is their son who is turning 5-years-old this year.


    Even Chiyuki-san praised her as an example of a good wife. I was told that she went as far as not letting Reiji-kune close to her to show her love to her husband.


    One night has passed since we came to this kingdom; we borrowed these dress from Corfyna for us to wear during the ball dance.


    It seems that Es gave a lot of clothes and precious gems to Corfyna. Seeing the vast expanse of dresses in their clothing room, they decided to lend a few of those dresses.


    The clothing style and technologies of this world are different for each country. There are countries that have reached extreme heights in these factors, and there are few who are at their lowest.


    But, it¡¯s quite high for a big country at Velos kingdom¡¯s level.


    The ball dance gown wore by me and Kyouka-san can¡¯t bepared even to the ones in our original world in terms of refinement.


    ¡¸The opening on chest part is too big¡­¡¹


    Kyouka-san is grumbling so.


    Corfyna¡¯s breast isn¡¯t that big due to her slender figure. It feels too tight in my case, but it must be painful for Kyouka-san who has bigger breasts than me.


    For this reason, a modification was made by opening the chest part, thereby turning it into an erotic dress.


    ¡¸Yup, the opening is too big. But, I think it¡¯s really charming. Parsish-dono also seems to be delighted by it¡¹


    Kyouka-san¡¯s face disyed a conflicted expression when Corfyna mentioned about Parsish.


    In the first ce, Kyouka-san doesn¡¯t even want to dance with Parsish.

 Chapter 36.6 : Capital of North

    <h4>Chapter 36.6 : Capital of North</h4>


    Though I feel bad for saying this to Omiros, I also want to dance with Reiji.


    Though I once dance with him, it wasn¡¯t for too long since there were many girls who wanted to dance with Reiji-kun were already waiting in line. I want to enjoy it slowly if there¡¯s another chance to dance with him.


    I want to dance with Kuroki, too. Kuroki isn¡¯t very good with this kind of gaudy and expressive buildings like this one and will leave at once. But, he might change his mind once he sees my current appearance.


    Since Kuroki¡¯s appearance isn¡¯t that bad, I think that he shoulde to this kind of ce once in a while. He shouldn¡¯t live in a dark ce like Nargol. Hence, I¡¯m definitely going to take him back.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, mydy. If he dares to do something insolent to you, I¡¯ll smash him by myself¡¹


    Corfyna and I smile wryly after hearing Kaya-san¡¯s words.


    Let¡¯s not ask her which ce she¡¯s going to smash.


    By the way, we were not informed that Parsish-tachi received dance lessons in another ce.


    But to be able to dance with a beauty like Kyouka-san, they should have that level of preparation.


    At any rate, tomorrow is the ball dance. I have to gather enough information about Kuroki as soon as this ball dance is finished.


    ¡ôFormer Governor, Echigos


    ¡¸Damn it¡­ What should I do now¡­¡¹


    I ponder about my future ns while walking on the streets of Velos kingdom.


    After that event, Daigan and I were tied by those ogre-like women with padlock, carried like a luggage with hippogriff, and came to this kingdom.


    They let the hippogriff take a rest so many times along the way. The burden on the hippogriff became higher due to carrying us. I wanted to tell them to release us already if possible.


    Daigan is in jail right now. They couldn¡¯t leave him out because they don¡¯t know what he¡¯s capable of if they leave him alone.


    As for me, I was released after spending one night in the jail since I¡¯m just a normal human, after paying the maintenance cost for letting me into jail.


    Though it was a good thing that I¡¯ve been released from the jail, I¡¯m penniless now. What should I do from now on?


    All my gold are hidden in the secret room in my mansion at Koki country. I have to take it back at all costs.


    But, it might take a lot of money to go back to Koki country. Currently, I have no way to gain some money in this kingdom.


    What should I do to get some money, then?


    This kingdom is kind toward merchants. The reason is because the queen of this kingdom is originally a merchant¡¯s daughter.


    The queen is hailed as the textbook of ady and the incarnation of virtue.


    But, she would receive different evaluation from me and my merchantrades: Calctive woman.


    She ignored the hero in the past, but it¡¯s just natural. The queen is originally a lowborn daughter of a merchant. She was going to lose her hard won queen position if she were to ride along with the hero¡¯s invitation which would then ruin her family.


    The queen won¡¯t perform such dangerous actions because the hero won¡¯t alwayse to save the day.


    Currently, she¡¯s governing this kingdom from the shadows by receiving the affection of the king.


    Though I was a wealthy merchant in the past, my business copsed and I lost everything including my patron due to that queen. Thanks to that, I became a wandering merchant.


    Though the queen appears to be a calm and kind person at nce, she¡¯s in fact an extremely shrewd woman. And before I know, she has be as one expected of a queen.


    The trading rule of that queen is perfect without any loopholes. It might be true that I don¡¯t want to earn my ie in an honest way. What should I do?


    ¡¸Wait¡¹


    Someone calls out to me while I¡¯m pondering about that matter.


    When I turn around, I saw tworge men with a seemingly elder woman between them. It seems the one that called me was one of those man.


    I don¡¯t remember seeing the three of them.


    ¡¸Uhm, may I ask your business with me?¡¹


    I reply with a polite tone. I can feel signs of violence from those big men. Taking my life with those big arms of theirs might be an easy matter.


    Let¡¯s act humble for now.


    ¡¸If I¡¯m not mistaken, I saw you once before in Zengu¡¯s house. Your name is Echigos, right?¡¹


    Cold sweat trickles down my spine when I heard Zengu¡¯s name.


    ¡¸It seems I was right¡¹


    The big man isughing. It hit me once I saw something like a tusk in his mouth.


    It means that the trio, who know Zengu¡¯s name, could only be ogres. So they can assume human-like appearance, huh?


    There are some demons who can assume a human appearance. It¡¯s not like have I never heard about that story.


    And then, when I look at the old woman.


    Thinking through the probable ogres who know about Zengu, the identity of the old woman might be that terrifying mother of his.


    I must run away from this ce.


    ¡¸U-Uhm, could it be that you¡¯re mistaking me for someone else?¡¹


    After saying so, I step back, about to break into a run.


    ¡¸GUHE?!¡¹


    Only to end up falling on that ce. My feet felt like they were stuck to the ground.


    ¡¸Your shadow is stitched to the ground. Do you think that you can escape from this Kujig?¡¹


    When I look at my feet, the cane of that old woman is pinned on my shadow. It seems like some kind of magic to seal my movement.


    Kujig, I know that name. She¡¯s Zengu mother. And then, an ogre wizard hailed as the queen of the blue forest.


    The name ¡®Kujig the witch¡¯ is famous in the northern part of the continent.


    The confectionary castle in which she lives deep inside the blue forest has an extremely sweet scent that it could reach the kingdom of humans that are quite far from it. And before they know, those humans would be drawn by that sweet smell and end up as Kujig¡¯s prey.


    The old woman ising closer. I can see the terrifying tusk growing out from her mouth. My body is trembling in fear.


    ¡¸Now, spit out everything you know¡¹


    Kujig isughing. It was an extremely terrifyingugh.

 Chapter 37.1 : Ball of Velos

    <h4>Chapter 37.1 : Ball of Velos</h4>


    ¡ô Omiros, Prince of Algore


    Two beauties wrapped in beautiful dresses were standing in front of us. They¡¯re princess Shirone and princess Kyouka, our dancing partners for today¡¯s ball.


    ¡¸My best regards for today, princesses.¡¹


    Parish gave his regards and then took the hand of princess Kyouka, the little sister of the hero.


    I ended up being charmed upon seeing the rose-colored dress that truly matched her overwhelming beauty.


    When someone as beautiful as princess Kyouka was paired with someone as handsome as Parish, it looked as if the scene came out of a painting.


    Naturally, I know that Parish¡¯s eyes werepletely focused on princess Kyouka¡¯s breasts.


    Though I want to rebuke him for doing so, I would, in fact, be doing the same if I were in his position.


    Parish, who had received the chance to dance with such a beautiful woman, will be receiving envious stares from all the men participating in the ball.


    But the target of those envious stares wouldn¡¯t only be Parish. I¡¯m sure that I¡¯m going to suffer the same fate.


    I looked at the girl standing in front of me.


    ¡¸My best regards for today, princess Shirone¡¹


    Saying so, I took the hand of the girl in front of me.


    She is also beautiful.


    Different from the high born-like princess Kyouka, a cold beauty who will make any person hesitate to take her hand.


    ording to the rumors, she is one of the hero¡¯s wives. I think taking the hand of someone like that will bite me in the future, but there¡¯s no use fussing over that matter right now.


    ¡¸Well... Best regards... Lord Parish¡¹


    Princess Kyouka replied to Parish.


    She didn¡¯t seem to be enjoying this, as opposed to Parish.


    Maybe someone as handsome as Parish wasn¡¯t enough to please her because she was used to watching the hero, an extremely handsome man.


    ¡¸Best regards, lord Omiros¡¹


    Princess Shirone responded to me, too.


    I noticed that princess Shirone wasn¡¯t that displeased being paired with me. Was it because they have different personalities?


    ¡¸Well then, everyone. It¡¯s about time¡¹


    The maid of princess Kyouka, Kaya announced the start of the ball.


    She wasn¡¯t participating in the ball since she was going to help with the preparations and will be on standby in the venue. That¡¯s why she was going to act on her own from this point.


    ¡¸Well. Shall we go?¡¹


    We headed toward the venue after Parish took the initiative.


    The venue wasn¡¯t just limited to the hall, due to the sheer number of participants the courtyard was also open for the guests.


    Being decorated with flowers and illumination magic, it transformed into a gorgeous yet brilliant venue.


    The royalties and nobilities of various countries had gathered. Thedies and gentlemen who wore various colored clothes enliven the royal court but, the gathering wasn¡¯t limited to just royalties and nobilities. It seems that influential citizens and famous merchants had also gathered in this venue. I don¡¯t know the urate number, but a considerable number of individuals seemed to be participating in this ball.


    As expected of a rich kingdom like Velos. It is the exact opposite of Algore.


    In the first ce, the goal of this ball was to strengthen the bonds between people of different kingdoms. A ball was held in the monster-infested region like this to ease the cooperation between various kingdoms in this region.


    Another reason was for bachelors to find a marriage partner.


    Women had especially made themselves look like dolls in order to find marriage candidates.


    A certain bachelor young noble and a prince were the most popr. Those noble girls were desperately wooing to gain the attention of that young noble and prince.


    Even if, by some chance, they managed to gain the prince¡¯s or young noble¡¯s attention and got a chance to dance with them, they couldn¡¯t dance with the same person two songs in a row and had to change their partner.


    And then, in case one gained the attention of the other party, they could slip out the ball with just the two of them or have a rendezvouster on.


    The most pitiful ones were those who receive no dance offers.


    Not getting anyone¡¯s attention despite dressing themselves up, the men and women who received no dancing invitations and just became wall decorations were truly pitiful.


    It was my intention from the very beginning to recede to the background after a dance with princess Shirone. I¡¯m not that keen on receiving invitations from women, and it¡¯s not like those women are eager to invite me, either.


    If it¡¯s princess Shirone, it might be better since I won¡¯t cause any trouble to her dancing partner.


    After the speech from king Es, the ball began with the first tune of the music.


    Princess Shirone who was walking by my side suddenly halted.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter?¡¹


    When I looked at her, she was looking at something somewhere else.


    ¡¸Lord Omiros¡¹


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter?¡¹

 Chapter 37.2 : Ball of Velos

    <h4>Chapter 37.2 : Ball of Velos</h4>


    ¡¸My apologies, I have some business to attend to. Thus, it seems I won¡¯t be able to dance with you¡¹


    Princess Shirone apologized to me. What happened just now?


    ¡¸Shirone-san, did something just happen?¡¹


    Instead of me, princess Kyouka beside me was the one asking that question.


    ¡¸Uuhn, it¡¯s alright. Not a big deal. You can continue the dance, Kyouka-san¡¹


    After saying so, princess Shirone stooped down and secretly left the venue.


    ¡ôSword Maiden, Shirone


    I moved in a hurry to leave the venue while holding the cuff of my dress. I had summoned my sword with magic because I felt an extreme killing intent directed toward the venue. Thus, I ran along the corridors of the Velos kingdom royal pce toward the direction of that killing intent.


    ¡¸Shirone-sama!¡¹


    Kaya-san chased after me.


    It seems Kaya-san felt that too.


    ¡¸Did you feel that killing intent too, Kaya-san?¡¹


    Kaya-san nodded in affirmation to my question.


    ¡¸That was quite a powerful killing intent.¡¹


    I agreed with her. We felt a powerful killing intent directed toward the venue of the Velos kingdom.


    That¡¯s why me and Kaya-san, who could use danger perception, left the venue and are rushed toward the source of that killing intent.


    After jumping over the rampart, I flew in the air with my wings. Kaya-san¡¯s running was so fast it looked like levitating on the ground.


    The sun had set, and our surroundings were already dark, however, we could still move without any problem even if we couldn¡¯t see beyond a radius of 10 meters due to our superior senses.


    The huge and expansive forest that lies ahead, covering this area including Velos kingdom, is hailed as the Blue Forest.


    We felt that the killing intent wasing from deep within that forest.


    Kaya-san and I seemed to have finally arrived at the source of the killing intent.


    I descended in the middle of the forest and Kaya-san caught up with me a momentter.


    Since the trees around this area are tall and dense, not even the light of the stars reached the insides of the forest.


    Though the figure isn¡¯t too clear, there¡¯s a dark siluet waiting in front of us. That figure is the source of the killing intent.


    ¡¸You really came, huh¡¹


    The figure in front of us spoke.


    ¡¸WHO ARE YOU?! WHY ARE YOU RELEASING THAT KILLING INTENT TOWARD VELOS!¡¹


    Kaya-san was shouting at that figure.


    ¡¸Huhm, it seems you¡¯re misunderstanding something here. My aim has been you guys all along. I¡¯m going to kill you guys for killing my cute Zengu!¡¹


    We finally understood the situation after arriving at the source of the killing intent.


    ¡¸I see, it¡¯s revenge. Well then, I assume that you¡¯re an ogre?¡¹


    The person before us looked too small for an ogre. Was this person changing it¡¯s appearance with magic?


    ¡¸Indeed! I¡¯m known as Ogre Kujig! Zengu was such a kind and gentle child. I¡¯m going to reward you properly for killing my cute Zengu!¡¹


    Even if she said so, I don¡¯t believe Zengu was such a good ogre since he ate humans.


    ¡¸What kind of a reward might it be? Do you, an ogre who eats humans, have the qualifications to say so?!¡¹


    Having refuted the ogre¡¯s ims, Kaya-san leapt toward Kujig.


    ¡¸HIIII!¡¹


    The voice of the person in front of us suddenly changed while he was falling on his rear.


    The voice changed to that of an old man,pletely different from the old woman-like voice from before.


    Maybe because she heard that voice, Kaya-san stopped her fist right before it hit.


    Right after that, the extremely powerful killing intent that we felt until then suddenly vanished. It was as if the person in front of us became apletely different person.


    ¡¸... It¡¯s you?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s me, Kaya-sama! It¡¯s Echigos!¡¹


    Though I couldn¡¯t see him clearly since he wore a robe from the very beginning, it seems that Echigos was a subordinate of the ogres.


    ¡¸Why are you here?¡¹


    Kaya-san interrogated Echigos to find out why he was here.


    ¡¸It¡¯s because that ogre, Kujig, took over my body... That¡¯s why...¡¹


    Echigos replied to Kaya-san with a flustered voice.


    ¡¸Could it be possession magic?¡¹


    Possession magic is the magic that¡¯s used to upy the body of a target living being.


    Rino-chan can use this magic too, however, she¡¯s quite reluctant to use it.


    I heard that possession magic consumes quite a lot of magic power. On top of putting the body of the user into an inanimate state for the duration of the magic, the other demerit is that it¡¯s useless in battles since the user can use only half of their original power through the possessed person.


    ¡¸Maybe. Currently, I can¡¯t feel the power from before from this man¡¹


    Kaya-san replied to my question.


    ¡¸But wh-...¡¹


    If she wanted to fight us, there was no meaning in doing so with possession magic since she couldn¡¯t even exhibit half of her original power.


    ¡¸It seems this is just a trap to lure us out. Let¡¯s go back immediately¡¹


    I nodded to her decision.


    ¡¸Uhm, I... Can¡¯t see anything in this darkness. If you leave me here...¡¹


    Echigos pleaded with us. The current him, being released from Kujig¡¯s magic, was just a mortal human. However, we had no spare time to babysit him.


    ¡¸I¡¯m worried about mydy¡¹


    Even without showing any change on her usualy expressionless face, I could hear the impatience in Kaya-san¡¯s voice.


    Maybe Kujig was aiming for Kyouka-san. She had probably lured us away from the venue to use that chance to attack Kyouka-san.


    I had heard a lot of stories about this Kujig from the people of the Koki kingdom. It seems she¡¯s an ogre witch with nine sons.


    If Kujig hade, the other sons had, most likely,e too.


    They might prove to be too much for Kyouka-san who can¡¯t control her magic power.


    ¡¸Yup, let¡¯s go back. I¡¯ll go first, Kaya-san¡¹

 Chapter 37.3 : Ball of Velos

    <h4>Chapter 37.3 : Ball of Velos</h4>


    Unfolding my wings, I took flight towards the sky. Kaya-san started to run, too.


    ¡¸WAI¡«¡«¡«IT¡¹


    Ipletely ignore Echigos¡¯s scream.


    ¡¸EH!?¡¹


    After flying for a certain distance, I reduced my flight altitude since I felt something out of ce.


    ¡¸Shirone-sama!¡¹


    Kaya-san called for me from below.


    ¡¸There¡¯s an invisible wall... It seems this wall was made to imprison us...¡¹


    It might be barrier magic. Our path was blocked by this barrier.


    ¡¸CEH! It seems we need to do something about this barrier!!¡¹


    It was rare to see Kaya-san in such a hurry. Naturally, the reason was Kyouka-san¡¯s safety.


    I was feeling impatient, too.


    If it¡¯s against the ogres, Kyouka-san can fight them with ease as long as she felt like it.


    But, Kyouka-san wasn¡¯t that good at using magic.


    If Kyouka-san¡¯s magic runs rampant, the Velos kingdom will be in great danger.


    If we don¡¯t return to Velos as soon as possible, the kingdom might be engulfed in a sea of fire.


    At times like this I wish we had Chiyuki-san and Nao-chan here.


    Chiyuki-san might have been able to crush this barrier in an instant.


    If we had Nao-chan, we wouldn¡¯t fall into this kind of trap.


    Until now, I¡¯ve been fine as long as I could swing my sword as the vanguard. That¡¯s why I am having a hard time when ites to performing the duties of a rear guard.


    It seems Kaya-san was also struck in the same dilemma as me.


    ¡¸Shirone-sama, shall we rip this barrier apart?¡¹


    Kaya-san proposed to destroy the barrier. Though it¡¯s possible to smash this barrier with brute force, it might be even faster to destroy it with magic. Kaya-san has a simr amount of magic power as me. That¡¯s why I might be a better choice to smash this barrier.


    ¡¸It might be a simple matter for Chiyuki-san, but it might take a while for me to tear this barrier apart¡¹


    This barrier isn¡¯t that powerful, but it might still take a while for me since I¡¯m not that skilled in demolition type magic.


    Charging my magic power, I held it overhead in preparation to smash the barrier.


    ¡ôGoblin Prince, Goz


    The mellifluous music piece was wafting inside the venue.


    It seems a goblin would run as fast as possible as soon as they heard the tune. Even though my mother¡¯s goblin blood is running through my veins, the song seemed to have no effect on me since I¡¯m a human.


    Human females wearing dresses in a multitude of colors were dancing along to the tune.


    All of them were top-notch beauties, but they will never beat the one in front of me.


    The human female called Kyouka was devastatingly more beautiful than those other females.


    I could feel a sense of superiority dancing with this female and I knew the men around us were looking at me with envious gazes.


    I¡¯m sure that they never expected the little sister of the hero to be present at this ball.


    I recalled the hero¡¯s visage.


    A beautiful and powerful man.


    No one could stop feeling jealous when they looked at him.


    A man who always induces hostility from another man.


    The hero is surrounded by various kind of beauties waiting to serve him. That alone was already annoying enough, and yet he even tried to reach with his hand toward Regena.


    Unforgivable!


    But, the hero is powerful. Despite being unable to stomach his actions, I¡¯m no match for him.


    Looking at the female in front of me, she resembles that hero, indeed. Well, that¡¯s just natural, she¡¯s the hero¡¯s little sister, after all.


    It would be the best if I made this female yield to me in bed.


    Wouldn¡¯t that scene look like the hero himself yielding to me?


    This desire of mine might turn me into the hero¡¯s enemy, but I just couldn¡¯t suppress the thought once it cropped up.


    This female didn¡¯te to Algore previously.


    I¡¯ve seen the female called Shirone before. She came along with the hero to Algore.


    What was the business of that female called Shirone, did she want to go somewhere? And that poor Omiros who didn¡¯t get the chance to be her dancing partner disappeared to somewhere.


    Though the whereabouts of that Shirone is weighing on my mind, I have to focus on this Kyouka before me.


    I looked again at the female called Kyouka. I could see a deep valley from the opening on the chest part of Kyouka¡¯s dress. Though I really want to fondle those breasts, I have to be patient for now.


    It seems that this female doesn¡¯t have a favorable impression of me. She didn¡¯t even look at me for a while now. She was dancing with me only because it was inevitable.


    The female who danced with me yesterday was looking at me with a feverish look. That female just came along the moment I invited her. That¡¯s why I gave her my love for the whole night.


    Parish¡¯s figure should look like a charming prince to the eyes of that female, but Kyouka¡¯s eyes are freezingly cold. She might be able to see through my disguise.


    In that case, I have to use the aphrodisiac from my chest pocket. As long as I use this, irrespective of whether she can see through my disguise or not, she¡¯s going to gasp like a sow in heat underneath me.


    I¡¯m going to invite her for dinner in a separate room after the end of this dance and then I¡¯m going to find a gap to make her drink plenty of this aphrodisiac.


    I¡¯ve drank this aphrodisiac in the past; I couldn¡¯t live without women for two days, and I needed five days before the effect of this drug dissipatedpletely. I ended up having a sex party with dozens of female goblins at that time. So, this drug would definitely be effective on this female.

 Chapter 37.4 - Ball of Velos

    <h4>Chapter 37.4 - Ball of Velos</h4>


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    Chapter 37.4 : Ball of Velos


    The dance of the first song has ended.


    Those males wereing toward us. Naturally, their aim was to have a chance to dance with Kyouka.


    I¡¯m going to step out to protect her.


    ¡¸My apologies, but princess Kyouka is going to have dinner with me. So may I ask you, gentleman, to hold back?¡¹


    Naturally, there was no such n. But Kyouka didn¡¯t seem to be willing to dance with them. Thus, I came up with that n to slip out from this ce.


    Thinking so, I looked at Kyouka.


    But, Kyouka didn¡¯t even seem to spare a nce for the men that came for her.


    Kyouka was looking in a different direction. There was a muchrger crowd of men than the one gathered around her.


    I barely managed to sneak a peek from the narrow gap between those males.


    There was a pair of male and female dancing in the middle of that crowd. I received the greatest shock of my life the moment I saw the face of the female.


    ¡¸Silver... Witch¡¹


    I unintentionally muttered that name. Despite wearing such a beautiful dress, there was no way to mistake that beautiful face and that silver-colored hair for someone else.


    I¡¯m absolutely sure that she¡¯s the silver witch who I met in the goblin nest. I don¡¯t think I saw her before the first song. There¡¯s no way I missed such a beautiful woman, after all. Why the hell is this woman here? Could it be that she chased after me?


    I was told that she¡¯s not my enemy by mother, so she might have nothing to do with me. In that case, I think I should just leave her alone.


    ¡¸That person. It feels like... I¡¯ve met him somewhere before¡¹


    Kyouka was muttering so in a low voice. The one Kyouka was looking at was the man beside the silver witch. He might be her dancing partner. Who the hell is he?


    But it¡¯s not my ce to worry about that matter. I have to leave this ce ASAP.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go there. Please lead the way¡¹


    But, Kyouka seized my arm and dragged me along towards the silver witch. What the heck is with this monstrous power? She might identally tear my arm off if I resised her.


    The men in the surrounding steped aside due to Kyouka¡¯s pressure.


    It became a straight line walk toward the silver witch.


    Someone, please help me.


    Naturally, no one wasing to save me despite me screaming inside.


    Thus, I ended up getting drawn into this mess.


    ¡ôDark Knight, Kuroki


    I was d I came to this ce as soon as I looked at Kuna wearing her dress.


    The gems and the blue frills furnishing the deep blue base brighten the dress. Kuna was dangerously cute in this dress.


    Well, I did get clothes from the dwarf worker when Kuna was just born. But this dress that was amongst those gifts never had its chance to see the light of day ¨C until today.


    Kuna¡¯s short stature aside, this dress is a perfect fit for her. This dwarf-made dress seems to be raising my lovely Kuna¡¯s charm to the maximum.


    I can see Kuna¡¯s rich cleavage from the small opening of the chest part of her dress. But it doesn¡¯t be a vulgar scene, rather the flower-shaped light blue-colored gem converts that scene into a refined one. And then, her glossy indigo long skirt flows down brilliantly from her tight waist.


    Those dwarves did a fantastic job in that part.


    I expressed my gratitude to the dwarf artisan who conceived and made this dress.


    It all began two days ago when Kuna said that she wanted to go to the ball in Velos. It seems she was really interested in the ball dance due to the story in the children¡¯s book which I read for her before.


    Well, one could say that her interest in the ball is normal since Kuna is a girl too.


    To be honest, I wasn¡¯t too interested to attend such an event when she asked me to attend the ball along with her. I¡¯m really notfortable in this kind of showy ce.


    But, when Kuna made that pleading face, I decided to go to the Velos kingdom since I wanted to see her happy.


    I learned to dance from Regena. She told me that it¡¯s herte mother who taught her how to dance since it might be useful in the future. Though her mother passed away three years ago, Regena perfectly memorized what her mother taught her.


    Though there wasn¡¯t that much time, Kuna somehow managed to learn it. The only problem was that Kuna was always pouting when I danced with Regena while training.


    Thus, Regena decided toe to this ball, too. She might be interested in this kind of ball.


    Though Kuna was frowning when she found out that Regena wasing along, since she taught us how to dance, she agreed to that with the condition that Regena would not be dancing with me.


    Well, although she couldn¡¯t dance with me, I don¡¯t think she would be incapable of finding a dance partner; she¡¯s a beauty, after all.


    On the appointed day, I gasped in shock upon seeing Kuna in her dress. Kuna is originally a beautiful girl. She became resplendent in this dress.


    I¡¯ll go to balls no matter how many times if I can dance with this beautiful girl.


    Thus, we headed toward Velos.


    It was quite simple to participate in the ball of the Velos kingdom. Anyone could participate as long as they paid a certain amount of money.


    It seems this was the suggestion of the queen of Velos. For this reason, there were many merchants from various kingdoms at this party.


    The economic goal of this ball looked good. It seems they were using the special products of their kingdom for this ball¡¯s food, and not just limited to food, they were also using this asion to promote other new products.


    The queen called Corfyna seemed to be a bright person.


    The queen also seemed to be popr amongst the citizens of this kingdom. I heard that she rescued this kingdom from being ruined by corrupt merchants by ruling from the shadows. Thanks to her policies, the price of themodities went down to only a fifth of the original price.


    I also heard that traffic management is also far better than before. Thanks to her policy, the economy of this kingdom was experiencing a rapid growth.


    But, despite the rapid economic growth, the same things couldn¡¯t be said for the public order. Even people like us could easily sneak into this kingdom. Since we could participate in this ball because of that gap, I guess we should just enjoy this.


    I entered the ball venue along with Kuna. It seems we arrived right when the first tune began.


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 Chapter 37.5 : Ball of Velos

    <h4>Chapter 37.5 : Ball of Velos</h4>


    We started to dance along with the music.


    I took Kuna¡¯s white hand, wrapped my other hand around her slender waist, and started dancing.


    Despite the huge number of dressed up women all around us, I didn¡¯t even intend to nce at them. I just looked at Kuna.


    ¡¸Kuroki! Kuna is happy! I¡¯m really happy to be able to dance with you!¡¹


    I was also smiling happily along with Kuna. Surely, I don¡¯t think there would be any girl who would be this happy to dance with me back in Japan. Maybe Shirone would have danced with me out of pity.


    But I have Kuna in this world. That¡¯s why I¡¯m d I came to this world.


    I¡¯m really happy since I can dance with a beautiful girl like Kuna.


    I stared at her.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Kuroki?¡¹


    She was asking that question since I kept staring at her.


    ¡¸Kuna is really beautiful¡¹


    Her face became beet red upon hearing those words.


    What¡¯s with this cute creature?


    After the first tune ended Kuna and I smiled at each other.


    Thereupon, our surroundings became noisy. When I looked around, we were surrounded by numerous men. What the hell?


    ¡¸Uhm, princess... Will you grant me the privilege to dance with you?¡¹


    ¡¸No, with m-...¡¹


    ¡¸By all means, please dance with me¡¹


    A few men were already quarreling for a chance to dance with her. Subsequently, I noticed the situation in our surroundings.


    Kuna had be the center of attention of this venue.


    When I strained my ears to listen to their voices, I heard praises and envious statements directed towards Kuna such as ¡¸I wonder which kingdom¡¯s princess she is...¡¹, ¡¸How beautiful!¡¹, ¡¸How can such a girl...¡¹, or ¡¸Short stature, tight waist, and bountiful chest, that¡¯s cheating...¡¹


    ¡¸Do you know them, Kuroki?¡¹


    Kuna was looking at those men with a curious face. It seems she had yet to understand the current situation.


    ¡¸It seems they want to dance with you, Kuna¡¹


    ¡¸Why? Kuna doesn¡¯t want to dance with anyone but Kuroki¡¹[Ed: sooo cuuuuute :3]


    Since one couldn¡¯t dance with the same partner two songs in a row, it might be better if we took a break for the next tune. It seems that¡¯s possible since that means we¡¯re not breaking the rule in that way.


    ¡¸What is that?¡¹


    There was a slightmotion from outside the perimeter of those men. A path suddenly opened and a pair of man and woman were walking on that path.


    I was shocked the moment I saw that woman.


    Midou Kyouka!


    Reiji¡¯s little sister. Why was she here? Reiji and the rest were supposed to go to the western part of the continent.


    I took a quick look around at the participants of the party. It seems that Reiji and his girls weren¡¯t here.


    In that case, why did shee here by herself? I didn¡¯t know the reason but now I¡¯m curious about it.


    Then I recalled the man by her side. He¡¯s the son of Datie, Goz. It seems he goes by the name of Parish in his transformed form. It shocked me when I heard that from Kuna. Just what was he nning, staying in Algore?


    I¡¯m wondering why he¡¯s with Midou Kyouka.


    I knew that Goz was at this party. But, I don¡¯t understand why he¡¯s with Midou Kyouka.


    ¡¸Kuroki, I¡¯m curious about what that guy¡¯s doing here. Can I chat with him for a while?¡¹


    Kuna was saying so while looking at Goz. To be honest, I¡¯m also curious about his motives. I¡¯m also curious about the reason why Reiji¡¯s little sister is in this ce.


    ¡¸Fine then, take him to a separate room¡¹


    After hearing that, Kuna went towards Goz. She might be able to get some information from Goz with her magic.


    ¡¸I want to talk with you. Follow me¡¹


    I could feel Kuna using her magic. Domination magic. From the disappearance of light in his eyes, it seems Goz¡¯s magic power wasn¡¯t enough to resist Kuna¡¯s magic so he had turned into her puppet.


    Kuna took the dominated Goz to a separate room.


    After that, there were a lot of men surrounding me and the hero¡¯s little sister who was left behind.


    Midou Kyouka was staring daggers at me. She was not even sparing a nce at the kidnapped Goz.


    Despite herpanion, Goz, being forcefully taken away from her with magic she didn¡¯t seem to mind that much...


    Well, she obviously didn¡¯t care about him.


    ¡¸You over there! Have we met somewhere before?¡¹


    Midou Kyouka asked.


    Of course, we have. Our first meeting happened in Holy Republic Lenaria. She should¡¯ve caught a glimpse of my face at that time.


    From the way she asked that question, she didn¡¯t seem to be aware of my identity as the dark knight. Come to think of it, she wasn¡¯t amongst those who fought me at the Holy Dragon King¡¯s mountain. I don¡¯t know why she wasn¡¯t there, but that saved me from trouble now.


    ¡¸No, this is our first meeting, Kyouka-sama¡¹


    I bowed to her while spouting such a lie.


    ¡¸Oh my... So you know my identity¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, you¡¯re the little sister of that famous hero, after all...¡¹

 Chapter 37.6 : Ball of Velos

    <h4>Chapter 37.6 : Ball of Velos</h4>


    I replied in a roundabout way.


    Midou Kyouka pondered for a while.


    ¡¸That¡¯s a bit unsettling, you see... But whatever, will you dance one song with me?¡¹


    Saying so, Midou Kyouka presented her hand to me.


    Now, I¡¯m in deep trouble since she says that she wants to dance with me. I never had any intention to dance with anyone apart from Kuna.


    But then, I need information regarding the reason for her being here. It might be better for me to ept her invitation. That¡¯s why I decided to dance with her.


    ¡¸With pleasure, mydy¡¹


    I epted Midou Kyouka¡¯s hand.


    It was a fine and slender hand. Naturally, it¡¯s not just limited to her hand. Midou Kyouka herself is an extremely attractive girl.


    That¡¯s why I was really honored to be able to dance with her.


    If this was Japan, dancing together aside, I wouldn¡¯t even have the luxury to speak with her.


    The music began.


    It¡¯s the second tune.


    We started dancing as soon as the music started.


    ¡¸Did youe to Velos by yourself?¡¹


    I asked while dancing with her.


    ¡¸I came with Kaya and Shirone-san. It seems they went somewhere else just now though...¡¹


    I was shocked by her response. Shirone hade, too? I also realized from her words that Reiji didn¡¯te along. Though I made sure to monitor Reiji¡¯s movements, it seems I fell behind with monitoring the movements of the other girls.


    Taken aback, I looked at Kyouka¡¯s face. She kept staring at my face since I met her. Just by being the little sister of that handsome Reiji, she was also the owner of an attractive face. My heartbeat was rising just by looking at her.


    ¡¸It¡¯s strange... You seem to be well informed about us¡¹


    Her eyes pierced through my face.


    ¡¸Hahaha is that so...¡¹


    Iughed to deceive her. She might suspect me if I talked to her any more...


    Let¡¯s be quiet for a while.


    Though I was solely focused on Kuna until now, it seems I had to mind the way the people around us were looking at me.


    When I payed attention to our surroundings, it felt as if those men were going to kill me with their stares. Since Kuna just left, you might even say that Kyouka was the brightest star in this ballroom. I could feel the killing intent of the men who were looking at me dancing with such women. But I had no leeway to worry about such trivial matters.


    I mean, I was worried that my identity might be exposed.


    It seems that Midou Kyouka wasn¡¯t aware of my identity, but there¡¯s no doubt that she was suspecting me.


    So we continued dancing while I monitored her reactions.


    Despite the elegant tune, her breasts were shaking non-stop.


    I even thought ¡®Isn¡¯t the opening on the chest part of that dress actually too stimting?¡¯ I was really troubled with where to look.


    I don¡¯t want to look at her with a perverted gaze, but looking away from your dancing partner is also a breach of danc etiquette. That¡¯s why I have to make sure to not look away from her while looking her in the eyes.


    We danced while I struggled against the worldly desires running amok within me.


    But my efforts were for naught since those breasts kept jiggling around along with our steps.


    I suddenly noticed her looking at me.


    ¡¸Uhm, what¡¯s the matter?¡¹


    ¡¸Well, it seems you¡¯ve passed. Even though you¡¯re lost in term of appearance whenpared to my brother, you¡¯re nice enough to go along with me after the end of this song¡¹


    It hurt me a little when she said that I lost to Reiji.


    I mean I know that I lose whenpared to him, but please don¡¯t say those words right to my face.


    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. I wish to refrain from your request, mydy. I mean, I don¡¯t want to receive the grudges of these men for monopolizing you¡¹


    I declined her offer with such a lie.


    Moreover, I couldn¡¯t stay too long here since Shirone and Kaya would be here anytime now.


    I felt bad for Kuna, but we had to go back to Nargol immediately.


    ¡¸Quite reserved, aren¡¯t you? But, I like that attitude of yours¡¹


    Midou Kyouka was smiling as she said so but, I didn¡¯t have any intention to be reserved at all.


    In the first ce, my status was way below her¡¯s. She was better suited to dance with the king of some kingdom rather than someone like me.


    ¡¸KYAAA!!!¡¹


    Suddenly, loud screams resounded throughout the entire venue.


    ¡¸What?¡¹


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter?¡¹


    Kyouka and I were looking in the direction of the scream.


    ¡¸IT¡¯S THE OGRES!¡¹


    ¡¸WHY ARE THEY IN THIS PLACE?!¡¹


    ¡¸KYAAA!¡¹


    Screams resounded from all corners of the venue.


    When I nced around, I saw eight big shadows blocking the exits of the venue.


    The race surrounding the venue was one of the races I saw a long time ago. They were the demi-human race with heights reaching 2~3 meters and pointed tusks growing from their mouths, the ogre race.


    Those ogres were barging into the ball all of a sudden.

 Chapter 38.1 : Attack Of The Titan

    <h4>Chapter 38.1 : Attack Of The Titan</h4>


    ¡ôGoblin Prince, Goz


    ¡¸I see, so Omiros is looking for Regena. Well, maybe Omiros looking for her is better than you being the one that is doing¡¹


    When the silver witch in front of my eyes said so, my body regained its freedom.


    I told everything I knew to this witch.


    Nevertheless, for some reason, she asked me about Regena, too.


    Thus, a question suddenly appeared in my mind.


    Could it be that this silver witch was the one who kidnapped Regena?


    ¡¸That¡¯s all, do as you wish after this. Kuna is leaving¡¹


    When the silver witch was about to leave after saying those words,


    ¡¸Please wait a minute, Kuna-sama!¡¹


    I tried to stop her. Even if her business was done, mine was not.


    ¡¸What do you want, Goz? Do you have something else to tell me?¡¹


    The silver witch asked that question with an irritated tone. Her irritated expression was lovely, too.


    ¡¸Could it be that you ... are the one who captured Regena?¡¹


    ¡¸I have no reason to tell you that¡¹


    I only received a bone-chilling answer from the silver witch.


    ¡¸Is that all? In that case, Kuna is leaving¡¹


    When she was about to leave again, I realized that I had to stop her at all costs! I hurriedly ran in front of the Silver Witch.


    ¡¸P-Please wait a minute, Kuna-sama! T-That¡¯s right! It seems that this fruit wine is the special product of this kingdom! H-How about trying to taste it? Just one cup! Your Excellency might be pleased if you bring back one as a present¡¹


    I replied in panic while slipping my hand into my chest pocket where I kept the aphrodisiac.


    As long as I make the silver witch before my eyes drink this aphrodisiac, no matter how powerful she is, she¡¯ll be no different from a bitch in heat.


    I¡¯ll make her tell me about Regena on top of the bed.


    But, the eyes of the silver witch became colder after seeing my actions.


    ¡¸Is the thing what you want me to drink just fruit wine?¡¹


    Chills ran down in my spine as soon as I heard those words.


    ¡¸W-What do you mean, GOB!?¡¹


    My tone became slightly strange again.


    ¡¸... Fool! Truly an ugly and idiotic goblin. Neither your charm nor your intelligence is even a millionth of Kuroki¡¯s. Do you think that I¡¯m just going to watch you in silence? Know your ce!¡¹


    Could it be that she noticed my attempt?


    ¡¸Uhm ... Just one ss of fruit wine...¡¹


    ¡¸You liar! You can¡¯t lie to Kuna with your level of magic power. There¡¯s an aphrodisiac that you got from that goblin queen in your pocket, right?¡¹


    My eyes opened wide in surprise as soon as I heard those words.


    The silver witch knew about the aphrodisiac!


    ¡¸Look into Kuna¡¯s eyes!¡¹


    The eyes of the silver witch shone brightly, and suddenly, I couldn¡¯t move my body.


    ¡¸Drink the aphrodisiac in your pocket!¡¹


    When I heard those words, my hands began moving on their own, taking the small bottle from my breast pocket and then pouring the content down my throat.


    I must not drink this!


    The aphrodisiac is vigorous even with a mere drop or two. I might lose my sanity if I drink the whole bottle.


    Despite my resistance, my hand was moving on its own.


    The sweet vor of the aphrodisiac made with the honey of the demon bees living in the dark forest of Nargol started spreading within my mouth.


    When I drank almost half of the aphrodisiac, my lower body couldn¡¯t help but tremble non-stop.


    ¡¸Huff, huff ...¡¹


    A strange voice kept leaking out from my mouth.


    Myher region was going to go out of control soon.


    I could smell the sweet fragrance wafting from the silver witch¡¯s body.


    I CAN¡¯T HOLD BACK ANYMORE!


    As I was about to pounce on the silver witch,


    ¡¸EH ... HUH!¡¹


    When my feet were about to take a step, it felt like they were glued to the ground.


    ¡¸I felt sick as soon as that ugly face of yours became uglier by two-fold ... To be honest, your existence itself is a nuisance¡¹


    She was looking down on me with her piercing cold silvery pupils.


    The moment I saw those eyes, it felt as if an electric current passed through my body.


    I was desperately pinning myher region with both of my hands.


    ¡¸Ahe~...¡¹


    It leaked out.


    A certain liquid was gushing out from my groin and spilling on the floor.


    ¡¸Now, enjoy your pain till the end of this ball¡¹


    The silver witch then went somewhere after saying those words.


    ¡¸Wait ... Kuna-sama ... Ahe~ ... Ahe~ ...¡¹


    But I couldn¡¯t do anything, save for standing still in ce with drool spilling from my mouth.


    ¡ôPrince of Algore, Omiros


    Without Shirone-sama, I, left without a dancing partner, was looking for a ce to enjoy my solitude. The fact that I was unable to dance had been intimated to Shirone-sama. King Es also had no problem with that.


    Looking at his attitude towards us, it seemed that a diplomatic rtionship with Velos was still feasible. Thus, there was no need to force me to dance.


    After walking in the royal pce, I felt a little bit hungry.


    Come to think of it, I ate nothing during lunch. So, I went to the room where they arranged the meals.


    Various kinds of food were served in that room.


    Lamb meat sandwiched between two bread slices, grilled eel with thick fish sauce; a whole roasted goose stuffed with herbs and garlic, onion soup with carrots and turnip.


    Delicious aromas were wafting out from every dish.


    ¡¸As expected of the Velos kingdom, they¡¯re really rich.¡¹


    This abundance of food didn¡¯t exist in Algore.


    I ate nothing but bean soup ever since I was a kid, and I eat that even now.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll bring back some for Rillete¡¹


    This was definitely not a thing to do on this asion, but there was a lot of food here that wasn¡¯t avable in Algore, so bringing some might not be a problem.


    Though Rillete wanted toe along when our decision to go to Velos was made, in the end, she was not allowed since we were noting here to y around, and she was still too young.


    I took out a cloth from my pocket to wrap them. It was still clean and pretty since it was unused, so I decided to take the baked cake.


    Then, I looked for the ce where they would ce that kind of pastries.


    I found that ce immediately and stretched my hand to reach the baked sweets.


    I heard that these baked goods were made from thinly sliced and sweet fruits of Velos wrapped in wheat dough and then baked as is. I took a few of them and wrapped them with the cloth in my hand.


    ¡¸This much should be enough¡¹


    I wanted to bring more, but I had no choice but to abandon the idea since I didn¡¯t bring any food containers with me.


    At that time, I noticed a woman next to me.


    This woman was taking several of those foods into the container that she brought with her.


    What she was doing was extremely obvious.


    ¡¸She¡¯s piling it up one after another...¡¹


    While I was trying to bring back a small amount of food with me to Algore, she seemed like she wanted to bring back everything.


    Maybe she also came from a poor country like me.


    But then, the container she held in her hand piqued my curiosity.


    The container was something that I had never seen until now.


    It seems that the container was made from a soft yet colorless material. This is the first time I have seen such a container.


    Did a poor country have that kind of container?


    I wonder what material it was made from.


    When I looked at that woman, I could hardly see her face due to her forelocks and the cloth that was covering her face.


    ¡¸EH!?¡¹


    I instantly recognized her as soon as she moved her face to the side.


    It was the face of the one I wanted to see the most in this world.


    I rushed to that girl¡¯s side.


    ¡¸REGENA!¡¹


    When I called her name, the woman looked at me.


    Her mouth and eyes opened wide to their limit due to the surprise.


    ¡¸Omi ... ros¡¹


    The girl muttered my name.


    There, I met Regena who was supposed to be in the goblin¡¯s den.


    ¡ôFormer Princess of Algore, Regena


    I never expected toe to Velos in this manner.


    The Velos kingdom was the birthce of my mother.


    I heard from my wet nurse that my mother was the most beautiful woman in Velos. She was even called the jewel of Velos and the noble princess of that kingdom.


    The dancing figure of my mother was really beautiful.


    I used to think abouting to Velos to dance in their venue when I was still a child. That was why the young me was taught how to dance by my mother.


    But now, I realize that¡¯s impossible.


    My mother used to be the fiance of the prince of this kingdom, but then she eloped with my father, the previous king of Algore.


    That¡¯s why, I, who was born from the two of them, couldn¡¯t get to dance in the venue of the Velos kingdom.


    And despite being expelled from Algore, my appearance closely resembled my mother¡¯s. That was why, even though I never danced, standing out in this ball was dangerous. And yet, I wanted to see this ball at least once.


    That was why I appealed to kuna-sama to bring me along when I heard that she wanted toe.


    ¡¸Kuna-sama is really beautiful...¡¹

 Chapter 38.2 : Attack Of The Titan

    <h4>Chapter 38.2 : Attack Of The Titan</h4>


    I saw the two of them dance until just a while ago.


    If possible, I wanted to dance with my dear master, too.


    My chest became painful when I thought about my dear master.


    I was really surprised when I saw my dear master for the first time.


    Why did a human like him be the dark knight? And ...


    But upon careful consideration, there should be no human being that can be a dark knight.


    My dear master just looks like a human, and yet he isn¡¯t a human.


    Well, it was definitely not strange at all, I mean, the deity-sama, the guardian deity of Algore did not resemble a human at all.


    That¡¯s just how powerful he is.


    Even those fiendish looking demons from the powerful demon race are bowing down before my dear master.


    ording to what I heard, it seems that my dear master is strong to the point of him being able to defeat that hero with ease. The hero was the one who caused the fall of our n.


    That¡¯s why my dear master is equivalent to our benefactor.


    I¡¯m prepared to give my everything to my dear master. I¡¯ll even give him my body if he wishes for it.


    But, that seems too harsh for me, the reason being that Kuna-sama will be angry whenever I try to tempt my dear master.


    What is the true identity of Kuna-sama, I wonder? I never asked about that matter before.


    There was a rumor that she¡¯s the daughter of his highness, the Demon King.


    Kuna-sama is devoting her love solely to my dear master. It seems that she won¡¯t even let a mere human girl approach him.


    Chills ran down in my spine whenever she red at me with her beautiful face.


    She should be dancing with my dear master around this time.


    I heaved a sigh whenever I recalled the moment I saw the figure of Kuna-sama in her ball dress.


    She was breathtakingly beautiful. Her beauty might rival even those goddesses of the legends.


    My dear master, who was dancing with such a beautiful Kuna-sama, might be really delighted right now.


    Even though I was also dressed up for the sake of this ball, the gap between me and Kuna-sama was like the gap between heaven and earth.


    There¡¯s no way he would dance with me after dancing with someone as beautiful as Kuna-sama.


    I shook my head to interrupt such a train of thought. Let¡¯s not think about it as much as possible. It would only make me drown in deeper sorrow.


    I should just be satisfied with being able to dance with my dear master during our training sessions.


    Rather than thinking about such sad things, let¡¯s just change my pace by eating these delicious looking dishes.


    I came to another room where they prepared the food for the guest.


    Spreading before my eyes were the food products which I had never eaten until now.


    I keep stuffing those foods in the tupperware.


    This container called tupperware is a magic tool made by the dwarf artisans for my dear master.


    This tupperware was really an excellent container with heat instion property.


    ¡¸Everyone will be delighted¡¹


    I recalled my family which I left in Nargol.


    There were only a few things that humans can eat in Nargol.


    The food of the orc race, the race with the most numbers in Nargol, is not something that can be eaten by humans as the humans would die if they eat that.


    We were currently surviving somehow since, for some reason, we can eat the food of the demon race.


    My dear master also gave us his share of food, but doing so gained him more animosity from the demon race. That is why, no matter how much protection my dear master gave us, I had no choice but to refuse my dear master¡¯s offer since I couldn¡¯t let him garner higher animosity from the demon race, because of us humans living in Nargol.


    That¡¯s why I was stuffing as much food as possible in this tupperware for everyone.


    My hands were moving from one food to another.


    Suddenly, I noticed that there was another person by my side.


    That person noticed my bad manners. He might have been a citizen of Velos.


    ¡°Oh, this is bad.¡± is what I felt. I mean, I was not a proper guest in this ball and that might cause unnecessary trouble.


    I gripped my skirt. Hidden under my skirt was the short sword I got from my dear master.


    This short sword was a present from my dear master.


    I heard that this sword was made by my dear master himself.


    He gave me this sword in case I needed it for my own self-protection.


    Though it somewhat disturbed my movement, I still brought it with me to Velos.


    I might not be that skillful in using this sword so maybe it would be better for me to leave this ce without seeing the face of the person next to me.


    ¡¸REGENA!¡¹


    The person next to me called my name.


    For some reason, he knew my name.


    When I looked at his face.


    It was a face that I knew.


    ¡¸Omi ... ros¡¹


    Standing there was my childhood friend who left on a journey one year ago.


    He might havee back some time ago.


    I noticed that Omiros had be more masculine than what he was before his journey.


    ¡¸Regena ... It¡¯s really you, why are you in this ce...? What are...¡¹


    He was making a face as if he couldn¡¯t believe what he saw.


    His eyes were scanning my body and then stopped at my hand that was already gripping something.


    In there was the tupperware with lots of food inside it.


    Feeling embarrassed, I desperately tried to hide the tupperware.


    ¡¸Y-You¡¯ve misunderstood ... It¡¯s just that ...¡¹


    What might he misunderstand, I wonder? I wonder what I am bbering about right now.


    For some reason, I didn¡¯t want my childhood friend to see this embarrassing side of mine.


    ¡¸Sorry, Omiros!¡¹


    Saying so, I turned away from Omiros.


    ¡¸WAIT, REGENA!¡¹


    Omiros was trying to chase after me.


    I don¡¯t know why I was trying to get away from Omiros.


    My legs were just naturally heading towards my dear master.


    But then, I collided against something big in the corridor when heading towards the venue and fell on my butt.


    That¡¯s strange, there shouldn¡¯t be something this big at the entrance.


    I then looked up at the big thing that I collided with.


    ¡¸... EH?¡¹


    There, I saw something with height and width at least twice that of mine.


    Though its figure resembled that of a human¡¯s, there was still a great difference.


    On that thing¡¯s face, a pair of tusks was growing from its mouth. And then, its eyes met with mine.


    ¡¸KYAAA!¡¹


    Suddenly, loud screams reverberated throughout the entire venue.


    ¡¸IT¡¯S THE OGRES!¡¹


    ¡¸WHY ARE THEY IN THIS PLACE?¡¹


    ¡¸KYAAA!¡¹


    I could hear such screams across the venue.


    Hearing them screaming ¡°Ogres¡±, I finally realized the identity of the thing before me.


    It was the first time I met one, but it was definitely an ogre.


    They¡¯re renowned as ferocious man-eating monsters. I had to run, but my body wouldn¡¯t move from my sitting position.


    ¡¸What a delicious looking girl...¡¹


    The ogre said while stretching his hand toward me.


    ¡¸GET YOUR HANDS OFF REGENA!¡¹


    Omiros was rushing to save me. But he couldn¡¯t win against an ogre even with his weapon, much less now without one.


    ¡¸What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡¹


    The ogre swept his hand. The rushing Omiros was easily caught by him.


    The ogre¡¯s eyes were ring at Omiros.


    At this rate, Omiros will die.


    As soon as the thought crossed my mind, my body moved on its own. I stood up and unsheathed the short sword which I had tucked inside my skirt.


    A ck me was coiling on the de as soon as the short sword left its sheath.


    ¡¸GET YOUR HANDS OFF OMIROS!¡¹


    I shed my sword at the leg of the ogre.


    ¡¸GUGYAAA!¡¹


    The careless ogre ended up losing one of his feet and was now writhing in pain.


    ¡¸OMIROS!¡¹


    I helped Omiros stand up.


    ¡¸Regena...¡¹


    Omiros was looking at me dumbfoundedly.


    ¡¸Run, Omiros!¡¹


    I grabbed Omiros¡¯s hand and then started running.


    ¡¸WAIT! YOU BASTARD!¡¹


    I could hear that ogre¡¯s scream behind me.


    But, ignoring that scream, we ran away.


    ¡ôDark Knight, Kuroki


    The matter of the ogres trespassing into this ball really surprised me.


    ¡¸This is bad ... Let¡¯s go to the king¡¯s ce. Right, pleasee with me too!!¡¹


    Midou Kyouka said so to me so I followed her.


    ¡¸Eh ... Why should I...¡¹


    Maybe because she couldn¡¯t hear my perplexed voice, Midou Kyouka kept walking without a care.


    But for some reason, I was unable to defy her and, instead, kept following her from behind.


    The ce I ended up in was the worst ce for me.


    We found the king of Velos immediately. Well, it was easy to know his position since there were a lot of pce guards around him.


    The king was sitting down on the floor.


    ¡¸I¡¯m okay. The rest of you guys protect the guests in this ce.¡¹


    ¡¸But, your majesty...¡¹


    I could hear such exchanges.


    The king also noticed us when we got close to him.


    ¡¸Kyouka-dono ... My deepest apologies. For something like this to happen...¡¹


    The king was apologizing while still sitting on the floor.


    ¡¸It doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ll do something about this ce, so please leave immediately¡¹


    ¡¸Hahaha, there¡¯s no way I can run while leaving my guests behind. Moreover ... My hip is hurt and won¡¯t move at all ... Hahaha, I am quite pitiful. Come to think of it, will you take Corfyna along with you to a safer ce?¡¹


    ¡¸Dear, you can¡¯t be...¡¹


    The queen was making a face as if she was going to cry.


    What a beautiful scene this married couple is sharing at such time.


    I know he is a kind person from the way he worried about the other people before himself.


    The king was telling his soldiers to save the guests and his queen first.


    It seems that he¡¯s going to stay behind alone.


    I don¡¯t know whether that was a correct decision as a king.


    In fact, the soldiers were disobeying their king¡¯s order and trying to carry the king instead. Their actions were the right choice when considering the fate of the kingdom.


    But, it was toote.


    This ce was already located by the ogres.


    Three ogres wereing towards us.


    Well, it was not that hard to find this ce with so many pce guards gathering here. It was as clear as day for everyone else that the ones gathered in this ce were VIPs.


    The ogres then stopped right in front of us.


    ¡¸Are you the king of this kingdom?¡¹


    The ogre standing in the middle asked while looking at the king of Velos. Her dreadful voice was reverberating in the venue.


    She might be the leader of these ogres.


    ¡¸OH! PROTECT THE KING!¡¹


    Those soldiers stood in front of the ogres.


    ¡¸SMALL FRY SHOULD JUST BACK OFF!¡¹


    The ogres on her either side swatted the soldiers like flies, easily sending them away.


    ¡¸HYIII!¡¹


    The king raised a scream.


    ¡¸DEAR!¡¹


    The queen was the only one left standing before him.


    ¡¸N-NO CORFYNA! EVEN IF IT¡¯S JUST YOU, YOU MUST SAVE YOURSELF!¡¹


    Despite the king¡¯s plea, the queen wouldn¡¯t budge from her ce.


    ¡¸O-Ogres, W-What, do you want?¡¹


    The king was asking the ogres with a trembling voice.


    ¡¸My name is Kujig. The little sister of the hero should be in this kingdom! Bring her to me!¡¹


    Now I knew that the one they were aiming for was Midou Kyouka. Why was she aiming for Kyouka?


    Though vaguely, I somehow noticed this fact before ¨C that¡¯s not just Reiji, the girls around him were also the kind of people who easily made enemies left and right. That was why I didn¡¯t really find it strange that one of them incurred the wrath of the ogres.


    ¡¸Your target is me, right? I will neither run nor hide. That¡¯s why, please stop targeting other people!¡¹


    Midou Kyouka stepped forward.


    ¡¸Some nerve you got there, don¡¯t cha? You will pay for your sin of killing our younger brother!¡¹


    The ogre to the left was saying so in a terrifying voice.


    ¡¸I won¡¯t be a good girl if you target the other guests¡¹


    Midou Kyouka said with a threatening tone.


    But the ogres justughed it off.


    ¡¸My bad, yourrades won¡¯te to save you.¡¹


    Laughing with a sneer, the ogre woman in the middle told Kyouka.


    ¡¸Your tworades were trapped inside the cage made by me. Even a god would have a hard time breaking out from it, not to mention a human. They¡¯re absolutely unable to break out from it.¡¹


    The female ogre wasughing loudly.


    ¡¸WHAT?! Kaya and Shirone!¡¹


    Midou Kyouka responded with a flustered voice.

 Chapter 38.3 : Attack Of The Titan

    <h4>Chapter 38.3 : Attack Of The Titan</h4>


    ¡¸Yes, our dear mother¡¯s magic is the best. Even if they¡¯re therades of the hero, they¡¯re mere humans. Ye can¡¯t defeat us!¡¹


    The ogre on the sideughed. The other ogres wereughing along with him.


    ¡¸I see ... You guys are the culprits behind their disappearance. But, you better not make light of us. Even if it looks like this, I¡¯m the little sister of my brother. I alone am enough to take on you guys.¡¹


    Midou Kyouka hands started to shine. I could feel devastating power from her slender body.


    ¡¸Do you dare? The control of your own magic power doesn¡¯t seem to be that good. You might kill the people here too, you know?¡¹


    The female ogreughed.


    ¡¸How do you know that?!¡¹


    ¡¸If you understand your position, then be a good child¡¹


    The female ogre said with an ted feeling.


    The ogres on the sides wereing toward Midou Kyouka who was shrinking back.


    I instinctively stood in front of her.


    ¡¸What do you think you¡¯re doing!¡¹


    The ogres were aiming for me.


    ¡¸Eh ... Ah, it¡¯s nothing...¡¹


    Now, I missed the timing to leave this ce. Before I noticed, the king and the other people already took some distance away from the ogres.


    ¡¸You, what are you doing? What do you think you can do by stepping out like that! Step back, it¡¯s dangerous!¡¹


    Midou Kyouka was ordering me so with an angry tone. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to do what she said.


    ¡¸HAH! Acting like a knight protecting your princess, huh? Then, we¡¯re going to eat you first!¡¹


    The ogre on the left outstretched his hand to catch me.


    When his hand was about to catch me, I threw him t on the ground in one revolution.


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸EEEEH?!¡¹¡¹¡¹


    I could understand why the people around me were raising voices of amazement and surprise.


    ¡¸W-What happened just now...¡¹


    ¡¸He tossed that giant ogre...¡¹


    The people around us were moring.


    ¡¸R-Ringu!¡¹


    The female ogre screamed. It seems the ogre that was flung is called Ringu.


    ¡¸W-What are you...¡¹


    The king in the back also made a surprised voice.


    ¡¸That technique just now ... I wonder where I saw it before...¡¹


    Midou Kyouka muttered to herself.


    To be honest, I didn¡¯t want to do anything since I thought she could do something about this situation.


    But then, I never expected her to be unable to control her magic. Come to think of it, she was called ¡°Exploding Princess¡±.


    ¡¸WHAT ARE YOU! WHY ARE YOU HINDERING THIS KUJIG! ANSWER ME!!¡¹


    The screaming female ogre is called Kujig, huh? I got the feeling that things would turn out like this.


    In that case, I might be killed by Midou Kyoukater.


    ¡¸No, I have no intention of bing a hindrance to your actions, but ... Uhm ... Could you guys back off for now? I¡¯ll overlook this matter¡¹


    I bowed my head toward the ogres as I said so.


    ¡¸Ha~h ... What are you talking about?¡¹


    It seems Kujig was bewildered by my bow toward her.


    But, I was just as confused as her.


    Why did things turn out this way! I just came here today because I wanted to enjoy this ball with Kuna, and even that simple wish of mine waspletely crushed now.


    ¡¸You ... Who are you? ¡¹


    Even if Midou Kyouka were to repeat that question again and again, I had no intention to reveal my identity.


    ¡¸Just someone who happened to be in this ce¡¹


    Looking over my shoulder, I replied to Midou Kyouka.


    I didn¡¯t want to do this, but it seems I have no other choice.


    I looked at the ogres.


    ¡¸If you guys don¡¯t want to back off now ... I guess I have no other choice but to use a slightly forceful method¡¹


    As I said, ck mes erupted from my body.


    ¡¸HYIII!¡¹


    Seeing my ck mes, the ogres let out panicked screams.


    It¡¯s time to beat these naughty little ogres.


    The ogres started retreating. It seems they are frightened.


    ¡¸Hyiii...¡¹


    But, it looks like it was not just the ogres who were affected.


    The same thing happened to the people around me.


    Come to think of it, even the prideful demon race got scared of me.


    They became scared just like the ogres in front of me.


    I walked toward the ogres.


    ¡¸W-What are you talking about?! If you be a hindrance, I¡¯m going to start the massacre from you!¡¹


    The ogre called Kujig said so while wearing a frightened expression on her face.


    I had no intention to make you that frightened, though.


    A thunder snake appeared on Kujig¡¯s arm while making a crackling sound.


    ¡¸O Thunder Snake, Strangle My Enemy To Death!¡¹


    The thunder snake raised its head high from Kujig¡¯s arm, but that level of spell can¡¯t even be considered a threat to me.


    Because the power of the Thunder Dragon resides within me, this kind of attack won¡¯t be able to hurt me at all.


    Naturally, this was the countermeasure to Sasaki Rino¡¯s power. This was just one of the preventive measures for our probable second sh.


    There¡¯s a thunder cloud that¡¯s always swirling near the ind located to the southeast of Nargol.


    The Thunder Dragon lives in that thundercloud that¡¯s always swirling atop that ind. Kuna and I went there to ask for the Thunder Dragon¡¯s assistance while riding on Glorious.


    At first, I thought that it¡¯ll turn into an epic battle, but the Thunder Dragon turned out to be a nice guy and easily gave its power to me.


    That¡¯s why this level of thunder snake can¡¯t even tickle me.


    The Thunder Snake fired from Kujig¡¯s arm coiled its body around mine.


    ¡¸This isn¡¯t even enough to tickle, let alone hurt me¡¹


    I burned the Thunder Snake with the ck mes that emanated from my body.


    ¡¸CEH! Then, how about this!¡¹


    A bright red ball formed on Kujig¡¯s hand.


    I knew she was going to use magic, so I couldn¡¯t let her release that magic.


    ¡¸EXPLOSION!¡¹


    ¡¸MAGIC ERASER!¡¹


    I erased the magic that was about to be used by Kujig. I would have been fine even If I let her use explosion in this kind of ce, but a lot of people would have died from it. That was why I erased that magic.


    ¡¸Kuh, my greatest magic ... YOU LOT! WHAT ARE YOU STANDING DUMBFOUNDED IN THAT PLACE FOR?! TAKE THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU AS HOSTAGES!¡¹


    Kujig screamed at the other ogres.


    The ogres surrounding the venue then sprang into action.


    Oh crap!


    I have no magic that can pinpoint the targets for a swift attack. My high firepower kind of magic would inevitably involve the others. Even if I took them out with my sword, there was bound to be a victim before I took down all the ogres.


    Just when I was worried about what to do in that kind of situation, some sort of light shot into the venue.


    ¡¸DAMN IT!¡¹


    ¡¸GAOOO!¡¹


    The ogres suddenly screamed in pain.


    When I turned around, the limbs of those ogres were chopped to pieces. Though not fatal, it would hinder their movements.


    ¡¸O foolish Ogres. Can¡¯t you guys not mess up my long-awaited ball?¡¹


    It was an indifferent voice.


    When I looked at the origin of that voice, Kuna, already equipped with her scythe, was there.


    The one who attacked those ogres was naturally Kuna. The scythe can fire magic des that can hit multiple targets within a fixed range.


    It seems that she was using her scythe to wound those ogres.


    ¡¸Now, let¡¯s torment you lot to death¡¹


    I could feel the powerful wave of magic powering from Kuna.


    Maybe because even the normal people in the venue could feel her magic power, they were screaming in panic.


    ¡¸Stop, Kuna! Your magic will kill the people in this venue!¡¹


    When I screamed like that, the wave of magic power vanished without a trace.


    ¡¸W-W-W-What, you are...¡¹


    The female ogre was sitting on the floor.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me ... Crap, these guys are...¡¹


    The other ogres were surrounding Kujig.


    ¡¸F*CK! You guys, leave this ce immediately!¡¹


    The ogres left the venue.


    Since I had no intention to kill them, I¡¯m going to spare them this time.


    After making sure that they left, Kuna walked in my direction.


    ¡¸You saved me there, Kuna¡¹


    ¡¸Kuroki, our long-awaited ball is...¡¹


    Kuna seemed a bit sad when she said those words.


    ¡¸You¡¯re right ... Well, there¡¯ll be another chance for us to dance¡¹


    I said so while patting Kuna¡¯s head.


    Kuna¡¯s mood became slightly better afterward.


    ¡¸It seems we have to leave for now, Kuna¡¹


    To be honest, I was already itching to return to Nargol immediately. Even without those ogres, I should have left this ce immediately so as to not identally meet Shirone.


    ¡¸Understood, Kuroki¡¹


    Kuna was about to use transfer magic when...


    ¡¸PLEASE, WAIT A MINUTE!¡¹


    Midou Kyouka called us.


    ¡¸I remember it now. YOU¡¯RE THE ONE WHO GROPED MY CHEST IN THE HOLY REPUBLIC LENARIA!¡¹


    Midou Kyouka said so while pointing her finger at me.


    ¡¸Kuroki ... Who is this woman? And what did she mean by GROPED, Kuroki? ¡¹


    Kuna stopped her preparation to activate the transfer magic to ask that question. She seemed to be angry for some reason.


    ¡¸Moreover, I remember hearing the name ¡°Kuroki¡± before. I definitely won¡¯t let you get away!¡¹


    Midou Kyouka wasing towards our position.


    ¡¸WHO ARE YOU? WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH KUROKI?!¡¹


    Kuna was standing in front of Midou Kyouka, ready to brandish her scythe at any given moment.


    I embraced Kuna from behind to stop her.


    ¡¸Stop it, Kuna ... The ogres have left. Let¡¯s leave this ce, now!¡¹


    ¡¸MY LADY¨D¨D!¡¹


    When I said so to Kuna, something fell to the venue along with that loud voice.


    ¡¸Shirone!¡¹


    The one who descended was Shirone. The one who fell was a woman in maid clothes. She most likely came by being pulled by Shirone.


    I ended up thinking so. We have been staying for too long. It¡¯ll be toote if we didn¡¯t go back right now.


    ¡¸Mydy!¡¹


    The maid rushed in as soon as she found her master.


    ¡¸Kaya!¡¹


    The duo embraced each other.


    ¡¸Everyone is safe!¡¹


    Shirone said so while looking at the surroundings.


    And then, her eyes stopped in our direction.


    ¡¸Eh ... Kuroki¡¹


    And thus, she saw us.


    ¡¸Why is Kuroki ...?¡¹


    Shirone walked toward us while muttering those words.


    And then, her face suddenly stiffened.


    I was still embracing Kuna right now. Consequently, Shirone¡¯s line of sight obviously stopped at her.


    ¡¸Kuroki ... WhOiSThATGirL?¡¹[Ed: Unleash the kraken][TL : Quick spell, The Dark Side Rising!!]


    Shirone had a smiling face, but her eyes weren¡¯t smiling at all.


    Oh crap, she¡¯s definitely pissed off right now.


    ¡¸WHO ARE YOU?! WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT ¡°MY KUROKI¡± WITH THAT KIND OF EYES?¡¹


    And now it¡¯s Kuna¡¯s turn to point her scythe at Shirone.


    ¡¸My ... KuROki? YoU ... WhAt? CoULdItBETHaTYoUArE ...? ¡¹[Ed: OH BOY!][TL : Unleash, the dark side]


    Shirone also set her sword to face Kuna¡¯s scythe.


    ¡¸Stop it, Kuna! Let¡¯s go back to Nargol¡¹


    I embraced Kuna to stop her.


    ¡¸I understand, Kuroki...¡¹


    Maybe because she could feel my desperate tone, Kuna agreed to my request and invoked her magic.


    ¡¸WAIT RIGHT THERE, KUROKI!¡¹


    Shirone ran toward us but she was toote.


    ¡¸O ck me!¡¹


    I tossed my ck me to disturb Shirone¡¯s pace.


    ¡¸WAIT FOR ME, KUROKI!¡¹


    Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t.


    The transfer magic had already been invoked.


    We were sent back to Nargol.

 Chapter 39.1 : Captured Regena

    <h4>Chapter 39.1 : Captured Regena</h4>


    ¡ô Sword Maiden Shirone


    The ogres have left. Velos regained its peace.


    Fortunately, no one died in this incident. Well, everything is thanks to Kuroki¡¯s intervention.


    If Kuroki didn¡¯t drive away those ogres, the Velos kingdom might have been annihted in a single night by Kyouka-san.


    After that, Kuroki vanished without a trace along with that silver-haired girl.


    Now that I recall about her, she was an extremely beautiful girl. I wonder who that girl is? I am really worried about Kuroki now.


    I recalled Chiyuki-san¡¯s words before we came to Velos.


    ording to Chiyuki-san, it seems there¡¯s a magic drug that could be used to manipte humans. Isn¡¯t this exactly as everyone said before? What if that girl is the one who drugged Kuroki using that magic drug?


    I was thinking of such things while walking along the corridor of Velos.


    We were walking in the royal pce, led by Es.


    Nobody died in this incident, but some people were still injured. Those people were currently resting in the medical quarters of the royal pce.


    The doctors and the priests employed by this kingdom were currently treating those patients, but they were suffering from ack of manpower. That¡¯s why the three of us were led by Es to this ce.


    Though my skill can¡¯t match Sahoko-san¡¯s, I could still use basic healing magic. As for Kaya-san, she possesses the ability to raise a person¡¯s bodily resilience, thereby raising their natural recovery speed.


    Upon hearing about our skills, Es came to ask for our assistance.


    Since we were the main reason for the ogre¡¯s raid in this country, even if he hadn¡¯t asked for our assistance, we would have taken up the responsibility of treating the victims, at the least.


    Es, who had yet to recover from his dislocated disc, led us while being supported by Corfyna and an attendant.


    ¡¸Well then, here is the ce, senorita. Since I still have to visit various other ces...¡¹


    Es bowed to us when we arrived in front of the medical room.


    ¡¸Well, please leave this ce to us. You just need to fulfill your own duties.¡¹


    Kyouka-san said with a haughty tone.


    Since Kyouka-san can¡¯t use recovery magic, it¡¯s up to me and Kaya-san though...


    We entered the medical room. The interior was huge with many beds furnished inside, all upied by patients. The patients with minor wounds didn¡¯t need a bed, so they were sitting on the chairs.


    When I took a nce around the room, I found that the majority of the people lying on the beds were the soldiers of this country.


    It seems the number of guests injured duringst night¡¯s incident was minimal.


    However, Es told us that he wanted the guests to be healed first, so we headed towards the guest section first.


    The people who wore gorgeous dresses were gathered in a separate area from the rest of the soldiers.


    Most of them were only suffering from minor injuries.


    A majority of them might have injured themselves when they ran away from the ogres.


    We started searching the surroundings to identify the ones with the gravest wounds.


    Suddenly, my eyes were attracted to someone.


    ¡¸EH, OMIROS-KUN?!¡¹


    Omiros was there amongst the patients.


    ¡¸If it isn¡¯t Shirone-sama.¡¹


    Omiros bowed to us upon noticing our arrival.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter?¡¹


    I went towards Omiros¡¯s position. Did he injure himselfst night?


    I felt sorry for him when I recalled that I was the one who left him alonest night.


    Thus, I noticed that there was someone beside Omiros.


    A woman was sitting right by his side.


    A wet cloth was draped on her ankle.


    It looked like Omiros was the one who treated her wound.


    ¡¸She twisted her ankle when we were running away from the ogres...¡¹


    ¡¸He~, I see.¡¹


    Omiros was tending to her wound. Quite a gentleman, isn¡¯t he? Aren¡¯t you quite a smooth talker here? Have you recovered from that Regena matter?


    I looked at the face of that woman. She was quite a beauty.


    ¡¸N?!¡¹


    Suddenly, I realized.


    ¡¸EH, PRINCESS REGENA?!¡¹


    When I shouted, the girl looked at me.


    ¡¸AH! YOU¡¯RE THE WIFE OF THE HERO!!¡¹


    Regena muttered those words when she saw us.


    Though we never spoke with each other, it seems that both of us remember each other from the past.


    ¡¸What ... is the wife of the hero doing here?¡¹


    That should be our question. ording to Omiros¡¯s story, she and her n should have been banished to the goblin nest.


    ¡¸I have a question for you, Regena. Weren¡¯t you and your n supposed to be banished into the goblin nest? So, why are you here in the Velos kingdom?¡¹


    Omiros asked that question on behalf of us.


    ¡¸Eh, about that...¡¹


    Regena seemed to be hesitant to tell us about that matter.


    ¡¸OOOH! A gentleman saved us when we were in a pinch!! I have to go back to his side.¡¹


    Regena tripped when she turned around to leave.


    Omiros caught her before she fell.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t force your injured feet, Regena.¡¹


    Omiros responded with a worried tone.


    ¡¸Are you okay?¡¹


    I chanted healing magic while asking her that question.


    ¡¸Eh? My feet are healed!?¡¹


    Regena separated from Omiros and then stood on her feet. If it was just this degree of injury, my healing magic was enough.


    ¡¸T-Thank you very much. Well, I¡¯ll excuse myself then...¡¹


    Regena was about to leave after saying those words.


    ¡¸WAIT, REGENA!¡¹


    ¡¸Sorry, Omiros! You cannot stop me anymore!!¡¹


    But, Omiros didn¡¯t let go of Regena¡¯s hand.


    There was something I wanted to ask Regena too.


    ¡¸Please wait a minute. You forgot about your baggage, Regena-san.¡¹


    Kaya-san who was looking at the unfolding situation from the side presented the object in her hand to Regena.


    The thing in her hand was a short sword furnished with a beautiful sheath.


    ¡¸EH? AAH!¡¹


    Regena was tapping her skirt in panic.


    ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹


    Saying so, she stretched her hand to try to take the sword from Kaya¡¯s hand, but before Regena could take her short sword back, Kaya suddenly kept it away from Regena¡¯s reach.


    ¡¸EH?!¡¹


    Regena seemed to be shocked by Kaya¡¯s action.


    ¡¸Kaya ... What are you doing here?¡¹


    Kyouka-san was surprised as well. Kaya-san wouldn¡¯t do such an ill-mannered act without a proper reason.


    When Kaya-san unsheathed the short sword I could see ck mes coiling around the ck de.


    ¡¸These are ... ck mes. What¡¯s the meaning of this?!¡¹


    Kyouka-san started screaming.


    ¡¸I just felt something strange when I touched this short sword, but... As I expected...¡¹


    I was also aware of the origin of this ck me.


    ¡¸It¡¯s Kuroki¡¯s me.¡¹


    I muttered so.


    Hearing me mutter Kuroki¡¯s name, Regena questioned me.


    ¡¸Why do you know about my dear master¡¯s true name?¡¹


    ¡¸Eh?!¡¹


    I looked at Regena who said those words.


    Regena blocked her lips with her hands due to the slip of her tongue.


    ¡¸I think I have an idea about the identity of the kind person who saved you.¡¹


    I agreed with Kaya.


    The one who saved the n who were driven out into the goblin nest might have been Kuroki.


    Why did hee to Velos? I wonder why he came with HERst night?


    ¡¸It seems that we can¡¯t just let you go.¡¹


    Saying so, Kaya-san stared at Regena.


    ¡ôFormer Princess of Algore, Regena


    ¡¸I ABSOLUTELY WON¡¯T TELL YOU GUYS ABOUT MY MASTER!¡¹


    Saying so, I red at those girls.


    Standing in front of me are the little sister of the hero, her maid, and one of the hero¡¯s wives.


    I absolutely won¡¯t tell them anything about my dear master.


    Currently, I¡¯m being interrogated in the office of the king of Velos.


    I was captured after they became aware of my connection to my dear master.


    I don¡¯t care about Omiros. I just want to go back to Nargol ASAP.


    But, because I got carried away when I met Omiros, I missed the chance to return to Nargol.


    And then, my dear master¡¯s short sword and the gem loaded with return transfer magic were also confiscated.


    The gem aside, I wish they returned the short sword given by my dear master.


    In front of my eyes, the woman called Kaya, the one who captured me, kept asking about my dear master.


    But I had no intention to tell her about my dear master, even if they were to kill me.


    These women were my dear master¡¯s enemies. Thus, they were my enemies, too. I won¡¯t tell anything to my enemies.


    Puffing my cheeks, I averted my face from her.


    ¡¸U~hm, this is kinda troublesome. Even though I just want to know about Kuroki¡¯s current condition.¡¹


    The girl called Shirone seemed to be troubled.


    ¡¸Shall we make her confess by torturing her?¡¹


    The woman called Kaya asked.


    I trembled in fear upon hearing her statement.


    ¡¸Uhm ... Please. If possible, please don¡¯t hurt Friona¡¯s daughter...¡¹


    The one making that request was the king of this kingdom.

 Chapter 39.2 : Captured Regena

    <h4>Chapter 39.2 : Captured Regena</h4>


    By the way, Friona was the name of my mother.


    She used to be the fiancee of the king of Velos, who is right before me now.


    He¡¯s indeed the embodiment of what you call a healthy and nice uncle.


    Why didn¡¯t he ask for the reason why my mother left him and went to Algore?


    It might have been a matter of appearance. I couldn¡¯t really say that the king before me was a good-looking person. I have no doubt that my father is a handsome man.


    However, in regard to innate nature, this king is far better than him.


    Even from my point of view, his daughter, my father has the kind of personality that could easily provoke a lot of people.


    Inparison to that, this king seemed to be someone who was loved by everyone.


    After speaking with him for a while I became aware of his kindness.


    Instead of venting his anger on the daughter of his former fiancee who abandoned him, he mourned for me who was expelled by my country.


    But in regard to his kindness, he looked like someone who would easily get himself cheated by a bad person.


    ¡¸Kaya-dono! She must¡¯ve been tricked by that evil dark knight! Please, don¡¯t torture her!!¡¹


    Omiros shouted those words to defend me.


    ¡¸¡¸MY DEAR MASTER[KUROKI] ISN¡¯T AN EVIL PERSON!¡¹¡¹


    For some reason, the woman called Shirone was also shouting along with me. Knowing his name aside, I wonder what her rtionship with my dear master was.


    Omiros shrank back after being yelled at by Shirone and me. I felt sorry for him even though he was just trying to protect me. But, I just couldn¡¯t let anyone speak badly of my dear master.


    ¡¸Kaya. I¡¯m not fond of violent ways, too.¡¹


    The woman called Kyouka, the little sister of the hero also covered for me.


    It seems that the woman called Kaya couldn¡¯t go against Kyouka¡¯s words. It seems I was saved from a cruel fate. At the very least, they won¡¯t use torture on me.


    ¡¸Understood. I won¡¯t use any violent methods on her.¡¹


    Saying so, Kaya looked at me.


    ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s ask a different question, then. That night, Kuroki-san was with that silver-haired woman right, who is she?¡¹


    ¡¸Silver-haired? Kuna-sama...¡¹


    I unintentionally answered the question of the woman called Kaya. I don¡¯t know what she wants to find out with that question, though.


    ¡¸Hou, so that woman is called Kuna. What kind of person is she?¡¹


    ¡¸...¡¹


    I have no answer to this question.


    ¡¸You don¡¯t know anything about her, huh? Well, she might be some sort of a high-ranking demon.¡¹


    How sharp. I mean, Kuna-sama is the daughter of His Highness the Demon King after all.


    ¡¸I¡¯m also curious about her. Tell me, Regena-san. Who is that girl?¡¹


    Naturally, I don¡¯t know the answer to that question, too.


    ¡¸Could it be she¡¯s the one manipting Kuroki?¡¹


    ¡¸Manipting? My dear master?¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s strange? The reason why your kind master is serving under that wicked Demon King.¡¹


    The woman called Kaya said so with a cold tone.


    Now that she mentions it, I wonder why such a kind person like my dear master lives in Nargol?


    ¡¸... Come to think of it, Kuna-sama is always muttering something as if my dear master is hers...¡¹


    The little sister of the hero andpany are exchanging nces in hearing me mutter so.


    ¡¸As I thought ... That girl is the reason.¡¹


    ¡¸It seems so for me too...¡¹


    ¡¸It seems that we have finally found some clues here.¡¹


    It seems that the little sister of the hero is under the impression that my dear master is being controlled by Kuna-sama.


    As for me, I don¡¯t think so.


    I mean, my dear master wouldn¡¯t have saved me if he was really being controlled by Kuna-sama. Moreover, I noticed that Kuna-sama always considered me a hindrance. In fact, if my dear master was really being controlled by her, I would have long since lost my life.


    But, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to tell these girls about this doubt of mine.


    ¡¸What shall we do, return for now and meet up with Reiji and the rest first? Rino-sama might be able to get more information from her ... Or, at the very least, we have to tell this piece of information to Chiyuki-sama.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s right. We should get in touch with her ... Even so, I want to stay here for a while longer ... It SeEMs ThAT I¡¯LL HAvE To MEeT THaT GiRL CaLleD KuNA AgAIN.¡¹


    The woman called Shirone wasughing.


    ¡¸Shirone-san ... Your face is scary you know...¡¹


    Their discussion was going on and on.


    I suddenly shifted my line of sight to that ce.


    On there, a person was standing still in silence despite being in the same room.


    I¡¯m sure that his name was Parish.


    I¡¯ve met him once in the past. He should be the house guest of Omiros¡¯s father. I never spoke to him.


    The first time I met him was around half a year ago. Despite being someone sheltered by my father¡¯s enemy, he was quite famous even in my family due to those good looks.


    But, he is my father¡¯s enemy. He¡¯s a terrifying soldier who can use both sword and magic.


    Nevertheless, even that Parish is far weakerpared to my dear master.


    Parish¡¯s condition seemed awfully strange. Bloodshot eyes and rough breath.


    It seems that he became like that due to Kuna-sama¡¯s magic.


    I don¡¯t know why Kuna-sama attacked Parish.


    I wonder what happened to him.


    Above all, I noticed that his eyes kept ncing in my direction. He kept looking at me ever since he came to this room.


    And for some reason, I got goosebumps whenever he looked in my direction.


    Which reminded me of the fact that it felt like he was always looking in my direction back in Algore. I remember that I was always avoiding his unpleasant gaze.


    Despite him being an extremely handsome person, I, for some reason, didn¡¯t want to approach him.


    Parish¡¯s eyes met mine.


    When his eyes met mine, heughed eerily.


    For some reason, I started shuddering upon seeing that smile.


    ¡ôSword Maiden, Shirone


    ¡¸How was the result, Kaya-san?¡¹


    I asked Kaya-san.


    She usedmunication magic to get in touch with Chiyuki-san just a while ago.


    After our conversation with Regena, we were currently in the room that was prepared for us. Regena was sleeping in the room beside our room. Kaya-san made her sleep since she was acting violently.


    She wanted to go back to Kuroki¡¯s side, but we couldn¡¯t send her back since she¡¯s a precious source of information. Poor girl.


    We could easily arrive at Kuroki¡¯s side as long as we used the gem loaded with transfer magic that was in Regena¡¯s possession. I wanted to use it, but Kaya confiscated it. We shouldn¡¯t do such reckless things since we didn¡¯t have enough information about the other side.


    ¡¸It seems meeting with them is quite a task...¡¹


    After our discussion, Kaya-san said so while touching the bracelet on her left hand.


    Communication magic was engraved in that bracelet.


    Communication magic is slightly troublesome since it can¡¯t be done if the other party doesn¡¯t mastermunication magic as well.


    In the first ce, Chiyuki-san was the only one who can usemunication magic amongst us. But, we could still have our regr meetings by using thismunication magic tool.


    The bracelets that we got from Rena made it possible for even someone unable to usemunication magic to utilize it freely.


    We got this bracelet from Chiyuki-san when we decided to act separately from Reiji and co. This was a precaution measure in case something happened along the way.


    ¡¸What¡¯s happening on the other side, Kaya?¡¹


    Kyouka-san asked Kaya.


    ¡¸It seems that they received an extremely troublesome request from the Magician Association and are yet to finish it.¡¹


    Kaya-san bowed to Kyouka-san.


    ¡¸In short, Reiji andpany are yet to go back to the Holy Republic of Lenaria, right?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s as you say, Shirone-sama. They¡¯re currently in the Republic of Ariadina.¡¹


    ¡¸The Ariadina Republic? Where is that ce, Kaya? ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s a country located at the border between the western and eastern side of the continent, right to the south of the Minon ins. I heard that it¡¯s a prosperous trading city¡¹


    ¡¸I see, going there seems to be quite a troublesome journey...¡¹


    We could move instantly with teleportation magic if it¡¯s to go back to the Holy Republic of Lenaria. Even so, it was going to take a lot of time to go to that Republic of Ariadina.


    ¡¸So, what shall we do from now on? Kuroki-sama mighte to get her back. Without the help of Reiji-sama and the rest, we¡¯re no match for him.¡¹


    Kaya-san asked us with a troubled expression.


    It¡¯s just as Kaya-san said, Kuroki was powerful. It took all of our members cooperating together to beat him. But, I didn¡¯t want to go back.


    ¡¸Naturally, I think we should go to Algore for the time being. Rather, it¡¯s more convenient if Kurokies to us.¡¹


    Nevertheless, he might be forced to go there.


    Hearing that, Kaya-san heaved a sigh.


    ¡¸Haa~, so things really turned out this way, huh ... But, please don¡¯t force yourself and withdraw immediately if things get dangerous.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, I promise.¡¹


    Everyone was worried about me. Moreover, I couldn¡¯t involve them in dangers caused by my whims. That was why I couldn¡¯t force myself.


    It¡¯s just that I want Kuroki toe as soon as possible. I¡¯m sure that the thread is still connecting us together. I believe so.


    ¡ôGoblin Prince, Goz


    Sprawling before my eyes were the bodies of naked females.


    There are ugly ones and beautiful ones, too.


    However, their beauty isn¡¯t at the level of the little sister of the hero or Regena.


    I have to hold back for now.


    After being interrogated, Regena was taken by the little sister of the hero.


    That pitiful Omiros, hated by Regena, returned to his own room with a dejected face without even being able to talk to her.


    Since I managed to suppress my throbbing lower body caused by drinking that aphrodisiac, I invited several females who attended the ball, and there¡¯s no need to say ¨C what followed after that was an orgy.


    These females arepletely satisfied after being f^cked by this handsome Parish.


    But, the throbbing of my lower body isn¡¯t abated.


    The effect of the aphrodisiac forcefully fed by that detestable Silver Witch was yet to vanish entirely.

 Chapter 39.3 : Captured Regena

    <h4>Chapter 39.3 : Captured Regena</h4>


    Even though it¡¯s calming down a little, these females aren¡¯t enough to satisfy me at all.


    ¡¸This pain can only be appeased by Regena...¡¹


    Myughter almost burst out from my throat.


    Just when I thought she was gone, I found her again.


    Regena was caught by that Silver Witch.


    I don¡¯t know too much about the Silver Witch. As for the reason, I am simply not interested in Nargol.


    The first reason being that there are so many monsters several times more powerful than me in there.


    Since I¡¯m not too keen at approaching Nargol, I don¡¯t have too much information about it.


    Thus, I never knew about such a beautiful witch.


    ording to Regena, she¡¯s the daughter of the Demon King.


    Though I couldn¡¯t believe that the ugly demon king has such a beautiful daughter, she definitely resembles the wife of the Demon King that I saw on the picture previously.


    Honestly speaking, I¡¯m d that she does not look like the Demon King.


    About her dear master, the Dark Knight who defeated the hero.


    For some reason, her dear master brought her along to attend the Velos¡¯s Royal Ball.


    I couldn¡¯t move my body during the ball.


    After I regained the capability to move my body, I was called to the office of the king for negotiations regarding the rtionship with Algore.


    After that, I was reunited with Regena.


    I was told that she was arrested by the little sister of the hero and friends.


    Well, Nargol is the enemy of those females, after all. It¡¯s just natural for Regena, who was brought along by that Dark Knight and Silver Witch, to be ced under their arrest. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t want to kill her.


    I managed to reunite with Regena.


    As I thought, Regena and I seem to be tied by the string of fate. [TL: A g?]


    It made me want to give my utmost praise to the goddess of fate, Casa.


    I definitely won¡¯t miss this chance.


    I won¡¯t hand her to the Silver Witch or the Hero.


    That¡¯s why Kyouka and her group are a hindrance.


    I have to do something about them.


    ¡ôDark Knight, Kuroki


    ¡¸They arrested Regena?¡¹


    When the morning came, I received news about Regena¡¯s arrest in my mansion in Nargol.


    That report came from Regena¡¯s rtive who apanied Regena in thest night¡¯s ball.


    It seems that she went to Algore along with Shirone and co. this morning.


    They took her away by wagon. I had returned to Nargol in a hurry, after all.


    Thus, several of Regena¡¯s rtives pleaded to save her.


    ¡¸Please, please save our princess...¡¹


    The woman who gave the report begged me to save Regena. I¡¯m sure that she was Regena¡¯s wet nurse. I do remember taking her along with Regena all the way to Velos.


    It seems that she remained in the town without participating in the ball like Regena.


    ¡¸My princess might be murdered if she returns to Algore ... Otherwise, she¡¯ll meet an even crueler fate ... Please master, please save Regena.¡¹


    Regena¡¯s wet nurse was crying as she pleaded with me. Regena¡¯s rtives were also making some ruckus.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay. Regena would neither be killed easily nor be subjected to anything inhuman.¡¹


    Everyone seemed to be surprised hearing my words.


    ¡¸How do you know that ...?¡¹


    I said that to pacify Regena¡¯s wet nurse. I was not lying to her.


    ¡¸The one who captured her is therade of the hero ... That¡¯s why she¡¯ll be fine. At least, Shirone won¡¯t let anyone hurt a frail girl like her. If someone tries to hurt her, Shirone will protect her for sure. That¡¯s why she¡¯ll be alright.¡¹


    As for the reason, it¡¯s because she¡¯s an ally of justice. She¡¯ll save the princess of the human side. Shirone definitely won¡¯t let a frail girl like Regena suffer a cruel fate.


    ¡¸Thus, no one will be able to hurt Regena.¡¹


    I dered.


    After saying so, I suddenly nced at Kuna.


    Kuna was pouting.


    ¡¸Kuroki, you seem to be very familiar with that girl called Shirone...¡¹


    For some reason, Kuna was in a bad mood.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Kuna?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s NOTHING AT ALL, Kuroki!¡¹


    She said ¡°It¡¯s Nothing¡± with an angry tone.


    ¡¸Humph!¡¹


    Pouting, Kuna turned her face away. Then, she left the room in a seemingly bad mood.


    Just what the hell is happening here?


    ¡¸Will she really be okay?¡¹


    Regena¡¯s wet nurse continued querying me.


    ¡¸She is. Moreover, I¡¯ll go save Regena right away. That¡¯s why you guys should wait here. Don¡¯t do anything reckless.¡¹


    ¡¸Y-Yes.¡¹


    Saying so, Regena¡¯s rtives bowed to me and left the room. With them leaving, there was only one person left in the room.


    I looked around. After confirming that no one was around, I grabbed my head as I was at my wit¡¯s end.


    ¡¸Crap ... I¡¯m really in deep sh*t now...¡¹


    I never expected them to catch Regena. Things have be really troublesome now. This current appearance of mine couldn¡¯t be shown to others.


    ¡¸Uuh ... This is bad. Really, really bad...¡¹


    I rolled around a few times on the carpet spread on the floor churning my brains.


    There¡¯s only one reason for Shirone to capture Regena ¨C to lure me. Honestly speaking, I don¡¯t want to meet Shirone.


    Nevertheless, why did they capture Regena?


    ¡¸No, that¡¯s not it...¡¹


    Muttering so, I shook my head and then raised my body.


    There were so many reasons for them to capture Regena.


    I knew about this fact just a while ago but, apparently, Regena¡¯s mother was a noble of the Velos kingdom.


    Moreover, she was the fiancee of the king. However, Regena¡¯s mother ended up eloping with the former king of Algore.


    Apparently, Regena resembles her mother. That¡¯s why trouble was bound to happen since I had taken Regena to an event like the ball of Velos.


    Moreover, Regena¡¯s childhood friend, the current prince of Algore hade to Velos, too. All of these situations coincided as if to say ¡°Feel free to arrest her.¡±


    I knew the matter about Goz when we came to Velos, but this is the first time I heard about Omiros.


    When ites to that, this is also the first time I heard that Regena has met Goz before.


    Just how the hell did ite to this situation?


    Knowing all this information only made me more anxious instead.


    But, it was toote to regret this now.


    I was really angry at my own carelessness.


    This happened because I didn¡¯t pry too deeply into Regena¡¯s past.


    Regena and her rtives were exiled by the people of their country to the goblin nest. That¡¯s why almost all of Regena¡¯s rtives died by the hands of goblins. Only a few of her rtives survived that desperate situation. Regena might be thinking about taking her revenge on the people who expelled her and her rtives.


    Even so, I didn¡¯t want to support that idea.


    That¡¯s why, in the end, I didn¡¯t ask or investigate anything.


    That¡¯s where I made a huge mistake.


    This matter happened due to my own indecisiveness.


    I might be able to do something if it¡¯s limited to Goz or the people of the Velos kingdom, but the problem was the fact that Shirone and co. were among the people who captured Regena.


    My rtionship with Regena might have long since be known by Shirone. Shirone won¡¯t do cruel things to a frail girl, but the reason why Regena was captured was me.


    And maybe, they were waiting for me toe and save Regena.


    ¡¸What should I do...?¡¹


    My mood was heavy.


    Maybe I have to go to save her.


    But, Shirone is definitely waiting for me. I might have to fight Shirone again. And, to be honest, I don¡¯t want that to happen.


    That was why my movements became slower.


    Shirone might be hating me right now. I mean, I hurt Reiji, the one she loves, after all.


    I¡¯m also aware of how the other girls treat the men who hate Reiji. And that¡¯s just too scary.


    Those girls¡¯ faces and Shirone¡¯s are ovepping with each other.


    I imagine myself being looked down by Shirone with a cold and hate-filled gaze. It¡¯s definitely not afortable situation.


    That¡¯s why I wear my helmet to hide my face. I called myself Diehart instead of Kuroki to divert the hate towards apletely different person. [TL: Someone with the name Diehart is crying]


    But then, my true identity has been exposed. Shirone might hate me right now.


    That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to meet her.


    If meeting her would result in me being looked at with her piercing cold gaze, I would rather not meet her at all.


    I¡¯m stuck in a helpless situation right now. I¡¯mpletely at a loss.


    ¡¸I¡¯m just ... miserable.¡¹


    I hid my true identity while fighting Reiji in order to prevent myself from being at the receiving end of the fury of the girls.


    I might look like a miserable coward.


    This might be why Shirone chose Reiji over me.


    If it were Reiji, he woulde to save Regena immediately.


    However, Regena doesn¡¯t have such a fortune because the one who picked her up was this miserable man.


    In fact, if Goz didn¡¯t exist, I think that it was better for Regena to go back to Algore.


    After hearing Kuna¡¯s story, it seems that Goz isn¡¯t good-natured either. That¡¯s why I shouldn¡¯t leave Regena in Goz¡¯s care.


    If I had to leave her in someone¡¯s care, it might be Omiros.


    This was something that I felt when I heard Kuna¡¯s story ¨C the man called Omiros is an extremely dedicated person.


    It seems Omiros dived into the dangerous goblin nest so many times to search for Regena.


    If you think about it, it might be better to leave Regena to Omiros who lives in the bright world rather than keeping her by my side living in a world filled with darkness. [TL: Yes, he¡¯s saying it, literally. Nargol is the world of eternal night]


    If things went well between them, Regena wouldn¡¯t need me anymore.


    She won¡¯t be caught, and she doesn¡¯t need to return to Nargol since there¡¯s Omiros by her side.


    In that case, it¡¯ll make me look like a fool. A clown.


    But, such foolishness isn¡¯t in my character. The stupid viin role who became the hindrance of their love should be left to Diehart.


    And then ... Shirone, the ally of justice, will save them.


    ¡¸That¡¯s the scenario...¡¹


    Thus, I mutter the conclusion of my imagination that was running wild until now. That was the best happy ending. When ites to that, I might as well be a viin.


    Of course, there was a possibility that my imaginary situation wouldn¡¯t happen, either.


    That¡¯s why I don¡¯t want to meet Shirone, but I still have to confirm the location they¡¯re going to send Regena. I have to do something about this situation.


    Where were they holding Regena right now? Regena should have the short sword that I gave to her a while ago.


    I injected my magic power into that sword.


    I focused my mind to scour for any sign of it.


    It seems that Regena and the others were heading in the direction of Algore.


    In that case, their destination must be Algore.


    And then, I started recalling about Algore.


    It¡¯s a ce that exiled her to that terrifying goblin nest, resulting in the death of the majority of her rtives.


    It¡¯s at a degree of cruelty toward human life which I would never imagine as someone who lived in a peaceful ce like Japan.


    And then, there¡¯s me, who saved her life. More than saving her, I want her to be happy.¡¡That¡¯s my wish for her.

 Chapter 40.1 : Myulmidon

    <h4>Chapter 40.1 : Myulmidon</h4>


    ¡ô Sword Maiden Shirone


    We continued our journey while sitting in the rocking carriage, a gift from Es. Our hippogriff was the one pulling the carriage.


    We could arrive faster by flying in the sky, but we had to carry more people. Naturally, carrying this many people was impossible even for a hippogriff.


    That¡¯s why we had no choice but to use thend route.


    The carriage that we got from the Velos kingdom was splendid. The windows were big, and I could see the outside scenery with ease. The seat was alsofortable.


    Sitting on those seats were me, Kyouka-san, Kaya-san, and Regena-san.


    There were seven of us. Me, Kyouka-san, Kaya-san, Regena, and Omiros. And then, Echigos and Daigan were also present here.


    Parish wasn¡¯t with us. He returned first since he had something to do.


    That news lightened Kyouka-san¡¯s mood.


    After the ball, the unpleasant feeling I felt from Parish became even stronger. His eyes shined with an unpleasant light whenever he saw the members of the women camp. It worsened by a notch whenever he saw Regena. Breathing roughly, he looked like a dog that was always in heat. I felt bad for Parish, but in this regard, I agreed with Kyouka-san.


    When I told the others about Parish¡¯s condition, it seems that he became like that due to the magic of that Silver Witch who came with Kuroki. I don¡¯t know why she used that magic on Parish, but I might be able to understand the reason soon enough.


    Well, that aside, Parish was now gone.


    Though you couldn¡¯t say they were a suitable recement, we brought Echigos and Daigan along with us.


    As for why the two of them were traveling with us, Echigos begged us to bring him with us fearing he might be attacked by the ogres for the second time.


    As for how he returned from that forest to Velos, it¡¯s still a mystery to me. He just suddenly appeared in front of our carriage and prostrated right before we left Velos.


    The ogre that was controlling Echigos previously seems to be called Kujig; that ogre is well known as the one governing the Blue Forest that¡¯s present in this area. It appears that Kujig was living inside a confectionary castle present within the Blue Forest.


    I have to be vignt since she mighte to attack us again.


    As for Daigan, we, unfortunately, had to take him along since we couldn¡¯t keep him, a dangerous living werewolf, in the Velos kingdom¡¯s prison.


    Daigan was currently tied up with several chains and ced on the luggagepartment behind the carriage. By the way, Echigos was the driver.


    We not only tied up Echigos, but we also tied up Regena.


    We didn¡¯t want to be rough with her, but she was our precious source of information. So, releasing her as such never came into our mind as an option.


    Fortunately, Regena also possessed a loose tongue. While she uttered that she will never divulge anything to us, she gradually spoke about Kuroki¡¯s life in Nargol. That was why she¡¯ll continue to be our hostage for a little longer.


    It was as Kaya-san had predicted, the one who saved Regena was Kuroki. If Kuroki didn¡¯te to help her, she might have been toyed by the goblins in their nest right now.


    For this reason, she feels a deeply rooted sense of gratitude towards Kuroki.


    But, because she was saved by Kuroki, there might be some beautification in her story.


    The Kuroki in Regena¡¯s story is more powerful and kinder than anyone.


    Her expression when she talks about Kuroki is the face of a girl that haspletely fallen in love with him.


    Especially her expression when Kuroki touched her hand while asking¡¸Is your work too hard for you?¡¹, even we, who were looking from the side, were dyed with embarrassment.


    Just how much is she going to extol Kuroki?


    I mean the real him is quite miserable, and to make matters worse, quite a pervert, too.


    Poor Omiros.


    She even red at him with hostile intent just because he was traveling with us.


    The fact that he was hated by someone he holds dear must be painful for him.


    There was also the fact that she was bragging about another man in front of him. It¡¯s too painful to look at his expression. [Ed: YOU DENSE MOTHERFU^%@$!#^][TL : I understand your feeling]


    Omiros wanted to bring Regena back to Algore. That was why, for Omiros, Kuroki was a hindrance.


    But, the furious Regena reacted with¡¸BECAUSE MY DEAR MASTER IS FAR MORE AWESOME THAN SOMEONE LIKE OMIROS!!!¡¹


    Omiros slumped when Regena told him so. He looked so pathetic.


    He kept worrying about Regena. For that reason, she should at least have been kinder to him, shouldn¡¯t she?


    Suddenly, I wonder why the figure of the current Omiros was ovepping with


    Kuroki¡¯s? [Ed:%^#@@%##%^[emailprotected]</a>#W^!&#[emailprotected]</a>]


    The dejected Omiros was following alongside us on his horse.


    Should I reconcile these two?


    I was wondering about that.


    The best choice might be to separate Regena from Kuroki, right?


    Yosh, let¡¯s tell her about the real Kuroki. By doing so, Regena, feeling disgusted by Kuroki, might return to the side of Omiros.


    When I made such ns, I could feel several signs of something approaching.


    ¡¸Please stop the carriage!¡¹


    Maybe because she felt it too, Kaya-san told Echigos to stop the carriage.


    ¡¸Is something up?¡¹


    Since he was told to stop the carriage, Echigos turned around and inquired about it.


    ¡¸Is it true, Kaya? Something happened?¡¹


    Kyouka-san was also asking the same question.


    Kyouka-san didn¡¯t know about this since she didn¡¯t not possess a scouting ability.


    ¡¸Something is approaching from the front, my princess.¡¹


    We directed our sights to the front.


    There we saw the scene of a horse galloping towards us.


    Omiros went forward to protect us from the horseing toward us.


    ¡¸OMIROOOOOOOOS!¡¹


    The one riding on the horse called Omiros.


    ¡¸MacGius! Riettos!!¡¹


    The people on the horse were shouting at Omiros.


    There were two individuals on the horse. A man around the same age as us along with a little girl behind him.


    ¡¸Kaya-dono. They¡¯re my rtives.¡¹


    After turning around to say so, Omiros went ahead while waving his hands towards them.


    ¡¸PLEASE, WAIT A MINUTE! THE ONE COMING TOWARDS US ISN¡¯T JUST THEM!!¡¹


    After saying so, Kaya-san leaped from the carriage and ran towards them.


    Her movement speed was faster than Omiros¡¯s riding on a horse.


    ¡¸EH?!¡¹


    It was at that moment, from the side opposite of where the horse wasing at us, a shadow suddenly leapt from the thicket right beside that horse. The little girl tagging along on the horseing toward our coach unknowingly shouted.


    That shadow looked like a bipedal ant almost as tall as a human. And it wasn¡¯t just one of them. A Few of them leaped out from the thickets beside us as well.


    ¡¸UWAAA!¡¹


    ¡¸KYAAA!¡¹


    The duo riding on the horse raised a scream in tandem.


    The ants were approaching them.


    But, Kaya-san was faster than the ants. Pale blue lightning appeared on the gloves that she was wearing on both of her hands.


    They are a pair of gloves called ¡®Tourmaline Gloves¡¯ made out of a blue lightning gem.


    A lightning spirit resides in the Tourmaline magic on the top part of the gloves, thereby granting lightning damage along with impact damage.


    Kaya-san¡¯stest magic armament is far more powerful than the one she had used until now.


    Kaya-san leapt towards the ant heading for those two and punched its head. Then, using the recoil of her punch to twist her body in mid-air, her kicknded on another ant on the opposite side.


    Those ants werepletely dead several secondster.


    ¡¸Wooow...¡¹


    The man riding on the horse gasped unintentionally. If I¡¯m not wrong, Omiros called him MacGius.


    ¡¸Rietto! MacGius!!¡¹


    Omiros rode his horse and went toward his acquaintance.


    ¡¸Why are you here?¡¹


    Omiros asked.


    ¡¸Well, Riettos couldn¡¯t be quiet about it ... She was worried about you since you were runningte, so she thought that something might have happened...¡¹


    Smiling wryly, MacGius said so while looking at the girl behind him.


    It seems they hade looking for Omiros since they were worried about him. We might be the reason for histe return. If it were just Omiros and Parish, they would have returned to Algore a bit faster.


    ¡¸Thanks, Riettos. I made you worry so much...¡¹


    Saying so, Omiros pat Riettos¡¯s head. This put Riettos in a slightly bad mood.


    She then averted her face with puffed cheeks.


    ¡¸Humph ... It¡¯s not like I was worried about you. Moreover, stop treating me like a child.¡¹


    She couldn¡¯t be honest with herself. But that made her cuter.


    ¡¸Ah, sorry Riettos ... It¡¯s just a habit of mine ... Come to think of it, I got some sweets with me. Is this present enough for you to forgive me?¡¹


    Saying so, Omiros took something out from his bosom pocket.


    ¡¸SWEETS! REALLY?!¡¹


    Riettos¡¯s eyes were shining with bright lights as if her pouting a while ago was a lie.


    ¡¸Cough.¡¹


    While Omiros and Riettos continued having such an exchange with smiles, Kaya interjected in their conversation with a cough from the side.


    ¡¸Omiros-dono. It would be rude for you not to introduce them to us, wouldn¡¯t it?¡¹


    Yeah, they were probably tired from riding the horse. Kaya-san interrupted their conversation.


    ¡¸M-My apologies for such inconsideration, Kaya-dono.¡¹


    Saying so, Omiros bowed to Kaya-san. By his tone, he seemed to be scared of her.


    He then sped on MacGius¡¯s and Riettos¡¯s backs. He seemed anxious for some reason.


    He might have been afraid of how easily she dispatched of those ants.


    I was even more scared than him. Decreasing the number of men courting us was a good thing, but it made me feel a bit down when even a cute child like Riettos was getting scared of me.


    Omiros brought the two of them to the front of the carriage.


    ¡¸Kyouka-sama, the two of them are my cousin MacGius and his little sister, Riettos.¡¹


    Omiros introduced them to Kyouka-san sitting inside the carriage.


    ¡¸Yes, It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡¹


    Kyouka-san came out from the carriage.


    ¡¸Eh? So pretty! Who are you?¡¹


    Rietto unintentionally praised her beauty. It seemed that MacGius was also charmed by her.


    ¡¸MacGius, Rietto. This personage is Kyouka-sama, the little sister of the hero. And I¡¯m sure that you remember about Shirone-sama who came to Algore a while back.¡¹


    Omiros introduces me after Kyouka-san.


    ¡¸You are ... The wife of the hero.¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s true...¡¹


    It seems they remember about me. I should have never met them face to face, though.

 Chapter 40.2 : Myulmidon

    <h4>Chapter 40.2 : Myulmidon</h4>


    ¡¸Could it be that hero-sama is also...¡¹


    Rietto said with a slightly frightened voice.


    ¡¸No, he¡¯s not with us right now. The one who came now is just his honored wife, Shirone-sama, followed by Kaya-dono, and then Kyouka-sama.¡¹


    She seemed at ease when Omiros said so. Just how afraid is she of Reiji-kun, I wonder.


    ¡¸Guys, give your greeting to Kyouka-sama.¡¹


    Being urged by Omiros, they straightened themselves in a hurry and replied.


    ¡¸Hello Kyouka-sama, I¡¯m MacGius.¡¹


    ¡¸And I¡¯m his little sister, Rietto ... Eh?¡¹


    As she greeted Kyouka-san, Rietto¡¯s eyes opened wide as she saw a certain person sitting in the carriage.


    Her eyes were locked on Regena.


    ¡¸... WHY?¡¹


    The look on her face morphed 180 degrees.


    ¡¸WHY IS REGENA SITTING THERE!¡¹


    Rietto screamed with an undisguised anger in her voice.


    I could feel strong resentment residing in her voice. To be honest, it wasn¡¯t a trivial matter.


    MacGius also looked at Regena with a surprised look on his face.


    ¡¸WHAT¡¯S HAPPENING HERE, OMIROS? WHY IS REGENA SITTING THERE?¡¹


    In the end, MacGius shouted like his little sister, too.


    From the sound of it, he seemed to be somewhat bewildered, instead. And though not as much as I can feel from Rietto, he seemed to not have a good impression of Regena, too.


    ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Rietto, MacGius ... If possible, I don¡¯t want to meet you guys.¡¹


    Regena replied to them with a cold tone from inside the carriage. But I noticed a hint of sadness in her voice.


    ¡¸HOW DARE YOU SHOW YOUR FACE IN FRONT OF ME, REGENA! IT¡¯S BECAUSE OF YOUR FAMILY, MY DEAR MOTHER WAS...¡¹


    I noticed that droplets of tears were forming in her eyes as Rietto said those words.


    ¡¸...You guys were the ones who murdered my rtives. Aren¡¯t we in a simr position here?¡¹


    ¡¸IT¡¯S BECAUSE YOUR FAMILY WAS THE ONE WHO STARTED IT!¡¹


    ¡¸And how was I supposed to know about that?¡¹


    ¡¸DO NOT RETURN TO ALGORE! SEND HER BACK TO THE GOBLIN NEST!!¡¹


    Both of them started quarreling.


    ¡¸Rietto! THAT¡¯S ENOUGH! That goes for you too, Regena!!¡¹


    Omiros tried to pacify them.


    ¡¸WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS BROTHER OMIROS! WHY ARE YOU PROTECTING THAT WOMAN!!¡¹


    Rietto looked at Omiros as if she wanted to cry.


    ¡¸Rietto...¡¹


    Omiros was stupefied being red at in such a way by his sister.


    Silence descended upon this ce for a while.


    ¡¸You¡¯re misunderstanding, Rietto.¡¹


    A whileter, Regena broke that silence.


    ¡¸MISUNDERSTANDING WHAT!?¡¹


    Now, Rietto was ring at Regena.


    ¡¸Omiros isn¡¯t the one who protected me. Think about it, Rietto. Under whose protection do you think I am? If you try to hurt me, you guys will end up like those Myulmidons.¡¹


    Regena said while looking at the corpses of the antman.


    Riettos¡¯s face turned pale after realizing that fact.


    ¡¸Right. I¡¯m not under the protection of Omiros, you guys are worried for nothing.¡¹


    Regena said while smiling at them. But, it was a dry smile.


    ¡¸No way, Regena ... I just...¡¹


    Omiros seemingly wanted to say something to Regena.


    But, Regena didn¡¯t seem to care about him and just looked at Kaya-san.


    ¡¸It¡¯s as she says. Regena-san is currently under our protection. You must consider the act of harming her simr to making an enemy out of us.¡¹


    Kaya-san established her position to MacGius and Rietto.


    MacGius and Riettos¡¯s expressions were dyed with fear.


    The air turned dangerous for some reason. I had to do something about this situation.


    ¡¸Now, now, hold on a second, everyone.¡¹


    I came down from the carriage.


    Everyone¡¯s line of sight was focused on me.


    ¡¸Hey, do tell me, this antman is kinda ... You know. This kind of monster wasn¡¯t present when we came before, right? Why did ite out now?¡¹


    I asked while walking towards the corpses of the antmen for a change of topic.


    ¡¸Antmen? Are you talking about the Myulmidons? Come to think of it, why did they appear here?¡¹


    The one who replied was Omiros.


    ¡¸I see, this antmen are called Myulmidons, huh? Come to think of it, it did look like this Myulmidons were chasing after you right? Do you know why that happened?¡¹


    Kaya-san asked both of them.


    ¡¸Uhm, I kno- No, I mean, I don¡¯t know why they¡¯re after us. This is also the first time I¡¯m seeing a Myulmidon.¡¹


    Rietto replies so while shaking her head.


    ¡¸I ... No, I did see them once a long time ago, but ... Nevertheless, it¡¯s just one or two of them. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen so many at once.¡¹


    MacGius responded so. In front of MacGius were the corpses of seven Myulmidons.


    ¡¸Then, why do you think these Myulmidons suddenly appeared here? Do you know where their natural habitat is?¡¹


    Omiros shaked his head in denial.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know ... But ording to legend, you can find a lot of them around the queen¡¯s castle deep inside the Blue Forest.¡¹


    ¡¸Queen of the Blue Forest? Does that mean that female ogre is somewhere around here?¡¹


    The queen of the Blue Forest that Omiros was talking about should be referring to the female ogre who led the raid in Velos.


    Anyway, no one knew where that castle was located in this vast Blue Forest. It seems they ate every human who darede near the castle. The queen should be the one called Kujig.


    ¡¸Even so, do you know why they wereing after us?¡¹


    As if she finally remembered his existence, Kaya-san then turned to look at Echigos.


    ¡¸WAH! It¡¯s not me!¡¹


    Echigos shaked his head in denial.


    But, Kaya-san just continued walking in silence towards Echigos.


    ¡¸HYIII!!¡¹


    Echigos got down from the driver¡¯s seat and tried to escape.


    But, Kaya-san is several times faster than him.


    Kaya-san seized Echigos by his cor.


    ¡¸Calm down. I won¡¯t kill you.¡¹


    Kaya-san checked Echigos¡¯s body.


    ¡¸Uhm, what are...¡¹


    Echigos had a dirty look on his face.


    Kaya-san is a top ss beauty, after all. He might have felt ted when such a beauty was gently touching his body.


    But, that didn¡¯t mean it was going to be that gentle forever.


    Kaya-san¡¯s hand stopped around Echigos¡¯s abdomen.


    ¡¸Huhm!¡¹


    Her hand suddenly pressed on Echigos¡¯s stomach.


    ¡¸Fu-GAAA!!¡¹


    Being pressed like that, Echigos started roaring in pain.


    ¡¸AAARGH...¡¹


    Froth and drool incessantly came out from Echigos¡¯s mouth.


    ¡¸KYAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡¹


    It was followed by the screaming Rietto.


    Because a huge bug came out from Echigos¡¯s mouth along with the drool and froth.


    The bug that came out from his mouth shuddered wildly and then stopped moving the next moment.


    Echigos¨Cwith drooling out from his mouth¨Cwas still twitching. It looked like he was alive somehow. Recovery, however, might be impossible for him.


    ¡¸What in the world is that?¡¹


    Kyouka-san looked at the messy Echigos and the dead bug with a frown on her face.


    ¡¸It maybe the deed of that ogre. It seemed like she had aplete grasp of our route.¡¹


    Kaya-san said so with an uninterested tone.


    It seems that Echigos was under the control of the ogre. He sent the information about us via the bug living in his body.


    ¡¸Uhm, Kaya-dono ... That means...¡¹


    Omiros asked with an anxious voice.


    ¡¸They might being after us again. We should strengthen our defenses once we arrive at Algore.¡¹


    ¡¸That ... ¡¹


    Omiros¡¯s face turned pale.


    Our situation was at a disadvantage.


    ¡¸What shall we do, Shirone-sama? Shall we exterminate those ogres before Kuroki-san arrives?¡¹


    Kaya-san asked me.


    ¡¸Uhm, I want to do that, but I don¡¯t know when Kuroki wille... I don¡¯t really want to risk it.¡¹


    To be honest, I didn¡¯t really want to fight those ogres when Kuroki alone was already far more powerful than any of us. But then, we couldn¡¯t just leave them alone.


    I was pondering about that.


    ¡¸Ha~h ... Shirone-san, Kaya-san. Why don¡¯t we think about that after we reach the Algore kingdom? Or rather, after we can get down from this carriage.¡¹


    When I pondered about Kyouka-san¡¯s words, I realized that she was tired after sitting for a long time in the carriage.


    ¡¸You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s prioritize arriving in Algore first, Shirone-sama.¡¹


    Maybe because she had also guessed Kyouka-san¡¯s feeling, Kaya-san agreed immediately.


    I agreed with Kaya-san.


    We might not have found a solution even if we were to think about this matter at that time. Thus, we decided to go to Algore.


    I wonder what those ogres and Kuroki are doing right now.


    ¡ô Goblin Prince Goz


    The Karon kingdom, a particr kingdom that can only be reached through a deeply bored hole in the north side of the Akeron mountain range.


    Regarding its underground location, it¡¯s no different from the other goblinmunities.


    However, different from the other goblinmunities, Karon was a ce where there were t walls with ornaments adoring them.


    Though you couldn¡¯tpare those crudely made ornaments with the ones made by human hands, it was considered good enough for a goblin.


    Walking along the passage of this Karon kingdom, I kept descending further in. My destination was the innermost part of the Karon kingdom.


    When I arrived there, a huge door stood before me.


    Two goblins were standing guard in front of that door. They might have been the sentries ced here to protect the thing behind thatrge door.


    ¡¸If it isn¡¯t prince Goz, gob. Why are you here, gob?¡¹


    One of the goblin sentries questioned me about my visit.


    ¡¸ I¡¯m going to trouble you guys. I¡¯m here for a specific thing behind that door. Let me in.¡¹


    After saying so, those two goblins exchanged a couple of looks.


    ¡¸You might be our prince, but you must have the queen¡¯s permission to pass through this door, gob.¡¹


    After a brief talk amongst themselves, those goblins responded with those words.


    Hearing that, I smacked my lips.


    ¡¸If it¡¯s about her permission, it¡¯s... RIGHT HERE!¡¹


    I unsheathe the sword that I carried under my overcoat and decapitated one of those goblins.


    ¡¸Gooob!¡¹


    Subsequently, I pierce through the body of the other one before he got the chance to scream.


    ¡¸What are you ... Gob...¡¹


    The goblin whose chest was stabbed by my sword died before he could finish his words.


    ¡¸Humph, fool. If you were obedient, you wouldn¡¯t have died.¡¹


    I kicked the corpses of those fools aside.


    Nevertheless, my mother would have still killed them once she found out about this matter. Either way, they were going to die.


    I burned the corpses of the sentries to erase the evidence. I could be at ease for a while with no one being able to find the bodies of those sentries.


    I looked at the door.


    The thing protected by the dead sentries was there, inside the warehouse of the Karon kingdom. Here sleeps the treasure of my mother.


    She wouldn¡¯t forgive anyone whose hands reached her treasure, even if it were me. She might even kill me if she knew that I was the one entering inside.


    But then, I might have to fight the Dark Knight after this. What should I do, I¡¯m afraid of my mother.


    The door was locked with magic, but it was not a problem. I had investigated the keywords to open this gate.


    The door opened when I uttered the magic words.


    When I entered, the various kinds of treasures lined up inside this vast room fell on my eyes.


    Ornaments, gems, various dresses, and cosmetics. Every single one of them a top quality product.


    Iughed upon witnessing that collection. None of them were suitable for THAT mother of mine. Even the most beautiful gem would be degraded to be a trash-like product if it was worn by that ugly woman.


    I kept walking deeper into the treasure house.


    Soon enough, my gait was stopped by another pair of doors. A treasure house inside the treasure house. The thing kept inside was an excellent article belonging to my mother.


    I should enter first.


    After entering, a certain item inside caught my eyes.


    Though this treasure house was sealed with unusual methods, I had already investigated the means to unlock it.


    The doors opened when I said the magic words.


    ¡¸GEH!¡¹


    I unintentionally let out such a voice when I entered the room because the walls inside the second treasure house were filled with pictures of naked men.


    The men in the pictures, all of them were handsome, even by my own judgment.


    Though they were from various races, the ones from the human race were the most numerous amongst them.


    It might be one of my mother¡¯s hobby. She has such a lousy taste despite her ugly appearance. [TL: ...]


    Just when I thought whether these men were my mother¡¯s victims, I changed my mind because I saw the picture of men of the demon race and the angel race amongst them.

 Chapter 40.3 : Myulmidon

    <h4>Chapter 40.3 : Myulmidon</h4>


    No matter how powerful my mother was, she was no match for both of those races.


    That was why these pictures might have been pictures of men of this world which my mother had taken fancy to.


    And then, I saw a certain picture. It seems there were three new additions to that picture collection.


    And I knew that male.


    There was no doubt, it was the picture of that hero.


    The hero in the picture was naked while shing a daring smile.


    Nevertheless, what god-like precision drawing. Though it was drawn after seeing his figure from a far position back when he was in Algore, the details were exact. It was as if the picture woulde alive at any moment.


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    And then, I looked at the picture right beside the hero¡¯s picture.


    ¡¸Isn¡¯t this ... My picture?¡¹


    The picture of the male right beside the hero¡¯s picture was the picture of Parish. It¡¯s not the figure of Goz, the one drawn in the picture was my Parish figure.


    ¡¸Why in the hell is my picture...¡¹


    Was it drawn by my mother without me noticing it?


    It might have been my fake figure, but it still sent a chill down my spine just by thinking about myself bing the sexual target of my mother.


    And then, I saw a speck on the picture of Parish.


    ¡¸How did she know about that...¡¹


    Parish is my fake figure. But, a certain part is terrifyingly urate.


    My line of sight unintentionally stopped in theher region.


    Comparing it to the one in the hero¡¯s picture,


    ¡¸Damn it ... I lost...¡¹


    I felt slightly dejected.


    And then, I saw the picture right beside Parish¡¯s picture. From the order of the pictures, this one was thetest addition.


    It was the picture of a ck-haired male. I had never seen his face. It was quite well-ordered, but it wasn¡¯t too conspicuous.


    And then, my gaze went down.


    ¡¸HOLYF&CKINGS*IT!¡¹


    I was speechless.


    His thing was the most fiendish one amongst the pictures in this room.


    ¡¸IMPOSSIBLE?! WHO IS HE?¡¹


    The human world was vast, but he should be someone who lived around these regions, right? Could it be that this male lived in a faraway ce? When did my mother get acquainted with this male?


    Looking at his size made me want to cry.


    Geez, enough with this bullshit.


    In addition, there was also a whip and a strange looking pedestal in this room, but I didn¡¯t really want to know about my mother¡¯s fetish.


    I moved as fast as possible so that my eyes didn¡¯t end up ncing at something that I didn¡¯t wish to see.


    A whileter, I finally got out of that disgusting room. It looked like I arrived at the innermost part of the vault.


    When I finally reached this part of the room, a pedestal and a jar on top of it were there.


    This jar was the thing that I was looking for.


    As the prince of this kingdom, when I examined the treasures of this kingdom, I found out about this jar.


    The subordinate god of Nargol, the God of Destruction, should be sealed within this jar.


    The Demon King betrayed the God of Destruction and fought her and her subordinates.


    And yet, the Demon King couldn¡¯t bring himself to kill his own brethren after achieving victory so he sealed them off.


    The god sealed inside was one of those gods. The other subordinates of the God of Destruction were put into a deep sleep, sealed in various ces in Nargol.


    One of those ces was the kingdom of Karon since he judged that it was less dangerous than sealing all of them in one ce.


    But, that worked in my favor. No matter how mighty that Dark Knight is, there¡¯s no way he can beat a real god.


    I couldn¡¯t hold myughter as I held on to the jar.


    The subordinate god sealed within this jar will be my gift to that Dark Knight. I heard that the subordinate god sealed within this jar wasn¡¯t that powerful, but it was still a god. It could easily decimate a single Dark Knight.


    There were the women of the hero too, but they¡¯re just mere human in the end . They might be more powerful than me, but they¡¯re no match for the thing sealed in this jar.


    Well then, I should go back to Algore.


    Along with this jar, of course.


    ¡¸Kukuku ... You¡¯re finally mine ... Regena...¡¹


    ¡ô Ogre Witch, Kujig


    ¡¸Ceh, they noticed it, huh?¡¹


    They killed the bug I sent to give us information about the little sister of the hero.


    ¡¸Geez, that man was a waste of space...¡¹


    If I¡¯m not wrong, his name should be Echigos, is it?


    I really couldn¡¯t expect anything from humans, after all.


    ¡¸What shall we do, dear mother? Those guys aren¡¯t pushovers.¡¹


    My seventh son, Retsug, said while snacking on the deep-fried human children.


    My other son, Ringu, agreed with him.


    I was currently eating along with my children.


    The dishes eaten by my sons were the human children captured by this Candy Castle.


    This grand Kujig castle, the Candy Castle was the upgraded version of the one we inherited from the sky giant race, our master.


    This castle, which had the self-repairing ability, was quite fragile, but it was the best when it came to luring prey into it.


    This castle emits a sweet fragrance to lure the prey around us to enter it.


    The creatures lured by it would then start eating the floor and the walls since they can¡¯t stand the sweet fragrance.


    Since there was some sort of doping agent in this Candy Castle, that prey would lose their will to live without the castle.


    Naturally, this castle¡¯s effect is powerless against an existence with a powerful resistance. The highest being that could be captured by this castle was an elf, it was powerless against the demon and angel races.


    It was still handy, nevertheless, since it could lure those humans in.


    I was stuffing my mouth with the roasted meat.


    So delicious.


    The vor of free-ranged humans was far more delicious than domesticated ones. [TL: I¡¯ll use free-range chicken and domestic chicken as a reference here, you just need to rece the ¡°chicken¡± part with ¡°human.¡±]


    Though I could lure in the entire human poption in this region if I felt like it, I won¡¯t do such a stupid thing.


    There¡¯s nothing better than free-ranged humans, after all.


    They would have never expected that I deliberately let them do as they please just for the purpose of developing more delicious meat.


    Moreover, this method was the safest method with the smallest possibilities of being discovered by troublesome guys, so I can feel at ease.


    Zengu didn¡¯t understand that and was ruling over the humans, resulting in him getting killed by the little sister of the hero.


    I had to settle this grudge.


    But then, what should I do?


    The barrier that locked those guys was a reasonably powerful one. So, fighting against those guys who could easily tear them apart was dangerous.


    ¡¸Well, what shall we do then?¡¹


    I looked at my sons.


    ¡¸No need to think about it, dear mother! Those puny humans can¡¯t beat us! They just got lucky for being able to beat Zengu! Let¡¯s charge towards them from the front, and deliver revenge to the enemy who destroyed the treasures!¡¹


    The one who delivered such a bold statement was the third son of mine, Toug. Toug is the bravest one amongst my sons.


    My eighth son, Kaig, and my fifth son, Zaig, also agreed with Toug¡¯s promation.


    ¡¸Yes, revenge for our rare treasures!¡¹


    ¡¸ I¡¯m with Toug big bro!! THIS IS THE REVENGE FOR OUR TREASURED BOOKS!¡¹


    Their heads were filled with the thoughts of killing their enemy.


    ¡¸CUT IT OUT, GUYS!¡¹


    The one who interjected was my second son, Pyoug. The one with the sharpest and mostposed mind amongst my sons.


    ¡¸Those people are the ones who went as far as invading Nargol. Moreover, they quickly tore apart our dear mother¡¯s barrier. Half-hearted assault against them is simply suicide.¡¹


    ¡¸....But then, what should we do?¡¹


    Upon being asked so, Pyoug looked at his elder brother.


    ¡¸My younger brothers, I think we should gather more information about them. Let¡¯s find their weakness. Right, dear mother?¡¹


    I agreed with the words of my eldest son, Ring. As expected of my eldest son, he knew what I was thinking. [TL: HE DOES NOT!]


    ¡¸It¡¯s as he says. You lot, we have to gather more information about them first. If I¡¯m not wrong, they say that they¡¯re headed to Algore, don¡¯t it? Let¡¯s take control of a few people in that country and use them to identify our opponent¡¯s weaknesses. After that, let¡¯s kill the little sister of the hero!¡¹


    The people in this region, all of them were but mere tools to me. Naturally, they had to be useful to me.


    After I said so, my sons raised heated warcries.


    ¡¸THAT¡¯S RIGHT, REVENGE FOR OUR TREASURES!¡¹


    ¡¸YES, THAT¡¯S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT!¡¹


    ¡¸KILL THEM ALL!¡¹


    ¡¸YES, THIS TIME FOR SURE!!¡¹


    Such a profound love for their deceased brother, I wanted to cry hearing their passionate shouts.


    ¡¸OOH! Quite the passionate spirit here, Ogres!¡¹


    A voice suddenly resounded around.


    ¡¸WHO ARE YOU!¡¹


    My fourth son, Shag shouted in the direction of the sound.


    And before I knew, a female human was standing on top of the table. That¡¯s strange, she wasn¡¯t there a while ago.


    Since when did she enter this room? Moreover, why didn¡¯t I notice her until I heard her voice?


    Looking at this female human, I recalled about her hair.


    ¡¸Silver hair ... You¡¯re, the one from that time...¡¹


    My sixth son, Jing muttered something about his limbs being chopped by the scythe of this female.


    Come to think of it, this Silver-haired Witch was there at the Velos¡¯s ball, indeed. She was holding the same scythe from that time too.


    ¡¸You ogres want to exact your revenge against that little sister of the hero, right? Then, allow this Kuna to help you guys.¡¹


    The Silver Witch was smiling sweetly. She didn¡¯t falter even when she stood before this Kujig, the one hailed as the queen of the Blue Forest.


    Instead, it was more like she was looking down on us.


    ¡¸HOW DID YOU GET INTO THIS PLACE?!¡¹


    I had erected a barrier to protect this ce, and no one should be aware of this castle¡¯s location.


    Even my sons wouldn¡¯t be able to enter the castle without my invitation, so how in the world did she manage to find its location?


    ¡¸What are you pondering about? I just left a little mark on you when I chopped at you. I came to this ce by following that mark.¡¹


    ¡¸WHAT ABOUT THE DEFENSIVE MECHANISM OF THIS CASTLE? WHAT DID YOU DO ABOUT THOSE NUMEROUS MYULMIDONS!!¡¹


    I unintentionally shouted at her.


    Myulmidon was a race whose members had be my servants in exchange for parasitising on this castle.


    They had an extremely keen perception. Does that mean she entered all the way to this ce without being discovered by them?


    ¡¸Myulmidon? Ah, do you mean those ants? They just let me pass with this.¡¹


    The Silver Witch said while ying with her ne.


    It might have been some sort of magic tool. Maybe she arrived in this ce without being found out by the Myulmidons thanks to her ne.


    ¡¸Rather, I¡¯m waiting for your answer whether you want to be Kuna¡¯s servants or not?¡¹


    Servants? She never said that, though.


    ¡¸Who the hell wants t-...¡¹


    Just when I was about to finish my words, my body suddenly stopped in ce.


    When I nce around, the same thing seems to have happened to my sons. Their faces were stiffened.


    ¡¸Well, it¡¯s not like I care whether you¡¯re willing or not anyway. Shall Kuna deprive you all of your life? Or shall I deprive you all of your death? Now choose.¡¹


    Saying so, the Silver Witch walked toward us.


    Though her height was far shorter than the ogres, for some reason, it felt like she was taller than all of us.


    The Silver Witch was standing right in front of me.


    An indescribable fear welled up within my heart.


    I wanted to let out a cry, and yet my voice was clogged in my throat.


    ¡¸From today, you guys are Kuna¡¯s tools, so make yourselves more useful to Kuna.¡¹


    She maintains her smile while saying those words. [Ed: Yandere much?]


    I could feel my mind being bound by something. I was powerless against such tremendous magic power.


    ¡¸Well then, my ogres, onwards to Algore. Our goal is to eradicate Shirone¡¯s existence from this world!¡¹

 Chapter 41.1 : Minstrel

    <h4>Chapter 41.1 : Minstrel</h4>


    ¡ôSword Maiden Shirone


    Algore kingdom was a human kingdom located in the farthest north amongst all the human kingdoms.


    ording to Chiyuki-san, Algore meant ¡¸Surveince¡¹ in this world¡¯snguage.


    The name originated from the name of a hundred eyes giant. Even if some of this giant¡¯s eyes were closed, the others would be wide open; time and space wise it possessed no blindspot, thereby overlooking this entire world. Therefore, the name of the giant held the meaning of ¡¸Surveince¡¹.


    In ordance to the name of that giant, everyone in Algore continuously monitored the situation in Nargol.


    In the first ce, Algore was originally a fortress built to hold back the kingdom of goblins that existed in the southern part of Akeron mountain range from spreading even further.


    Numerous warriors from all around the world gathered in this fortress to attack Nargol.


    After the warriors in that fortress destroyed the goblin kingdom, they went further into Akeron mountain range to begin their attack on Nargol.


    And then, not a single one of them ever returned.


    Thus, Algore was a country that was built by the warriors who remained in the fortress.


    For these reasons, Algore possessed different characteristicspared to other countries.


    In general, human countries were surrounded by ramparts so that the citizens could live in that country peacefully. But, Algore didn¡¯t have a plot ofnd where humans could live easily since it was formed from a fortress. Thus, Algore had never been a wealthy country. Their food circumstance was also rather poor.


    And then, maybe because of their warrior ancestors, Algorians have a slightly rough disposition.


    That¡¯s why any fight in the fortress is just considered like everyday¡¯s affair.


    But then, even for a fight, it¡¯s only on the level of brawl. I heard that the matter never escted to murder.


    Or so at least until we came here with Reiji.


    ¡¸WHAT IN THE WORLD IS WRONG WITH THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY!¡¹


    Kyouka-san was grumbling.


    We¡¯re currently inside a guest room of the Algore kingdom. We had an audience with Omiros¡¯s father just a while ago.


    Though he more or less gave a warm wee, it¡¯s all clear from his attitude that he didn¡¯t wish for us to remain if possible. And it¡¯s not just the king, it¡¯s the same for his retainers, too.


    I know their feelings since we would also be inviting troublesome opponents, ogres, but it¡¯s disheartening that we are treated like a nuisance.


    And bringing Regena along is just like adding salt on a wound. They¡¯re obviously hostile toward Regena.


    Algore had just experienced a civil war. Though the battle had already ended, the traces of that battle seemed to linger even till now.


    I felt that there¡¯s less people nowpared to the first time when we came to this ce. The reason for that was obviously the civil war. The scars that were left on the stone building told tales about that brutal event. There¡¯s no doubt about it, many people died during that civil war.


    And then, the origin of that civil war was Regena¡¯s father, Qupis. It seemed that they still hate Qupis even now.


    We, who brought the daughter of Qupis, are obviously uninvited and unwee guests for them.


    ¡¸GEEZ, WHAT IN THE WORLD IS WRONG WITH THEM! EVEN THOUGH REGENA-SAN HERSELF HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CIVIL WAR!!¡¹


    Kyouka-san was angry.


    ording to Regena, it seemed that the person herself didn¡¯t participate in the civil war. Rather, she even tried to stop it from happening.


    Maybe the reason for Kyouka-san¡¯s anger was because Regena acknowledged their ims.


    Regena just kept her silence in the corner of the room. She hadn¡¯t spoken anything after entering the room.


    ¡¸It seems that Regena-san is not weed anymore in this country....¡¹


    Kaya-san responded to Kyouka. I agree with her. I never expected that things would escte to the point of a civil war. No one wanted Regena to return to this country.


    Except for Omiros. Omiros was the only one who¡¯s concerned about Regena. But, regardless of his feelings, there¡¯s nothing he could do.


    As long as Regena remained in this country, she¡¯s going to be butchered sooner orter.


    ¡¸If you all think so, then take me back to Nargol! Please send me back to my dear master¡¯s side!! ¡¹


    Hearing Kaya-san¡¯s voice, Regena, who kept her silence until now, suddenly raised her voice.


    She continued to re at us after saying so.


    ¡¸What should we do, Shirone-sama?¡¹


    Kaya-san was asking me.


    ¡¸U~hn. What shall ... we do, huh?¡¹


    That¡¯s also what I¡¯m worried about.


    We had already extracted a considerable amount of information from Regena. To be honest, our best choice was to send her back.


    But then, I was worried about Omiros. What made me hesitate to separate them was because he kept worrying about Regena.


    ¡¸U~hn, well there¡¯s this matter about Omiros-kun, too...¡¹


    I muttered in a low voice.


    ¡¸... In short, you¡¯ll leave this matter to Omiros, right?¡¹


    ¡¸If Shirone-sama says so, then I have nothing to say in this regard.¡¹


    Kaya-san and Kyouka nodded after hearing my words.


    Hearing our conversation, Regena started sulking from the side.


    ¡¸We must think about another matter too, Shirone-sama.¡¹


    Kaya-san suddenly pointed out something to me.


    ¡¸What could it be? Kaya-san?¡¹


    I asked to Kaya-san curiously.


    ¡¸It¡¯s about those ogres. It seems those guys were positioning Myulmidon around Algore. They¡¯re going to arrive sooner orter.¡¹


    I nodded to Kaya-san.


    Those ogres were aiming for our life. To be honest, they were just a hindrance since facing against Kuroki was already draining everyst bit of my attention.


    ¡¸Kaya, can¡¯t we do something about those ogres before they arrive in Algore?¡¹


    Kaya-san shook her head in denial to Kyouka-san¡¯s query.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve been asking the people of this kingdom, but it seems that no one knows the whereabouts of the sweet castle or the whereabouts of its master, the queen of blue forest, Kujig. But, there¡¯s a legend being passed down for generations that one must run immediately as soon as they smell a sweet smelling ce. I might be able to pinpoint its location if I search for the ce from where those antmen areing, but ... such method would probably take too much time. Kuroki-san might have already reached here during that time.¡¹

 Chapter 41.2 : Minstrel

    <h4>Chapter 41.2 : Minstrel</h4>


    ¡¸You¡¯re right...¡¹


    Kyouka-san was disappointed.


    We might end up passing each other if we¡¯re busy with the task of scouring for Kujig¡¯s nest. Thus, we have no countermeasure against those ogres at the moment.


    It would be for the better if we could get more information from Echigos, but the man who just got freed from the insects that buried inside his body was currently under intensive care of the doctor of this kingdom. He was by no means in a condition where we could talk to him.


    Maybe, there¡¯s another person in this kingdom who had the same kind of bug hidden in their body, too. But, inspecting every single person of this kingdom would expend too much time.


    ¡¸They really are troublesome opponents, right?¡¹


    Thus, I¡¯m cursing on those ogres.


    ¡¸And yet, we can¡¯t dismiss them as small fry, either. In that case, let me handle those ogres. Shirone-sama, I¡¯ll leave the matter with Kuroki-san to you.¡¹


    ¡¸Sorry, Kaya-san...¡¹


    I apologized to Kaya.


    ¡¸Is it really okay for you to go there by yourself, Kaya?¡¹


    ¡¸I can do something if it¡¯s just those ogres, Mdy. I think Shirone-sama is in an even more dangerous position than me. Kuroki-san aside, that Silver Haired Girl is clearly far more powerful than those ogres. That¡¯s why, Shirone-sama, please do not force yourself.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, I understand. Kaya-san.¡¹


    I agreed with her.


    ¡¸Humph, someone like you is just a small fry in front of my dear master!¡¹


    Regena sneered at us after our exchange.


    We heaved a sigh in hearing that.


    I know that we have to restrain our emotions toward her provocation, but should I let it loose a little?


    ¡¸Come to think of it, Regena-san. May I ask something?¡¹


    Kaya-san inquired Regena.


    ¡¸What is it?¡¹


    Regena replied irritatedly.


    ¡¸How long are you nning to live in Nargol?¡¹


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    Regena was bewildered in hearing Kaya-san question.


    ¡¸What does that mean?¡¹


    ¡¸ording to your story, it seems that Kuroki-san is trying to send you and your rtives back to human world, right?¡¹


    Nargol was the world of demons. It¡¯s not a living ce for human beings. She might have been able to live in Nargol only because Kuroki was there.


    It seemed that¡¯s the main reason for why Kuroki wanted to send Regena and her rtives back to the human world. But then, in spite of finding a suitable ce, he met a deadlock since he had no connection to the human world at all.


    ¡¸So, what about that? My dear master is definitely trying to send us back to the human world, but it doesn¡¯t mean that he can find a country that is willing to ept us that easily.¡¹


    Regena was saying so while looking at Kaya-san with a dumbfounded face.


    It¡¯s hard to gain citizenship rights for people who had no parents in the destination country.


    The plot ofnd for humans to live safely in this world is extremely limited. That¡¯s why one country couldn¡¯t just arbitrarily increase the number of legal citizens since it¡¯s rted to their food stocks. Thus, the possibility of a country granting citizenship to outsiders was next to nothing.


    Thus, it¡¯s difficult for outsiders to enter a country without proper arrangements.


    Moreover, even if one earned their citizenship, it didn¡¯t mean that they¡¯d find employment without having a glib tongue.


    Because it¡¯s Kuroki, Regena and her rtives¡¯ citizenship aside, I¡¯m sure that he¡¯d also make sure that there would be no trouble in their livelihood.


    Kuroki wouldn¡¯t do something as irresponsible as throwing out a life that he saved once. Even though throwing them away like that would make his life easier, his personality would cause trouble for him at this kind of time.


    But, finding out someone who could take them in for Kuroki who¡¯s socially inept is a rather tall order. That¡¯s why Regena and her rtives couldn¡¯t leave Nargol for now.


    ¡¸Oh my. In that case, shall we offer our help to help him take care of them? We should be able to do so, right Kaya?¡¹


    Kaya-san was nodding in agreement to Kyouka-san¡¯s question.


    ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s more than possible for us, Mdy. As long as we use the name of the little sister of the hero who has received the affection of Goddess Rena coupled with money, any country will be more than willing to take us in.¡¹


    Regena was surprised in hearing that.


    Even so, such things were definitely possible for Kyouka-san and Kaya-san. As long as we used Kyouka-san¡¯s name, finding citizenship in any country including employment was just a simple matter. She should be more reliable than Kuroki in that regard.


    ¡¸U~h ... Even so, I ... At my dear master side...¡¹


    Regena was at a loss for words since she might be aware of that, too.


    I wonder, what makes her want to stay by Kuroki side¡¯s in Nargol.


    Nevertheless, Kuroki was trying to make Regena leave Nargol.


    ¡¸Regena-san, is it really okay for you and your rtives to stay for a long time in Nargol?¡¹


    ¡¸U~h!¡¹


    Regena groaned in hearing Kaya-san¡¯s remarks.


    Bull¡¯s eye, huh. Even though she wanted to live in Nargol, it didn¡¯t seem so for her rtives.


    ¡¸Well, no need to be hasty. But feel free to tell us if you change your mind.¡¹


    Regena was speechless against Kyouka-san¡¯s remarks. It seems that she¡¯s considering so many things while twining her hair with her finger.

 Chapter 41.3 : Minstrel

    <h4>Chapter 41.3 : Minstrel</h4>


    And the one who was confined there might be a subordinated person like Echigos. That might be the reason for them to arrest him.


    ¡¸I see, so.......... What kind of a person is this one. Is he a minstrel? ¡¹


    Minstrel was someone who visited many ces to sing the song that was created by him.


    Due to theck of entertainment in Algore, a minstrel is always weed. So he wouldn¡¯t be arrested like this if not for the current emergency situation of this country. He was just unlucky.


    ¡¸Yeah, the person himself said that he is a minstrel.¡¹


    The one who replied is Macgyusis.


    ¡¸Nothing suspicious came out when we checked his luggage, but we found his instrument too. Ah, that¡¯s right. He¡¯s also in the possession of another amazing item.¡¹


    ¡¸Amazing item? ¡¹


    After saying so, Macgyusis took the item that was left on the side of the guard.


    ¡¸Here, see for yourself.¡¹


    Macgyusis showed me the item.


    ¡¸A shield? ¡¹


    It was a round shield.


    It¡¯s quite valuable item with some gems embedded along it¡¯s circr pattern.


    And then, there¡¯s something that made me even more curious about this shield.


    ¡¸This........ Is. ISN¡¯T THIS A FRIGGIN MAGIC SHIELD! ! ¡¹


    Though the shield itself didn¡¯t reflect the sunlight, it released faint light.


    It¡¯s definitely an amazing shield. Magic tool like this isn¡¯t something that one could easily obtain.


    Though it¡¯s of the lower quality whenpared to the one in Kyouka-sama and co possession, it¡¯s still a rare item.


    Humans couldn¡¯t make defensive magic tools, so it must be a dwarf made one. But even those dwarf shouldn¡¯t be able to make magic tools without any ingredients. For this reason, it¡¯s very rare for someone to even have a defensive magic tools.


    Thus I¡¯m pondering about the minstrel who are being arrested inside. Just who in the world is he?


    ¡¸How about confisticating this for you to use yourself, Omiros. I mean, we¡¯re about to sh with those ogres and the Dark Knight.¡¹


    It¡¯s just as Macgyusis said. This ce might be turned into battlefield after this. Thus it¡¯s better if I have a defensive magic tools.


    But then, I shook my head in denial to Macgyusis idea.


    ¡¸We can¡¯t do this, Macgyusis. Doing that kind of act is the same as smearing mud on our pride as a warrior.¡¹


    No matter how difficult our situation, I can¡¯t do something like snatching someone else possession.


    I thought so during my pilgrimage. We have no time to scramble at our fellow human when our enemies like goblins and orcs were waiting out there.


    That¡¯s why I have to return this shield to its proper owner.


    ¡¸I see.......... Well can¡¯t be helped if you say that.¡¹


    Macgyusis finally gave up in persuading me, albeit reluctantly.


    ¡¸Return the luggage and this shield to its owner. So, can you open the door, I want to meet this minstrel.¡¹


    ¡¸Understood, young master.¡¹


    The guard then opened the door for me.


    There¡¯s nothing but empty house inside when I entered the house, well that¡¯s natural since all the furniture had been taken out. Then I see someone sitting on one corner of the room. He might be the said minstrel.


    He stood up since he might realize that we came.


    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry. Fellow traveler. And for the fact that you have to meet such difficult situation.¡¹


    I¡¯m bowing to the minstrel.


    ¡¸It¡¯s nothing, please raise your head, young lord. I mean I don¡¯t mind such treatment at all. It seems that I came during a difficult time.¡¹


    The minstrel forgave me. And then it gave rise to another question, How did he know that I¡¯m a prince?


    ¡¸Is that so¡¹


    Raising my head, I then began taking a look at the minstrel feature.


    it¡¯s a man around my age. ck hair and well-ordered face. On closer look, he¡¯s far more handsome than Parsish.


    It¡¯s just that his appearance didn¡¯t seem to be too conspicious.


    His garment was simple. Though he might be popr amongst women if only he wore proper clothes, his simple clothing might be just his preference.


    It¡¯s my impression of the minstrel.


    From his appearance, he didn¡¯t seem to be someone that I know. But then, let¡¯s return his belonging first.


    ¡¸I came to return your belonging.¡¹


    The guard passed the musical instrument and his luggage back to him.


    As he epted his luggage and the musical instrument.


    ¡¸And this too..........¡¹


    I returned the shield that I¡¯m holding on to him.


    But he didn¡¯t stretch his hand to ept it.


    ¡¸That shield is my gift to you, young prince.¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸EEEEH? ! ¡¹¡¹¡¹


    The two behind me was also raising a shocked voice.


    ¡¸Something troublesome is about to happen in this country right? That¡¯s why that shield should be more useful in your hand.¡¹


    ¡¸Could it be that you hear our conversation outside of this house? ¡¹


    It¡¯s not like this house was soundproof anyway. Thus it¡¯s highly possible that he overheard our conversation outside of the house.


    The minstrel just scratched the back of his head whileughing .


    ¡¸No...... I can¡¯t receive such important item from you.¡¹


    Defensive magic tools was an extremely rare things. It¡¯s not something that I could buy no matter how many gold coins in my possession.


    Moreover, what made me doubt my ears was the fact that he gave it, not lending it.


    ¡¸You should keep that shield, Young prince. I think it¡¯s going to save your life. And, please use that shield to protect those who are important to you.¡¹


    But then, shaking his head in denial, the minstrel replied so. I wondered who is this person real identity?


    ¡¸Just take it, Omiros! ! Moreover, you really are a nice guy! ! Come to my house, I¡¯m gonna treat you with feast of bean dishes! ! ¡¹


    Macgyusis said that while patting on the minstrel shoulder.


    Though I doubt whether you can call bean dishes as a feast, we have nothing but that kind of dishes in this country.


    ¡¸Come to think of it. We¡¯re going to imprison the werewolf in this house. Thus, pleasee to our house. Let us show our gratitude for the shield.¡¹


    I invited him for a meal along with Macgyusis.


    I don¡¯t know his identity. But it¡¯s as Macgyusis had said, I need to express my gratitude to him.


    ¡¸No, this ce is fine. It seems that something big is about to begin.¡¹


    But the minstrel was shaking his head, turning down our offer.


    ¡¸But there¡¯s going to be a werewolf in this house you know.¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s all right. ......... I mean that werewolf is bind with padlock. Moreover, I want to talk with that werewolf, just the two of us.¡¹


    ¡¸I see..........¡¹


    He feels like a different person when he told us that he wanted to talk with the werewolf. But then, a minstrel is someone that usually full of curiosity and have tons of questions in his head. It might be the same for him.


    ¡¸Thus don¡¯t worry about me.¡¹


    Smiling, the minstrel telling me so.


    ¡¸He~. You¡¯re just like a different person when you said that you wanted to have a little talk with the werewolf. Well then, I¡¯m going to tell my lil sis to bring your mealter.¡¹


    Macgyusis isughing heartily. Despite thinking the same things as me, Macgyusis was just bluntly saying his own thought that I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it. Aren¡¯t you being rude to him?


    ¡¸Come to think of it, can you tell us your name? ¡¹


    Macgyusis was asking for his name.


    Come to think of it, I have yet to know the name of this minstrel.


    When I was about to ask his name, the minstrel then replied after pondering for a while.


    ¡¸My name is Kuro.¡¹


    Kuro, I never heard of such name before. Though he said that he came from Rox kingdom, he might be in fact born in an even far away country.


    ¡¸Kuro, that¡¯s a strange name.¡¹


    ¡¸MacGius! ! ¡¹


    Macgyusis was saying something rude again.


    ¡¸Please forgive mypanion discourtesy, Kuro-dono.¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t mind about such things.¡¹


    Waving his hands, Kuro¡¯s replying so.


    ¡¸By the way, young prince. May I ask.......... If this country has a hero called Parsish? ¡¹


    ¡¸What, is your actual goal to meet Parsish?¡¹


    Minstrel likes to sing a song about hero.


    And Parsish is the most suited one for the brave title as he is also famous in the surrounding country for his goblin extermination.


    It¡¯s not a wonder for his deed to be praised in a song by a minstrel.


    So he might want to meet Parsish and make a song about him.


    ¡¸Yes, Parsish is definitely in this country. But he¡¯s absent from his post right now.¡¹


    ¡¸I see..........¡¹


    Kuro looked a bit troubled. He definitely wanted to meet Parsish.


    ¡¸Hahaha, could it be that Kuro-dono actually want to give this shield to Parsish? Or do you want me to give this shield to Parsish when he returned? ¡¹


    Weapon or magic weapon was more appropriate to a brave ones after all. And maybe, this shield is better for Parsish than me who have nothing special on my own.


    Thus, I said so with a smile on my face.


    ¡¸N-NONONO! ! YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN¡¯T DO THAT! ! YOUNG PRINCE! ! DO NOT GIVE THIS SHIELD TO PARSISH, NO MATTER WHAT! ! IT¡¯S FOR YOU! ! ¡¹


    Kuro suddenly said so in panic. It¡¯s as if his calm attitude up till now is just a facade.


    ¡¸Eh? P-Pardon? I understand...........¡¹


    I can only agree with him after being told so by him with such fervor.


    ¡¸My apologize, young Prince. I ended up lost my cool.¡¹


    Laughing it off, Kuro was saying so to me. Nevertheless, I wonder who is he? He¡¯s suspicious person as expected.


    But I really couldn¡¯t see the bottom of this person.


    He spoke a little too much. We should be waiting for now. I must strengthen our defense before the invasion of Dark Knight and the ogres.


    ¡¸Well then, Kuro-dono. We¡¯re going to excuse ourself then.¡¹


    Saying so, I¡¯m bowing to Kuro.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry.¡¹


    Kuro was also bowing to me.


    Then, I left the house.


    ¡¸Macgyusis. What do you think about Kuro-dono?¡¹


    A while after leaving the house, I asked Macgyusis.


    ¡¸Well........... I just get this feeling that he¡¯s not your ordinary minstrel.¡¹


    It seems that Macgyusis also have the same impression as me about Kuro.


    ¡¸But then, don¡¯t you think that he is a nice person for gifting that shield? ¡¹


    But, he added so right after his first impression.

 Chapter 41.4 : Minstrel

    <h4>Chapter 41.4 : Minstrel</h4>


    ¡¸You really........¡¹


    But it¡¯s as he said, I just couldn¡¯t picture Kuro as a bad person.


    ¡¸What shall we do? Shall we go to those woman ce? Maybe there¡¯s bug hidden inside his body.¡¹


    Yup, he definitely is a suspicious person. Thus we might need to report about this matter to those women.


    But I shook my head.


    ¡¸No, let¡¯s not do that.........¡¹


    Coz he might have tagged alone if he was the subordinate of the ogres.


    But, I noticed that something was wrong. On the contrary, he¡¯s way too suspicious as someone who should be the subordinate of the ogre.


    Besides, it¡¯s faster to hide the bug inside of native of Algore rather than an outsider. Just how much of a gap in this n. There¡¯s no need to use outsider as their spy.


    Thus, I think that he was not the subordinate of the ogre.


    I wondered who was he? If he wasn¡¯t the subordinate of the ogre, could it be that he is the subordinate of the Dark Knight?


    Or else the Dark Knight himself. [TL : F^CK, YOU¡¯RE WAY TOO SHARP OMIROS-KUN!] But still, he might be a subordinate of the ogre. I don¡¯t know why he gave this shield to me but, I think he had a reason to do so. But, I guess I should y along.


    Thus, I don¡¯t think I need to tell those women about this matter.


    ¡¸I see...... Well I guess I have nothing to say if you think so.¡¹


    ¡¸Sorry..........¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay. Do as you like...........¡¹


    I felt bad since Macgyusis was just worrying about me. Thus, I have to say my gratitude to him.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s get going, Macgyusis.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes¡¹


    After saying so, we¡¯re walking down the path.


    ¡ôMinstrel, Kuroki.


    ¡¸I somehow managed to meet the person himself.......¡¹


    I¡¯ve been disguising myself as a minstrel to infiltrate into Algore and met Omiros.


    I wanted to see for myself, what kind of a person Omiros is. He seemed like a good person to me. If it¡¯s him, I can rest assured and entrusted Regena to him.


    Thus I asked the dwarf, Dario-dono to make that shield.


    Nevertheless, my n was wrecked. I never expected that they would catch me as soon as I came. I had no choice but to make an emergency escape in case they brought me to Shirone and co.


    Touching at my broken musical instrument. It was originally a harp.


    ¡¸I heard that it¡¯s easier for a minstrel to enter a country, but...........¡¹


    I heard about that tidbit from Regena¡¯s wet nurse. Thus I came all the to Algore by disguising myself as a minstrel.


    And the matter of me didn¡¯t use invisible magic to infiltrate Algore was because I wanted to meet Omiros myself. To know what kind of a person is him.


    Using invisible magic would make him wary toward me, and made it even harder to judge his character instead.


    Well, I¡¯m still being suspected. But I think I have already grasped his character.


    Now I just need to remove Parsish from the stage and confirm Regena¡¯s intention.


    But then, I don¡¯t know where is Parsish right now, and Regena is kept at Shirone and co side.


    Parsish aim might be to kidnap Regena while I¡¯m fighting Shirone and co. That¡¯s why I prepared some counter-measure.


    Kuna left after she said that she¡¯s going to do something about Shirone and co but, I wonder where is she right now? To be honest, I have a bad premonition about her departure.


    Maybe I won¡¯t have any means left to do something about Kuna and Shirone. Because I might be too preupied when Parsish makes his move.


    That¡¯s why if there¡¯s someone who can save Regena in that situation, that person might be Omiros.


    I want to do as much as I can to help Regena. But then, I don¡¯t have that much power to go as far as that. I can do more for her if I have more power and authority in human world but, I¡¯m too naive.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯ll leave the matter of keeping her safe to Omiros.


    That¡¯s why I gave that shield to Omiros.


    It was originally my parting gift for Regena.


    Thus, I didn¡¯t think it¡¯s a problem to give that shield to Omiros.


    Thus, I have no choice but to leave as I¡¯m just a third party.


    Looking at the werewolf that was restricted in this house. Though I heard that this werewolf had learnt the way to speak in humannguage, if I¡¯m not wrong, he¡¯s a subordinate of the ogres.


    I don¡¯t know too well the matter about Shirone and co involvement with those ogres. In the first ce, why were those ogres aiming for them anyway?


    There¡¯s a chance that they¡¯re going to be an obstacle to my n. That¡¯s why I wanted more information about the ogres.


    I approached him and then unfasten the padlock that shut his mouth.


    ¡¸KUHAAA! ! ¡¹


    The werewofl whose mouth just freed took a deep breath.


    ¡¸Oi, you. Release me! ! If you do as I say, I¡¯ll at least ask Kujig-sama to spare your life! ! ¡¹


    Now I heard a familiar name from the werewolf. The name of the ogre who I met in Velos.


    ¡¸Uhm, my apologize........ I want to know more about that ogre called Kujig.¡¹


    Bowing my head, I asked that question to the werewolf.


    ¡¸OOOH! ! YOU BASTARD, ARE YOU INSANE! ! I SAY, RELEASE ME RIGHT NOW! ! ¡¹


    It seems that normal conversation is impossible.


    He said that he¡¯s going to spare my life but he kept releasing his killing intent toward me. It seems that he¡¯s going to kill me as soon as I release him.


    ¡¸I have no choice I guess.........¡¹


    He¡¯s a werewolf but, I really didn¡¯t want to use this mean.


    Fear magic.


    It¡¯s a magic that manipted the target psyche, much more simr to charm magic. The one who be target of this magic would feel an unbearable degree of fear toward the user.


    That¡¯s why I can¡¯t bring myself to like this magic. Because manipting someone¡¯s heart is against my raison d¡¯etre, even if it¡¯s my enemy.


    But, depending on the situation, I won¡¯t hesitate to go as far as using this magic.


    I ced the palm of my hand on the head of the werewolf, and then invoke this magic.


    ¡¸Y-Y......... You BAS-........ You.....¡¹


    The werewolf was trembling in fear. Eyes opened wide and pping his mouth non-stop.


    ¡¸Werewolf, tell me your name.¡¹


    ¡¸Da-............ It¡¯s Daigan! ! O Feared One! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸I see, Daigan. After this, you¡¯re going to obey me.¡¹


    ¡¸Y-Y-YEEEES SIR! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸Well then, Daigan. You have something that you need to tell me.........¡¹


    When I tried to ask the knowledge that I want to know from Daigan.


    The door of the house was suddenly opened.


    ¡¸MEAL IS COMING!¡¹


    The one who came in was a little girl around 10 years old. This girl is pushing a cart with two tes on it.


    ¡¸Thank you, little miss.¡¹


    I said my gratitude to her.


    Now I can¡¯t extract more information from Daigen with this girl here. Please leave as soon as you left our meal.


    It seems that the meal that little girl brought for us is bean soup.


    It is the kind of bean that doesn¡¯t need widend and can be cultivated in rampart, thus it became a staple food for many countries simr to Algore.


    ¡¸Seriously, bean. Give me meat........¡¹


    Did he know that it¡¯s bean soup from it¡¯s aroma? Daigan was muttering such luxurious things while she brought the meal for us. So I send a re to scare him a little.


    ¡¸No, I MEAN BEAN IS DELICIOUS(T^T). I LOVE BEAAAAN(T^T)(T^T)(T^T)(T^T)(T^T)! ! ¡¹

 Chapter 41.5 : Minstrel

    <h4>Chapter 41.5 : Minstrel</h4>


    Maybe because he was scared of me, Daigan was retracting his words.


    ¡¸Loves............ Beans? That strange, I though wolf loves meat?¡¹


    The little girl seems puzzled.


    After cing the soup in front of us, the girl then sat in front of me.


    ¡¸EH! ? ¡¹


    Why did she sit in front of me?


    ¡¸Hey, you¡¯re a minstrel right? Sing something for me! ! ¡¹


    The little girl was looking at me, her eyes filled with expectation. Which reminded me that I disguised myself as a minstrel.


    ¡¸The song of the minstrel that came before was interesting. That¡¯s why sing for me too, uncle! ! ¡¹


    It saddened me to be called as an uncle by her. But then, I might be an uncle from the perspective of the girl at her age.


    The song of a minstrel was a song that was retelling a story about a legend which rearranged in the form of song. And that was usually taken from love story, heroic tale, or the tale of this world.


    ¡¸Sorry........ My musical instrument is broken in the middle of my journey you see. Thus I can¡¯t sing for you.¡¹


    I¡¯m looking at my broken harp.


    It¡¯s a lie. I can¡¯t sing, even if my musical instrument wasn¡¯t broken. I brought a broken musical instrument on purpose.


    It was my intention from the very beginning to show my broken musical instrument if I¡¯m asked to sing a song.


    ¡¸E~h, bo~ring! ! Everyone is so busy and no one have a spare time to y with me...... Hey, you should be able to tell me some story right?¡¹


    I¡¯m bewildered when this little girl saying so.


    To be honest, I¡¯m about to use sleeping magic on her but, I hesitate to use such magic to this little girl.


    ¡¸U~hm, let see........... Then, shall I tell you the tale of the Thunder Dragon that dwell in the sea of cloud.........¡¹


    ¡¸Dragon of the sea of cloud? That sounds interesting, please tell me!! ! ¡¹


    The girl¡¯s eyes were sparkling due to excitement.


    I then told her about the story of the Thunder Dragon that I met before.


    ¡¸E~h, no way. The Dragon gave you its power.¡¹


    The girl couldn¡¯t believe it. It¡¯s the truth though.


    ¡¸But it was an interesting story! ! ¡¹


    Smiling as she said so.


    HELL YEAH! ! I¡¯m taking a guts pose in my mind.


    Because the girl who seems afraid till a while ago seems to enjoy my story.


    ¡¸Hey, tell me more story, uncle! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸Uhm, let see.........¡¹


    When I was about to tell the next story.


    Daigan was starting to act violently.


    ¡¸What¡¯s matter, Werewolf-san? ¡¹


    The little girl is asking so to Daigan.


    ¡¸This smell! ! IT CAME, THOSE OGRES HAVE CAME! ! ¡¹


    Daigan was screaming on the top of his lungs.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, there¡¯s this sweet smell in the air..........¡¹


    It was as the little girl just said. There¡¯s sweet smell around the air.


    ¡¸Kujig the ogre hase! ! ¡¹


    Werewolf has outstanding sense of smell. Maybe, the ogres had reallye.


    It¡¯spletely slipped out of my mind since I was engrossed in talking with the little girl.


    Standing up from my chair.


    It seems that It¡¯s time for me to make my move.


    ¡ôSword Maiden, Shirone


    ¡¸What¡¯s with that castle? It¡¯s approaching us.¡¹


    I¡¯m looking at the castle that kepting closer from the windows.


    And thanks to the cloudless night, I can see it clearly under this bright light.


    Under the moonlight, I saw something biging closer.


    ¡¸Is that, the confectionary castle? ¡¹


    I¡¯m giving a nod in hearing Kyouka-san voice. We¡¯ve an extremely sharp vision uponing to this world. The castle was still far away from Algore and yet I could see that castle very clearly from my position.


    ¡¸It should be the castle of that ogre called Kujig. ording to the story, the wall is made of lebkuchen, the roof is somekind of patries, and the windows is made from transparent ss. Though I don¡¯t know about the type of confectionary of this world, it seems something simr to our world exist.¡¹


    Kaya-san was doing the exnation.


    By the way Lebkuchen is the kind of cake made by utilizing variety of nuts or orange peels with honey condiment on top of it.


    ¡¸What is that? The ants are, carrying the castle? ! ¡¹


    It¡¯s as Kyouka-san has said, I saw a lot of Myulmidons carrying the confectionary castle as like carrying portable shrine. [TL : Pyramid ve]


    My longed marchen is destroyed by such spectacle. [TL : marchen = fairy tale]


    The confectionary castle stopped right before Algore.


    When it came this close, its contour became even clearer for me.


    The spire is made from cream. The windows are made from various sweets. The wall is Lebkuchen-like baked sweet. The hangingntern that shaped in various form such as human and animals made the confectionary castle even more bewitching under the moonlight.


    Light was rising from one of its spire. The light then started distorting and projecting an image like a screen.


    No doubt about it, it¡¯s the video magic. The figure of a person is projected in that image.


    I knew the name of the one who appeared in that image.


    ¡¸That¡¯s, Kuna-sama! ! ¡¹


    Regena shouted that woman name as soon as she saw her.


    Yes, it¡¯s as she said. The one who appeared in that image was the Silver Haired Woman who we met in Velos.


    Why is that girl in the castle of those ogres?


    Looking closely, there¡¯s something that resembled those ogres in the background.


    Though I don¡¯t know the reason, it seems that she¡¯s working together with those ogres.


    ¡¸GET THE HELL OUT HERE! ! SHIRONE! ! GET OUT AND FIGHT KUNA! ! IF YOU¡¯RE NOT COMING OUT! ! I¡¯M GOING TO ORDER THESE ANTS TO DESTROY THIS COUNTRY! ! ¡¹


    The girl in the projected image screamed loudly.


    Looking closely, the myumidons were wriggling around the confectionary castle.


    ¡¸It seems she¡¯s calling you, Shirone-san.¡¹


    Saying so, Kyouka-san is looking at me.


    ¡¸I guess she¡¯s looking for me........ Well I guess I have no choice if she goes as far as calling me.¡¹


    I drew my sword from its sheath that fastened on my waist.


    Just right when I wanted to get the full story from Kuroki but I guess I can ask her directly too.


    ¡¸It¡¯s dangerous if you go there by yourself, Shirone-sama.¡¹


    Kaya-san is worrying about my safety.


    ¡¸Uuhn, it¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll retreat if the situation goes beyond what I can handle. Rather than that, Kaya-san please help me to stop Kuroki if he came! ! ¡¹


    Saying so to Kaya-san, I then leapt from the windows. Unfolding my wings, I then flew toward the confectionary castle.


    The myulmidons who can fly is obstructing my way.


    ¡¸OUT OF MY WAY! ! ¡¹


    But I dispatched them with one sh of my sword.


    ¡¸A FIGHT IS IT! ! BRING IT ON WITCH! ! ¡¹

 Chapter 42.1 : A Joke of A Fight In The Confectionary Castle

    <h4>Chapter 42.1 : A Joke of A Fight In The Confectionary Castle</h4>


    ¡ôDark Knight Kuroki


    ¡¸WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?¡¹


    Kuna arrived along with the ogres. Though I didn¡¯t understand what she was trying to say, it felt like I was taking a glimpse at something that was best left alone.


    When I took a look outside as soon as Daigan informed about the arrival of the ogres, Kuna¡¯s reflection came out of the confectionary castle and suddenly challenged Shirone to a fight. Just what the hell was happening here?


    And then, I saw Shirone¡¯s figure leaping towards the confectionary castle.


    ¡¸Oh shit, If I don¡¯t stop them soon...¡¹


    Transforming into my dark knight form, I leapt towards the confectionary castle.


    Faster, faster, they might have already started their fight by now.


    When I was about to chase after Shirone.


    ¡¸WHA?!¡¹


    I twisted my body to the side, dodging something that just passed through the ce I was standing a moment ago.


    I quickly descended to the ground. The ce where I descended was right outside the rampart of Algore.


    As I descended, someone also seemed to be descending from the sky.


    A woman around my age. I remember that face.


    The first time I met her was when I was at the Holy Republic of Lenaria.


    If I¡¯m not wrong, her name was Kaya.


    ¡¸I never expected you to have infiltrated Algore.¡¹


    The woman called Kaya set her stance up with both of her fists.


    To be honest, I didn¡¯t have the time to y around with her.


    ¡¸It should be your n to save Regena while that Silver-haired Woman distracts our attention, right? But I won¡¯t allow that to happen¡¹


    No, you¡¯re mistaken. I had no intention to make Kuna perform such dangerous acts. That¡¯s why I hade as fast as I could to stop them.


    ¡¸Well, there¡¯s something doubtful about your actions just now. If you still retain your own free will, why do you still serve under that Demon King? ¡¹


    This woman was pressing such a question upon me.


    I don¡¯t have an answer to that question.


    ¡¸The Demon King is the cause of the suffering of many people! Do you not feel anything about their suffering!¡¹


    Kaya continued to question me with an anger-filled voice.


    ¡¸You¡¯re mistaken. Since when did the Demon King cause the suffering of people? Despite always staying in Nargol, how did he cause the suffering of many people?¡¹


    I objected to her outright usation.


    ¡¸So you finally feel like replying. Yes, it¡¯s true that the Demon King never leaves Nargol. But the demons are the ones attacking humans. Isn¡¯t that the same as the Demon King causing the suffering of many people?¡¹


    ¡¸... The Demon King never ordered them to do so.¡¹


    ¡¸... So it¡¯s just his subordinates doing as they please? Isn¡¯t that irresponsible? Why doesn¡¯t he control them? Isn¡¯t that the same as having him as the reason for the suffering of people?¡¹


    I had no answer to that question.


    Not all demons in this world were Modes¡¯s subordinates.I could easily raise an objection to that usation.


    But, I really couldn¡¯t say anything for what she said about not controlling his subordinates.


    With his power, Modes might be able to control the majority of demons in this world. But he wasn¡¯t doing so since there was no benefit in doing so.


    Then, did the responsibility of controlling the demons fall upon Modes?


    Well, the gods of Elios seemed to think so. Though those gods were reigning humanity, they never ruled over them. ording to my investigation, despite having enough power to dominate the humans, the gods of Elios never did so. Reason: it seemed quite troublesome to do so.


    And then, if some humanmits a crime, was it right to say that the gods, who don¡¯t intend to control humans, were at fault?


    Or else, must they control humanity like robots?


    Does she mean that Modes had to dominate all the demons and make them not attack humans?


    In the first ce, Modes wasn¡¯t an ally of humanity. Still, he wasn¡¯t their enemy, either.


    Modes¡¯s goal was simple. He just wanted to protect the ce he lives with the woman he loves.


    Though as the king of Nargol, his reason makes one wonder, someone who lives outside Nargol doesn¡¯t have the right to criticize one living in Nargol.


    Even so, she had misunderstood that fact.


    I might have been the one in her position if the one who summoned me wasn¡¯t Modes but Rena.


    But, I was not the ally of the humans. I had been summoned to be the ally of the demons.


    Though it was not like I wanted to be the enemy of several individuals, the matter of seeing from the perspective of the humans of this world was quite difficult for the current me.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t think that the matter of never controlling the demons is a bad thing ... Thus, unfortunately, I won¡¯tply with your opinion.¡¹


    ¡¸I see ... Well then, shall I ask my first question again? Why did you take the side of the Demon King? Is there some sort of merit in doing so? Or, is it because of that Silver-haired woman?¡¹


    By silver-haired woman, she must be referring to Kuna. Surely, Kuna was one of the reasons I took the side of the Demon King.


    Because, simr to Modes, my goal was something more simple.


    I recalled the scene that I saw at the mountain of the Holy Dragon King. Reiji and the others seemed to be really enjoying themselves.


    I was jealous of them. I was extremely jealous at that point in time...


    At that time, tears wereing out non-stop under my helmet.


    I don¡¯t have anyone as myrade in this world.


    Modes and Nut were slightly different from that.


    What I actually wanted was to adventure andugh together just like Reiji and the others,rades who support each other, whom I could love and get loved in return. Even better if that saidrade was a cute girl.


    That might sound like an extravagant wish.


    But, that only wish of mine was realized. A cute silver-haired woman.


    I would¡¯ve never met her if I wasn¡¯t summoned to this world because there was no doubt that I was doomed to be alone in my original world.


    I wanted to enjoy an adventure along with Kuna in this world.


    Recalling the joy of adventuring along with her, a smile formed under my helmet.


    Yup, nothing can beat the joy of adventuring along with a cute woman.


    ¡¸Certainly, there¡¯s also that reason...¡¹


    I agreed with her words.


    ¡¸Is that so. So that woman is truly the reason. It seems we have no choice but to kill that silver-haired woman called Kuna.¡¹


    I could feel something ck and sinister gushing out from inside as soon as I heard those words.


    ¡¸My bad ... I won¡¯t let you guys do that!¡¹


    I took a step forward while proiming my decision.


    She retreated while she set a stance with her fists.


    I don¡¯t know why they came to the conclusion that they had to get rid of Kuna. But I won¡¯t let anyone hurt her.


    Thus, I approached my enemy. For as long as Kuna existed, I would always be on the Demon King¡¯s side.


    I¡¯m fine with remaining a Dark Knight.


    I abandoned humanity to be the ally of the Demon King in order to fulfill my own wish. I¡¯m a true viin, and I¡¯m proud of it.


    ¡¸Talking anymore is useless! If you won¡¯t let me pass, then I¡¯ll force my way through!!¡¹


    I must go as fast as possible to the confectionary castle, and it was located behind this woman.


    Thus, I rushed towards her.


    ¡ôSword Maiden Shirone


    shing apart the transparent windowpane made of candy, I entered from the biggest spire standing right at the center of the confectionary castle.


    The ce I arrived at was the bedroom. There was a huge canopy bed in that room.


    The futon seemed to be made from cotton candy and underneath was something soft like a rice cake. Or was it something simr to a fig paste cake which I ate once before at Reiji¡¯s home?


    This kind of bed made me want to dive into it with all my might. However, I had to endure it for now since I didn¡¯t have any leeway to perform that act.


    Maybe this ce was the room of the lord of the castle.


    That woman was surely waiting for me in the throne room below. There was no doubt about it.


    I walked on a cookie-like floor.


    I encountered a lot of myulmidon soldiers on the way towards the throne room.


    I took a better look at the myulmidons again. They were just like ants with a humanoid form.


    They were just like the ant soldiers of the confectionary castle.


    Setting the spear in their hands, the myulmidons rushed at me.


    ¡¸SCRAM!! FLAME BLADE!!¡¹


    I cleaved those myulmidons with the me de in my hand.


    The castle was illuminated using animal series candle-like transparent sweets.


    I advanced through the passage made of sugar.


    As I continued walking, I seemed to have arrived in front of a huge door made from baked sweets and decorated with cream. The other side of this door might be the throne room.


    Closing my eyes, I focused my mind. I could feel several figures with gigantic humanoid shapes. Those might be the ogres.


    I opened the door and entered the room.


    ¡¸GUORYAAA!¡¹


    ¡¸DEAAA!¡¹


    Two ogres rushed towards me from the shadow of the doors.


    Naturally, I had seen through their ambush n. I dodged their attacks with dance-like maneuvers and then cut them down with my sword.


    Those two ogres were cleaved diagonally, from their shoulder to their waist, and fell on the floor just like that.


    ¡¸RETSUG! ZAIG!¡¹


    ¡¸YOU BASTARD!! HOW DARE YOU!!¡¹


    The remaining ogres were ring at me.


    But they were just small fries. Looking around, I found a gigantic throne inside this spacious room.


    A gigantic throne decorated with various kinds of sweets. A small girl was sitting on that throne.


    Even though her body was really smallpared to the throne, her aura was iparably bigger than the throne.


    Kuna, the Silver Witch. That should be her name ¨C the mastermind who brainwashed Kuroki.


    I met her once before in Velos, but now that I took a better look at her, she seemed to be an extremely beautiful girl.


    She was wearing a dark-toned dress decorated with blue flowers. The purplish red hair clip fastened on her silver hair made her look enchanting.


    This girl didn¡¯t say anything even after seeing me again. She was just looking as if she was scowling at me.


    ¡¸You guys, why are you dawdling like that! Kuna-sama is watching us! Let¡¯s take that human down!¡¹


    The other ogres resumed their frenzy upon hearing the female ogre¡¯s words.


    They were equipped either with an ax, a spear, or a sword. It seemed that each weapon was a magic weapon.


    I twisted my body to dodge the iing spear thrust from the ogres and then brandished my sword at him.


    As I managed to defeat the spear-wielding ogre, the other ogres attacked me from three different directions.


    I parried the attack from the ax-wielding ogre, dodged the sh from the sword-wielding ogre, and stabbed towards the other ogre.

 Chapter 42.2 : A Joke of A Fight In The Confectionary Castle

    <h4>Chapter 42.2 : A Joke of A Fight In The Confectionary Castle</h4>


    Then, I rotated my body, causing my sword to chop the other two ogres.


    With this, only the female ogre and the Silver Witch were left.


    ¡¸HOW DARE YOU!! TAKE THIS!!¡¹


    The female ogre raised her hands. ck mist-like gas came out from her sleeves.


    ¡¸ck, BLASTING INSECT!¡¹


    The little insects that came out from the female ogre¡¯s sleeve were heading towards me.


    ¡¸SUCH THINGS CAN¡¯T STOP ME!¡¹


    I unfolded my wings and sted those insects with my feather arrows.


    The insects knocked down by my feather arrows vanished with small explosions.


    ¡¸THEN, HOW ABOUT THIS!?¡¹


    Electricity crackled in the female ogre¡¯s hands.


    ¡¸O THUNDER SNAKE! STRANGLE THY ENEMY TO DEATH!¡¹


    The electricity emanating out of her hands assumed the figure of a snake and shot towards me.


    ¡¸EI!¡¹


    With a yell, I took on the thunder snake with my sword.


    ¡¸DISAPPEAR! LIGHTNING BLADE!¡¹


    My sword shined as it absorbs the thunder snake.


    ¡¸WHAT!¡¹


    The ogre eximed with a shocked face.


    ¡¸HA!!¡¹


    With a loud yell, I shed my sword.


    The thunder sh remained undisturbed as it neared the ogre.


    ¡¸NO WAY!! THIS KUJIG I~S!¡¹


    Such was the ogre¡¯s reaction when she was about to die.


    The thunder-based attack sliced and prated through the ogre and continued towards the Silver Witch.


    WHAM!


    However, it vanished before it could touch the Silver Witch.


    Naturally, the Silver Witch was also unscathed.


    ¡¸NOW YOU¡¯RE THE ONLY ONE LEFT!¡¹


    I pointed my sword.


    ¡¸Weak...¡¹


    The Silver Witch stood up from the throne while saying so.


    ¡¸Naturally! No matter how many of these ogres you gather, they can¡¯t defeat me!¡¹


    Saying so, I pointed at the corpses of the ogres.


    But the Silver Witch was shaking her head in denial.


    ¡¸Far weaker than Kuroki...¡¹


    Saying so, the Silver Witch stared at me with a piercing cold gaze.


    ¡¸I heard that both of you honed your swordsmanship in the same ce but ... Kuroki¡¯s swordy is far sharper than yours. It was my n to withdraw if it turned out that you were more powerful than my expectations ... However, I¡¯ve changed my mind. Those ogres have been useful as tools to measure your power.¡¹


    Saying so, she then set a stance with her scythe.


    ¡¸Here Ie, Shirone. This Kuna is going to erase the traces of your existence.¡¹


    Hearing her words made me even more irritated.


    ¡¸DON¡¯T LOOK DOWN ON ME!¡¹


    Kicking the floor, I crossed the distance between us in one go.


    ¡¸HA!¡¹


    When I arrive right in front of her, I swung down my sword.


    The Silver Witch used her scythe to parry my attack.


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    My stance crumbled as my attack got parried by her.


    Crap.


    Thinking so, I twisted my body.


    The scythe came down to take my life.


    Feeling that I wouldn¡¯t be able to parry this blow, I unfolded my wings to change the trajectory of the blow.


    A bit of the feathers was plucked from my wings while doing so.


    ¡¸HAAAH!¡¹


    After fixing my stance, I pushed my sword forward.


    ¡¸Fuuh...¡¹


    Smiling lightly, the Silver Witch turned her scythe to parry my sword.


    ¡¸GUH!¡¹


    Following right after the parry the handle part of the scythe hit my abdomen. I became careless since I was only watching the de part of the scythe.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t just keep looking at the edge of the de ... That¡¯s what Kuroki taught me.¡¹


    I retreated to open up some distance between us.


    This girl was powerful.


    I red at the Silver Witch.


    ¡¸My training with Kuroki is of really great value...¡¹


    The Silver Witch smiled delightfully.


    What the hell does that Kuroki do when I¡¯m not by his side. Now, I¡¯m really angry.


    ¡¸So what!¡¹


    I unfolded my wings and shot my feather arrows. As I expected, the feather arrows were repelled right in front of the Silver Witch. However, it was just a feint.


    I kicked the ceiling and then went behind the Silver Witch.


    Increasing the output of my magic power, I elerated the movement of my body.


    ¡¸TAKE THIS! Swallow Flight, Thousands Winged des!!¡¹[TL: ǧÒíïwÑàÈÐ literally Swallow Flight, Thousands Winged des]


    I send forth a thousand shes towards her at a stretch.


    But my shes couldn¡¯t reach the Silver Witch. It was as if there was an invisible wall blocking my attacks.


    ¡¸No way ... How can you erect several magic shields at once...¡¹


    The barrier that blocked my attack was a magic shield.


    In normal cases, no matter how powerful someone was, they couldn¡¯t use more than one magic shield at a time. However, she was using several magic shields at once.


    Not even Chiyuki-san could do that.


    As far as I knew, Rena was the only one capable of doing this.


    Rena didn¡¯t participate that often in fights but she was quite powerful herself.


    She specializes in magic rted to barriers. I had a mock battle with her once before, and none of my attacks could reach her at that time.


    As a side note, Rena also used mind magic and healing magic.


    ording to Nao-chan, Rena was like a closebat priest, but then this Silver Witch might be the same type as her.


    ¡¸Ninefold Magic Barriers. Kuna can deploy nine magic barriers at the same time. ording to Kuroki, it seems that Kuna specializes in barrier and healing magic. Nevertheless, I was a little surprised by your attack just now ... If it was Kuroki, dodging your previous attack would just be a piece of cake, but the current Kuna can¡¯t do that.¡¹


    It was just as she said, Kuroki dodged that attack before.


    And not just this move. When I fought him in the Holy Republic of Lenaria, Kuroki easily saw through all of my attacks and dodged them all.


    Really, when did he be that powerful?


    ¡¸Nevertheless, this Kuna is still more powerful than the likes of you. No, I¡¯m not only more powerful. My breasts are bigger, and my waist is more slender than yours too. KUNA IS DEFINITELY MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN YOU!¡¹


    The Silver Witch said so while locking her gaze with me.


    ¡¸W-W-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?! YOURS ARE JUST OVERSIZED HOLSTEIN MILK!¡¹ [TL : Cough, Cow Size]


    Saying so, I touched my breasts.


    Certainly, despite being shorter than me, her breasts were bigger. Her waist was more constricted, too.


    It was frustrating but Ipletely lost to her in regards to style.


    But, it was not like my breasts were small. Rather, they¡¯re bigger than the average. Hers were just oversized.


    In the first ce, what in the world was she talking about in the middle of a battle? I didn¡¯t know what she meant, though.


    ¡¸So Shirone, you¡¯re a needless existence. That¡¯s why this Kuna will make you disappear forever!¡¹


    I knew that the Silver Witch was serious from her ballooning magical power.


    I don¡¯t know why, but I didn¡¯t feel like losing to her.


    The Silver Witch set her scythe ready for an attack and charged at me.


    ¡¸So what, I WON¡¯T LOSE TO YOU TOO!¡¹


    I also set my sword to sh with her scythe.


    ¡ôFormer Princess of Algore, Regena


    ¡¸Ah, my dear master hase...¡¹


    Something warm wrapped around my chest.


    I couldn¡¯t bear to stay in this ce.


    I recalled the matter about Rietto.


    ¡¸Even though we used to y together in the past...¡¹


    I unintentionally muttered so.


    Being the target of Rietto made me sad.


    Rietto¡¯s mother was kind to me, too. The one who killed her kind mother was none other than my father.


    Thus, it was just natural for Rietto to hate me. The same goes for other people. That was why they didn¡¯t want me to stay in this ce any longer.


    The only one who didn¡¯t think so was just Omiros.


    Even though I feel bad for Omiros, the ce I belong to is by my dear master¡¯s side.


    That¡¯s why I had to rush to my dear master¡¯s side as soon as possible.


    Currently, there was only one other person in this room, the little sister of the hero called Kyouka.


    The woman called Shirone left the room when Kuna-sama called her name.


    It seems that the woman called Kaya found my dear master, thus she left the room.


    I had to do something to leave this room.


    The woman called Kyouka doesn¡¯t seem to be that powerful, but I might not be able to defeat her. I have to distract her attention to leave this room.


    Suddenly, someone knocked on the door of the room.


    ¡¸Who might you be? You may enter.¡¹


    The door opened. Standing in front of the door was Omiros. Fully armed, maybe because he was preparing himself for a fight against my dear master and the other extras.


    ¡¸Oh my, Omiros-kun. What¡¯s the matter?¡¹


    ¡¸Kyouka-sama, may I ask for your permission to take out Regena? ¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, me?¡¹


    What are you going to do, Omiros?


    ¡¸What are you going to do by taking Regena out? ¡¹


    ¡¸The Dark Knight hase to Algore. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll send Regena back to the Dark Knight¡¯s ce.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh...¡¹


    I was shocked by his response.


    ¡¸Is that so? Well, if you say so, I guess there¡¯s nothing more for me to say.¡¹


    Kyouka said so as if noticing something from his voice.


    ¡¸Before that, I wish to talk to Regena ... Just the two of us...¡¹

 Chapter 42.3 : A Joke of A Fight In The Confectionary Castle

    <h4>Chapter 42.3 : A Joke of A Fight In The Confectionary Castle</h4>


    Omiros and Kyouka were looking at me.


    ¡¸What about you, Regena-san...¡¹


    I was also looking at Omiros. He was not lying. Omiros never lied to me.


    It seems that Omiros would really send me back to my dear master¡¯s side.


    I nodded at him because this was a goodbye with the childhood friend who held me dear in his heart.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go.¡¹


    I stood up and headed towards Omiros.


    ¡¸Wait a minute, Regena-san. You forgot something.¡¹


    Saying so, Kyouka then gave something to me.


    ¡¸This is my ... sword¡¹


    The thing I received was the short sword that my dear master gave to me.


    ¡¸It¡¯s your most important thing, right? Here, I¡¯ll give it back to you. From now on, please do not forget the talk about moving to our ce. We¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡¹


    Kyouka-san said so with a beautiful smile on her face.


    Could it be that this princess was actually a really nice person?


    ¡¸I have to ask for my dear master¡¯s permission for that. But, I¡¯m grateful for your feeling of wanting to help us.¡¹


    I bowed my head to her.


    ¡¸... Well, I¡¯ll excuse myself then.¡¹


    Raising my head, I went towards Omiros.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go, Regena.¡¹


    I followed Omiros.


    ¡¸Where are we going to go, Omiros? ¡¹


    ¡¸First is to the gravesite.¡¹


    Omiros replied without even turning around.


    ¡¸The grave ... site? ¡¹


    ¡¸Mother¡¯s gravesite because you might not be able toe back after returning to Nargol.¡¹


    For some reason, I knew why Omiros was taking me to that ce. Omiros was taking me to see my mother¡¯s grave for thest time.


    ¡¸No, we can¡¯t do that!¡¹


    But I refused to go there.


    ¡¸Why don¡¯t you want to visit your mother¡¯s grave, Regena?¡¹


    ¡¸I mean, everyone whom I left in Nargol couldn¡¯t visit the graves of their rtives, and yet I¡¯m the only one who can. There¡¯s no way I can do that...¡¹


    Everyone except me couldn¡¯t visit the graves of their rtives, so there was no way I could do that without the others getting the same privilege.


    ¡¸I see...¡¹


    ¡¸Sorry Omiros ... I ended up saying what¡¯s been on my mind...¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay ... I¡¯m d to be able to meet you again, Regena.¡¹


    Omiros wasughing as he kept looking forward.


    It must have been hard for him.


    I knew what he felt. But, I¡¯ve made my decision.


    That was why I couldn¡¯t respond to his feelings even if I could stay in Algore.


    I remembered the memories of that day.


    The day when we were driven away to the goblin¡¯s nest.


    I was scared of goblins. We were running desperately so that those goblins wouldn¡¯t find us.


    Ourrades vanished one by one. My heart was on the verge of a breakdown due to fear.


    And then, ¡°IT¡± appeared in front of us. The embodiment of fear in this world, a gigantic dragon.


    When that dragon appeared, my heart was shattered to pieces.


    It was so scary that I ended up crying.


    But then, a miracle happened.


    The dark knight riding on the back of the dragon removed his helmet and smiled kindly at us.


    The Dark Knight, riding on the back of the dragon, an existence more terrifying than the goblins.


    The moment I saw his smile, my heart was at a loss.


    The fear that I felt until a while ago vanished.


    Starting from that moment, we started to live in Nargol.


    Even though we were surrounded by those people of the demon race, I didn¡¯t feel scared at all because my dear master was there. When I was by his side, the fear that I felt when chased by those goblins was gone.


    If the most terrifying existence in this world was smiling at me, I didn¡¯t think that there was anything left to fear.


    I was no good without my dear master. I wouldn¡¯t feel relieved unless I stayed by his side.


    If I¡¯m not by my dear master¡¯s side, I will be haunted by the nightmare of being chased around by the goblins again. Such nightmares disappear when I¡¯m by his side.


    That was why I wanted to stay by his side. I was fine even if I couldn¡¯t be his wife. I was fine even if I was not his mistress either. I was fine even if I was just his ve. Anyway, I was fine as long as I could stay by his side.


    That was why I wanted to go back to my dear master as soon as possible.


    I felt bad for Omiros who did so many things for me, but this was the only thing that I wouldn¡¯tpromise on. Thus, I apologized to Omiros in my heart.


    ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s go to the watchtower. I¡¯ve asked McGaius to clear that ce of other people. If we go there, it¡¯ll be easier for the Dark Knight to find us.¡¹


    Omiros was walking in front of me as he said so.


    The watchtower was the ce that was higher than any other rampart built to watch over Nargol.


    Certainly, it¡¯ll be easier for my dear master to find us if we went there.


    Thus, we marched towards the watchtower.


    A whileter, we arrived at the watchtower.


    The ce that could be reached by climbing the stairs was wide enough to amodate up to 30 people.


    ¡¸If it¡¯s here, he¡¯ll find you immediately.¡¹


    Omiros wasughing.


    ¡¸Thank you, Omiros.¡¹


    I told my gratitude to Omiros.


    I wondered where my dear master was right now. When I was about to search for him...


    ¡¸WAIT, REGENA! Someone ising!¡¹


    I hid in panic as soon as Omiros said so.


    I had be a hated existence for Algore¡¯s citizens. Thus, it would be troublesome if they found my position.


    I could hear the footsteps of someone climbing the stairs.


    ¡¸WHO¡¯S THERE! THIS PLACE IS OFF LIMITS!¡¹


    Omiros said so to the one climbing the stairs.


    ¡¸It¡¯s me, prince.¡¹


    ¡¸Parish-dono?!¡¹


    The one who came was Parish.


    He stood there at the top most step of the flight of stairs.


    ¡¸So it¡¯s you, Parish-dono! Just where were you until now? And why are you here?¡¹


    Omiros moved closer to Parish.


    ¡¸Well, it¡¯s because I saw you climb the stairs of the watchtower ... Rather than that, I also have something I want to ask you, prince. Why have you brought princess Regena to this ce?¡¹


    I hid my face, but it seems he had discovered my identity.


    ¡¸That matter should have nothing to do with you. I want you to leave this ce!¡¹


    But, Parishughed as he shook his head.


    ¡¸It¡¯s not like this matter has nothing to do with me, Prince Omiros¡¹


    ¡¸What do you mean?¡¹


    ¡¸More importantly, tell me why you brought princess Regena to this ce.¡¹


    I felt something was fishy upon hearing him ask again. Why did hee all the way to this ce to ask that question?


    ¡¸Understood. I¡¯ll tell you ... It¡¯s to send Regena back to the side of the Dark Knight. Is that clear? Now, please leave this ce immediately.¡¹


    Having been overwhelmed in battle, Omiros told Parish his reason.


    ¡¸... You shouldn¡¯t do that. You really shouldn¡¯t do that, Prince.¡¹


    Shaking his head, Parish mumbled those words.


    I could feel that something was wrong with him.


    What was the cause of this unpleasant premonition? The short sword that I got from my dear master was ringing.


    I looked at Omiros¡¯s side and I caught a glimpse of Omiros¡¯s shield shining for a moment.


    ¡¸What¡¯s happening to you Pari¡ª¨C? Eh, the shield is?¡¹


    Omiros realized that my sword was shining when he looked at it.


    ¡¸KISHYAA!¡¹


    The change of events was too absurd. Parish suddenly unsheathed his sword and tried to attack Omiros.


    His attack was fast. By the time I realized it, it was already toote for me to warn Omiros.


    But then, Omiros¡¯s shield blocked that supposed-to-be-deathblow with an even swifter movement. It was as if the shield was the embodiment of my will to save Omiros.


    ¡¸WHA¨C?¡¹


    Omiros retreated to my side.


    ¡¸Are you okay, Omiros?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, the shield is ... moving on its own. It¡¯s as if it¡¯s moving to protect me.¡¹


    Omiros was looking at his shield as he said so.


    His shield was shining faintly. It seems that it was a magic shield. I wonder where he got it.


    I stared at Parish. Why did he try to attack Omiros?


    ¡¸What is the meaning of this, Parish-dono?!¡¹


    Omiros res at Parish.


    ¡¸Ceh ... Failed huh.? Even though that attack was supposed to kill you...¡¹


    Parish¡¯s tone was different from before. It was as if his polite tone until now was a lie.


    ¡¸W¨C Parish-dono?¡¹


    Parish¡¯s face got blurred for a moment. That blurred face changed to apletely different¨Calmost the exact opposite¨Cof his previous handsome face.


    I let out a loud scream upon seeing that face.


    ¡¸Y-Y-YOU ... ARE!¡¹


    I knew that face. It was the face from that nightmarish incident which I sealed in the corner of my memories.


    ¡¸You are ... Goz?!¡¹


    Omiros then called his name.


    ¡¸Yes ... I¡¯m Goz, Omiros-kun. I never expected you to remember my name.¡¹


    Omiros was shaking his head after hearing Goz say so.


    ¡¸I would never forget about you even if I wanted to, Goz. I never forgot about you ever since the day we met. I never expected you to use Parish¡¯s face.¡¹


    Omiros unsheathed his sword.


    ¡¸Hohoho, I¡¯m honored to be remembered by you, Your Highness Omiros.¡¹


    Goz let out an unpleasantugh.


    ¡¸Step back, Regena.¡¹


    I stepped back following Omiros¡¯s advice. But there was no escape since we were at the top of the watchtower.


    Goz was looking at me. I got goosebumps as he looked at me with those eyes.


    ¡¸Come to me, Regena. I¡¯vee to pick you up.¡¹


    Goz said so with a wide grin on his face.

 Chapter 43.1 : Battle For The Bond

    <h4>Chapter 43.1 : Battle For The Bond</h4>


    ¡ôPrince of Algore, Omiros


    I defended myself from Goz¡¯s shing attack with my shield.


    ¡¸TAKE THIS, FIREBALL! ! ¡¹


    When Goz stepped back to dodge my atack, he sent out fireball magic from his hand, which I also blocked with my shield. The magic shield would have burnt if it was made from timber or pelt, but it stopped the fireball.


    ¡¸eleration! ! ¡¹


    Goz used another magic attack in no time. Using that diversion he tried to cut me from the sides with his increasingly faster movements.


    GAKIN! !


    The resulting clear ringing sound of metal shing against metal was caused by the shield that I could feel moving on its own. Despite all that I was still on the losing end since I stopped that blow with a forced posture.


    Since Goz kept using his magic in quick session, I kept being pushed back by him.


    I raised my shield in a hurry.


    ¡¸WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SHIELD? ! ! ! ¡¹


    Goz screamed in frustration.


    Just as he said, the shield was incredible . If I had to say, the incredible thing about the shield was the fact that it was moving on its own when I didn¡¯t have time to react.


    I then recalled the words of the one who gave me this shield.


    ¡¸You absolutely must not give this shield to Parsish.¡¹


    It was as if he had already predicted this situation beforehand.


    Really, just who the hell was that minstrel?


    But I had no time to ponder about such things right now. Goz¡¯s attack wasing at me again.


    ¡¸Fu*k! ! ! WITHOUT THAT FU$KING SHIELD YOU¡¯D BE A GONER¨D¨D¨D! ! ¡¹


    Certainly, I would have long since been defeated by him without this shield.


    It was vexing, but I was weaker than Goz.


    I was so frustrated by my inability to do anything against Goz just like when I met him all those years ago. I couldn¡¯t do anything but look at the crying Regena at that time.


    That was why I desperately trained myself ever since that day. To prepare for this day, to protect Regena.


    But, Goz was obviously more powerful than the current me. He could have easily killed me if not for this shield.


    It was vexing. I felt so... I wouldn¡¯t be able to protect Regena if things stayed as they were.


    I was really frustrated.


    Goz attacked from an odd angle again. I somehow blocked that with the shield¡¯s help, but I was about to reach my limit.


    I somehow reached a stalemate due to the power of the shield, but I wouldn¡¯t hold out for much longer. It was only a matter of time before Goz defeated me, but I definitely wouldn¡¯t let himy his hands on Regena.


    ¡¸My bad, Goz! ! I won¡¯t let you have Regena! ! ¡¹


    I said, as I pushed Goz back with my shield.


    Ever since the day we met Goz, Regena became too scared to go out. Seeing Regena in that state was really unbearable for me.


    Thus I wanted to be strong enough to protect her and make her feel at ease going out. But, it turned out that I wasn¡¯t strong enough. My strength alone wasn¡¯t enough to protect Regena.


    I went to her side while fighting Goz.


    ¡¸Listen to me, Regena. I will hold him back in this ce, you go call for reinforcements during that time.¡¹


    If I¡¯m not strong enough to beat Goz, I just need to receive outside reinforcements.


    ¡¸U-Understood, Omiros. Be careful, I¡¯ll be back with reinforcements immediately.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, leave this ce to me for now.¡¹


    Goz blocked the stairs in order to stop us from escaping.


    ¡¸You want to stop ME? Do you think you can do that? ¡¹


    Goz grinned widely as he responded to our conversation that he overheard.


    ¡¸GOZ! ! Yes,I¡¯m no match for you indeed! ! But, I can at least hold you back in this ce! !¡¹


    While I pointed my sword to Goz, Regena moved quietly to the side.


    ¡¸KUKUKU...... You better give up.¡¹


    ¡¸What are you talking about, Goz! ? ¡¹


    ¡¸OPEN YOUR EARS, PRINCE! NO ONE CAN SAVE YOU! ! ! ! ¡¹


    As I tried to listen as he said I heard the screams of the people.


    ¡¸This is bad, OMIROS! ! There¡¯s a horde of goblins below! The goblins are invading Algore!!¡¹


    Regena screamed as she confirmed the situation below.


    It was already night, but the moon was shining brightly in the cloudless sky illuminating the scenes below.


    ¡¸GOZ! ! YOU BASTARD! ! ¡¹


    I red at Goz.


    ¡¸Ha~h, those goblins are my subordinates, who I led to invade Algore! ! Right about now, they¡¯re killing the Algorians who were too preupied by the Dark Knight to notice our approach! ! ¡¹


    Gozughed at the top of his lungs.


    ¡¸Today marks the end of Algore! ! NOW FALL INTO DESPAIR¨D¨D¨D¨D OMIROS-KUN! ! ! ¡¹


    ¡ôDark Knight, Kuroki


    ¡¸HYAKURETSUHYAKUHOKAMIKEN! ! ¡¹


    The woman called Kaya kept sending shockwave attacks from a distance with her fists.


    As for me, I was sliding around while parrying those attacks.


    I wanted toe to Kuna¡¯s side as soon as possible, but this girl just wouldn¡¯t let me go.


    I have no choice then.


    I made up my mind.


    ¡¸So you finally made up your mind. But that¡¯s strange.......... Regena-san is in the other direction you know.¡¹


    ¡¸My bad......... I¡¯m just a diversion. I¡¯ve sent another force to save Regena.¡¹


    I told her such a smooth lie.


    That ¡°Another force¡± was just bullshit that I said in the spur of the moment. My ranking in Nargol is second only to Modes indeed, but I have no subordinates at all.


    ¡¸I see.......... But our reason toe all the way to Algore is you, Kuroki-san. Including arresting Regena, everything will be settled as long as I can hold you down in this ce.¡¹


    She really won¡¯t let me go huh.


    ¡¸Do you think you can do that? ¡¹


    Hearing my question Kaya nodded.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t feel any hostilitying from you. You¡¯re definitely stronger than me, but you can¡¯t win against me if you don¡¯t attack.¡¹


    Saying so, she drew her fist.


    Though this woman¡¯s attacks won¡¯t take my life, it feels like she won¡¯t take my life while leaving me with one or two broken ribs. Incidentally I wanted to cry at the moment since her words hit the bull¡¯s eye.


    Despite my attempts to advance further by dodging her kicks and punches, I really didn¡¯t make that much headway.


    I can¡¯t advance any further unless I do something about this woman.


    I slowly became impatient. I wanted toe to Kuna¡¯s side as soon as possible.


    Should I deliberately create some sort of opening? It¡¯s hard to advance further without doing anything to her. In that case, I can only do that.


    ¡¸SURGING PALMS! ! ¡¹


    When I created a gap in my movements on purpose, the woman called Kaya sent in a shockwave through my armor with her left palm.


    I rotated my body to the right to eliminate the force behind that blow as I seized her hand, and then turned around to toss her to the left.


    ¡¸WHat! ! ¡¹


    She still sent a kick despite being tossed in that manner.


    I dodged the kick the best I could by bending my body backwards. What a splendid counter. It was also splendid in another way: I could incidentally see that she was wearing ckced panties when her skirt turned up due to her kick from before. The woman called Kaya stood up while taking a defensive stance after doing the backflip.


    As she stood, she held her left arm.


    She shouldn¡¯t be able to use it for a while at least.


    I apologized to her in my heart for inflicting such a pain on her.


    ¡¸Well done..... But, don¡¯t you think that you went too easy on me with that skill just now? Are you worried about my safety? You really are a kind person, no?¡¹


    Yup, I was going easy on her with my throwing technique just now. It was in fact a technique to make your opponent feel intoxicated by rotating him to the right and then to the left, but I failed to do so.


    Yes, I failed to perfectly execute my technique thanks to that ckced panty. This is a secret of mine that I will bring along with me to the grave.


    Thank you very much for the eye candy.


    ¡¸It seems that I can¡¯t stop you just with normal attacks......... Then how about this! ! ¡¹


    Saying so, she suddenly stopped sending punches towards me, and instead approached me as she spread her hands to the side.


    ¡¸What the? ! ! ¡¹


    I unintentionally leaked out.


    I mean she was basically defenseless now. Any attack that I would send at this moment could easily take her life.


    But, maybe, she intentionally left such a big gap in her defense seeing that I wouldn¡¯t do anything dangerous to her.


    A nice fragrant smell entered my helmet. I wondered what in the world she was going to do?


    ¡¸TAKE THIS! ! TOURMALINE GLOVE! ! ¡¹


    Powerful electric currents ran through my body along with her words.


    Several secondster, she finally released her forceful embrace of me.


    ¡¸I released all the thunder spirit that was sealed in this glove in that attack just now. So no matter how powerful you are, this is the end.¡¹


    Saying so, she then released her hands.


    ¡¸Maybe you already feel that your body is paralyzed. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll ask Sahoko-sama to heal youter. Well you might not be able to hear me now, but someone who can¡¯t attack will never win against someone who can.¡¹


    This woman was already sure of her victory. This was the moment I was waiting for.


    Not missing that momentary gap, I grabbed her head.


    ¡¸Eh? ! ¡¹


    She seemed to be quite surprised when I grabbed on to her.


    ¡¸Sleep! ! ¡¹


    I released my most useful magic directly into her brain.


    ¡¸Ah..........¡¹


    Kaya¡¯s body trembled as she began to fall to her knees.


    But before she lost her consciousness, she red at me.


    It seems that her mind was resisting the sleep magic that I cast on her, but her body failed to do so.


    I became convinced that this magic absolutely wouldn¡¯t have any effect on someone of her level unless I utilized it the moment she had a gap in her awareness.


    ¡¸How.........?¡¹


    Holding on to her head, she then fell on her knees.


    Maybe she expected that electric-type attack to work on me seeing that it worked on me before.

 Chapter 43.2 : Battle For The Bond

    <h4>Chapter 43.2 : Battle For The Bond</h4>


    ¡¸Sorry........ Electric-type attacks won¡¯t work on me anymore.¡¹


    I already prepared a counter measure against that kind of attack. Maybe things would have gotten really dangerous if I hadn¡¯t prepared that countermeasure.


    When I thought that she used that kind of dangerous skill on me without even a shred of hesitation a shiver ran through my spine.


    The woman called Kaya was tottering on her feet. With this, she wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything for a while.


    I had to go to that confectionary castle immediately so I left her behind and ran.


    ¡¸W..........Waai-......¡¹


    I wouldn¡¯t stop just because the woman called Kaya told me to do so.


    Please, please keep her safe. I ran as I prayed for her safety.


    ¡ôSword Maiden, Shirone


    ¡¸FLYING SHADOW BLADE! ! ¡¹


    Several magic des produced by her scythe chased after me.


    I erased them all with the swing of my sword.


    ¡¸Not bad, Shirone! ! Then, how about this, VOIDLESS BLADE! ! ¡¹


    And now she used teleporting magic des. But, this technique was too easy to dodge as long as I paid attention since there was a timeg between the moment she created the de and when it made its move.


    This was like a seesaw game.


    Despite her stupidly high defensive power, the Silver Witch seemed to have limited means of attack. For this reason, none of her attacks could finish me off.


    But, my attacks were also unable to prate her solid defense.


    And yet, the one being chased around was me. I was bound to be defeated if things kept going on as they were.


    ¡¸FLAME BLADE! ! WINGS BLADE, BLAZING SWALLOW!¡¹


    I sent my attack towards her but it stopped by one of the Silver Witch¡¯s magic barriers.


    The magic barrier power varied in ordance to the power of its user. Despite not being as powerful as Rena¡¯s, the Silver Witch¡¯s magic barrier was still quite a powerful one.


    ¡¸What a tough magic barrier........ Reiji-kun should be able to tear through this magic barrier, but it¡¯s simply impossible for me.¡¹


    Reiji-kun¡¯s sword was fast, and heavy. He could easily tear even Rena¡¯s magic barriers if they were just one or two. But, unlike Reiji-kun¡¯s, none of my attacks could reach her.


    Despite slightlycking in the power department, my swinging speed was around the same as Reiji-kun¡¯s. So the main reason I couldn¡¯t tear through her barrier must have been just that ¨C mycking power.


    ¡¸None of your attacks can reach me, Shirone! ! ¡¹


    The Silver Witch swung her scythe again as she yelled, sending several magic des towards me again.


    The magic des with auto-tracking function chased after me like my own shadow, so I couldn¡¯t just dodge them. Since I had no choice I intercepted all of those magic des, while the Silver Witch controlled another magic de to attack me. I flew past the magic des to leave my previous position in a hurry.


    I could somehow avoid her attacks for now, but dodging them became increasingly more difficult each moment.


    ¡¸It seems you realized that you¡¯re slowly driven into a corner, Shirone. With this, Kuroki will be MINE and MINE alone. Your existence is just an eyesore. So BEGONE!¡¹


    The Silver Witch yelled as she swung her scythe. [ED: Damn Yandere, you scary!]


    ¡¸KUROKI ISN¡¯T YOURS! ! ¡¹


    I replied while stopping her sh with my sword.


    You can¡¯t treat a person like a thing. And most of all, manipting a person will with a magic drug makes it even worse.


    ¡¸Then, does that make Kuroki yours? ! ¡¹


    ¡¸He isn¡¯t MINE! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸Then just shut your mouth and begone, you¡¯re just an eyesore! ! ¡¹


    I deflected her scythe with my sword and then took some distance from her. We were ring at each other.


    ¡¸Fuh¡¹


    I startedughing.


    ¡¸What are youughing for? ¡¹


    ¡¸I see now.......... In short. You can¡¯t make Kurokipletely yours, is that it? ¡¹


    When I said so, the Silver Witch¡¯s cute face became sullen.


    It seems my remark was a bull¡¯s eye.


    I was convinced. Kuroki wasn¡¯tpletely under her control yet. There was still a chance to save him.


    ¡¸Certainly, sometimes............ Kuroki is leering at Regena¡¯s butt.¡¹


    The Silver Witch said with a vexed tone.


    I was astonished to hear her say those words.


    What the hell is that closet pervert doing in Nargol. It seems he needs to receive strict re-education in his conduct.


    ¡¸BUT! ! MOST OF THE TIME, HE¡¯S PEERING AT KUNA¡¯S BREAST AND BUTT! ! THERE¡¯S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT! ! ¡¹


    Saying so, she charged at me and then swung her scythe again.


    Though her attacks became faster than before, her movements were sloppier.


    I could cope now, with her attacks bing sloppy.


    I dodged her sh and then chanted sending a counter as I said the name of my skill.


    ¡¸THOUSAND SWALLOW WINGS BLADE! ! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸KUH! ! ¡¹


    But, the Silver Witch¡¯s barriers repelled my attacks.


    The momentary dy in erecting her magical barrier allowed me to seal her movements.


    NOW! !


    I forcibly fixed my stance and charged towards her. My body was screaming in pain, but I couldn¡¯t let go of this chance.


    I charged my entire magic power in to the sword on my shoulder.


    I was about to unleash my finishing attack, the Thousand Swallow Wings de, in session. This was, in fact, quite a reckless action. But, I wouldn¡¯t be able to beat the Silver Witch unless I forced myself to do this.


    ¡¸HA! ! ¡¹


    Along with my yell, I swung my sword from the overhead stance in a forward spin.


    My sword was blocked by her magic shield, but without caring about that, I kept hacking on the shield.


    ¡¸WHAT! ? ¡¹


    One of the magic shields was broken under my continous onught, like a dispersing mist. The Silver Witch wasn¡¯t reacting fast enough to erect another magic shield, defending herself against my attack with the handle of her scythe. At this rate, we were going to crash against each other.


    I gained the upper hand, literally, as I started attacking the Silver Witch from above .


    ¡¸As expected, you can¡¯t erect your magic shield and form your des at this distance! ! ¡¹


    I dered so to the fallen Silver Witch.


    It went ording to my n. This n might have failed if she could deploy double the number of her current magic shields.


    Yosh, let¡¯s call this skill ¡°Heavenly Wings Decapitating Demon Sword¡±. I must say ¨C it¡¯s quite a wonderful name.


    ¡¸KUH..........¡¹


    The Silver witch tried to repel my sword that was interlocked with her scyth with a vexed expression.


    But I wouldn¡¯t let her do that. I put more power into my sword.


    ¡¸Ufufu, even if you lost in other areas, it seems that your brute power is still above mine.¡¹


    Though I wanted to retort to her remarks just now, I was not in a position to do so.


    I put more power in my swings.


    ¡¸Now then, release Kuroki at once! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸Gugugu........ W-What are you....... Talking about?¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t y dumb in front of me! ! You¡¯re the one who brainwashed Kuroki with your magic! ! ¡¹


    There¡¯s no way that kind and gentle Kuroki would serve under that atrocious demon king unless you brainwashed him. You¡¯re going to die if you keep feigning your ignorance.


    I had no power left after using my finishing move in session. I was going to lose if she suddenly turned the tables on me.


    And not just that, I was basically out of power to even press my sword an inch further towards my opponent.


    And just like that, we were ring at each other from our positions.


    ¡¸EH! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸AH! ! ¡¹


    After who knows how long, I suddenly felt an extremely powerful force from behind tearing me off from the Silver Witch and tossing me to the edge of the room. Looking at the one who threw me I saw the figure of the Dark Knight, standing there as he held the hand of the Silver Witch.


    ¡¸Kuroki! ! ¡¹


    When I saw the figure of the Dark Knight, I was petrified, unable to move my body.


    The Silver Witch was screaming. It seems they were talking about something. When I saw them talking to each other so intimately, It felt like my limbs were being tied to the floor.


    So when the Silver Witch backed down, Kuroki finally walked towards me. His sword was still in his sheath, he had no intention to fight at all.


    ¡¸Shirone! ! Let¡¯s talk outside! ! ¡¹


    ¡ôDark Knight, Kuroki


    Somehow I managed to arrive and prevent the worst scenario from happening. After convincing Kuna to step back from this for the time being, I looked at Shirone.


    Oh, crap she........ was really pissed off right now.


    I made up my mind as I walked towards Shirone, who was ring daggers at me.


    Please stop with that re, I¡¯m getting cold feet over here. What should I do? What should I do now?


    I unintentionally tore Shirone off from Kuna when I thought that she almost killed her. I never thought of what was going to happen after that.


    ¡¸Now then Shirone, it¡¯s 2-On-1! ! ¡¹


    Kuna said, as she fixed her stance with her scythe.


    At least don¡¯t use edged wea¡ª¡ª¨C F$ck, what in the world was I thinking just now.


    I couldn¡¯t keep myposure anymore. Anyway, I couldn¡¯t let these two start another battle here.


    ¡¸Kuna, let me tend to her. During that time, please withdraw from Algore along with this castle.¡¹


    ¡¸Mu~. Why Kuroki? The two of us can certainly finish her off! ! ¡¹


    I shook my head to deny her. No........ Only I may apany Shirone and no one else..... Not in her current condition......


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m more powerful than her. That¡¯s why, please wait for me in Nargol, Kuna.¡¹


    ¡¸No! ! ¡¹


    I looked at Kuna with a surprised face.


    She never said no to whatever I asked of her until now. [:O]


    ¡¸Kuna........¡¹


    ¡¸There¡¯s no way I can let Kuroki be together with that woman. That woman is dangerous......... It feels like she.......... Will take Kuroki to somewhere far, far away.¡¹


    Kuna looked at Shirone with eyes filled with hostility.


    ¡¸......... I won¡¯t do that you know, Kuna. Even if I did that, I would take you along with me. I promise.¡¹


    I was really clear with the meaning of my words just now, but I had to say this.


    Kuna looked at me. We gazed into each other¡¯s eyes.


    ¡¸I understand....... I¡¯ll wait for you in Nargol.¡¹


    Maybe because she understood the meaning behind my statement, Kuna lowered her scythe as she unwillingly gave in.


    After confirming that, I went towards Shirone. Shirone kept her stance without moving at all.


    ¡¸Shirone! ! Let¡¯s talk outside! ! ¡¹


    Hearing me, Shirone sheat her sword back to its scabbard.

 Chapter 43.3 : Battle For The Bond

    <h4>Chapter 43.3 : Battle For The Bond</h4>


    ¡¸Before that, show me your face, Kuroki! ! ¡¹


    I removed the Dark Knight helmet.


    When she¡¯s looked at my face she basically red at me.


    ¡¸Good......... I understand. Now you won¡¯t be able to run away, Kuroki.¡¹


    After saying so, Shirone demolished the castle wall as she unfeld her wings, and flew outside the castle.


    I invoked my own flight magic and chased after her.


    After we left the confectionary castle, it started to move. It seemed Kuna already gave her order to the Myulmidons.


    You¡¯re a good girl, Kuna.


    I stood facing Shirone in the middle of air.


    ¡¸THIS IDIOOOOOT! ! ¡¹


    She suddenly threw a tanthrum at me.


    ¡¸BU BEH! ? ¡¹


    For some reason I couldn¡¯t dodge her fist which resulted in me receiving it from the front.


    ¡¸W¡ª- WHat are you doing........¡¹


    I questioned as I pinned my nose...


    ¡¸YOUIDIOTIDIOTIDIOT! ! KUROKIYOUIDIO¨D¨D¨DOOT! ! ¡¹


    But she didn¡¯t stop throwing her tanthrum.


    ¡¸Shirone....... WA........... OI STOP IT!¡¹


    I said so and stopped her hand from hitting me.


    ¡¸Just how much do you think I was worried for you? ! ! ¡¹


    She looked at me with an angry expression on her face.


    ¡¸Eh.......... You were worrying about me? ¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s obvious! ! What in the word were you thinking about? ! ¡¹


    ¡¸I mean, I thought that I was the only one always worrying about you........¡¹


    Yes, the one who was always worrying about her was me. The opposite never happened before. Shirone was prone to plunging herself into unknown and dangerous situations thanks to her strong sense of justice. She usually fought against people way bigger than her.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious about the possibility that she might encounter a dangerous situation someday.


    ¡¸Why, why were you worrying about me? ! ¡¹


    She asked, still in an angry voice.


    ¡¸I mean........ You¡¯re always thoughtlessly poking your nose into dangerous situations.... You might do so to save others but, it¡¯s me who always worried about your safety whenever you did that kind of dangerous stunt........¡¹


    Shirone made a dumbfounded face in hearing me saying those words.


    ¡¸Eh? Really? You were worrying about me? ¡¹


    I nodded.


    ¡¸I told you so many times before to stop doing such dangerous things... s..........¡¹


    Nevertheless, she always ignored my words............


    ¡¸Come to think of it, you did say that to me. Uhm, but it¡¯s okay. Reiji-kun will save me even if I fall in a dangerous situation. You don¡¯t need to worry about me.¡¹


    cing her hands on her waist, Shirone replied as if it was the most natural matter in the world.


    What the hell was this girl talking about.


    Reiji is undoubtedly powerful. And for some reason he¡¯s always running to save a damsel in distress. Meanwhile Shirone is a beauty, even in my opinion as her childhood friend. He might really save her if things turned dangerous.


    And he might be able to do something in the matter of the Rox kingdom even without my intervention.


    That¡¯s why there was really no need for me to worry about Shirone.


    But...........


    ¡¸If that was the case, then you can forget about worrying about my situation......... You can feel at ease.¡¹


    In the first ce, what in the world was she worrying about? Modes is a nice guy and I had apanion called Kuna. So there was no need for her to worry about me.


    ¡¸What the heck is that! ! Like hell I¡¯m not worrying about you when you¡¯re standing on the Demon King¡¯s side ! ! ¡¹


    Shirone shouted those words at me.


    Yeah, that may be true in normal circumstances but........ How should I exin this matter so that she could understand.


    ¡¸Come with me to Reiji-kun¡¯s side, Kuroki! ! You must not stay in Nargol! ! ¡¹


    I shook my head, denying Shirone¡¯s outstretched hand.


    ¡¸I........ Can¡¯t go with you. My ce is in Nargol.¡¹


    I made a promise with Kuna that I¡¯ll return to her side. I had to go back.


    In the first ce, there was no way Reiji was going to ept me. It only took a nce to realize that despite taking in woman, Reiji never willingly epted any man. Shirone wasn¡¯t noticing that fact because she was a woman.


    Moreover, I was also unwilling to go to their side, so I won¡¯t.


    ¡¸WHY? ! IS IT BECAUSE OF THAT GIRL CALLED KUNA?! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸............. Yes¡¹


    As soon as I said that, Shirone started trembling furiously.


    ¡¸ISeENoW! ! SO It REaLlY wAS As CHIyUKI-SaN PreDIcTEd! ! YOU ArE A ClOSeD PeRVErt sO TheRe¡¯S No WaY You CaN ReFuSe ThE WiSh oF SuCh a CuTE GirL! ! WHy DiD YoU TaKe ThE SiDe of ThAt SiLvEr WitCH And tHe DeMOn KinG Who CAuSed sO MaNY PeOPle To SUFFEr? ! ¡¹


    Shirone screamed at me with such a scary tone. [TL : Yandere Mode]


    ¡¸Modes isn¡¯t a bad guy you now.........¡¹


    Shirone was misunderstand that fact. That was why I couldn¡¯t let this misunderstanding persist.


    ¡¸Like hell I¡¯m going to believe that! ! As I thought, Kuroki became strange, strange, STRANGE! ! ¡¹


    But my attempt failed immediately.


    Should I tell her again?


    She basically wasn¡¯t even listening to me. For some reason, it was as if she didn¡¯t want to believe me from the very beginning.


    Yup, it might be because of mycking virtues.


    Someone told me before, that what she did to me might have been due to myck of self esteem. That was why there was this side of me who still thought that I was in the wrong.


    The bad side must be fixed, but the problem was I couldn¡¯t tell which one that was. That was why I always ended up getting the end of the stick.


    ¡¸Now draw your sword, Kuroki! ! I¡¯LL Crack open those eyes of yours! ! ¡¹


    Saying so, Shirone drew her sword.


    Heaving a sigh I thought to myself that it really developed into this kind of situation that I predicted in the end.


    ¡¸My bad Shirone but....... You can¡¯t defeat me.¡¹


    Wearing my helmet, I drew my sword. Now then, there was nothing left to talk about.


    ¡¸Here Ie, Kuroki! ! Aerial battle is my forte! ! Prepare yourself for one or two broken bones! ! ¡¹


    Shirone raised higher and higher at a breakneck speed and then moved as if to suround my position.


    I set up my sword to receive her attack.


    Shirone came from behind as she swung her sword towards me. I turned around and parried her shing attack.


    Withdrawing at a high speed, she then came at me again. And once again, I dodged her attack by a paper thin margin.


    Thus, she kept repeating the series of hit and run attacks at high speed and I somehow dodged all of them.


    It was really hard to deal with Shirone¡¯s attacks suspended in midair where there were no obstacles. Yup, she did say that aerial battles were her forte. But this battle is mine....... Maybe.


    ¡¸ck Hole! ! ¡¹


    I used my magic to create 2 ck holes.


    ¡¸WAAAH! ! ¡¹


    The trajectory of Shirone¡¯s movements was changed when she was caught by the gravitational pull of the ck holes.


    I guided her attacks to the ce I wanted her to attack by narrowing her possible attack range with the ck holes,making it easier for me to deal with her attacks.


    She still charged at me again regardless.


    Turning my body, I swung my sword towards her.


    GAKIN! ! Such dry sounds resounded when my sword shed against hers.


    ¡¸KYAAAAAAAAAAA! ! ¡¹


    Unable to bear the brunt of my attack, Shirone was blown back.


    ¡¸Glorious! ! ¡¹


    I then called Glorious.


    Thereupon, the giant dragon came out from the forest and then caught the falling Shirone.


    After catching the falling Shirone, Glorious then lowered her to the ground.


    I then followed them, descending to theirnding ce.


    ¡¸Are you okay? Shirone? ¡¹


    I carried Shirone down from Glorious¡¯s back.


    Due to the power of my swing, Shirone fell down towards the ground, head first.


    ¡¸Why did you save me? ¡¹


    ¡¸Because I have no reason to be your enemy.¡¹


    ¡¸Then, why are you choosing Nargol? ¡¹


    ¡¸I have no intention to fight you guys as long as you are not invading Nargol.¡¹


    ¡¸So you will protect the Demon King? ¡¹


    I nodded at her.


    ¡¸Yes, if the heroes to defeat the Demon King, then I will stand in his way as the Dark Knight.¡¹


    I said, while looking straight into her eyes.


    ¡¸Why......... Whyyyyy...........¡¹


    Shirone was almost crying now. But she wouldn¡¯t listen to me unless I did this much.


    ¡¸Now go........... I¡¯ve got to go to meet Regena.¡¹


    She pulled my mantle as I was about to mount on Glorious.


    When I turned around to see her, Shirone was ring at me with an angry face.


    ¡¸WHY! ! YOU ALWAYS LISTENED TO ME BEFORE WHENEVER I CRIED IN FRONT OF YOU! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸WA! ! STOP WITH THOSE CROCODILE TEARS OF YOURS! ! ¡¹


    Which reminded me, Shirone always cried whenever I had something that she really wanted.


    Being weak to her tears I ended up doing what she wished even if I knew that she was crying with crocodile tears. Thanks to that almost all of my snacks were taken by her. [ED: unforgivable! > ]


    ¡¸As expected, you won¡¯t listen to me with just this much.¡¹


    ¡¸NO, DON¡¯T GO BACK TO NARGOL! ! You should return to Reiji-kun and me! ! ¡¹


    Shirone wouldn¡¯t let go of my mantle.


    ¡¸Listen to me, I can¡¯t go to your ce.¡¹


    I tried to yank the mantle that she pulled but she grasped it so tightly and wouldn¡¯t let go of it.


    ¡¸Bu~~! ! Kukori is stingy~! ! ¡¹


    And she was sulking now.


    We were in the tug of war to pull my mantle. And when we did so.


    ¡¸GUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ¡¹


    I suddenly heard an overwhelmingly loud cry from the heavens.


    Shirone and I both looked in the direction of Algore.


    ¡¸What.............. Is that? ¡¹


    Shirone asked with an exasperated voice.


    What we saw was a pair of gigantic hands.


    The lumps of the gigantic hands which heights were taller than the Algore fortress were separated by quite some distance from us, and yet we could still see them so clearly from our ce.


    The gigantic hands were about to attack Algore.

 Chapter 44.1 : Hundreds Arms Giant

    <h4>Chapter 44.1 : Hundreds Arms Giant</h4>


    ¡ôFormer Princess of Algore, Regena


    Aah, what should I do.......


    There¡¯s nothing I can do about the scene before me.


    Omiros is wounded right in front of me.


    But then, I don¡¯t even know what to do.


    Omiros might be killed at this rate.


    Even if I call for reinforcements, the people below might have their hands full dealing with those goblins.


    ¡¸Dear master...........¡¹


    It seems that my dear master fought against the little sister of the hero and was unable toe to save me for the time being.


    I wanted to cry right now.


    sping the short sword in my hands I recalled the day when I received it from my dear master.


    This sword was gifted to me by my dear master so that I could protect myself when the time for me to leave Nargol and return to the human world came.


    My dear master¡¯s kindness filled this sword.


    Originally, Nargol wasn¡¯t a ce fit for humans to live. Except for my dear master, it seems, humans who lived there were regarded as a nuisance, or food.


    The reason we were safe up till now was because they feared my dear master.


    My dear master had told me before that we couldn¡¯t live in Nargol forever.


    That was why someday, we had to go back to the human world.


    And this sword was something that I needed in order to protect myself when I finally returned back to the human world.


    But then, can I even do that?


    I just want to stay by my dear master side. I always dream about it: the scene of the carnage of my people on that day. The scene of us running for our lives from those goblins. Whichever it is, the human world or the demon world, I¡¯m scared of both of them.


    I can feel at ease only when I¡¯m by my dear master¡¯s side. I really can¡¯t leave my dear master¡¯s side.


    I mean even now, I¡¯m trembling in fear.


    There¡¯s two people fight in front of my eyes.


    But I know that Omiros¡¯s movements dulled as the fight went on.


    Omiros attacked with his sword and Goz repelled the attack with his shield.


    The impact from that exchange made Omiros drop his sword. Omiros¡¯s bnce crumbled as he tried to pick his sword.


    And Goz wouldn¡¯t miss such a golden opportunity.


    ¡¸GUHA! ! ¡¹


    Finally, Omiros was tripped by Goz.


    Goz stamped down on Omiros¡¯s left arm, the arm which he used to hold his shield.


    ¡¸GU! ! ¡¹


    Omiros frowned in pain.


    ¡¸THIS IS THE END, YOUNG PRINCEEEE¨D¨D! ! ¡¹


    Holding his sword in a backhand grip, Goz thenunched a deadly stab towards Omiros.


    The moment I saw that.


    ¡¸NOOOOOOOOO¨D¨D¨D¨D! ! ¡¹


    I unintentionally screamed.


    Both of them had their gaze drawn towards me.


    Before I noticed, I had drawn my sword.


    I wanted to save Omiros. I wouldn¡¯t let him die. That feeling was driving my body to move.


    Omiros searched every goblins nests just to find me, and yet I wanted to return to Nargol. I didn¡¯t want to part with Omiros in such a cruel way.


    Goz looked at me. My body trembled as I looked upon him.


    ¡¸G-Get away from Omiros......... Y-Your opponent is m-m-m-me! ! ¡¹


    My hand was visibly trembling, my sword unsteady.


    C¡¯mon, Regena, get a grip already! I should be able to fight just like when I faced against those ogres.


    ¡¸Oioi, such a small sword won¡¯t be able to kill me. Rather, throw that dangerous thing away since you might hurt yourself instead. Instead I¡¯ll be your opponent as much as you like, on top of my bed of course.¡¹


    Goz was looking down on me.


    ¡¸Stop it, Regena...........¡¹


    Omiros was trying to stop me with his frail and weak voice.


    ¡¸Weaklings should just shut up!¡¹


    Goz belled while trampling on Omiros¡¯s chest.


    ¡¸GUHAA! ! ¡¹


    Oh no, I won¡¯t let Omiros be hurt again.


    ¡¸Stop it already........ I understand, I will do as you say.......¡¹


    I finally yielded to Goz.


    ¡¸I see. Anything I say huh.¡¹


    Goz sounded so delighted.


    ¡¸Then, throw that sword away below the rampart first! ! Or else, I¡¯m gonna kill this guy! ! ¡¹


    Goz said so as he looked at my sword.


    Throwing away the sword that was given to me by my dear master. As if I can do that.


    ¡¸Please......... This is the only thing I can¡¯t do.........¡¹


    I pleaded to Goz.


    ¡¸Then I¡¯m gonna kill him.¡¹


    Goz pointed his sword at Omiros again.


    ¡¸WAIT! ! I........ Understand.......¡¹


    I threw my sword beyond the rampart.


    ¡¸Hehehe, good girl. Regena.¡¹


    Saying so, Goz then kicking Omiros away.


    Omiros tried to stand up again, but he was kicked away by Goz.


    And then, he showed an anguished expression as his body crashed against the wall.


    ¡¸You just need to watch from there! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸OMIROS! ! ¡¹


    I tried to rush towards Omiros


    ¡¸Oops! ! ¡¹


    But my hand was caught and I was knocked down by Goz.


    Goz straddled on top of me.


    ¡¸I finally caught you........ Regena. I¡¯m now gonna rape you in front of Omiros! ! ¡¹


    As Goz was about to undress.


    ¡¸NOOOOOOOOO¨D¨D¨D¨D! ! SAVE ME MASTEEE¨D¨D¨DEER! ! ! ¡¹


    I shut my eyes and then called for my dear master with the loudest voice I could muster.


    ¡±Shu¡±


    I heard the sound of something cutting the air.


    ¡¸GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! ! ¡¹


    Suddenly, Goz got away from me as he raised a painful shriek.


    ¡¸........... EH? W........ What happen.....?¡¹


    I straightened up and looked at Goz. That¡¯s when I saw the short sword that I had thrown down to the bottom of the rampart sticking out from Goz¡¯s naked ass.


    Goz was hopping right and left while shouting in pain. Since he was about to undress his pants before, now his lower half waspletely exposed. Jumping left and right in that state looked extremely ridiculous but this wasn¡¯t the time tough.


    I hurried to Omiros¡¯s side.


    ¡¸Are you alright! ? Omiros! ! ¡¹


    I supported Omiros.


    ¡¸Uhm.......... Regena.......... What......... Happen? ¡¹


    Omiros stood up with great difficulty.


    But just like him, I also didn¡¯t understand what was happening. My dear master¡¯s sword which should be at the bottom of the rampart was stabbed in Goz¡¯s ass.


    ¡¸WHAT THE HELL IS THIS SWORD! ? ¡¹


    Goz pulled out the sword sticking out of his ass. And out of nowhere, Goz used that sword to stab his own chest.


    ¡¸GUNUNUNU! ! ! ¡¹


    He tried using his free hand to stop the de from stabbing him.


    It seems that sword was moving on its own to stab Goz.


    When Goz managed to stop that sword from stabbing his chest atst.


    ¡¸......... What the hell is that guy doing on his own? ¡¹


    Omiros looked at Goz with a puzzled expression.


    Goz¡¯s figure, desperately trying to stop his own hand from stabbing himself in a half-naked state was an extremely hrious scene to behold from the side. Even Omiros couldn¡¯t help but look at himself with a puzzled face.


    As we were looking at Goz in such hrious appearance, we heard the sound of someoneing up the stairs. Someone finally ascended to this ce. Omiros prepared himself for another battle since it was most likely the goblins.


    ¡¸Sorry, I¡¯mte.¡¹


    The one who ascended was apletely unexpected person.


    ¡¸You are......... That Werewolf. What are you doing here? ! ¡¹


    Omiros asked as he looked at the one climbing the stairs. I knew this person too. He was the werewolf who came along with us to Algore.


    What is this person doing here? He should be locked up right now.


    On a closer look, there was someone hanging on his back.


    ¡¸Ri............ Rietto? ¡¹


    Omiros called out. For some reason, Rietto clung to the werewolf¡¯s back.


    ¡¸Geez! ! You should run a little bit slower you see! ! ¡¹


    As sheined to the werewolf, Rietto descended from his back.


    ¡¸Can¡¯t be helped ya know~ ! That scary master is gonna kill me for sure if I let something terrible happened to that female human! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸Is that so? That uncle minstrel was kind to Rietto though? ¡¹


    ¡¸Coz it¡¯s you........¡¹


    Those two were making a merry conversation.


    ¡¸Rietto............ What are you doing here? ¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, Omiros! ! EH, what happened? What¡¯s up with all those wounds on your body? Are you all right?. ¡¹


    Rietto rushed towards Omiros.


    ¡¸Well, don¡¯t worry about me, Rietto...... I can manage it somehow. Rather, what are you doing here? ¡¹


    Omiros replied using a brave tone to try and make Rietto stop worrying about him. But one could easily tell from his expression that his body was hurt all over.


    ¡¸It¡¯s not me, it¡¯s werewolf-san! ! I don¡¯t care about what happens to someone like Regena. I just clung on to werewolf-san all this time.¡¹


    Rietto said as she hid behind Omiros¡¯s back.


    Omiros and I looked at the werewolf.


    ¡¸Yeah, that scary person told me to protect you......... That¡¯s why I followed your scent and arrived at this ce.¡¹


    The werewolf sayid whileughing merrily.


    ¡¸Protect, me? ¡¹


    Tilting my head due to the unexinable situation, I wondered what he meant?

 Chapter 44.2 : Hundreds Arms Giant

    <h4>Chapter 44.2 : Hundreds Arms Giant</h4>


    ¡¸Sorry that I¡¯mte toe to the party everyone. Those pesky goblins annoyed me to no end..... But, all is well I guess! ! ¡¹


    ¡¸Goblins? ¡¹


    I asked him in return. Come to think of it, what¡¯s be of those goblins who invaded Algore?


    ¡¸Come to think of it, how¡¯s the situation with those goblins invading Algore? ? ¡¹


    Maybe because he is similiarly worried about Algore too, Omiros asked that question of the werewolf.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay. All of those ugly goblins were driven away by the soldiers that were summoned by that old man minstrel.¡¹


    Rietto replied.


    Then, something jumped out to the watchtower.


    The things that appeared were three soldiers equipped with round shields and swords. It seems those soldiers jumped to the watchtower without using the stairs.


    ¡¸Spartoi! ! ¡¹


    I unitentionally let out an admiring voice. The soldiers that could be summoned by my dear master.


    ¡¸Summoned by.......... The minstrel? And he gave me this shield too........... Just who in the world is that minstrel? ¡¹


    Omiros asked while touching his shield. The minstrel who gave that shield to Omiros was also the one who summoned the spartoi. All threads then suddenly connected in my head.


    ¡¸AHAHAHAHAHAHA¡¹


    I unintentionally let out a smile.


    ¡¸Rege............ Na? ¡¹


    Omiros looked at me, letting out such augh, with a puzzled face. But how can I notugh in this situation?


    I mean, now I understand everything that happened here. Everything gathered in this ce was by my dear master¡¯s arrangement.


    I then looked at Goz who was trying his best to prevent the short sword from stabbing him.


    Why in the world was I scared by this kind of guy again? I mean, there¡¯s nothing for me to fear anymore.


    Even without my dear master by my side, he made this arrangement so that I had no need to fear the situation. If that was the case, then there was nothing to fear.


    ¡¸Sword, back to my hand.¡¹


    I raised my hand and called back my sword.


    Thus, the sword that was trying to stab Goz was now in my hand.


    When the relieved Goz looked at me.


    ¡¸Pu, so tiny. Not even a tenth of my dear master¡¯s size.¡¹


    I sneered at him as I looked at his lower half.


    I recalled the time when I was scolded by Kuna-sama for entering the bathroom when she was rinsing the back of my dear master.


    My dear master¡¯s little master was many times bigger than his.


    Whether in sword, magic, or appearance, my dear master was a million times better than Goz. As if someone as insignificant as Goz could do anything against my dear master.


    Nevertheless, it would have been really dangerous just now If I decided not to fight back. I drew my sword. It would be an easy win as long as I fought alongside Omiros. And this sword gave me the power to fight.


    Even if it was a mistake, I recalled that my body was still trembling whenever I saw Goz.


    Because I had no courage to fight back. Omiros was hurt because of my weak heart, yes it was all my fault.


    But it¡¯s okay now, my dear master¡¯s smile has saved my heart.


    Pointing my sword towards Goz.


    ¡¸Bring it on, Goz! ! I¡¯m not scared of you anymore! ! ¡¹


    Goz was retreating in seeing my sword. I could see fear coloring his face.


    ¡¸F%CKING HELL............ ALL OF YOU.... F%CKF%%¡ª¡ª¡ª¨CCK¡¹


    Goz grumbled.


    ¡¸Hey Omiros........... Who the hell is that.......¡¹


    Rietto was clinging on to Omiros and asking so as she saw Goz.


    ¡¸That is Parsish.......... He was changing his face all this time with magic. And that face is his real face.¡¹


    ¡¸No way, that is........... Parsish...........¡¹


    (~¡¯.¡¯)~To Be Continue In The Next Release Xp~(¡®.¡¯~)


    ine


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 Chapter 44.3 : Hundreds-Armed Giant

    <h4>Chapter 44.3 : Hundreds-Armed Giant</h4>


    ¡¸That is Parish¡¯s ... No, I mean something summoned by Goz to destroy Algore.¡¹


    Everyone showed a shocked face as they couldn¡¯t believe what they just heard.


    Omiros exined the situation from the beginning to now.


    ¡¸There was such a thing...¡¹


    ¡¸What a failure. If I knew he was that kind of man, I would have choked him to death...¡¹


    Hearing Kaya spit out her frustration, Kyouka nodded.


    To be honest, I also agree with her. I never expected Goz to do something that exceeded my expectations by calling upon that.


    ¡¸Then, what are we going to do with that thing? It¡¯s heading towards us!¡¹


    MacGaius asked as he looked at the Hundred-armed Giant.


    Before I noticed, the Algorians gathered around the edge of the rampart to watch that Hundred-armed Giant approaching. It seems that they panicked seeing that.


    ¡¸Can you defeat something of that size?¡¹


    Kyouka asked.


    ¡¸I think I can win against that.¡¹


    When I replied to her question, I looked at Regena.


    ¡¸But then, what about you, Regena? Do you want to save this kingdom? It seems this kingdom will be in danger if we leave it as it is. If you really wish for it, I¡¯ll leave with you and let this kingdom face its doom.¡¹


    As I asked Regena such a question, everyone nervously looked at her.


    Regena shook her head as she answered.


    ¡¸No, my dear master. Currently, there are people who have a good rtionship with me in Algore. I¡¯ve a lot of memories of when I was living in Algore that I treasure. I won¡¯t let Algore, the kingdom where Omiros is living, be destroyed. That¡¯s why, please save them.¡¹


    Regena bowed to me.


    That was a perfect enough answer for me. In that case, it was decided.


    ¡¸I see, I guess it¡¯s time to save this kingdom. Glorious!¡¹


    Saying so, I soared in the sky andnded on the back of Glorious.


    We head towards the Hundred-armed Giant.


    Just what in the world is this giant?


    I thought. The giant was basically a mass of enmity. That enmity wasn¡¯t just directed toward something specific. I could feel that it hated the world itself.


    I don¡¯t know why such a being can exist in this world, but as her master, it¡¯s my duty to fulfill her wish.


    ¡¸O ck me!¡¹


    I d my sword in ck me and then injected a huge chunk of my magic power into the ck me.


    ¡¸HA!¡¹


    Twisting my body, I swept down with my sword.


    The de, d in a mass of ck mes, stretched out, burning the Hundred-armed Giant in its wake, creating a loud sound as it hit the ground.


    After the ck mes vanished, the figure of the Hundred-armed Giant couldn¡¯t be seen anymore.


    It was nicely done despite being an impromptu skill. Let¡¯s call this technique, ¡°Decapitation of Darkness Divine de.¡± What a great name.


    Well then, let¡¯s stop this stupid train of thought and go back to Algore for the time being. There¡¯s something I must do.


    I first needed a confirmation from Regena.


    Then, I needed to check on Goz, who disappeared from there. He might be up to no good again. I decided to look for himter.


    I wonder where that guy is right now. Whatever, Algorees first.


    ¡ôGoblin Prince, Goz


    ¡¸Impossible ... Defeating the Hundred-armed Giant in a single stroke.¡¹


    Despite being ranked at the bottom end, the Hundred-armed Giant should have power rivaling a god. And he defeated that so easily?


    ¡¸F$CK! No matter how you look at it, there¡¯s no way I can win against that monster.¡¹


    It was annoying, but I had no choice but to give up on Regena.


    ¡¸Hhm! I can have as many females as I want!¡¹


    After cursing like that, the realisation that I won¡¯t go back to Algore anymore hit me. But there¡¯s still arge amount of human countries avable.


    Which country should I be heading to for now?


    ¡¸Where do you think you¡¯re going, Goz?¡¹


    Somebody called my name as I was about to leave. It was the voice I didn¡¯t want to hear the most in the world.


    Turning around, I saw the biggest goblin in existence.


    ¡¸M-Mother. What are you doing here?¡¹


    There was no way I could mistake her ugly face for something else. It was my one and only mother. When I looked around, I found myself surrounded by many goblins. Those goblins, armed to the teeth, were those slow-witted ones from the south. They were the regr soldiers of the Karon kingdom.


    ¡¸What am I doing here? I think you already know the reason, Goz. How dare you steal the important thing entrusted by his majesty, the Demon King, for your own convenience...¡¹


    My mother¡¯s face was dyed with anger.


    Oh crap, if I don¡¯t run away now, I¡¯m dead.


    But, I was already surrounded on all sides.


    ¡¸Goz, I¡¯ll give you pain worse than death. Capture him!¡¹


    After my mother gave out the orders, rope flew from everywhere and coiled itself around me.


    It seemed it was magic rope, which made mepletely immobile.


    Could it be that I have to go back to that dark goblin kingdom? No, I don¡¯t want that. I don¡¯t want to go back to that dark ce.


    ¡¸No! HEEELP!¡¹


    No one responded to my plea.


    The rope continued to mercilessly bind my body.


    ¡¸NO! REGENA! SAVE ME!¡¹


    ¡ôDark Knight, Kuroki


    ¡¸What¡¯s your choice, Regena? Do you want to go back to the world of humans?¡¹


    After Inded back in Algore, I asked Regena that question.


    To be honest, I thought it was better for her to stay by Omiros¡¯s side rather than return to Nargol.


    Nargol was simply not a ce for humans to live. The denizens of Nargol never regarded Regena and her family as theirrades. That, in itself, would cause considerable burden on their mental state. That was why I thought it was better for Regena and her family to go back to the human world.


    But, it seems Regena was hesitant about this matter.


    ¡¸Regena-san, don¡¯t you think that the other members of your family should stay in the world of humans?¡¹


    Kyouka also tried to bring Regena back to the human world.


    ¡¸But, my dear master is...¡¹


    Looking at me, Regena seemed to have a hard time expressing her own feelings. Could it be that she was having a hard time choosing to leave Nargol due to the obligation that she felt towards me?


    That didn¡¯t make sense, I don¡¯t mind about such things like obligations. I mean the reason I saved Regena was just a whim of mine, nothing more and nothing less. That was why I wasn¡¯t that eager to receive her feelings of obligation.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t need to worry about me, Regena. You should walk on your own path. Whatever you choose, I¡¯ll support it.¡¹


    After saying so, Regena nodded at me, having made her decision.


    ¡¸Understood. I think I want to go back to the human world.¡¹


    So it was decided. She had my blessing for her choice.


    Now, build a happy marriage rtionship with Omiros.


    ¡¸Kyouka-sama, I¡¯ll take your offer.¡¹


    Regena bowed to Kyouka. I could only tilt my head in confusion hearing those words. Eh, I got this feeling that I missed something here.


    ¡¸I see, well then, return with us to Holy Republic Lenaria.¡¹


    Smiling, Kyouka replied so to Regena. Shirone and Kaya who heard Regena reply from the side also nodded their heads.


    EH? Somehow, Regena would go to the Holy Republic of Lenaria instead? When did they have such a talk? Then, what about Omiros?


    ¡¸Thank you for your kindness until now, Omiros. I¡¯ve decided to give my heart to someone else. Sorry, but I can¡¯t respond to your feelings. Nevertheless, you still have so many friends on your side. Someday, let¡¯s meet again in the Holy Republic of Lenaria.¡¹


    Regena replied so to Omiros. I was shocked to hear that.


    I never knew that Regena was in love with someone else and that person wasn¡¯t Omiros. I wonder what kind of a person she fell in love with?


    I¡¯m really curious about that now. Maybe it has something to do with the reason Regena decided to go to the Holy Republic of Lenaria instead of Algore. Then, there¡¯s only one person who can make her take such a decision.


    The Hero of Light, Reiji. The person who Regena loves must be none other than Reiji. Come to think of it, they met once before in the past.


    Another one, huh ... I feel down now. Now it looks like I protected Regena for Reiji¡¯s sake.


    ¡¸Yeah, please take care of yourself.¡¹


    Omiros smiled as he said so. It felt more like a forced smile to me.


    Poor Omiros. Her Regena was stolen by Reiji.


    But, he gave his blessings to Regena instead of being angry.


    So, since Omiros chose to endure it, naturally I, as her master can¡¯t lose to him.


    ¡¸My dear master. Before that, please ... Bring me back to Nargol for thest time to exin the situation to everyone.¡¹


    Regena then turned around and faced me as she said so.


    ¡¸Yeah, we should do that...¡¹


    I replied with a stiff face since I had the luxury of hiding my expression thanks to the helmet that I wore.


    Even if I gave my heartfelt blessing to her, it seems that my body can¡¯t ept it.


    Though you can¡¯t say that Omiros was a cool and refreshing guy by any standard, he was an honest man. That¡¯s why, deep inside, I preferred to leave Regena in Omiros¡¯s hands rather than Reiji¡¯s.


    But it seems that deep inside, Regena didn¡¯t think so. Shirone was also like that, though ... Well, I really can¡¯t understand women¡¯s hearts after all.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s get going then, Regena...¡¹


    I called Glorious with a slightly heavy mood. Thereupon, Glorious flew high up in the sky and descended just right on the side of the watchtower.


    ¡¸WAIT RIGHT THERE, KUROKI!¡¹


    Shirone asked me to stop.


    When I turned around, Shirone had this pouting expression on her face.


    ¡¸Kaya-san told me to withdraw just now. BUT! Mark my words, I WILL DEFINITELY TAKE YOU OUT OF NARGOL! PREPARE YOURSELF!¡¹


    After saying so, Shirone suddenly turned away. It seems that the woman called Kaya managed to persuade her.


    ¡¸Yeah.¡¹


    I replied in a low voice.


    ¡¸WHAT¡¯S WITH THAT TONE, ARE YOU DISSATISFIED!¡¹


    Her anger ignited. Well, I mean I have my own circumstances.


    ¡¸Uhm, Regena!¡¹


    Now, it was Rietto¡¯s turn to call out to Regena.


    ¡¸Thank you for saving my life! And sorry for always acting cold and distant towards you!¡¹


    Rietto bowed to Regena.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t mind it, Rietto! I¡¯m d that you¡¯re as lively as before!¡¹


    Regena smiled at her. I felt that her smile was really fascinating.


    ¡¸Shall we go then, my dear master!¡¹


    Along with her voice, I carried Regena and got on Glorious¡¯s back.


    Omiros was waving his hand at us. Regena was also waving back at him.


    Even if those two were not tied by some sort of connection like marriage, I could feel a strong bond between them. That was why I was certain that they would definitely reunite.


    With Glorious¡¯s flying speed, Algore instantly became a dot of light behind us.


    ¡¸Good bye, my birthce...¡¹


    Regena muttered. It seems that she cried for a short while, and then that cry was reced byughter. I¡¯m sure that she was d for thest words from Rietto.


    Brushing on her head, Regena then turned around and looked at me.


    Before long, we crossed the Akeron mountain range and entered Nargol.


    ¡¸Well Regena, I guess this is goodbye to Nargol of eternal night, a gloomy and dark ce.¡¹


    Iughed while saying so.


    ¡¸... You¡¯re wrong, my dear master. Nargol isn¡¯t a gloomy and dark ce. Because you are there, my dear master.¡¹


    Regena embraced me on top of Glorious¡¯s back.


    ¡¸Regena?¡¹


    It startled me when she suddenly embraced me.


    ¡¸Surely, Nargol might be a dark ce due to its perpetual night ... But then, my dear master, please shine upon me like the twinkling stars in the night. That way ... I will never think of Nargol as a dark ce, my dear master.¡¹


    Saying so, Regena keep clinging to me as she smiled.


    It seems that she just said an extremely embarrassing line. Her words might have been just her gratitude to me.


    Nevertheless, it was still an extremely embarrassing line.


    Glorious kept flying with us.


    Nargol¡¯s sky was dark, but my heart was as bright as a sunny day.

 Chapter 45.1 : A Calm Yet Turbulent Day

    <h4>Chapter 45.1 : A Calm Yet Turbulent Day</h4>


    ¡ô Demon King Modes


    ¡¸I¡¯m sorry, Mona.¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s alright, Modes-sama. Something of this level is not of consequence.¡¹


    I bowed to Mona, hoping my sincerity would reach her.


    Thankfully, she epted my wish easily.


    By now, the female demon knight who used to be Mona¡¯s bodyguard should¡¯ve headed toward Lord Diehart¡¯s residence. With this, Lord Diehart should have his subordinates as well.


    My first intention was to give him a subordinate from the Chivalric Order of the Dark Knight, which wasposed of males from Demonkind. But that was not possible. There were not enough knights avable, because they were still rebuilding their numbers after almost being wiped out by the hero. I could not take more of them from Lord Runfeld.


    I¡¯m also considering some subordinates from lower races or orc races, but when considering Lord Diehart¡¯s strength, I was afraid they would be more of a hindrance than of help. The only option I had left was picking those of Demonkind who could ride a wyvern.


    After that, I started considering how many of Mona¡¯s female knights I should send to Lord Diehart.


    Theoretically, as long as Mona stayed in Nargol, she was in no danger.


    Therefore, she did not need so many subordinates.


    There shouldn¡¯t be a problem in transferring some of her knights, but I needed to discuss that with her first. I fully expected her to hesitate in agreeing due to her dislike of Lord Diehart but, unexpectedly, she easily agreed to my wish. That was a relief.


    ¡¸Of course I should grant Modes-sama¡¯s wish.¡¹


    ¡¸Nufufufu...¡¹


    Mona was smiling at me so brightly it was enough to melt my heart.


    I did not hesitate to embrace her.


    ¡¸Please refrain from doing this... Modes-sama... We¡¯re in a public ce...¡¹


    ¡¸Nufufufufu... Don¡¯t worry about it, it¡¯s no big deal at all.¡¹


    The moment was ruined a bit by a voiceing from the other side of the door.


    ¡¸Your Majesty, may I interrupt you for a moment?¡¹


    ¡¸What is it?¡¹


    After I allowed him inside, Rugaas bowed to me.


    ¡¸Your Majesty, I have some urgent news. It¡¯s an emergency.¡¹


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Lord Rugaas?¡¹


    ¡¸Your Majesty... Nut, who was tasked with monitoring the Hero of Light and his party, was caught by one of his women.¡¹


    ¡¸WHAT!!!¡¹


    Nut... He¡¯s someone who worked well...


    If he was caught, then that means he...


    ¡¸Old Man Rugaas, why did you say emergency? That¡¯s just a rat. Do you think you need to report the fate of such an insignificant being to His Majesty? Please stop wasting his time with those trivial matters.¡¹


    Mona admonished Rugaas with a cold tone.


    It seems she was pissed off that he had interrupted our time together.


    ¡¸Yes, it is a trivial matter, but...¡¹


    Of course, he agreed with her. Nut did not have a high social standing in Nargol, so neither Mona nor Rugaas were concerned with rescuing him.


    But this Modes wouldn¡¯t abandon those who worked for him.


    ¡¸Lord Rugaas. Where is the Hero¡¯s party right now?¡¹


    ¡¸That... They ventured inside the Minon Labyrinth.¡¹


    ¡¸WHAT!? Do you mean THATbyrinth?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, but I am unaware of the exact reason they did so...¡¹


    ¡¸... This is bad. Thatbyrinth is troublesome.¡¹


    I was very familiar with the Minon Labyrinth.


    Once before, this Demon King entered that ce. It was an extremely troublesome ce ruled by THAT fe. Even This One had difficulty there, for others it¡¯ll be a very dangerous ce.


    ¡¸Your Majesty... I think you don¡¯t need to concern yourself with this matter. He¡¯s just a rat, you can just abandon him.¡¹


    Despite Mona telling me to abandon Nut, I was unwilling. If possible, I wanted to save him.


    However, my movements were limited due to my covenant with Oudith. Was there someone else who could save Nut other than me?


    My thoughts were unconsciously redirected toward a certain man.


    A certain dark Knight whose power rivaled mine.


    No one but him could save Nut.


    ¡¸... Looks like I have no choice but to ask for his help.¡¹


    ¡ô Sword Maiden, Shirone


    We were heading back to the Holy Republic Lenaria after leaving the Kingdom of Algore. We still had to prepare to wee Regena and her families.


    I didn¡¯t want to go back, but Kaya-san told me to ask for Chiyuki-san¡¯s opinion. Recently, we had gained more information about the Kuroki situation. Also, there was still a chance to take him back since the brainwashing wasn¡¯t yetpleted.


    We needed to create an opportunity toplete it.


    ¡¸Kaya. Is there still no contact from my brother and the others?¡¹


    ¡¸Mdy... Our contact from Reiji-sama¡¯s side waspletely cut off. I fear something has happened.¡¹


    Kaya answered Kyouka-san¡¯s query with a troubled face.


    I wanted to talk to Chiyuki-san, and yet...


    What in the world happened to them?


    ¡¸Hey, Kaya-san. Reiji and the others were in the Ariadina Republic, right? Let¡¯s go there.¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s right. If we are to wee Regena and the others, we need to go to the Ariadina Republic first.¡¹


    It seemed obvious to me.


    Since we couldn¡¯t contact them usingmunication magic, we should just go there ourselves.


    Thankfully, Kyouka-san agreed with me.


    ¡¸You¡¯re right... We have no choice but to follow them there.¡¹


    As we spoke, someone suddenly knocked on our room¡¯s door.


    ¡¸What is it? You may enter.¡¹


    After Kaya-san said so, one of Rena Temple¡¯s female priests entered the room and bowed to us.


    ¡¸Kyouka-sama, Shirone-sama, Kaya-sama. The Supreme Great Priest has summoned you¡¹


    ¡¸The Head Priest is calling us? Why?¡¹


    The one named Supreme Great Priest was the Head Priest of the temple. His status was the greatest in the faith, second only to the Goddess. The temple had a hierarchy system: Supreme Great Priest, Great Priest, Priest, and Deacon.


    The Supreme Great Priest was the foremost leader of all the Temples of Rena in the entire world. That¡¯s why he was named ¡°Head Priest¡±.


    This influential person had summoned us. I can only wonder... Why?


    ¡¸I do not know. My orders were only to bring you to him...¡¹


    It seemed like the priestess was truly troubled by this task.


    Come to think of it, the priestess should be a Deacon. The Head Priest had no reason to speak to someone with the lowest societal position in the temple.


    ¡¸What could he want with us?¡¹


    ¡¸Dunno?¡¹


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go, then.¡¹


    We were led by the priestess to a restricted room.


    Only carefully selected people were allowed in here. It was the room where Chiyuki-san met the Goddess Rena.


    I was unable to restrain myself in time and gawked in awe.


    ¡¸This... This ce is...¡¹


    ¡¸We have arrived.¡¹


    The priestess opened the door for us, bowing as she indicated that we should enter.


    Once we did, the door was closed from the outside.


    The one waiting for us was not who we expected to see.


    ¡¸Took you long enough.¡¹


    ¡¸G-Goddess Rena!?¡¹


    Just the fact that the Goddess herself came here meant that, whatever she had to tell us, it was not a trivial matter. What could be so grave that she had to descend in person?


    Kaya bowed in greeting and took the lead.


    ¡¸What happened, Rena-sama?¡¹


    ¡¸Shirone, Kyouka, and Kaya. Please listen carefully. Reiji¡¯s life, along with the others, might be in danger.¡¹


    ¡¸Goddess Rena... What do you mean?¡¹


    All three of us were surprised to hear that.


    But Goddess Rena¡¯s voice was very grave.


    ¡¸Reiji and the others are trapped in a certain Evil God¡¯sbyrinth in Minon ins. We¡¯re currently racing against time.¡¹


    ¡ô Prince of Algore, Omiros


    ¡¸It¡¯s still amazing, no matter how many times I look at it...¡¹


    McGyusis stared at the scenery outside of the rampart. Before us was the resting ce of the Hundred Arms Giant. Originally, it had been a hill, but it had been erased during the battle and reced by a scorched, gargantuan hole.


    The hole was so big, the entire Algore Kingdom could fit it in it.


    ¡¸So this was made by the Dark Knight, huh? ... Such terrifying power...¡¹


    Despite the goblin and ogre raids, the Kingdom of Algore came out of such a cmity almostpletely unscathed. All thanks to the preparations the Dark Knight made in advance. The Spartois that had been summoned to protect this kingdom from the goblins had disappeared.


    Although I had an idea of his strength from how he defeated that Hero of Light, I did not expect that man to be so impossibly powerful. Just how powerful was he?


    ¡¸Yeah, after seeing that I¡¯m sure you couldn¡¯t win against him. So cheer up, Omiros.¡¹


    ¡¸What are you talking about, McGyusis?¡¹


    ¡¸What I mean is: your rival is just too powerful. You need to find another wonderful woman to woo.¡¹


    McGyusis startedughing heartily.


    ¡¸Those don¡¯t sound likeforting words at all... But thank you for cheering me up, anyway.¡¹


    There was no way I could defeat an opponent as powerful as the Dark Knight. I couldn¡¯t even protect Regena. If that man hadn¡¯t saved her in the nick of time back then...


    I¡¯m no match for him at all.


    I¡¯m aware that he also truly cares about Regena. It¡¯s why I¡¯m okay with how things turned out. She wasn¡¯t the type of woman to hide in fear, but I know he¡¯ll protect her anyway.


    Regena was in good hands, I could let her go with a light heart.

 Chapter 45.2 : A Calm Yet Turbulent Day

    <h4>Chapter 45.2 : A Calm Yet Turbulent Day</h4>


    I touch the magic shield. I think he wanted to tell me to get stronger.


    Suddenly, a shout pierced the air.


    ¡¸OMIROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOS!!¡¹


    Rietto headed toward us¡­ While riding on a werewolf.


    That werewolf did not eat humans anymore since it had been told by the Dark Knight to protect this kingdom. Maybe that was the reason it had decided to live here.


    It also visited Echigos many times while he was under medical care. Perhaps it considered Echigos a friend. Also, for some reason, that werewolf was very attached to Rietto.


    ¡¸What are you two talking about?¡¹


    ¡¸The Dark Knight.¡¹


    ¡¸Ooh, that minstrel old man, huh¡­ I didn¡¯t expect him to be the Dark Knight.¡¹


    ¡¸Hahaha, neither did we.¡¹


    ¡¸I mean, who¡¯d have thought the minstrel we captured was the Dark Knight without armor? Hey, maybe someday I¡¯ll be known as ¡°The Man Who Captured The Dark Knight, Defeater Of The Hero of Light¡±?¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ Who do you think will believe that story, McGyusis?¡¹


    ¡¸Che. It¡¯s the truth, though.¡¹


    McGyusis was frustrated with theck of faith in him. It seemed to amuse Rietto, she was smiling at him. Then she looked at me.


    ¡¸Hey, Omiros¡­ Can we meet¡­ That minstrel old man and¡­ And Regena¡­?¡¹


    ¡¸Yup. Someday, we¡¯ll meet them again.¡¹


    As I reassured her, I looked at the sky.


    As long as we lived under the same sky, I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll meet again.


    ¡ô Dark Knight, Kuroki


    ¡¸Fufufu~?¡¹


    Kuna was happily brewing tea right in front of me.


    I bet her good mood was because Regena left with her family yesterday, heading toward the Holy Republic Lenaria.


    Thanks to that, the inhabitants of my mansion were reduced to just me, Kuna and the bear-faced caretaker Modes had assigned to me when he gave me this mansion.


    The caretaker seemed to be a woman of the Werebear race, but I wasn¡¯t sure. I could only see her in her ¡°human¡± disguise. Maybe she had a grudge against me because I still didn¡¯t know her name.


    Unlike Kuna, the caretaker was quite sad to know Regena was moving out. I remember how she drooled whenever she saw Regena and her people. Maybe she wanted to eat them. Thinking of how the Werebear treated her, I¡¯m d Regena left Nargol. It was not a ce for humans to live.


    I felt a little lonely.


    ¡¸Look, Kuroki. As long as Kuna is here, you don¡¯t need someone like Regena to brew you tea.¡¹


    After cing the teacup in front of me, Kuna ced her hands on her hips. This position pushed out her melon-sized breasts, and they shook like pudding. Her current attire was the one Regena wore before she left, a maid outfit.


    As for where that maid outfit came from¡­ Imissioned a dwarf to make clothes for Regena and the others, and that was what he gave me. I¡¯ve been told the dwarf had wanted to replicate the clothes worn by one of the Hero of Light¡¯s followers.


    By the way, the Werebear caretaker also wore maid clothes.


    All this time, Regena had taken care of us while wearing a maid outfit.


    It had troubled me whenever I looked at her.


    The same maid outfit that disconcerted me so much when Regena wore it was now being worn by Kuna. The problem was¡­ Kuna¡¯s breasts were much, much bigger than Regena¡¯s. Now that they were boosted by a maid outfit, they could be considered weapons of mass destruction.


    I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off them.


    They looked like they¡¯d burst through her clothing at any moment.


    ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Kuroki? Is there something wrong with the tea?¡¹


    Kuna was looking at me with a puzzled look on her face.


    Thank God. It looks like she didn¡¯t notice how charmed I was by her chest.


    ¡¸No, no. Thank you for the tea, Kuna. I¡¯ll drink it now.¡¹


    I picked up the cup and drank the tea.


    The tea was delicious and sweet. However, there was a subtle underlying vor that I hadn¡¯t tasted before.


    [TL: It¡¯s a TRAP!!!]


    ¡¸What¡¯s wrong, Kuroki?¡¹


    The way Kuna stared at me¡­


    ¡­ Was she expecting some sort of reaction?


    ¡¸Um, it¡¯s delicious. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve drunk this type before, what kind of tea is this?¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, I got this tea from Datie.¡¹


    It took everything I had to control the impulse I had to spit out the tea.


    Datie¡­ Did she mean Datie, the Goblin Queen?


    I met Datie not long ago when I traveled to the Keron Kingdom to look for Goz. I heard from Datie that he was locked in an underground water prison for stealing. Goz had stolen an important item that Modes had entrusted to Datie.


    Thus, Goz would never be able to hurt Regena again. When I told her about this, she was delighted. After all, with Goz gone she could return to human society.


    Although I was also satisfied with that oue, only one thing left me worried. While I was talking to Datie, she kept staring at my crotch as if she wanted to lick it.


    It creeped me out so much that I hope I never meet her again. Ever.


    Did that mean this tea was a gift from Datie?


    I thought Datie and Kuna were on bad terms with each other¡­


    ¡¸Is it delicious, Kuroki?¡¹


    What was I thinking? This was the tea Kuna had personally brewed for me. There¡¯s no way it would taste bad.


    I drank the tea to the bottom and smiled at her.


    ¡¸It¡¯s delicious, Kuna.¡¹


    ¡¸I see. Please drink again. Kuroki needs more tea because you have unbelievably powerful resistances. Kuroki is always reserved with Kuna, that¡¯s why Kuna prepared this to ept Kuroki¡¯s everything.¡¹


    [TL: She means their pillow talk.]


    ¡­ Resistance?


    Kuna refilled my cup, but I was paying more attention to her words.


    What was she talking about?


    As I tried to figure out the meaning of her words, I suddenly got a bad premonition, like something bad was going to happen. There was the Ogre matter, too, but Kuna was taking care of it. She wouldn¡¯t let them run rampant.


    ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s right. I have a present for you, Kuna.¡¹


    I took a box from my bosom pocket and showed it to her.


    ¡¸Is¡­ That¡­ ?¡¹


    Inside the box rested a pair of rings.


    I picked up one of them and, raising Kuna¡¯s left hand, inserted one on her ring finger.


    ¡¸This ring is one half of a set. Both have been loaded with two magic spells: one, to make each wearer aware of the other¡¯s position and two, to allow each wearer to teleport to the other¡¯s position.¡¹


    As I speak, I show her thepanion ring already on my left ring finger, just like hers.


    Kuna¡¯s eyes were already wet with tears.


    ¡¸With this, we¡¯ll be together forever.¡¹


    ¡¸Kuroki!! KUROKI!!! I LOVE YOOOUU!!¡¹


    Kuna jumped up and embraced me, crying.


    ¡¸Haha, I¡¯m d you like my gift.¡¹


    Brushing her hair away from her face, I feel a pang of guilt in my heart.


    The real reason I gave her that ring was to prevent Kuna from going wild. As long as she wore that ring, I could monitor Kuna wherever she went.


    Then again, it¡¯s not like I was going to tell her that.


    Anyway¡­ Kuna¡¯s scent was so nice¡­


    Knock knock!


    Someone knocked on the door as I embraced Kuna.


    ¡¸WHO¡¯S THERE!?¡¹


    Whoa.


    Kuna immediately moved away from me and shouted at the neer.


    It looks like she¡¯s in a bad mood from having our romantic mood interrupted¡­ However, the one that opened the door was someonepletely unexpected.


    ¡¸Excuse me, my dear master.¡¹


    ¡¸Regena!? What are you doing here?¡¹


    Yup. It¡¯s just like Kuna said.


    By now, Regena should be with her family in the Holy Republic of Lenaria by using the teleportation stone she got from Shirone.


    ¡¸Yes, I should have left, but¡­ I stayed behind by myself. I have onest wish to ask of my master.¡¹


    Regena bowed her head.


    Kuna¡¯s features twisted in a displeased frown.


    ¡¸What? What do you want from Kuroki?¡¹


    ¡¸My wish is¡­ For my dear master to give me his affection.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    ¡¸!!!!!¡¹


    Regena¡¯s eyes stared straight into mine, not even blinking.


    I quickly reached out to stop Kuna, who had silently summoned her scythe.


    ¡¸Affection¡­ !? Eh- WAIT, WAIT KUNA! Keep away the scythe!!¡¹


    ¡¸Regena! YOU WANT HIS AFFECTION WITH THAT SEEDY-LOOKING BODY OF YOURS!!! KUNA IS ENOUGH FOR HIM!!!¡¹


    ¡¸Is that so? Hm¡­ I could swear that sometimes my dear master sneaks nces at my butt¡­¡¹


    The tea I had been drinking was forced out in a spray from a few simple words.


    She knew. I can¡¯t believe she knew. I thought I had been subtle!


    Sorry, Regena! I¡¯m so sorry for sneaking nces at your butt while you¡¯re bending over on your cleaning duties!


    ¡¸NO! YOU CAN¡¯T! Kuna is enough for Kuroki!! Just now, his gaze was glued to Kuna¡¯s breasts! HE DOESN¡¯T NEED REGENA!!!!¡¹


    ¡­ I unintentionally slipped from my chair onto the floor in despair and embarrassment.


    She noticed my lewd gaze!!!!! I¡¯m sorry, Kuna! I¡¯m sorry for staring at your breasts!!!


    ¡¸Your Excellency!! May Ie in, Your Excellency?!!¡¹


    Several footsteps could be heard heading to the room we were in. The ones who just arrived were the female knights of the Demonkind, armed to their teeth. They brusquely pushed Regena aside and barged into the room.


    The women bowed to me.


    ¡¸We were ordered by His Majesty the Demon King to be Your Excellency¡¯s subordinates. Please take care of us.¡¹


    Now that I thought about it¡­ Were those the subordinates Modes was talking about before? I didn¡¯t expect them to be a female-only team.


    The Demon Race was divided into two sses: the Lower ss and the High ss.


    Low-ss demons had a hideous appearance, whereas the High-ss demons had a beautiful appearance, greatly resembling the human race except for the horn on their heads. High-ss demons were so beautiful, their appearance ismonlypared to that of angels.


    Each of those knights in front of me was a beauty on their own.


    ¡¸Why¡­ Why¡­ WHY!!!¡¹


    Kuna seemed to be at her wit¡¯s end. Maybe the increase in the number of women around me was too much of a shock to her. Then again, not even I expected that these women would be my subordinates.


    They should be Mona¡¯s subordinates.


    Since they were here, Mona must have consented to the transfer of her knights to me. That is odd. I thought she hated me.


    Poor Kuna looks bewildered.


    My noisy days had just begun.


    I drink the tea as I stare at Nargol¡¯s sky outside my windows. For some reason, my body felt hot. The room was filled with a nice fragrance of women. So many of them in the same ce at the same time¡­


    My thoughts were bing hazier¡­

 Chapter 46 : The Plot Of Evil God

    <h4>Chapter 46 : The Plot Of Evil God</h4>


    ¡ô Death God, Zarxis


    ¡¸What do you mean?! Say that again, Zarxis!!¡¹


    Suddenly, I was seized by the neck and lifted.


    I struggled to move my body.


    ¡¸Let go... Of... Me... Labrys... It... Hurts... I might... Die...¡¹


    ¡¸Hm!!¡¹


    ¡¸GUHA!!!¡¹


    Labrys didn¡¯t seem very interested in my suffering since he immediately released me once Iined.


    I fell to the ground, writhing in pain.


    ¡¸It¡¯s as... I said... Rena... She found a lover. The man... They call him ¡®Hero of Light¡¯...¡¹


    After hearing that, the man before me trembled in fury.


    Appearance-wise, he looked like a normal human. A very big, muscr human. He had swelling muscle on both of his naked arms, around his thick neck and on his strong jaw.


    But Labrys¡¯s human form was merely an illusion, a temporary shape held together by magic. His true form... It was far from anything that could be even remotely described as human. After all, this man wasn¡¯t human. He wasn¡¯t from one of the divine races from Elios either.


    He was known to the people of Elios as an Evil God.


    But why was I being choked? Well...


    After I returned from the human kingdom named Rox, I came to visit Labrys. I told him about what had happened during my time there. At first, he wasn¡¯t all that interested in hearing my story but once I got to the part about the Hero of Light, he suddenly grabbed my neck.


    Now... Now he was cursing non-stop while I nursed my bruised neck.


    ¡¸Fu*k! Rena. Is. MINE! I¡¯ll kill anyone who dares to TAKE HER FROM ME!!!¡¹


    His shouts made me ponder about something...


    ... Since when did Rena belong to him?


    Rena was one of the three most beautiful goddesses of Elios.


    Labrys wasn¡¯t as ugly as Modes, but he wasn¡¯t that far behind from the Demon King in regards to ugliness. There was no reason for Rena to be interested in him.


    And that unreasonably possessive feeling wasn¡¯t exclusive to Labrys. There were so many gods out therepeting for her heart. Not that any of them managed to catch her attention...


    But all of them secretly believed they were the ones who Rena loved.


    [TL: Those poor Gods + Reiji]


    Elios had been in turmoil ever since news about Rena¡¯s supposed lover spread. The name of the rumored male was Reiji, the human hailed as the ¡®Hero of Light¡¯. Nobody knew where he hade from. His power was terrifying, almost to the level of Oudith.


    [TL: lololololo]


    Not only powerful, but he was also rumored to be extremely handsome too. Supposedly he was so handsome that the rumors about him became staple gossip material in the goddesses¡¯ gatherings of this world.


    It was the first time Labrys had heard of the human hero since he was always inside hisbyrinth.


    That was why he was so angry.


    ¡¸Zarxis! Drag that Hero of Light into mybyrinth! That¡¯s an order!¡¹


    How haughty of him.


    Why did I have to obey his orders in the first ce? I¡¯m not even his subordinate.


    Just thinking about it was already irritating.


    Then again, Labrys was hostile toward both Modes and Elios, and we needed him as our ally.


    Moreover, my body was inside hisbyrinth. If I don¡¯t obey hismands, he could make things quite difficult for me.


    We were on the deepest floor of the Underground Labyrinth of the Minon in.


    In the middle of it was Labrys¡¯s throne, which was decorated quite magnificently. ... Alright, I have to be honest. That throne was as distasteful as that God was crude.


    The entirebyrinth was filled with terrifying power. It was originally made by dwarves, then given to Labrys. Created from special materials with the special dwarven crafting skills, thebyrinth was incredibly tough.


    Even I couldn¡¯t use my domain magic in thisbyrinth. It had been especially made for Labrys. Which is why that coward never left hisbyrinth.


    ¡¸Are you serious? You expect me to bring the Hero of Light into thisbyrinth? I don¡¯t even know where he is right now!¡¹


    Such a coward. He didn¡¯t dare step out of hisir to vanquish the hero by himself. No, no. I had to bring the hero to his home turf, where he had the full advantage.


    Could he be any more shameless?


    ¡¸NATURALLY! Is that too difficult for you, Zarxis?! IN THIS PLACE, I¡¯M INVINCIBLE!! But that Hero doesn¡¯t know that. ONCE HE GETS HERE, I¡¯M GONNA KILL HIM WITH THIS AXE OF MINE!!!¡¹


    Saying so, he took his axe.


    Labrys grabbed his ax, a huge magic weapon with a double edge. The edges were crafted in the form of his crest. He swung his ax toward the sky, the movement alone producing a shockwave inside the room.


    That shockwave alone was enough to disintegrate my half-decayed body. Had I taken the full brunt of his attack, I probably wouldn¡¯t have managed to survive. I touched the damaged area and drained the life force of the people above ground to sustain me for a while.


    My body had been obliterated by that traitor Modes.


    Somehow, I survived. But I did note out unscathed. My body was broken, heavily wounded. Over time the degradation worsened, bit by bit.


    I wanted to resuscitate my body but to do that I needed a huge amount of life force. Although I was currently sucking the life force of humans, the vitality of those inferior life-forms was like a drop of water into a bucket. The efficiency was low.


    I could gain a tremendous amounts of life force by sucking the vitality of an angel, but it was too risky. I couldn¡¯t afford to stand out at the moment since I wasn¡¯t on friendly terms with neither Modes nor the gods of Elios.


    For the same reason, I couldn¡¯t target other divine beings. And so, I was left with no other choice but to suck vitality from inferior life-forms.


    My primary target was the humankind.


    Humans were the beloved race of my enemy, the God of Elios, thus I must destroy them for sure. I had already sucked several kingdoms¡¯ worth of life force until they died. Those humans had already been forgotten by the gods of Elios and turned into livestock by demons.


    As for the case of the Kingdom of Rox, I wasn¡¯t the mastermind behind that incident. It had all been nned by those Striges. Thanks to that, I ended up meeting Modes¡¯ subordinate, the Dark Knight, while I was there. By now, I was sure Modes knew I had survived.


    And since that female follower of the Hero of light saw my figure as well, I assume Elios is aware of my survival, too.


    I couldn¡¯t stop wondering why all of them gathered in that kind of ce. Whatever the reason, gathering life force will be much harder for me from now on. But... If I don¡¯t suck more life-force immediately, my body will crumble to nothing soon enough.


    What should I do?


    Sucking such small amounts of life-force was a bad move.


    I had no other choice but to drain arge amount in one go to resuscitate my physical body. And I already had a good target.


    The Hero.


    He had a huge amount of life-force inside him.


    It might just be enough to bring my body back to life.


    And so, I agreed to fulfill Labrys¡¯s order.


    ¡¸Fine, then. I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯ll be the bait and lure him here. Modes is probably the only one who can beat you while inside thisbyrinth...¡¹


    ¡¸Do... Not... SPEAK THAT NAME IN FRONT OF ME!!!¡¹


    Labrys shouted at me, but I knew that he was just trying to mask his fear.


    It seemed like he was still scared of Modes, huh. Upon taking a closer look, I discovered that he still trembled in fear. His figure that always seemed so big, so imposing to me...


    ... Now seemed so small.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right! Let¡¯s capture that Hero guy and use him to lure Rena here! When shees, Rena will be yours.¡¹


    I suggested a n to lure Rena into hisbyrinth to cheer him up.


    It would be troublesome if Labrys didn¡¯t want to fight that betrayer again. Except for the gods of Elios, he was the only one who could stand up to Modes.


    To do so, I had to make him leave thebyrinth.


    ¡¸Nice n you got there, Zarxis! Yes, this Labrys is the only one worthy of that goddess.¡¹


    Labrys stopped trembling in fear the moment the topic changes to Rena.


    I looked at him and sighed.


    Well, then. How should I lure that Hero into thisbyrinth?


    ¡ô ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    We rode griffons at maximum speed toward the Ariadya Republic.


    The weather was sunny and the breeze wasfortable, making the trip quite pleasant.


    Riding the griffon alongside me was Sahoko, clinging to my back. On the griffon beside us rode Nao and Rino, while Reiji flew in front of us on his pegasus.


    From the side, Nao smiled at us.


    ¡¸Quite afortable riding experience, right, Chiyuki-san?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. But I wonder why we aren¡¯t allowed to go faster...¡¹


    Thinking about it, we rode on the back of a demon beast in the fight against Nargol, when we defeated the dark knights. When I saw them fighting on those wyverns¡¯ backs, a thought kept circling my mind. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t we do the same?¡±


    But wyverns were only found in Nargol, so we chose griffons and hippogriffs in the demon beasts¡¯ ce. It was troublesome to tame them, but in the end, we seeded. Looking back, there were only good memories.


    I smiled, remembering them.


    ¡¸What are you smiling for, Chiyuki?¡¹


    Suddenly, Reiji was by my side.


    He had been flying ahead of everyone but, at some point, he slowed down enough to be keeping pace with the griffons.


    He was riding his pegasus by himself. Rino had wanted to ride with him, but it was unanimously decided that it would have been unfair. They had to take into consideration Nao¡¯s and Sahoko¡¯s feelings since both of them were more on the conservative side.


    Moreover, Reiji¡¯s Pegasus wasn¡¯t a tamed beast. It was a gift from Rena.


    The pegasus was an extremely precious creature that no one aside from the Holy Knights could ride. Reiji had been given a special exception.


    I was told it was Rena¡¯s way of apologizing for leaving us behind in the Rox Kingdom.


    The Hero riding the pegasus against the blue sky.


    It looked like a sceneing out of a picture.


    It vexed me to think so, but it suited him.


    ¡¸I remember when we tamed the demon beasts.¡¹


    ¡¸Oh yeah, that happened. It was very troublesome.¡¹


    Reiji shed them a refreshing smile, which prompted everyone tough loudly.


    Capturing them wasn¡¯t that hard, but it took a lot of trial and error to turn the hippogriff and griffon into docile mounts.


    The first idea we had was to turn the griffon into our familiar. The familiar would be able to use their master¡¯s power, to a certain extent, bing more powerful.


    The problemy in the fact that to turn a magical creature into a familiar, the master¡¯s magic and life-force had to be more powerful than that of the creature they wanted to bond with.


    Long story short, one couldn¡¯t turn a beast into a familiar if one wasn¡¯t more powerful than the beast. Also, human magicians couldn¡¯t turn something too big into a familiar. At most on the level of a cat or a dog.


    In the elves¡¯ case, they seemed to be able to tame bigger creatures. But not even they could turn humans into familiars, despite the huge gap in their magic powers.


    The only ones that could turn humans into familiars were those belonging to the Angel race or above, but those humans weren¡¯t referred to as familiars. They were called apostles. However, despite their great magical power, the angels found it difficult to turn a powerful magical beast like griffons into familiars.


    It was possible for us, who were more powerful than even angels.


    But we scrapped that idea because the creatures that were turned into familiars would love only their master. We had yet to find a way to turn them back into creatures with their own will again.


    Once before, there had been a case where Rino turned a prince of a certain country into an apostle. It had caused a great uproar since the prince-turned-apostle couldn¡¯t love anyone other than Rino ever since then.


    ording to Rino, the prince had been turned into a familiar by his request.


    In short, she had made him into an apostle just for fun.


    Even if the prince himself was at fault for making such a request even though he had a fiancee, it was also Rino¡¯s fault. Since we couldn¡¯t find a way to undo what she did to the prince, we were postponing acquiring familiars for the time being.


    Sooner orter we would have to do something about it. Honestly, it was a pain in the ass for me to clean up her mess. For that very reason, we banned her from creating any more familiars.


    Instead, we tamed the griffon and hippogriff and turned them into our mounts by making full use of mine and Rino¡¯s magic. It was the best method since we didn¡¯t need to turn them into familiars this way.


    And so we continued heading towards the Republic of Ariadya while engaging in friendly chats. ording to Tarabos, something was happening in the Republic, so we were heading there to get more details.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, I wonder how Shirone and co are doing...¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know. Aside from Kyouka-san, Kaya-san is also with them. I think she can restrain Shirone-san from going wild.¡¹


    I tried to soothe Sahoko¡¯s worries. I was the one who assigned Kaya-san and Kyouka-san to Shirone after all. I thought it would be too dangerous for Shirone to move around alone. Most importantly, I couldn¡¯t let her go to Nargol by herself.


    Rino looked away in the general direction of Nargol.


    ¡¸Did she manage to bring back her childhood friend?¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be that easy, Rino.¡¹


    ¡¸E~h, why? Why do you think so, Reiji-san?¡¹


    ¡¸Think about it, Rino. He was the subordinate of the Demon King. How long have the people of this world suffered under that monster? Even if, for example, that man didn¡¯t do it consciously, it¡¯s still unforgivable. Look at how he didn¡¯t even dare show his face to Shirone and just disappeared. I¡¯d do the same if I was in his shoes.¡¹


    It was rare for Reiji to sound that serious.


    Rino and Sahoko sounded very sad once he was done speaking.


    ¡¸No way... Even though she finally met the one she had missed so much...¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s right, Rei-kun. Shirone finally caught up to her childhood friend.¡¹


    ¡¸My bad. But that guy needs to take responsibility, even though he might not have wanted to involve Shirone in his mess. She should have just watched from the sidelines.¡¹


    [TL: MESS? YOU¡¯RE THE BIGGEST MESSED UP GUY HERE!!!]


    Hearing him say so, I thought to myself how that was just his wishful thinking.


    The only reason Shirone didn¡¯t want to return to our original world was that her childhood friend appeared in this world, right? Then again, I think I understand Reiji¡¯s words.


    The humans in this world were tormented by the demons. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t forgive the Demon King, the ruler of all demons. Shirone swore that her childhood friend was a kindhearted boy, so maybe he felt guilty for bing the Demon King¡¯s vanguard.


    But I think he chose poorly when he left without speaking to Shirone. It might be the reason she felt so restless.


    Reiji might hate this idea, but I think we should wee him as ourrade. After all, the Demon King is the bad guy in the situation.


    [TL: FOR GOD¡¯S SAKE, HE ISN¡¯T!!!!!!] [ED: For fuck¡¯s sake!It¡¯s always so frustrating editing about this morons]


    Even now, there might be some demons living in a forest beneath us.


    I¡¯ve heard that if we defeat the Demon King all demons will disappear.


    Maybe then the world will be a better ce.


    [TL: I¡¯M REALLY DISAPPOINTED IN YOU, CHIYUKI]


    Suddenly, Reijji stopped everyone mid-flight.


    ¡¸Everyone, hold on a second!!¡¹


    ¡¸What happened, Reiji-kun?¡¹


    ¡¸I heard a woman screaming.¡¹


    Reiji then steered his pegasus toward a new direction.


    I turned to Nao.


    ¡¸What about you, Nao?¡¹


    ¡¸Reiji-senpai is just amazing... Even this Nao-san just noticed it...¡¹


    ¡¸Let¡¯s chase after him, everyone!!¡¹


    Everyone nodded in agreement with my words.


    That was Reiji¡¯s only reliable trait. The woman in danger must surely be a babe.


    And so we went after our hero.


    ¡ô Freedom Fighter Girl, Shisufae


    I could hear Big Sis Keyna calling my name.


    ¡¸Shisufae!!¡¹


    ¡¸I know!!¡¹


    I stared at the thing in front of me.


    An Orc.


    A bipedal pig that was taller than me and had its eyes glued to my body.


    ¡¸Underestimating me, huh?!¡¹


    I red at the Orc as I readied my sword. I had no other choice but to defeat it since I had norade and no one to help me fight.


    It also wasn¡¯t the first time I fought an Orc either. But back then I had arade and we were fighting only one Orc. At that moment, there were several Orcs and I was alone. I was already losing. I red at the Orc as I readied my sword. I had no other choice but to defeat it since I had norade and no one to help me fight.


    It also wasn¡¯t the first time I fought an Orc either. But back then I had myrades and we were fighting only one Orc. At that moment, there were several Orcs and I was alone. I was already losing.


    We had received an escort mission on the way back to the Republic of Ariadya.


    This was supposed to be a region without such high-ranking demons. However, the moment we passed along the highway we were ambushed and dragged into a battle with an unknown number of Orcs.


    It was the first time I fought against several Orcs at once.


    By nature, Orcs weren¡¯t the type to gather in packs. This was more like the behavior of Goblins.


    And yet, we were fighting waves of Orcs. Something like this was unprecedented. Half of the freedom fighters who were escorting the coach had been felled by the ambush of the Orcs.


    The only one left was the freedom fighter who I regarded as my big sister andrade, Keyna.


    Honestly, it wouldn¡¯t have been strange if I had already died. The only reason these Orcs were keeping me alive was my gender. They wanted me alive.


    Those disgusting bastards.


    At that moment, I saw my chance of survival.


    I deliberately swung my sword much slower than usual.


    ¡¸YAAHHH!!!¡¹


    The Orcughed at me and flung my sword away with its club.


    It wanted to disarm me.


    NOW!!


    I swung my sword father and made the club miss its mark.


    The Orc lost its bnce. There was no way I could let such an obvious opening pass. My only strong point was my swordsmanship, after all.


    I kicked the ground, closed in on my opponent and stabbed its heart with my sword.


    ¡¸GUH?!¡¹


    The Orc stared at me as if it couldn¡¯t understand what was happening.


    To be honest, I couldn¡¯t even hurt an Orc with my physical strength. An Orc¡¯s skin was so tough it could be processed into a shield or leather armor.


    Only a tempered warrior could wound an Orc¡¯s body.


    I was just a frail 17 years old who didn¡¯t have enough muscles in her arms.


    But it was still possible for me to injure the Orc with my magic sword. It was a memento from my father, a freedom fighter who gave it to me after I decided to follow in his footsteps.


    And so, I felled the Orc.


    That¡¯s what you got for underestimating women.


    [TL: No, I swear that I will never underestimate women in this WN, they¡¯re simply way too scary]


    ¡¸... EH?!¡¹


    I tried to remove my sword from the Orc¡¯s body, but it was stuck.


    F#ck, I put too much power behind thatst stab.


    Suddenly, my body was lifted. When I looked behind me, an Orc¡¯s face was right behind me.


    I didn¡¯t even notice it approaching me.


    ¡¸BUHAHAHAHA!!! ?¡¹


    ¡¸NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!¡¹


    I shouted at the top of my lungs. The Orc¡¯s eerieugh gave me goosebumps.


    It was preparing to carry me back with it into the forest.


    ¡¸HELP¨C! NOOO, SOMEONE HELP MEEEE!!¡¹


    I struggled violently, but the Orc¡¯s grip was too tight. I couldn¡¯t get away.


    I don¡¯t want this.


    I don¡¯t want my first time to be with an Orc.


    Right then, the sky shone so brightly that I unintentionally closed my eyes.


    And suddenly I was dropped onto the ground.


    ¡¸Eh?! What just...¡¹


    I gathered my courage and opened my eyes.


    When I turned around, the orc had already lost its head.


    I turned back toward the light.


    A horse was flying in the sky. It fired a light that pierced through the Orcs, one after another.


    In the blink of an eye, all Orcs were defeated.


    ¡¸So beautiful...¡¹


    The man riding the pegasus dismounted in front of us with his figure enveloped with divine might.


    As he stood in front of us, I couldn¡¯t help but notice that our savior was the most handsome man I had ever seen. A tall and slender stature, a well-ordered face and golden hair that glittered under the sun.


    His handsome face smiled at me, making me blush.


    I couldn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡¸Are you okay?¡¹


    I knew he was talking to me, but I stood there dumbfounded.


    What in the world was I thinking about? I had just escaped a dangerous situation, and my head wasn¡¯t quite keeping up with the development of the situation.


    But not saying anything would be rude to my benefactor.


    ¡¸Y-Yes! Thank you for saving my life! Those Orcs almost kidnapped me...¡¹


    ¡¸I was flying over this area when I heard your scream for help. I¡¯m d I made it in time.¡¹


    Then, he stretched out his hand for me to grab and helped me to my feet.


    When he pulled me up, our faces got even closer. I could smell his refreshing scent, in obvious contrast with the repulsing smell from those Orcs.


    ¡¸I¡¯m Reiji. Can you tell me your name, youngdy?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s Shizu-...- Faeria.¡¹


    Someone behind Reiji-sama chose that moment to forcefully cough.


    I had failed to notice her since I was focused only on him.


    I hurriedly let go of my benefactor¡¯s hand.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Chiyuki?¡¹


    ¡¸My bad for disturbing you bute with me for a minute, Reiji-kun.¡¹


    Reiji-sama looked at her and I felt a pang of regret when he turned around.


    I looked at the woman called Chiyuki and almost swallowed my tongue.


    ¡¸... So beautiful...¡¹


    It was the second time on the same day that I unintentionally uttered those words.


    The woman called Chiyuki was extremely beautiful.


    Long slitted eyes, well-ordered face and porcin white skin with long limbs and an hourss figure. Her most striking feature was her beautiful ck hair that grew to her waist. It sparkled like jewels in the sunlight.


    I felt dejected. Not because I neglected my beauty as a woman, but because the other party was just too beautiful. My first love was very short-lived...


    The Chiyuki woman looked at me then, and she seemed very displeased.


    Her gaze was so cold, it intimidated me.


    ¡¸May I speak with you for a moment?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, I don¡¯t mind it at all!¡¹


    I let out a shrill voice as she stared at me with her beautiful eyes.


    ¡¸There were twelve Orcs attacking you, am I right?¡¹


    ¡¸Eeh... I¡¯m not so sure myself. I didn¡¯t have time to count them since they suddenly ambushed us in the middle of our escort job...¡¹


    The woman called Chiyuki sighed heavily.


    ¡¸I see... Well, can¡¯t be helped then...¡¹


    Maybe because she wasn¡¯t interested in me anymore, she turned to Reiji-sama and spoke to him,pletely ignoring my existence.


    ¡¸What¡¯s that about the number of Orcs, Chiyuki?¡¹


    ¡¸There are twelve Orc corpses and they were all killed by you, Reiji-kun. But it¡¯s strange how there¡¯s no one from a superior species around.¡¹


    ¡¸Any other signs of living beings nearby?¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯ve asked Rino-san and Nao-san to search the vicinity, but they can only find signatures of other demons. If there¡¯s a superior demon that they can¡¯t find around here, it hid.¡¹


    ¡¸I see... This might be the event the vice-president of the magician association warned us about. Maybe once we arrive in Ariadya, we can get a detailed exnation.¡¹


    ¡¸He definitely owes us an exnation...¡¹


    The Chiyuki woman agreed with Reiji-sama again.


    ¡¸Next is to count the number of wounded. Everyone should be okay, we have Sahoko¡¯s healing magic, after all.¡¹


    ¡¸By the way, is there a woman amongst the wounded?¡¹


    ¡¸Eh? Um... No., but...¡¹


    ¡¸I see. It¡¯s fine.¡¹


    Simr to Reiji-sama, I¡¯m also relieved to hear that bit of news.


    It seemed like myrade was safe and sound.


    ¡¸Geez, don¡¯t just worry about every woman in the world...¡¹


    ¡¸Hey, protecting fragile maidens is my job as a hero after all!¡¹


    ¡¸How amazing... If only that drive to save people worked regardless of gender...¡¹


    While those two bickered the leader of my escort team, Ana, approached us. She was the merchant who had hired us to escort these goods to Ariadya.


    She approached Reiji-sama and bowed. Ana-san¡¯s figure as she expressed her gratitude was extremely refined.


    ¡¸My deepest gratitude for saving our lives, Hero-sama.¡¹


    ¡¸And you are?¡¹


    ¡¸I am Ana, the leader of this caravan. Had Hero-sama note save us, we¡¯d have been in the greatest danger of our lives.¡¹


    ¡¸It was no big deal, I¡¯m d I could protect a beauty like you.¡¹


    Reiji-sama¡¯s bodynguage was very elegant, too.


    ¡¸Ooh, I¡¯m ttered.¡¹


    Anta-san and Reiji-sama were smiling at each other.


    Unlike me, she was an expert. It¡¯s probably the difference in experiences between us.


    The woman called Chiyuki seemed even more put out by their interaction than me.


    I felt a little out of ce standing there, so I left.


    It sounded like the conversation would take a while.


    After moving away from Reiji-sama Big Sis Keyna came to me.


    Since she was also a woman, we were in the same situation.


    Despite being ambushed by a pack of Orcs, we were saved. It was a miracle.


    ¡¸Looks like we were lucky, Shisufae.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, Sis... Fortunately, I was spared.¡¹


    ¡¸Nevertheless... It was incredible how he felled all those Orcs in one fell swoop. Could that man be the Hero of Light?¡¹


    ¡¸Hero of Light?¡¹


    ¡¸What, have you never heard of him, Shisufae? I suppose that¡¯s normal. He isn¡¯t that famous in this region... I heard that he was the strongest person on the eastern side of the continent. Beyond the central mountain range, you know? Also, I¡¯ve heard rumors that he¡¯s the beloved of Goddess Rena-sama.¡¹


    As she spoke, Big Sis Keyna stared at Reiji-sama.


    I also stared at him. His strength truly befitted the one hailed as ¡®Hero¡¯.

 Chapter 47.1 : Ariadya For Those Who Becoming Rich

    <h4>Chapter 47.1 : Ariadya For Those Who Bing Rich</h4>


    [Editor¡¯s Note: For rification purposes, you¡¯ll see Republic Ariadya mentioned many times by either city or country. It¡¯s not a mistake. In this novel, a city is a country, so the terms in this novel are interchangeable. Sometimes they have a satellite city, like a colony.]


    ¡ô ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    Republic Ariadya was located on the estuary of a great river that crossed the Minon in.


    That river also served as the boundary between the western and eastern sides of the continent.


    [ED: A partly enclosed coastal body of water in which river water is mixed with seawater is called an estuary.]


    The number of citizens that lived in the Republic Ariadya probably numbered over one million. It could be considered the biggest city in the world. It also gathered the wealthiest people on the continent.


    The Minon in that spread far and wide to the north of Ariadya was a vast plot ofnd that produced white barley-like grains. Those crops were carried to Ariadya through the Quiche River, which flowed from the Central Mountains to the Center ins.


    South of Ariadyay the calm Ariad Gulf.


    The gulf was too shallow, so it had never been home to the giant monsters that usually inhabited the deep seas.


    Various countries around the gulf and the Minon in formed the Ariad Alliance. Its main purpose was to grant its members free ess to the Republic of Ariadya and its surrounding areas. For that reason, many people gathered in the Republic.


    Also, many minerals such as gold and silver and various tools were transported to the Republic through the Quiche River. They were carried over from a certain dwarven country located to the northeast of the Minon in.


    The Teyukam Coin, the world¡¯s standard currency, was issued by the Republic Ariadya. Perhaps that was the reason its economy was leagues ahead of the other countries.


    Even the currency used within the Holy Republic of Lenaria, where we lived, was also based on Teyukam.


    [TL: Think of it as USD of Isekai]


    Both Reiji and I headed to the central office of the Republic.


    Sahoko, Rino, and Nao were busy doing something else. Rino and Nao expected the meeting to be boring, so they quickly found something else to do. Thus, Sahoko was tasked with monitoring those two to prevent things from getting out of hand.


    The one who came to greet us was a man in his forties.


    ¡¸It¡¯s nice to meet you, Hero of Light-dono. I¡¯m sus, themander of the Ariadya Republic.¡¹


    His position asmander meant that he was the one responsible with maintaining the public order and defending the Republic from invasions. The position of General was quite rare even in other countries.


    In most cases, the king was the one who held both the posts of General and Consul. Also, in most countries, the Consul was usually the one responsible for maintaining public order and defending the city.


    When it came to a metropolis like Ariadya, with such a vast area to protect, the Consul alone couldn¡¯t handle the two duties at once. Thus, the job of public order was separated from the duties of the Consul.


    The majority of countries in this world had troops and military service. However, those forces were not for the sake of fighting other humans. They were for fighting demons.


    War among humans did not exist. With so many demons around, humanity did not have time to be waging war amongst themselves.


    Since the number of demons that lived around that area was low, the job of a General was mainly to maintain public order.


    But theck of a war between human countries did not mean that civil war did not exist. It was just like in our world. The number of people they had to feed was too overwhelming ifpared to other countries.


    [TL: Game of Thrones]


    Although sus was a former knight trained at our academy, it was obvious that he had never fought a demon. He hit his fist on his chest and bowed to Reiji. That was considered a polite greeting in this world.


    ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m the Hero of Light, Reiji. Best regards.¡¹


    Despite the polite greeting, Reiji replied in an audacious manner. He never changed his attitude, no matter who he met. Even if it was the king of a country.


    Hey, do you even realize how many times your attitude got us in trouble?


    I nced at sus. Could it be that he didn¡¯t mind Reiji¡¯s attitude towards him?


    ¡¸Hahaha. I can feel at ease since the Hero of Light has arrived in this country.¡¹


    sus smiled while he spoke. He truly didn¡¯t seem to care about Reiji¡¯s attitude. Rather, I felt like he was used to facing such types of people. Things would certainly be easier for us if he didn¡¯t mind how Reiji behaved.


    ¡¸Commander sus. I¡¯ve heard about the general situation from Vice-President Tarabos before. However, I¡¯d like to hear some more detailed information.¡¹


    I took the initiative and asked sus instead of letting Reiji cause trouble.


    Negotiation was my job. From that moment on, it was my battlefield.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t mind... But I think it would be better if we continued the discussion inside. I¡¯ve prepared some beverages for us to enjoy.¡¹


    Thus, we followed sus to the conference room.


    The room was huge and full of ornaments, very fitting of a superpower like the Ariadya Republic. A big table with a few chairs had been prepared, and we took a seat.


    After sus sat down, someone else entered the room.


    ¡¸A Goblin?!! ¡¹


    I unintentionally raised my voice, surprised.


    The one who entered the room wasn¡¯t a person, but a Goblin. It pushed a cart filled with beverages and brought it close to us. It then proceeded to deliver the drinks.


    ¡¸Here you gob.¡¹


    The Goblin bowed to us.


    We sat there, frozen. We were simply perplexed that the enemy who we always fought was bowing their head to us.


    To be honest, we had never seen a Goblin ve until that moment.


    The Goblin ve industry was popr in the region. Unlike Orcs, Goblins were much easier to turn into ves. Even the Magician of Saria had told me something about it.


    It seemed that the domination magic eased up the Goblins¡¯ brutal instinct, making them more obedient. I even heard that on the Minon in severalrge-scale farms used Goblins as theirborers. Thanks to such cheapbor, the price of food in the region was much lower than in other areas.


    Afterpleting its job, the Goblin bowed again to us and left the room.


    I felt slightly ufortable after witnessing that.


    ¡¸Oya? I suppose this was your first time seeing a Goblin ve, eh... Ah! Forgive me for only remembering it thiste. Rena-sama¡¯s teachings forbid the envement of demons, right? How careless of me.¡¹


    sus apologized to us.


    Rena was a goddess of war, one who protected mankind from the threat of demons. Thus, ording to her teachings, all demons had to be annihted. Therefore, ording to Rena¡¯s religion, employing demons was considered a felony. In short, demons were supposed to be killed only.


    Maybe the Rena religion¡¯s influence was weaker here because the Ariadya Republic had a rtively low number of demons around. Also, the most popr religion in the area was the faith of the god Oudith, the god ofw.


    Oudith¡¯s Faith neither allowed nor banned very, hence themon sight of Goblin ves in the region.


    The main reason the sight of a Goblin ve caused me such repulsion and difort was not because of the demon, but because of the word ¡°very.¡± It was banned in our original world. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t get used to it.


    [TL: It is not!!! ED: Sadly... Also, you have a problem with goblin ves but not killing them? What¡¯s wrong with you?]


    If the one enved had been a human and not a demon, I might even have told him to free the person.


    ¡¸Yeah, I just can¡¯t get used to it. Let¡¯s drop that topic for now. Allow me to tell you about the reason we need your help.¡¹


    very was deeply rooted in that region. If we tried to force them to free the ves, we might end up shing with the people of the area. That was something we had to avoid at all costs.


    Moreover, the aftermath of meddling with the very situation would be an even greater problem. Namely, how the released Goblins should be treated. That would take a lot of time to settle.


    Then, it was best to drop that topic for the time being.


    Reiji didn¡¯t seem all that interested in the topic, either.

 Chapter 47.2 : Ariadya For Those Who Becoming Rich

    <h4>Chapter 47.2 : Ariadya For Those Who Bing Rich</h4>


    ¡¸Well, the thing is...¡¹


    sus began exining the situation that happened on the same night we fought Shirone¡¯s childhood friend.


    It was the fifth day of the coliseum battles, three weeks after the founding festival of Ariadya.


    Unlike our homeworld, the diators in the Ariadya Coliseum weren¡¯t only human. Most of them were demons, the coliseum being the main reason so many of them were captured and transported to Ariadya.


    The majority of the captured demons were Orcs, but there were also some creatures from the more beastly races, such as Lizardmen, Werewolves, Centaurs, and the half-human-half-fish Merlows. There were even Lamias, snake demons with the upper body of a woman.


    The captured demons were all gathered in a training facility on the outskirts of the Republic.


    The problem sus needed help with was recapturing the demons that escaped the facility. Whether the prison break had been nned by the prisoners themselves or they had external help was up in the air. It was still under investigation.


    On top of having some extremely dangerous demons apanying them, as they left the facility, the escapees had snatched some weapons from the institution¡¯s watchmen.


    The Republic couldn¡¯t leave such a grave matter unattended.


    As the General responsible for public order, sus reached out to Ariadya¡¯s allies, seeking help. From there, Vice President Tarabos asked us for help.


    Being a country that conducted most of the continent¡¯s trade, Ariadya¡¯s destruction meant the cirction of money in the human territories woulde to a halt. It was supporting the demonkind¡¯s n to defeat humanity.


    Due to the aforementioned reason, the price of food had practically doubled, heavily affecting the citizens. Worst-case scenario, the food shortage could lead to a rebellion from the popce.


    Although Ariadya¡¯s food stocks were nowhere near that dangerous level, the matter needed to be resolved as soon as possible. That¡¯s where we came in.


    I snuck a nce at Reiji.


    ¡¸I understand. I suppose we should go now.¡¹


    Reiji spoke with the same arrogant attitude.


    Just like that, our mission in the region was decided.


    sus smiled at us with gratitude.


    ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹


    ¡¸By the way, General sus. Of course, we¡¯ll do everything we can to help, but I¡¯m curious. This country should have its own soldiers. Why aren¡¯t you using them, instead?¡¹


    Since it was an internal problem, they should¡¯ve been trying to solve it by themselves, and not just relying on outsiders.


    Once I pointed it out, sus became very ufortable.


    ¡¸As expected of the ck-Haired Sage, nothing escapes you... Truthfully, we¡¯ve already dispatched out knight order, but...¡¹


    He seemed almost embarrassed to continue.


    ¡¸What happened? ¡¹


    ¡¸The truth is... Well... The knights we sent after those demons that escaped... They were annihted.¡¹


    I was speechless.


    ording to sus, on the second day after the prison break, every nation in the Ariad Alliance sent their knights to help subjugate the escaped demons.


    The escaped Centaurs were found by the knights on the Minon in. There were 23 centaurs against 300 knights.


    The knights charged ahead without a care, intending to capture them. They acted as if it was just another subjugation effort.


    As a result of underestimating their enemy, more than half of the knight contingent perished, while the Centaurs had zero losses.


    I was perplexed. How stupid those knights were, picking a fight against Centaurs on a in, their home ground.


    The Centaur race as a whole was a cavalry armyposed of archery masters. No normal human would be capable of winning against them while fighting on a in or a prairie.


    They were omnivorous creatures, with bodies many times more powerful than humans. The arrows fired by their powerful vows flew farther and faster than any arrow fired by a human.


    Also, a Centaur¡¯s arrow pierced through unenchanted shields and armor as if they were made of paper.


    Their horse half endowed them with great mobility. They could easily outrun the knights who chased after them with their clunky, heavy metal armor.


    Perhaps the knights of the Ariad Alliance were defeated withoutnding a single hit on the Centaurs.


    Originally, there weren¡¯t any Centaurs on the Minon in. Hence why those knights were unaware of their devastating power on nds.


    Nevertheless, the knights that managed to survive chased the Centaurs until it became too dark to see. Once night fell, they stopped their chase and started building camping grounds to rest.


    Although it would¡¯ve been impossible, theoretically they should¡¯ve taken refuge somewhere else.


    The whole region seemed quitex toward the danger demons represented. Almost all of the knights who survived the battle lost their lives in a night raid orchestrated by the Orcs.


    Something bugged me about that.


    ¡¸Did those orcs attack in a group? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes... ording to the few knights that managed to escape, they were following a chain ofmand.¡¹


    ¡¸Then... Are there any superior species among them? Did any superior Orc escape the training facility?¡¹


    Common Orcs were unable to establish a vige. However, there was a time when a superior species of Orc created a vige in coboration with the lesser species.


    Orcs who couldmand an army were an extremely dangerous existence since such an army would be able to destroy one or two human nations with ease.


    Compared to other demons, the superior Orc species was a priority. We had to defeat them as soon as possible.


    But, sus shook his head.


    ¡¸I did hear about that from the magician association, but there were no superior Orc species amongst the demons in the facility. Moreover, from what I¡¯ve heard, escaped demons aren¡¯t our only concern.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah... Looks like someone is orchestrating it all from the shadows.¡¹


    Superior Orcs were, well, superior to their lesser cousins in every way. With their bigger bodies, nothing but an enchanted weapon could pierce their steel-like muscles. A normal human stood no chance against them.


    Fortunately, those species only lived in Nargol. They rarely left the Demon Country. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean it never happened before.


    ording to the records, a superior Orc called Grandel once appeared in northern Ariadya. Grandel built its own army and destroyed the surrounding human countries. Every human citizen that survived was turned into a ve.


    Humanity was saved by the Hero Beowulf, a Demigod who defeated Grandel and destroyed the superior Orc¡¯s empire.


    The opponent that humans could not defeat was, atst, felled by a Hero, a Demigod. That was why, as sus said, there weren¡¯t any superior Orcs amongst the escapees.


    ¡¸If that¡¯s the case, then the night assault might not be a mere coincidence. There¡¯s surely a mastermind behind the incident.¡¹


    sus nodded in agreement.


    ¡¸Wizard-dono said the same things, too.¡¹


    ¡¸Quite a troublesome situation we got involved in, huh...¡¹


    I sighed, tired.


    We had no clue who the mastermind was.


    Judging by how they controlled superior species with ease, the mastermind was probably a superior demon species.


    Moreover, that person had yet to show themselves. I suppose that we should start looking into the mastermind¡¯s identity.


    Really. Such a troublesome situation.


    ¡¸Yeah... It has reached a point where we can¡¯t handle it by ourselves anymore...¡¹


    From what sus was telling us, the Ariadya forces weren¡¯t the only ones to suffer losses. Thebined forces of the nations had also suffered devastating losses from the escaped demons.


    The situation couldn¡¯t be handled by only thebined knight forces. Thus, the neighboring countries contacted the Magician Association, the Oudith Faith and,stly, private armies like the Freedom Fighters.


    When the news arrived, I was in Magic City Saris. It seemed that they gave simr offers to other famous warriors, too.


    Anyone who was hailed as a Hero ¡ª except for Reiji ¡ª made their way to Ariadya. sus told us that among those new arrivals were the Hero of Wind and the Hero of Fire.


    I was a bit surprised at how many people were called ¡®Heroes¡¯. To my surprise, anyone who exhibited abilities slightly above the strength of powerful humans could be considered a Hero.


    sus also let it slip that those people had arrogant attitudes just like Reiji. Perhaps that was why he didn¡¯t even bat an eysh to Reiji¡¯s rude attitude.


    For some reason, Reiji was displeased to know about other Heroes. Maybe knowing he wasn¡¯t the only one just didn¡¯t sit well with him.


    sus bowed his head toward Reiji.


    ¡¸Please, Reiji-dono. Please save Ariadya! ¡¹


    ¡ô Hero of Fire, Novis


    ¡¸FUAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!! ¡¹


    As soon as I woke up, I stretched my muscles. I quietly got out of bed and left the room, being careful not to wake the woman still lying in bed.


    She was a widow who had asked for my favor. Left with a sizable inheritance from herte husband and no children to raise, she had asked me to be her new husband. But I¡¯m sorry, that¡¯s impossible.


    Why, you ask? Well, because I¡¯m a Hero. I couldn¡¯t settle down and be tied to just one ce, the world needed my power.


    I put on my clothes in silence and left the house. Heading straight toward the entertainment district, I went in search of a bathhouse.


    On my way there, I passed by the arena.


    It had been a while since Ist arrived at the Republic of Ariadya. The region was so peaceful, it practically didn¡¯t need my strength.


    If there was a ce where I could show my power, it was the gigantic coliseum in the city. Although it was normally an arena used for pitting demons against one another, sometimes there were humans pitted against demons.


    The arena also served as a space for those who wanted to test their abilities. But the event that attracted me here was unavable for the moment, hence why the arena was so quiet.


    Aside from the arena, the entertainment district also had an amphitheater, a racetrack and a huge public bathhouse, my destination. Even with the arena closed, the country didn¡¯tck entertainment.


    To get to the bathhouse I needed to walk for a while until I arrived at the Central za.


    I wondered what I should do since my original ns weren¡¯t avable anymore. There was the Demon extermination, which I received an invitation for but I had no intention of going there unprepared.


    It had been a while since Ist came to Ariadya, so I was going to take my sweet time while I was in the city.


    Suddenly, I heard a girl¡¯s voice.


    ¡¸Please, please let go of me...¡¹


    I ran to where I heard the voiceing from and found a girl surrounded by several thugs. One of them held her arm.


    ¡¸Oioi, didn¡¯t you say your friend was lost? We just want to help you find her.¡¹


    Despite his harmless sounding words, his face betrayed the impure thoughts he harbored. He definitely didn¡¯t have any good intentions towards that girl.


    I looked at the girl and immediately got stunned by her beauty.


    From where I stood, I could see a bit of her face in between the strands of her slightly curly, yellowish-gray hair. Her skin was porcin white and the teary look her eyes held tickled the protective instincts of a man.


    But the most noticeable parts of her body were her bulging twin peaks. She wore baggy clothes, but they didn¡¯t help hide the size of her chest at all.

 Chapter 47.3 : Ariadya For Those Who Becoming Rich

    <h4>Chapter 47.3 : Ariadya For Those Who Bing Rich</h4>


    Her chest was so bountiful.


    Although the girl asked the man to release her, he acted as if he didn¡¯t hear her. That was just how beautiful she was, to the point that the man refused to let her go.


    No one in the area tried to save her. They just stood there and watched, those useless bystanders.


    To them, those men must look very strong. Maybe they wouldn¡¯t try to save the girl because they were afraid of bing targets too.


    I suppose that was my cue to act.


    It was my duty, as the Hero of Fire, to help those in distress. And who knows? I might even get something in return for saving her.


    Just imagining how I could be rewarded made me smile, so I stepped forward.


    ¡¸That¡¯s enough, old man! Release her!!¡¹


    ¡¸Wazzap, you bastard!! Did ya have any business with this Godan, the Hero of Earth?¡¹


    ¡¸Hero, my ass! Don¡¯t act so despicable!! If you really are a hero, let go of that woman!!¡¹


    I sneered at the self-proimed Hero.


    I¡¯ll show him the true power of a Hero!


    ¡¸Ha! What are you talking about? We¡¯re just kindly offering thisdy some help to find her friend!¡¹


    ¡¸Huhm, is that so? I bet you were thinking of pretending to help while leading her to a deserted ce, right? Your face is revealing your filthy desires.¡¹


    ¡¸WHAT DO YOU MEAN, YOU BASTARD!!¡¹


    One of the men standing around shouted at me but didn¡¯t get any closer. I prayed in silence for a moment and, suddenly, a fire appeared out of thin air.


    The man was so startled by the me that appeared in front of him that he fell on his ass.


    ¡¸What the heck?!!¡¹


    The fire gently coiled around me, wanting to protect me.


    ¡¸A Battle Mage...¡¹


    ¡¸Who the hell is he...¡¹


    ¡¸He told you just now, you idiot. He¡¯s the Hero of Fire.¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯ve heard about this guy before. The Hero of Fire, Novis, who can manipte fire at will.¡¹


    The chatter made me look around. The bystanders were all talking about me. Hehehe. I must have be quite famous.


    The ability to manipte fire at will was what gave me the moniker of Hero of Fire. Of course, just being able to create fire wasn¡¯t enough to make me a Hero.


    Whether swordy or close quarterbat, I¡¯m a cut above the rest.


    I watched as the supposed Hero of Earth charged at me with a war cry. He seemed pretty confident about his brute strength. However, it was meaningless if it didn¡¯t touch me.


    His attack left a big gap that I slipped through,nding a blow on his nk. Using a bit of my magical power, I created a small shockwave when my attacknded.


    ¡¸BURST IMPACT!!¡¹


    After that attack, he would faint in agony.


    But for some reason, once I looked at him, he showed no change in his expression. It was as if my attack hadn¡¯t evennded.


    Suddenly, I felt a powerful impact hitting my side. The force of it blew me away, and I rolled on the ground.


    Godanughed at me.


    ¡¸GUHA!!¡¹


    ¡¸My bad, Hero of Fire. This Godan, the Hero of Earth, is a tough one.¡¹


    ¡¸F#CK!!¡¹


    I tried standing up while holding my injured side.


    I was careless.


    Turns out he did have the qualifications to call himself a Hero.


    The Hero of Earth set his stance again.


    ¡¸Well? Do you feel like continuing?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah!!¡¹


    I put up my stance as well but didn¡¯t unsheathe my sword. While in the city, using weapons was forbidden.


    Above all things, a Hero must uphold thew.


    The problem was... I didn¡¯t think I could win against that Hero of Earth. I had no other choice but to overwhelm him with numerous Burst Impacts.


    I tried raising my magical power for the technique, but the pain on my nk prevented me from attacking.


    The reason for the entire situation suddenly released herself from the man¡¯s grip and tried to stop Godan.


    ¡¸Please, stop this! This isn¡¯t a match anymore!!¡¹


    ¡¸Huhm, he¡¯s the one who picked a fight with me. You should step back, Missy. Things are just gonna get more dangerous.¡¹


    The Hero of Earth swept his hand behind him, trying to push the girl back. Only... His hand grabbed her breast.


    My mind supplemented the situation with an imaginary sound.


    Boing.


    ¡¸KYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!¡¹


    The girl pushed back the man¡¯s hand as she let out a loud scream. The Hero, having lost his bnce after grabbing the softness of the girl¡¯s chest, was pushed back in my direction.


    ¡¸GUWAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, wait a m¡ª¡ª¡ªGUBWOO!!!¡¹


    Unfortunately, I was blown back along with him. We continued moving backward until a wall forcibly stopped us. Then I heard a cracking noise.


    ... Maybe one of my bones was broken.


    As blood spilled from my mouth, both I and the Hero of Earth slid down to the ground pitifully.


    I could hear those damned bystanders whispering again.


    ¡¸... Such power.¡¹


    ¡¸Woow... She sent both Heroes flying...¡¹


    ¡¸Such terrifying power with such a cute face...¡¹


    ¡¸That Godan was blown away so easily.¡¹


    The girl approached us in a hurry, crying loudly.


    ¡¸SOW~YYYYYYY!!! ARE YOU OKA~Y!! ¡¹


    Her words were thest I heard before falling unconscious...


    ¡¸I¡¯m going to use my healing magic right away, don¡¯t worry...¡¹


    ¡ô ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    After we left the conference with General sus, we regrouped with Sahoko and co. ording to Rino, while Reiji and I were conversing with the General, she and Sahoko went to the public bathhouse.


    Ariadya¡¯s giant public bathhouse that was dedicated to the goddess Faeria had be an extremely huge bathing pce.


    It had a giant bathtub surrounded by 50 bathtubs of various sizes, a massage center, and a cafe. The building was more like a recreational facility than a bathhouse.


    Such a huge bathhouse didn¡¯t exist in other countries. The fuel cost to warm up all that water was nothing to scoff at.


    The giant bathtub was a masterpiece crafted by dwarven artisans. It was heated by a magically fueled kiln, thus it boiled water without using fossil fuel, wood or charcoal.


    I was even more surprised when I heard the residual heat was channeled to amunal bread workshop.


    Such an incredible item like that magic-fueled kiln didn¡¯t exist in our original world. With the existence of magic, it was difficult to grasp the level of civilization in that world.


    Honestly, I didn¡¯t think it was very high. In fact, it felt far lower than the civilization level of our homeworld.


    A good example was the magical kiln.


    It was a tool created by dwarves. If magical abilities were widely spread, then as long as humans studied it, they would be able to create simr objects.


    But humans didn¡¯t have that ability. Even if they used the same materials, the magical kiln couldn¡¯t be created by a human.


    Naturally, it required the dwarven know-how.


    People who didn¡¯t have magical power couldn¡¯t use magic, even if they received lessons on it. The same applied to those crafting magical tools. Without magic, even if they knew how to craft a magical tool, they wouldn¡¯t be able to do it.


    Hence whyparing how advanced each civilization was ended up soplicated.


    We came to a very interesting world.


    I had to visit that public bathhouseter. For the moment, I had a more interesting event to focus on that happened before we regrouped.


    After all, it had been quite a while since someone tried to woo Sahoko.


    No men ever tried to woo any of us anymore, whether in Holy Republic Lenaria or its surrounding countries. Part of the reason was Reiji, whom they were scared of. Another part was their fear of being injured by our resistance.


    However, very few people in Ariadya knew about us. Hence why it wasn¡¯t so strange to have some men trying to woo us.


    Moreover, Sahoko was the kind of beauty that instigated a man¡¯s protective instinct. Whenever she was alone, many men were bound to try to woo her. It was the main reason for all that trouble.


    ¡¸Sahoko-san, you shouldn¡¯t act so nice. Stop healing them.¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s right, Sahoko-san. You shouldn¡¯t treat them so kindly.¡¹


    ¡¸Hold on, Rino-san, Nao-san. If you had saved me as soon as you found me...¡¹


    Sahoko¡¯s eyes were full of tears at the injustice. Although both Rino-san and Nao-san found Sahoko right after she lost her way, they maintained their distance from her.


    They had wanted to see the continuation of that interesting event.


    ¡¸Nonono, this is a trial for you.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, she¡¯s right.¡¹


    Rino and Nao wore equally impish smiles on their faces.


    ¡¸Good grief, what are you guys doing...¡¹


    I held my forehead after hearing their conversation.


    Somehow, Sahoko got involved in a brawl. The Hero of Earth touched her chest, and she pushed him away. Somehow, the Hero of Fire was pushed away too and both men were injured.


    A headache suddenly appeared just from imagining the situation.


    Sahoko needed to learn from Rino how to handle such situations. It would have been better if she had treated those men a bit more carefully...


    The day¡¯s event ended without casualties. Thankfully, Sahoko couldn¡¯t use attack magic like Kyouka. Otherwise, I shudder just from imagining the destruction radius.


    ¡¸Hmph, how dare they touch my woman with those filthy hands. If I meet them in the future, I¡¯ll kill them.¡¹


    Reiji was getting angry. He easily lost hisposure when it came to Sahoko. He might really kill those two heroes.


    Aside from a woman¡¯s life, Reiji regarded everything else as below him. He wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill someone he didn¡¯t like.


    Sahoko profusely apologized to Reiji.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Rei-kun. It was all my fault... Everything happened because I¡¯m unskilled at controlling my power...¡¹

 Chapter 47.4 : Ariadya For Those Who Becoming Rich

    <h4>Chapter 47.4 : Ariadya For Those Who Bing Rich</h4>


    ¡¸Those self-proimed heroes were surprisingly weak... Compared to Reiji, can they even be called heroes?¡¹


    Among us, Sahoko was the weakest in terms of strength. But that didn¡¯t mean defeating her was easy.


    ¡¸Enough talking about that event, Chiyuki-san. You know Reiji-senpai is special.¡¹


    Nao said ¡®special¡¯ with a strange tone as if making fun of that fact. Nevertheless, she was right. Compared to Reiji, those ¡®heroes¡¯ left much to be desired.


    Even in our homeworld, only a few men could fight against Reiji on equal grounds.


    When I looked at Nao, I noticed the rat she held in her hand. ording to her, the rat had slipped into our luggage at some point in the journey.


    It was my first time seeing that type of rat. Its shiny red fur reflected the lighting inside the room, making it look like it was on fire. The round body resembled a hamster. If it didn¡¯t have such a cute face, Nao would have thrown it away the moment she caught it.


    But it looked so cute that she wanted to keep it as a pet.


    ¡¸Nao-san, it¡¯s about time for our meal. Can you put the rat beneath the table?¡¹


    ¡¸Ye~sh.¡¹


    Nao swiftly tied the rat with a tough thin cord to prevent it from escaping. At first, the rat seemed to hate the cord but it gradually calmed down.


    Maybe I was just imagining things, but I got the feeling that the rat understood humannguage.


    After the rat was secured under the table, a middle-aged plump man entered the room. He was the owner of the mansion, Tormalkis.


    ¡¸Thank you for waiting, everyone.¡¹


    Tormalkis was married to An, the person we saved earlier. After our conference with sus, An led him to meet us.


    It seemed that he wanted to express his gratitude to us for saving his wife with a feast and a free night at the inn.


    ¡¸Thank you very much for your invitation today, Tormalkis-dono.¡¹


    As the group¡¯s spokesperson, I put my hand on my chest and bowed toward Tormalkis in gratitude.


    He was quite wealthy, evenpared to other Republic citizens. However, he wasn¡¯t native to Ariadya.


    Being a sessful businessman, he gained citizenship in Ariadya by investing in public facilities. He was even chosen as a Diet (parliament) member in response to his phnthropic actions.


    ¡¸Nonono, I¡¯m the one who needs to express his gratitude for saving my dear wife, O great heroes. Unfortunately, my wife must leave due to a pressing matter. Please forgive her sudden exit. In exchange, allow me to show my gratitude to you, Reiji-sama.¡¹


    After he said so, An left her seat.


    Reiji made an extremely disappointed face once he discovered that An was leaving. I restrained my urge to tell him not to reach his hand toward someone else¡¯s wife. [ED: scumbag][TL:Agree]


    ¡¸We put our everything into cooking today¡¯s dishes.¡¹


    That seemed to be the keyword for the servants toe in carrying the dishes. Fortunately, there were only young men and women amiss the servants. I felt relieved when I didn¡¯t spot any Goblins.


    Maybe it was because of his wealth, but Tormalkis preferred using human servants, which had a higher cost than Goblins.


    He was just a normal citizen, not even a native. And yet he was wealthier than most influential people in this country. It may be amon situation in other countries, but not in Ariadya.


    The young men served the dishes to me, Rino, Nao, and Sahoko while the young women served Reiji. None of them were ugly, they all had very refined appearances.


    Maybe they weren¡¯t justmon servants. The inn might provide sexual entertainment for the clients who asked for such things.


    But that kind of service wasn¡¯t in our interest. I believe being entertained by an unknown man might irritate Sahoko the most.


    Honestly speaking, it would have been better to rece the young men serving Sahoko with more women serving Reiji.


    Reiji grinned non-stop while he was entertained by those young women.


    How dare you!!


    Aaargh, whatever.


    ¡¸Well, then. Go ahead, everyone.¡¹


    Tormalkis¡¯s words prompted everyone to look at the dishes prepared for us. There was a mixture of dishes including cheeses, fish roes, and sds.


    There was roast beef garnished with foie gras, fragrant mushroom soup, baked vegetables and meat pie wrapped with wheat flour. There was also some kind of fish steamed with herbs. [ED: why u do dis,? I hungry]


    For dessert, there was a cake-like dessert with manyyers of nuts. Eachyer was kneaded with honey. They even added some sugary white ice cubes.


    That was not all. More dishes had yet to arrive at the table.


    And every dish was made with rare ingredients.


    ¡¸Quite the luxurious banquet. It¡¯s my first time seeing these types of dishes.¡¹


    I took a sip of the liquor made of dried fruits. The rich aroma spread through my nose as I brought it to my lips.


    ¡¸I have to say, only Ariadya can disy this kind of sumptuous feast in this world.¡¹


    Tormalkis had a delighted expression on his face. His tone was polite, but I could sense the cynicism in his words as if he looked down on the country hick.


    The young man assigned to me gave me an in-depth exnation of the dishes. Where that fish came from, what part of which animal that meat was... Long story short, they practically used ingredients from every country.


    However, these delicacies all had a point inmon: none of them were specialty dishes from Ariadya.


    From what stories I¡¯ve heard, Republic Ariadya¡¯s self-sufficiency rate was zero.


    We¡¯ve encountered many self-sufficient countries so far, but it was the first time I learned of a country with zero capabilities of sustaining itself. That might be a factor in why the demon popce was so scarce around this country.


    I had long wondered why the territories of the city-states were generally so small. The demons might be the answer.


    The expansion of human territories was probably being suppressed by the Demonkind. Humanity was very weak, after all. Even a mere Goblin was a threat to a human at night.


    Since demons were always an inhibiting factor in the distribution of goods between countries, a city/country shouldn¡¯t depend solely on imported goods.


    That was why self-sufficient cities became the norm. Including daily necessities, citizens also needed to protect their city.


    After a long time passed, such a flow of events would turn a city into a country.


    But the Republic Ariadya was the sole exception.


    The Republic formed a trade with its neighbors called the Ariad Union. The Union could be considered a country, with the Republic Ariadya as its capital.


    Unfortunately, the recent events ced the Ariad Union in a crisis. Usually, an errant Goblin could be found only once or twice along the Union¡¯s highways. Or, in the case of mountain roads, you might find a Harpy.


    Since the prison break, there were half-human, half-fish creatures in Ariad¡¯s Bay, Lizardmen attacking merchant ships docked on the Quiche River and Centaurs raiding the highways of the Minon in like bandits.


    None of those races were natives of the area. At the moment, the damage wasn¡¯t that great because their numbers were low.


    But that could be remedied because demons could mate with humans. By kidnapping human women and breeding with them, they could bolster their numbers quickly. Soon, the whole area would be hard for humans to live in, just like in other countries.


    sus assured us no superior Orc species were among the prison escapees, but it was obvious that those Orcs were attacking in flocks. Either there was a superior Orc among them or someone else controlled the Orcs.


    Orcs were native of the region around Ariadya, but they rarely approached human settlements. However, the raids along the highways suggested a change in their ways.


    Once they started assaulting human women, they would be a threat to the humans living nearby. And the majority of the human cities that lived nearby...


    ... Had self-sufficiency rates just as low as the Republic Ariadya.


    If the cirction of goods kept getting dyed because of demon raids, those countries would fall into ruin. The damage wouldn¡¯t be immediate because they probably had emergency rations stored. But how long could they resist in that situation?


    sus acting so humble in front of us was a sign of how dangerous the situation in Ariadya had be. He was willing to use every method avable to get out of that predicament.


    ¡¸Good grief... Demons are finally running rampant just like in the rest of the world. And yet...¡¹


    Imented on a very low voice. In my opinion, Ariadya was a bit too luxurious, considering the situation.


    Judging by how those men kept carrying in one dish after another, Ariadya had yet to show us its true wealth. But if the flow of money stopped, they might be unable to afford such a luxurious lifestyle anymore. Or so Tormalkis told us whileughing loudly.


    He didn¡¯t seem to feel any sort of crisis approach, nor did he seem worried about the situation. He should be a merchant, so the trade route blockade should spell trouble for him.


    And yet, he didn¡¯t appear the least bit interested in that matter. It was like he had no ability in business.


    His current sess might be all thanks to his wife, An, who wasn¡¯t present.


    I wondered where she was... Could it be she had an important meeting with the other merchants regarding the runaway demons?


    Many people had already started nning countermeasures against the demons. We were also going to start tomorrow.


    It seemed that the other Heros made their move.


    I held the liquor on my lips. It was so rich in vor.

 Chapter 48.1 : Hero and Demon

    <h4>Chapter 48.1 : Hero and Demon</h4>


    ¡ô Death God, Zarxis


    ¡¸How¡¯s the development of the situation, Ankua?¡¹


    The woman stood on the other side of the darkness. By appearance only, she seemed just like any other human. Although one couldn¡¯t call her a peerless beauty, she would be able to charm a man or two.


    ¡¸Reporting, our servant is currently apanying the Hero of Light. He might be intoxicated by liquor and women by now.¡¹


    ¡¸I see... I presume they have yet to discover your true identity.¡¹


    ¡¸Despite having seen my face, he doesn¡¯t seem to realize my true identity. Rather, it¡¯s more like he is charmed by my beauty.¡¹


    ¡¸Kukuku... Great! That¡¯s great. Once he sees what you truly look like, he¡¯ll die from shock.¡¹


    ¡¸You jest, Zarxis. This figure is also my true figure. Even that girl called Nao hasn¡¯t realized my other form.¡¹


    I felt a slight wave of anger in Ankua¡¯s words. After all, her other figure wasn¡¯t pleasing to the eye at all.


    Ankua was simr to a werewolf, having two forms. One was human and the other... Many men turned their backs to it with a disgusted face when they saw it.


    Even Ankua herself hated that appearance.


    She was my subordinate goddess and her main ability was to hide within shadows. Whether it was a person with a keen perception or a divine being, none could perceive her.


    ¡¸You¡¯re right... My bad, Ankua.¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t mind it at all. I¡¯m going to snatch that bitch Rena¡¯s most important person. So I won¡¯t mind such trivial matters.¡¹


    But I knew she was really worried about that ¡°trivial matter¡±. That was just how much Ankua hated her other figure.


    And she also hates the goddess Rena. She might just be jealous of her beauty.


    ¡¸I see... Then it¡¯s time to begin the next phase of our n.¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufu, I seeded in luring Rena¡¯s Heroes to this region. Now I just need to lure him into thebyrinth.¡¹


    I nodded at her words.


    The first phase of the n was alreadyplete. They had sessfully created a disturbance that wasrge enough to lure the Hero of Light to where they wanted.


    The next phase was to make him enter Labrys¡¯s Labyrinth.


    ¡¸You found the way to lure him already, didn¡¯t you, Ankua?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Zarxis. We only need a woman¡¯s tears to lure that Hero. And I¡¯ve made arrangements for that to happen.¡¹


    ¡¸I see... As prepared as always, huh.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Zarxis. Let¡¯s wait and see how she¡¯ll bait him into thebyrinth.¡¹


    Ankua smiled evilly as she spoke, and I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle along with her.


    ¡¸Kukuku, Hero of Rena. Now... Bite the bait ande to us.¡¹


    ¡ô Hero of Water, Nefim.


    It was early in the morning and the ship headed to Ariadya was sailing smoothly when the captain of the ship approached me with a worried face.


    ¡¸Uhm... How is the situation, Hero of Water-sama?¡¹


    ¡¸No worries, captain. We do not need to fear the Merfolk or anything like it.¡¹


    ¡¸You... Really, aah. Can¡¯t you even have a bit of faith in Nefim-sama!?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah.¡¹


    My travelingrades were angry at the captain of the ship who appeared to doubt my skill.


    ¡¸Calm down,dies. I understand the captain¡¯s concern. I mean, he did have reason to worry after several ships got attacked by Merlows.¡¹


    The Merlow race supposedly inhabited the western bays of Sead.


    The difference between the males and females of the race was quite striking.


    The females had their upper half resembling beautiful women while their lower half was that of beautiful fish. They weremonly known as Mermaids.


    Compared to them, the males of the Merlow race were quite ugly. Although their upper half also looked human, they had fish heads, fins on their limbs and scales covering their entire bodies.


    Despite having visited Sead Inlet so many times before, I still felt nauseous whenever I spotted their ugly appearance.


    Both were part of the Merlow Race but apparently, Mermaids and Mermen were on bad terms.


    The Mermaids hated the Mermen because they were ugly and the Mermen hated the Mermaids because the females disdained their appearances.


    And both of them were hostile to humans.


    Many human ships around Sead Inlet were ambushed and sunk by Mermen pirates. Two ships had already been done in by the Merlows within Ariad Inlet.


    That was why the captain was so worried.


    ¡¸As expected of Nefim-sama.¡¹


    ¡¸Such a generous person.¡¹


    Myrades rushed to praise me.


    There used to be three of them, but I got one of them pregnant, so she took a break from adventuring.


    [TL: F$CK, I thought he is a SHE!!]


    ¡¸Captain, don¡¯t worry. The Hero of Water, Nefim, is with you. I¡¯ve fought against Mermen so many times before that there is no need to fear them. Moreover, there are also a few Freedom Fighters who came along with us. What are you worried about?¡¹


    ¡¸Ahaha, true enough.¡¹


    The captainughed, but inside he was still nervous. It must be quite painful for him to tread through dangerous waters, but he had to sail to trade.


    The ship advanced along the river with the power of the Goblin ves¡¯ constant rowing. Their pace matched the rhythm of the drums.


    I saw a simr ship once at the Saird Inlet. They used rowers too, but it was my first time seeing so many together.


    Maybe therge number of rowers made the ship sail so fast. With such speed, we could arrive at our destination without encountering any Mermen at all.


    But then I¡¯d be the one in trouble if that happened. I came to fight Mermen, after all.


    I pitied the captain but if nothing attacked the ship, the one who would be in trouble would be me. And I truly didn¡¯t wish for that.


    ¡¸Captain!!¡¹


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Hero of Water-dono?¡¹


    ¡¸They came!! ALL COMBATANTS, PREPARE FOR BATTLE!!¡¹


    I alerted the captain and took out my trident.


    The Freedom Fighters, the sailors and the captain all hunched forward, trying to see the sea below us.


    ¡¸Eh, from where?¡¹


    ¡¸YOU FOOLS!! DON¡¯T HUNCH YOURSELVES TO SEE THE SEA!! ¡¹


    I tried warning them, but I was toote.


    The ship had already shaken too much and some people fell into the sea.


    ¡¸UWAAA! ¡¹


    ¡¸AAAAH! ¡¹


    ¡¸THEY¡¯RE FALLING!!! ¡¹


    ¡¸INCOMING!! ALL REMAINING PEOPLE KEEP YOUR VIGILANCE!! ¡¹


    After I shouted the warning, creatures sprung from the sea andnded on the deck of the ship. They were Mermen, seven in total.


    There were eleven people on our side.


    Although we surpassed them in number, the ship shook so much that the Freedom Fighters couldn¡¯t brace themselves properly.


    On the other side, the Mermen had a steady position even though the ship shook.


    The battle had barely begun, and the Freedom Fighters had already suffered some losses. Although they fiercely fought back, they were being killed one by one.


    Their skills were hindered by the location since they were unused to fighting on unstable grounds.


    ¡¸KUH! Only this level of shaking!! This is why the people of thend aren¡¯t reliable at all!!¡¹


    As I moved along the deck, 3 Mermen came at me with their swords raised. I blocked their attacks with the handle of my spear and immediately stabbed it on a ce that would destroy their stance.


    Suddenly I heard a call.


    ¡¸Nefim-sama!! ¡¹


    The girls were under attack. I had to save them!


    I stabbed my spear on the deck and used it tounch myself across the ship, reaching the girls in an instant.


    It took only one attack to spear through all 3 Mermen attacking them.


    ¡¸Are you okay?! ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Nefim-sama.¡¹


    ¡¸We¡¯re safe.¡¹


    Thankfully, it seemed that I wasn¡¯tte. Judging by how lively they sounded, all three of them were fine.


    A scream from behind me broke the moment.


    ¡¸YOU BASTARDZZZZ. THE HELLZ YOU¡¯RE DOINGZZZ.¡¹


    ¡¸Fuh. I won¡¯t lose to some Merman.¡¹


    I taunted the Merman as I swept my eyes over him.


    Compared to the others, that Merman had a better physique. His scaly hide was covered in scars from previous battles and still-healing injuries.


    The Merman stopped for a moment and stared at the spear in my hand.


    ¡¸Oi,dies man. That spearzz. Could it be, that it waz stigma of Triton? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m from the Triton race. I¡¯m a bit different from the people of thend.¡¹


    A Triton was a man born from the union between the Queen of the Mermaids and the King of the Sea, Trident.


    Our appearances weren¡¯t very different from humans, but we could freely move in the sea.


    Tritons were the sweethearts who were hailed as the Mermaid Knights. The Mermen were our enemies. They attacked us to steal and rape the Mermaids.


    Even at Saird Inlet, I fought against a Merman who rode on a sea lion.


    ¡¸I see, then I havez to defeatz you!! ¡¹


    The Merman drew his dual-curved sword and took a stance. I could feel he was strong.


    Honestly, I could use water magic, but it would be useless against the Merman. I¡¯d rather not attack so carelessly.


    I set my spear in a stance. The three-pronged spear was the same kind of weapon wielded by the King of the Sea, a Trident.


    I, born as a Triton, received instruction from my father in the way of the spear. It seemed that I was more powerful than any other Triton.


    Filled with curiosity about thend above the waters, I left the sea. My proficiency with the spear and water magic transformed me into a Hero.


    I¡¯ve fought against many enemies and became more and more proficient in the way of the spear along with the umtion of experience from training and battles.


    What reason did I have to fear a mere Merman?


    ¡¸Fuh, I won¡¯t be defeated by a savage like you.¡¹


    ¡¸DO NOT CALL UZ SAVAGE!!! ¡¹


    The Merman let out an angry roar.


    ¡¸Really? In that case, how about learning how to wear your underwear first? You¡¯re in front ofdies. At least hide that ugly thing of yours!! ¡¹

 Chapter 48.2 : Hero and Demon

    <h4>Chapter 48.2 : Hero and Demon</h4>


    Since Mermen never wore underwear, its ugly parts dangled from between their legs, exposed for all to see. And that bastard¡¯s ¡°Little Merman¡± was more splendid than mine!


    My determination to exterminate the Merman race was renewed.


    The Merman lunged toward me with his spear but I was able to block in time with my sword. He matched the timing of when he pulled back his spear to close the distance between us.


    As if I¡¯d let him. The moment he stepped forward I aimed my spear at his feet and forced him back.


    ¡¸Yer not bad. Aren¡¯ts ya quite stroonk.¡¹


    ¡¸Even if I look like this, I¡¯ve fought against various demons on thend. I won¡¯t lose against you.¡¹


    ¡¸Ye might be rights. But yer can¡¯t defeat me.¡¹


    The Merman grabbed a curved dual de and hunched forward in a stance. I wonder if he nned to lunge at me. If he did, then I¡¯d skewer him.


    I set my stance in response to his stance. The Merman then threw his curved de at me. The de spun as it headed in my direction.


    ¡¸KUH!! ¡¹


    I looked at my opponent.


    The merman made a beeline towards me as he ran in a low posture, so low that his chest almost touched the deck of the ship. He made his move at the same time he threw his curved de.


    I immediately fixed my stance and threw out my spear.


    ¡¸HAAA!! ¡¹


    With a twist of his body, the Merman avoided my attack. My spear pierced through the deck of the ship. I tried pulling it out, but it was stuck quite deep.


    Suddenly, I felt a searing pain in my foot.


    ¡¸GUWAAA!!¡¹


    It felt as if something very hot was burning my foot. I knew what happened to my right foot without even looking: it was cut. It was followed by a stabbing pain running through my arms.


    That was when I copsed.


    ¡¸¡¸NEFIM-SAMA!! ¡¹¡¹


    The women were wailing in sorrow.


    The Merman approached me and stepped on my face.


    ¡¸I won this fight, yboy.¡¹


    ¡¸Guuh...¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t speak with his foot on my face.


    The Merman showed a disgusting smile before pointing at the girls.


    ¡¸I¡¯m gonna stealz yer femalez. Ye look from therez.¡¹


    When I looked at the two women, I saw their frightened expressions.


    ¡¸You guys... Run...¡¹


    Even though I knew it was futile, I still urged them to escape. But it was foolish. We were in the middle of the sea. There was nowhere to go.


    I couldn¡¯t do anything but grind my teeth in frustration.


    ¡ô Lolicon Merman


    [TL: WTF IS THIS, AUTHOR-SAN!!!!]


    I jumped into the sea with the two femalez of the Hero of Water. He wasn¡¯t even worthz as my opponentz.


    He said that he foughtz against those demonz of thend. And yet he was so weak, not even enoughz for warming up exercise.


    He couldn¡¯t beatz me who always foughtz with my life on the line inside the arena.


    That arena was hellish.


    I was caughtz by thoze humanz when I waz looking for a bride, and then they zend me to the arena. I couldn¡¯t live unlezz I killed my opponentz.


    I fought dezperately, and somehow survived through the whole ordealz. That¡¯z why I felt that fighting againtz the Hero of Water waz juzt a walk in the parkpared to the fighting in the arena.


    And not juzt that Hero. All human malez were too weak. It zeemz that I waz the strongest in thiz Ariad Gulf.


    Thank you very much for thiz blezzing, Draugon-sama.


    ¡¸Kuku. Let¡¯z make my own kingdom in thiz zeaaaa.¡¹


    I¡¯ll make my own kingdom, have my revenge on thoze humanz and kidnap their femalez. Iughed az I imagined my roze-colored future.


    I zmile as I look at the femalez inside the bubble. Thoze two femalez were exhauzted, but they were ztill alive. Theze women were perfect.


    Zoon enough, I can zee my own nezt.


    It waz right at the center of the Ariad Gulf, enveloped by a giant bubble.


    Human femalez couldn¡¯t breathe underwater. Thuz, I made a giant bubble in the center of my nezt and kept them floating in there. And then, made them give birth to my childz.


    Zoon, this sea will be filled with my childz.


    Although I lozt zome of myradez to the Hero of Water, it wazn¡¯t a problem. Myradez were going to increaze zoon.


    ¡¸Now now, it¡¯z yer new home, female human.¡¹


    Az zoon az I entered the nezt bubble, I noticed zomething unuzual. The femalez were gone and in their ce ztood an unknown female human.


    The female human approached az zhe zmiled at me.


    From her face, one could zee that zhe waz juzt a little girl. But, that zmile waz too fascinating.


    I¡¯m charmed by that zmile. Even if those females over there gathered together, they couldn¡¯t beat her beauty.


    ¡¸Sorry, uncle. Everyone who was captured over there was set free by Rino. But don¡¯t worry, Rino is going to be your ymate.¡¹


    The girl let out an impish smile.


    ¡¸Ye will be my ymate? ¡¹


    I looked at the girl with lustful eyes. Her chezt wasn¡¯t bumpy enough but her mesmerizing limbz were enough to fascinate me.


    ¡¸You¡¯re looking at me with such a gross look on your face, uncle. Even your little uncle is rising upward. Chiyuki-san seems to hate seeing that little thingy, but Rino doesn¡¯t like to be seen around someone with that kind of look on his face. Cause Rino is such a charming little girl.¡¹


    [TL : PedoMerman Appeared!]


    I can feel my blood ruzhing down to my lower body as I zee her fazcinating zmile. Thiz girl waz definitely a charming opponent. I might not need any other women az long az I have thiz girl.


    ¡¸Yeah, you really are a charming girl. I don¡¯t need any othen women az long az I have you.¡¹


    ¡¸Yup, that¡¯s why Rino will look after these women.¡¹


    When zhe zaid so, the females of the Hero of Water were pulled toward her. Zhe waz ztrong. I couldn¡¯t hold on to them and ended up letting go of those femalez...


    After confirming those femalez¡¯ conditionz, the girlughed. It waz zuch an innocent zmile but, for some reason, I waz terrified of that zmile.


    ¡¸Well. Shall we begin, uncle?¡¹


    The ocean water suddenly moved, deztroying the bubble dome of my nezt.


    ¡¸Yer going to fight me? ¡¹


    ¡¸Didn¡¯t I said so before, uncle?¡¹


    ¡¸A little wizp of a human won¡¯t be able to defeat me. At thiz rate, you¡¯re going to die.¡¹


    It would be bad if such a rare girl died.


    I made a beeline toward the girl.


    But the rapid current wouldn¡¯t let me get clozer to her.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, uncle. Rino can breath underwater. Rather, you should start worrying about your own safety.¡¹


    My body wouldn¡¯t move as I wanted to due to the strong current.


    ¡¸NO WAY! ! I am being swallowed by the current!! ¡¹


    Thiz iz impozzible. Such an absurdly impozzible moment. And then, I saw a gigantic figure hidden behind the rapid current.


    ¡¸No WAY, THAT¡¯S!!? ¡¹


    ¡¸Allow me to introduce my friend. This is the high ranking spirit of the sea, Charybdis. Now it¡¯s time for a pop quiz, can you survive her Maelstorm? ¡¹


    The girlughed, and I was very frightened by thatugh. It zeemz the girl waz an extremely powerful witch. I needed to escape immediately.


    The current started forming a whirlpool.


    ¡¸NO!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! ¡¹


    I tried to zcream but my voice didn¡¯t zeemz to reach her. My body creaked. I could feel my bonez breaking one by one.


    It waz a terrifying power that cruzhed me whole.


    Amongzt the zearing pain, I felt my conzciousnezz dezcending into the dark ocean.


    ¡ô Hero of Wind, Zefa.


    It was quite early in the morning when the merchant who led the caravan I was protecting approached me with a worried look on his face.


    ¡¸Will we really be fine, Hero of Wind-sama?¡¹


    ¡¸Yer worry too much, merchant owner. Don¡¯t worry, ye have me on your caravan.¡¹


    The caravan was leaving Republic Ariadya and heading toward another country. I and my femalerades were responsible for protecting it.


    They quickly got angry at the merchant who doubted my skills.


    ¡¸You! Really, ah! Can¡¯t you believe in Zefa-sama¡¯s power!? ¡¹


    [TL: Seriously?! THIS FLAG AGAIN!?]


    ¡¸Yeah.¡¹


    ¡¸There, there, you two. I can understand the owner¡¯s concerns. After all, every merchant caravan that passed before us was attacked by Centaurs.¡¹


    Normally, there were no Centaurs on the Minon in.


    I have never met any so far, but their fame as master archers preceded them.


    I heard they wiped out the Knight Army sent to subjugate them. They defeated the knights of various allied countries without a single casualty among the Centaurs. And, ording to the reports, they numbered only a few.


    But this Zefa, hailed as the Hero of Wind, also had confidence in his archery skill. I was prepared to kill whoever dared to attack us.


    ¡¸As expected of Zefa-sama.¡¹


    [TL : STOP, PLEASE STOP THIS LOSING FLAG!!!]


    ¡¸Such a generous person!¡¹


    My femalepanions sung my praises.


    They were my battlerades. There were actually three, but one of them was pregnant with my child. Thus, she was on break from adventuring.


    [TL : ... Can I retort here?]


    ¡¸Be at ease, owner. You have the Hero of Wind with you. Those Centaurs may be masters of archery, but I am far more skilled than them. Not to mention we had several skilled Freedom Fighters with us. What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡¹


    ¡¸Hahaha, you¡¯re definitely right about that.¡¹


    The merchant ownerughed it off, but he didn¡¯t let go of his worries. I could understand how he felt, given the sudden increase in monster activity around the region.


    Then, suddenly, the wind changed.


    It seemed that we were being weed.


    ¡¸Owner!! ¡¹


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Hero of Wind-dono? ¡¹


    ¡¸THE CENTAURS CAME!! THEY¡¯RE HEADING IN OUR DIRECTION!! FREEDOM FIGHTERS TAKE YOUR WEAPONS!! ¡¹


    Despite my warnings, the merchant and the Freedom Fighters were bewildered. They weren¡¯t aware of the iing danger like me, who had the power of the wind.


    Even though they weren¡¯t visible yet, I knew the Centaurs were headed in our direction.


    ¡¸What are ya talking about? I can¡¯t see them.¡¹


    One of the Freedom Fighters got on top of the carriage and looked around.


    ... Good grief. He was looking in the wrong direction!


    How can I leave my back to these guys?


    ¡¸Hawk Eye!! ¡¹


    I climbed on the carriage behind the Fighter and used my ability. As I thought, a group of Centaurs was headed our way from the northwest. It seemed like someone in their group had the same ability as me.


    If that was the case, then our side was in a pinch.


    I nocked an arrow and aimed it at him.


    ¡¸O Wind, Drive My Arrow To Pierce Mine Enemy!!¡¹


    I used my magic and fired an arrow toward the sky. It flew straight into the mass of Centaurs rushing toward us.


    I assumed I had killed one with it... Until I used my Hawk Eye and saw a Centaur hit my arrow with his own.


    ¡¸WHAT!! My arrow... Was shot down?!¡¹


    That guy probably didn¡¯t use any special magic, only pure archery skill to shoot down my arrow.


    I prepared myself to shoot a second arrow, but I knew from the exchange between us that the Centaur was more powerful than me.


    ¡¸THIS IS BAD, EVERYONE!! RUN!! ¡¹


    ¡¸GUHA!! ¡¹


    A Freedom Fighter standing beside me was felled by an arrow.


    ¡¸Holy f^ck^ng sh*t...¡¹


    I nocked my arrow and invoked my magic. My mana pool wasn¡¯t infinite, so I couldn¡¯t snipe several arrows in session in little time.


    The Freedom Fighters around me were falling t on the ground. The Centaurs were closing in on our direction, and they were too fast.


    It was toote.


    ¡¸F*ck...¡¹


    I gritted my teeth in frustration, unable to do anything.


    ¡ô MILF Lover Centaur


    [ED: now that¡¯s a viin motivation I can get behind]


    ¡¸Hm, those humans were unworthy of bing our enemies.¡¹


    That human from thest raid was too weak. Only the one called ¡®Hero of Wind¡¯ put up some noteworthy resistance, but even he was no match for me, the Hero of the Centaurs.


    Centaurs were blessed by Sagittarius-sama, the God of Archery. A human was no match for us.


    If not for that ursed wall, too tall for us Centaurs to cross, those humans wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat us. However, we had the absolute advantage when fighting on the prairies.


    We defeated all the males in the human caravan and took their food and females.


    ¡¸Hm!! Really now, patriarch!! ¡¹

 Chapter 48.3 : Hero and Demon

    <h4>Chapter 48.3 : Hero and Demon</h4>


    My ns wereughing too.


    We once lived on the Kisonia in located beyond the Central Mountain. Unfortunately, we were defeated by a rival n and then sold to humans.


    Despite being Centaurs just like us, the other n was in good terms with the humans. That¡¯s why they sold us.


    Even though those humans were nothing more than our prey.


    I got very angry whenever I thought about that n. But I would have my revenge.


    To do that, we needed to increase our numbers. Hence why we kidnapped women. We needed them to give birth to our children and bolster the numbers of our n. Then, we would return to the Kisonia in.


    And we would have our revenge on those bastards.


    Everything went off without a hitch. No one could defeat us on the Minon in.


    Until I sensed something approaching us from the sky. The feeling was simr to what I felt back when the n was in Kisonia in.


    ¡¸Patriarch!! This sign!! ¡¹


    ¡¸I know!! Abandon the women and the luggage, we run until we reach the forest!! ¡¹


    If my hunch was correct, our natural enemy woulde from the sky, so we ran for our lives.


    Suddenly, one of us fell.


    ¡¸GUWAAA!! ¡¹


    I looked at the fallen Centaur.


    There was a deep wound on his body. That wasn¡¯t the kind of gash one got from falling.


    I looked at the sky.


    ¡¸Griffon! EVERYONE TAKE YOUR BOWS!! ¡¹


    They were still quite far from us but my eyes weren¡¯t mistaken. That was definitely a Griffon. But why in the world were they at the Minon in of all ces? There shouldn¡¯t be any Griffons around the area, or so I¡¯ve heard.


    And yet, there was one chasing us. It didn¡¯t take more than a moment for it to catch up.


    My nsmen fired arrows one after another, but none of them could reach the Griffon since it flew so far away. I had no choice but to wait until it closed in on us.


    The Griffon headed toward me and my nsmen and I took the shot. Unfortunately, I missed. My arrow was flicked due to the wind pressure the bastard was generating.


    ¡¸DAMN IT!! ¡¹


    ¡¸GUWAAA!! ¡¹


    After that, the griffon passed by another one of my nsmen at an extremely high speed. The same thing had happened back in Kisonia.


    Only for a moment, I caught a glimpse of someone riding on the back of the griffon.


    ¡¸We can¡¯t win this fight, patriarch!! Let¡¯s retreat!!¡¹


    That sorrowful cry came from my nmates.


    The Griffon was too powerful and too fast for us. It left us with no other choice but to run for our dear lives.


    We ran as fast as we could because the Griffon shouldn¡¯t be able to catch us after we entered the forest.


    ¡¸GYAAA!! ¡¹


    ¡¸GEH!! ¡¹


    The screaming from behind me announced each time one of myrades fell. But I couldn¡¯t slow down.


    I kept running at maximum speed until I couldn¡¯t hear them anymore. When I turned around...


    ... There was no one left.


    ¡¸You¡¯re the only one left, onii-chan.¡¹


    At the same time as I heard that voice, someone descended from above, riding on my back. When I turned around, I saw a girl standing upright on my back.


    ¡¸A cat... Person? ¡¹


    She was an extremely adorable girl, but there was a tail growing from her butt and a pair of cat ears sprouting from her head. She wasn¡¯t human.


    I knew that on the southern side of the continent there was a race of a mix of human and lion (?) called sphinx.


    Was that girl one of them?


    ¡¸Wrong answer, this Nao-san is a human. I became like this because I entered my Beast Mode. Nao-san is a wild girl when she is in this mode.¡¹


    The girl was smiling heartily.


    ¡¸Could it be... Were you the one who was riding that Griffon? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yup! ¡¹


    The moment she confirmed who she was I immediately nocked my arrow and fired it. But the girl was faster than I expected. She caught the arrow in a movement too fast for me to see.


    ¡¸Oops!! ¡¹


    ¡¸Impossible... How can it be?¡¹


    ¡¸Sowwieee, but onii-san¡¯s weak arrow won¡¯t be able to kill this Nao.¡¹


    The girl then crushed the arrow.


    With her bare hands.


    What a monster.


    ¡¸Why did you get off that Griffon to face me? ¡¹


    ¡¸Cause Nao wanted to ask something. Who released onii-san from that facility? ¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know... When we realized it, our shackles had been released and the gate was unlocked. That¡¯s how we managed to escape from that ce.¡¹


    The girl stared at me silently. She seemed to be considering if I was speaking the truth or not. After a while, she sighed.


    ¡¸It seems that you are telling the truth... You didn¡¯t see the culprit, huh...¡¹


    ¡¸What are you going to do to me?¡¹


    ¡¸Deliver you to Ariadya, of course.¡¹


    ¡¸Let¡¯s make a deal. Let me be your subordinate. At least spare me from being delivered back to those people.¡¹


    The girl shook her head.


    ¡¸I can¡¯t do that. Onii-san, we caught you after cross-examining you. We know the cruel things you did to the female humans back in Kisonia in. That was overkill. That¡¯s why onii-san needs to be punished.¡¹


    ¡¸Punished. Why in the world do I have to be punished? It¡¯s just natural for the strong to eat the weak.¡¹


    The survival of the fittest was the providence of the world. Why in the hell was what I did so bad?


    The girl¡¯s eyes dulled for a moment once she heard that.


    ¡¸Yup, there¡¯s no evil in thatw... The strong could do anything to the weak¡«?! Including toying around with their lives, ri¡«ght??¡¹


    She was smiling brilliantly but, for some reason, that smile terrified me.


    ¡¸Guess what this Nao, who is far stronger than onii-san, will do to you??¡¹


    The girl stepped on my face, slowly putting more power in her leg.


    Her beastly toenails dug into the skin of my face.


    ¡¸WAIT!! Sto¡ª-¡¹


    I heard the sound of something breaking.


    Then, my consciousness descended into darkness.


    ¡ô The Knight of the Pashipea Kingdom With Princess Fetish


    We departed from the Pashipea Kingdom in the morning. Our destination was the Republic of Ariadya. I turned to the Hero of Light, who walked beside me with his Pegasus.


    ¡¸Um, is this really okay? ¡¹


    ¡¸Your worries are unnecessary, captain. You have me going along with you.¡¹


    The two attendants of the Pashipea Kingdom¡¯s Princess took it upon themselves to rebuke me.


    ¡¸Knight Captain-dono. Can¡¯t you at least believe in Reiji-sama¡¯s power? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, we won¡¯t be in any danger as long as we have Reiji-sama.¡¹[ED: Oh PLEASE let him get his ass kicked]


    ¡¸Don¡¯t be so hard on him, Euria. I can understand the Knight Captain¡¯s worry. There was also the case with those orcs.¡¹


    The Hero of Light spoke to the princess of the Pashipea Kingdom. I endured the surge of anger I felt by seeing him speak to Her Highness so casually.


    If not for that man¡¯s timely help, our princess would have been raped by Orcs by now.


    We were ambushed on the road as we traveled toward the Republic of Ariadya.


    A notice had arrived at the Pashipea Kingdom about the rampaging fugitive demons raiding the highway. I was selected to escort Her Highness as her bodyguard, but...


    ... My powerlessness frustrated me.


    To be honest, I underestimated those arena monsters. We werepletely unprepared for the ambush we suffered, and we couldn¡¯t chase after them. The Orcs attacked and almost kidnapped our princess.


    Things would have be much worse if the Hero of Light hadn¡¯t been flying so close to our location.


    He quickly exterminated the Orcs and rescued Her Highness. It took him almost no time and a single swing of his sword to dispatch the demons.


    After their return, the princess and her chambermaids looked quite unkempt with their disordered clothes. But what worried me was the amorous look those women had when looking at the Hero of Light.


    ¡¸As expected of Reiji-sama.¡¹


    ¡¸Such a generous person.¡¹


    The chambermaids sang his praises.


    It was strange how they acted like that despite having only encountered him once. Did it have something to do with our princess?


    I couldn¡¯t help but worry about it.


    ¡¸Um, are we really okay this way? ¡¹


    ¡ô ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    I expressed my gratitude to everyone who came back.


    ¡¸Thanks for your hard work, everyone.¡¹


    ¡¸Easy peas~y. That weak Merman ojii-san wasn¡¯t even enough to warm me up.¡¹


    ¡¸Same here. That Centaur onii-san was just too fragile.¡¹


    ¡¸Same here, it was an easy victory.¡¹


    Rino and Nao received extermination requests at the Ariad Gulf and Minon in, respectively. Reiji, on the other hand, received another extermination request.


    I can imagine what became of the demons that faced against Reiji. It felt stupid to even worry about him.


    Meanwhile, Sahoko healed the people who got injured by those demons.


    I was charged with examining the captured demons. It was meaningless since none of them knew what happened.


    ¡¸We really have no clues in this matter. ording to Nao, none of those demons knew who released them.¡¹


    Our group alone probably defeated half of those runaway demons. The other half was full of rather troublesome demons.


    First on the list were the Lizardmen. They were rather troublesome to find due to their ability to mimic and blend with their surroundings.


    We needed Nao¡¯s power to find them. We¡¯ll have to look for themter.


    Then, the ever troublesome Werewolves and Lamia.


    Those two demons can assume a human shape. Looking for them was like looking for a needle in a haystack. We also needed Nao¡¯s help to find them.


    There¡¯s also the fact that we have yet to find the mastermind behind the prison break case. Nao¡¯s power was also necessary for this one.


    Nao¡¯s share of the burden was overwhelming. But we didn¡¯t have any other method avable.


    It might take us a while to solve those cases. It might be a better choice to contact Shirone and co.


    I wonder how the situation on their side is...


    ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. We¡¯re in a hurry, Chiyuki. Let¡¯s just take our time.¡¹


    Reiji said so with a carefree expression.


    ¡¸There were some victims, Reiji-kun. ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, no doubt about it. But this is all I can do. We can¡¯t dump more work on Nao. Let¡¯s take a bre~ak?!¡¹


    Reiji startedughing loudly. I guess he was worried about Nao.


    The burden on her was probably heavier than that on the victimized girls. All the searching fell on Nao¡¯s shoulders. But there was no other way because we couldn¡¯t do what she could.


    For me, Nao was more important than those people. Reiji also had our safety as his number one priority. If it wasn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t remain by his side.


    ¡¸Agreed~?! There¡¯s a ce that Rino wants to visi~t?! ¡¹


    ¡¸Ka~y, it¡¯s a deal, then. And the sun is already going down, too. Let¡¯s go y with everyone.¡¹


    Nao was on board with Rino¡¯s proposal to visit the amphitheater.


    To be honest, I¡¯m also curious about it.


    I REALLY WANTED TO GO THERE.


    There was a gigantic amphitheater which yed a drama every day as part of the country¡¯s tourist attraction.


    A circus group was performing there until tomorrow. After them, it¡¯ll be a popr opera for the female audience. I also wanted to see that opera, but it was impossible at the moment.


    ¡¸... It can¡¯t be helped. We¡¯ve got no other clues even after searching to that extent. I guess everyone has to take a break.¡¹


    In the end, I lost against my own desire.


    ¡¸Well then, shall we go to the theater to see some ys?¡¹


    Reiji¡¯s words made us cheer loudly.


    ¡ô Postman of Pigmayoi Store


    ¡¸Dear. Are you still awake?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯ve yet to finish sorting this letter.¡¹


    My dear wife caught me still sorting through letters.


    Various countries of the Ariad Alliance were in a dire situation. As the highway became more dangerous, the situation only worsened.


    Thus we, the Pigmayoi race, became even busier with the job of exchanging information.


    Although traveling bynd had be hazardous, traveling by air was rtively safe. We were buried in letters, and they all needed to be delivered in the most efficient way.


    However, as my wife said, it was alreadyte. I should hit the bed and stop wasting our precious candles.


    Suddenly I heard a scream.


    ¡¸UWAAAAAAAAAAA!! ¡¹


    I looked at my wife¡¯s face.


    It was followed by several screams.


    ¡¸IT CAME FROM THE RAMPART!! I WILL GO THERE AND TAKE A LOOK!! ¡¹


    ¡¸... Please be careful, dear.¡¹


    ¡¸I know! ¡¹


    My wife stared at me worriedly while I changed my clothes and made my way towards the birdhouse. I released the rope around the bird and mounted it.


    The bird jumped from the tower of the rampart with me riding on it¡¯s back.


    Then, I saw it.


    ¡¸This... This is a swarm of demons.¡¹


    I, born as a Pigmayoi, had a better night vision than an ordinary human. I could see them clearly. Numerous demons surrounded the ramparts of my country, the Horon Kingdom.


    Those screams I heard came from the garrison stationed at the rampart.


    ¡¸This is bad...¡¹


    At this rate, the Horon Kingdom was doomed. I couldn¡¯t do anything but stare dumbfoundedly at the seemingly endless numbers of demons swarming thend.

 Chapter 49.1 : The Town of Freedom Fighter

    <h4>Chapter 49.1 : The Town of Freedom Fighter</h4>


    Disimer: To avoid our trantions from being shut down, DO NOT repost our works on ANY social media, otherwise we will be forced to shut down.


    ¡ô ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    ¡¸Did you just say the Pashipea Kingdom is under attack? ¡¹


    Reiji asked sus.


    Reiji and I came to meet General sus again after receiving an emergency summons. He then proceeded to tell us about the member of the Ariad Union that was ransacked by a demon raid the previous night.


    The Pashipea Kingdom was located in the northern area of the Minon in. Half its citizens had been taken away by the demons during the raid.


    sus had received the news that morning and had immediately sent a messenger to inform us.


    ¡¸Yes... This is an emergency.¡¹


    ¡¸By the way, why did you only call our group? There should be other heroes here, too.¡¹


    I asked sus after I noticed that there were only me, Reiji, sus, the Pashipea Princess Euria and five kids in the room.


    Those kids and the princess were the only survivors ofst night¡¯s incident and only because they were out of the country.


    The other heroes should be here as well.


    Why were we the only ones called?


    ¡¸It¡¯s because Princess Euria herself rmended the Hero of Light.¡¹


    sus looked at Euria.


    She was a buxom babe, with breasts probably as big as Sahoko¡¯s. She had a calm and gentle face. I suspected she might be plumper than Sahoko, just a few kilos from what one would call ¡°chubby¡±.


    It seemed that she was rted to sus. A member of a renowned house from the Ariadya Republic received simr treatment as the royalty of another country.


    It was by pure chance that Euria came to visit Ariadya and thus was able to escape unscathed fromst night¡¯s incident.


    She was also the one Reiji had saved yesterday.


    She probably looked gloomy because her kingdom got raidedst night.


    ¡¸Truthfully... I felt that your party was more reliable than the other heroes. I heard that Saint-sama knocked down the Hero of Earth. I also heard that your group was the one that defeated the Mermen and the Centaurs that even the Heroes of Water and Wind couldn¡¯t defeat.¡¹


    Come to think of it, I did hear that Sahoko pushed away from the Hero of Earth and somehow knocked him out.


    ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s why I rmended Reiji-sama.¡¹


    sus shed a humble smile toward Reiji.


    Interestingly enough, we were never informed about the activities of other Heroes. Although I knew a Freedom Fighter and a Hero-of-something were escorting the caravan, I never checked if they were helpful or not.


    ¡¸Chiyuki. Let¡¯s hear the story first. It seems like Euria¡¯s country is in peril right now.¡¹


    As he spoke, Reiji looked at Euria.


    Since her cleavage was quite exposed, I could tell that Reiji¡¯s eyes were focused on that area.


    Good grief, he really is a... [TL: Leecher]


    ¡¸Ha~h........ Well, let me hear the detailed ount of this incident.¡¹


    I sighed and resigned myself to listen to the exnation.


    sus promptly directed the conversation toward the small person sitting on top of the desk.


    ¡¸Well then, Porom-dono. Please exin to us what happenedst night.¡¹


    Porom was a member of the diminutive race known as the Pigmayoi.


    Pigmayois were short and stocky by nature. Even the adults would only grow up to at most 35cm tall, hence why Porom was sitting on the desk.


    They had the unique custom of raising a crane-like bird andter turning that bird into a mount.


    Mostly, they lived nomadic lives, migrating from ce to ce ording to the seasons.


    But there were exceptions.


    Some Pigmayois had a good rtionship with humans. Those settled in human cities and lived on the top tower of the ramparts, and they opened a postal service as their business.


    Some Pigmayoi also lived on the top towers of the rampart, back in the Holy Republic of Lenaria. They took custody of the letters from the humans and sent them all over the neighboring kingdoms.


    Porom used to live in the rampart tower of the Pashipea Kingdom.


    ¡¸It all happened while I was preparing to sleep. I suddenly heard screamsing from the garrison. When I took a looked, I saw the rampartpletely surrounded by arge number of Goblins and Orcs. I took my wife and we escaped that ce by riding our fowl.¡¹


    Despite reliving a terrible memory, Porom exined what happened in a very calm tone.


    So the Demon Army was big enough to surround the kingdom. Their numbers must be great to achieve such a feat.


    ¡¸Armies of Goblins and Orcs, huh... From where in the world did such a huge armye from? ¡¹


    The Minon in should be a region with little demon activity.


    Where did the huge armye from?


    ¡¸Sage-dono. I cannot say anything about the Orcs but I have an inkling as to where the Goblins came from. ording to our investigation, all the Goblin ves from the agricultural areas of the Pashipea Kingdom have escaped. They are now probably part of that army.¡¹


    sus gave his input on the situation and I didn¡¯t feel like adding anything to his words.


    The Pashipea Kingdom, located in northern Ariadya, boastedrge scale farming by utilizing a very system. The Goblin ves did their jobs at night since they were pretty much useless during the day.


    Truthfully, Goblins weren¡¯t suited for farm work. However, they could do simple farming tasks. As long as they used the Goblin ves, the price of agricultural products could be suppressed to a minimum.


    And there were a lot of Goblins in the region.


    But the agricultural management through very didn¡¯t sit well with me.


    Not to mention how troublesome it would be if we stopped such a system by force, the ones who would suffer the most were the people who earned low wages.


    Which should I protect, the living conditions of the humans or the Goblins¡¯ rights?


    ... Good grief. Why did I have to worry about such things? I disgusted myself.


    Reiji would never worry about such things. The lives of cute girls were much more important to him, after all.


    As if he¡¯d bother considering the rights of Goblins.


    His protection is restricted to the female part of humanity, after all.


    ¡¸I see... Now I understand. Did you notice any other race among the raiding demonsst night? I mean... It¡¯smon knowledge that Orcs don¡¯t live in flocks, so someone must have been leading them. Did you notice someone suspicious? ¡¹


    I asked Porom about any superior races that might have mingled with the raiding demons.


    The strangest part was that there was no onemanding those demonsst night and yet those Goblins and Orcs were incredibly organized. In fact, we had faced that kind of army back in Nargol, but they were led by superior demons then.


    So, even if there were no superior Orcs species in the Pashipea attack, someone must have been leading them.


    ¡¸Yes... I saw Minotaurs among the demons. They seemed to be leading them.¡¹


    ¡¸Minotaurs?!¡¹


    Porom nodded.


    ¡¸Yeah...¡¹


    I¡¯ve heard that Pigmayois had excellent night vision, so I didn¡¯t doubt Porom¡¯s words.


    We had yet to meet any Minotaurs since we arrived in this world. We had little to no information about that race.


    ¡¸Sometimes Minotaurse out of thebyrinth and attack any surrounding countries, but... This is the first time they attacked at such a scale.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah.¡¹


    What sus was trying to say was: Minotaurs attacking the surrounding countries weren¡¯t a huge problem when considering the scale of the Ariad Union, because the number of Minotaurs was small.


    But it¡¯s a different story if they almost destroyed a country.


    That might involve the survival of the Ariad Union.


    sus turned to Porom.


    ¡¸Well, then. Porom-dono, please exin that matter to Chiyuki-dono.¡¹


    ¡¸Ah,e to think of it... ¡¹


    ¡¸Is there something you¡¯re worried about? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, well... After the monsters destroyed the rampart, they left and took the citizens with them.¡¹


    ¡¸So you¡¯re wondering where they¡¯re taking those citizens to? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. I observed the situation while my wife went to call for help from another country. They appeared to be taken into thebyrinth.¡¹


    ¡¸Thebyrinth?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, thebyrinth.¡¹


    There should be only a small number of demons in the region but, somewhere, they were gathering inrge numbers. And that ce was a certainbyrinth in the middle of the Minon in.


    Numerous Minotaurs lived inside thebyrinth, with only one or two asionallying out to lead an attack on human settlements.


    The attacks were usually so small in scale that it never caused any considerable damage. It must be why they couldn¡¯t believe the news of arge scale attack happening.


    A thought suddenly crossed my mind.


    ¡¸Could it be that the Minotaurs weren¡¯t the masterminds behind this attack? ¡¹


    sus nodded in agreement.


    ¡¸The possibility of that is high. However, I cannot fathom why they decided now, of all times, to employ such arge attack. Well, it can¡¯t be helped since it was done by those mindless demons. But... Shouldn¡¯t we save the citizens?¡¹


    There were Ariadya citizens among the Pashipeans, after all. Naturally, sus would try his best to save those citizens.


    Thus, he asks for Reiji¡¯s help.


    Even Euria, who had been silent so far, kneeled in front of Reiji to plead to him.


    ¡¸Please, Reiji-sama!! Please save the citizens of my kingdom! ¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Euria. I will save them.¡¹


    ¡¸Re... Reiji-sama.¡¹


    Reiji stood and held Euria¡¯s hands with his own.


    Euria started to cry.


    ¡¸It¡¯s decided, Chiyuki. Let¡¯s go to the Minotaurbyrinth.¡¹


    Reiji proimed as he looked at me.


    What a pain. Is it okay for you to promise to save those people even when we don¡¯t know anything about thatbyrinth?


    The same thing happened with Rena.


    As long as the request came from a cute girl, he¡¯d rush to do it regardless of the consequences. [TL: So Reiji is the one at fault huh, sorry Chiyuki, I used to be so harsh on you]


    Well, since he decided to go, then the other girls will surely go with him. Thus, I had no choice but to follow them.


    ¡¸Understood, sus-dono. But we don¡¯t know much about thatbyrinth, so please introduce us to someone who¡¯s knowledgeable about it.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, of course. Let me call the city of Teseshia and get you a letter of introduction. With it, you¡¯ll be able to contact someone who knows about that ce.¡¹


    ¡¸The city of Teseshia? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, the city of Teseshia. It¡¯s the city of Freedom Fighters created by our Republic Ariadya for dealing withbyrinth monsters.¡¹


    ¡¸Of course, I¡¯ll call for the other Heroes and the Freedom Fighters to assist Reiji-dono. What do you think, Reiji-dono? Please, save Pashipea... No. Please save the Ariad Union!!¡¹


    sus bowed again to Reiji and I silently looked at him with a somewhat indescribable feeling in my heart.

 Chapter 49.2 : The Town of Freedom Fighter

    <h4>Chapter 49.2 : The Town of Freedom Fighter</h4>


    ¡ô Freedom Fighter Girl, Shizufae


    After we had escorted An-san to the Ariadya Republic, I went back to Teseshia with Big Sis Keina. Once there, we reunited with ourrades at the designated restaurant.


    ¡¸So that¡¯s what happened, huh.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s what happened, Leylia-san. The Hero of Light is soooo COOOOOOL!! ¡¹


    I gave my report to Leylia-san, ourrade.


    She was a priestess of Rena around her mid-twenties. Leylia had the appearance of a gentle woman, but she could fight a demon by herself.


    Leylia-san in her battle mode was extremely terrifying.


    As expected of a priestess of the Goddess of War.


    When she was 20 years old, she heard the voice of an angel. Thus, she became an apostle and awakened her talent in healing magic.


    The story of the Hero of Light loved by Goddess Rena was something she had to hear at all costs. While she heard the tales of the Hero Leylia-san couldn¡¯t stop grinning.


    Meanwhile, Madia sulked.


    ¡¸Good job, Shizu-chan. If only I could go along with you...¡¹


    ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped, Madia. You need to make regr appearances at the Magician association afterall.¡¹


    One of my childhood friends, Madia, loved those kinds of stories because we were all girls.


    Madia was a magician. She was part of the Magician Association, and they ordered her to investigate the case of the runaway demons of the arena.


    That was why she was unable to take the escortmission.


    Since there was almost no reward in it, she wanted to refuse the Association¡¯s request. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t have enough power to go against the Association¡¯s wishes.


    She kept grumbling nonsense since, even after an entire investigation, they found nothing.


    ¡¸Yeah, he was really amazing! Both his face and his power! He is the type of man whose seed you want to have if you want to give birth to a child.¡¹


    ¡¸Wait right there, Big Sis Keyna!! That¡¯s something you do only after you get married!! Remember, you¡¯re Faeria-sama¡¯s follower! ¡¹


    I reprimanded Big Sis Keyna. We were the followers of the Goddess of marriage Faeria-sama, the wife of the God Oudith.


    ording to her teachings, the act of making children was sacred. It wasn¡¯t something that should be said so easily like a passing remark.


    Big Sis Keyna was an abandoned child who was picked up by my father. Then, he entrusted her to Faeria Temple where my mother was working at.


    Back then my mother and father had yet to marry, so I hadn¡¯t been born yet.


    I never knew who Big Sis Kenya¡¯s parents were, but her father seemed to be a Centaur. Maybe that was why she was so broadminded.


    I still remember the wrath of the priests whenever she said vulgar things.


    Maybe the Centaur blood was the reason she was bigger than a normal human. Big Sis Kenya became a Freedom Fighter because it seemed the most natural path for her.


    We all grew up in the same country. But that country was no more.


    The survivors of that country were scattered around when the demon raid destroyed half of the rampart. Both my parents and I came to this country as refugees.


    Both of Madia¡¯s parents were magicians at that time. Even Big Sis Keyna, who I adored and who had been working at the same temple as my mother, also came to this country.


    Thus, we were together again.


    ¡¸Faeria followers must have it hard. In the case of the Elves, they¡¯ll make a child with any man they¡¯re pleased with.¡¹


    Nora, an Elf, said so as if to tease us.


    ¡¸Nora-san. That might be the case for the Elves, but things aren¡¯t that simple for humans.¡¹


    The tomboyish Nora-san was an Elf who had been banished from the forest. Shemitted a sin, so the other Elves sealed her power tomune with the spirits and sent her away.


    She never told us what kind of crime shemitted, but I couldn¡¯t see her as a bad person. Her personality was too frank for it.


    Not to mention, it was rude to be prying into someone¡¯s past.


    Despite being unable tomune with spirits, Nora-san was a bow master with senses that far surpassed that of a human. There was almost no ranger who couldpete with her in Teseshia.


    She and Leylia-san met in Teseshia and became close. While I and Big Sis Kenya were the warriors, Madia was the magician. Leylia-san was the priest, and Nora-san was the ranger.


    There were others in our warrior group, but they were away for various reasons.


    ¡¸By the way, Shizu-chan. Did you get the usual thing? ¡¹


    ¡¸Naturally.¡¹


    I took five wooden tags from my bosom pocket.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve properly booked the token of the theater.¡¹


    Everyone pped their hands as they cheered in unison.


    An-san¡¯s husband was the most famous merchant in the country, so his name was quite useful. And since he was acquainted with the opera troupe, I was given a discount when I bought the token.


    Then, maybe because she was a woman like us, An-san sent us around to do various jobs. I want to keep a long rtionship with her.


    This token was for the ¡¸Alfaeria¡¹ drama, which would be exhibited 5 dayster. It was a story about a princess who set out on a journey. Her goal was to save the prince who was kidnapped by a witch.


    The protagonist, Alfaeria, was a knight and a swordmaster on top of being a princess.


    Actress Shenna, who yed the princess knight, was the topic of our discussion. Her gant act charmed even those of the same sex.


    The drama was rated very highly among the young female audience. That must be why the token sold out immediately. So many people wanted to watch this drama.


    We got the opportunity thanks to An-sama.


    ¡¸Now that we¡¯ve got this token, what shall we do?¡¹


    ¡¸How about we go to the public bathhouse? I think it would be great for everyone to wash away their sweat together.¡¹


    Nora-san was an ardent lover of public bathhouses.


    The Elves didn¡¯t have the habit of bathing since they could clean their bodies with water spirits.


    ording to Nora-san, the only thing in which humans were vastly superior to Elves was bathing.


    But I believed Nora-san loved public bathhouses so much for apletely different reason.


    Nora-san was a lesbian. Thus, her love for public bathhouses was most likely because she could ogle other women¡¯s bodies to her heart¡¯s content.


    And yet we agreed to go to the public bathhouse with her.


    Although it was not as big as the one in Ariadya, Teseshia had its own public bathhouse. Perhaps it was built because a dirty body was a major problem for a female Freedom Fighter.


    Once you left the rampart even dousing your body with cold water was a high hurdle. Some women didn¡¯t concern themselves with such things, but the majority of them did.


    Yesterday, when we arrived in Teseshia, we washed our bodies in our own rooms. I¡¯d rather wash my body with hot water if the option was avable.


    Just as we were about to leave someone called out to us.


    ¡¸Wait!! ¡¹


    A tall man walked towards us.


    I knew him. His name was Godan, and he was the Hero of Earth. He was also the strongest man in Teseshia and the one in charge of maintaining the public order of the Freedom Fighter organization.


    But, despite being called a Hero, many people didn¡¯t want to get close to that violent man.


    ¡¸Uhm... What¡¯s the matter? ¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re Shizufaeria, correct? ¡¹


    Godan asked as he looked at me.


    ¡¸Yes, I am...¡¹


    ¡¸The Chairman called you. Come with me.¡¹


    I had a questioning look on my face.


    The one Godan was talking about was Sneferu, the Chairman of the Freedom Fighter Association.


    ¡¸Uhm... What kind of business could the Chairman have with me? ¡¹


    ¡¸An importantmission. And he requested you.¡¹


    Gordon¡¯s tone sounded threatening.


    I couldn¡¯t go against the Chairman¡¯s orders. Doing so could end with us being chased from Teseshia and left to wander around on our own. It couldn¡¯t be helped.


    ¡¸... I guess I have to leave for a while, everyone.¡¹


    Myrades were looking at me with worried looks on their faces.


    I followed behind Godan.


    Why did the Chairman call for me?


    Female warriors were few in number. Some of themissions Freedom Fighters received were ipatible with male warriors. Like escorting ady, for example.


    It could be that kind of request. But then, why didn¡¯t the Chairman dispatch the Hero of Earth, the strongest man in Teseshia? I was at the bottom rank of the organization.


    I became even more anxious as to whatmission I had been requested toplete.


    ¡ô ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    Freedom Fighter City, Teseshia.


    It was a satellite city of the Republic Ariadya created to deal with the Evil God that resided in thebyrinth at the center of the Minon in. Fiendish demons came out if thebyrinth frequently, thus Freedom Fighters were gathered to subjugate thebyrinth.


    The government of the Ariadya Republic deemed it a more feasible method than dispatching their knights and soldiers.


    Because of it, almost all men in the city were Freedom Fighters, which was quite unusual. Not to mention, almost all of the residents of Teseshia didn¡¯t have citizenship of the Republic Ariadya, something that didn¡¯t happen to the other satellite cities.


    To be a Freedom Fighter in Teseshia, one didn¡¯t need to have citizenship of the Republic Ariadya. They could freely enter, leave or stay in the city.


    Normally, one would call such a city as independent, or a city of freedom.


    [TL: America?]


    Unfortunately, perhaps because of that freedom in transiting, the public order in Teseshia was incredibly bad.


    Despite being called ¡®Freedom Fighters¡¯, most of the people who lived in the city behaved more like Yakuza.


    I believe the main reason Republic Ariadya created Teseshia wasn¡¯t to deal with thebyrinth but to amodate the refugees of another country from the Ariad Union.


    It was the most consistent conclusion I could arrive at after pondering about the avable evidence.


    The one who governed Teseshia? The Freedom Fighter Association.


    The one who maintained the public order in Teseshia? Also the Freedom Fighter Association.


    After all, there was no reason to dispatch knights from Ariadya.


    Despite being a satellite city, the government of the Republic Ariadya didn¡¯t even maintain the public order. They didn¡¯t even bother hiding how they had no concerns about Teseshia.


    To begin with, the Freedom Fighter Association wasn¡¯t created based on mutual aid like the Magician Association. It was probably created by the Ariadya government to keep control over the Freedom Fighters.


    They just needed to take out some money from their budget and let the Freedom Fighter Association govern the ce. They didn¡¯t pay any attention to the city afterward.


    Disimer: DO NOT repost our works on ANY social media.


    Read at original source : word excerpt .

 Chapter 49.3: The Town of Freedom Fighter

    <h4>Chapter 49.3: The Town of Freedom Fighter</h4>


    In that sense, Teseshia was a City of Freedom.


    Once we arrived at the headquarters of the Freedom Fighter Association, Chairman Snefowl introduced us to a girl by his side.


    ¡¸Hero of Light-sama, this is one of our Freedom Fighters, Shizufaeria.¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s nice to meet you again, Hero-sama.¡¹


    The girl ced her hand on her chest and bowed to us.


    I did recall meeting her before. She should be the one that was attacked by the Orcs.


    Shizufaeria was requested to act as our guide.


    To be honest, sus had first requested Godan, who stood behind Shizufaeria.


    It seemed that he was the best Freedom Fighter in the city and would have no problem entering thebyrinth due to his extensive experience with thebyrinth.


    However, because of what he tried to do to Sahoko a few days ago he was cklisted. Reiji had been so angry he requested a change of the guide.


    [TL: F%CK, AND YOU TOLD OTHER MEN TO SHUT UP WHEN YOU SLEPT WIth THEIR WOMEN!!]


    He took the opportunity to demand that the next guide be a cute girl.


    It was my opinion that there were almost zero cute girls among the Freedom Fighters, but I definitely didn¡¯t wish to have a sweaty, burly man as our guide.


    The guide had to at least have a slightly better face than Godan.


    [TL: Poor Godan, even though you were born with that face]


    That was where Shizufaeria came in.


    She had a considerably cute appearance, long chestnut-colored hair, and a thin but not very tall frame. In short, she was cute.


    At least there would be noints from Reiji.


    Nevertheless, Shizufaeria¡¯s arms were far thinner than other Freedom Fighter girls. Could she even swing a sword with such thin arms?


    To be honest, she didn¡¯t seem to be someone who was still growing as a Freedom Fighter at all. Her face and appearance told me she was raised in a warm family.


    Even her name didn¡¯t have a Freedom Fighter-like ring to it.


    The Shizu in Shizufaeria meant calm and Faeria was referring to the Goddess Faeria. Her mother was definitely a follower of the Faeria faith.


    Goddess Faeria, the wife of God King Oudith, was the goddess of marriage and family. Her existence was worlds apart from war and battle.


    If her parents were Freedom Fighters, there would be no way they¡¯d name their daughter Shizufaeria.


    I assumed she was the daughter of a knight or noble house of a destroyed country somewhere.


    Her parents must¡¯vee to Teseshia after their homnd was destroyed by demons. Such tales aren¡¯t that rare.


    ¡¸It¡¯s nice to meet you, Shizufaeria.¡¹


    Reiji took Shizufaeria¡¯s hand, and her face turned bright red. It seemed she had little to no experience with men.


    By appearance, Reiji was like a prince and seemed to have a good head over his shoulders. That was why most women fell for him.


    But inside, he was apletely lecherous beast.


    Maybe this girl would be one of Reiji¡¯s victims, too. As long as I was around, I could prevent him fromying his hands on various girls. I couldn¡¯t prevent him from doing so when I wasn¡¯t around though.


    Although I knew it was practically impossible to stop him from flirting with girls left and right, I still tried to stop him whenever I could.


    Reiji¡¯s indecent attitude was already getting out of control.


    It was already extremely difficult for me to hear Sahoko¡¯s vivacious voice in the middle of the night while we traveled together.


    I was lucky I shared a room with Shirone during the journey. I still couldn¡¯t believe how Shirone could sleep soundly with such loud moans as background noise.


    It seemed that Shirone simply didn¡¯t care about what Reiji did to other girls.


    Despite having known her for a long time, I still couldn¡¯t understand Shirone¡¯s attitude sometimes.


    ¡¸Please call me Shizufae, Reiji-sama. You may order me as you like.¡¹


    Shizufae bowed to Reiji.


    Thus, we secured a guide. We would go to thebyrinth tomorrow.


    ¡ô Hero of Fire, Novis


    Yesterday was a nightmare.


    I was bedridden for the whole day and, thanks to that, I couldn¡¯t do anything.


    Thus, the majority of the cleaning up yesterday were left to the Hero of Light and hispanions.


    I felt useless despite being hailed as the Hero of Fire.


    That Godan guy¡¯s injury was lighter than mine, thus he returned to Teseshiast night.


    I strolled around Teseshia. The townscape was the same as the one in my childhood memories.


    I wondered how Shizufae was doing. She made a stop before she went to Ariadya but it was for an escort job. She might have gone back already.


    Suddenly I was embraced from behind as someone called my name.


    ¡¸Yo~, Vi~s ?!¡¹


    ¡¸B-Big Sis Keyna?! You almost got me there! ¡¹


    Keyna was my childhood friend. It had been a while since Ist met her.


    Because of a nominatedmission from the northern country, I went by myself and left behind my otherrades. For a certain reason they couldn¡¯t leave Teseshia.


    Thest time I met Big Sis Kenya was a month ago.


    ¡¸What a rude thing to say. Who do you think was the one who made you a man? ¡¹


    Big Sis Keyna smiled mischievously.


    ¡¸Uuuuh...¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t do anything but groan in sorrow.


    Honestly, Big Sis Keyna was someone I could never win against.


    I was born and raised in the Faeria Temple along with Big Sis Keyna.


    I didn¡¯t know anything about my parents.


    Big Sis Keyna was picked up by Shizufae¡¯s father and was entrusted to the Faeria Temple.


    I, Shizufae, and Big Sis Keyna were raised like siblings. In short, Big Sis Keyna knew just about everything about my embarrassing childhood.


    ¡¸Big Sis... Please don¡¯t say that to Shizufae...¡¹


    I had bitter memories of being prostrated in front of Big Sis Kenya while she smiled delightfully as she taught me about various things. [TL: taught what?]


    Thus, I never regretted it.


    But Shizufae could snap if she knew about it. That matter was an absolute secret between us.


    Big Sis Keyna couldn¡¯t hold back herugh as she patted me on my back.


    ¡¸Ka~y!! I won¡¯t tell Shizufae. That girl is too stubborn, after all.¡¹


    ¡¸Come to think of it, what about Shizufae? Has she returned to Teseshia? ¡¹


    ¡¸Hm? Shizufae has returned, too. She should be in the association right now.¡¹


    ¡¸The association? ¡¹


    All Freedom Fighters had to register themselves in the association to get the permit to operate in the area. And they had to register themselves again once every three years.


    But she wasn¡¯t supposed to be registering again this year.


    Why did she go to the association?


    ¡¸Ah, she went along with Godan, the Hero of Earth. He didn¡¯t tell us the reason for calling her, though.¡¹


    The way Big Sis Keyna described it worried me even more.


    ¡¸WAIT A MINUTE!! DID YOU SAY GODAN?! THEN SHIZUFAE IS IN DANGER FOR SURE!!! ¡¹


    I knew Godan was the violent man I met yesterday. Shizufae¡¯s body was in danger. I was about to run toward the association when Big Sis Keyna stopped me on in tracks.


    ¡¸Oioioi, what¡¯s the matter, Novis? No matter how absurd Godan is, he is still a member of the association.¡¹


    ¡¸I know that, but still... Big Sis Keyna. What if something really happened? ¡¹


    ¡¸ Shizufae isn¡¯t that kind of person. When ites to swordy, she¡¯s even better than Novis or me.¡¹


    [TL: Something is strange here, Keyna actually using ¡°Ore¡± instead of ¡°Watashi¡±]


    As she said, Shizufae¡¯s swordy was way better than mine.


    The problem was herck of strength. In fact, she couldn¡¯t even cut a goblin with her current power. But that critical problem was resolved with a magic sword.


    Even someone like Godan couldn¡¯t do anything to her as long as she used her magic sword.


    ¡¸It¡¯s another story if Shizufae allowed it herself. It would be a different matter if the other party was the Hero of Light but I think Shizufae will simply ignore Godan.¡¹


    Big Sis Keyna smiled at me.


    I¡¯ve heard about the Hero of Light. I mean, JUST yesterday I went through THAT nightmarish experience at the hands of the Saint, therade of the Hero of Light.


    I heard he was a pretty boy and was far more powerful than the Saint.


    All hisrades were women with beauty on the same level as the Saint.


    I still remembered the soft feeling of the Saint¡¯s boobs.


    To be honest, I was extremely envious of the man who could always enjoy those wondrous boobs. Even Shizufae¡¯s boobs weren¡¯t as big as the Saint¡¯s.


    Nevertheless, why was Big Sis Keyna suddenly talking about the Hero of Light?


    Godan was a clumsy, rock-headed man. Shizufae wouldn¡¯t let someone like him do something strange to her body.


    ¡¸You¡¯re right.¡¹


    I agreed with her, but I couldn¡¯t stop worrying about Shizufae. However, even with my Hero status, I¡¯d be in trouble if I suddenly raided the association.


    Hence why Big Sis Keyna stopped me from acting recklessly.


    I was worried to death about Shizufae, but I didn¡¯t want Big Sis Keyna worrying about me.


    ¡¸Atta boy, Novis. It¡¯s been a while since thest time we met, so let¡¯s grab some drinks to celebrate.¡¹


    Big sis Keyna entangled her left arm around my neck. My face was unexpectedly buried into her soft and tender breast.


    And thus, I was pulled along by her.


    This trantion is stolen content. Read at original site wordexcerpt(.

 Chapter 50.1: Cockatrice’s Garden

    <h4>Chapter 50.1: Cockatrice¡¯s Garden</h4>


    My Apologies for the dy, you can me the new server for this.


    ¡ª-


    ¡ô ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    We were in abyrinth located in the middle of the Minon in.


    I didn¡¯t know how long it would take until we conquered thebyrinth. At least it was located right in front of a human settlement.


    There was a theory that thebyrinth was created by a dwarf. It seemed to be just another story from one of those Freedom Fighters since there was no dwarf inside thebyrinth.


    There was also no indication from the dwarves that they were the ones to create thebyrinth.


    Although I did not know who created it, I knew thebyrinth had a master. It was called Minotaur, a demon with a human body and a bull¡¯s head.


    Thebyrinth had once been the capital of the Kingdom of Minotaurs. They didn¡¯t allow any other demons inside their walls.


    One day, for some reason, all Minotaurs entered thebyrinth. The Minon in lost its owners and was eventually popted by humans.


    The humans who took ownership of the in prospered with the fertilends and abundant natural resources.


    However, from time to time one or two Minotaurs crawled out of thebyrinth, sometimes with other demons. They attacked the cities closest to thebyrinth and kidnapped the citizens.


    The Freedom Fighters of Teseshia entered thebyrinth to save the citizens, but they couldn¡¯t save all of them.


    But they discovered traces that many people had entered thebyrinth.


    Originally, the Minon in was a wealthynd. Especially in the middle, where thebyrinth was located.


    The abundance of mana in that location formed crystals, making it possible for the extraction of many rare minerals. Thus, many people who aimed to hit the jackpot entered thebyrinth.


    The reason thebyrinth wasbeled as dangerous was because of the great number of demons residing inside.


    But the humans entered thebyrinth regardless of the danger.


    That was the ce we were heading to.


    It seemed to spread underground and we had no idea how deep it went, but the size of the floor was impressive.


    The ground level alone wasrger than Teseshia.


    ¡¸Do you feel something, Nao-san? ¡¹


    I asked Nao, who stared at thebyrinth while hugging her pet rat to her chest. She brought the rat along since she couldn¡¯t find a ce to leave it.


    I had thought she¡¯d grow bored with it quickly but she seemed quite fond of it. Well, she¡¯d grow tired of it someday.


    ¡¸No... It¡¯s impossible. There¡¯s a barrier all over the ce, and it blocks me. I can¡¯t feel a thing.¡¹


    ¡¸I see... My magic isn¡¯t working either, huh.¡¹


    Without Nao¡¯s sensing ability and my irvoyance magic, our vision inside thebyrinth was limited due to the mist around us.


    We had no other choice but to rely on someone to guide us.


    I looked at Shizufae and herrades.


    Her party was made of five people, all women. Female Freedom Fighters were quite rare since they tended to be mostly men.


    One of the women had brown skin, ck hair, and she carried a polearm on her back. Her name was Kenya.


    Like Shizufae, she wore light armor. Her bare limbs looked very healthy. Her long and slender legs were mesmerizing, and they seemed very agile.


    Perhaps she wasn¡¯t the brute force type, but rather the hit and run type of fighter whose primary attribute was speed.


    The shortest one had a childlike face, and she wore a magician¡¯s apparel. Her name was Madia.


    Her appearance suggested she was a magician, but I believed she wasn¡¯t very powerful. I could barely feel her mana. But magic users were rare, so even with her weak mana, she¡¯d be a wee addition to any party. Having a magician as arade was quite reassuring.


    Not to mention, Madia¡¯s appearance was so adorable, anyone would want to travel with her.


    There was also a priestess of the Rena Temple called Leylia, who seemed to be an apostle. Since she said she heard the voice of an angel, perhaps she wasn¡¯t an apostle of Rena but an apostle of an angel who worked for Rena.


    After bing an angel¡¯s apostle, she seemed to be able to use healing magic. Also, since her main weapon was a mace, I wondered if she was a master of closebat.


    She gave off the feeling of being more like a familiar than an apostle, so her master might be aware of anything she does.


    Our every action might be reported to Rena.


    The woman with tattoos all over her body was an Elf called Nora.


    I heard of a case about an Elf who left the forest and became close to a human.


    Elves were especially obsessed with handsome men, to the point some Elven women would kidnap men while they slept and bring them to their forests. But an Elf who became friends with a human wouldn¡¯t do such a thing.


    I heard they ended up returning to their forest when they became pregnant.


    Seeing the Elf named Nora mingling among girls made me think she wasn¡¯t targeting some human male. But if that was the case, I had no idea why she left the forest. The tattoo on her face seemed like some sort of seal, probably preventing her frommuning with spirits. Another mystery was why the Elves from her vige seal her magic.


    I didn¡¯t know what happened, so I could only wonder if she was being punished for some sort of crime. But worrying about it wouldn¡¯t change anything, so I let it go.


    In the end, those women were Shizufae¡¯srades and our guides in thebyrinth.


    Then we found another traveler.


    There were almost a hundred Freedom Fighters following us into thebyrinth. The one leading them was the Hero of Earth, Godan. They were the elite fighters we requested from Snefowl to assist us until the end of our quest.


    Shizufae¡¯s presence was unnecessary, but Reiji insisted she should be the one to lead the way.


    There was also the Hero of Fire Novis, who was Shizufae¡¯s acquaintance, tagging along.


    A young man with ming red hair whose height made him seem older than he actually was. Despite his young age, he was hailed as a Hero, so he must be talented.


    From what I could tell, he had feelings for Shizufae.


    Good luck, young man.


    After analyzing every member of thebyrinth search, I turned to Shizufae.


    ¡¸Shall we enter now? ¡¹


    The ground floor had been entirely explored. There was a huge stairway in the center of the floor leading underground.


    It almost felt like we were inside a maze, with how we couldn¡¯t move in a straight line to the center. Many ruined buildings blocked our path. Flying might be faster, but we couldn¡¯t take so many people with us.


    We hadn¡¯t located any signs of the kidnapped citizens of Pashipea Kingdom since we entered, which suggested they might be on the floor below.


    I was told there would be no danger if wepleted the search.


    ¡¸Sage-sama, the ground floor of thisbyrinth is a den of Cockatrice. We must avoid this demon.¡¹


    Shizufae¡¯s words shocked me.


    Cockatrice were demons with the body of a chicken and a snake tail. It spat a venom that petrified whoever touched it. It also had a sharp, tough beak.


    For a normal human, a Cockatrice was a formidable opponent. But they shouldn¡¯t be that much of a threat to Shizufae and the others.


    If they had a hard time against a Cockatrice, how did they enter thebyrinth?


    ¡¸Den of Cockatrice? Then how did you enter thebyrinth until now? ¡¹


    ¡¸Cockatrice don¡¯t live inrge numbers. Also, we can just turn around and take another route if we get spotted. They don¡¯t give chase.¡¹


    ¡¸Nothing else aside from them? ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s just Cockatrice on the ground floor. But I¡¯m afraid so many people entering thebyrinth at once might attract them.¡¹


    Even if the Cockatrice were the only demons on that floor, it didn¡¯t mean we didn¡¯t need to think of a n to deal with them.


    Thus, I turned to Reiji.


    ¡¸What do you think, Reiji-kun? In my opinion, I think we should search around this floor, too.¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re right. We should enter in turns, dividing our people into several groups, then we search the ground floor. That way we can do our job without inciting those Cockatrice. Once each group is done, gather at the central building. Godan, my party can act as the vanguard but this is your turf. Will you go? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, please leave the vanguard position to us! Everyone, advance!! ¡¹


    Following Godan¡¯s order, the Freedom Fighters separated into several groups and headed into thebyrinth with Godan leading them.


    Behind them was Shizufae¡¯s group, plus Novis.


    I squinted at Reiji, wondering about his decision.


    ¡¸You could exterminate the Cockatrices by yourself, so why didn¡¯t you enter first? ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s troublesome and I don¡¯t think the Cockatrice are all we have to worry about, so I let them go first.¡¹


    Reiji let out his usual carefreeugh.


    ¡¸Geez... So Godan and the others are just baiting for that ¡®something¡¯ you¡¯re worried about? Still...¡¹


    Still, it would be better than us meeting such danger, since I could also feel that something was lurking inside.


    Thus, we entered thebyrinth.


    As soon as we stepped inside, I could hear the Freedom Fighters screaming.


    ¡¸UWAAA¨D¨D!! ¡¹


    I knew it.


    ¡ô Freedom Fighter Girl, Shizufae


    ¡¸Are you okay, Shizufae?! ¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m okay, Big Sis Keyna!! WHERE THE HELL DID ALL THESE GOBLINS COME FROM??!!¡¹


    I was screaming.


    The ground floor should only have Cockatrice, but Goblins attacked us as soon as we entered thebyrinth. Surprise took us because the entire ground floor was covered with mist magic.


    The Goblins reminded me of the reason Reiji-sama entered thebyrinth: to save the Pashipea Kingdom citizens that were kidnapped by Goblins.


    These might be the same Goblins who ran away from the farms.


    I killed one of the Goblins attacking me.


    ¡¸MADI!! Are you all right?!¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah! I¡¯m somehow managing it, Shizu-chan.¡¹


    I had to fight and protect Madi at the same time.


    Because she was a magician, closebat was her weak point.


    This trantion is stolen content. Read at original site wordexcerpt(.

 Chapter 50.2: Cockatrice’s Garden

    <h4>Chapter 50.2: Cockatrice¡¯s Garden</h4>


    Big Sis Kenya took care of the rearguard as we advanced, making sure no one attacked us from behind.


    She was the fastest person in Teseshia. As long as she fought in an open space, no one would be able to match her in speed.


    Big Sis Kenya swung her spear, throwing the Goblins around her in all directions.


    There was also Madia, who used sh magic to temporarily blind the Goblins. That move helped us a lot.


    Leylia-san was ahead of us, smashing Goblin heads with her mace.


    ¡¸GOBLIN BEGONE!!! ¡¹


    ¡¸As usual you¡¯re the first to charge towards the demons, Leylia-san.¡¹


    With her being a priestess of Rena, it was only natural for Leylia to feel intense hatred towards demons.


    Her feelings were born of a demon attack she suffered a long time ago. She felt that Angel-sama had answered her prayers by giving her the power to exterminate demons.


    As a healer, she should have been a rearguard.


    But off she went, charging ahead of the vanguard. Thankfully, Nora-san was there to cover her back. She skillfully used her bow and daggers to dispatch of any Goblins that came too close.


    As far as I knew, those two had beenrades even before meeting us. They had such good coordination that even their breaths were synchronized.


    It was mostly thanks to them that we were able to advance, but some others also did their best. Namely, Novis.


    He defeated one Goblin after another with his swordy and fire magic. As expected of the one hailed as the Hero of Fire.


    ¡¸That¡¯s amazing, Novi-kun! You seem even stronger than before.¡¹


    Madi cheered Novis and gave him an appreciative look.


    Yeah, he was strong. As I watched Novis¡¯s movements, I wondered if he could be that much stronger than before.


    Novis had been a gifted child. On top of his talent with magic, he had a keen instinct for swordy. He learned magic with Madi¡¯s mother and swordy alongside me with my father.


    I wasn¡¯t cut out for swordy. Icked the most basic quality for swinging a sword: pure strength. No matter how much I trained, I couldn¡¯t gain any muscle. As a result, I couldn¡¯t swing my sword properly.


    My father died in a fight against a demon. If he hadn¡¯t left me his magic sword, I would have never considered bing a Freedom Fighter.


    After my father¡¯s death, my mother remarried and I left the house. I didn¡¯t want to live with her anymore. My foster father seemed like a decent man, but I only had one father and that was enough for me.


    I became a Freedom Fighter, just like my father, and worked with Big Sis Kenya. During that time she was working with Novis, who was already a Freedom Fighter.


    Novis was famous for being a magus warrior.


    Not long after that, Madi joined us. Then, by the time Leylia-san and Nora-san joined our group, Novis had already been named Hero of Fire.


    Our paths slowly separated. He¡¯d receive named requests and gradually gravitated away from us. Meeting him again after a long time made me realize the difference between us. He had be so much stronger.


    His talent made me jealous.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Shizufae? Did you fall in love with me again? ¡¹


    He probably noticed that I was looking at him because he was grinning.


    ¡¸Haaa?! What the hell are you talking about, you fool? ¡¹


    How could he think I was in love with him?


    Others may praise him and call him Hero but, to me, he was just a brat.


    He was just a brat who constantly teased me when I was younger. Even after I grew up, he still teased me. No matter how much time passed, Novis would still be a brat.


    I wanted him to be a gentleman... Like Reiji-sama.


    [TL: Oh god, not another Shirone...]


    I remembered what happenedst night.


    Truthfully, I wanted to speak to Reiji-sama, but I didn¡¯t dare approach him. Sage-sama¡¯s re was too vicious. My time with him was cut even shorter because of the arrival of the Pashipea Princess.


    Such a loveable man... Of course, he wouldn¡¯t get close to a girl like me. I wouldn¡¯t even look good if I stood too close to him while he was surrounded by those incredibly beautifuldies.


    Anyway, we managed to push through the Goblins.


    Even I could easily deal with those Goblins, and I wasn¡¯t even strong.


    The problem was the sheer number of them. As we moved deeper into thebyrinth, we found many crumbled Goblin statues.


    It was definitely the work of those foul Cockatrice.


    If we fought with the Cockatrice, we¡¯d have only a slim chance of winning. It would be better if we could avoid thempletely.


    The number of broken statues was staggering. The Cockatrice must be hiding nearby.


    Suddenly, a loud cry rang out.


    ¡¸KOKE¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D!! ¡¹


    The noise was followed by many Freedom Fighters calling out in rm.


    Big Sis Kenya was the first to identify the source. It seemed like she could already see the enemy because of her height, which helped her see farther than most people.


    ¡¸Crap!! Run, it¡¯s the Cockatrice!! ¡¹


    I had seen a Cockatrice before, from far away.


    I had never seen one so agitated.


    They rolled around, enraged while spewing a grey mist. That mist was the Cockatrice¡¯s poison, capable of petrifying a person on contact.


    Maybe the sudden Goblin invasion enraged them.


    The Cockatrice noticed us and they made a beeline in our direction.


    We ran, of course, but Madi tripped and fell on her face.


    ¡¸KYAAA!! ¡¹


    ¡¸MADI !! ¡¹


    Novis immediately turned around and took a stance between Madi and the crazed Cockatrice. I took the opportunity to help her up.


    ¡¸GODDAMMIT!! ¡¹


    Just us two against all those Cockatrice...


    Novis swung his sword, ready to protect Madi and me. At the same time, Big Sis Kenya used her spear to push away the Cockatrice, while Nora-san aimed her arrows at their heads.


    ¡¸HHAAA!!!¡¹


    Then I noticed the Cockatrice¡¯s beak opening wide.


    I shouted as loud as I could.


    ¡¸EVERYONE GET DOWN!!! ¡¹


    The Cockatrice let out the gray mist poison.


    Thankfully, we had Novis wit us. He erected a wall of fire, which kept us safe.


    ¡¸FIREWALL!!¡¹


    Novis, seeing how the poison couldn¡¯t make it over the wall of fire,ughed.


    ¡¸Hehe, how¡¯s that?! ¡¹


    However, he didn¡¯t notice the danger right behind him.


    ¡¸OH NO!! NOVIS, RUN!! ¡¹


    I screamed, but my warning didn¡¯t reach him in time.


    The Cockatrice charged through the wall of fire. Their resistance to heat made them a poorly matched opponent for Novis, a user of fire magic. Their tough feathers made physical attacks almost useless, and that included sword strikes.


    A Cockatrice¡¯s weakness was water. They really hated water, so rainy days were the safest days to explore thebyrinth.


    Just then, Novis was sent flying by a Cockatrice¡¯s ramming attack.


    ¡¸KUH!!!¡¹


    ¡¸Are you okay, Novis? ¡¹


    I rushed toward Novis, and the Cockatrice immediately followed me.


    ¡¸HOW DARE YOU TO DO THAT TO NOVIS!! ¡¹


    Big Sis Keyna readied her spear and Madia used her magic to block the demons¡¯ eyes.


    ¡¸Darkness!! ¡¹


    We were safe for a while.


    It would take the Cockatrice some time to build up enough venom to petrify someone else. Thus, we ran away at the first opportunity.


    We had Nora-san covering our backs as I headed toward Novis with Leylia-san beside me.


    ¡¸Sorry, that was my fault.¡¹


    Novis¡¯s voice trembled.


    When I looked at his right leg... It was pale white. He got hit with petrification venom when the Cockatrice rammed him.


    ¡¸Leylia-san, anti-venom!! ¡¹


    To my surprise, Leylia shook her head.


    ¡¸I can¡¯t cure this with my healing magic... We¡¯ll have to drag him along as we retreat.¡¹


    ¡¸Understood!! ¡¹


    I immediately pulled Novis up, ready to bring him out with Leylia-san, but he disagreed.


    ¡¸What are you doing?! You two leave me in this ce and save yourselves! ¡¹


    ¡¸THIS FOOL!! AS IF I¡¯M GOING TO LEAVE YOU ALONE IN THIS PLACE TO DIE!! ¡¹


    Madia¡¯s magic over the Cockatrice wouldn¡¯tst for much longer. We had to leave immediately. And just as I thought about it, the magic lost its effect and the Cockatrice that had been blinded became enraged.


    The moment it was us, I knew we were done for. Imented that we couldn¡¯t get out in time.


    ¡¸KUE¨D¨D¨D¨D¨DEEEE!! ¡¹


    I thought that was the end.


    Suddenly, someone leaped over us and swung their sword at the Cockatrice, relieving it of its head.


    ¡¸HA!! ¡¹


    ... It was Reiji-sama.


    Reiji-sama came to save us!


    When he saw me, he let out a refreshing smile.


    ¡¸Are you alright, Shizufae? ¡¹


    ¡¸Reiji-sama!! ¡¹


    ¡¸Wow, that cockatrice was killed in one hit... This person is truly the Hero of Light-sama.¡¹


    Madia muttered under her breath.


    As I looked at the headless demon corpse, I had to agree with her.


    Then Sage-sama arrived.


    ¡¸Are you okay? You look like you¡¯re hurt.¡¹


    Saint-sama approached Novis, whoid on his side. She touched his petrified foot, and it shone with a faint light for a moment.


    This trantion is stolen content. Read at original site wordexcerpt(.

 Chapter 50.3: Cockatrice’s Garden

    <h4>Chapter 50.3: Cockatrice¡¯s Garden</h4>


    The light faded out and Novis¡¯s leg returned to normal.


    ¡¸Eh? It¡¯s healed.¡¹


    ¡¸I didn¡¯t think the situation would be this severe... Looks like we¡¯ll have a hard time advancing.¡¹


    Sage-sama analyzed the situation in a low voice.


    I turned to Reiji-sama and his team and bowed my head.


    ¡¸My apologies!!¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, what¡¯s with the apology? ¡¹


    Rino stared at me with a curious expression.


    ¡¸I was the one who told you there were only Cockatrice on the ground floor, so... Uh... ¡¹


    ¡¸Aah, that... That wasn¡¯t your fault. This situation was beyond anyone¡¯s prediction. Not to mention, with the recent events, we should¡¯ve expected that arge number of Goblins would take refuge in this ce.¡¹


    It seemed like Sage-sama forgave us.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right. You shouldn¡¯t worry about this matter, Shizufae-chan. Since there¡¯s no trap here either, leave the rest to us.¡¹


    Reiji-samaforted me as he and the others went past us.


    Myrades and I couldn¡¯t do anything but watch their backs.


    ¡¸What was that... It was so cool...¡¹


    Novis muttered, sounding amazed.


    Reiji-sama¡¯s move was indeed amazing. It wasn¡¯t something I could do even with a magic weapon. The Cockatrice was a fairly powerful demon and it was defeated in one blow.


    It made me realize the vastness of the world.


    ¡¸He¡¯s so strong... And the women following him were extremely beautiful...¡¹


    I was so immersed in admiring Reiji-sama¡¯s looks that I didn¡¯t notice that fact until Nora-san pointed it out.


    Novis seemed to be charmed by Saint-sama, the one who had just healed his foot.


    ¡¸Yeah... They were beautiful indeed.¡¹


    I said in a whisper.


    I felt like I couldn¡¯t disrupt the moment.


    ¡¸They are amazingly... Beautiful.¡¹


    Novismented while standing beside me. I sure hope he didn¡¯t mean to say that out loud.


    Then I noticed that he was staring at my chest.


    ¡¸WAIT A MINUTE, WHOSE SIZE ARE YOU COMPARING ME WITH?!¡¹


    Good grief. Who was heparing me to?


    It wasn¡¯t like I couldpete against Saint-sama or anything. In fact, I doubt there was a woman anywhere in the world with a breast size that could rival Saint-sama¡¯s.


    ¡¸Eh? No, I... Just suddenly remembered something.¡¹


    Novis smiled at me as he spewed out an excuse made on the spot. It seemed like he needed a beating.


    Suddenly, Big Sis Kenya embraced him from behind.


    ¡¸Oioi, Novis. Don¡¯t you just need to make them bigger in this case? ¡¹


    ¡¸Wha-! Big Sis Keyna!! ¡¹


    I objected to Big Sis Kenya¡¯s suggestion. Reiji-sama aside, I didn¡¯t want Novis to make my breasts bigger!


    But it was as if I hadn¡¯t said anything. Novis rubbed his hands together obscenely.


    ¡¸Nice, I like it. Leave this job to me, then.¡¹


    ¡¸What are you thinking about?! You¨D¨D!!¡¹


    I shouted at Novis. Myrades watched our banter with a warm smile on their faces.


    After we started following behind Reiji-sama¡¯s party, we didn¡¯t encounter any more demons.


    ¡ô ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    ¡¸How is the situation, Nao-san? ¡¹


    I asked Nao, who had just returned from scouting the first floor of thebyrinth. But she just shook her head.


    ¡¸No signs of people on the surface flo~or.¡¹


    The ground floor had a lot of buildings. It might have been the capital of the Minotaur Kingdom that ruled here a long time ago. But all that remained of that country were ruins. Numerous ruined buildings that held no trace of any living creatures aside from the Goblins.


    As we expected, the kidnapped citizens must have been taken underground.


    But what should we do now? Half of the Freedom Fighters had dropped out of the search.


    If our opponents had been just the Goblins, we wouldn¡¯t have taken so much damage. But the surge of Goblins had enraged the Cockatrice so much, they tried to drive the Goblins away from their homes.


    We had invaded thebyrinth at the exact moment the Cockatrice were fighting off the Goblins, hence why so many Freedom Fighters got injured.


    Since Nao alone was enough as a scout, those guys were just baggage. I wanted them to be useful in the basement.


    After the petrified Fighters were healed by Sahoko¡¯s magic, we headed to a certain building in the middle of the ground floor.


    The stairs to the underground floor were inside that building.


    I turned to Nao, our best scout.


    ¡¸Sorry, Nao-san. Even though you just came back, can you check whether there¡¯s any signs of people passing by this ce? ¡¹


    ¡¸Leave it to me. Hmm... It seems many people passed through here a little while ago. It¡¯s definitely the kidnapped citizens of the Pashipea Kingdom.¡¹


    ¡¸I see... We¡¯re going in, then. Shizufae-san are the demons in the underground floor as dangerous as the Cockatrice? ¡¹


    I asked Shizufae.


    ¡¸No, Sage-sama... They¡¯re only Giant Bats, Giant Rats, and weak Undead.¡¹


    Shizufae replied in a small voice, a little timid.


    ¡¸Right. Come to think of it... Starting from the first underground floor, the path diverges into a maze. Do you have a map?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes.¡¹


    Shizufae then handed me a map she had prepared.


    In total, there were four maps, one for each underground floor until the 4th. There were no maps for the 5th underground floor and beyond.


    The maps seemed to be issued by the Freedom Fighters Association. I had heard they rewarded anyone who reported an unexplored area.


    It was how they updated the maps.


    ¡¸It seems there¡¯s still a nk space here and there, but... What is this? ¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s the location of a dangerous trap. The inside is a total mystery.¡¹


    ¡¸I see...¡¹


    I wondered if we could just break through the trap. It could be hiding a shortcut to the lower floor.


    ¡¸By the way, do you know what kind of trap is in there? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. The first is a giant bug in a giant nk space.¡¹


    ¡¸Bug? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. The ones who entered came out half-eaten. They barely had time to exin to the others what was inside before they died.¡¹


    So that was how they knew what was inside the nk area.


    It seemed like any information made public by the Freedom Fighter Association wasmitted to memory by every Freedom Fighter in Teseshia.


    ording to Shizufae, the bug had quite the grotesque form.


    I looked at Nao, Sahoko, and Rino. They all had their arms crossed and seemed to have the same opinion I did. Thus, I looked at Reiji.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s take a detour, Reiji-kun.¡¹


    ¡ô Death God, Zarxis


    ¡¸We lured them in, Labrys.¡¹


    ¡¸I know, Zarxis.¡¹


    Labrys had a huge smile on his face.


    ¡¸Now we just need to lure them to the 5th floor. Once we lock them inside that cage, they won¡¯t be able to escape.¡¹


    We were the only ones inside the throne room located in the 18th-floor if thebyrinth.


    A normal human wouldn¡¯t be able to advance beyond the 4th-floor. The 5th-floor was a jail, a structure created solely for detaining intruders.


    To reach the 6th floor, one needed to use special means. If they didn¡¯t notice that fact for the 1st floor, they would never be able to reach the 13th-floor.


    Labrysughed with an excited face.


    ¡¸Kukuku. Wait for me, Rena. You¡¯ll be mine soon enough.¡¹


    This trantion is stolen content. Read at original site wordexcerpt(.

 Chapter 51.1: Underground Labyrinth

    <h4>Chapter 51.1: Underground Labyrinth</h4>


    TN: WARNING!!! THIS CHAPTER IS NOT ONLY UNSUITABLE FOR THOSE WITH WEAK WILLPOWER, IT ALSO THE FINAL AND MOST ANNOYING CHAPTER IN THIS SERIES!!! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK OR WAIT TILL I RELEASE CHAPTER 52 IN MARCH!!! OR YOU CAN BECOME $20 TIER PATRON TO READ 8 ADVANCE CHAPTER[INCLUDING THE ONE RELEASED LAST WEEK] BY CLICKING ON THE PICTURE AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER!!!


    ¡ô ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    We were walking inside a hidden passage right beside the one that was booby-trapped.


    ¡¸This path seems to have been used often... ¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s because it¡¯s a safer one. There are many traces of people passing through here recently.¡¹


    Nao spoke as she turned around.


    Sinceing to this world, Nao¡¯s appearance had changed a little. With beast ears protruding from the top of her head and a tailing out of her buttocks, she was in what we called a demi-beast state.


    When she fully transformed, she became a beautiful winged leopard.


    Her beast form heightened Nao¡¯s perception and physical abilities to an entirely new level. On the other hand, she had to use less armor and her dexterity and mental resistance decreased.


    In short, the beast transformation had its pros and cons, hence why it was limited.


    ¡¸They really are using this road, then. Nevertheless, there¡¯s almost no reaction at all.¡¹


    ¡¸Yup, it¡¯s just an empty passage.¡¹


    ¡¸Geez! Please stop it, you two! This is much better than that trap-filled passage!¡¹


    Sahoko was right. This was much better for us.


    We were advancing steadily, and it gave me time to think about the reason behind the mass kidnappings, which remained a mystery. What could the Minotaurs be aiming for with that?


    Was there even a reason behind those kidnappings?


    Things became much easier than when they were on the ground floor and Godan and co swept the monsters ahead of them.


    We traversed the 1st underground floor and reached the 2nd underground floor, but there was nothing special so far.


    This passage was discovered by the Freedom Fighters who had entered this dungeon. I wonder how many people fell victim to the trap room before this passage was found.


    The Freedom Fighters had mapped out thebyrinth to the 4th underground floor. So far we have had it easy since the path ahead had already been explored.


    However, from the 5th underground floor and beyond, there was almost no information.


    No one had returned.


    Exploring the 5th underground floor and beyond was our responsibility now.


    Suddenly, Shizufae and her group stopped in front of adder heading downwards.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Shizufae? ¡¹


    ¡¸Reiji-sama, we¡¯re about to reach the 3rd underground floor. I have to warn you; the demons on this floor are troublesome.¡¹


    ¡¸Is that so? What kind of demons are there? ¡¹


    ¡¸There are Akephalos and Evil Eyes. They loiter around in groups of three and four.¡¹


    Akephalos were humanoid demons that had no heads. They had eyes in both palms of their hands and a huge mouth on their stomach. They were simr to a Chinese apparition called Kei Ten.


    Aside from having an iron-like body, Akephalos could spit a powerful acid from their stomach mouth. When they were armed, they were a force to be reckoned with.


    Evil Eyes were demons that resembled huge eyeballs with tentacles around their bodies. Firing a light ray from their single eye that could charm, stun and petrify their targets was how they killed their prey. They stunned then entangled their victims with their tentacles.


    Both of those demons were quite dangerous for normal people.


    Shizufae and her party met one of those Akephalos a long time ago when they ventured deep into thebyrinth. They had barely managed to escape.


    At that time, half of the parties that entered thebyrinth were annihted.


    Godan had gone ahead of us.


    Would he be alright?


    Shizufae seemed anxious when remembering that past encounter.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Shizufae. We¡¯re with you. ¡¹


    ¡¸Reiji-sama...¡¹


    Once Reiji reassured her, Shizufae¡¯splexion brightened considerably. Novis, who stood by her side, did not seem to like that reaction.


    ¡¸Godan and the others are ahead of us, don¡¯t worry about it. Let¡¯s hurry up.¡¹


    ¡ô Freedom Fighter Girl, Shizufae


    ¡¸Air Bullet!! ¡¹


    Madia fired a spell that ranked lower than Sonic Web, but it managed to make the Giant Bat lose its sense of direction anyway.


    I ran with Big Sis Kenya to where we predicted they would fall.


    Even we could defeat demons of this level.


    Reiji-sama and the others were behind us. We should do our best until we reached the 4th underground floor. Reiji-sama didn¡¯t need to fight the small fry.


    Novis, Leylia-san, and Nora-san had just defeated the zombiesing from the right when a shout came from behind us.


    ¡¸Stop right there, Shizufae-san!! ¡¹


    I stopped walking the moment Nao-sama¡¯s warning registered in my ears. I noticed she was in her half-beast form, which gave her an extremely keen perception.


    Nao-sama pointed at the part of the wall that was broken.


    ¡¸Something ising...¡¹


    A huge eyeball appeared from the broken wall.


    Behind the eyeball was a disgusting mass of wriggling tentacles.


    ¡¸Evil Eye!! ¡¹


    ¡¸O Light!! Protect Everyone!! ¡¹


    Saint-sama promptly reacted, her voice resounding in the area.


    In the next moment, the demon¡¯s eyeball shone. I unintentionally covered my eyes, but nothing happened to me. When I opened my eyes, I saw light particles around me.


    It seemed like Saint-sama protected me with her magic.


    Sage-sama moved in front of me.


    ¡¸Get back, Shizufae-san.¡¹


    ¡¸Sage-sama!! Evil Eye has high magic resistance. Magic won¡¯t work on it!! ¡¹


    Madia warned Sage-sama. It was true, Evil Eye had powerful magic resistance. We should fight with swords instead of magic in this ce.


    ¡¸It¡¯s alright, look. Bullet st!! ¡¹


    A red light appeared in front of Sage-sama and flew toward the Evil Eye. Then, the moment it came into contact with that eyeball, it exploded and killed it for good.


    ¡¸No way... It got defeated... With magic.¡¹


    Madia was dumbfounded.


    ¡¸Oops, there are more of theming this way.¡¹


    Nao-sama pointed in a different direction.


    ¡¸Now it¡¯s Rino¡¯s turn, right? Smander-san, please!! ¡¹


    A fire lizard came out from Rino-sama¡¯s hand and killed the approaching slimes. From the slimes¡¯ color, I knew that they were the dangerous kind that could discharge a powerful acid from their bodies.


    Reiji-sama¡¯s wives easily dispatched two dangerous enemies at once.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s get going.¡¹


    Everyone started moving again when Reiji-sama said so.


    It was as if there was nothing to do here.


    ¡¸Cool... To kill those demons that easily...¡¹


    Novis muttered so with a vexed voice and I agreed with him.


    ck haired sage, Chiyuki-sama.


    Snow white saint, Sahoko-sama.


    Rino-sama¡¯s spirits.


    Nao-sama with her excellent searching abilities.


    And Reiji-sama, the Hero of Light who gathered them all.


    They were all gifted with both brains and beauty.


    And it seemed that the girl who was hailed as the Sword Maiden wasn¡¯t here at the moment. That person seemed to be as amazing as the others.


    I didn¡¯t know that such amazing people existed in this world. I knew that I could never win against that kind of line up.


    Reiji-sama and his party advanced steadily. No demons could stop them.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s follow them.¡¹


    Everyone immediately agreed with me.


    Thus, our party started moving again.


    ¡ô ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    ¡¸OOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!¡¹


    We caught up with Godan and the others on the 4th underground floor. They were in the midst of a battle against an Akephalos.


    Godan¡¯s axe and the Akephalos¡¯s shield shed.


    After repelling Godan¡¯s axe, the Akephalos attacked Godan with its sword, but Godan dodged it with a backstep.


    It was a good match, but Godan seemed to be slightly inferior to his opponent. The Akephalos was 2 meters tall, around the same height as Godan.


    The other Freedom Fightersy around them. It seemed they were caught up in the Akephalos and Godan fight. Upon a closer look, some of those Freedom Fighters¡¯ shields and armor were loose.


    After it had got away from Godan, the Akephalos¡¯ abdominal mouth opened.


    ¡¸F^CK!! ¡¹


    Godan hid behind a giant shield.


    The Akephalos spat some sort of liquid on its surroundings.


    ¡¸GUWAAAAAAAAAA!! ¡¹


    Godan, who protected the Freedom Fighters behind him with his shield, ended up drenched with the Akephalos¡¯s liquid.


    Smoke rose from the bodies of the Freedom Fighters that got sshed with the liquid from the Akephalos. The liquid seemed to melt even metal armor.


    Godan¡¯s enchanted shield might have no problem warding off that liquid.


    Meanwhile the sorcerer and dwarf Freedom Fighters were covering for Godan.


    ¡¸Woah, this is a bad situation...¡¹


    As Nao said, they were going to lose sooner orter. Although Godan was putting up a good fight against the demon, he had no resistance against that fluid.


    Nevertheless, his battle looked different from the other Freedom Fighters, or should I say ¡°as expected of the Hero of Earth¡±?


    But he had reached his limits. We should save him.


    ¡¸Leave this ce to me. My hands are itching from doing nothing.¡¹


    Reiji unsheathed his sword and walked towards the Akephalos.


    He wasposed. Oh, well... That kind of opponent would be killed in one hit by Reiji.


    ¡¸Here I go, SUNDERING LIGHT!! ¡¹


    Reiji closed in the distance between him and the Akephalos. In just a moment, he tore the demon apart with a series of shes faster than the eye could see.


    The demon¡¯s body split apart and crumbled.


    ¡¸Wooow...¡¹


    ¡¸This is the first time I see such swordcraft.¡¹


    ¡¸This is the power of the Hero of Light.¡¹


    The Freedom Fighters who saw that scene remarked full of wonder.


    ¡¸My deepest gratitude, Master of Light.¡¹


    Godan went to Reiji and bowed his head to show his gratitude.


    Meanwhile, Sahoko healed the injured Freedom Fighters. The advance party of Freedom Fighters was almostpletely incapacitated, to the point they could barely move ahead.


    ¡¸We¡¯re almost there. Our turn wille on the next floor.¡¹


    This trantion is stolen content. Read at original site wordexcerpt(.

 Chapter 51.2: Underground Labyrinth

    <h4>Chapter 51.2: Underground Labyrinth</h4>


    TN: WARNING!!! THIS CHAPTER IS NOT ONLY UNSUITABLE FOR THOSE WITH WEAK WILLPOWER, IT ALSO THE FINAL AND MOST ANNOYING CHAPTER IN THIS SERIES!!! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK OR WAIT TILL I RELEASE CHAPTER 52 IN MARCH!!! OR YOU CAN BECOME $20 TIER PATRON TO READ 8 ADVANCE CHAPTER[INCLUDING THE ONE RELEASED LAST WEEK] BY CLICKING ON THE PICTURE AT THE END OF THIS CHAPTER!!!One Part LEFT!!!


    TN: Ill Be Away for Pilgrimage From 15-28 February, So There¡¯ll be No Release During That Time. Meaning that This Release is thest for this month, I¡¯ll be back again at the beginning of march.


    If you miss my release, please take a look at my others projects in the link below too XD


    ====


    I told Godan, Shizufae and their parties that we could advance through the safe route and wander through fewer ces with their guidance.


    The stairway leading toward the 5th underground floor should be just a bit ahead of us. Beyond the 5th underground floory uncharted territory, thus none of the Freedom Fighters here could guide us. Moreover, they would just be a burden if they were toe with us.


    Hence why we were the only ones who proceeded beyond that point.


    ¡¸My apologies, Reiji-sama. We... We can¡¯t guide you to the end.¡¹


    Shizufae apologized to Reiji.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about such things. How about going out when I return from thisbyrinth? If possible, just the two of us, how does that sound?¡¹


    Reiji looked at her with a refreshing smile.


    ¡¸Yes, by all means.¡¹


    Shizufae stared at him with a delighted expression. It seemed we would have some fun waiting for us once we returned.


    Shizufae¡¯s and Godan¡¯s party returned to the surface.


    Only our party was left now.


    ¡¸We¡¯re by ourselves now. Have you found the way, Nao-san? ¡¹


    ¡¸No doubt about it. The smell of the people who passed through here is definitely not that of Freedom Fighters.¡¹


    Nao said as she sniffed the surrounding area.


    ¡¸Then, are the kidnapped people ahead of us? ¡¹


    ¡¸Maybe, Sahoko. The problem is how far they are ahead of us. ¡¹


    Reiji had a serious look on his face. He was right, we didn¡¯t know how deep this undergroundbyrinth went.


    We might need to return if it went too deep.


    ¡¸I want to go back alread~y. This ce is so gloomy.¡¹


    ¡¸Just a bit more. Do your best, Rino-san, it¡¯s a little brighter here.¡¹


    Thebyrinth was lightly illuminated with eternal light magic starting from the 1st underground floor.


    It seems thisbyrinth wasn¡¯t made for someone with night vision.


    ¡¸By the way, how long do you think this will continue on? ¡¹


    ¡¸Well, I wanted to keep going on until we found the ce where they are keeping the kidnapped people... In case we don¡¯t find them on the next floor, we can go back to the surface for the time being.¡¹


    Even if there was no one on the next floor, we had to descend to the 5th underground floor first. Otherwise, who knew what would be waiting for us down there.


    ¡¸Well, let¡¯s get going everyone.¡¹


    We continued on with Reiji¡¯smand.


    ¡ô Freedom Fighter Girl, Shizufae


    ¡¸Haa... Somehow, we made it back.¡¹


    I sighed when we got back to the surface.


    Since Reiji-sama and his party decided to continue on, we returned to the surface with great difficulties.


    The other Freedom Fighters were also sighing in relief once we arrived on the surface.


    The 4th underground floor was an extremely dangerous ce.


    It was a miracle that none of us met our doom in such a dangerous floor. That miracle might be attributed to Reiji-sama and his party.


    ¡¸Nevertheless, they were such amazing people... Right?¡¹


    Madimented as she looked at the stairway that led to the 1st underground floor.


    ¡¸Yeah... They were amazing, indeed. Not even I was in such good terms with the spirits when I still had the power to speak with them.¡¹


    Nora-san was referring to Rino-sama.


    ¡¸Saint-sama is also a wonderful woman. I mean, her healing magic is so powerful.¡¹


    ¡¸The girl called Nao too. She could move so wlessly inside such narrow spaces.¡¹


    Leylia-san and Big Sis Keyna sang praises to Nao-sama and Saint-sama.


    ¡¸Sage-sama¡¯s magic was amazing, too. No matter how much I study I won¡¯t be able to reach the heights her magic has reached.¡¹


    Madi praised Sage-sama.


    Everyone was full of praises to Reiji. Although I felt bad about Novis, Reiji-sama was the true Hero. The difference between him and the other Heroes was like the difference between heaven and earth.


    I looked at Novis, who was called Hero of Fire. For some reason, he was pouting. Could he have some sort of rivalry with Reiji-sama?


    I grew up with Novis, and I knew he was a sore loser. But I thought there was no point in him having a rivalry with Reiji-sama because he was someone chosen by Goddess-sama.


    Despite numerous other Heroes existing, Reiji-sama was the only Hero Goddess-sama loved. That¡¯s why he was the True Hero.


    That¡¯s why Novis was too reckless for wanting a rivalry with such a special existence.


    ¡¸Why are you making such a displeased face, Novis? ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s nothing... I¡¯m not pouting.¡¹


    When I saw that expression on his face, I sighed.


    ¡¸You will never win against Reiji-sama, so don¡¯t be reckless! ¡¹


    ¡¸HAAAH!!! ¡¹


    Novis red at me and let out that strange scream when I told him that. That expression confirmed I hit the bullseye. He really felt some sort of rivalry against Reiji-sama.


    I wanted to tell him to man up already.


    ¡¸Ah, you can say that to him, Shi~zu?.¡¹


    Big Sis Keyna embraced me from behind.


    ¡¸Big Sis Keyna?!! ¡¹


    When I turned around, I saw Big Sis Keyna grinning at me.


    ¡¸Hihihihi, Novis just doesn¡¯t like that the Hero of Light invited you back there. Riiiiight, Novis?¡¹


    ¡¸Big Sis Keyna!!! ¡¹


    Novis shouted at her.


    ¡¸He doesn¡¯t like the fact that the Hero of Light invited me... Why? ¡¹


    ¡¸It means that the Hero of Light wants your virg¡ª-UHMMMMM¡¹


    Novis covered Big Sis Keyna¡¯s mouth. I had no idea what she was trying to tell me.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know what you are talking about, but Reiji-sama inviting me is just lip service. It¡¯s not like he was actually serious about inviting a girl like me.¡¹ [TL: ... Is this good]


    There was no way Reiji-sama wanted to go out with me. Beauties surrounded him, so there was no way he was interested in me.


    ¡¸Haah... Shizufae doesn¡¯t understand, huh... He was serious...¡¹


    Novis shook his head, but no matter how many times I thought about it, I found no reason for Reiji-sama to have any interest in me.


    And why did it affect Novis if Reiji-sama invited me?


    ¡¸Geez, what kind of iprehensible things are you saying!! Let¡¯s stop this useless chit-chat and go back to Teseshia!!¡¹


    I began walking as I told him so. I could hear the heavy sighs of myradesing from behind me.


    Really now, just what in the world do those sighs mean?


    ¡ô ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    We arrived in a spacious room with a giant door in the innermost part. It seemed like that door led to the 5th underground floor.


    But a giant metal golem stood right in the center of the room, protecting the door.


    ¡¸That must be the gatekeeper.¡¹


    ording to Shizufae, that metal golem was the reason why no one could reach the 5th underground floor.


    But I¡¯ve heard stories about people who used a gap in the metal golem¡¯s defenses to sneak into the 5th underground floor.


    Those people never returned.


    ¡¸What shall we do, Reiji-kun? Should we beat that golem or take a detour? ¡¹


    We needed to avoidbat as much as possible. I wondered if something in the 5th underground floor prevented those people from returning.


    We should conserve our power by avoiding battles as much as possible.


    ¡¸No. We will fight here, Chiyuki. This thing will be an obstacle on the way back if the kidnapped people are being kept in the 5th underground floor.¡¹


    As he spoke, Reiji unsheathed his sword.


    Reiji¡¯s sword was the Holy Sword of Light bestowed by Rena. The de released a golden light.


    ¡¸True enough.¡¹


    I set my cane too.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t forget about me.¡¹


    Nao readied her boomerang.


    ¡¸Who will go first? ¡¹


    ¡¸Let me go first, Rino-san. You can¡¯t use your spirit¡¯s power in this kind of closed space.¡¹


    I went forward as I said so.


    Rino excelled in spirit and mind magic, but the spirits wouldn¡¯t answer her call in a closed space.


    She could still use the bare minimum of her power to fight by calling the low ranking spirit of fire, Smander. But high-ranking spirits were impossible to be called in this ce.


    And her magic wouldn¡¯t work on inorganic objects like a giant golem. In short, this opponent had badpatibility with Rino, thus I stepped forward.


    It seemed the giant wouldn¡¯t make a move unless I approached a certain distance. It stood still.


    It was a giant with a bizarre appearance. It looked like two people tied back-to-back with 4 arms and feet. Each hand was holding a magic sword. Its 5 meters tall metal body was rigid.


    I summoned my magic. A huge red ball as tall as I appeared.


    ¡¸st Bullet!! ¡¹


    The red ball hit its target and exploded, forcing the immovable body of the giant to move.


    st Bullet was my original magic which I created bypressing the power of Explosion into a smaller form. Not even that giant golem could escape unscathed if it got hit by that strengthened explosion.


    I cleared away the smoke caused by my attack. One of the giant golem¡¯s arms was dangling down, filled with cracks.


    ¡¸Tough. It can even break them, I think...¡¹


    I think I might be able to destroy it with slightly more powerful magic. Maybe the power of the st Bullet was reduced since we fought indoors.


    Moreover, the giant seemed to be made of a special kind of metal. It was really tough.


    Nevertheless, I knew I could destroy it for sure. It would break into pieces with a few more st Bullets.


    The giant¡¯s eye shone red. It seemed to notice us after my first strike.


    Bands of light suddenly appeared from the floor and walls.


    ¡¸EH!! EH? It won¡¯t regenerate, right? ¡¹


    Sahoko sounded astonished.


    The giant¡¯s body moved along with the light of the floor and walls, then the broken arm was back to normal. Its surface filled cracks were gradually disappearing.


    ¡¸It seems this guy has a self-repair ability. It must be the effect of the magic equipment installed in the entire room.¡¹


    What a troublesome guy.

 Chapter 51.3: Underground Labyrinth

    <h4>Chapter 51.3: Underground Labyrinth</h4>


    The giant started moving as it pointed its sword toward us.


    Reiji stepped forward.


    ¡¸OVER MY DEAD BODY!! SUNDERING FLASH!! ¡¹


    The giant stopped moving due to Reiji¡¯s continued barrage of lightspeed attack.


    ¡¸Dodge, Reiji-kun!! MAXIMUM TRIPLE EXPLODING BULLETS!! ¡¹


    I fired three enhanced st Bullets as soon as Reiji dodged to the side.


    The giant exploded and fell backward.


    ¡¸Did we defeat it? ¡¹


    ¡¸NOT YET!! ¡¹


    I replied to Sahoko.


    Upon a closer look, the four swords in the giant¡¯s hands shone as it guarded against my attack at thest moment. Just like before.


    We could damage it, but we couldn¡¯t defeat this thing.


    When the giant stopped moving, the room shone for the second time. The light recovered the giant¡¯s damage.


    It seems we couldn¡¯t defeat this thing with just half-baked attacks. But using even more powerful attacks could damage the room.


    ¡¸EAT THIS!!! ¡¹


    Nao threw her boomerang.


    The boomerang approached the giant as it generated kamaitachi [wind des].


    [TL: Kamaitachi are weasels in Japanese myth which generate vacuum des]


    The four swords shone again, then a golden shining membrane coiled around the giant¡¯s body.


    The flying speed of the boomerang reduced considerably once it came into contact with the membrane and then it was repelled by the four swords.


    ¡¸Ooh?! This guy is a tough one, huh.¡¹


    Nao eximed in admiration.


    Despite her excellent detection ability, Nao¡¯s offensive power was on the weaker side.


    It seemed her attack couldn¡¯t even scratch the giant.


    ¡¸Nao-san, Rino-san, you two get back!! I¡¯m gonna defeat this guy with Reiji-kun!! ¡¹


    Rino and Nao couldn¡¯t even scratch this golem. I guess Reiji and I were the only ones who could defeat it.


    But Reiji ordered me to fall back, too.


    ¡¸No, Chiyuki. You fall back too. Leave this thing to me.¡¹


    ¡¸Are you sure, Reiji-kun? That golem seems to be a tough one.¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Chiyuki. I want to test something on that thing.¡¹


    Reiji shed a daring smile at me.


    He drew his other sword. Although not as powerful as the Holy Sword, this sword which was given to him by Rena was made by a certain famous dwarf.


    Reiji wielded both swords, each in one hand. It was the dual-wielding style.


    Honestly speaking, this form was never shown to Shirone, because it was Reiji¡¯s trump card to defeat Shirone¡¯s childhood friend.


    The defeated Reiji sought out the dual-wielding style for more power.


    [TL: Uhm... Lloyd?]


    Reiji progressed at a monstrous speed. The current him might be able to defeat Shirone¡¯s childhood friend. Reiji wouldn¡¯t be defeated a second time.


    He charged at the giant, who used its four swords to intercept Reiji¡¯s attack.


    Reiji handled that giant greatsword skillfully with his two swords.


    ¡¸Reiji-senpai is amazing. Even Nao can¡¯t move like him.¡¹


    Nao praised Reiji. She had the highest physical abilities among us. Reiji, who could move in a way that was impossible even for Nao, a true monster.


    In fact, Reiji was ambidextrous. He could write with both his hands at the same time. I was extremely surprised when I discovered that.


    That might be the reason why he could use swords with both hands so skillfully.


    The giant wielding 4 greatswords was far bigger than Reiji. Against that Reiji was dual wielding swords. And yet, the giant was pushed back.


    Reiji wasn¡¯t even short of breath as he kept overwhelming the giant with his lightspeed attacks.


    Although I couldn¡¯t see his face, I knew he wasughing.


    It seemed he was enjoying the fight. For Reiji, an opponent of this level was nothing more than a ymate.


    But the room shone every time the giant was wrecked. We really couldn¡¯t beat this thing.


    ¡¸As I thought, this guy is troublesome... Then how about this!! ¡¹


    Reiji retreated as he opened some distance from the giant.


    ¡¸TAKE THIS!! LIGHT WINGS SUNDERING HEAVEN!! ¡¹


    He lowered his sword and sprung towards the giant as if his whole body was a huge coiled spring. His overwhelming speed made him look like a light arrow.


    I¡¯ve seen that move before. It was a ramming attack where one jumped as they used their whole body like a spring. Although it was rtively easy to dodge that move due to its ring pre-motion, its power was enough to pierce anything struck by it.


    Reiji¡¯s strike punched a hole right in the giant¡¯s center, leaving a big space in its abdomen. The giant copsed with numerous cracks spreading from that hole.


    The room shone again. But the giant didn¡¯t get restored.


    It was pulverized with no possibility of being fixed again.


    ¡¸YAAAAY!! ¡¹


    ¡¸Reiji-san!! ¡¹


    ¡¸Rei-kun!! ¡¹


    The three of them rushed toward Reiji. They embraced him while showering him with numerous praises.


    I felt the same way as them. In the end, only one person truly defeated the giant.


    Moreover, Reiji didn¡¯t seem to have given his all.


    I rushed at him too. Although I wouldn¡¯t embrace him, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from praising him.


    ¡¸Good job, Reiji-kun!! ¡¹


    ¡¸Naturally. How¡¯s that, falling in love with me again? ¡¹


    Reiji smiled as he looked at me.


    To be honest, I thought it would look better if it wasn¡¯t for his cocky attitude.


    Couldn¡¯t be helped, it was Reiji after all.


    ¡¸Geez, what are you talking about?! Let¡¯s get going.¡¹


    I dismissed his words as I looked at the gate that the giant had been protecting. I didn¡¯t know what awaited us behind that gate.


    We opened the door and found a stairway descending further.


    Beyond thaty a huge room.


    Despite its size, the room was smaller than the previous room.


    There was a magic circle right on its center.


    ¡¸Is this a teleportation magic circle? It seems we can¡¯t continue unless we use it.¡¹


    Imented as I approached the magic circle.


    ¡¸Chiyuki-san. Someone dropped shoes.¡¹


    Nao had found something.


    Everyone went toward Nao¡¯s position.


    Rino was the first to speak.


    ¡¸This are children¡¯s shoes.¡¹


    ¡¸Does that mean they took the children too? ¡¹


    ¡¸That seems to be the case, Sahoko. They might have been transferred somewhere with that magic circle.¡¹


    I felt the same way as Reiji.


    ¡¸What should we do, Reiji-kun? I don¡¯t know how they were transferred ahead, but...¡¹


    ¡¸We have no choice but to go forward. The kidnapped people are alive. So it shouldn¡¯t be a ce where humans can¡¯t live.¡¹


    ¡¸Surely...¡¹


    The kidnapped people were alive. It was hard to imagine it, with so many dangerous traps here which could kill them in an instant. As long as the transfer area wasn¡¯t inside a sea of fire.


    After looking at the transfer magic circle, I found out that it was a one-way transfer. It would be a path of no return.


    But we won¡¯t know unless we try.


    It might be for the best to leave one person behind. But that person definitely wasn¡¯t Reiji, our most powerful fighter.


    I¡¯m in the same position as him in this case since someone had to start the magic. I wanted to take Nao too for her excellent searching skills. Sahoko¡¯s healing magic couldn¡¯t be excluded either. And despite herpetency, Rino hated being left out.


    So that meant no one would be left behind.


    We nodded as we looked at each others¡¯ faces. Then we stepped into the magic circle.


    The magic formation shone.


    The scenery distorted and then we were sent somewhere. The room wasn¡¯t a secret room, because some light wasing in from the outside.


    ¡¸Bright. How can it be? ¡¹


    We turned around to see the outside due to Sahoko¡¯s statement.


    ¡¸It¡¯s really spacious... Doesn¡¯t feel like we¡¯re inside thebyrinth.¡¹


    Like Nao just said, we had arrived at a spacious ce. It was as if 10 cities could be crammed in this ce. The ceiling was high, too. It projected a giant crystal as big as a city. That crystal was the source of the light.


    It was thanks to that crystal that this ce didn¡¯t feel like the inside of abyrinth at all.


    ¡¸There¡¯s a forest and ake, too. It¡¯s as if we¡¯re outside.¡¹


    Rino eximed in a loud voice.


    I was surprised. I never thought such a ce existed in thisbyrinth.


    ¡¸There¡¯s a field, too. It seems people are living in this ce.¡¹


    Reiji gazed at a faraway ce.


    What appeared before our group was a wayside like a shrine. That small shrine was built on top of a hill. That was why we could see the surroundings.


    ¡¸Looks like there¡¯s a city but it¡¯s rather far from this ce...¡¹


    Nao was looking at a certain direction where she saw several buildings.


    ¡¸Shall we go, then? That might be the ce where they took the kidnapped citizens. Let¡¯s go!¡¹


    We agreed with Reiji.


    I had no idea what was waiting for us. But we had no choice but to advance.


    We headed towards the city.


    ¡ô Goddess of Spiders, Ankua


    Euria, the princess of the Pashipea Kingdom, was staying at my mansion in a certain ce located in the Ariadya Republic. She looked outside the window.


    ¡¸Fufu, Reiji-sama should¡¯ve arrived at dear father¡¯s ce around this time. With this, Reiji-sama is mine... Don¡¯t you think so, An? ¡¹


    Euria muttered as she looked toward the direction of thebyrinth.


    ¡¸Euria-sama... Zarxis also wishes for the Hero¡¯s power.¡¹


    ¡¸That person is too good for that undead. He should be mine.¡¹


    I felt troubled when I heard her say those words.


    The princess was born between the queen of the Pashipea Kingdom and Labrys.


    Despite being a daughter of a god, she was a human. Her power wasn¡¯t that great either.


    Nevertheless, her father was Labrys, so it was better to be safe than sorry. Hence why I bowed my head.


    The princess was quite the stunning beauty herself, just like her lucky mother. I believed her appearance might be that of a disgusting creature if she resembled her father.


    ¡¸In that case, the promise is...¡¹


    ¡¸No can do. Moreover, I¡¯ve already asked my father. As long as I am asking for it, his promise to Zarxis is a trivial matter.¡¹


    Sheughed. Thatugh resembled Labrys¡¯ for some reason.


    Her father, Labrys, was a nasty man who loved to rape women and torture men to death. And she was as greedy and arrogant as her father.


    The thing she wanted had to be obtained.


    Labrys was the kind of man who could break a promise without even batting his eyelids. If his daughter wished for it, he could easily throw away his promise to Zarxis. Zarxis wouldn¡¯t be able to suck the hero¡¯s power.


    Euria let out an innocent smile. Both parent and child were egoistic people.


    ¡¸Moreover, your aim should be Rena, right? Just think how annoyed that goddess will get once she learns that the man she loved was snatched by me.¡¹


    Euria was blushing.


    I yed one of my tricks for her to invite the Hero of Light. It seemed she really enjoyed the Hero of Light at that time.


    And it was as she just said.


    I wanted to p that bitch Rena. Although I felt bad for Zarxis, this feeling of mine wouldn¡¯t change. So I told him that everything went as nned as I pondered about that.


    I wanted to say ¡°Serves YOU RIGHT¡± right on Rena¡¯s face. We caught your most important man. I am sure you are really vexed by now, right?


    You matched very well with that brutal Labrys.


    I smiled lightly as I thought of that.


    Well, what are you going to do then, Rena? I couldn¡¯t help but feel excited when I thought that way.


    TN: THIS MARK THE END OF THE MOST ANNOYING PARTS OF THIS NOVEL, NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE BACK TO KUROKI POV!!!

 Chapter 52: Library of Heaven

    <h4>Chapter 52: Library of Heaven</h4>


    Part 1


    ¡ô


    In the beginning, the world was in chaos.


    Then the God of Genesis descended. HE came into this chaotic world from the spirit world, and created sea, earth, and sky from the primordial chaos. Next, HE created giants and dragons, the primordial races, and the spirits of the four elements. Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire.


    And finally, HE created two pirs for his creations.


    They are the God of Light, Orgis, the owner of Great Wings and Goddess of Darkness, Nargol, the owner of Great Horn. After the HE created the two pirs, The God of Genesis left for another world, entrusting the newly created world to the two. Since Nargol was the more powerful of the pair, she became the ruler of this particr world and Orgis became her second-inmand.


    They ruled the world together. And, with time, they became a couple. From their union, Nargol gave birth to many gods and created many creatures for them. As a result, the world was filled to brims with a lot of creatures.


    But, Orgis was dissatisfied. Because Nargol was more powerful than him, Orgis had always been dominated by her. Furthermore, she was also brutal, killing her own children that had displeased her.


    For this reason, Orgis always feared Nargol. He was also displeased with the children who were born between them. In his opinion, anyone would be displeased with the fact that their children were born ugly, and that was exactly how most of the children between him and Nargol were born as.


    And Orgis, thinking that the reason for their children¡¯s ugly appearance was because of Nargol¡¯s own ugly appearance, summoned another Goddess from the spirit world. And, his summon got answered by a beautiful Goddess named Mina.


    So, behind Nargol¡¯s back, Orgis began his sordid affairs with Mina. He began to make love with her and they gave birth to many other Gods.


    Gods such as Oudith the Bright, Trident the Strong, Heibos the Skilled. Goddesses such as Melfina the Wise, Faeria the Noble, and Ishtia the Beauty, etc, etc. And, to Orgis¡¯s delight, all of these new gods he fathered were beautiful. Unlike the ones he fathered with Nargol. Thus, in order to protect their childrens, Orgis made the angel race using part of his and Mina¡¯s body.


    But, Nargol eventually found out about Orgis¡¯s adultery act. And her fury when she discovered that and Mina¡¯s existence turned her into the God of Destruction. She rushed in and ughtered Mina.


    Orgis was grieved by Mina¡¯s death. But, her death wasn¡¯t the end. Nargol wasn¡¯t satisfied with that. So she created the giants race that thrive on destruction and ordered them to kill Mina¡¯s children. But Orgis had enough and decided to fight against Nargol. All for the sake of protecting his and Mina¡¯s children.


    In retaliation, Nargol ordered her children to help her ughter Mina¡¯s children. But, some of her children were reluctant to do that. So, eventually, her children were divided into two factions. Those who refused to follow her order and chose to be on the neutral side, and those who abide Nargol¡¯s order to the letter.


    Those who chose to follow their mother were known as ¡¸Nargolian¡¹. Amongst the Nagolians, the vanguards assembled to exterminate Mina¡¯s children were Felion The Wicked Beast, Zarxis The Death God, and Diadona The Serpent Queen. And, against them, Mina¡¯s children were helpless as they fell one by one.


    Seeing the situation turning worse, Orgis requested the cooperation of the neutral party who chose not to obey their mother. He requested them to protect Mina¡¯s children. At that, the Gods who formed the neutral party made their appearance in the struggle.


    They were Casa, the owner of thousands wings and precognition; Volgas, one-eyes giant god who excelled at craftsmanship and smithing; and Sagittarius of four-footed who was a martial arts master. Casa taught magic to Mina¡¯s children, while Sagittarius taught them martial arts. Finally, Volgas taught Heibos his craftsmanship and smithing arts. With Oudith as their leader, Mina¡¯s children began to fight back against the Nargolians.


    Nevertheless, even with them being able to fight back, there were only two out of many surviving children who could fight on par against the most powerful Nargolians. Oudith and Trident.


    Part 2


    At this rate, it¡¯s only a matter of time before all Mina¡¯s children got ughtered. Orgis, who realized that, became their shield in the fight against Nargolian. Nargolians couldn¡¯t defeat Orgis, their father. Thus, with his protection, Mina¡¯s children were shielded.


    Nargol finally snapped when she saw Orgis, her own husband, protecting Mina¡¯s children. So, in rage, she murdered Orgis. By the time her sanity returned, the only thing she saw was her husband¡¯s corpse. She was saddened when she saw that she ended up murdering her own husband. However, it didn¡¯tst for long as she prepared to create a God to rece Orgis. She absorbed Orgis¡¯s corpse into her own body, and gave birth to herst child. One who was more powerful than her.


    And his name was Demon King Modes, her beloved, strongest, andst son.


    Together with Nargolians and Modes, Nargol decided to destroy this world and created it anew. However, to begin that n, every single one of Mina¡¯s children had to die. Thus, Nargolians led by Modes began their ughter.


    Mina¡¯s children were already in a precarious state. But then, Melfina, the Wise, made her move. Using her beauty, Melfina seduced Modes and tried to win him as their allies. Seduced, Modes had a change of heart and began to pursue the beautiful Goddess.


    But when Nargol became aware of Melfina¡¯s n he ughtered her in anger. Even so, on the verge ofpletely vanishing from this world, she still managed to give birth to twins. Exquisite Goddess Rena and Gorgeous God Alphos. [ED: God, just make the story title as: Love, Lust Bring Forth Destruction. And, is the author obsessed with beauty or what?]


    When Modes realized that his mother had killed Melfina, he got enraged and revolted against her. He decided to cooperate with Oudith, fighting against Nargolians and Nargol, his very own mother. It was at the moment when Nargol, together with her children, was betrayed by her own Most Beloved Son, whose power exceeded her own, that her side was cornered.


    Modes killed Death God Zarxis, sealed Wicked Beast Ferion, and pushed Serpent Queen Diadona to retreat due to fear. Meanwhile, the other Nargolians were either defeated, escaped, or surrendered to Modes. And finally, Nargol was defeated in the Northern Land by Modes and Oudith. Thend where Nargol breathed herst was then called¡¸Land of Nargol¡¹.


    The victorious side, Oudith and the others then hailed themselves as the rulers of this world. They built their pces on the top of the highest mountains of this world and from then on were known as ¡¸Gods of Elios¡¹.


    Oudith stood at the top of the Gods of Elios and proimed himself as the King of the Gods and taking Faeria as his wife. With this, the world knew peace atst.


    But, another problem soon arose.


    What were Nargol¡¯s children, thatprised the neutral party, to do? Here, the opinions of the Gods and Goddesses of Elios were divided.


    Modes and Volgas insisted that they had to join Elios. However, a multitude of Goddesses were opposed to it. Ishita and Rena were some of the most vocal about it. The reason?


    It was because Ishtia was courted by the ugly Sea God, Draugon, and Rena herself was courted by the Violent Deity, Labrys. It was the same case with the other Goddesses. They were courted by the Gods who descended from Nargol, who was notoriously ugly. Hence their vehement opposition towards the neutral Gods.


    Correspondingly, the Gods of Elios couldn¡¯t get along with the neutral Gods. The ramification of these actions was the widening crack between the Gods who inherited Nargol¡¯s blood and the Gods who inherited Mina¡¯s blood.


    Nevertheless, despite that, the world was still peaceful.


    Until a certain day.


    Faeria was displeased with the fact that the world was overflowing with the races that Nargol created. She felt that the world should be filled with races that Mina¡¯s children created. However, there was one problem with that thought. None of them knew how to create a new race. Thus, Faeria went to Heibos to consult him on this matter.


    Unfortunately, Heibos told her that he had no knowledge on how to create a new race. Faeria didn¡¯t give up though as she asked Heibos to create a magic tool that could give birth to a new race.


    Part 3


    Troubled by her request, Heibos headed to Modes to ask for his cooperation, and since he was given the ability to create life by his mother, Modes decided to cooperate. However, due to Faeria¡¯s hatred for Modes and all Gods who had Nargol¡¯s blood in them, they chose to keep their cooperation secret.


    And, after some efforts, their coboration resulted in the creation of the Kettle of Life. Through this, Mina¡¯s children should be able to create living beings. However, this alone wasn¡¯t enough. They also needed other ingredients in order to create life, namely, body parts of the God involved and various exotic ingredients inrge amounts. Not to be forgotten, a huge amount of mana needed to be sent into the kettle as well.


    To test that the magic tool actually worked, Heibos decided to use Mina¡¯s, his mother¡¯s, corpse, as the God involved with the new creation and the numerous ingredients provided by Modes. So they used the kettle to make the beautiful demon race.


    Heibos saw the creation of the demon race and was satisfied that it worked. He then gave the kettle to Faeria. Delighted, Faeria gathered her brethrens and Oudith and together, they created the various new races.


    The elven race who couldmunicate with the spirits.


    The Dwarf race who excelled in craftsmanship.


    And then, the all-purpose human race.


    Gods of Elios were incredibly delighted with the birth of the human race. Thus, they kept increasing the number of the newest race, the human race and sent them to the world, increasing their number exponentially.


    But another problem ured. When the number of new races increased, thepetition for living space and resources with the older races started to escte.


    Seeing that, Faeria was enraged and dispatched the God of War, Thors, who was born to her and Oudith, to attack those older races. But, her action sparked another conflict. This time between Elios and the former neutral Gods who were rted to the races that were attacked.


    Faeria, who was discontent with them since the beginning of Elios, rbeled the former neutral Gods, who fought back against her actions, to Evil Gods. And since the majority of the Gods descended from Mina, from Rena to Thors, had the same opinion with Faeria, the fight started again in earnest.


    On the opposing side were the Gods who descended from Nargol, and they were led by Volgas and Modes. Disgruntled, Faeria worked together with Rena to exclude Volgas and Modes, the center of their opposition. Besides, the Goddesses had always hated Volgas and Modes from the very beginning because they were ugly. So, all Goddesses cooperate with Faeria and Rena to remove Volgas and Modes.


    First, they banished Modes. The one who did that was Rena. After all, Modes couldn¡¯t go against Melfina¡¯s, the Goddess he loved, daughter. So, he left to the Northern Land, the Land of Nargol, alongside the demon race he created. [ED: THE HECK?! That¡¯s your father. Oh god, what a bitch. Just because of his face?!]


    After Modes, Volgas¡¯s turn came. Faeria tried to exile Volgas in the same way Modes was banished, but she was powerless against Volgas¡¯s just and fair nature. She couldn¡¯t banish him. At that point, an incident ured. The God of War, Thors, being young, short-sighted, and impulsive, went and murdered Volgas.


    His action left the Gods of Elios astonished. They had never thought that he¡¯d go as far as murder just to get rid of Volgas who they admitedly thought of as a hindrance. However, that incident made the other Gods, who descended from Nargol, shudder, so they left Elios.


    Heibos, who had always regarded Volgas as his master, secluded himself and never showed himself in Elios again. This action had a snowball effect. Starting with Trident, it moved some of Mina¡¯s children, who felt a debt of gratitude toward Volgas, to leave one after another. And the repercussions of it left Elios weakened.


    Oudith was also grieving because of Volgas¡¯ death. To him, Volgas was the benefactor who had helped them in their fight against Nargol. As such, he definitely couldn¡¯t forgive anyone who killed Volgas. However, it was Thors who did it. And Oudith wouldn¡¯t punish Thors, his own child.


    Oudith¡¯s torn feelings caused Elios to be weakened even further due to theck of punishment andw enforcement. As such, they didn¡¯t have the time to think about the fight against the Evil Gods. Thus, the battle against the Evil Gods had never happened, keeping the world¡¯s peace intact.


    Part 4


    ¡ôDark Knight, Kuroki


    When I reached that point I stopped reading the emerald tablet.


    There were various stories recorded in the emerald tablet, and one could learn anything just by touching the panel. Moreover, the letters and images shown in it were easy to understand. As there wasn¡¯t any difference from the ones I learned in Nargol, I didn¡¯t have any problem reading the texts recorded in the tablet.


    ¡¸It¡¯s theplete opposite from what was written in the human legends huh¡­¡¹


    I unintentionally muttered my thoughts.


    To begin with, records depicting Modes as the formerrade of Oudith and the rest of the Gods of Elios didn¡¯t exist in the human legends. Thus, there was one God of Elios missing in the human legends. That was the reason that no tales about his banishment could be found in the human legends.


    In addition, there was a part in the human legends that imed that when the Gods of Elios increased the number of humans in the world, Modes became jealous of the Gods of Elios for making such a wonderful race. Thus, He sent orcs and goblins to destroy the human race.


    The legends told to the humans were the exact opposite to the history recorded in this emerald tablet. Then again, could have arisen because thend the humans inhabited now was exactly thend where the orcs and goblins used to live.


    To be honest, I had always felt that the human legends sounded like they were tailored by the gods of Elios. Of course, it was also possible that the content of this tablet was not entirely urate either, but¡­


    That kettle of life which was mentionedter in the records might be the magic tool that created Kuna. Although its form was different by the time I used it, the principle code of its operation closely resembled the kettle of life. Maybe Modes brought it with him when the Gods of Elios exiled him to Nargol?


    Then, I thought about the appearance of the Gods shown in the tablet, considering that it seemed to be important. Orgis and Nargol¡¯s appearance weren¡¯t recorded in the emerald tablet, so I had no idea of what they looked like. The same with Mina¡¯s own appearance. But, based on her children¡¯s appearances, which were close to that of humans, Mina¡¯s own appearance seemed to be close to the human race.


    On the other hand, Gods who descended from Nargol had an appearance that was the exact opposite to that of humans. Then again, it didn¡¯t mean that all of Mina¡¯s children were beautiful like the legend stated. For example Heibos, though I felt bad for him, I really couldn¡¯t say that he¡¯s a handsome man.


    The same went for Nargol¡¯s children. Not all of them were ugly. For example, Casa and Sagittarius had beautiful appearances ording to the image recorded in the tablet. Moreover, their appearances were close to those of humans despite being Nargols¡¯s children.


    Casa¡¯s upper-half was that of a beautiful woman with hairprised of feathers, countless numbers of wings grew from her back and lower-half. Meanwhile, Sagittarius looked very simr to the centaurs from his world¡¯s legend. Not only that, Nargol and Orgis also made several beautiful races as well, like the mermaid race and the siren race. Those two races were quite beautiful to behold.


    Nevertheless, I was also curious why so many legendary beings from the legends in my world appeared in this world? However, I might never find out. The truth was a mystery for now.


    While mused about that, I continued to read the content on the emerald tablet.


    After that, the weakened Elios had to face severe predicaments. After all, they had only barely won against the heavenly giant race when theypeted for the hegemony over the skies, despite the fact that the heavenly giant race was not a divine race.


    Thus, when Labrys came to Elios, precisely aiming for the time when Oudith was away, the other Gods were not able to do anything to Labrys. They were too weak to do anything.


    It was recorded that, after Labrysid waste to Elios, he returned to the Minon in, bringing with him Heibos and some dwarves, who were some of thest to try to escape. Though Oudith, who had just gotten back to Elios, fought Labrys in order to save Heibos, he failed.


    After returning to his domain, Labrys turned Heibos and his dwarven aides into his ves and forced them to make a giganticbyrinth for him. He then demanded the Gods of Elios to give Rena to him to be his wife if they wanted to save Heibos. The Gods of Elios couldn¡¯t do so though. They couldn¡¯t hand Rena over to Labrys, so in the end, they decided to abandon Heibos to the mercy of fate.


    This decision didn¡¯t sit well with the dwarven follower of Heibos, thus they realign themselves to Nargol to ask for Demon King Modes¡¯ aid. And, Modes heard and heeded the dwarves¡¯ request. He headed to the battlefield alongside his demon race.


    Part 5


    Modes strength was extremely terrifying. His power crushed the hugebyrinth that Heibos created and forced Labrys and his minotaurs to evacuate deep within thebyrinth in fear of Modes¡¯ power. However, Modes¡¯ aim was to save Heibos, so he didn¡¯t pursue the fleeing group and seeked Heibos instead. Unfortunately, while he managed to save Heibos, the same couldn¡¯t be said to Heibos¡¯ aides who were captured along with him. None of them survived.


    This event allowed Modes and Heibos to be close to one another, bing true friends in the most genuine sense.


    And with Labrys and his minotaurs gone from the Minon in to the underground, humans decided to take over the in and reside there. After obtaining a rich plot ofnds, the rate at which they increased their numbers was explosive, making them the most thriving race of this world.


    At that point, I stopped reading the emerald tablet. I looked at the magic watch made with crystal and clicked my tongue. I didn¡¯t realize that it was already thiste at night, and that I should already be back in Nargol by now.


    So, I went to the girl who was reading a book at a slightly separated ce from mine. She was reading a normal book that wasn¡¯t that much different from the books that could be found back in my world.


    Admittedly, there were some books in some human countries that seemed to be made of long thin pieces of wood strung together just like the one that was used in ancient china, but most of the countries used papers to create their books.


    And since there were paper-making tools that were made by the dwarven artisans, the price of the paper wasn¡¯t expensive either. Of course, due to the abundant Phragmites Australis in this world, most of the paper here was made from it.


    By the way, even though it seemed that most of the books in this world would never deteriorate since they were made with special magic fibres, it looked like the emerald tablet in my hand was still quite special in this world.


    ¡¸Thank you very much, Totona-dono.¡¹


    The girl looked at me when I called her name. She was an extremely beautiful girl whose hair was braided on her back. And while her appearance could be said to be quite inpared to Kuna or Rena, her beauty still almost rivaled theirs.


    She was the Goddess of Books and Knowledge, Totona. The librarian of this library, the Elios Library of Heaven. And, she was also the daughter of Goddess Faeria and the King of Gods, Oudith. In short, she was the little sister of that god of war, Thors, that caused Elios¡¯ weakening.


    Rather, ording to the tablet I read just a moment ago, he was the RING LEADER himself. Then again, the content of the tablet came from Totona¡¯s knowledge of the events.


    And, while I couldn¡¯t find any inconsistency in the record I read a moment ago, it¡¯s highly likely that the record was inurate in some aspects. Especially considering the fact that the events recorded in this emerald tablet happened prior to her birth so she didn¡¯t see them herself. Totona herself warned me about it.


    I mean, Death God Zarxis was still alive, so I¡¯m sure that there¡¯s at least one mistake in the information of this tablet.


    ¡¸Is it already time, Dark Knight? ¡¹


    Goddess Totona asked with her usual blunt tone as she took back the tablet from me. At first, I thought that she simply hated me. However, now I knew that Goddess Totona was always an expressionless girl and it had nothing to do with me personally.


    ¡¸Yes, thanks to this I managed to understand many things.¡¹


    I bowed to the Goddess Totona.


    It was the day after I received my armor from God Heibos. When I was searching through the Loughas Library, I heard that Elios¡¯ Library stored many more materials and data than his own. Thus, I asked him whether I could visit it or not. Loughas then wrote a letter of introduction for me and told me to hand it to Goddess Totona.


    He told me that Goddess Totona, the librarian of this ce, was his former disciple back when Modes was still in Elios. While Loughas followed Modes to Nargol when thetter was banished from Elios, Faeria, Totona¡¯s mother, forbade her from leaving Elios. And, being unable to defy her mother, Totona decided to stay in Elios.


    All I had to do when I met her was to show her my letter of introduction, and just like that, Goddess Totona let me read all the books of the Elios Library without reservation. Moreover, due to its location being close to God Heibos¡¯ residence, I could visit it whenever I liked without being found out. This particr library was filled with all sorts of interesting books and wasn¡¯t limited to paper-based books after all.


    For example, this emerald tablet. From what I could see, each te of this emerald could record more than a hundred thousands books. And, while I really wanted to borrow it, it seemed that even here, this type of tablet was a rarity. That¡¯s why, if I wanted to read this tablet again, I would have to frequently visit this ce. Besides, I was not done reading anyhow.


    Part 6


    ¡¸Which reminds me, Dark Knight. What happened to the Silver Haired girl from before? ¡¹


    It seemed Goddess Totona remembered Kuna from when she came along with me to this ce before.


    ¡¸Kuna¡­ has a little bit muscle ache.¡¹


    Right now, she¡¯s still sleeping off the effects of our rigorous ¡®exercise¡¯. Then again, the fault lied on Kuna herself, who brewed the ¡®tea¡¯ that caused the Ferocious Dragon sleeping inside me to awaken. Due to that ¡®tea¡¯¡¯s effect, I ended up ¡®assaulting¡¯ Kuna and the other women around me at that time.


    And, due to that effect, I couldn¡¯t restrain myself. By the time I managed to restrain myself, Kuna¡¯s body was already tattered. So, that¡¯s why she was sleeping right now.


    And I think my body was still suffering with a problem. It seemed, to me, my body was still being influenced by that drug since the Ferocious Dragon in me was still awake. Fortunately, I somehow managed to suppress it with my rationality. Unfortunately, even the smallest trigger would let the Ferocious Dragon in me spring back without restraint.


    Honestly speaking, it was almost out of control again since Goddess Totona smelt so nice.


    ¡¸Muscle ache? What happened to her? ¡¹


    Goddess Totona asked, curious.


    ¡¸No¡­. It¡¯s okay, It isn¡¯t¡­. That big deal.¡¹


    I replied, averting my gaze. Truthfully, it was an extremely BIG DEAL, but there¡¯s no way I could tell anyone about it. Nevertheless, I never expected Goddess Totona to be worried about Kuna. I mean, Kuna was rude to her during our previous visit.


    It seems Kuna simply couldn¡¯t stand Goddess Totona. Then again, she acted the same way toward Regena too.


    ¡¸I see¡­. Very well then. Come to think of it, there¡¯s something that I need to tell you.¡¹


    Goddess Totona red at me.


    ¡¸And what could it be? ¡¹


    ¡¸Rena came to this ce after you left before.¡¹


    ¡¸Rena? ¡¹


    Goddess Totona nodded.


    ¡¸Rena gave me a warning not to approach you carelessly. She most probably has a spy in Nargol. After all, she knows that you visit this ce.¡¹


    I was left in a shocked state when I heard her words. While I did consider the possibility of a spy in Nargol, I didn¡¯t know who they were working for. The only definitive fact was that I noticed there were spies around. The rest remained mysteries. Besides, in the first ce, Modes and the others were not really trying to protect their information. And, because of that, there was a huge leak of inside information to the opposing parties. And, since I didn¡¯t explicitly hide this, the fact that I visited this ce could be known by anyone in Nargol.


    ¡¸My deepest apology, Goddess Totona.¡¹


    I bowed to her.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Dark Knight? Why did you suddenly apologize like that?¡¹


    ¡¸The one who will be troubled the most by me visiting this ce should be you right, Totona-dono? It might be for better if I stop visiting this ce.¡¹


    I didn¡¯t want to bring more trouble to Goddess Totona. I mean, besides the fact that Modes only had few allies in Elios, he was in the middle of a dispute with the Gods of Elios, and Goddess Totona was part of Elios. Her standing might be affected if it¡¯s known that I, Modes¡¯ subordinate, his Dark Knight, was known to visit her library frequently. It wouldn¡¯t be a good thing at all, so I had to avoid that situation no matter what.


    ¡¸Are you kidding me! ! You¡¯re not a bother at all! ! ¡¹


    Goddess Totona suddenly raised her voice.


    ¡¸Eh¡­.. Pardon? ¡¹


    I was startled when she suddenly raised her voice like that. And I couldn¡¯t be med for being startled. After all, it was surprising to hear someone like Goddess Totona, who was always calm, raising her voice.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t give a damn about Rena. Same goes for my mother. Nor do I give a damn about the gods of Elios. That¡¯s why, please¡­. You muste again¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t hear thest part of her sentence. But, since Goddess Totona¡¯s face was already as red as a ripe tomato, I decided not to ask.


    I really didn¡¯t understand why she suddenly raised her voice. Nevertheless, I still wanted to visit this ce again.


    Part 7


    ¡¸Yes. I¡¯lle again for a visit whenever I¡¯ve the time.¡¹[ED: I THOUGHT YOU COULDN¡¯T HEAR HER WORDS?! WHY ARE YOU SUDDENLY SAYING THIS LIKE YOU HEARD IT?!]


    I smiled as I told her that.


    ¡¸I see, thank goodness¡­¡¹


    She said as a smile bloomed on her lips. This was the first time I ever saw her make such an expression and I couldn¡¯t help myself when I thought that she is super cute.


    ¡¸See youter then, Totona-dono. I have to go back since it¡¯s already thiste.¡¹


    ¡¸Wait a minute, Dark Knight.¡¹


    When I was about to turn around, Goddess Totona stopped me.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter? ¡¹


    I looked over my shoulder to Goddess Totona.


    ¡¸It¡¯s not ¡°Totona-dono¡±, just ¡°Totona¡±. And, I also wanted your permission to call you with your real name.¡¹


    Totona said with an expressionless face, but somehow I felt that she was anxious about this matter. So, I smiled to relieve her.


    ¡¸Of course. Please take care of me, Totona.¡¹


    ¡ôDark Knight, Kuroki


    When I returned to Nargol, I was greeted by the women from the demon race. ording to the record I read just a while ago, the demon race was a race that was created by Modes using the Kettle of Life with the help of fragments of Goddess Mina¡¯s body, that was provided by Heibos which might exin their beautiful appearances.


    And, ording to the story, after he was exiled to Nargol alongside his demon race, Modes decided to create the low ranked demons to help the demon race. In other words, these women were in fact the higher ranked demons of their race.


    ¡¸Wee back, Your excellency.¡¹


    Their representative greeted me, bowing in unison with the other weing women.


    ¡¸I¡¯m back, Guno-dono¡¹


    I bowed in return. The one who spoke to me was Guno, the leader of the Demon Race Female Knights, who served under me.


    ¡¸Please lift your head, your excellency! ! We are just mere servants who devoted our bodies and souls to you, your excellency! ! That¡¯s why please treat us like you would a servant! ! ! ¡¹


    Guno said with a serious look on her face. She was not the only one as the other women made the same expression as her. Even so, I could only feel a pang of regret when I saw those expressions on their faces.


    The reason was because they just happened to be in THAT ce when Kuna served me that ¡®tea¡¯. And, although they didn¡¯t bear the brunt of it unlike Kuna, I still remembered that they were still quite tattered themselves at the end. And, while they swore a pledge of absolute obedience towards me after that event, it only made my stomach hurt whenever I recalled it.


    ¡¸I¡­. I see. Thank you very much for your loyalty.¡¹


    Thus why, even as I said those words, I felt that my stomach was hurting even more. However, the women before me only made an entranced face when I said those words.


    ¡¸Hahaha¡­..¡¹


    I went into the mansion, letting out dryughter as I did so. Then, I went to Kuna¡¯s bedroom. She leaped onto my chest as soon as she saw me.


    ¡¸Wee back, Kuroki. I was so lonely.¡¹


    Kuna said with wet eyes, and that expression made my heart beat even faster than usual.


    Whoah. That¡¯s a dangerous face there. She almost awoke the dangerous Violent Dragon.


    Part 8


    ¡¸Sorry, Kuna. How¡¯s your body? ¡¹


    Kuna nodded when I asked.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll be fine next time it happens.¡¹


    Seriously, there¡¯s still a next time. I unintentionally retorted in my mind.


    ¡¸Right. Even so, you still need some rest, okay.¡¹


    I said as I carried Kuna to the canopy bed in a princess carry. I then tried toy by her side.


    ¡¸Your excellency. May I interrupt you for a moment? ¡¹


    However, before I could do so, someone knocked on the door; just after I put Kuna down on the bed.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Guno-dono? ¡¹


    ¡¸His Majesty sent a message to you. He said that there¡¯s a matter that he has to tell you about. Thus he asked you toe to the Demon King Castle.¡¹


    Modes has business with me? Just what in the world?


    ¡¸Understood. I¡¯ll be preparing myself.¡¹

 Chapter 53: Demon King and Goddess

    <h4>Chapter 53: Demon King and Goddess</h4>


    Part 1


    ¡ôGoddess of Wisdom and Victory, Rena


    ¡¸Have Shirone and the others left for the Ariadya Republic?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Rena-sama. My subordinates should be meeting up with them right about now.¡¹


    Nier told me the hero¡¯s current situation.


    Three days ago, Labrys¡¯ familiar had suddenly showed up in Elios and left immediately after handing over a magic crystal to the angel at the gate. Clueless as to what to do, the angel handed it over to Oudith.


    Oudith, who had no way to ascertain if the crystal was dangerous or not, entrusted it to Heibos, the God of Technique for examination. Heibos deemed it to be a harmless crystal with a verbal message and some images stored inside.


    As Heibos messed around with the crystal, an image of Reiji and hispanions trapped inside thebyrinth popped up as the voice uttered, ¡¸I have captured the Hero of Light. If Goddess Rena refuses to be my wife, I¡¯ll kill the hero. You have one month¡¯s time. Choose wisely!¡¹.


    After getting to know the crystal¡¯s contents, Oudith gave it to me. Now, I¡¯m worried sick as to what to do about this matter. Other than Oudith and Heibos, the angel also went around and reported to the other Gods. By the time the crystal reached my hands, the entirety of Elios knew about the crystal¡¯s contents! If only Oudith had imposed a gag order, it wouldn¡¯t have turned into such a huge problem, but he wasn¡¯t sensible enough to pass such an order. Thanks to that, I was being monitored by the other Gods who were against me going to Labrys¡¯ ce. I could sense their subordinate angels surveilling me 24/7. It was extremely troublesome.


    In the first ce, why do I need to be Labrys¡¯ wife to save Reiji? Good grief, how can you be so useless¡­ the more I think about that ipetent Reiji, the more by blood boils with anger. To be honest, I just wanted to say ¡°Let him die then.¡± The world would be a better ce if he just died.


    However, since everyone in Elios is now aware of this matter, it¡¯ll hurt my reputation if they find out that I let him die and didn¡¯t do anything to help. After all, I¡¯m reputed as a ¡®Kind Goddess¡¯ amongst the gods of Elios. I¡¯m definitely not the kind of goddess who¡¯d let her summoned hero die without trying to rescue him.


    So, naturally, I descended to the mortal world to inform Shirone and the others of the situation while continuing to monitor the situation. I didn¡¯t want to worry them so I didn¡¯t reveal his demands though.


    But then, what do I do now? Oudith is the only one from Elios who can beat Labrys. No other god, including me, can beat him. I¡¯m at aplete loss! I cannot find any solution to this.


    I heaved a sigh.


    ¡¸Rena-sama. As I thought, you really are worried about Reiji, aren¡¯t you? ¡¹


    She probably thought I was worried because I sighed.


    ¡¸Do I look like I am, Nier? ¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, I feel as if you¡¯re rather under weather ever since the Hero got captured.¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡­¡­¡­.¡¹


    Part 2


    I wanted to tell her ¡°TO HELL WITH REIJI!¡± The reason for my current mood was Kuna. Ever since I dreamt of the scene of her getting done in by Kuroki until she couldn¡¯t move anymore, I couldn¡¯t sleep at all! Even now, I be aroused at the thought of it. I wanted to tell him ¡°So sly, why did you only do that with that girl!¡± I wanted Kuroki to do the same things to me as well.


    ¡¸You really love Reiji-sama, don¡¯t you, Rena-sama?¡¹


    For some reason, everyone in Elios treated Reiji and I as if we were a match made in heaven. It¡¯s extremely troublesome when the other Goddesses ask me to introduce Reiji to them. Just what in the world are they nning to do by asking me to introduce Reiji to them if they think he¡¯s mine?


    On top of that, all the other male gods, including, Thors, were hostile towards Reiji. All the male gods inside and outside of Elios who¡¯ve tried to court me and make me their wife hate Reiji because they think that he¡¯s a hindrance to their love for me. Though it¡¯s not like I care as long as nothing happens.


    Thus, I felt that letting Reiji die would be the best choice. Because If I saved him, Thors and him might get into a fight.


    Thors is the beloved son of Faeria-sama. If something happened to that mama¡¯s boy, it would lead to chaos. That¡¯s why it was better not to let Reiji and others too close to Elios.


    After all, Faeria-sama might as well be the scariest goddess in all of Elios. Even God King Oudith was no match for her in terms of the influence and power she held. Even though she had no fighting power whatsoever, many of the Elios¡¯ gods were indebted to her, so there are only a few people who could go against her.


    Faeria-sama was also the one who raised me after the death of my mother, Melfina. That¡¯s why even I couldn¡¯t bear to go against her. And not just me, practically all of the second generation gods belonging to Holy Mother Mina¡¯s bloodline and her grandchildren were indebted to her.


    Thus, all of them also inherited Faeria-sama¡¯s hatred towards Nargol. And this ended up being the cause of the Volgas incident. Even though she was usually a gentle person, her character instantly flipped when it came to Nargol, including the allies in his faction. Casa was probably the only exception, it seems as if even Faeria-sama couldn¡¯t bring herself to hate Casa.


    But she hated all the other gods belonging to Nargol¡¯s bloodline, even if they had allied themselves with Oudith, especially Modes. However in Modes¡¯ case, it was more of a fear than hate. Faeria-sama was extremely afraid of Modes, who was even more powerful than Nargol. After all, ording to rumours, if Modes felt like it, he could easily destroy Elios.


    All of the first generation gods held the same opinion regarding it so I had no other option than to believe them. However, many gods belonging to the same generation as me didn¡¯t believe the same, since they had never seen Modes going all out. This was an extremely dangerous train of thought.


    After all, all the first generation Gods along with Faeria-sama became extremely vignt whenever they allied with Modes. However, I believe that their worries were merely needless anxiety.


    If you ask me, it¡¯s simply because Kuroki is MINE. I mean, it¡¯s possible as long as I use my beauty. After all, Kuroki, might be able to defeat Modes.


    In the first ce, as long as I have Kuroki, Reiji is a useless piece of junk. Thus, when I heard the rumour about Reiji and I being in love, my first thought was ¡¸Ha~h, are you kidding me?¡¹


    Part 3


    ¡¸Reiji and I are kindred souls in terms of defeating the Demon King, nothing more or less than that.¡¹


    I shook my head, brushing off her words.


    ¡¸But, Rena-sama¡­.. Uhhm¡­¡­¡¹


    Nier looked down at my belly.


    ¡¸Yes, you¡¯re right about that¡­. You can¡¯t help but think that I¡¯m lying to you with my stomach looking like this. But, your anxiousness for me, a goddess who fought against the Demon King is needless.¡¹


    I replied as I gently brushed my stomach.


    I¡¯d never expected THOSE events would lead to this kind of situation. Everything¡¯s Kuroki¡¯s fault. I¡¯ll have him take responsibilities for all the things he did to me and to think that the valkyries from Nier thought that Reiji was the cause of my current situation. It¡¯ll be bad for my reputation if they get to know that I got intimate with the Dark Knight of Modes, someone who was regarded as my enemy. That¡¯s why I never told Nier about my rtionship with Kuroki.


    ¡¸My deepest apologies, Rena-sama. To think that you¡¯ve already nned this far.¡¹


    Nier bowed to me. She had dedicated herself to me ever since my childhood, looks like she was really worried about my condition.


    ¡¸I¡¯m okay, Nier. Regarding this matter, Reiji and others aside, you must never tell anyone about this, okay?¡¹


    The Male Gods who were courting me for my hand in marriage would raise a ruckus once this matter was discovered. That¡¯s why I had to keep this matter secret.


    ¡¸Yes. I understand, Rena-sama. For a human to do these kinds of things to a goddess is¡­. I will make sure that no one knows about your condition. This matter is a secret between Rena-sama and I.¡¹


    I nodded at Nier¡¯s words. This matter could only be disclosed to my most trusted Valkyrie. That was how no further problems would arise from this matter, maybe.


    I caressed my belly again. No one would be able to find out about my condition as long as I wore loose clothing, seeing as it wasn¡¯t that apparent yet. Soon enough, within a month to be precise, I would be able to give birth by using magic. In the first ce, a divine race¡¯s gestation period was faster than a human¡¯s. Thus, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem.


    ¡¸Good grief¡­. To make me suffer like this. Come into being quickly, my little hero.¡¹


    ¡ôDemon King Modes


    My vassals were gathered inside the throne room. This Demon King¡¯s castle was something that was built by Volgas and Heibos back when he was still alive. The castle was avish one, made of ck marble and magic jewels which wouldn¡¯t lose to Elios¡¯ pce in terms of splendor.


    The throne room of this castle was spacious and magnificence. Whenever I see this splendour, I just can¡¯t thank Volgas and Heibos enough.


    Now then, the retainer bowing in front of me was Lord Diehart. He wasn¡¯t supposed to be my retainer though. In fact, he only had to bow and call me ¡®Your Majesty¡¯ when we were in a formal setting.


    If it was him, I wouldn¡¯t mind even if he called me by my name. However, some of my subordinates wouldn¡¯t consider it to be a pleasant matter. If I didn¡¯t act properly, it would create unnecessary conflict. This is why I allow Lord Diehart to do so, since even he didn¡¯t wish for any unnecessary conflicts.


    ¡¸Nut was captured by Reiji and the others? ¡¹


    I nodded at Lord Diehart¡¯s words. Heibos told me that Nut was captured by the Hero¡¯s party. He realized this because Nut¡¯s figure was caught in the recording that was sent to Elios. It seems as if he was captured by one of the girls in his party. Thus, he got stuck with them in Labrys¡¯byrinth as well.


    When he was caught, Nut didn¡¯t have themunication magic tool with him, probably discarded by him in fear of getting discovered by the Hero¡¯s party. That¡¯s why it was already toote by the time we noticed his situation.


    Part 4


    ¡¸That¡¯s right, Diehart-dono. Can I ask you to go to save him? ¡¹


    ¡¸Of course. After all, I¡¯m indebted to Nut too. I would have gone even without Your Majesty¡¯smand.¡¹


    Iughed when I heard Lord Diehart say so. As expected of him to be willing to save Nut even without me having to ask him to!


    I just couldn¡¯t let one of my subordinates die without even trying to save him. However, most of my other subordinates told me that there was no merit in saving such an insignificant rat. Even Mona thought that Nut was useless now that he was captured by the enemy.


    It seems like only Lord Diehart had a different opinion. Only the kind of person who was kind to everyone, no matter who they are and are extremely loyal are worthy of my trust. Although Mona thinks that Diehart might betray me someday, I could not feel any such ambition from him. Rather, he didn¡¯t seem to have any interest in the ¡°Demon King¡± status.


    ¡¸Lord Diehart, visit Heibos before you go to thebyrinth. Thebyrinth was created by him, after all.¡¹


    ¡¸Your word is mymand, Your Majesty. I¡¯ll do everything to bring Nut back.¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you very much, Lord Diehart. I guess I can leave the nning to you but please don¡¯t force yourself to do the impossible.¡¹


    ¡¸Understood, Your Majesty. I will depart immediately.¡¹


    After that, Lord Diehart immediately left, leaving behind just my vassals in the throne room.


    ¡¸May I ask a question, Your Majesty? Are you okay with losing Lord Diehart? ¡¹


    Myurenas, the owner of ck wings asked. He was a former angel who deserted the others after bing estranged from them. Now, he served under Nargol¡¯s general after dying his white wings ck. However, he was defeated by one of the Hero of Light¡¯srades, the girl known as the Sword Maiden and was under health care until recently.


    ¡¸It¡¯s absolutely alright, Lord Myurenas. If everything goes smoothly, he should die alongside the Hero of light.¡¹


    ¡¸Lord Ulbard! What¡¯s the meaning of this? He¡¯s the one who protects His Majesty! ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s exactly like I said, Lord Myurenas. His Excellency Diehart is extremely powerful, so powerful that it is dangerous. Moreover, His Excellency is a part of the Demon Race. He doesn¡¯t seem to have pledged his allegiance towards His Majesty either. It might be better for His Majesty if he died instead.¡¹


    ¡¸Lord Ulbard! Does that mean you doubt anyone who isn¡¯t a part of the Demon Race? ¡¹


    Lord Myurenas and Lord Ulbard began to quarrel.


    Lord Ulbard is the best sorcerer amongst the entire Demon race, however, his personality has a slight defect. Earlier, he used to be Loughas¡¯ subordinate however, since office work didn¡¯t seem to suit his character, he is now managing the Demon King¡¯s army.


    The reality, though, was that Loughas had simply dismissed a troublesome person who couldn¡¯t do an office-rted job. In spite of his tremendous talent in sorcery and the enormous amount of mana, his rtionship with other officials wasn¡¯t good due to his personality. His battle against the Hero of light didn¡¯t go smoothly either, all because he couldn¡¯t cooperate with the others.


    He was beaten ck and blue in a magic battle against a person known as the ck Haired Sage, therade of the Hero of the light. Although his life was not in danger anymore, it seems he still had some difficulty in walking.


    However, Lord Ulbard seems to have misunderstood something. It was true that Lord Diehart was powerful, even Labrys or any of the inhabitants of hisbyrinth might not be able to defeat him. But Lord Ulbard was not aware of Lord Diehart¡¯s strength. In fact, no one here was aware of the full extent of his power.


    ¡¸Both of you, stop your argument ! You¡¯re in front of His Majesty! ¡¹


    Lady Zephyrus, the Demon race¡¯s female knight intervened. She was Mona¡¯s aide and the leader of the Demon race¡¯s all female Royal Guard. She was supposed to escape along with Mona in case the Demon King¡¯s castle was breached in the battle against the Hero of light. However, because the Hero of light was defeated by Lord Diehart before he could even reach the castle, she didn¡¯t even get the chance to fight against the Hero of light.


    Part 5


    ¡¸Sorry, Lord Zephyrus.¡¹


    ¡¸My apologies, Lord Zeph.¡¹


    The two of them apologized to her.


    But, Ulbard didn¡¯t seem to mean it.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right. After all, Lord Myurenas, you¡¯re still in the presence of His Majesty. Same goes for you, Lord Ulbard. I, Runfeld, will shut you guys down personally if you dare show such an unsightly figure in front of His Majesty again.¡¹


    After Lord Runfeld spoke up, Lord Myurenas and Lord Ulbard shuddered in terror. Lord Runfeld was the kind of person who would do exactly as he said and let alone fight him, they couldn¡¯t defeat Lord Runfeld even if they teamed up against him.


    If I had to rank their power, the order would be Lord Runfeld, Lord Zephyrus, Lord Lyurenas and Lord Ulbard. These four were the supreme in the Demon King¡¯s army and were known as the Four Heavenly Kings.


    Under the Four Heavenly Kings, were the Eight Demon Generals. Though, in reality, there were only six generals. However, I shall refrain from mentioning this in front of the four of them.


    ¡¸Lord Ulbard, His Excellency Diehart is someone recognized by His Majesty. You shouldn¡¯t act so disrespectful towards him.¡¹


    Loughas, the prime minister who was standing beside me rebuked Lord Ulbard for his statements.


    ¡¸I undertand, Your Excellency. Prime Minister, I won¡¯t disrespect His Excellency Diehart again.¡¹


    Lord Ulbard spoke as he bowed his head.


    I really wanted to warn Lord Ulbard to be careful with his words. If he felt like it, Lord Diehart could send Lord Ulbard into oblivion in just one strike. He really shouldn¡¯t do something that could endanger his life. Well, that¡¯s what I wanted to tell him but I just couldn¡¯t bring myself to. It would have felt like I was using my position as a superior to suppress him and I didn¡¯t want to act like my mother.


    I still remember all of it, even the way my older siblings used to carefully observe my mother¡¯s expression before speaking up in order to not anger her identally. The only people delighted by her reign were probably Diadona and Zarxis.


    Even the neutral gods who didn¡¯t abide by my mother¡¯s rule didn¡¯t want anything to do with her, the Goddess of Destruction, and maintained their distance from her. In fact, they felt relieved when she was killed. After all, even the people who followed my mother did so because of fear, Loughas being one of them.


    Many gods were delighted by her death. However, it pains my heart and I still gained nothing in exchange other than the sin of killing my own mother.


    None of Mina¡¯s descendents love me. On the contrary, my existence was treated as dangerous and I was banished due to their hatred towards me. They even sent their hero to assassinate me. Well, this is probably my punishment for murdering my mother.


    The sin of killing her weighs on my mind even now. I often find myself wondering about how my mother must have felt after she realized that she was betrayed by her beloved son. I guess it won¡¯t be long before I die the same way. My breath hitched as I thought of how the Demon Race, who were like my own children might end up betraying me in the end. Even Mona might abandon me some day. Considering all of this, worrying about Lord Diehart possibly betraying me was pointless.


    In fact, Lord Diehart¡¯s situation right now was simr to mine back when I was in Elios. Despite the fact that he saved our lives, everyone still considered him a threat.


    I don¡¯t want him to go through the same thing as I did. So, I¡¯m going to do everything within my power to prevent that. But even if I say it out loud, no one will heed my words. Anyway, I detest the idea of forcing people to do my bidding by using my power.


    Even if Lord Diehart betrayed me, I¡¯d just let him end my life. After all, that¡¯s the proper ending for a sinner who killed his own mother.


    I recalled his sincere expression. Through my personal experience, I know that Lord Diehart was just like me, so I wouldn¡¯t mind if it were him who ended up killing me.


    Part 6


    That¡¯s why, Lord Diehart, you muste back alive. You must return and punish this sinful Modes.


    ¡ôDark Knight, Kuroki


    I walked down the spacious and artistic corridor of the Demon King¡¯s castle. The floor and walls were carved out of ck marble and decorated with majestic ornaments. The light emitted by the several magic jewels enhanced its beauty even more, it was as if I was walking through a gxy. I realized now why the Demon King¡¯s castle was also known as the Castle of Stars.


    Walking through the corridor helped me forget the unpleasant things from before. I recalled the audience I took part in a while ago. Ulbard didn¡¯t even try to hide his hostility towards me. Zephyrus and Runfeld seemed to be hostile too, however, their hatred wasn¡¯t as apparent as Ulbard¡¯s. The only person who didn¡¯t seem to hate me was Myurenas but that¡¯s merely because he wasn¡¯t a part of the Demon Race. Unlike the ruling ss of Nargol, the Demon Race, Myurenas is a fallen angel who betrayed Elios. Since both of us don¡¯t belong to the Demon Race, he didn¡¯t seem to hate me.


    Except for him, the other three were high ranking Daemons. Looks like they couldn¡¯t ept the fact that a mere neer like me, that just came in, gained Modes¡¯ trust and a higher position than them. In fact, even the female demon knights, my subordinates, were directing their hostility towards me.


    Well, they were Mona¡¯s former subordinates, after all. Mona clearly hated me, so of course her hatred would influence the female knights¡¯ feelings towards me as well.


    ording to Guno, Mona had ordered them to spy on me. As a result, they had witnessed the moment the Wicked Dragon inside me awakened, which made Mona and Zephyrus hate me even more. After all, it made Guno and the other female knights not want to go back to work under Mona. Ah, what should I do about this situation? [Ed: hold up, what kind of awareness is this]


    ¡¸Please wait a minute, Your Excellency Diehart! ! ¡¹


    Someone called from behind.


    When I turned around, I saw a girl running towards me.


    ¡¸Well, if it isn¡¯t General Putina. What¡¯s the matter? ¡¹


    The girl¡¯s name was Putina. Despite looking like a mere ten year old in her current form, she was, in fact, a werebear. Although I never saw her true form before, I heard that she turns into a ten meter tall bear when she transforms. She was a demon beast user, which meant she could understand the demon beasts without need for verbalmunication. Thus, she hadmand over the demon beasts army and was known as the Demon Beast General, making her one of the Eight Demon Generals.


    By the way, the so called Demon King¡¯s army was actuallyposed of armies of several kingdoms who had pledged their allegiance to Modes and thus, the army was under his direct control. Nargol was actually using feudalism as a way of governance, with Demon King Modes right at the top. Well, it just turned out that way because of the ratherx rtionship between the Demon King, the feudal lords and the vassals.


    The Karon Kingdom was a good example of this. Although Datie, the ruler of the Karon Kingdom had sworn allegiance to Modes, the goblins of the Karon Kingdom did not directly serve under Modes. In short, their vassals were not the Demon King¡¯s vassals since Karon Kingdom had its own, independent organizational structures.


    Modes doesn¡¯t interfere with their domestic affairs. The Karon Kingdom¡¯s problems are their problems, not Nargol¡¯s, so the Demon King did not intervene in their matters.


    It was the same for all the other kingdoms who had sworn their allegiance to Modes. Amongst these there were a few kingdoms of trolls and orcs who had their separate political systems. Only about thirty percent of Nargol was under Modes¡¯ direct supervision.


    However, despite rejecting a centralized authoritarian power structure, Modes¡¯ influence was, by no means, weak. His power as the Demon King was absolute, which was why there were no mutinies in Nargol.


    Part 7


    The army under Modes¡¯s direct supervision was far more powerfulpared to thebined armies of the other kingdoms.


    The Order of Dark Knights wasposed of the higher species of the Demon Race, the Daemon, while the army of eight generals wasposed of the lower ranks of the Demon race.


    The Order of Dark Knights was led by four knights who were renowned as the Four Heavenly Kings.


    And the ones who led the armiesposed of lower-ranking demon races were the generals who came from various races, known as the Eight Demon Generals.


    Putina was one of those Eight Demon Generals.


    Originally, the general of the Beast army was her mother but she perished in battle against Reiji. Putina reced her mother as the general.


    ¡¸The thing is, I wanted to express my gratitude to Your Excellency for the sweets.¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, that matter, huh? Please don¡¯t mind it, General Putina. That¡¯s also the expression of my gratitude to you.¡¹


    Putina was the one who gave me the Queen Salmon and honey when I was looking for food for Regena and the others.


    Thanks to that, I secured the meal for Regena and her rtives.


    After Regena and her rtives had gone to Shirone¡¯s ce, I made some sweets with the leftover honey and gave it to Putina, to express my gratitude. It seemed that Putina wanted to thank me for the sweets.


    ¡¸Would you make it for me again if I give you the honey, Your Excellency? ¡¹


    ¡¸Of course, General Putina.¡¹


    ¡¸YA~Y!! Thank you very much, Your Excellency!!¡¹


    Putina embraced me as she yelled so with a delighted voice.


    I caressed Putina¡¯s head.


    I didn¡¯t know her real age since she was a werebear.


    Putina looked very much like a human girl at the moment. When she asked me for sweets, her appearance was that of an innocent [loli]girl.


    So cute.


    Thanks to the sweets I assumed I had one less enemy to worry about.


    The lower ranks of the demon race didn¡¯t have much hostility towards me. Or rather, they feared the Daemon race, the high ranking one.


    That might be the reason why they easily opened up to me when I treated them kindly.


    ¡¸Oh, right!! Can I go with you too when you make the sweets? Let me help Your Excellency!! ¡¹


    Putina smiled at me.


    ¡¸Is it really okay? You¡¯re a General of the Demon King¡¯s Army. Will it be a problem if you leave your post? ¡¹


    Despite her position, she ranked lower than the Four Heavenly Kings, such as Runfeld. It would be bad if she left Nargol.


    ¡¸Well¡­ I guess I can¡¯t, then. Let¡¯s not be so formal to each other.¡¹


    Putina smiled again.


    But I really couldn¡¯t let here along since she didn¡¯t have permission to leave her post.


    As I was pondering the best way to reject her request, I sensed someone approaching us.


    ¡¸Please wait, General Putina. Your Excellency is troubled by your request toe along.¡¹


    It was a female Dark Elf.


    I couldn¡¯t find a safe area to look at her since she wore a ck bikini armor.


    She was the General of the Ghost Army, Shirley. She was one of the Eight Demon Generals from the Dark Elf race.


    Dark Elves were born from an elf who fell in love with a Daemon male. The elf woman then chased after her beloved man all the way to Nargol and lived in this ce since then, giving birth to a new race.


    It was theorized that the dark indigo color of a Dark Elf¡¯s skin was the influence of the Daemon blood flowing through their veins.


    Since they were originally Elves, they too could manipte spirits.


    But, ording to them, the spirits didn¡¯t cooperate at all when Reiji and the others attacked Nargol. They had beenpletely useless in the previous battle.


    The spirits probably didn¡¯t attack the intruders because of the presence of a powerful spirit user in Reiji¡¯s party.


    Simr to Putina, Shirley also helped me secure food for Regena and her rtives.


    The Dark Elves were the supervisors of the fruit trees and vegetable gardens of the Demon King. I received tons of vegetables and fruits from Shirley.


    Part 8


    At the time I was so delighted that I cooked some vegetable dishes from what Shirley had brought. I discovered that Dark Elves were very enthusiastic about trying out new dishes.


    We were on good terms thanks to that.


    ¡¸Shirley!! Do you realize that you¡¯re obstructing my rtionship with His Excellency?!¡¹


    Putina intimidated Shirley after she had separated herself from me. She had an overwhelming advantage in terms ofbat experience.


    Shirley¡¯s face cramped after hearing Putina¡¯s threat.


    ¡¸I am not, General Putina¡­ We are the Generals of His Majesty¡¯s army. We might receive a severe reminder from Runfeld-sama if we act on our own convenience.¡¹


    Putina stopped her threats as soon as Shirley brought out Runfeld¡¯s name.


    ¡¸Uuh¡­ You¡¯re right. Run-sama sure is scary.¡¹


    Putina was getting scared just by thinking about Runfeld. Seeing how scared she was made me sympathize with Runfeld.


    All he did was raise the discipline for the sake of the Demon King¡¯s army. He definitely wasn¡¯t a bad person. He was just scary.


    ¡¸Therefore, what do you think about taking our female subordinates, Your Excellency? I think our girls will definitely be useful for Your Excellency¡¯s night activities.¡¹


    Shirley bowed as she said so.


    Why in the world did she emphasize the night activities? I couldn¡¯t help but retort inside.


    But that would mean trouble.


    A General acting on their own was definitely bad, but a General giving in to their subordinates¡¯ demands wasn¡¯t good either.


    Guno and the other female knights would surely make a ruckus over this matter.


    I couldn¡¯t just take His Majesty¡¯s direct subordinate. Things would certainly turn into a quarrel once I took in those Dark Elves.


    The problemy in how to refuse General Shirley¡¯s offer.


    ¡¸Isn¡¯t that an interesting proposal, Your Excellency? ¡¹


    Shirley was already leaning closer to me while I was still pondering about how to reject her offer.


    ¡¸WOAH!! General Shirley!! ¡¹


    ¡¸Hey, Shirley!! Don¡¯t you realize that you¡¯re troubling His Excellency? ¡¹


    Putina also came closer and embraced me.


    Crap. I was really in a pinch. I wanted to smile when Putina embraced me, but Shirley was scary. Her tits and butt, to be exact.


    CALM DOWN¨D¨D! CALM DOWN¨D¨D! PLEASE CALM DOWN, O FEROCIOUS DRAGON IN ME¨D!


    I was frantically counting prime numbers in my head: 4, 6, 8, 1¡ª- F#ck, those aren¡¯t prime numbers.


    ¡¸Hey, what are you doing here? ¡¹


    Someone called out to us in the middle of this difficult situation.


    ¡¸FELTON!! Guede!! ¡¹


    ¡¸General Felton!! General Guede!! ¡¹


    Putina and Shirley separated themselves from me as soon as they saw those two approaching us.


    The ones who called us were Heavenly Demon General Felton and Abyss Demon General Guede.


    ¡¸It seems you guys were in the middle of flirting, I see. Can you allow me to join too? ¡¹


    Felton smiled at Shirley and Putina as he spoke to them, but his eyes weren¡¯t smiling at all. It seemed like Felton was always like this.


    He never truly smiled from the bottom of his heart, despite always wearing a smile on his face.


    Felton was a male of the Kale race. They were a lower-ranking Demon Race on the same level as the Imp and the Empusa race.


    Two bat-like ck giant wings sprouted from his back and two horns from his forehead. Their figure was closer to the depiction of the Devil from Earth.


    Felton was a warrior well versed in magic. He wore a really cool looking vampire-like robe and kept his sword strapped to his waist.


    His subordinates wereposed of lower-ranking demons. He was also the leader of the Eight Demon Generals.


    During the battle against Reiji, he went as Runfeld¡¯s second-inmand. He was also the one who carried the heavily wounded Runfeld on his back all the way to the Demon King¡¯s castle.


    Part 9


    During that time, his subordinates were annihted while trying to hold back Reiji and the others. But thanks to his subordinates¡¯ sacrifice, the Order of Dark Knights escaped destruction.


    Guede, who came along with him, was a former member of the kale race, the General of the Undead.


    He who excelled at Necromancy turned himself into the undead for a better mastery of his own power. His body was shrouded from head to toe and underneath it, there was only a mist-like ck shadow.


    Physical attacks didn¡¯t work on him, but the person himself was quite fragile.


    He was the one who led more than 1 million undead, the biggest army amongst the Eight Demon Generals.


    And yet, that army was annihted by Reiji in a second. Guede himself was almost permanently killed by Reiji if not for Modes using his magic to revive the General.


    Because they were originally from the same race, Guede often moved alongside Felton.


    ¡¸General Putina, General Shirley. Don¡¯t you think that your actions are troubling His Excellency? I think it¡¯s better if you step aside when things reach this point.¡¹


    Felton smiled at them.


    ¡¸Since His Excellency has his own business, how about I keep youpany instead? ¡¹


    Felton was getting closer to Putina and Shirley, which made both of them show an unpleasant expression.


    ¡¸Gugugu, I understand. Let¡¯s talk about this matter againter.¡¹


    ¡¸¡­. Likewise, me too.¡¹


    Putina and Shirley went away as if trying to escape from this ce.


    Felton always had a scary look on his face. His smile basically empowered his scariness. For this reason, many people ran away from him.


    But when I tried to talk to him, he was surprisingly nice to talk to. It felt like he purposely yed the bad guy role to protect the order within the Demon King¡¯s army.


    ¡¸Thank you very much, General Felton.¡¹


    I bowed to Felton.


    Part 9.5


    ¡¸Don¡¯t mention it. I really did nothing in this case. Nevertheless, you really were in a pinch just now, Your Excellency.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. I¡¯m grateful that they show goodwill toward me, but¡­¡¹


    But trying to follow me of their own convenience was bound to create trouble.


    In the first ce, I wanted to get along with them rather than living surrounded by enemies from all sides.


    I was happy for their goodwill, but such an act was meaningless if it only caused problems for those who took care of their neglected work.


    And those who had to take care of their General¡¯s work would end up hating me, too. Although I wasn¡¯t optimistic enough to try to befriend everyone, I wanted to at least avoid major disputes with the others.


    For this reason, I was extremely grateful for Felton¡¯s help.


    And Felton was also one of the few of the Demon Race who didn¡¯t hate me. Guede, who stood behind him, didn¡¯t have the same impression towards me, but he wasn¡¯t as hostile as Ulbard.


    Perhaps suspecting Felton¡¯s goodwill towards me was rude, considering his show of kindness, so I epted his actions as a pure show of goodwill towards me.


    ¡¸If Your Excellency needs some help, this Felton will always be ready to assist you.¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you very much, General Felton. I shall take my leave here.¡¹


    I bowed to Felton as I said so, and then turned around to leave.


    There were so many kinds of people in the Demon King¡¯s Army. And I wasn¡¯t the type of person who was loved by all. But I wouldn¡¯t betray anyone who showed goodwill toward me. I would help them as much as I could.


    That was why I embarked on a journey to save Nut.


    Part 10


    ¡ô Heavenly Demon General, Felton


    ¡¸How rare of you to do that, Felton. ¡¹


    ¡¸What are you talking about, Guede? ¡¹


    ¡¸The matter of His Excellency Diehart, of course. Among us, aren¡¯t you the one who regards His Excellency as dangerous the most? And here you are, worrying about him. What¡¯s the matter? ¡¹


    Iughed at Guede¡¯s question.


    ¡¸His Excellency is the one who defeated the Hero of Light, who we failed to defeat. He¡¯s also a person trusted by His Majesty. It¡¯s natural for me to worry about him.¡¹


    ¡¸Do you really think so? I feel that you have another reason.¡¹


    I really couldn¡¯t deceive Guede. I should just tell him the truth.


    ¡¸Guede¡­ His Excellency¡¯s current situation is simr to His Majesty¡¯s situation back in Elios.¡¹


    Guede tilted his head, confused.


    ¡¸Simr to¡­ His Majesty? What do you mean? ¡¹


    ¡¸Please think about it, Guede. A long time ago, when he still lived in Elios, His Majesty was regarded as a dangerous being by the Gods of Elios. Even though His Majesty was their savior. Don¡¯t you think that the Demon King of that time and the current situation of His Excellency are rather simr? ¡¹


    I still felt angry whenever I recalled that matter. How dare those sh*tty Elios Gods treat His Majesty, the one who saved their asses, like a hindrance.


    Moreover, they went as far as banishing His Majesty from Elios.


    Unforgivable.


    I¡¯d make sure to let those guys experience the same pain His Majesty did. And His Excellency¡¯s power was necessary to realize that.


    That was why I epted His Excellency as His Majesty¡¯s ally.


    It was a foolish thing to do, making him an enemy just because of stupid jealousy.


    I exined my reasoning to Guede.


    ¡¸I see¡­¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s right, Guede. And speaking of those annoying Elios Gods, they went as far as sending that annoying Hero. Just what in the hell are those idiots trying to do to His Majesty? Just because they told that Hero that His Majesty was dangerous¡­ And it¡¯s only thanks to His Excellency¡¯s efforts that nothing dangerous happened to His Majesty. His Excellency himself is building a good friendship with His Majesty. That¡¯s why we should avoid making an enemy of him.¡¹


    ¡¸I see. So that¡¯s the reason why you¡¯re worrying about His Excellency¡­¡¹


    I nodded to Guede.


    Maybe His Majesty also thought the same. Maybe he could see his own situation in Elios back then ovepping with His Excellency Diehart¡¯s current situation.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right, Guede. We must not let His Excellency suffer from the same experience as His Majesty. We shouldn¡¯t make the same mistake as those jerks in Elios.¡¹


    Yes. We weren¡¯t the same as those Elios Gods, existences that should just be eradicated by their own foolishness.


    ¡¸Uhm, I understand your consideration. By the way, Felton. Are you going to mess up those humans again? ¡¹


    ¡¸Of course, Guede. His Majesty might not wish to have anything to do with those Elios jerks, but I¡¯m different. I won¡¯t be satisfied unless I torment their beloved humans.¡¹


    Unbeknownst to His Majesty, I secretly snuck in some of my subordinates into human settlements. Naturally, it was to torment those humans.


    Things like manipting the king of a country from behind the scenes to make the citizens in his country suffer or poisoning his own citizens.


    I couldn¡¯t do it too openly since I kept this as a secret from His Majesty.


    Those Elios chaps wanted the humans to prosper. I would do my best to prevent them from reaching their goal, because His Majesty was the right sessor of this world. Soon, the time woulde for us to destroy those Elios bastards.


    I smiled from the bottom of my heart when I thought of that future.


    Part 11


    ¡ô Queen of Darkness, Mona.


    ¡¸I see, Zeph. Guno failed in her mission, huh¡­¡¹


    ¡¸My deepest apologies, Mona-sama. It seems Guno became His Excellency Diehart¡¯s ve. She is no longer useful to you, Mona-sama. This matter is entirely my fault. Please punish this one for her failure.¡¹


    Zephyr of the Four Heavenly Kings reported so to me while bowing her head.


    My n was anticipated by Diehart. [TL: It wasn¡¯t!!]


    My order for Guno and her subordinates was to find Diehart¡¯s weakness. Because no matter how powerful someone is, they surely had a weakness.


    Thus, I could quickly deal with him if heter became Modes-sama¡¯s enemy.


    Nevertheless, he made his move faster than me and turned Guno and the others into his ves.


    [TL: You know what kind of ve, right?]


    They were turned into his loyal ves in just one day after I sent them to spy on him.


    [TL: ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Good Job Dic¡ª I mean Kuroki¡¯s Little Dragon]


    ¡¸Good grief, even if they are part of the Demon Race¡­ In the end, they¡¯re just women. What a useless bunch.¡¹


    Zeph trembled once I said those words.


    I looked at Zeph with a cold, piercing gaze.


    Those good-for-nothing bunch of sluts should just die.


    Honestly speaking, I wanted to punish Zeph for her failure. But Zephy was a precious subordinate given to me by Modes to protect me.


    I had to ask Modes-sama if I could punish her. The only problem was that I couldn¡¯t find any reason to do it.


    ¡¸Well, just let them be. You may leave, Zeph.¡¹


    Zeph left the room after bowing to me.


    Good grief. Those Daemons were just useless.


    What should I do now? That man was dangerous. He enved those female Daemons in just one day.


    I shuddered just by thinking about that man turning into our enemy. If that was to happen, my dear Modes-sama would be put in real, mortal danger.


    It was still fine for now, but who knew what would happen in the future.


    Even if my fear became reality, I would definitely protect Modes-sama.


    My everything existed only for Modes-sama.

 Chapter 54: Rescue Mission

    <h4>Chapter 54: Rescue Mission</h4>


    Part 1


    ¡ôSword Maiden, Shirone


    Going to Republic Ariadya was simple enough. Chiyuki-san prepared a Dimension Gate that led to the heart of Rena Temple, located in Republic Ariadya. However, we¡¯ve never travelled through the Dimension Gate before. Because, in order to prepare the Dimension Gate, a roomrge enough to make the magic circle is needed.


    Rena Temple was perfect for this. That¡¯s why, unless there was a simr ce in other countries, we couldn¡¯t go there using the Dimension Gate. Perhaps, Veros Kingdom would be a good fit as well.


    As for why Chiyuki refused to do so, it was apparently to keep Reiji-kun¡¯s frivolous nature in check.


    Well, that¡¯s what she told me, not like I understand why she meant by it though.


    The reason we constructed a Dimension Gate to Republic Ariadya was because the country was extremely wealthy. So Chiyuki-san wanted to turn into a second base for us.


    ¡¸In short,you guys went back after escorting Reiji-kun till the 4th floor¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Shirone-sama.¡¹


    I was questioning a girl called Leylia.


    It was strange to have a girl who was supposedly older than me, kneel in front of me.


    . Le was the priest of Republic Ariadya¡¯s Rena Temple. And currently, we¡¯re in one of the rooms of the said temple.


    Not a lot of people worshipped Rena in Republic Ariadya, thus the temple was much smaller whenpared to Oudith¡¯s Temple.


    Ariadya was arge country. Each city had about ten thousand citizens. Temples of various gods were spread throughout the country, with several priests working in each temple. Rena Temple had several dozen priests, who were led by the great priest. Leylia was one of these priests. However, she didn¡¯t work in the temple.


    Leylia was an apostle. Rena was a goddess who protected humans from demons. Thus, many priests often became an apostle, who left the temple and went out to exterminate demons. In order to exterminate them in an efficient manner, she became a freedom fighter.


    We came to Republic Ariadya and met Leylia.


    I heard that she lived in the Freedom City of Teseshia, located in the north, and rarely visited Republic Ariadya. But she was here right now, and the reason for that was the person who turned Leylia into an apostle, Rena¡¯s Valkyrie. The Valkyrie ordered Leylia to cooperate with us.


    And so, we came to Republic Ariadya and met Leylia.


    She, her party, and severals party of freedom fighters were the one who became the guide for Reiji-kun in the Evil God¡¯s Labyrinth.


    She was currently kneeling in front of us along with the great priest in this room.


    She, her party and several other freedom fighters were the ones who guided Reiji-kun in the Evil God¡¯s Labyrinth. Right now, she was kneeling in front of us along with the great priest of the temple.


    ¡¸I see, then may I ask you to guide me till the 4th floor too? ¡¹


    I asked leylia.


    ¡¸Please wait a minute, Shirone-sama! ! ¡¹


    Kaya-san, who was waiting on the side suddenly interrupted.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Kaya? ¡¹


    Part 2


    Kyouka-san was surprised by Kaya-san¡¯s sudden interruption too.


    ¡¸Mdy, Shirone-sama. Our opponent is someone who captured Reiji-sama. Entering the base of such a cunning opponent without any kind of n might put your life in danger.¡¹


    ¡¸But, Kaya-san! If we don¡¯t hurry, then Reiji and the other¡¯s lives will be in danger! .¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s right, Kaya. If we don¡¯t leave immediately, then Onii-sama might lose his life.¡¹


    Kyouka-san agreed with me.


    But, Kaya-san shook her head.


    ¡¸You must not be hasty, Mdy. There¡¯s still time till Reiji-sama¡¯s execution. We might be able to pull off something till then.¡¹


    ¡¸Even if you say so¡­ Who do you think can help us in this situation, Kaya-san?! ¡¹


    I unintentionally shouted at Kaya-san.


    Her reasoning was rational, but I ended up losing my cool.


    ¡¸It¡¯s going to be impossible to rescue them if we only rely on our own power. Our enemy has captured both Chiyuki-sama and Reiji-sama. If we recklessly storm the enemy¡¯s base, we¡¯ll end up getting captured as well.¡¹


    Kaya-san spoke with an indifferent voice.


    She was right.


    Reiji-kun and Chiyuki-san were strong.


    If I enter thebyrinth without any sort of strategy, I¡¯ll end up getting captured in vain.


    But, I knew that I had to do something about this situation.


    Now that I think about it, I always recklessly charge into a situation without thinking first. This must be why Kuroki¡¯s always worrying about my safety.


    ¡¸That¡­ Is there really nothing we can do in this situation, Kaya? ¡¹


    Kaya-san shook her head. Even she didn¡¯t know what to do in this situation.


    ¡¸Our power alone isn¡¯t enough. That¡¯s why we have to ask someone else for help.¡¹


    As she spoke, Kaya looked at Regena.


    Regena was right here with us. For some reason, Kaya brought her along from Holy Republic Lenaria.


    ¡¸Uhm, what¡¯s the matter? ¡¹


    Regena was startled as she felt everyone in the room gaze at her.


    ¡¸Regena-san. Can you ask for Kuroki-sama¡¯s help? ¡¹


    Upon hearing her words, Kyouka-san and I were at a loss for words.


    I see. So, the reason why Kaya-san brought Regena-san along was because she knew that we wouldn¡¯t be able to save Reiji-kun on our own. Thus, she realized we needed Kuroki¡¯s help.


    Yes, Kuroki is certainly a powerful and reliable ally. His power is equivalent to that of a thousand armies. Regena still has some connections with Kuroki, so she should be able to contact him.


    Why didn¡¯t I think of this idea? Even though I should¡¯ve been the first one to think about this, my stupid mind didn¡¯t even consider this as an option.


    ¡¸ Master¡¯s help, it is? That¡¯s impossible. Reiji-sama is my master¡¯s and Nargol¡¯s enemy, after all. Why must he go through all this trouble to save his enemy?¡¹


    Regena replied as she kept her eyes on the floor.


    ¡¸. E-enemy? It¡¯s not like Kuroki is our enemy. He¡¯s Nargol¡¯s ally only because of that witch, Kuna.¡¹


    Despite my words, Regena still rejected our plea.


    ¡¸Shirone-sama. I won¡¯t let him go to such a ce. From what I know, thebyrinth¡¯s extremely dangerous, and you¡¯re telling me to ask my master to enter such a ce? ¡¹


    . Regena turned her face away from us.


    Despite Regena¡¯s rejection, Kaya-san smiled. However, the smile seemed to be a scheming one.


    ¡¸Hey, Regena-san. Shouldn¡¯t you use this chance to meet Kuroki-san?Aren¡¯t you the one benefitting from this situation?¡¹


    Kaya¡¯s words left her dumbfounded.


    Part 3


    ¡¸ Ugh¡­ How sly. Do you think I won¡¯t refuse if you say that¡­? Fine. I¡¯ll contact my master, but whether or not he epts is up to him.¡¹


    Reluctantly, Regena agreed with a downcast look.


    ¡¸Fufu~ Thank you very much, Regena-san.¡¹


    Kaya-san spoke with tion.


    Seeing her like that hurt my conscience for some reason. However, seeing her act like that made my heart ache for some reason. Why did Kuroki teach Regena how to contact him? Why didn¡¯t he teach me instead? I felt that Kuroki was being unfair. I should¡¯ve been the person to be taught this first!


    But¡­ I can meet Kuroki again this way. Although I felt bad for Reiji-kun and Chiyuki-san, I was happy that I had the chance to meet him again.


    ¡ôDark Knight, Kuroki


    I was on my way to visit Heibos¡¯s abode. I always pass by his ce whenever I visit Totona¡¯s library, but I never went inside to greet him since he didn¡¯t like to be bothered for no reason.


    Which is why I ended up missing the news of Nut getting captured along with the hero and his party.


    Heibos¡¯s parlor room was extremely messy, to the point that it looked like a warehouse. And currently, I was in the middle of the room, talking to Heibos.


    ¡¸ I see¡­ That underground ce, huh? Well, it¡¯s called abyrinth now. You¡¯re going to that ce?¡¹


    Heibos talked with a displeased expression, as if he was recalling something unpleasant.


    ording to the emerald tablet, thebyrinth was the greatest cause of humiliation for Heibos. That¡¯s why, it was a taboo to mention thebyrinth in his presence, to the point that no one in Elios dared to talk about it in front of him in fear of his wrath. However, even amongst the dwarvens, very few were aware of why he was so angry about it. Not even could read the record written about the humiliation that¡¯s kept in Elios¡¯ library, after all. Even I wouldn¡¯t have known about it had Totona not specifically informed me of it.


    ¡¸Yes, I need to save Nut. That¡¯s why I came to you to acquire more information on thebyrinth, God Heibos.¡¹


    I bowed to him.


    Nut was captured along with Reiji and the others. Those guys were trapped in the middle of Minon ins in thebyrinth. It was a given that Heibos, the creator of thebyrinth would know every detail about it.


    ¡¸I understand. I¡¯m indebted to that Nut fe too, after all. I¡¯ll help you as much as I can.¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you very much, God Heibos¡¹


    I bowed to him.


    ¡¸ But, Dark Knight, although it¡¯s true that I created thebyrinth, Labyrs might have modified it afterwards. I have no way to know what kind of changes he made after he took over thebyrinth.¡¹


    Heibos spoke with a troubled face.


    I guess thebyrinth right now is not the same as the original one. Fearing Modes, Labrys probably changed the entire ce into his pce. Of course, Heibos would have no idea about the changes Labrys made to thebyrinth.


    ¡¸ The change shouldn¡¯t be that drastic though. I¡¯ll be fine as long as I know the basic structure of the ce.¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡­ In that case, take this blueprint of thebyrinth with you.¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s more than enough. Thank you very much.¡¹


    I gratefully bowed to him once again. Heibos turned around and took a te carved out of a gem from the cupboard behind him. It looked like the emerald tablet. Once again, I bowed as Heibos granted me that tablet.


    ¡¸Your gratitude is enough. However, the most difficult part wille after you navigate through thebyrinth. Labyrs will be waiting in the deepest part of thebyrinth. He¡¯s extremely powerful. Are you sure you can defeat him?¡¹


    Part 4


    I felt anxious. If even Heibos went to the extent of warning me, then Labrys must be extremely dangerous.


    ¡¸Is Labrys¡­ that powerful?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, he is. He fought Modes and survived, after all.¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡­¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t disagree with Heibos. If Labrys managed to survive a fight against Modes, then he truly was powerful. I¡¯m not a match for Modes. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s more powerful than me. In fact, if I ever fight Modes, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to survive.


    My anxiety only worsened.


    ¡¸ On top of that, thebyrinth supposedly supplies an endless amount of power to him. As long as he¡¯s inside thebyrinth, it¡¯ll keep healing any wounds you manage to inflict on Labrys. How are you going to defeat him when the odds are not in your favour?¡¹


    As I pondered over Heibos¡¯ question, I thought about how Modes seemed to be relieved when I said that I¡¯d be fine. Looks like his worries were not for nothing.


    ¡¸God Heibos, do you¡­ have a n that I can use to defeat him?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s next to impossible to defeat Labrys in thatbyrinth. Modes might be the only one who can defeat him, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to let him use that power of destruction.¡¹


    Heibos said with a vexed tone.


    A long time ago, Modes entered thebyrinth in order to save Heibos. Even then, Modes couldn¡¯t defeat Labrys until he went all out. Modes himself wasn¡¯t aware of the full extent of his power. Heibos had no other option than to stop the dwarves from exacting a revenge against Labrys, all due to Modes¡¯ overwhelming power. Heibos was the one who wanted to avenge the fallen dwarves the most, since they were his beloved children. But he was unable to do so, and thus, their deaths became a painful subject for Heibos.


    ¡¸That¡¯s why, I think your best option would be to save Nut without confronting Labrys.¡¹


    ¡¸Is there a way to achieve that? ¡¹


    ¡¸Nut¡¯s on the 5th floor of thebyrinth. That ce was originally an underground garden, but looks like Labrys turned it into a prison for his human captives. The other humans he imprisoned must be there too.¡¹


    ording to Heibos, Labrys¡¯ subordinates, the minotaurs were capturing humans and turning them into ves.


    ¡¸ Do you know the safest way to rescue them from that floor? ¡¹


    ¡¸ I don¡¯t know¡­ That floor was not a prison to begin with. I don¡¯t know what it looks like now, since Labrys changed it.¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡­¡¹


    ¡¸ But one thing is for sure, the prison must be filled with loopholes, since it wasn¡¯t meant to be one in the first ce. There must be a hidden path somewhere, make use of that.¡¹


    ¡¸Well, I guess I¡¯ll have to start by looking for that hidden path.¡¹


    .


    ¡¸ Aside from that Unlike Rena¡¯s hero and his women, Nut won¡¯t be executed. Wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to save Nut after Labrys executes them?¡¹


    He¡¯s right. Labrys won¡¯t go as far as to execute Nut. I doubt he even cares about Nut¡¯s presence. It really would be better to save Nut after the Hero is executed or released.


    ¡¸ Yes, you¡¯re right. Thank you so much for teaching me about thebyrinth, God Heibos. I guess it¡¯s time for to me leave.¡¹


    ¡¸Be careful, Dark Knight.¡¹


    Heibos waved his hand as he sent me off.


    Part 5


    I bowed to Heibos once again and turned around to leave. While I was leaving, I saw a huge pile of materials on the right side of the door. Every dwarfman¡¯s workshop usually had such materials left out like this.


    ¡¸Will youe out of your hiding ce now?¡¹


    I called out to the person hiding behind the pile of materials. I noticed that someone had eavesdropped on my conversation with Heibos. A figure revealed itself as the person came out of hiding, however, their face was covered with a hood.


    ¡¸As expected of you, Kuroki. Is this the power of love?¡¹


    The person removed their hood, revealing an extremely beautiful face.


    ¡¸You jest¡­. So it was you, huh, Goddess Rena.¡¹


    For some reason, I easily recognize her presence whenever Rena¡¯s around. This was my third time meeting her. The first time was back in her temple in Holy Republic Lenaria. The second time was in Rox kingdom.


    But, something about her was different this time. The way she was looking at me was even more coquettish than before and her body was covered with thicker clothes than before.


    ¡¸ How did you know I¡¯d be here, Rena? ¡¹


    I was extremely curious about it. Judging the way she eavesdropped on the conversation, she obviously knew that I¡¯d visit Heibos¡¯ abode beforehand. It¡¯s not like she was already waiting in this ce. I wonder how she managed to monitor my movement.


    ¡¸Well, how do you think I did it?¡¹


    Rena smiled flirtatiously as she threw the question right back at me. Good grief, what on earth was this cunning goddess plotting now? I really couldn¡¯t let my guard around her.


    ¡¸ Hey Kuroki. You¡¯re going to go into thatbyrinth, right? Can Ie along with you?¡¹


    She walked closer to me as she asked me that.


    ¡¸I¡¯m not going there to save Reiji.¡¹


    I averted my eyes as I replied coldly.


    There was rumour going around the entire world that Rena and Reiji were going out. But she¡¯d never struck me as the kind of woman who¡¯d fall in love with Reiji. However, now that I¡¯ve seen how desperately she wants to save Reiji, I¡¯m convinced that the rumour was true. As expected, Nut¡¯s information can never be wrong.


    Honestly, I¡¯m extremely jealous of Reiji. I mean, he has such a beautiful goddess as his lover while at the same time, he¡¯s being waited upon by other beauties like Shirone. I want to flirt with beauties too! I¡¯m so jealous that I can shed tears of blood!


    Or at least, that used to be the case but I already have Kuna. However, it¡¯s not like I can erase my envy towards his luck with women that easily.


    That¡¯s probably why I don¡¯t want to save him. To think I was this petty¡­


    Well, it¡¯s not like he needs my help either. His party is extremely powerful. The girls in his party, and Reiji himself, are strong. Anyway, since Reiji has Shirone and the other beautiful girls by his side, I don¡¯t think I need to save him. Shirone told me not to worry about her since she was with Reiji. So if I did help, I¡¯d end up being a meddlesome third party. I should just do things in my own way.


    ¡¸ Fufu, I¡¯m not worried about Reiji, you see. I simply wish to be with you.¡¹


    Rena shortened the space between us, her face close to mine, as she gave me a charming smile.


    Part 6


    WOAH! ! TOO CLOSE! ! TOO CLOSE! !


    Although I was wearing my armor, my helmet was on my side, safely tucked away under my arm. So, my face waspletely exposed.


    That¡¯s why I was startled when Rena¡¯s beautiful face suddenly came up so close, just an inch away from mine. Is this one of her tricks to get me to help Reiji? She has no other reason to want to be with me.


    ¡¸It¡¯s so unfair! Why do you only stay with that girl? You should be with me if that girl isn¡¯t by your side. It was extremely hard for me to slip out of Elios, you know? I didn¡¯t even know when I¡¯d get to meet you next if I missed this opportunity!¡¹


    Rena suddenly wrapped her arms around mine.


    ¡¸WOAH! ? R-Rena! ! ? ?¡¹


    I was extremely troubled by this move of hers, in various ways.


    By ¡®that girl¡¯, does she mean Kuna? Since Kuna was still recovering, she was in my mansion in Nargol. It took everything I could do to finally get her to rest like a good child. She kept insisting oning along when I told I¡¯d be visiting Heibos to seek advice on the best way to save Nut.


    But, how did Rena get to know about my ns?


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go, Kuroki! If we use the dimension gate set up by Chiyuki, we can arrive immediately. We can begin the rescue operation right away!¡¹


    Rena pulled my arm, forcing me to follow her.


    I haven¡¯t even agreed with you though¡­


    However, for some reason, I couldn¡¯t bear to go against her.


    Part 7


    ¡ôFreedom Fighter Girl, Shizufae


    ¡¸HA! !¡¹


    I swung the wooden sword at Novis.


    ¡¸Woops! ! ¡¹


    But he parried my attack with his sword.


    ¡¸HEYA! ! !¡¹


    Big Sis Keyna swung her pole, aiming for Novis¡¯ side. But Novis easily dodged that swipe by jumping away.


    Both of us leaping back, opening some distance between us and Novis.


    As expected of the person known as the Hero of Fire. Even the two of us together were no match against him.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s stop¡­¡¹


    Novis rxed his stance.


    ¡¸Eh, what¡¯s the matter, Novis? ¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s not enough. I won¡¯t improve if my training opponent is Shizufae¡­¡¹


    ¡¸What did you say?! You¡¯re the one who asked me to spar with you!¡¹


    ¡¸ I mean, It can¡¯t be helped, you know. I¡¯m not close to any other swordsman other than Shizufae. Moreover, I¡¯lle out unscathed in spar against you anyway, so I don¡¯t even feel the need to go all out. This doesn¡¯t even count as training.¡¹


    Though Novis said those words with disappointed voice, there¡¯s nothing I can do to made him change his mind.


    Novis spoke in a disappointed voice. Nothing I could do now would change his mind.


    ¡¸ Geez, even if you say that now, you knew that I wasn¡¯t a match for you from the very beginning. So why did you suddenly ask me and Big Sis Keyna to spar with you?¡¹


    I¡¯m curious. This has never happened before. All of a sudden, Novis wants to be stronger? What¡¯s with that?


    However, Novis refused to answer my question.


    ¡¸That¡¯s because he saw the hero of light.¡¹


    ¡¸Big sis Keyna!¡¹


    Big Sis Keynaughed as she hugged Novis from behind.


    I let out a sigh upon hearing his reason. Looks like he still considers Reiji-sama to be his rival. But, no matter what, I can¡¯t imagine him winning against Reiji-sama. However, it¡¯s still a good thing that he wants to be stronger.


    Even Madi felt the need to work harder after she saw ck Haired Sage-sama. That¡¯s why she went to the Sorcerer¡¯s association in Ariadya.


    Currently, we were sparring in the rear garden of the Ishtar Temple. The garden was only supposed to be used by the shrine maidens of Ishtar sama, the goddess of love and beauty, to hang theirundry. However, since Ipleted a lot of requests from the Ishtar temple, I get along well with the shrine maidens. So I¡¯m allowed to use this ce.


    The shrine maidens of Ishtar temple are extremely open-minded. They warmly epted me, a follower of Faeria. If someone who followed another faith visited the Faeria temple, they would urge them to convert to their faith.


    It¡¯s rumoured that Faeria and Ishtar¡¯s followers are on bad terms with each other. But I know the truth. It¡¯s just the Faeria¡¯s followers¡¯ unjustified hatred towards Ishtar¡¯s followers. The reason lies in the difference in the two faith¡¯s teachings. Faeria¡¯s faith taught that one should only give their chastity to their husband, who in Faeria-sama¡¯s case is the God King Oudith-sama.


    On the contrary, Ishtar-sama, goddess of beauty, was the lover of several male gods. In short, their teachings contradict each other. Thus, Faeria¡¯s followers hate Ishtar¡¯s followers.


    But, I don¡¯t give a damn about their hatred, even if I myself am Faeria¡¯s follower. Moreover, unlike Republic Ariadya, the freedom city Teseshia was the heart of Ishtar¡¯s faith. Antagonizing the followers in their own city is a bad idea anyway.


    Part 8


    Keeping aside their doctrine, the shrine maidens were nice and easygoing. I came to this city when I was a child and have been indebted to them since then. That¡¯s why, I have no right toment on them.


    I mean, aside from me, even Big Sis Keyna and Novis get along with the shrine maidens. Although, Novis seems to have hit it off with them too well. Some of the shrine maidens were obviously intending to approach Novis romantically. After all, even though he¡¯s nothing in front of Reiji-sama, Novis is still an amazing man.


    ¡¸ Ha~ Don¡¯t you think you should start by looking for a proper teacher first? ¡¹


    Novis shook his head upon hearing my words.


    ¡¸I tried that option long ago. But ever since I fought with my previous swordsmanship teacher, every single training ce has rejected me.¡¹


    ¡¸Come to think of it, something like that did happen, huh? How about looking for a teacher in this city then?¡¹


    A long time ago, Novis destroyed a swordsmanship training ce. That ce didn¡¯t suit Novis¡¯ personality, but because of that, every other training ce refused to train Novis.


    ¡¸ You should try asking the hero of light to teach you, young man. He¡¯s strong, so it won¡¯t be a problem if you go all out against him.¡¹


    I looked towards the direction of the voice and found Nora-san approaching us.


    ¡¸Please stop calling me that, Nora-san. I¡¯m not a young man anymore.¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, my bad. I forget how fast a human grows in such a short time.¡¹


    And from Nora-san perspective, all human were children. I have no clue how old Nora-san is. She¡¯s probably well over hundred years old. From Nora-san¡¯s perspective, all humans are children.


    ¡¸ Novis, I think Nora-san¡¯s advice is great.¡¹


    But, even if Reiji-sama¡¯s strong, whether or not he¡¯d be willing to teach Novis was another matter. Well, it would be better than having Novis spar against us all the time.


    ¡¸You¡¯re right. But somehow, it just feels¡­¡¹


    Novis seemed reluctant.


    ¡¸Well, you aren¡¯t willing to ask the hero of light, right? How about asking the Maiden of Sword to teach you?¡¹


    Big Sis Keyna grinned as she suggested that.


    . I don¡¯t know why, but I think Big Sis Keyna hates Reiji-sama.


    ¡¸The Maiden of Sword? Who in the hell is that, Big Sis Keyna? ¡¹


    ¡¸ What?! I can¡¯t believe you don¡¯t know about her, Novis! She¡¯s the hero of light¡¯srade, you know? I heard that her swordsmanship is better than the hero of light¡¯s.¡¹


    ¡¸Is that true, Big Sis Keyna?!¡¹


    Novis yelled.


    Come to think of it, Chiyuki-sama told me about this. Other than the girl who dove into thebyrinth back then, there was another girl called Maiden of Sword in their party. If I¡¯m not wrong¡­ Her name¡¯s Shirone. Her swordsmanship is known to resemble a dance. Last I heard, she was on the move by herself. I think she should be in the northernnds right now.


    ¡¸ But¡­ What will you do to get her to teach you? Right now, she¡¯s in a distant ce, you know?¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, Shizufae, I heard she was in this region. It seems that Leylia personally met the Maiden of Sword.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, seriously?! ¡¹


    I was told that Leylia-san went to Rena¡¯s temple in Republic Ariadya for religious reasons. I didn¡¯t get the chance to ask why she needed to visit the temple, but I never thought that she was summoned by the Maiden of Sword.


    Part 9


    ¡¸I see, so the Maiden of Sword is in this region, huh? She must be a beauty, right? Ehehe~¡¹


    Novis¡¯ worldly desire was evident.


    Good grief, what the hell are you thinking about, Novis? It¡¯s extremely vexing. Well, I don¡¯t think Novis stands a chance because of Reiji-sama anyway. But there¡¯s one thing I¡¯m worried about. Just what kind of a person is the Maiden of Sword? I wanted to take swordsmanship lessons from her too. I wanted to be stronger, being weak was absolutely miserable.


    The Maiden of Sword Shirone-sama¡­ I wanted to meet her.


    ¡¸NOVI~S! ! ¡¹


    A familiar voice called out to Novis. It was our old acquaintance!


    ¡¸¡¸Justy! ! ¡¹¡¹


    Novis and I called out her name.


    Justya. Justy for short. She¡¯s our childhoof friend and the shrine maiden of Ishtar-sama. Since we¡¯re of the same age, we became acquainted after I came to this ce. We used to y together with Madi and Novis.


    Justine made a beeline towards us.


    ¡¸You should¡¯ve told me you were back the moment you returned from your mission, Novis!¡¹


    She hugged Novis tightly. It seems she hadn¡¯t met him after he returned from his mission in the north.


    ¡¸GUFUU! ! ¡¹


    It seemed like Novis was in pain.


    Justy¡¯s quite chubby and her raw power is enought to make a man lose his face in front of her. That¡¯s why Novis was in pain instead of being delighted about being hugged by a woman.


    In fact, Justy is Godan, the hero of earth¡¯s, little sister. We got to know about this matter only a few days ago. I was extremely surprised when I first heard it. Although, I couldn¡¯t deny it since she resembles her brother so much.


    ¡¸Oh my, Shizufae. You¡¯re here too? ¡¹


    Justy asked as she kept clinging onto Novis. She¡¯s always had a thing for him and for some reason, she assumed I was her rival in love. That made her hostile towards me. But something like that is impossible.


    Keeping the matter of her hostility aside, I¡¯m not pleased to hear that she didn¡¯t notice me despite the fact that I was standing right next to Novis.


    ¡¸ You didn¡¯t realize I was here the whole time, Justy? Ah, my bad! My body isn¡¯t as big as yours, after all.¡¹


    I smiled as I subtly nced at her stomach.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right, Shizufae. Since your breasts are so small, I could barely see you!¡¹


    ¡¸HAAAH! !¡¹


    My breasts definitely aren¡¯t small. They¡¯re at least bigger than Madi¡¯s or Nora-san¡¯s. On the other hand, Justy was just oversized!


    It¡¯s not like I¡¯m annoyed by that though, since her body itself was oversized. I¡¯m just vexed about herment¡­


    ¡¸What are you so proud about?! Yours are just a lump of fat!¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m not fat! I¡¯m just chubbier than the average girl!¡¹


    Justy and I red at each other.


    ¡¸Wait! Please wait! YOU GUYS ARE KILLING NOVIS!!¡¹


    Big Sis Keyna suddenly interrupted our quarrel. Upon a closer look, Novis, who was still in Justy¡¯s embrace, had started foaming at his mouth.


    ¡¸KYAAA¨D¨D¨D¨DNOVIIIS!!¡¹


    Justy immediately released him from her bear hug and shook him by his shoulders in an attempt to wake him up.


    Justy¡­ You¡¯re too awesome. You almost strangled the hero of fire to death.

 Chapter 55: Labyrinth City, Labyrinthos

    <h4>Chapter 55: Labyrinth City, Labyrinthos</h4>


    Part 1


    ¡ôck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    ¡¸How¡¯s the situation, Nao-san?¡¹


    ¡¸Doesn¡¯t seem to be good, Chiyuki-san. This ce is sealed. We can¡¯t find any exit at all. Right, Ruby?¡¹


    Nao replied as she caressed the head of a rat. It was her pet and she called him Ruby. The rat was probably named after its fiery red hair which resembled a ruby. For some reason, it seemed like Ruby had given up. He hated at first but has be dociletely.


    ¡¸I see¡­ There¡¯s none in this area too, huh?¡¹


    It¡¯s been five days since we came to this ce. Right now, Nao and I are looking for a path to descend to the lower floor. We can¡¯t use teleportation, since this floor seems to be surrounded by a barrier. That¡¯s why we¡¯re looking for a possible hidden path. Although¡­ we¡¯ve only ended up with failure so far.


    We tried escaping by digging a tunnel with the help of Rio¡¯s earth spirit, but we couldn¡¯t even make a small crack in the ground since thebyrinth¡¯s built from special materials. Only weak spirits reside in this part of thebyrinth, so it seems impossible to be able to break through the floor. In fact, the barrier even prevented Nao from using her perception to its full ability.


    We thought if webined Reiji and my magic, then it would be strong enough to break the floor. But thebyrinth¡¯s too sturdy. Even if we did manage to demolish thebyrinth, the other people here would be buried under the rubble. Thus, we were stuck.


    I was too careless when we entered that transfer magic circle¡­


    Well, we might have ended up with nothing unless we entered it. Regretting it now won¡¯t change anything. We should focus on finding our way out of this situation.


    ¡¸What should we do, Chiyuki-san?¡¹


    ¡¸Can¡¯t be helped. Let¡¯s go back to Uz.¡¹


    We decided to go back to Uz. I activated my flight magic while Nao sprouted a pair of wings from her back. Unlike Shirone¡¯s snow white wings, Nao¡¯s are pale blue and her flying speed is slower than hers as well. Nao thinks it¡¯s unfair that only Shirone gets to have angel-like wings, but I think Nao¡¯s wings are beautiful too.


    After a while, we could see the city of Uz. Because there were no demons on the 5th floor, no rampart built around the city. We descended right in the za in the middle of Uz. The people in the za started running away as soon as they saw us. Every citizen was scared of us.


    They retreated to a distance and stared at us. None of them attempted to speak to us, all because we killed the minotaurs ruling this city. The citizens feared retaliation from the minotaurs living on the lower floors.


    Part 2


    The lifestyle of the humans on this floor was no different than that of a human living outside thebyrinth.


    Uz is a city located on the 5th floor of Labyrinthos. The minotaurs live in their own city right below the 5th floor. After we came here, we learnt that the minotaurs lived in Labyrinthos and the city of Uz was built by the minotaurs and is the sole living ce for humans.


    There a total of forty thousand people living in Uz and each person is the descendant of a person kidnapped from the surface by the minotaurs. In short, they¡¯re ves to the minotaurs¡­ or rather, they¡¯re livestock.


    The humans are forced to offer sacrifices to the minotaurs. Some of them tried resisting against their tyranny but weren¡¯t capable of fighting. In the end, the ones who resisted only ended up as sacrifices. This way, they learnt that as long they didn¡¯t go against the minotaurs, they¡¯d be able to live somewhat peacefully.


    Their stone houses are fully equipped with flowing water and could rival the high-end residential buildings in Ariadya. The giant crystals that hang from their ceiling simted night and day like conditions in ordance to the time flow outside thebyrinth. The whole ce is abundant with fresh water and ntations. They even use magic to gather the dragon vein in the Minon ins in order to enrich the soil of the ins.


    It seems like the humans living on the 5th floor are reared with great care. As long as they agree to turning a blind eye towards some sacrifices every year, they¡¯ll be able to live luxuriously. Looks like their living standards are better than those living on the surface. Compared to the goblins enved by humans, they¡¯re spending an amazing life. On top of that, they don¡¯t even have to worry about any demons attacking them because of the minotaurs. They¡¯re safer than the humans living outside of thebyrinth.


    I shook my head as I made theparisons. No matter how enriched and safe their lives are, they¡¯re nothing more than livestocks. Naturally, this kind of a life was uneptable. Moreover, we needed to find an escape route. We¡¯d promised to bring back the citizens of Pahipea who were kidnapped and brought to this city, after all.


    Although, not all of them made it to the city. Some were killed along the way and a few were taken to the 6th floor. The queen of Pashipea, Euria¡¯s mother, isn¡¯t in Uz either. If she¡¯s still alive, then she¡¯s probably on the 6th floor. Currently, there are 3000 citizens of Pashipea trapped in Uz. This is less than the number reported to us. We have no clue as to why there¡¯s a huge decrease in their numbers.


    So far, every single Pashipea citizen who we¡¯ve met has had a gloomy look on their game. Well, considering the situation they¡¯re in, it¡¯s only natural. The humans who up until now were enving goblins on the surface are now mere livestock in Uz. What an irony¡­


    Nao and I headed towards the temple in the center of the city. On the gate of the temple, we found a crest with two axes criss-crossed. It¡¯s the holy crest of evil god Labrys and also the weapon of choice of the minotaurs. But it seems that no one but the ruling ss can use the double-headed axe.


    ¡¸Chiyuki-sama.¡¹


    Someone called out to me as soon as I entered the temple. I turned around to find a cute girl who didn¡¯t seem to be older than 10.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter?¡¹


    I asked with the kindest voice possible.


    ¡¸I-I brought vegetable and bread for you.¡¹


    The girl held out the basket in her hands.


    ¡¸I see, thank you.¡¹


    Part 3


    As soon as I received the basket, the girl turned around and bolted. Just like the girl who gave us this basket, the citizens are extremely afraid to approach us. I heard that, a month ago, the girl¡¯s older sister was to be sacrificed to the minotaurs, but we came and saved the day.


    I remember when she and her sister came to thank us. Ever since then, she brings food for us. Although some of them did help us, most thought that since they needed help, we¡¯d naturally save them. Even though they never wanted to save those enved goblins, they¡¯re impatient now that they¡¯re the ves.


    I entered the temple with Nao. On the top of the temple was a ten meter tall statue. It was a monster with the head of a cow, body of a human and six arms. It was evil god Labrys. We saw someone standing in front of the statue. It was a two meter tall minotaur.


    ¡¸Well, if it isn¡¯t Chiyuki-sama and Nao-sama. Wee back, moo~¡¹


    The minotaur bowed when he saw using.


    ¡¸Yeah, we¡¯re back, Zuun. Where¡¯s Reiji-kun and others?¡¹


    Zuun was one of the minotaurs who ruled over Uz. But he used to be persecuted by his fellow minotaurs. The minotaurs have a hierarchy based on strength. Thus Zuun, the weakest minotaur in thebyrinth, is the bottom feeder.


    As soon as we¡¯d arrived at the city, we fought with the minotaurs ruling the city and defeated them. At that time, Zuun grovelled before us and begged us to spare his life. And that¡¯s why he¡¯s alive right now.


    Rino used her charm magic and extracted information out of him. ording to Zuun, the door that leads to the 5th floor is a one-way door that can only be opened from outside. We also found out about their hierarchy. Amongst the minotaurs, the weak must obey the strong. It seems they have a cannibalistic nature since depending on the situation, the strong might even devour the weak ones.


    Even back on earth, the minotaur from the myth preyed on humans despite being born from the womb of a human. It seems that both the earth¡¯s and this world¡¯s minotaurs have a cannibalistic nature.


    Zuun was going to be eaten if he didn¡¯t raise the humans properly. The other minotaurs treated him so cruelly that his life was even worse than the humans in Uz. He was like the employee who managed a ck, evilpany. The living standard was below that of a human in Uz. Zuun didn¡¯t have any value as a hostage either, so he was abandoned by the others.


    ¡¸My apologies, Chiyuki-sama. I haven¡¯t met them today, so I don¡¯t know their whereabouts. Maybe they¡¯re still sleeping, moo~¡¹


    Zuun apologized to us with the usual ¡®moo¡¯. Considering his cow head, it seems rather eerie.


    Ah, what should we do now? I guess I¡¯ll think about it during lunch.


    ¡ôck Haired Sage, Chiyuki


    Save for Zuun, everyone was gathered in the dining room for lunch. We had lightly toasted bread, cheese and vegetables.


    Part 4


    Lightly toasted bread seems to be the staple food in this world. It¡¯s made with cereal flour and water, without any yeast! It¡¯s not like this world doesn¡¯t have yeast. In fact, the bread found in Japan is sold in Holy Republic Lenaria. It¡¯s just that the bread here is toasted for preservation.


    Usually, they stuff meat and vegetables between the burger and then eat it. To think I could enjoy a burger-like food in this world too. I put cheese and vegetables in mine. The cheese here is made with the milk from the goat raised on the 5th floor.


    Since they have a giant rock salt deposit on the 5th floor, there¡¯s no need to worry about the salt either. But I don¡¯t know where they get their fresh water from.


    ¡¸It¡¯s useless¡­ I can¡¯t find the secret passage leads to the outside world.¡¹


    I told everyone about our investigation¡¯s results during lunch.


    ¡¸Is that so? Well, I guess we¡¯re quite unlucky, Chiyuki. What shall we do now, Reiji-sama~¡¹


    Euria hugged him as she called out to him with a coquettish voice.


    Rino and Nao¡¯s face darkened. Even Sahoko didn¡¯t seem happy about the situation.


    ¡¸Euria-san, can you stop acting so clingy while we¡¯re having a serious discussion? ¡¹


    I red at Euria, but she didn¡¯t budge an inch.


    She tightened her embrace around Reiji. Euria was caught by the minotaurs two days ago when she was chasing Reiji through thebyrinth and was brought to this ce. For some reason, she¡¯s living in this temple and seems like she¡¯s immensely enjoying this situation too. She doesn¡¯t seem the least bit bothered about her missing mother.


    On top of that, the maid with her seemed out of ce as well. Just like Euria, she doesn¡¯t seem to be bothered about this situation. The two of them are living here as if they were born here. But, we¡¯re grateful for their hospitality since they¡¯re taking care of our meals, baths, housing etc. However, don¡¯t they feel anxious about the current situation?


    ¡¸Well, it¡¯s fine, Chiyuki. Let¡¯s just take our time.¡¹


    Reiji spoke as he bit into the apple-like fruit.


    ¡¸Wait a minute, Reiji-kun! Just how long are you nning to stay here?! ¡¹


    I shouted in rage, but despite my outburst, Reiji continued to smile gently.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Chiyuki. The minotaurs won¡¯t just sit back and watch the situation. They¡¯ll definitely do something about it, so let¡¯s just wait until then. Moreover, Shirone and Kaya are still out there. They¡¯ll do something about our situation.¡¹


    Like always, he¡¯s not bothered about our situation. I heaved a sigh. Why is he acting like a big shot? To be honest, I¡¯m disturbed by this whole situation. I¡¯m sure every sane person would feel the same way as well. But it seems like I¡¯m the only who even cares about it. It¡¯s not just Euria andpany, even Rino, Nao and Sahoko seem unperturbed.


    Looking at this way, it seems I¡¯m the only one fussing over it. Everyone else trusts Reiji, or maybe they think it¡¯s fine to stay imprisoned as long as they can stay by Reiji¡¯s side. I¡¯m sure Sahoko feels this way.


    Even though I¡¯ve only known her for a short time, I¡¯m sure Euria¡¯s the same as Sahoko. Even in such a situation, she can manage to act carefree.


    As for me, I don¡¯t have that much faith in Reiji. Even if the other girls don¡¯t care, I do. It¡¯s been 5 days since we¡¯ve been trapped in thisbyrinth. Just what will be of us?


    Part 5


    I rested my head on the dining table.


    ¡¸Chiyuki.¡¹


    A voice whispered in my ears. I turned around to see Reiji standing beside me.


    ¡¸It¡¯ll be fine, Chiyuki. Trust me. Believe in Shirone and the others.¡¹


    Reiji shortened the distance between us. My heart raced as his beautiful face came close to me. How could this be? The only thing good about this man is his face. But were it not for his phndering, I would¡¯ve fallen in love with him.


    Reiji¡¯s eyes were unusually serious. As his face got closer, I repeatedly told myself about how his face was the only good thing about him.


    Ah! I can¡¯t let this continue any longer!! My mind began to reason with itself.


    ¡¸I¡¯m fine, Reiji-kun! Something good just happened, after all!! ¡¹


    I gently pushed him away. Phew¡­ He almost had me there. Begone, you evil male!


    Even though I¡¯m not anxious, my heart¡¯s still beating loudly. But when I looked at Reiji, he was still grinning. This guy really is¡­


    ¡¸Well, now that Chiyuki¡¯s be cheerful again, shall we go to a pic tomorrow? It seems that it doesn¡¯t rain here, and it¡¯d help the others feel better too.¡¹


    ¡¸ I agreeee~¡¹


    Rino happily said yes to Reiji¡¯s suggestion.


    The 5th floor¡¯s extremely wide. It even has a hill and ake with flowers growing all around it. The light produced by the crystal is just enough to enjoy a warm pic too.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll prepare a lunchbox then. Help me with it, Nao-chan.¡¹


    ¡¸Roger, Sahoko- san~¡¹


    Sahoko and Nao enthusiastically went along with the n, but I could see them look at me from the corner of my eye. Looks like Reiji isn¡¯t the only one worried about my condition. Well, it¡¯s not like feeling down will do us any good either¡­ So I decided to cheer up.


    ¡¸Let me to help you too, Sahoko-san.¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you very much, Chiyuki-san.¡¹


    Sahoko smiled at me sweetly. It was that famous saint smile of hers. It¡¯s capable of healing the heart of anyone who sees it, including me.


    Ah, I really shouldn¡¯t stay in a slump like this. Just because there¡¯s nothing we can do for now, I shouldn¡¯t give up. I need to be strong.


    ¡¸Hehe, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had food cooked by Chiyuki. I can¡¯t wait to taste it again!¡¹


    Reiji was trying to make fun of my cooking.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t get your hopes up. It¡¯s far from Sahoko¡¯s level, after all.¡¹


    I red at him.


    ¡¸Sahoko¡¯s cooking is something that I never get enough of!¡¹


    To mock my cooking like this¡­ Hmph, guess I¡¯ll make his portion super bitter!


    ¡¸Reiji-sama~ Can I go with you too?¡¹


    ¡¸Of course, Euria. You cane along as well.¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you very much, Reiji-sama!!¡¹


    Eura jumped to hug Reiji again. All the other girls, including me, grimaced as we watched her act so frivolously.


    Well, unless something grave happens, it looks like we¡¯ll be going for a pic tomorrow. I feel bad for Shirone and the others who were left behind, but this is better than being depressed.


    And so, we continued having lunch.


    Part 6


    ¡ôDeath God, Zarxis


    ¡¸What¡¯s the meaning of this, Labrys?! Why the hell are you not giving me the hero and hisrades?! ¡¹


    I yelled at Labrys who was sitting on his throne on the 13th floor of thebyrinth.


    ¡¸What are you talking about, Zarxis? When did I promise that I¡¯d give the hero to you? The one who captured him is my daughter, Euria. So it¡¯s up to her what to do with him.¡¹


    Labrys simplyughed at me.


    ¡¸GUGUGU!¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t do anything but grumble over this matter. His daughter¡¯s the one who trapped the hero of light in thebyrinth. The bastard¡¯s daughter is even monitoring their movements. We¡¯re prepared to react immediately when and if she reports any anomaly in the hero¡¯s party. Indeed her achievement is great.


    But the barrier Labrys used to seal the 5th floor was originally mine! It¡¯s my barrier that¡¯s keeping them in there! Moreover, I¡¯m the one who helped him rebuild his underground pce and yet, this ungrateful bastard is¡­


    However, opposing Labrys in this ce isn¡¯t a good idea.


    ¡¸Then¡­ Give me the hero¡¯s women.¡¹


    ¡¸ No. Although they¡¯re nothing in front of Rena, these women are beautiful. I refuse to hand them over to you.¡¹


    He refused my request again. Ah, he¡¯sughing at me!


    ¡¸But Labyrs, what are you going to do is Rena doesn¡¯te? Even though you im that you¡¯ll let your daughter choose the hero¡¯s fate, do you really have no intention to kill him?¡¹


    That¡¯s the one thing I¡¯m worried about. Although Labrys came up with this plot to lure Rena out of Elios by using the hero as a bait, I don¡¯t think he took Rena¡¯s suitors in Elios into his calction. Could it be that he hadn¡¯t even considered a case in which Rena doesn¡¯t make it in time?


    ¡¸Of course, then I¡¯m going to behead that sh*tty hero and send his head to Elios. I¡¯ll make her understand what it means to refuse the invitation of this great Labrys.¡¹


    Ah, what a typical answer for him.


    ¡¸And what about your daughter?¡¹


    The girl called Euria or whatever her name is should be his most favoured daughter, or favourite pet, to be exact, just like the half-naked Queen of Pashipea lying by his side. Labrys is the shadow ruler of several human kingdoms in the Minon in, Pashipea kingdom being one of them. I heard that the Queen of Pashipea was presented to him by her own father when she was just a princess.


    ¡¸Why would I need to worry about Euria? This was all to lure Rena intoing here. If she turns out to be useless, I can just rece her with another woman.¡¹


    The queen¡¯s body twitched as soon as she heard Labrys¡¯ words. It seems she¡¯s aware that she¡¯ll be killed once Labrys gets his hands on Rena. Nevertheless, Labrys¡¯ daughters doesn¡¯t look like she knows that. Her egotistical nature is simr to her father. Although the daughter seems to love her father a lot, I can¡¯t feel any semnce of love or affection for her from the father. In a way, she¡¯s just like those minotaurs.


    Part 7


    Minotaurs were born from Labrys and a human female. In a way, one could say that the minotaurs are his descendants. But in reality, they¡¯re nothing more than ves in his eyes and if they dare to disobey him, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill them. That¡¯s just the kind of person he is. Nothing I say will change his decision.


    ¡¸It seems like you have something to say, Zarxis?¡¹


    ¡¸No¡­Do as you wish.¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t say anything else. Sigh¡­ I guess I have to look for another method to restore my vitality.


    ¡¸Zarxis, I heard it from Euria, you know. That hero¡¯s women are beautiful. I want to capture them as well.¡¹


    Labyrs said with a disgusting smile stered on his face.


    Good grief, what a greedy bastard¡­


    ¡¸No problem, just leave it to Ankua.¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, that spiderwoman, huh? I guess there¡¯s no problem if I leave this matter to that ugly woman.¡¹


    Right now, Ankua¡¯s spying on Rena¡¯s temple in Republic Ariadya. As soon as she suspects anything, she¡¯ll contact us. There was nothing left for me to do, so I turned around, pondering over my next move.


    ¡¸Where are you going, Zarxis?¡¹


    ¡¸I have some minor business around this region. I¡¯ll be away for a while.¡¹


    ¡¸Oh, what kind of business?¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m going to meet Diadone, her familiar told me she¡¯s going to arrive in a while..¡¹


    ¡¸Oho? And what kind of business caused the Queen of Snake toe to this region?¡¹


    The queen of snakes, Diadona is also a Nargolian like Zarxis. She was hiding from Modes on an isted ind in the southern sea before this.


    ¡¸Are you worried, Labrys?¡¹


    ¡¸ Of course. That snake woman has always hid her whereabouts and lived in seclusion, and now she wants toe back? Tell me Zarxis, why is she visiting this region?¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know, I guess she¡¯ll tell me once I meet her.¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡­¡¹


    Labrys lost all interest once I told him that. His attention went back to the live image of the situation on the 5th floor. The image showed the profile of the hero and hisrades, but I didn¡¯t care enough to watch further. As I left the pce, I thought about my own n.


    ¡ôDark Knight, Kuroki


    ¡¸Welcoome, Kuroki! Thank you foring! ¡¹


    As soon as I arrived in Republic Ariadya using the teleport gate, Shirone embraced me. Rena¡¯s apostle valkyrie had told her about the situation, so Rena wanted toe along as well. Rena linked her arms with mine and I couldn¡¯t get away from her, so I was dragged to Ariadya. Well, it was more like I didn¡¯t have any reason to push her away. After all, her soft chest was pressing against my arm.


    Unable to get away from her vice grip, I notified Regena that we¡¯d be visiting Ariadya. I asked her to get in touch with Shirone, so when we arrived, Shirone was already waiting for us.


    Although Shirone¡¯s breasts can¡¯t bepared to Rena¡¯s, they¡¯re still quite huge. I couldn¡¯t help but think about it as she stuffed my face in her chest. I wasn¡¯t wearing my helmet, so I could clearly feel its softness. They used to be so t during our childhood, but before I knew it, they grew so big.


    Ah, I¡¯m so moved by my childhood friend¡¯s growth.


    Part 8


    But I couldn¡¯t enjoy it for long since Rena forcefully pulled us apart.


    ¡¸Wait a minute, Goddess Rena! What are you doing here?!¡¹


    Despite Shirone¡¯s protest, Rena remained calm.


    ¡¸Shirone,I don¡¯t think this is the right time to be flirting around. Don¡¯t you think we should be focusing on saving Reiji and the others right now?¡¹


    Despite her serene voice, I could tell how angry she was


    It must because she¡¯s worried about Reiji¡­


    However, Shirone failed to notice Rena¡¯s anger.


    ¡¸ You¡¯re right¡­ Even though Reiji-kun is in danger right now¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I was just so happy to be able to meet Kuroki.¡¹


    But she still apologized.


    ¡¸But, thanks a lot, Kuroki. I¡¯m really d that you came to help us.¡¹


    I sighed as I looked at Shirone¡¯s smile. So it¡¯s like this now¡­ I never said that I came to help them and yet Shirone assumed that I came to help them save Reiji.


    ¡¸Goddess Rena. May I have some of your time?¡¹


    The woman who spoke is Kaya. Right now, six people are gathered in the room; Kaya, Kyouka, Shirone, Regena, Rena and me.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Kaya?¡¹


    ¡¸Why did youe here with Kuroki-sama? I thought you were reluctant to save Reiji-sama. I was extremely confused when I heard from Regena that you two would being here through the transfer gate.¡¹


    Kaya looked Rena suspiciously.


    ¡¸You misunderstand me, Kaya. I¡¯m worried about Reiji too. It¡¯s impossible for me to save Reiji alone, that¡¯s why I brought the Dark Knight along. Let me tell you, the fact that I asked the Dark Knight of Nargol for help is a secret. Understood?¡¹


    Shirone and the others simply nodded.


    Well, their reaction is a given, since I¡¯m technically Elios¡¯ enemy and shouldn¡¯t be with them. Just like Totona and Heibos, it¡¯ll be bad if the outsiders get to know about my contact with Rena. That¡¯s why we need to keep this a secret. In fact, it looks like Rena even hid it from her valkyries.


    Seems like the only ones who know my presence here are the people in this room.


    ¡¸I see¡­ Although I have lots of questions, for now, let me wee Kuroki-sama who came all the way to this ce from Nargol.¡¹


    Although Kaya didn¡¯t seem convinced by Rena¡¯s exnation, she still epted it for the time being. I¡¯m not convinced by it either. What the hell is up with this kind of development?!


    ¡¸Kuroki-sama¡­ Please allow me to express my gratitude. Thanks for epting our request to save my big brother.¡¹


    The woman named Kyouka bowed down in front of me.


    ¡¸It¡¯s nothing¡­ I mean, even I-¡¹


    What the hell is with this level of misunderstanding?! I can¡¯t even tell her I didn¡¯te here to save Reiji.


    Kyouka was staring right into my eyes. Crap, my heart is beating like crazy! A cute girl is staring at me with such intense eyes¡­


    Even though I want a cute girlfriend, I can¡¯t talk properly when I¡¯m in front of a cute girl.


    ¡¸Kuroki, you sure are fawning over her, huh?¡¹


    Shirone red at me from the side.


    It can¡¯t be helped, you know?! I¡¯ve never received such gratitude from a cute girl before. I can¡¯t keep myposure like Reiji!


    Part 9


    ¡¸Kyouka, the Dark Knight seems troubled. Why don¡¯t you get away from him for a moment?¡¹


    Rena forced her way between Kyouka and me. Despite the smile on her face, she seemed like she was sulking. Kyouka looked disappointed upon being separated from me too.


    ¡¸Youngdy, let¡¯s save the gratitude for when we break into thebyrinth and save Reiji-sama.¡¹


    ¡¸I understand, Kaya. See youter, Kuroki-san.¡¹


    Kyouka and Kaya left the room after saying goodbye.


    ¡¸I guess I should leave too, Kuroki. I still haven¡¯t contacted Leylia-san.¡¹


    Shirone left right after she said that.


    ¡¸Kuroki, I need to talk to the head priest of the temple, so let¡¯s continue our talkter.¡¹


    After that, Rena left the room too.


    The head priest of the temple is an apostle of Rena¡¯s valkyrie. The valkyries are powerful but conspicuous, however, the apostles don¡¯t stand out too much since they were originally humans.


    Rena hid the fact that she wasing to this ce from her valkyries. Well, it¡¯s better to leave this kind of a job to a former human instead of an angel anyway.


    And so, Regena and I were the only ones left in the room.


    ¡¸Regena¡­ How are you feeling?¡¹


    I asked her anxiously.


    ¡¸Yes, I¡¯ve never felt so great before. I¡¯m blessed to be able to meet you, my master.¡¹


    Regena showed me the dragon-like horns growing from her head. Her eyes lit up with a sh of golden light. Those eyes¡­ They didn¡¯t belong to a human. They¡¯re the eyes of a dragon. I always feel guilt-ridden whenever I see them. Because¡­ She¡¯s turned into my apostle.


    Because of the dragon¡¯s power in my body, Regena became my apostle. Now, she belongs to the Meryuujin race, the same species as Dragonewt. Although they look like humans, they can also assume a dragon¡¯s form. One might even say that the dragonmen are not humans at all.


    To be honest, I thought Regena would be sad knowing that she¡¯s now a monster, but she looks strangely happy about it.


    The reason I turned Regena into my apostle was so I could save her life. The day the dragon in me went berserk after I drank Kuna¡¯s tea, Regena, being the weakest woman amongst the victims that day, couldn¡¯t endure it and was almost on the verge of dying by the time I regained my sanity.


    But she couldn¡¯t be saved by healing magic, since Kuna wasn¡¯t in a state to use it after I¡¯dpletely ravaged her body. Thus, I was left with no other choice but to turn Regena into my apostle in order to save her life. And I still haven¡¯t found a method to turn her back into a human either.


    I looked at Regena. When my eyes met hers, I could easily see how happy she was.


    Everytime I see her smile, my heart aches. She can¡¯t even feel sad about her condition since it¡¯s in the apostle¡¯s nature to keep their master happy.


    ¡ôSword Maiden, Shirone


    ¡¸Shirone-sama.¡¹


    I stopped walking when I heard Kaya-san call out to me.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Kaya-san?¡¹


    I turned around to find Kaya-san and Kyouka-san.


    ¡¸This is your chance. The Silver Witch isn¡¯t around. Use this opportunity to take back Kuroki-sama. You shouldn¡¯t miss out on it.¡¹


    I shook my head.


    Somehow, Kuroki wasn¡¯t with the Silver Witch and that¡¯s the only reason why he coulde with Rena here. I don¡¯t know why they came together, but just like Kaya-san, I have several questions for him.


    For now, I¡¯m just d that Kuroki came to our help. Now I know that the Silver Witch couldn¡¯t getplete control over him. After all, he came all the way here to save us.


    So I still have a chance to take him back, but¡­


    ¡¸We can¡¯t do that, Kaya-san. I want to take Kuroki back from that woman as well, but¡­ Saving Reiji-kun is our top priority right now.¡¹


    Yes, I want to take him back, but we need to save Reiji-kun first. I mean, even Rena got angry when I hugged Kuroki like usual and forgot about Reiji and the others.


    ¡¸You sure are an honest girl, Shirone-san. I¡¯m happy you¡¯re worried about my brother, but are you really fine with putting off this matter untilter?¡¹


    Kyouka-san asked me.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Kyouka-san. I¡¯ll definitely take him back.. But, for now, we have other things to attend to.¡¹


    Kuroki will definitelye back to my side, so it should be alright to deal with this matterter.


    So as I walked, I tried convincing myself that everything will turn out alright.

 Chapter 56: Temple of Love and Beauty

    <h4>Chapter 56: Temple of Love and Beauty</h4>


    Part 1


    ¡ôDark Knight Kuroki


    I went to Teseshia along with Shirone and the rest of thepany.


    Freedom City, located in the heart of the Teseshia region wasn¡¯t a beautiful city.


    It was basically a jumble of assorted structures. The patchwork of the various buildings in one small ce resembled an old, frayed quilt.


    Synonymous with its name, everyone could enter or leave the city as they pleased.


    Some of its citizens seemed to be individuals exiled from their homnds, naturally the public order in Teseshia was quite low.


    Initially, Teseshia was a city created to amodate the influx of refugees who came to this fairly safe region.


    Even though the city was founded by the prosperous and prominent Republic of Ariadya, there was no doubt that even they regarded this city as a nuisance.


    Anyhow, Teseshia was the only city settled near the dangerousbyrinth, making it the ideal ce to escape to. Thus, Teseshia became an oasis for refugees.


    Although Teseshia was a safe haven from external dangers, it was teeming with internal issues, creating a dangerous atmosphere within the city. To this end, many male refugees chose to be freedom fighters. Rather, they were forced to take that job since there was a serious dearth of options. There was practically no other job avable.


    Anyone, regardless of their background and level of skill, could be a freedom fighter as long as they had a sword and a healthy body.


    Driven to desperation, some of the female refugees decided to be prostitutes in order to survive.


    It was also a job any woman could perform as long as they had a decent, healthy body.


    Those harlots were usually members of Ishtar¡¯s faith.


    The Goddess Ishtar was part of the trio that formed the renowned heavenly beauties along with Rena and the Goddess Faeria. She was an essential part of the twelve pirs of Elios


    The type of religion in this world was polytheism, with the humans revering the various Gods of Elios.


    The twelve pirs of Elios wereposed of


    I recalled myths about various god that were told by the human race.


    £±£®God of Law and Order, Oudith and his wife, Goddess of Marriage and Fertility, Faeria.


    £²£®God of Treasure and the Smithy, Heibos and Goddess of Love and Beauty, Ishtar.


    £³£®God of Fishery and the Sea, Trident and Goddess of Harvest and the Earth, Gena.


    £´£®God of Cuisine and Liquor, Nector and Goddess of Herb and Medicine, Fanacea.


    £µ£®God of Battle and Power, Thors and Goddess of Wisdom and Victory, Rena.


    £¶£®God of the Arts and Music , Alphos and Goddess of Books and Knowledge, Totona.


    Heibos was revered by the dwarves and the humans both.


    Due to his role as the god of wealth and treasure, he was intrinsically connected to the human race, who loved collecting beautiful and precious objects.


    Members of the dwarven race were said to be said to be intimately familiar with the process of unearthing gold or other precious metals hidden underyers of hard ground. That¡¯s why it wasmonly believed amongst the humans that worshipping Heibos, the god of dwarves, would bless you with bounty and wealth.


    Heibo¡¯s faith was so widespread that merchants and craftsmen all over the world worshipped him.


    The other gods that were part of Elios¡¯ pantheon were not as well known amongst the humans.


    The followers of the King of the Gods Oudith and his wife, Faeria were the most numerous, making their faiths the most popr and secondrgest in the realm respectively.


    It was apparent that an individual could be a devotee of multiple gods simultaneously, due to the frequent observation of people who were followers of both Oudith and Rena at the same time.


    However, some doctrines were in direct opposition with each other. Tension bubbled under the surface due to the major differences in their views.


    For example, the followers of the goddess Faeria and the goddess Ishtar. Since their creeds were fundamentally very different, the believers of these two faiths always had animosity brewing between them.


    Part 2


    Where Faeria¡¯s faith prospered, the number of Ishtar¡¯s believers decreased.


    Although both religions referred to a goddess, the theology of both goddesses differed greatly.


    Faeria¡¯s doctrine centered around the ts of a woman being a good wife and mother.


    Meanwhile, Ishtar¡¯s doctrine was the pr opposite of that, not even upholding the concept of marriage.


    Faeria¡¯s religion taught it¡¯s followers that chastity was a virtue, a treasure reserved for their husbands in the sanctity of marriage while Ishtar¡¯s followers believed it was alright to take numerous lovers- thus, she was the goddess worshipped by harlots. Faeria¡¯s devotees, on the other hand, were pure as freshly fallen snow.


    This was the main root of the conflict between Faeria and Ishtar¡¯s ideologies.


    The Goddess Ishtar and Goddess Faeria¡¯s followers were always at each other¡¯s throats. Due to this they rarely became popr and acimed in different countries.


    Even at their most sessful, they would only achieve the status of the patron saint of that country.


    In the region of Teseshia, Ishtar¡¯s faith had considerable power and influence. So much so that the Saintly harlot of the famous Ishtar temple built in the exalted Holy Salgonia Kingdom in the far west was more famous than their King.


    I was currently inside of that very Ishtar temple of the freedom city, Teseshia.


    The exnation for the particrly odd choice of meeting ce was that one of Rena¡¯s priests who would serve as our guide happened to be here.


    From this situation, I came to the conclusion that Ishtar¡¯s disciples and Rena¡¯s disciples weren¡¯t on bad terms.


    Ishtar temple might be the most prominent building in this city. Ishtar¡¯s temple might have been the most eminent building in Freedom City.


    ¡¸The conflict won¡¯t settle down, huh¡­.¡¹


    I unintentionally uttered those words under my breath.


    The site of our conve, the illustrious temple of Ishtar was a shrine to the multifaceted deity who was the icon of love, beauty and courtesans. Along the way towards the conference situated deep within the temple¡¯s enclosure, I saw several scantily d women. They probably were some of Ishtar¡¯s devotees.


    Ironically, the temple of the Goddess Ishtar was a ce forbidden to men, despite the fact that many followers in the temple were prostitutes.


    The inns around Ishtar¡¯s temple might exist for that kind of fishy business.


    Though they shouldn¡¯t provide explicit services in the middle of the day, I began to doubt my assumption when I heard them say that the rendezvous location was akin to a love hotel.


    It seemed that Ishtar¡¯s temple used to be a brothel once.


    Of course, the manager was a man.


    Once, one of Ishtar¡¯s apostles happened to be visiting the brothel and was appalled, nearly flying into a furious frenzy upon witnessing the abusive treatment of the courtesans.


    Led by Ishtar¡¯s apostle, the prostitutes rebelled against the pimp and assumed control over the brothel.


    From that point of time onwards, the brothels fell under the management of Ishtar¡¯s Temple. The brothels¡¯ management by the temple was morex than one would generally assume.


    The temple and the brothels had a rtionship of mutual aid.


    For the most part, they allowed the brothels a great deal of freedom, only enforcing 2 rules ¨C no woman should be forced to be a harlot and those who abuse harlots would be severely punished.


    Additionally, anyone who acted unjustly against disciples of the goddess Ishtar were said to bear the goddess¡¯s curse of impotency. With the looming threat of ending their bloodline and legacy, no man dared to abuse Ishtar¡¯s harlots. Rather, they were treated as if they were goddesses themselves. This particr temple belonging to the goddess Ishtar was splendidly built, its ornate designs funded by the generous donations of the patrons ¨C in actuality the gentlemen who were their customers. When we were walking through the temple, I caught glimpses of gilded illustrations of the goddess and ornaments which seemed as beautiful and delicate as the women who resided here.


    ¡¸Kuroki. You absolutely mustn¡¯t follow one of these women if they call out to you.¡¹


    I sensed a sharp re from the left and looked over to see Shirone whispering to me in a low voice, her face stormy.


    I had no intention to follow them from the beginning, However the atmosphere of this ce made me curious as to who would choose such a strange meeting ce.


    Part 3


    The mysterious person in question was none other than Rena¡¯s priest who maintained a favorable rapport with the authorities of the Ishtar temple. The reason for this alliance was due to the fact that Rena had no temple in Teseshia dedicated to her.


    This might have been because Rena¡¯s temple had been built sovishly in other city states including the Republic of Ariadya, which had a strenuous rtionship with Teseshia.


    Throughout the expanse of the city, you would not be able to find a single temple dedicated to the Goddess Faeria due to the apparent animosity between their followers.


    ¡¸Yes. I will be angry if you take their invitation you know.¡¹


    On my right, Rena warned me, her beautiful face somber.


    Why would she give the same warning as Shirone?


    The thick dark cloth of the hood cast shadows on what portions of her face were visible. Things would get chaotic andplicated if the others got to know that she had descended into the mortal realm so she kept her head low and her countenance neutral, hiding her face.


    She was currently apanied by herbat priest and the priest of her temple ¨C nked by two apostles of her Valkyrie.


    Such an entourage, trailing after her gave her an aura of importance and leadership. She was considered no less than a VIP. In fact she exuded the aura to a point where some of the harlots began whispering amongst themselves quickly. ¡°Who is that eminent person? ¡° They gossiped furiously amongst themselves when they saw Rena.


    I should try to make myself less conspicuous


    The premise under which we were concealing my identity was that I, Kyouka¡¯s valet, was escorting her to the temple. Such an important individual like the hero¡¯s younger sister could not go unapanied after all.


    To blend in and maintain my cover, I wore slightly threadbare clothing and carried her luggage. Naturally, I left my sword behind. I would have been an idiot to carry something so conspicuous when I was going undercover. This disguise should be convincing enough to deflect attention from myself.


    The secret was kept under tight wraps.The truth of my identity was only known to Kaya, Kyouka and Shirone. Not even the convoy of priests apanying Rena were told of my identity.


    ording to Rena, the priests who were escorting her until our arrival numbered in the hundreds, which established the need for a spacious and enormous conference room.


    Also, though Regena was also part of our currentpany during our journey to Teseshia, she went to oversee the delivery of our luggages to the inn where we nned to stay tonight.


    The reason being that the temple of Ishtar wouldn¡¯t offer shelter to non-believers.


    Men could technically stay on the temple premises so long as they had been recognized and granted permission beforehand. However, until now, there had never been such a case.


    Thus, we chose an inn near the temple, merely a few moments away.


    The purveyor of Rena¡¯s temple-someone called Tormalkis, was apparently the one who arranged our lodging.


    We arrived in the sought after room after walking along the lengthy corridor for a while. The room was very wide and spacious, it seemed to function as the temple¡¯s multi-purpose auditorium.


    The men and women gathered there were dressed in shabby and frayed clothing, a couple of them sported fresh scars, They readjusted their posture, standing at attention when we entered the room. They looked like freedom fighters. Were these people the guides prepared for us?


    I felt a strange nagging feeling when I looked at the freedom fighters. It was odd, I mused surveying their numbers, there were more of them present than I had expected.


    Did they know who would being beforehand? If so, then how?


    In the foremost portion of the crowd stood thebat priest, Leylia. The shield she was carrying was etched with Rena¡¯s crest. With the exception of two men, all of herpanions were women.


    Someone who appeared masculine amongst the other women, how were they rted to Ishtar Temple ?


    ¡¸We¡¯ve been waiting. Kyouka-sama, Shirone-sama.¡¹


    Laylia, the highly decoratedbat priest knelt down on one knee in front of Kyouka.


    It seemed as if Kyouka was regarded as the leader of our group.


    How queer. Leylia should¡¯ve realized Rena¡¯s presence in ourpany due to her apostle status. Instead, she kneeled in front of Kyouka, due to the order of the angel who had turned her into an apostle.


    Part 4


    With Kyouka standing in front of us, the rest were standing beside Shirone and Kaya. Whereas, both Rena and I were standing even further away from the gaze of both thebat priest and the priest of Rena temple.


    Although Rena looked truly ethereal, all she needed to do to make it seem as if Kyouka was the group¡¯s leader was to stay in the back of the formation herself.


    ¡¸ Since our preparation isplete, when would we be able to explore thebyrinth, Leylia-san?¡¹


    Asked Shirone.


    ¡¸That¡¯s¡­.¡¹


    It seemed that the woman named Leylia was having a hard time answering that question. She looked nervous, unconsciously worrying her lip between her teeth.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter?¡¹


    ¡¸The truth is¡­ parts of thebyrinth¡¯s surface are currently upied by lizardmen.¡¹


    ¡¸Lizardmen? I¡¯ve heard it was upied by cockatrice before?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes¡­the truth is¡­¡¹


    Leylia hesitantly exined the situation.


    Originally, portions of the surface area of thebyrinth served as the habitat of the cockatrices. Unfortunately, they almost went extinct after Reiji and hispany had hunted them during the previous expedition. Their numbers were never able to recover properly after that ordeal. Thus, that ce was now upied by the lizardmen who had escaped from the arena.


    The Lizardmen originally lived in the Quiche river and attacked the boats that passed by. They were the culprits of many sunken ships, sending sailors to their watery graves. But that didn¡¯t mean that they remained only in the depths of the river. Apparently, they¡¯ve chosen the surface of thebyrinth as their home onnd.


    These Lizardmen were attacking the humans who entered thebyrinth.


    It seemed as if the freedom fighters were also having a hard time defeating them.


    ¡¸If I¡¯m not wrong, lizardman is that huge human-like reptile, right?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, mdy. They¡¯re a species ofrge bi-pedal lizards..It appears that some superior members of the species have evolved and have developed a pair of wings that allow them to fly. However, the lizardman in their story didn¡¯t seem to be one of the superior kind.¡¹


    Just as Kaya had said, the lizardman was a demi-human that was a disturbing cross breed between human and lizard.


    Lizardmen lived in the wends, south of Nargol.


    Additionally, one of the Eight Demon Generals is a High-Lizardman, the superior species of lizardmen.


    High-Lizardman had a pair ofrge,scaly dragon-like wings that let them roam the skies freely.


    They were also warriors equipped with extremely high intelligence.


    Thinking about the High-Lizardman made me recall the Dragon Demon General, Liburm.


    As a High-Lizardman, he was totally reverent towards the dragons.


    That might be the reason why he paid such respect to me when he saw that I rode Glorious, my partner.


    Upon Reiji and hispany¡¯s arrival at the Demon KIng¡¯s pce, Liburm was tasked with protecting the pce along with Zepyrus. But then, he didn¡¯t get the chance to fight Reiji at that time since I had already defeated Reiji in front of Demon King¡¯s pce.


    ¡¸Lizardman huh¡­. Well both Kaya and I shouldn¡¯t have a problem facing them. Let¡¯s go out to thebyrinth and crush them all.¡¹


    Shirone said nonchntly..


    Indeed, defeating the lizardmen was a piece of cake for Shirone andpany.


    But¡­


    ¡¸Please wait a minute, Shirone-sama¡­. Can you wait before attacking those Lizardman?¡¹


    I called out to Shirone in a small voice, aware of my current menial position as their attendant.


    Shirone and co were looking in my direction when I voiced my request..


    Sadness was etched on Shirone¡¯s face when she saw me bowed deep before her.


    ¡¸What exactly is the matter, Kuroki? We have to hurry to save Reiji kun!¡¹


    Shirone impatiently asked me. Clearly, she didn¡¯t have any doubt that exterminating those lizardmen was the right thing to do.


    However, my train of thought ran in the exact opposite direction, I couldn¡¯t help but question whether it was okay for us to kill those lizardmen?


    I couldn¡¯t deny that this world was entirely ruled by onew : survival of the fittest.


    I couldn¡¯t stop a wolf from eating sheep, it was their instinct, inherently part of their nature. In the same way, I could and would not stop humans from exterminating dangerous demons that threatened their survival.


    Part 5


    Again, I stopped, sensing a slight discrepancy in this matter.


    Why did those lizardmen make a nest on thebyrinth¡¯s surface anyway?


    After all, this area wasn¡¯t supposed to be a suitable habitat for the Lizardmen.


    The lizardmen were caught and brought to fight in the arena to provide entertainment for the humans. They weren¡¯t caught in a battle for survival, so why would they be doing all this?


    They were apparently attacking every human they came across after their escape from the arena. That¡¯s what would prompt Reiji or Shirone as people who had sworn to protect humankind, to exterminate the entirety of the lizardmen without even considering the root cause of the situation.


    They would attack regardless of the reason that prompted this turn of events since they believed that was the right thing to do.


    I¡¯m different from them however, I¡¯m a Dark Knight. Perhaps since I was summoned to this world by Modes, I find it hard to ally with the humans.


    Moreover, there was also the matter regarding the Demon Dragon General, Liburm. Thus, I couldn¡¯t just blindly agree with the idea of exterminating the lizardman.


    Most importantly, it¡¯s not like we have to exterminate all of the lizardmen in order to save the hero. Rather, we only need to move them to a different ce while we enter thebyrinth.


    ¡¸No¡­. We can¡¯t be so reckless, blindly charging into our enemy¡¯s territory. The better option would be to check the surrounding areas first. ¡¹


    I mused under my breath.


    ¡¸Eh¡­. But, Reiji-kun is¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸Stop for a second, Shirone!.You might just end up in the same situation if you rush in like this. Let¡¯s make a n and proceed carefully.¡¹


    From behind me, Rena pitched in too.


    ¡¸Shirone-sama, Re-¡­ I mean Grand Saint-sama is right. Who will go to save Reiji-sama if we¡¯re caught by our enemy too? Also, this city has a map of thebyrinth . Maybe we should check the surrounding area of thebyrinth, just to be sure.¡¹


    Kaya also shared the same opinion as Rena and I.


    Rena¡¯s identity was disguised as the Grand Saint since she came incognito.


    ¡¸Hmm¡­ I understand.I¡¯ll wait for a while¡­.¡¹


    Outnumbered, Shirone reluctantly agreed thanks to Rena¡¯s and Kaya¡¯s opposition.


    Based on the impatient, rhythmic stato of her foot tapping the floor, I was sure that she was ready to rush into thebyrinth at a moment¡¯s notice.


    Before, Kaya was the one who stopped her from doing such dangerous things.


    Even so, I had never heard any rumors of Shirone going through a dangerous experience either here or back in our world. So someone must have been acting as a foil for her impulsiveness. I wonder, who was the one who curbed her rashness when she travelled with Reiji and hispany ?


    ¡¸Uhm! Sword Maiden, Shirone-sama! Please hear my wish!!¡¹


    Suddenly, from within the crowd, a freedom fighter raised his voice.


    It was a red haired young man whose age didn¡¯t seem that different from my own..


    ¡¸Hey, Novis!! You should choose the right moment to say something like that!!¡¹


    The girl on his right side elbowed him in the gut sharply, trying to stop him. She failed. Deftly, he caught her arm, quickly addressing her before continuing on with his request.


    ¡¸Be quiet, Shizufae!! Shirone-sama, please make me your disciple!!!¡¹


    The man called Novis bowed to Shirone.


    The rest of us were rendered simply speechless by this unexpected development.


    ¡¸ Novis-san, this is not the time for this ! You should¡¯ve requested that of Shirone-sama after we rescued Reiji-sama and co!! My apologies, Shirone-sama. Let me introduce the both of you properly. This man is the Hero of Fire, Novis. It seems he feels some sort of rivalry after witnessing the splendid way Reiji-sama had fought. Anyhow, he¡¯s an impressive hero, that¡¯s why¡­¡¹


    Leylia bowed to Shirone.


    ¡¸After seeing Reiji-kun, huh. Well, I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡¹


    Shirone agreed happily. Well, I guess any girl would be proud and happy if the man that they¡¯re in love with was praised this much. Although a great deal of men despised Reiji, not all men hated him. In fact, he had amassed a sort of a fanclub,now the target of admiration of many men who wished to be both as strong as him and as popr with women.


    Could it be that this Hero of Fire called Novis was also that kind of man?


    ¡¸Will you teach me then!!?¡¹


    Novis was looking at Shirone with a gleaming, greedy look in his eyes.


    Part 6


    ¡¸Uhm¡­. I¡¯m actually unsuited to teaching others. That¡¯s why¡­ Sorry.¡¹


    Shirone bowed to Novis.


    She was right about her teaching skills. Despite her talent in the art of swordcraft, teaching someone was another challenge altogether. Shirone didn¡¯t seem to have either the patience to themunication skills required to teach well.


    ¡¸Then.. allow me to be your attendant!! I¡¯ll do everything you need, from cooking to cleaning!!¡¹


    Novis bowed to Shirone again.


    I see, he probably wanted to get close to Shirone by bing her attendant in order to convince her to teach him.


    He was like an annoying fly buzzing around, it seemed as if he had no intention of backing down.


    ¡¸Sorry. I¡¯m not in the need for an attendant at the moment.¡¹


    Shirone was smiling wryly at Novis.


    ¡¸T-Then, you can fire that pipsqueak and made me your attendant!!!¡¹


    Novis suddenly spun on his heel and pointed a finger at me.


    I was extremely surprised when he suddenly pointed at me.


    ¡¸You¡­. What are you¡­..?¡¹


    Shirone also looked shocked by the sudden turn of events.


    ¡¸Judging by your appearance, you don¡¯t seem to be that strong or have any special skills other than carrying around Shirone-sama¡¯s luggage. That¡¯s why I¡¯m more useful and fit to serve her than a weakling like you!!¡¹


    Said Novis, full of self confidence.


    ¡¸Wait a minute, Novis¡­..!!¡¹


    The woman who stood beside Novis was now stopping him.


    She was a woman with majestic long hair. Her appearance resembled that of the shrine maiden of Ishtar¡¯s temple.


    ¡¸Shut up, Shizufae!!! I want to be stronger!! That¡¯s why I¡¯ll do everything I can for her to teach me swordcraft!!!¡¹


    Shoving her aside, Novis forced his way towards me.


    ¡¸Oi, Old man!! Let me to take your ce as her attendant!!¡¹


    Novis called me ¡°Old man¡±. My hand twitched at my side, I was almost ready to teach this brat a lesson.


    Hic¡­ Did I really look that old with adding just a few smudges of dirt on my face that I used for this attendendance disguise ?


    ¡¸My bad, you weak old man!! Unlike the likes of you, I want to be stronger!!¡¹


    Then, he tightly grasped my cor.


    ¡¸What the¡­.?¡¹


    ¡¸In the end, you only became her attendant to curry favor with the hero of light, right ?! That much is crystal clear. I mean, you didn¡¯t even bring a sword with you!!!¡¹


    Honestly, I was burning with vitriol inside me, there was so much I wanted to retort back in this situation. It was nothing less than a miracle that I was able to hold my tongue.


    To begin with, it isn¡¯t as if I wanted to follow Shirone and herpany. I didn¡¯t want to help them in the first ce but they forced me toe along.


    Why the hell is the guy using me of all this out of the blue ?!?!


    My heart felt heavy and a dark emotion threatened to overtake my heart.


    ¡¸Stop right there!! What do you think you¡¯re doing to Kuroki!!!¡¹


    ¡¸Shirone-sama!! Unfortunately, I¡¯m too familiar with such people.I¡¯ve seen too many of these kinds of people!! This guy is the kind of guy who will do everything to curry favor with powerful people. His sole ambition is to use their authority for his own gain!!¡¹


    Novis was loud and adamant, forcing Shirone to ept his impromptu, made up reasoning..


    Do I¡­. really make that kind of impression?After hearing his opinion about how I appeared to others, I was astounded.


    Somehow, I managed to keep this murky dark feeling reined in and locked in my chest. My throat felt tight, as if the effort of holding back the emotion was suffocating me.


    That was so close.


    It felt like the shackles of my emotion, my self control had snapped due to that strange tea Kuna made for me.


    In this case, it was more like an explosion of wrath rather than lust.


    ¡¸P-¡­ -Please¡­ Stop¡¹


    I stuttered pitifully, my voice beseeching as I called out to the both of them.


    Part 7


    I wanted to stop the outburst that would surely result from these feelings building up..


    I forcefully shut down the dark emotions that were overflowing inside my heart.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Shirone-sama! Allow me to punish this sh*tty old man!!!¡¹


    Novis swung his fist toward me.


    Too slow. Although dodging his attack was a piece of cake, I purposefully let his fist hit me.


    His fist collided directly with my face. Forget about pain, the impact wasn¡¯t even enough to cause me to flinch.


    And then matching the timing of his punch, I made myself fall in an unsightly manner. I remained syed across the ground motionlessly, ying dead.


    ¡¸Learn from this lesson and don¡¯t dare to approach Shirone-sama again!!! Well then Shirone-sama, since I¡¯ve taken care of that pest make me your attendant!!!¡¹


    Bragged Novis.


    When I opened my eyes by a fraction to take a peek, Novis wore a blindingly bright smile as if he had just performed a heroic deed.


    ¡¸What are you talking about¡­. Do you expect me to praise you after casting such baseless usations upon Kuroki?¡¹


    Shirone¡¯s voice trembled with anger.


    The atmosphere of the room instantly changed. .


    A pair of wings sprouted from Shirone¡¯s back.


    As her wings pped, the power they emitted made the air in the room tremble.


    ¡¸U-Uhm¡­ Shirone-sama?¡¹


    Novis anxiously called out to Shirone.


    It seems he realized that he just angered Shirone.


    It¡¯s been a long time since I saw Shirone this angry.


    ¡¸Have you ¡­. calmed down a little bit now?¡¹


    I saw Shirone¡¯s hand had retracted, her fingers wrapped firmly around the pommel of her sword.


    ¡¸HIIIIIIIIII!!!¡¹


    The Freedom Fighters were raising a riot.


    ¡¸Please Shirone-sama!! Wait! Please don¡¯t kill him!!!¡¹


    Kaya, who had stayed in the background until now, immediately blocked Shirone¡¯s path.


    ¡¸Calm down, Shirone-san!!!¡¹


    Kyouka was also participating in the effort to restrain her and had grabbedShirone¡¯s arm with all her might.


    ¡¸Everyone!! Please stop Shirone-sama!!!¡¹


    When one of the priests who stood beside Rena gave that order, the others moved to surround Shirone immediately.


    ¡¸What are you guys waiting for?! Leave this ce right now!!¡¹


    Kaya shouted to the Freedom Fighters.


    All the Freedom Fighters left the hall at the speed of light. They ran as if their lives depended on it, which to be fair¡­it probably did. Only Novis remained, standing as still as a statue, a dumbfounded look on his face.


    ¡¸Novis, what the hell are waiting for ?!Get going immediately!! Please forgive his actions today, Shirone-sama!!! I¡¯ll make sure to thoroughly scold this idiotter!!!¡¹


    The woman called Shizufae doubled back to where Novis stood frozen and forcibly dragged him along with her as she left the hall.


    Though I could only see her back from my vantage point, it was clear that Shirone was extremely pissed off.


    ¡¸Are you alright, Kuroki?¡¹


    Someone called my name in a gentle l voice.


    When I opened my eyes, I saw Rena hade to my side.


    And then, I felt something soft on the back of my head.


    ¡¸Eh? R¡­. Rena?¡¹


    My head was pillowed on Rena¡¯sp.


    Though her face was hidden beneath her hood, I could almost sense her smile as she looked down upon me.


    I could still hear the muffledmotion as the priests previously surrounding Rena swarmed to restrain a furious Shirone. In a big wave, they swept her far away, until all I could hear were the fading sound of footsteps.


    Rena¡¯s clear voice emanated from above me as she slowly stroked my hair.


    ¡¸I¡¯m so sorry Kuroki. All of this happened because we had to hide your identity ¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry¡­ It¡¯s not like he can hurt me¡­.¡¹


    Part 8


    As I¡¯ve said before, Novis¡¯ powers werent even strong enough to leave a trace. He posed no more danger than a mere pesky bug. The reason I restrained myself from attacking him in retaliation wasn¡¯t for Rena¡¯s sake. Rather, I was sure that once unleashed, my rage would have both as uncontroble as the Tsunami that often hit Japanese shores. My actions weren¡¯t really worthy of Rena¡¯s immense gratitude.¡¸Nevertheless, won¡¯t you let me nurse you till you feel better ? It¡¯s once in a blue moon that all eyes aren¡¯t on us anyway.¡¹


    While cradled in Rena¡¯s arms, I could feel her whole body trembling as she spoke.


    Since Rena¡¯s followers had congregated to stop Shirone¡¯s imminent rampage, it was silent. We were in our own peaceful bubble.


    My world was reduced down to Rena in that moment. The gentle floral fragrance that she emitted, the warmth of her arms and the softness of her embrace.The left side of my face was literally buried in her unbelievably soft breast.


    The sensation was so divine that I admitted to myself that being hit wasn¡¯t actually that bad. Screw that! It was so worth it. I was basically in seventh heaven at the time.


    Rena¡¯s embrace doused f the ck fire that raged in my heart.


    When I was peacefully surveying the rest of the group, I saw Shirone was still chasing that irritating freedom fighter before Kaya stopped her in the nick of time..


    Well then, what should I do now? I began to devise a n to help the lizardmen while enjoying thefort of Rena¡¯s pillowy breast.


    ¡ôFreedom Fighter Girl, Shizufae


    We gathered in a nearby shop after we left Ishtar¡¯s temple.


    This bustling store was a famous restaurant managed by a former prostitute . It was popr among the women at the temple of Ishtar for its satisfying beverages, mouthwatering entrees and kitsch aesthetic.


    In fact, the majority of the store employees were women, Justy among them.


    The childrens raised in Ishtar¡¯s temple were required to find work once they reached a certain age. Prostitution wasn¡¯t their only choice, they could apprentice in any trade as long as they could support themselves.


    Both Justy and her big brother, Godan were also part of the weing party who had gathered to greet Shirone-sama when she had just arrived. Although Justy was a beautiful and a cheerful young woman, her brother¡¯s towering presence scared away all her suitors. Justy¡¯s options for work were limited since she couldn¡¯t be a harlot.Eventually, she chose to work at this restaurant, where she was currently employed..


    ¡¸Hey Novis! What are you going to do now that you¡¯ve angered Shirone-sama!?¡¹


    This table was particrly rowdy ¨C the seated patrons were all scolding and criticising Novis¡¯s recent actions.


    It was just as Novis had said, in this immoral world, it wasn¡¯t umon for people to approach powerful figures with selfish motives. Those people only cared about how they could reap the benefits avable by simply staying at their side.


    In fact, in the past, some people had approached Novis for that very reason.


    That person forced themselves into Novis¡¯ social circle. In the face of their forceful words, Novis was helpless, They becamerades.


    That person then swaggered around, brandishing his status as a friend of the Hero of Fire to get countless perks.


    At first nce, these kinds of people seemed annoying yet harmless. However, they had the potential to cause a lot of trouble. So it was only reasonable that we be cautious since we couldnt discern an individual¡¯s motivations and character easily.


    The person who got punched by Novis had a good looking face. Thus I understand why he apanied Shirone-sama.


    ording to Novis¡¯s beliefs, a majority of handsome men were scumbags. Maybe the attendant was one of them. After all, he¡¯s someone who was trying to utilize both his proximity to the Hero of Light and Reiji-sama¡¯s fame for his own profit. Yes, surely Novis would not punch someone without a decent exnation ¨C the attendant must have been that kind of a person. However, that wasn¡¯t a good enough justification for his violent behaviour..


    As Novis himself sat down at the table with a nk expression he seemed like the shell of a man. It was as if his soul had already left his body. Seeing him so unresponsive to the endless wave of disapproval voiced by the others, I grew concerned despite my anger.


    It seems receiving Shirone-sama¡¯s killing intent was a heavy blow for him. He seemed greatly disturbed by the degree of Shirone-sama¡¯s anger. If she wasn¡¯t restrained, she would have killed him. That was crystal clear to everyone present on the scene.


    But it would be troubling if he didn¡¯t get a grip of himself soon.


    ¡¸Hello, Novis!?¡¹


    I shook him roughly by his shoulders.


    Part 9


    ¡¸Oh, it¡¯s just Shizufae huh¡­¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s not ¡°Oh¡±, you idiot¡­. Geez, get a grip already.¡¹


    I really wanted him to start thinking already.


    ¡¸Nevertheless, that¡¯s quite an amazing disy of wrath¡­. I mean the extent of her emotion when she unsheathed her sword was enough to shake the auditorium. As I thought, I really have to be her pupil.¡¹


    Said Novis whileughing.


    What a pain in the ass, this idiot¡­ clearly didn¡¯t learn from his mistake.


    I eyed Novis with an exasperated expression etched on my face. Novis is the epitome of narcissism. At this point, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he thought that he was the center of the world.


    ¡¸Wait a minute, so you¡¯re not giving up on that foolish idea of bing her student? Reflect on your actions, You¡¯re clearly angered Shirone-sama.¡¹


    I¡¯ve had enough. Utterly fed up with this idiot, I didn¡¯t mince my words.


    ¡¸ What the hell are you going on about, Shizufae? I¡¯m not giving up just yet!¡¹


    Novis raised his fist high in the air with a huge smile on his face as he shouted.


    Was he still under the impression that he wasn¡¯t in the wrong for punching that poor man? He truly was delusional if he believed Shirone-sama would ept him as her student after his outburst.


    ¡¸Listen to me, Novis¡­seeing the way Shirone-sama reacted, I don¡¯t think the guy you punched is just a mere attendant.¡¹


    Big sis Keyna made a good point.


    Shirone-sama¡¯s behavior after the man got punched by Novis made me believe it wasn¡¯t a trivial matter.


    There was a very real possibility that he wasn¡¯t actually an attendant.


    ¡¸But think about it. There¡¯s no men amongst Hero of Light¡¯srades, right?¡¹


    Said Godan, who was sitting with us.


    After discovering he was actually Justy¡¯s older brother, I had made an effort to get to know him better. Contrary to his intimidating aura, he had a very kind and gentle personality.


    He made a very valid observation though- all the other members in the Hero of Light¡¯spany were indeed female..


    ¡¸Exactly!!! There¡¯s no way that asshole is the Hero of Light¡¯srade!! Tell us Leylia, who exactly is that bastard !?!?¡¹


    Novis interrogated Leylia-san.


    ¡¸They¡­ They never told me much about that man. He just suddenly appeared out of nowhere and started serving as Shirone-sama¡¯s attendant. I heard that he¡¯s one of Shirone-sama¡¯s old friends though¡­¡¹


    Leylia-san replied while slowly shaking her head in confusion..


    ¡¸Old friends huh¡­ What¡¯s their rtionship then exactly? Perhaps they¡¯re actually lovers?¡¹


    Madi chirped brightly, grinning ear to ear.


    ¡¸No, that¡¯s impossible, Madi. Shirone-sama is one of Reiji-sama¡¯s lovers after all.¡¹


    I immediately shot down Madi¡¯s guess.


    I waspletely positive that all the women around Reiji-sama would be his lovers..


    ¡¸They might not be lovers but I have no doubt that he is a special person to Shirone-sama. I¡¯m sure that he is a precious friend of hers. Shouldn¡¯t you go and apologize to that man, Novis ?¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, why do I have to apologize to him, Nora-san?¡¹


    Novis asked quizzically as he tilted his head in confusion. It appeared as if he seriously believed he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong.


    Novis has always been like that from a long time ago, a selfish man who simply didn¡¯t care about his surroundings.


    I really hated this side of Novis.


    He¡¯s really kind towards girls, he¡¯d go to any lengths and brave all kinds of dangers simply to protect a helpless maiden.


    That was the reason why many girls, including Justy, loved Novis.


    However, I don¡¯t think that Shirone-sama would ever fall for Novis. I mean, since she had Reiji-sama at her side, why would she even nce at Novis, whose strength paled inparison?


    ¡¸Haa, at this rate I don¡¯t think Shirone-sama will ever teach you swordsmanship, what would you do then?¡¹


    I told him while shooting a withering re. Absorbed in only himself as usual, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he was oblivious to my death re.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry Shizufae. I can¡¯t imagine her being so angry t on the behalf of a mere attendant.In fact, that disy of strength might even change her perception of me. Yes, I¡¯m sure after witnessing my impressive strength, she¡¯ll change her mind..¡¹


    Novis continuously rambled on, head high in the clouds.


    Part 10


    ¡¸I wonder¡­.¡¹


    I was puzzled, tilting my head in confusion. I mulled over it momentarily, furrowing my brows in deep thought. I mean, Shirone-sama seemed ready to kill him on the spot.


    Most importantly, I didn¡¯t think that his actions could be excused even if the one he hurt was in fact, a mere attendant.


    ¡¸Want to be acknowledged, huh? Shall we start by eliminating the lizardmen??¡¹


    A mysterious voice suddenly interjected.


    Upon turning towards the source of the voice, I saw two men sitting on the bench next to us.


    When had they even arrived? Apparently, I was engrossed in the conversation to the extent that I didn¡¯t even notice the arrival of a third party.


    The deep, melodic voice belonged to a tall man with chai colored hair. The scar spanning one side of his cheek only added a plus to the energetic wild atmosphere around him.


    Judging from the bow on his back and the sword strapped to his waist, he was probably a freedom fighter from a distantnd. Hispanion was an androgynous man with a shock of sky blue hair. He also had a spear strapped to his back, they were most likelypanions, I guessed.


    ¡¸Well, look who the cat dragged in. What did you imply just now, Zefa? ¡¹


    Big Sis Keyna drawled as she abruptly stood up, ring at him all the while.


    ¡¸Sup, it¡¯s been a while, hasn¡¯t it Keyna?¡¹


    The man beamed as he turned to address her.


    Hmm¡­Zefa. Somehow the name rang a bell.


    Wait, Zefa¡­as in the Hero of wind, that Zefa? He was big sis Keyna¡¯s former partner.


    Big sis Keyna alwaysined about his wandering eye. Apparently, he was a known casanova and phnderer, to the point that he was seen with a new woman every week. Basically, Keyna had nothing good to say about him.


    ¡¸Sup¡¯, my foot. How¡¯s your condition? I heard that you got your ass kicked by centaurs.¡¹


    Come to think of it, I had heard that he was badly injured in his recent attempt to subjugate the centaurs. Had he really healed already ?


    ¡¸Oh please, spare me. Don¡¯t remind me of that, Keyna¡­¡¹


    Zefa immediately turned somber upon hearing big sis Keyna¡¯s words..


    ¡¸Come to think of it, what happened to those women who were frolicking after you 24/7?¡¹


    ¡¸¡­¡­¡¹


    Upon her continued pursuit of an answer, Zefa averted his gaze, unwilling to respond to her question.


    ¡¸I see¡­ BWAHAHAHAHA, SO THEY LEFT YOU AFTER YOU LOST TO THOSE CENTAURS! SERVES YOU RIGHT!! For once in your life, learn from your mistakes and wise up. Stop toying with women¡¯s hearts.¡¹


    Big Sis Kenya was cackling like a witch.


    Zefa seemed to be annoyed by herugh.


    Looks like they didn¡¯t patch uppletely, it was definitely a far crypared to how their rtionship used to be. Zefa and big sis Keyna used to berades in arms before they became freedom fighters. They worked together like a well oiled machine, years of experience allowing them to move in unison. They used to enter the depths of thebyrinth together. It was almost legendary, hushed whispers of their stories were spoken of among the new recruits.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t tease him anymore, big sis Keyna. And this gentleman over here is?¡¹


    I snuck a brief nce at the man sitting alongside Zefa.


    ¡¸I¡¯m the Hero of Water, Nephim. It¡¯s a honor to meet you, mademoiselle.¡¹


    Afterpleting his greeting, he gracefully kneeled on one knee and took my hand.


    ¡¸WHA!?¡¹


    Novis let out a surprised squeak as Nephim gently took my hand.


    The Hero of water, Nephim. I¡¯ve heard about him before. He used to be a famous freedom fighter in the inlet, west of Seird.


    ¡¸You¡¯re the Hero of Water, Nephim-sama? Is it really true that you were defeated by mermen?¡¹


    When I asked him that, Nephim suddenly let out a frustrated groan.


    ¡¸Kekek..¡¹


    Novis, I can hea~r you snickering, you know?


    ¡¸Hahaha¡­ You really are merciless, mademoiselle.¡¹


    Nephim¡¯s voice had lost all its brightness as he let my hand slip away from hisx grasp. Hisugh seemed artificial and his smile didn¡¯t seem to reach his eyes.


    ¡¸So¡­what business do the Heroes of Water and Wind have with us??¡¹


    A booming voice echoed across the room as we all swiveled to look at Godan, who was leaning against the frame of the door. A wary expression was evident from the downturn of his mouth and the furrow of his brow.


    So I asked myself. ¡°Us¡­meaning our party too?¡±


    ¡¸You¡¯re Godan right? The Hero of Earth? Please help us exterminate the lizardmen.¡¹


    Zefa asked mirthfully, breaking into a chuckle after uttering his statement.


    ¡¸Exterminating the lizardmen? What exactly are you getting at, Zefa?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s simple, Keyna. From what I¡¯ve seen, it¡¯s clear as day that things won¡¯t end here.¡¹


    Zefa paced back and forth, frustration radiating from his every movement as if it was too much to be contained within himself.


    ¡¸I get it, of course it wouldn¡¯t look good if a person awarded the title of ¡®hero¡¯ was defeated so easily.¡¹


    Big sis Keyna vocalized as she slowly nodded her head in understanding.


    Zera and Nephim had fallen out of public favor as quickly as a shooting star. They were regarded as ipetent failures by the general popce after their recent failed mission, in which they couldn¡¯t manage to subjugate the centaurs.


    So they wanted to clear their name?


    ¡¸Yes! We have to regain our lost honour!!¡¹


    Nephim punctuated his statement when his fist mmed the surface of the desk with all his might.


    My hand faltered upon hearing his confident promation..


    Regain their honor? How the hell are they going to do that?


    I assumed that someone would rebut this ridiculous idea. Yet, to my surprise, no one interjected and Zefa continued exining his foolhardy idea.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right!! I heard that the Sword Maiden just came to this city, right? Let¡¯s beat those lizardmen before her to restore our honor!!¡¹


    Zefa dered enthusiastically. In his hopes to regain his honor, he seemed a bit mistaken.


    ¡¸Oh, I see now. You¡¯re in a hurry since you¡¯re afraid that you¡¯ll lose your chance if Shirone-sama exterminates those lizardmen before you.¡¹


    Big sis Keyna mused while scratching her butt.


    Her unwomanly action bothered me. She went against Faeria-sama¡¯s teachings so nonchntly.


    ¡¸Exactly, Keyna. Beforeing here, I heard from Ishtar¡¯s shrine maiden that the Sword Maiden would being here to immediately exterminate the lizardmen herself. Although I¡¯m confident that I can handle them on my own, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have back up. That¡¯s why I think the four of us heroes should work together.¡¹


    ¡¸Is that why you guys were asking for our help?¡¹


    ¡¸Correct, Novis. I heard that you want to get the approval of the Sword Maiden, Shirone-sama? Your status as the Hero of Fire clearly isn¡¯t enough, you need to actually show your strength. You need to make more effort to get her respect. Join our subjugation effort. We can¡¯t let the Hero of Light always steal the spotlight and outshine us right? We¡¯re also powerful heroes in our own right. Well, what do you think, isn¡¯t it a fitting way to restore your honor?¡¹


    Zefa¡¯s speech was eloquent and appealed to both Novis¡¯s ego and jealousy..


    ¡¸ Definitely. I also want to regain my honor and reestablish my position. This kind of chance to demonstrate my usefulness to Shirone-sama onlyes around once in a blue moon. I¡¯m in, let me join you guys!¡¹


    In his haste, Novis rose from his seat so quickly that it nearly toppled over. Zefa¡¯s idea seemed to have brought about a renewed sense of vigour within him.


    ¡¸Hero of earth, Godan, you¡¯ll join our mission too, right?¡¹


    Godan nodded immediately.


    ¡¸Great. Those lizardmen are really starting to be a problem for the association. Anyway I can help them, it is fine by me. Let me join your mission.¡¹


    Godan was led astray too.


    I looked around. Big sis Keyna, Madi and Leylia showed varying degrees of frustration on their faces. Big sis Keyna was gritting her teeth, trying not to curse while Madi just pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed resignedly. Leylia rubbed at her temples tiredly. We were long suffering from such hare-brained schemes. So much so that none of us were shocked upon viewing the recent chain of events. We were disappointed but not surprised.


    The four heroes then yelled. ¡¸FOR HONOR!!¡¹


    I could feel a headache begin to take root as they cheered.


    ¡¸We¡¯ll continue the meeting tomorrow. After all, it¡¯s quitete now. Everyone should rest well and we¡¯ll reconvene here again in the morning. Alright?¡¹


    The three other heroes nodded as they agreed with Zefa¡¯s decision.


    ¡¸It¡¯s been decided then. Shizufae, big sis Keyna, let¡¯s go exterminate those lizardmen tomorrow!!¡¹


    Novis chirped happily, a bright smile on his face as he looked over at Keyna and I.


    Wait a minute¡­


    ¡¸Us¡­too?¡¹


    Unbidden, the words came tumbling out of my mouth before I unleashed a string of curses under my breath. Well, I guess someone had to keep this idiot and his new found friends alive somehow.


    ¡ôDark Knight Kuroki


    ¡¸We will leave then, Sword Maiden. Don¡¯t hesitate to call for us if you need anything.¡¹


    The woman named An took her leave, closing the door with a slight thud..


    An was actually Tormalkis¡¯s wife- the one who had prepared for our stay at this inn. Since Tormalkis was the purveyor of Rena¡¯s temple, An had unfettered ess to the temple.


    After I fell ¡°unconscious¡± due to Novis¡¯s assault, I was brought to this ce. The room that had been prepared for me exceeded my expectations. It was more spacious than a normal attendant¡¯s lodging. I shifted slightly on the sizable double bed. Regena was the one who had prepared this room for me.. It seemed she did the best she could, for my sake.


    Rena hurriedly chased away her shrine maiden since she wanted to discuss something. The shrine maiden clearly disapproved of my presence but was rendered speechless against Rena¡¯s unyielding order. The five of them -Shirone, Kaya, Kyouka, Rena and Regena gathered around where Iy in bed in a semicircle formation.


    ¡¸You can open your eyes, Kuroki, It¡¯s safe.¡¹


    I pulled myself up effortlessly when I heard Shirone¡¯s words. My head lolled back as I sighed, leaning casually against the sturdy, oak headboard.


    ¡¸Being attendant sure is hard¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸In that case, don¡¯t disguise yourself. Especially as an attendant, of all things. We can just just tell him that you¡¯re a newrade and recently joined our group.¡¹


    Shirone eximed with fire in her voice.


    It seemed that she was still agitated regarding the day¡¯s events. She was angry on my behalf, for receiving such terrible, unjustified treatment.


    I observed her attitude detachedly- I had never regarded Shirone or any of the other members of herpany as myrades. At the end of the day, it was Reiji¡¯s opinion that ruled supreme. I had a nagging feeling that Reiji wouldn¡¯t ept me. Instead of being treated as arade and a part of the group, I would most likely end up being an outcast as the party followed Reiji¡¯s example.


    Part 12.5


    ¡¸That would end up making me seem even more conspicuous¡­some people might even go as far as to do a background check on me.¡¹


    But I refused her suggestion.


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    Shirone¡¯s face had fallen and judging by the pout on her lips, she seemed dissatisfied with my answer.


    ¡¸He¡¯s right, Shirone. Kuroki should stay undercover for my sake. Besides, not only is this disguise the most believable cover we coulde up with but also, it was Kuroki¡¯s idea in the first ce.¡¹


    Rena added with a gentle smile, her face glowing with happiness.


    Indeed, the entire motivation behind the strategy of hiding my actual identity was for Rena¡¯s sake. I hoped to make her feel even just the slightest bit indebted to me. That was my true goal along this journey. It was all nned out. If I could sessfully aplish my mission, I could prevent future conflict. Because, as long as Rena gave up on the idea of killing Modes, I wouldn¡¯t have to destroy Reiji once we met on the battlefield. I was sure that it would end up resulting in a fight to the death. Either Reiji would survive or I would. There¡¯s no way I would lose though, it¡¯s not my time yet.


    ¡¸Hey, Kuroki¡­you seem to be getting along really well with Rena, don¡¯t you?¡¹


    Shirone swerved to shoot me a scornful re, her eyes burning with a barely suppressed anger.


    To be honest, even I had no idea how we reached this point.


    Her attitude towards me might have changed upon my agreeing to save Reiji. I mean, I certainly couldn¡¯t think of any other reason other than that.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s shelve that aside for now. Shall we start with the discussion about the course of action we¡¯ll take regarding the Lizardmen?¡¹


    ¡¸It seems as if you¡¯re deliberately trying to divert the conversation, but alright¡­we¡¯ll change the topic. What do you think we should do about the problem of the Lizardmen?¡¹


    ¡¸If possible, please stop the extermination.¡¹


    I dove right into the core of the topic, without the slightest ounce of hesitation.There was no point beating around the bush. This would be the best way to clearly convey my thoughts to everyone. Plus, I knew Shirone, it was best to be straightforward with her.


    Shirone slightly reared her head back in surprise when she heard what I had said.


    ¡¸Of the Lizardmen? Why?¡¹


    ¡¸They¡¯re turned into ves to fight in the arena¡­why? All for the sake of serving as entertainment for the humans? It is a disgusting, immoral practice. That¡¯s why I cannot abide with the idea of exterminating them. Can¡¯t you consider other options first, before turning to such extreme acts of violence? Give me a chance to talk to them, persuade them to somehow open the passage that leads towards thebyrinth for us?¡¹


    I took a deep breath after my small speech, not only catching my breath but also calming myself down.


    ¡¸I see¡­what a relief! Kuroki seems the same as always, I¡¯m d.¡¹


    For some unfathomable reason, Shirone seemed relieved and lighter, as if a weight had been lifted off from her small shoulders upon listening to my tirade.


    Part 13


    ¡¸Kuroki-san, you¡¯re actually a really nice person. Aren¡¯t you?¡¹


    Inplete contrast to Kyouka¡¯s gaze which was brimming with admiration, Kaya sent me a piercing re from her ce by Kyouka¡¯s side. Her eyes stared at me with an undecipherable intensity, not betraying any of her thoughts. For the first time in my life, I believed that if looks could kill¡­I would most certainly be dead.


    ¡¸Kuroki-sama, you¡¯re not looking at the full picture. It¡¯s an undeniable fact that the Lizardmen were hostile towards the humans to begin with. However, they¡¯ve recently be more so. Although this situation may end up cleanly resolved, the overall issue is not. Are you really going to protect the lizardmen who pose such a threat to those who reside here?¡¹


    As usual, Kaya was right.


    Of course, if I set those Lizardmen free from thebyrinth, they might attack the humans, endangering both the vige and the tentative peace. If that was the series of events that would transpire in the future, someone would eventually be called to exterminate the Lizardmen.


    ¡¸Putting that possibility aside for now, I want you to hold back on your n of action¡­even if it¡¯s just for now, don¡¯t exterminate them.¡¹


    I stubbornly stared into Kaya¡¯s bottomless eyes as I shot back a response, feeling not even an iota of guilt as I stood my ground. My motivations were clear- I am the Dark Knight, I was never an ally of humanity to begin with. Thus, saving the lives of the Lizardmen took precedence for me. There was nothing wrong with that given my position. I had never tried to hide my views and stance in these matters from any of the others.


    ¡¸I see. However¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Please wait a minute, Kaya!!¡¹


    Kyouka suddenly interupted us.


    ¡¸Mdy¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Kuroki-san is someone who has graciously agreed to help us save my big brother. He is our guest, under these circumstances. I definitely believe we should prioritize his opinion in this matter.¡¹


    ¡¸I also agree with Kyouka. Please Kaya-san, allow Kuroki to do this.¡¹


    Shirone also interjected before Kaya could refuse. Faced with their persistent pleading, Kaya finally relented. She looked over at the heavens, inhaling a deep breath into her lungs, her chest rising before she slowly exhaled and turned to face me.


    ¡¸If both of you believe in this particr course of action so fervently, there¡¯s nothing left for me to say in this regard¡­my apologies for the interruption, Kuroki-sama.¡¹


    Kaya bowed to me.


    ¡¸No¡­your worries are justified.¡¹


    Kaya¡¯s thought process and approach were justified from her stance as a member of this party and the Hero of Light¡¯srade. It was her duty to look out for the humans and work for the advancement of Humanity, even if it came at an expense to other species of creatures. Exterminating the Lizardmen would indeed be the right course of action to undertake, especially since the Lizardmen were hostile towards humans.


    If someone didn¡¯t take up the responsibility of exterminating the Lizardmen, it was likely that more people would end up as their victims.


    ¡¸You might have not noticed, but it¡¯s already be quitete. Let¡¯s persuade them tomorrow morning, shall we? Please enjoy your dinner tonight in Shirone-san¡¯spany. Have you prepared their dinner, Regena-san?¡¹


    At thest question she asked, Kaya said to Regena who stood merely one step away from her.


    ¡¸Yes, indeed! Preparations have been put into order. It¡¯s a selection of Master Kuroki¡¯s favorite foods. I made most of the items myself with some help from the priestesses. I hope the spread that I¡¯ve curated pleases you, Master Kuroki.¡¹


    Regena addressed me after she had turned to face me.


    ¡¸Although having dinner with an attendant might have seemed strange from an outsider¡¯s perspective, bringing more attention to me¡­it¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll let it slide this time- let¡¯s have dinner together.¡¹


    Given a choice, I really didn¡¯t wish to stand out so much. However, I could tell that Regena had made a lot of effort helping make this meal. She also tried to find all my favorite foods and mimic them as best as she possibly could. Out of respect for her thoughtfulness, I acquiesced.


    ¡¸It¡¯s been a while since we had a meal together, Kuroki. There¡¯s so many things to talk about, right?¡¹


    Shirone¡¯s face had noticeably brightened. In her own way, this was the happiest I had seen her on this trip. What a child. Well, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to have dinner with her, as long as I could help her remain happy, I would do anything if feasible.


    Ignoring the light chatter around me, I mulled over my goal and what I needed to aplish tomorrow. I would leave the matter of persuading the Lizardmen until tomorrow had arrived. If these Lizardmen were anything like the ones residing in Nargol, I would probably be able to convince them.


    ¡ôGoddess of Spider, Ankua


    The slightest of sounds echoed in the dark cave. The barest whisper of shuffling amongst the rocks was the only betraying sign that anything was moving under the inky cover of darkness. These creatures were known to everyone as Arachne, each of the girls served as my vassal.


    The Arachne race consisted only of women. Although their upper half resembled a gorgeous female human, from their waist down they took after a spider¡¯s form. They blended in with the humans, changing their appearance in order to live in the seedy underbelly of Freedom City, Teseshia.


    No one could have possibly suspected that these girls living beside them were not human, that there were monsters in their midst¡­


    Part 14


    Fury bubbled within my chest as I recalled the matter that had taken ce earlier. From the shadows, I had a glimpse at her. The woman who apanied the Hero of Light¡¯srade. There was not a shadow of doubt about it in my mind, that woman had to be Rena. Although she hade disguised, hiding her radiant appearance in a thick, dark cloak, it was clear as day. No matter how much she tried to hide her identity, I knew it was her as soon as I saw her figure.


    I would have never expected that Rena, the goddess would actually personallye to save the Hero of Light.


    ording to protocol, I should report this unexpected matter to Labrys. However, I felt extremely hesitant. It tugged at my mind persistently like an annoying pest. Let¡¯s see, I really wanted to kill that woman with my own hands. The fire of revenge that had alighted as soon as I thought of the incident that took ce in the past had been stoked from sleeping embers to a hungry, aggressive me. That¡¯s right, I¡¯m going to kill that woman myself, but not before inflicting Rena with what she deserves, Sorry about this Labrys¡­my mind is made up.


    I continued to blend into the inky dark depths of the shadows while spying on her security arrangements. Upon studying the conditions clearly, I almost grew giddy. A chance like this came once in a blue moon! It was indeed a rare opportunity when Rena was left alone without her valkyrie. Although it was still an arduous task due to the presence of the Sword Maiden and the rest of the Hero of Light¡¯s party. It would also be difficult if I aimed to ambush her while her priestess were around. They had the advantage of numbers- I simply could not face so many foes at once and emerge victorious. No, I had to get at her somehow. There had to be a way, it¡¯s not like she was without any chinks in her armor. And, even if she didn¡¯t have one, I would make it myself. This, I swore to myself.


    I analysed the overall situation once again. There shouldn¡¯t be any major threats or dangerous factors besides the presence of the Hero of Light¡¯s party and the priestesses of her temple. My gaze swept over to the male attendant that had apanied them. Pfft. Based on my observations, he was knocked down by the Hero of Fire. In a single blow. He was clearly a small fry, a pathetic weakling who wouldn¡¯t be able to throw a wrench into my ns. There was no need to raise my guard around such a loser. Defeating him would be a piece of cake.


    ¡¸Just you wait, Rena. I¡¯ll get my revenge on you, I¡¯ll pay you back for what you did tenfold¡­.¡¹


    As thoughts of revenge swirled through my brain with the intensity of a storm, I smiled smugly while imagining her lifeless body stripped of all its former beauty.

 Chapter 57: Lizardman

    <h4>Chapter 57: Lizardman</h4>


    ¡ôDark Knight Kuroki


    ¡¸Incarnation of the Great Thunder Dragon. Hear our pleas. We, your loyal followers, will faithfully abide by your request..¡¹


    The Lizardmen chanted in unison while disying their bellies in a show of submission and vulnerability. Their position, with their arms and their legs syed out like starfish, seemed to resemble the [´ó] kanji. That was the sight that greeted me as I entered thebyrinth, just after dawn. I was anxious to convince the lizardmen, it would most definitely be a difficult task and I would not be even a tad bit surprised if it took all day. There were eight lizardmen, all victims of the arena. Their scaly skin had scars that spanned the length of their body, proof of the trauma they had undergone at the hands of the humans. Such callousness and cruelty, all for what? Simply for entertainment? It disgusted me.


    Naturally, I didn¡¯t mean descending into the depths of thebyrinth but rather I visited the portion that was situated above ground. That former would just be foolhardy! I had to tread with caution until a direct line ofmunication was established and the lizardmen and I were having a peaceful conversation. Even then, it was better to prepare for the worst situation that could arise, despite being the Dark Knight and not an ally of the humans.


    I surveyed my surroundings curiously, swiveling my head around slowly, like an alert snake. Once upon a time, very long ago, this ce used to be the capital and home of the Minotaurs. However, after Modes had single handedly obliterated and utterly destroyed their capital, all of the Minotaurs had no choice but to escape underground, into the very depths of thebyrinth. Thus, what little of the capital was left above ground became abandoned ruins. Even today, aside from my presence and that of the eight lizardmen, the part of thebyrinth thaty above ground was deserted. To be quite honest, it was a bit of a shame that it had been destroyed since even from the ruins it was clearly apparent that it must have been quite beautiful.


    The splendour of the demolished capital was still visible in small details. It had been constructed by the God Heibos and as such stood through the test of time. Though this capital had been abandoned for thousands and thousands of years, the majority of the ruin still disyed its outline and resplendent architecture. In the middle of the capital, on top of a hill,y a weathered but glorious temple. The stone building¡¯s decoration was beautiful- intricate engraved etched with precision and fluidity into the unforgiving medium of stone. The etchings and beautiful iy work on the temple really conveyed the skill of the craftsmanship employed to create it. Even on the high ceilings of the domes, it was colorfully painted with depictions of the Gods. Despite the decrease of its vivacity with age, it was a testament to the prosperity present in the era of the Minotaurs¡¯ rule over this ce. s, that time had passed long ago, now it was nothing more than a relic, an unappreciated piece of history.


    Taking in myst glimpse of the expanse of ruins from above, I deactivated my flight magic. Slowly descending down through the air, like a lone flower petal drifting on a breeze, I went down by myself, to the very center of the ruined capital. I had shaken off Shirone and herpany, who now thankfully, were noting with me. Though she had continuously insisted to apany me, I was able to put our situation in perspective. It would be bad if our united front was revealed to Labrys by doing something so careless as entering thebyrinth together. It might be better if we used this to our advantage, the less people that knew about me, a Dark Knight working together with Shirone. That too to save Reiji, of all people. No, it would definitely be a better course of action to keep the reality of the situation discreet. Moreover, Shirone was an ally of humanity, one of its protectors. There was absolutely no way I could ask Shirone, the Hero of Light¡¯srade, to help me especially when my goal was to save these Lizardmen.


    This was something that I had to do by myself.¡¡.


    Thus, I came to this ce in my Dark Knight form.


    Regena had also wanted toe along but fortunately, she was stopped by Shirone. There had been a hugemotionst night, their raised voices travelling down until the end of the hall, punctuated by a fierce m of a door. She had initiated a huge quarrel with Shirone when Regena had attempted to spend the night in my room along with me. They had exchanged sharp barbs that were meant to hurt, like weapons the hurtful remarks were flung at each other in the moment of anger. It was a battle of wills after all, and whoever backed down first was admitting defeat. It seemed as if Shirone got her way in the end since I hadn¡¯t seen Regena for the remainder of the night or today morning. I heard that as a result of their argument, Regena ended up rooming with Kaya. Kaya was also sharing a room with her master, Kyouka. Although the rooms weren¡¯t small by any means, it must have been crowded sharing with two other people, theck of privacy frustrating. Nevertheless, I was d to have had my own, which let me n my approach to this meeting in peace and focus.


    . I arrived in this ce in my Dark Knight form. There was a logic behind my actions of course, not only was I stronger in this form, it was a precaution against any unexpected situations that might arise. It would also show my allegiance to Demon King Modes and hopefully, help the Lizardmen trust me.


    When I actually encountered them though, I quickly realized that all my worries were baseless and futile. The Lizardmen were extremely pliant and open to my suggestions- they readily agreed to do what I said. It seemed as if they could sense the Dragon¡¯s Power present within my body. Thus, the negotiations went smoothly, without any trace of a hitch because, like the Lizardmen present in Nargol, they too revered the Dragons.


    After one of the lizardmen pledged his allegiance, he went and gathered the other lizardmans in the vicinity.


    Thus, all of those lizardmen were showing their belly to me.


    ¡¸My apologies, I know it¡¯s an inconvenience but¡­I have to ask all of you to move from this ce for a little while, just until I finish fighting the evil God residing within the depths of thisbyrinth.¡¹


    I uttered these words to them as they slowly arose from their ¡°belly up¡± positions.


    ¡¸The Great Dragon Incarnate is GoinG to ChallENGE The OWNer of THisbyRINTH?¡¹


    .One of the lizardmen asked me incredulously, voice gradually raising due to his astonishment.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right. That is why I need all of you to leave this ce during that period of time.¡¹


    Lizardmans exchanged nces between themselves when I told them so.


    ¡¸In That CAse, I thiNK We Might Be ABle to HElp yOU.¡¹


    Of all the ways this meeting could have turned out, I was not at all anticipating this reaction. I was pleasantly surprised, my curiosity piqued.


    ¡¸What exactly do you mean?¡¹


    ¡¸It SEEMS, tHE LABYrinth is CONNECted to the RIVEr. WE can GO INSIDE frOM the RIver. Is THAT INFORmation USeful ENouGH FOr YOur MAJEsty?¡¹


    My mind drifted away on that train of thought after I heard the information that the Lizardman revealed to me. All of a sudden, I recalled the blueprint that I had received from the God Heibos. Labrys had used ake to imprison Reiji and hispany. If my memory serves right, thatke should be located on the fifth floor. Could it be that the water that supplied theke came from the river? The blueprint had no depiction of the structure constructed outside of thebyrinth itself. Heibos also told me that the blueprint might not bepletely urate as some changes might have been made after it was drawn andplete due to the change in terrain.


    There was a very usible likelihood that the God Heibos might draw water from the river to tend to the luscious inner garden.


    As expected, there was nothing strange around this region of thebyrinth, since it had been hundreds of years ever since thebyrinth had created. During all that time, it was odd that there was no change in the terrain in this area at all. After quizzically observing this fact, I felt the need to check the blueprint again. I looked up from my in depth study of the blueprint to serve the Lizardmen with yet another query.


    ¡¸By the way, is there any method we can use to enter thebyrinth from the river?¡¹


    The Lizardman shook his head when I asked that question.


    ¡¸ThEre¡¯s An InVisiBLe baRRiER WHIch onLY ALLowS THE WAter to ENTer but NOT US.¡¹


    I epted the scenario presented to me by the lizardmen and concluded that there must be some sort of a barrier that was ced on that area. It controlled what could go in and what could leave. The idea slowly emerged in my mind like a figure descending from the depths of a white, dense fog. Perhaps the fifth floor of thebyrinth was actually a prison? As I continued to ponder over that possibility, the idea seemed to take root, seeming more likely every passing second. But if it wasn¡¯t originally a prison, I was almost sure that there was a path we could use to sneak in.


    Perhaps it was a matter that I should discuss with Shirone and the rest of the party upon my return. Just as I was in the midst of pondering this matter in detail, I suddenly felt a slight vibration in the air.


    ¡¸What was¡­that feeling just now?¡¹


    ¡¸O Great Dragon Incarnate, that¡¯s the siGN oF INTRUders.¡¹


    One of the lizardmen piped up from the group helpfully. Apparently, the surface of thebyrinth was shielded by a powerful barrier that upon being breached acted almost like an rm for the Lizardmen, intruders were iing. When the outsiders entered thebyrinth, the air from the outside world would also enter alongside them. Thus, small vibrations were caused whenever a small group of intruders came into thebyrinth.


    Lizardmen were blessed with an especially keen sense of perception. It was leagues more sensitive than the senses that humans possessed so they could perceive the slight variations and vibrations in the air. On top of that, they were also extremely gifted at camouge- they could use mimicry to change the color of their scales to match their surroundings. They would lie in wait silently and patiently, blending into the background wlessly. These were the skills that allowed the lizardmen to so easily ambush the unsuspecting invaders who entered thebyrinth.


    ¡¸I see¡­¡¹


    After saying so, I looked toward the intruder¡¯s location. I could see them with irvoyance magic as long as they were already inside of the barrier. It was then I saw them.


    The intruders were none other than the freedom fighters from yesterday, including Novis.


    Upon a closer observation, it seemed as if the number of people in the party had increased in the gap between yesterday and now.


    ¡¸What are even they doing in this ce?¡¹


    The only possibility emerging in mind was that they came to aplish their goal of exterminating the Lizardmen.


    ¡¸O Great Dragon Incarnate. SHall We REpel THose INtruders and THEN LEAVE THis PLace?¡¹


    The Lizardman¡¯s voice betrayed the fury bubbling under the calm exterior he desperately tried to maintain.


    They were captured by the humans and made into ves. Worst of all, they were forced to kill each other for entertainment.


    ording to my investigation, sometimes humans even forced them to fight their own kin.


    Thus, I could sympathize with these lizardmen.


    Yes. I understood where their anger came from¡­


    However, I didn¡¯t feel the same overwhelming fury that they experienced. There was no way I could help them if they wanted to get their revenge on the humans. I felt torn between the two sides, unable to make a decision with the sparse, limited choices that were avable to me. It felt like my hands were tied either way, ultimately, I¡¯d have to go against one side and wouldn¡¯t end up satisfied.


    There was no doubt in my mind, some would be enraged upon observing the indecisiveness that loomed over me like a thundercloud, going as far as to say that I had no sense of justice or raison d¡¯etre. Their criticism would extend to scathingments from either side. I would be branded as ¡®a selfish human¡¯ or ¡®the Dark Knight who obeyed the Demon King only for my own gain¡¯, or that my act of saving these lizardmen was just one of my ¡®whims¡¯, a ¡®simple passing fancy¡¯.


    ¡¸No, I¡¯ll go to greet them. I¡¯ll kick them out of thisbyrinth¡­¡¹


    I shook my head as if that would clear the tempest of thoughts that was swirling through my mind and replied to the Lizardman¡¯s question.


    ¡¸OOO!! Great Dragon Incarnate will go himself!!!¡¹


    The Lizardmen bowed their heads in gratitude after hearing my decision and proiming their approval. It was a sight that stirred up feelings of conflict within me. I mean, I came here with the intention of apologizing to them. So naturally, seeing that would make me feel difited


    I walked in the direction of Novis and the rest of hispany to greet them. Looking at that annoying pest again, a brilliant idea dawned upon me..why don¡¯t¡¯ I try the magic that I had learned just recently? At least that blight on human intelligence called Novis would serve some purpose, inwardly I smirked gleefully at the thought of using him as a guinea pig for the experimental test of that technique. Unconsciously, I couldn¡¯t help but stalker towards the group faster, skin itching in anticipation. To be quite frank though, I had no idea why I was nning to do this or who I was trying to protect.


    Honestly, I had no idea what would be the oue of a fight between these two sides. On one hand, the men who came along with Novis seemed to be quite powerful individuals. Meanwhile, we also had the tenacious Lizardmen who had survived the hellish infernal ce known to the general popce as the Arena. They would fight to the death, having nothing to lose.


    Fortunately, harassing the heroes was one aspect of the Dark Knight¡¯s job.In fact, I¡¯d go as far as to say that it was actually a perk. For that very reason, saving the band of heroes went going against the Dark Knight¡¯s work ethic. So I was firmly on the side of the Lizardmen for now. A smug smile settled on my face as I got ready to do my job.


    ¡ôFreedom Fighter Girl, Shizufae


    Time ticked past slowly, the wait for everyone to gather together was excruciatingly long, like waiting for a canyon to form from the erosion caused by a river. It really felt like an eternity. It was especially difficult to wake Novis up from deep slumber caused due to his actions of drinking untiltest night to celebrate theing together of the four heroes, the new joint front that they would present against their enemies, annihting everything in their path. As usual, he had ignored my prudent advice to slow the drinking down and sleep early to prepare for the skirmish today. I scoffed, these fools wouldn¡¯t be annihting anything. Our party, led by the four heroes, went towards the mouth of thebyrinth which was shadowed in a menacing manner.


    Aside from those four idiot heroes, it was just our usual party consisting of me, big sis Keyna, Nora-san, and Leylia-san.


    A new addition to the group however, was Justy who had also tagged along with us.


    Although she wasn¡¯t a freedom fighter, Justy was apetent fighter nheless.


    She armed herself with a big morning star which was prepared especially for her by Godan, her elder brother.


    That morning star was so heavy that none among our group with the exception of me could lift it. Even big sis Keyna, the strongest amongst us faced too much difficulty picking it up. It¡¯s weight resembled a discus more than a morning star.


    Justy, who could easily lift such a heavy duty weapon might actually be more suited to be a freedom fighter than me.


    No matter from which angle one observed Justy, it wasn¡¯t at all apparent that she used to serve as a priestess in one of Ishtar¡¯s temples. Unless they knew beforehand, no one could believe their eyes. Thebat priests who served under Ishtar-sama typically were masters of a skill called battle-dance. Their weapon of choice was known to usually be either a scimitar, a battle fan or a sash made from fibres of soft iron, adopting the same nature in a ma¡¯s presence. None of them had ever been seen using a morning star as their weapon of choice.


    It made sense if you thought about it though. After all, there was no beauty or grace in seeing the priestesses dance while swinging a bulky morning star around in the air, to be very honest, the image actually seemed terrifying instead. It fit Justypletely- she was the pr opposite of Ishtar¡¯s priestesses who seeked graceful movements and practiced deadly elegance. Naturally I wouldn¡¯t tell her about this, she was a devout believer of Ishtar after all.


    Upon breaking out of my reverie, I noticed that we had arrived in front of the entrance gate that led to the area of thebyrinth that was above ground.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t let your guard down guys.¡¹


    The Hero of Wind, Zefa looked at all of us gravely as he uttered his statement. On the basis of majority vote, we had elected him to be the leader of our party. We nodded at him, acknowledging his word and silently passed through the gates. Like the time we had entered thebyrinth before, the atmosphere changed in the blink of an eye as soon as we entered thebyrinth.


    If I had to point the differencepared to before, this ce became too quiet.


    We were ambushed by goblins and cockatrice as soon as we entered thebyrinth before.


    But now, I couldn¡¯t even felt their sign from any building.


    ¡¸How¡¯s the situation, hero of wind? found any lizardman yet? this ce is quite big after all.¡¹


    Godan was right, the surface area of thebyrinth was really spacious.


    It was even bigger than Teseshia.


    The number of escaped lizardman were eight. Searching for them was quite a chore.


    ¡¸No, not yet. It seems we¡¯ve to wait for them to appear. Everyone prepare your weapon.¡¹


    After he said so, Zefa was nocking his arrow on his bow, ready to fire his arrow at anytime.


    Hero of water, Nephim was also preparing his spear.


    ¡¸Oi, what¡¯s that mean!!¡¹


    Novis asked Zefa.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t get impatient, hero of fire. ording to my investigation, thpse lizardmans usualy ambushed the freedom fighter who came to exterminate them. Some of them even ambushed as soon as they entered thebyrinth. I¡¯ve had no idea how they knew the iing of the intruder.¡¹


    Zefa said so while looking at the surrounding.


    ¡¸I see, so that¡¯s why you told us to preapre our weapon. Everyone, prepare for battle.¡¹


    We prepared our weapon as soon as big sis Keyna told us so.


    I drew my sword.


    Thus, we were advancing even further into thebyrinth.


    Our formation was ; Godan as our vanguard, Madi, Nora-san, and Zefa as our mid-range, following by me and Justy, Novis and Nephim to guard our sides, andstly big sis Keyna and Leylia-san as our rear guard.


    ¡¸I wonder from where will they came to attack¡­¡¹


    Madi said so with slightly anxious voice.


    ¡¸You relied too much on your eyes. Those guys could change their skin color ording to their surrounding. That¡¯s why we¡¯ve to find them with my perception first and let that elf miss over there to do the rest.¡¹


    Zefa said so while looking at Nora-san.


    ¡¸Such heavy responsibility¡­¡¹


    Nora-san said so while preparing her bow and arrow, ready to fire at any moment.


    Nora-san¡¯s long ears were moving up and down as if to not letting even the slightest sound escape her detection.


    As an elf, Nora-san was gifted with keener perception than any normal human.


    I¡¯ve heard that hero of wind, Zefa¡¯s perception were cut above the rest of normal ranger.


    ¡¸Oi Zefa!! Canwe really win this fight!? It won¡¯t be the re-enactment of your embarassing defeat against the centaurs right?¡¹


    Zefa ended up groaned when big sis Keyna poked his sore spot again.


    ¡¸Let me to tell you, Keyna¡­ I was unprepared when they defeated mest time. In the first ce, those centaurs were different from the normal centaurs. They¡¯re veteran warrior of the arena. Don¡¯t group them together with your average centaurs. But it¡¯s different now. I¡¯ve investigated them thoroughly and prepared counter-measure for any situation. Moreover¡ª¡¹


    And then Zefa was looking at Novis, Godan and Nephim.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t think we¡¯re going to lost with this kind of line up.¡¹


    Zefa was grinning from ear to ear as he said so.


    The other heroes were also grinning along with him.


    Sure enough, the four of them were that amazing.


    Hero was a title granted to the strongest warrior. And currently, there¡¯s four strongest warrior working together.


    Maybe, there¡¯s no one could defeat this party save for Reiji-sama and co.


    Hero of earth, Godan who gifted with defense magic and strongest in term of physical power was acting as our tank.


    Hero of fire, Novis who gifted with high mastery of fire magic will shoot down our enemy with his destructive fire magic.


    Hero of water, Nephim who gifted with healing magic and water magic will act as our healer.


    Hero of wind, Zefa who gifted with keen perception rivaling that of an elf will find our enemy and give a covering fire with his prided archery.


    Although each of them were powerful in their own right, there was no doubt in my mind that we stood a better chance facing such powerful demons together, as a team. If we watched each other¡¯s backs and proceed with caution we would be able to emerge victorious in this battle against the Lizardmen. I did not want to see arade fall in battle, my goal for the mission was to get us in thebyrinth, exterminate the lizardmen and get all of us back out safely.


    ¡¸It really would be a good thing if that was actually the case but¡­¡¹


    Heaving a tired sigh, Big sis Keyna uttered her statement under her breath, barely audible. Herment was depressing and despair inducing, as if pouring cold water onto Zefa¡¯s remark. It challenged his leadership and preparation for the mission, slightly shaking the remaining members¡¯ confidence in him although none of us let our doubts reflect on our faces. Keyna was the only one with such audacity, it was as if her every action was scornful- meant to thoroughly chastise Zefa and not give any approval to him. In first ce, Big sis Keyna and I shared the same opinion regarding this mission. Her stand was the same as mine in the manner that neither of us really wanted to participate in the extermination of the Lizardmen. The orchestrators of the whole idea were Zefa and Nephim anyway, and of course they had no problem roping Novis and Godan into their hare brained scheme. We were just here for the ride, and to bnce out their stupidity of course.


    Apparently, it seems like there was information about a handsome reward posted regarding solving the situation with the Lizardmen. It was prepared and ready to be imed by anyone who couldpletely exterminate those lizardmen which were perpetually acting as a thorn in the side of the vigers. I guess they were desperate enough to get rid of them that they posted such arge reward. However, I didn¡¯t give two licks about the reward, however much enticing it might seem to other people. I wouldn¡¯t be swayed by greed, my life was far more valuable to me than any reward no matter how big. After all, what was the point of having money and no life to spend it during? Yeah, most definitely not my cup of tea- there was no way I¡¯m going to risk my life for a measly reward.


    Though I reluctantly participated since I¡¯m forced to because of Novis, somewhere, in the corner of my heart, I still held out hope.


    Losing such an amazing person would be devastating. He was a treasure among the drivel and the ordinary chattel of this world, a diamond that shone radiantly in the sunlight. Indeed, when I met him, the world seemed to be even brighter. Like a weight was lifted off of my tired shoulders and life suddenly became less cumbersome, like a blockage in the tributary of a river that had been cleared, everything seemed less rigid, more flowing instead. Naturally, I¡¯m not that shameless that I would try to woo him. I didn¡¯t have any foolish expectations in mind. But, at least I could treat him like eye candy, couldn¡¯t I? That much could remain under the radar, I would just admire him surreptitiously. He would never notice, right? After all, he had legions of fan girls swarming around him at any given moment, there was no way I would catch his attention.


    ¡¸May I ask you to stop right there and go back to your home now?¡¹


    A mysterious voice suddenly asked that question, his voice echoing in the vast expanse of thebyrinth. Upon hearing that question which was really more of amand as the tone it was spoken in left no room for any argument or semnce of refusal, we all abruptly turned on our heels to look ahead where the voice seemed to originate from.


    Over there, partially hidden amongst the shadows, we saw someone wearing obsidian balck armor simr to that of a knight¡¯s. He seemed to almost blend into the shadows, wearing them asfortably as a warm cloak donned during the worst of the weather in the winter. The armored individual stood regal and straight below the stairs that led to the topmost level of the temple.


    Such an aura seemed to suit him, as his body was totally covered, from head to toe with a menacing and sinister looking jet ck armor. The armor seemed to be enchanted with some sort of amazing magic, so powerful that I could feel it even from far away. It was clearly an unknown variant of magic that I had never encountered before, so powerful that it emanated power that could be felt leagues away. His armor in addition to the Stygian ck mantle that he had donned, reminded me of the starless night sky visible in the city. In fact, he seemed like the epitome of the same, forbidding and ominous, as if all the light and good had been winked out of existence.


    I couldn¡¯t help it as an involuntary shiver racked my spine. My hands were mmy as I frantically wiped them on the rough fabric of my dark pants. I could feel my shirt stered to my back due to the cold sweat that slowly formed, like a frightened child hiding behind their mother. Sweat kept flooding from my pores despite the cool air. At this moment, I most definitely felt like prey and my mind was screaming at me to follow his order and run, run far away, as fast as possible. Would I even make it out of this alive? Oh why did I have to be a part of these guys¡¯ misadventures?! I knew this was not a good idea. Damn.


    Every single one of us was surprised, varying degrees of shock evident on our faces. This encounter was surprising in too many ways to count.


    ¡¸No way¡­. Since when did you¡­ And why I can¡¯t feel anything.¡¹


    Zefa emitted a guttural groan of frustration.


    Amongst all of the current members of the party, Zefa had the highest skill level in terms of detecting and ranging. He should have been able to detect a sign as ominous as this man earlier than any of us! Despite the distraction of the ongoing conversation, such a tant foreboding presence should have alerted him immediately.


    When I looked over the rest of the party, I observed that Nora-san was also shocked, the same astonishment that colored Zefa¡¯s face was painted across hers as well.


    ¡¸What the hell even is that? Even though I couldn¡¯t detect the slightest sign of his presence at all, the air trembled as soon as he appeared in front of us.¡¹


    Nora-san shook her head frantically, color draining from her face with every passing moment until she was ghostly pale. She looked ready to keel over at any moment.


    I couldn¡¯t criticize her at all, I felt exactly the same. I was positive that her appearance was an urate estimation to what mine must be looking like as well. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off from that man as soon as he appeared in front of us. The unrelenting and merciless pressure emitted from that dark knight was crushing us like a giant boulder. I could feel my heart beat pick up, my blood roaring in my ears- we were trapped.


    ¡¸What is¡­. this feeling¡­.. ¡¹


    It was an unpleasant feeling to say the least. It was what I imagined in my darkest nightmares, as if my entire world was wrapped tightly in darkness, so that not even one sliver of light could needle its way in. It was suffocating. Throat tight with fear, I had no choice but to continue looking at the knight in front of us, who seemed to be the exact opposite of Reiji-sama. He was an existence that would turn a cheerful sunny day into a cold, starless night as soon as you spotted him. Death seemed to trail after him like a faithful dog.


    ¡¸Who are you? There¡¯s no way someone like you is a lizardman.¡¹


    Big sis Keyna had made a really good point. It turned out to be just as big sis Keyna said. Lizardmen don¡¯t wear armor. Their biggest advantage was their ability to take their enemy by surprise, granted to them due to their mimicry skill. Using armor would only hinder that. I could tell that the question ringing through my mind was one shared by everyone present in ourpany.


    This man isn¡¯t a lizardman so who in the world is this knight?!


    ¡¸Oi hero of wind! take a closer look at the crest engraved on that man helmet!!¡¹


    Raising a quivering finger, Nora-san pointed at the knight d in coal colored armor. I couldn¡¯t get a clear look since he was so far away, The etching was a bit hard to discern on the ck metal background of his helmet.


    ¡¸Oi ain¡¯t that¡­ The Demon King¡¯s Crest?¡¹


    Zefa groaned yet again.


    I squinted my eyes, straining to make out the symbol etched on the helmet. A star octagram, the Demon King¡¯s crest? Wait, wouldn¡¯t that make him one of the Demon King Modes¡¯s followers?


    ¡¸Speaking of the knight wit Demon King¡¯s Crest¡­ He remind me of Nargol¡¯s Legendary Dark Knight¡ª-¡¹


    Madi uttered anxiously, her voice low and trembling with barely suppressed terror. It was slightly muffled as she bit at her nails uneasily, agitated by the knight¡¯s unexpected presence and overwhelming aura.


    Nargol¡¯s Dark Knight was an existence that was often sung of in the legends. Disaster followed him like


    ¡¸DARK KNIGHT OR WHATEVER, I¡¯M SO GONNA KICK YER ASS!!!¡¹


    Novis leaped towards the Dark knight after arrogantly proiming his intentions.


    ¡¸YOU IDIOT!! PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER!!¡¹


    Novis tantly ignored Zefa¡¯s warnings as he bulldozed his way past him and made a beeline towards the Dark Knight.


    ¡¸TAKE THIS!! EXPLOSION!!!¡¹ [TL : Megumiiiin!!!]


    Explosion magic was one of Novis¡¯s greatest strengths. Even an ogre wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the extreme power behind various attacks using that kind of magic. Especially if Novis attacked head on, there was simply no chance for survival, attempting to defend against such an attack was ultimately futile.


    ¡¸Did that attack beat him?¡¹


    As soon as Big sis Keyna uttered that query, the smoke from the explosion began to clear up, the dark tendrils disappearing as they slowly winded across the area, revealing the figure of the Dark Knight. He was not injured, he withstood the attack with nary a scratch. Like water brushing off of a duck¡¯s back, he seemedpletely unbothered and unaffected by an attack which, in theory, should have ended him. And then, I noticed that there wasn¡¯t even a scorch mark or any other trace of an explosion around where he stood. He waspletely unscathed.


    ¡¸HEYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! FLAME BLADEEEEE!!!¡¹


    Despite seeing his strongest magic turned useless, not working one bit on the Dark Knight, Novis kept recklessly charging towards the Dark Knight with his ming sword in hand. That fool didn¡¯t even take a moment to consider the various approaches he could have taken- no, as usual, he had to charge head on every single time.


    That ming sword was a lethal weapon, there was no doubt in my mind about that. On various asions, I had seen it slice through orcs and other monsters like how a hot knife slices through butter. They were decimated.


    The Dark Knight was on a whole other level though, he easily parried Novis¡¯s attack with simply his index finger. It was almost unfathomable that he had power in such a small appendage than Novis possessed overall. In any other situation, it would have beenughable even if I wasn¡¯t so scared out of my skin.


    ¡¸GODDAMN IIIIT!!¡¹


    Novis never gave up, he relentlessly kept swinging his sword, making one arc after another in the air. I couldn¡¯t decide whether his determination was adirmable or just in idiotic. Of course, just like the first one, all of his attacks were easily parried by the Dark Knight. The only actual effect of Novis¡¯s continuous shes seemed to be the heat waves that were generated every time his ming sword arced through the air only to be brought to a stop by the Dark Knight. No matter how hard Novis tried, sweat dripping into his eyes as he gazed at the visage of the Dark Knight with an unquenchable fury, none of his attacks could reach the dark knight. In fact, he seemed to barely move, needing little to no strength to fend off Novis¡¯s attacks. It was as if he was shooing away a fly, Novis registered as little more than a pest in his eyes. The Dark Knight seemed almost¡­bored.


    ¡¸WHAT THE!!¡¹


    Novis was thoroughly exasperated and frustrated at the moment. His face contorted in an ugly fashion pulled in different directions by his anger, his grimace akin to the gargoyles perched on gothic churches, frozen in malice. Although, I could only see their fight from behind, I saw the scene when the Dark Knight simply pinched the tip of Novis¡¯s ming de between the index finger from his right hand and his thumb. The Dark Knight did so very nonchntly, as if it was all a matter of fact.


    ¡¸GODDAMN IIIIT!!¡¹


    Novis seemed to be trying to pull the sword from his grasp but it wouldn¡¯t budge at all. The scene was reminiscent of the legend of the Sword in the Stone- many people tried desperately to extract Excalibur from the stone to no avail until King Arthur came along.


    ¡¸The way you swing your sword is a mess¡­this might sound like me simply being cocky but, I would sincerely suggest you start training from the basics once again.¡¹


    After he said this statement, the Dark Knight struck novis across the face with his avable left hand. Despite it not being his dominant hand, the strength behind the blow was no joke. It looked like it hurt¡­a lot. Unbeknownst to Novis, he had got the sword teaching he so desperately desired, just from a different teacher¡­one with a remarkably unique approach.


    ¡¸GAH!!!¡¹


    Novis was blown back while screaming in an indescribable pitch which caused us all to flinch. Novis was tossed through the air like a ragdoll- blown back, rolling over twice as hended on the ground before stopping. He seemed like a lifeless mannequin lying on the ground after the ordeal, he didn¡¯t even twitch. Honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure if he was still alive.


    ¡¸NOVIS!!!¡¹


    Justy, who had been standing by my side this entire time, immediately rushed towards Novis. Tears streaked down her pretty heart shaped face as she was ovee with tears. It wasn¡¯t an unexpected reaction, after all, it was in to see that Justy was in love with Novis. Well, and dozens of other fangirls.


    ¡¸Leylia-san!! Please, heal Novis!!!¡¹


    Leylia-san calmly nodded as she slowly made her way over to where Novis was lying down, sneaking a nce at the Dark Knight in the meantime. The ck figure remained stationary so she took it as a cue that she had permission to begin treating him. While Leylia-san was dealing with the whole Novis situation, the Dark Knight took over.


    ¡¸So¡­ what are you going to do? You have two options : stay or leave this ce immediately. If you leave, I won¡¯t chase after you and you¡¯ll leave here with your lives. If you stay¡­I can¡¯t promise you¡¯ll get such a clear cut chance again. So, you better choose wisely. What will it be?¡¹


    The Dark Knight clearly issued an ultimatum to us while throwing Novis¡¯s sword at our feet like it was trash that we neglected to pick up. Though his voice was rather soft and subdued, I could hear it clearly.


    ¡¸DAMN IT, WHAT THE HELL WITH THIS GUY APPEARING IN THIS KIND OF PLACE!? IS HE REALLY THAT LEGENDARY NARGOL¡¯S DARK KNIGHT!!? ¡¹


    Bouncing off of the seemingly endless walls that made up the expanse of the cavern, Zefa¡¯s voice resounded in the ruins. It quickly ran from one end of the cave to the other, like a desperate victim, seeking a way out of the damning situation they found themselves in. Despite the strength in Zefa¡¯s voice, the furrow of his brows and the cold sweat that lined his forehead betrayed his inner anxiety and fear borne upon the thought of the figure in ck actually being the Dark Knight of Nargol. Like the leader of ourpany, I couldn¡¯t help but try to convince myself that the situation would resolve itself and end well, ignoring the apprehensive tug originating at the base of my stomach.


    Novis was strong. Though he had a lowpatibility against the cockatrice, as they were able to attack all of his weaknesses, he could defeat other demons of the same level with ease. I had witnessed it with my own eyes. He had subjugated a plethora of those demons as if it was a piece of cake, he hadn¡¯t even broken a sweat back then for god¡¯s sake! Panic took root in my mind, nting its seed and growing uncontrobly until it overshadowed every other thought that passed through my brain. Wiping my now mmy hands on the legs of my trousers discreetly, I ignored how they trembled relentlessly. Novis was treated like a child by that Dark Knight. Which only begged to raise the question¡­just how powerful was he? Just how terrible of a situation had we found ourselves in?!


    Could it be¡­was this Dark Knight figure as powerful as Reiji-sama? My knees almost gave out at the very inkling of that thought and the possibility that slowly dawned upon me afterwards- could the Dark Knight be more powerful than Reiji-sama?


    ¡¸What are you going to do then, hero of wind? Shall we escape from this ce?¡¹


    ¡¸As if I¡¯m going to run with tail between my legs, hero of earth!! Nephim!!¡¹


    ¡¸I understand!!£¨Water Ssh£©!!¡¹


    Face creased in determination, Nephim extended his left hand out in front of him and cast his magic.


    ¡¸HERE I GO!! O WIND, DANCE!!!¡¹


    He drew arrows from his well stocked quiver and notched them in ce. Zefa¡¯s fingers tightened around the tense bowstring as he drew it back, preparing to attack. Eyes locked on his target, aim steady, he fired five arrows at once. The volley of arrows flew through the air in a deadly arc. As they drew closer towards the Dark Knight, the arrows soared through the air in a random orbit along with the water bubble shot by Nephim. Upon entering in close quarters with the Dark Knight, the arrows were incinerated. A wall of ck mes arose and danced wildly, a menacing sort of madness to their movements. The arrows crumbled to ash before his feet. And the bubble suddenly turned around, headed straight towards Nephim.


    ¡¸¡¶Counter Magic¡·!!!?¡¹


    Madi eximed, voice increasingly inching higher in pitch due to her incredulity and fear.


    ¡¸WATCH OUT!!¡¹


    Godan swept in front of Nephim and raised his shield in order to protect hisrade from the force of his own attack returned unto him. The bubble dissipated into tiny droplets that sshed off the surface of Godan¡¯s gleaming, wet shield once it made contact with the protective surface.


    ¡¸Thank you so much, Godan, Hero of Earth¡¹


    Throat bobbing nervously, Nephim thanked hispatriot, a gratefulness infused in every word of his sentence.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t mind it.¡¹


    Godan replied sullenly, voice somber as ever.


    ¡¸Oi Zefa, what shall we do?? He¡¯s far too strong for us!!!¡¹


    Big sis Keyna screamed loudly.


    ¡¸No, not yet, Keyna!! We¡¯re not¡­. Lo-GUH¡ª¡ª-¡¹


    Zefa clutched at his head before he managed to finish his sentence. And then, he slowly rose into the air as lifted by an invisible crane.


    ¡¸Impossible!!!¡¶Magic Hand¡·!! Using that technique from that distance!?!¡¹


    Madi screamed once again.


    ¡¶Magic Hand¡· was a technique that created a transparent hand born into reality with the help of mana.


    An individual who was highly skilled with magic and had mastered great control over their abilities could use it to pick up an object which rested many yards away. It was a hugely helpful skill which extended one¡¯s range and allowed them to grasp objects from afar. The most seasoned and experienced users who had attainedplete control over the method could use it as if it was an extension of themselves, the movements would be as fluid and wless as if it was just another limb. In fact, it was quite reminiscent of how a swordsman adapts total control of the sword, using it so naturally, as a supplementary part of their body. A veteran user could even use this technique to directly crush their opponent¡¯s heart, so that the enemy would crumple to floor like a puppet whose strings had abruptly, all of a sudden, been cut. They would bleed from the inside, looking perfectly untouched on the surface excluding the glimmer of tears in their eyes which betrayed the pain they were actually experiencing.


    Although Madi could also use the same ¡¶Magic Hand¡· technique, the radius in which it proved effective was very small and thus her range was severely limited to those within her immediate proximity, leading to her only being able to utilize it when enemies had entered into close quarters with her. Also, she wasn¡¯t skilled enough to use the skill to pick up objects that weighed more than her actual strength. Heavy objects were most definitely out of the question. Naturally, humans were included in the former category- even a baby weighed a considerable amount and fully grown adults were almost untouchable with her level of inexperience.


    However, it seemed as if that Dark Knight could have easily pulled that measly object out.


    It appeared as if the menacing Dark Knight had an unshakeablemand over his magic and expertise regarding the technique, using the versatile and adaptable approach as an unavoidable, lethal course of attack. The strategy sowed plentiful seeds of fear deep into the pliant soil of our hearts. We could only watch as he, with his undeniable prowess, threw Zefa who was still struggling against his invisible restraints uselessly, back into the hard ground.


    ¡¸GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹


    ¡¸RETREAT!!! EVERYONE, SAVE YOURSELVES!!! HIYAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡¹


    Godan¡¯s booming voice shook the air as his words resonated, breaking the eerie silence that had settled over us like a leaden nket. His hammer, grasped within his right hand, struck the ground with a ferocity that rivaled the Thor, the Norse god of Thunder. His strength was as expected of hisrge and powerful frame, the ground where his hammer had pummeled the earth broke apart with a pained groan, raising dark, writhing clouds of dust that obscured everything I could see.


    It was possible that just as our vision was obscured, so would the Dark Knight¡¯s. Under the shroud of dust, using it¡¯s cover as a protective veil, Godan meant for us to escape away from this situation. We followed the instructions that he had barked out and hastily retreated from that awful ce. I didn¡¯t want to stay and linger there for even a second more than I had to. I didn¡¯t know if the feeling that arose within me was cowardice or self-preservation¡­it was the least of my worries in such a dangerous and chaotic moment.


    Godan followed close on our heels, his muscr physique serving its purpose as he easily carried Zefa while running, hefting the leader of our now ruined mission over one of his broad shoulders like a sack of potatoes. Meanwhile, Novis was carried by Justy, her lithe frame deceiving her immense strength. The pairgged near the tail of the group as we made a straight beeline to escape these cursed ruins.


    ¡¸Big sis Keyna!! Please carry Madi!!¡¹


    ¡¸I understand.¡¹


    The slowest amongst us, Madi was being carried by big sis Keyna.Bringing up the rear of the group, Madi was the slowest among us. Her delicate figure was quickly scooped up by Big sis Keyna upon the exmation of my observations. The pair slowly picked up their pace.


    I was nearly there, I could see the tantalizing sight of the exit, the way out of this damn situation in which I should have never been involved in the first ce. But, a finger¡¯s stretch away from freedom, my escape was halted¡­


    THUNK.


    Suddenly, something struck the back of my head.


    ¡¸WHAT THE¡­.¡¹


    The object that had struck my head fell to the ground limply. It was arge, dull rock. It seems like I got hit by the one of the many stones that was scattered around when Godan assaulted the ground. My vision turned fuzzy, slowly fading to ink dark ck, as despite my best efforts, I slipped to the unrelenting grasp of oblivion.


    ¡ôDark Knight Kuroki


    ¡¸Phew they finally left this ce¡­¡¹


    The freedom fighters had finally been vanquished from this ce. Getting rid of their presence was akin to exterminating a couple of troublesome cockroaches, it wasn¡¯t really a difficult task but it was annoying either way.


    In the first ce, I have no intention to kill them and just repelling them.The goal that had fuelled all my actions until this point was never to kill them, it was simply to repel them away from this ce. In the first ce, my only intention was to get rid of them so that the lizardmen could continue on in peace.


    The dust swirled through the air like a skilled dancer until as if getting ready for the next act of the performance, it dissipated and my range of vision cleared up.


    ¡¸¡­EH!?¡¹


    A certain thing caught my eyes.I was struck speechless by the sight that greeted me after the veil of dust finally lifted. I was arrested in ce, the scene of a girl falling to the firm, unrelenting ground limply, unconscious caught my eyes.


    I rushed over to the ce where the limp figure of the wounded girly. I hovered over the girl¡¯s side, bending onto one knee and took a long look at that girl¡¯s face.


    She was a beautiful girl. To be honest, she didn¡¯t look like a freedom fighter at all.The girl was beautiful in an elegant manner, her features were fine and delicate- the slope of her cheekbones was a gentle curve and her hair flowed around her head like a halo, shiny as the high quality silk of one of the finest kimonos. To bepletely honest, she didn¡¯t seem like a freedom fighter from any angle. I suppose, her slight and waif-like figure belied the strength she undoubtedly possessed.


    If my memory served me correctly, Novis had called this girl by the name of Shizufae.


    .After that bulky figure of the Hero of Earth, known as Godan destroyed the ground, it seemed as if she identally got struck by one of the many spare rocks that was flung into the air as a result of his actions.


    I waspletely clueless about how I should proceed. After all, I was severelycking the required knowledge, having little to no experience with administering medical treatment. I gazed at the severe wound that spanned the length of her forehead, there was severe bleeding¡­this girl might actually be dead soon if I left her here, with that degree of injury left untreated, it was only a matter of time.


    ¡¸This is bad¡­¡¹


    To make the matter worse, I couldn¡¯t use healing magic. Perhaps, things might have been different if Kuna had been here with me, unfortunately, she wasn¡¯t- I couldn¡¯t rely on her advice and guidance this time. I looked over at the girl¡¯s face which was steadily growing paler as time passed by. I couldn¡¯t just leave her here. I had to do something, anything at all.


    Though Shirone seemed to be able to use a bit of healing magic, I had no idea what exactly the extent of her capabilities was, if her healing magic would even work or how much it would serve as help to heal this girl¡¯s wound. I racked through all my options in my brain, aware that with every passing moment, her condition increasingly became worse and worse.


    ¡¸What should I do now¡­¡¹


    Turning her into my familiar as I had done with Regena was the one case I absolutely wanted to avoid under any circumstances. I speedily filed it away in my mind as my veryst resort. If possible, I would do as much as I could to ensure it wouldn¡¯te to that.


    ¡¸I guess I have no choice¡­I¡¯ll have to ask her, won¡¯t I? Good grief! She is the absolutest person in both worlds that I wanted to owe a debt of gratitude to¡­urgh.¡¹


    By my reference to her, I was of course referring to the person from whom Kuna had originated. If she was the original version of Kuna, there was a possibility that she might be able to use healing magic more skillfully than even Kuna herself, at the very least, she would be as good or adequate. That would have to work for now. With this conviction in my head, mind made up, I carried Shizufae as I left that ce.


    ¡ôSword¡¯s Maiden Shirone


    ¡¸Shirone-sama!! Please save Shizufae!!¡¹


    Novis who suddenly barged, broke the peaceful silence that had covered the expanse of the room like he had jumped on thin ice, the sheet copsing beneath his chaotic and loud actions. He pleaded and begged me desperately while he looked at me in despair. His eyes glimmered with unshed tears and expectation as he looked upon me like I was his only hope. I suppose that I actually was. He wasn¡¯t the only one. He was apanied by the member¡¯s who were a part of Shizufae¡¯s party. In unison, they all bowed their heads to me in supplication.


    ording to their exnation, it seems they went to exterminate the lizardmen around noon. ording to the stumbled exnation which I had to coax out of Novis, it seemed as if they went on a mission to exterminate the lizardmen around noon today. I guess they were unfortunate to interrupt Kuroki¡¯s meeting with the lizardmen and happen upon him.


    Well, to be exact, they seemed so very unlucky that they felt cursed.


    ¡¸Shizufae is one of ourrades¡­an important member of the party. However, our powers, evenbined, aren¡¯t enough strength to save¡­please¡­save her. P-please, I beg you Shirone-sama!¡¹


    Novis uttered his statement with clenched teeth, trying and failing to cover up the anger and frustration etched into his heart.


    ¡¸Fine then. I¡¯m gonna go pick her up now alright? I trust you know what to do after that, isn¡¯t that right? You handle her afterwards, alright?¡¹


    I spat out the sentence while shooting Novis a searing re that had him ducking his head to avoid my piercing gaze.


    ¡¸Ah, I understand. I¡¯ll go and begin apologizing to her properly after she¡¯s recovered¡­.¡¹


    It was interesting to see that stubborn, insensitive, bullheaded Hero of Fire called Novis I had initially encountered be this meek, pitiful creature.It appeared as if Shizufae was an important person in his life, maybe someone close to his heart?


    If my assumptions were correct, this would cause his perception of the world to make aplete revolution on his axis. That¡¯s why I wanted him to think carefully and reflect on both his actions and their inevitable consequences. Alright, I guess I still held a bit of a grudge.


    It seems like you really care about Shizufae, that she¡¯s truly an important person in your life and close to your heart, it¡¯s simr to how I care about Kuroki. He means a lot to me. That was the entire reason why I was so enraged when Novis had suddenly attacked Kuroki for such a silly and inconsequential reason. I could still remember the manner of his behavior during that time- he was like a wild, rabid animal at that moment,cking any of the rity and perception you would expect out of a person.


    I wanted him to reflect on that rude and reckless behaviour.


    ¡¸Good. You may return now. We¡¯re going to start making preparations for her retrieval.¡¹


    ¡¸Uhm¡­take¡­me¡­too, please.¡¹


    ¡¸Rejected. You will just end up being a hindrance.¡¹


    A dark gloom settled over Novis, visibly dejected when I curtly rejected his participation.


    ¡¸Alright, I understand¡­¡¹


    The rest of the party dragged their feet, reluctant to leave, dejection etched deeply on their faces. The lehargy echoed in each of the member¡¯s movements- it was clear that they were currently subject to a deep sense of guilt that weighed them down. Of course, realizing that they had left Shizufae behind, even identally, that they had failed to protect one of their own¡­well, that must certainly not be an easy burden to carry upon their conscience.


    ¡¸Aren¡¯t they rather pitiful?¡¹


    Surveying the sight before my eyes, I couldn¡¯t help but agree. They were indeed pathetic. However, this was Novis¡¯s punishment for punching Kuroki. They deserved at least this much.


    ¡¸No, I think they deserved at least this degree of punishment.¡¹


    Kaya-san, from her ce at my side, voiced out my thoughts perfectly.


    ¡¸So you think so, Kaya-san. Moreover, Kuroki brought someone back with him a while ago, right.¡¹


    In actuality, the girl named Shizufae had already been saved. The wounded Freedom Fighter had been brought back by Kuroki hours ago, before Novis and the rest of hispany could even make their request towards me. She was peacefully resting in a room hidden deep inside an obscure wing of this temple. Rena¡¯s healing magic had truly worked wonders, the girl was almostpletely healed. Thank goodness. I had no doubt in my mind that if her fate had been even slightly different, that Kuroki left her there¡­she would have died. We would have never made it in time to save her. Just look how much time they had wasted by dying their request and dawdling.


    Anyway, Shizufae was safe and sound. That was why I was just pretending to make an effort to rescue Shizufae and prepare for such an excursion- it was hard not to betray my utterck of surprise at their request, since I became informed of their foolish mission and its disastrous oue beforehand. I wonder how they would react once it was revealed to them that the girl they wanted to save so badly had been rescued ages ago? That it was all a charade and she had been safe during this entire debacle?


    .In addition to the encounter with this foolish, motley group of heroes, it seemed that Kuroki had gained some useful information during his trip to thebyrinth. A clue regarding the best way to capture thebyrinth had been revealed, thanks to the cooperation of the colony of lizardmen who resided there. As expected of Kuroki. Excellent as usual.


    ¡¸Well then, time to take a stroll. We have to stay in character and keep with our act.Don¡¯t we, Kaya-san?¡¹


    Upon proiming my thoughts to Kaya, I then promptly left the room.


    ¡ôValkyrie[War Maiden], Shizufae


    ¡¸Oh my¡­I see that you¡¯ve finally woken up.¡¹


    When I opened my eyes blearily, the world was unfocused and fuzzy, as if I was viewing it through fog ridden sses. Shaking my head back and forth gently, my vision slowly cleared up. In my line of sight was an extremely gorgeous and beautiful woman. She seemed ethereal, almost reminiscent of the moon with her tinum blond hair and unblemished porcin skin. She was most definitely one of the most stunning women I had ever seen, a transcendent beauty. Her radiance was almost unbelievable, the shock I felt seeing this goddess like woman far surpassed my shock during the instance when I had glimpsed the ck Haired Sage for the very first time.


    Who exactly was this beauty?


    ¡¸Uhm¡­.who are you?¡¹


    A gentle smile bloomed delicately like a fresh flower across the beauty¡¯s face when I asked for her name.


    Despite also being a woman, I wasn¡¯t immune to her charms- a hot red blush spread across my face uncontrobly. No doubt I looked very flushed, but it was a side effect of bearing witness to such a beautiful and bright smile.


    ¡¸Good job, human child. Allow me to adequately show my gratitude towards you.¡¹


    ¡¸Gratitude?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, seeing him bowing his head to me make me feels so good.¡¹


    The beauty was giggling merrily as she chirped on, oblivious or apathetic to my confusion.


    I had no idea what exactly her words meant though. No matter how much I tried to puzzle out their significance, they remained as cryptic as ever.


    ¡¸So, here¡¯s a little grace for you.¡¹


    The beauty extended her hand towards my forehead, the gentle weight of her fingertips was strangely reassuring and pleasant. As soon as she pressed all three fingers onto my forehead, I suddenly felt a rush of power surging into my body.


    ¡¸Hehehe. Well then, please take care of the resulting aftermath for me, apostle Leylia.¡¹


    After throwing a nce behind her and stating herment, the beauty gracefully rose from where she had been perched and tugged onto her hood until it hid her facepletely. Her beauty was obscured in a mix of darkly cast shadows and pitch ck wool. Upon herpleting her action, I promptly recalled where I had seen her. She was the person who hade along with Shirone-san back when she had arrived here at the temple.


    ¡¸Shizufae-san!!!¡¹


    After that hooded beauty left the room, Leylia-san quickly scurried to my side. It seemed that she had been in the room since the beginning, when I had woken up. I guess I was too upied staring at that heavenly and alluring woman. Leylia came and sat on one side of the bed where I was lying down. Her behavior at the moment could certainly be described as abnormal and strange.


    ¡¸Leylia¡­-san?¡¹


    ¡¸Shizufae-san! How envious!!! To think that you had the honor to be healed personally by that revered person!!!¡¹


    Leylia-san gently took one of my hands within hers, a stark contrast to the frenzied fanaticism evident from the tone of her voice. It was unsettling to see the typically calm andposed Leylia-san lose her unppable attitude.


    ¡¸What exactly happened to me,Leylia-san? How did I end up here? Thest thing I remember¡­it was almost escaping with the rest of mypany and a sharp pain ring up on the back of my head.¡¹


    ¡¸Shizufae-san¡­you were saved from thebyrinth and that Dark Knight just in the nick of time by Shirone-sama.¡¹


    ¡¸Oh, is that so? Alright, I understand what happened now¡­¡¹


    I made a mental note to thank Shirone-samater. A wave of gratitude arose from within my chest. Although Shirone-sama undoubtedly had a bit of a temper, she was ultimately a good person. No hero could be a bad person after all. I chalked my first impression of Shirone-sama off to an anomalous blip in her behavior.


    ¡¸Even so, I¡¯m so d that you¡¯re safe and sound. I was very worried about you.¡¹


    Leylia-san lightly chuckled.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, who was that extremely beautiful person just now?¡¹


    My curiosity bubbled up to the surface uncontrobly, like the effervescence in a freshly opened can of soda that had been shaken well. I was really quite curious about that person¡¯s identity. Her beautiful and mysterious words, coupled with the reverential manner in which Leylia-san referred to her had all piqued my interest.


    ¡¸That perso¡ª nay, that esteemed persona was the Goddess Rena-sama. She was the one who healed your wound¡­that¡¯s why I¡¯m really envious of you. It is an immense honor- you should be very grateful, Shizufae-san.¡¹


    Leylia-san replied so while softly shaking her head back and forth. Her eyes were focused on the floor as she bit her lip, trying to conceal the envy that was painted across her face as clear as day.


    My eyes grew wide, no doubt I looked like I felt- a deer caught in the headlights. I felt like my world had stopped for a moment, as I tried desperately toprehend and assimte that ground-shaking piece of information.


    ¡¸No way¡­.that person¡­is the Goddess-sama?¡¹


    To say I was shocked by this sudden revtion was most definitely an understatement, if not the understatement of the year. No doubt, I was stupidly gaping, my mouth opening and closing wordlessly like a fish out of water.


    ¡ôDark Knight Kuroki


    ¡¸How did this happen to me?¡¹


    Why the hell did I have to bow down before Rena, prostrating myself at her feet just to save the life of one freedom fighter girl?! Wasn¡¯t that her job in the first ce? Wasn¡¯t it her duty as the Protector of Humans to care for them and heal one of the wounded humans she came across without maniption, coercion orint?! And yet that scheming woman called Rena refused to do so. Selflessness and generosity, my ass! If the people who worshipped her so devotedly and faithfully knew of her true colors, they would pick up their pitchforks and begin a riot.


    Huh¡­God being the savior of humanity is simply just a pipe dream created by the human imagination to cope with the harsh realities of life. The Gods won¡¯t save humans. In the first ce, Gods are apathetic beings. I, who knew the events that had led to the creations of humans, was very aware of the fundamental fact that Gods didn¡¯t exist for humans- humans exist for the Gods. That¡¯s why, deep down, I wasn¡¯t surprised with Rena¡¯s arrogance and apathy- there was nothing strange regarding Rena not saving a human even when they were on the verge of death.


    The face Rena made clearly screamed her disinterest. It was almost as if her expression clearly read ¡®If you really want to save Shizufae, why don¡¯t you save her yourself?¡¯.


    Thus, I was left with no choice. The only way forward which involved saving Shizufae¡¯s life was bowing my head before Rena. The triumph that had spread across Rena¡¯s beautiful face when she saw me bowing before her was etched into my mind¡­I couldn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t forget it under any circumstances. It was a sight that haunted and danced tauntingly across the dark of my eyes everytime I closed them.


    In the first ce, why did I, a Dark Knight have to bow before a Goddess just to save one mere freedom fighter¡¯s life?!


    .I could almost taste my rebellion on my tongue. I want so badly to retort that it was supposed to be the opposite, right? However, I had no choice but to swallow my retort unvoiced like bitter, disgusting medicine.


    ¡¸Good grief, just why in hell did I do that¡­¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t do anything but heave a sigh. What was done was done. Now Rena had another card to y against me. Sh*t.

 Chapter 58: Goddess Of Spider

    <h4>Chapter 58: Goddess Of Spider</h4>


    ¡ôSword¡¯s Maiden Shirone


    ¡¸Are you¡­ sure about this?¡¹


    I unintentionally let out a verbal slip.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Shirone-san?¡¹


    Kyouka-san asked from my side.


    While wearing a swimsuit, she was currently lying on top of a beach chair at the deck of the ship.


    Her figure was exactly that of a youngdy enjoying a summer vacation.


    I was also doing the same as her, lying on a beach chair in my swimwear. However, I wondered whether it was really okay to do this?


    We¡¯re currently sailing on the Quiche River.


    The reason why we were visiting this ce was to investigate it


    The lizardmen were also riding on our ship.


    It seemed that they were going to go to another location when we enter thebyrinth.


    Apparently, they had detailed geography regarding the area around thebyrinth.


    This is why after their conversation with Kuroki, they finally decided to help us with the investigation of the Quiche River.


    In the first ce, we actually didn¡¯t have toe here.


    Regena was the one in charge of the lizardmen after all.


    For some reason, the lizardmen called Regena, the ¡°Dragon Priest¡±.


    It wasn¡¯t like I wanted to know what it meant though. But for this reason, Regena was in charge of the investigation.


    Frankly speaking, there was nothing for us to do here.


    However, on the surface of things, this was ¡®our¡¯ investigation, Kuroki or the lizardmen were technically not here on paper, this was why we had to show our faces in this area.


    We simply came here so that the lizardmen could do their job.


    Without us, the knights or freedom fighters would have probablye here to immediately subjugate these lizardmen. As such, we didn¡¯t wish to cause too much disturbance.


    This was why the best avable choice we could do right now was cruise on the Quiche River in the name of investigation.


    The Quiche River was arge river with manyrge boats that traversed its waters, this was an important trade route between the countries in the Minon in.


    The Republic Ariadya was located in the estuary of the Quiche River.


    Kaya-san readily prepared a ship for us to use.


    In fact, the size of this ship might be bigger than the cruiser owned by Reiji-kun¡¯s family


    Currently, the ship was anchored at the riverbanks close to thebyrinth.


    We were currently enjoying the scenery whilezing about on the beach chairs.


    The Quiche River flowed along the Minon in and was surrounded by beautiful scenery. This world has a far more natural element whenpared to Japan, our birthce.


    ¡¸Mdy, Shirone-sama. I¡¯ve prepared this beverage for you.¡¹


    Kaya-san brought some drinks for us from the kitchen of the ship.


    Even at this point, she was still wearing her maid uniform instead of a swimsuit. I thought that she should¡¯ve used this moment to take a break.


    ¡¸Thanks, Kaya-san.¡¹


    I received a porcin cup from Kaya-san.


    Because ss isn¡¯t widely used in this world. Most containers were normally made from metal, wood, or porcin.


    ¡¸You¡¯re wee.¡¹


    Kaya bowed gracefully in response.


    The fruit juice she brought had a refreshing and nice taste.


    ¡¸Kaya, How¡¯s the investigation going? I¡¯m bored¡­ There¡¯s no one here I can show this swimsuit to.¡¹


    Kyouka-san said so with a bored tone.


    We were wearing a bikini-type swimsuit right now.


    However, Kyouka-san¡¯s body brought about a dangerous charm despite wearing the same kind of swimsuit as me. She had quite a dreamy figure that many men wanted.


    By the way, this swimsuit was also made with special silk. It was the type that didn¡¯t absorb water.


    The people who worked in the sea while doing their job would usually wear garment made from this silk.


    Due to the western part of the continent being rtively warmerpared to the eastern part.


    Clothing that was worn by women, except for the followers of Faeria¡¯s Faith, would usually expose quite a lot of skin.


    ording to Goddess Faeria¡¯s creed, it wasn¡¯t a good thing for a woman to expose most of their skin to people aside from their husband.


    For this very same reason, women from Faeria¡¯s Faith at the western part of the continent wore clothes simr to women of eastern part of the continent.


    This is why, speaking from their perspective, our current get-up was on the opposite end.


    Since we weren¡¯t Goddess Faeria¡¯s believers, there was no problem in us wearing this kind of attire.


    It isn¡¯t like I wore this kind of swimsuit cause I wanted to show it to someone, but¡­ could it be different for Kyouka-san?


    ¡¸How about showing your outfit to those gentlemen over there?¡¹


    Kaya-san said as she pointed at the back of the ship.


    She was referring to Regena, Novis, and the men who were on the rear of the ship.


    When I looked at her hand again, there was no doubt about it. She was pointing at them.


    ¡¸Surely you jest, Kaya. Why should I reward those men who are weaker than onii-sama? In the first ce, what are they even doing here?¡¹


    Kyouka-san responded with a cold tone. So this also meant that she was okay with it if it was a man stronger than Reiji-kun¡­


    Novis and hispany were also boarding the ship. They basically forced themself toe with us by pleading,¡¸We¡¯ll show you that we¡¯re useful! Please allow us toe along with you.¡¹.


    Although we were hesitant at first, we eventually came to a conclusion that it was much better to have more people when sailing.


    ¡¸Though I don¡¯t know the name of the other two people, it seems that the man called Novis has yet to give up on bing your apprentice.¡¹


    Kaya-san opened her mouth as she looked at me.


    ¡¸Geh! Please pardon me from doing so¡­ If he wants to learn about swordcraft, it should be much better to learn it from Kuroki.¡¹


    To be honest, I wanted Novis to stop asking me to teach him. For starters, I wasn¡¯t all that good at teaching others. Kuroki is so much better than me in that regard.


    ¡¸However¡­ Shirone-sama, Kuroki-sama is currently hiding his identity. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s impossible for him to teach swordcraft right now?¡¹


    ¡¸Well, there¡¯s also that, but¡­.¡¹


    Kuroki was currently house-sitting in Teseshia.


    The lizardmen were following Kuroki¡¯s orders. This was why it would be for the best if Kuroki was the one who continued ordering them.


    Rena also stayed in Teseshia after she said that there was something she wanted to talk about with Kuroki.


    This was why the matters of these lizardmen were left to Regena.


    It seemed that Regena received some sort of magic that allowed her to move underwater.


    With this ability, she went along with the lizardmen in the investigation of the river below.


    Nevertheless, why did he appoint Regena for this duty? He could¡¯ve asked for our help in this matter, it wasn¡¯t like we had something to do either¡­


    ¡¸Come to think of it, Shirone-san. Can I ask you something?¡¹


    Kyouka-san said so as she looked at me.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Kyouka-san?¡¹


    ¡¸I heard that Kuroki-san hasn¡¯t only mastered the sword, but he can also use magic pretty well. ¡¹


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ yes, he can use magic fairly well¡­ Is something the matter with it?¡¹


    I didn¡¯t understand the underlying meaning behind Kyouka-san¡¯s statement.


    ¡¸No, I suddenly had an idea when you were talking about teaching swordcraft. Can I ask Kuroki-san to teach me magic?¡¹


    Kyouka-san had a serious look on her face.


    ¡¸Mdy¡­.¡¹


    Kaya-san looked at Kyouka-san with a surprised expression.


    ¡¸I think that my situation is simr to that gentleman called Novis. I want to be stronger too¡­ I don¡¯t want to be a hindrance anymore¡­¡¹


    Kyouka-san continued speaking with a crestfallen face.


    She was the only one without anybat skills amongst us.


    It seemed that she received magic lessons from Chiyuki-san before, however, there hasn¡¯t been any improvement at all.


    As a result, she would always receive the house-sitting duty or things simr to it.


    I never expected that Kyouka-san was worried about this matter.


    ¡¸I see. Why does it have to be Kuroki though?¡¹


    I mean, she could ask for another lesson from Chiyuki-san, right? Why did it have to be Kuroki?


    ¡¸Well¡­ since you said that Kuroki-san is good when ites to teaching other people. This was why I¡­¡¹


    ¡¸I understand now. Yes, I said that Kuroki is far better than me in teaching other people, however, I was talking about swordcraft.¡¹


    Once in a while, children woulde to my family dojo in order to be taught swordsmanship.


    Back then, me and Kuroki would be their assistant instructors.


    At the beginning, the children would head over towards me and ask for my guidance. But for some reason, a whileter, they would instead go over to Kuroki.


    I was so shocked when I saw it happen.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay! I¡¯ll make it work!¡¹


    Kyouka-san eximed as she grabbed my hands.


    It was hard to refuse her request¡­


    ¡¸I understand, Kyouka-san¡­ I¡¯ll try to tell Kuroki about this matter.¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you, Shirone-san!! I¡¯ll return this favor someday!!¡¹


    Kyouka-san had a happy expression on.


    Well, I don¡¯t really know whether Kuroki would teach her or not. But I think it should be okay since Kuroki is a kind person after all.


    Then again, what was he doing right now?


    I suddenly remembered that Kuroki was currently housesitting along with Rena in Teseshia.


    ¡ôValkyrie, Shizufae


    ¡¸DAMMIT! WHY CAN¡¯T I TAKE A PEEK?!¡¹


    The Hero of Wind, Zefa, cursed with a loud voice.


    This was because Shirone-sama and Kyouka-sama, both wearing a swimsuit, were resting on the ship¡¯s bow.


    ¡¸What the hell are you talking about? Do you want to be killed by Kaya-sama?¡¹


    Big sis Keyna rebuked Zefa with an exhausted tone.


    Kaya-sama was a really scary person¡­ I also heard that she was as strong, if not, even more powerful than Chiyuki-sama.


    I mean¡­ if you had multiple lives, it still wouldn¡¯t be enough if you somehow angered that kind of person.


    They were simply beyond our reach, we shouldn¡¯t even have any thoughts of doing something strange to them.


    Anyhow, it seems that Shirone-sama managed to get the cooperation from the lizardmen while saving me from thebyrinth.


    I mean, we¡¯re talking about lizardmen here, they¡¯re a race that wouldn¡¯t listen to humans unless we ced shackles or a cor on them.


    And Zefa here was actually daring to try and peek on my benefactor.


    ¡¸But¡­ they¡¯re such beauties, you know? Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s wrong if we, as gentlemen, don¡¯t even try to look at them? Am I right, Hero of Fire?¡¹


    Zefa suddenly dragged Novis into the conversation.


    ¡¸No, I mean¡­. You¡¯re kind of correct¡­¡¹


    Novis hesitantly agreed with him.


    ¡¸Give it up already¡­. Are you trying to incite Shirone-sama¡¯s wrath again?¡¹


    I rebuked Novis¡¯ words.


    ¡¸Even so¡­ Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯ll be your loss as a man if you wouldn¡¯t take a look at Kyouka-sama and Shirone-sama¡¯s current appearance? How should I say this¡­.¡¹


    Novis said with pride, he apparently wasn¡¯t giving up on this.


    ¡¸The hell are you talking about?¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t help but facepalm. This idiot will never learn from his mistake unless I point it out.


    Though¡­ It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t understand his feelings.


    I mean, despite her huge breasts, Kyouka-sama has such a slender waist.


    And though Shirone-sama loses in terms of breast size, her chest was still considered as cut above the rest by this world¡¯s standard. In addition, she also has a pair of long and slender legs. In fact, her figure was much more bnced than Kyouka-sama¡¯s.


    Even I, who was the same gender as them, quite envied their well proportioned figures. This was why I understood his emotions of wanting to see their swimsuit figures.


    However, it doesn¡¯t mean that I would let these idiots do that. Shirone-sama was my benefactor. I¡¯ll do everything I can to prevent these idiots from disturbing them.


    It also seems she didn¡¯t meet the Dark Knight when she found me copsed in thebyrinth.


    But still¡­ who knew what would have happened to me if she didn¡¯t find me at that time. Moreover, it was also thanks to Shirone-sama that my wound was treated by Goddess-sama herself.


    I felt like the luckiest girl in the world for getting personal treatment from the super beautiful goddess.


    It was said that Goddess Rena-sama was the epitome of beauty, and that there was nothing but gentle affection in her heart. I now know that this rumor about her was true after I met the person herself. [TL : ¡­]


    I mean, it was already surprising in and of itself that I was able to meet the goddess herself.


    This is why I¡¯ve yet to properly show my gratitude to Shirone-sama.


    I was right here at this very moment for the sake of repaying this favor to her.


    Thus, I have imposed on myself with a duty to prevent those idiots ¡ª Also known as Novis andpany ¡ª from trying to do something stupid.


    Or so I thought when I came here by myself, for some reason though, Keyna-sama also tagged along with me.


    My miscalction, however, was the fact that the Hero of Water, Nephim, and the Hero of Wind, Zefa, also came along with us. It seemed that they tagged along for their own agendas.


    Somehow, Novis seemed to hate this addition.


    ¡¸Ha!¡¹


    A pir of water suddenly appeared from the river¡¯s surface.


    A man descended to the deck of the ship alongside this sudden situation.


    It was Nephim, the Hero of Water. Since he could freely move underwater, he chose to dive along with the lizardmen into the river.


    He then dried his drenched hair with a theatrical movement. His light blue hair danced beautifully as he shook his head.


    Nephim was currently wearing a swimsuit for men that encased his well-toned body, and despite him being handsome as Reiji-sama, I had to say that Nephim¡¯s appearance was a cut above the rest of the human males in this world.


    ¡¸¡­ Fuuh.¡¹


    After heaving a sigh, Nephim walked towards the starboard and kneeled on there. Adder which descended toward the river was in front of him.


    Shortly after, a woman appeared from the surface of the water around thedder.


    She was one of Kyouka-sama¡¯s and Shirone-sama¡¯s attendants, her name was Regena-san.


    She volunteered herself to dive into the river tomand the lizardmen in Shirone-sama andpany¡¯s ce.


    I heard a rumor that Regena-san was a former princess of a certain country¡­


    How did someone in her position end up bing an attendant? Could it be that she had a rather spicy background?


    However, she was definitely more useful than the male attendant who got punched by Novis, there was also the fact that she couldmand the lizardmen.


    It also seemed that she could move underwater too, just like Nephim.


    Regena-san grabbed onto thedder, and then, she slowly climbed back up to the deck of the ship.


    ¡¸Here, please take my hand, Regena.¡¹


    Nephim stretched his hand as he said those words. Despite his offer, Regena ignored him while she nonchntly continued climbing on thedder.


    Nephim, who got ignored, was smiling wryly.


    Novis and Zefa were smiling gleefully at the situation. Good grief¡­ these idiots¡­


    ¡¸Uhm, please use this¡­¡¹


    I gave her a clean and dry cloth for her to wipe her body.


    ¡¸Thank you very much¡­¡¹


    Regena-san bowed in response, she also showed a gentle smile when she did so.


    As I looked at her wiping her body, I thought that she was a beautiful person too.


    Chesnut-colored hair and porcin-white skin¡­ Though not as sexy as Shirone-sama or Kyouka-sama, her body had just the right curves.


    The fact that she only had a swimsuit on also emphasized that fact even further.


    Could it be that the girls who were working around Reiji-sama all had this kind of beauty?


    It was to the point that I was starting to lose my confidence as a woman.


    I mean¡­ the woman who had the smallest chest in this ship was none other than me. I don¡¯t think I would ever wear a swimsuit around these kinds of super beauties, even if I wasn¡¯t Faeria¡¯s believer.


    ¡¸This is quite¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah¡­¡¹


    Zefa and Novis were ogling at Regena, thetter was still wiping her body.


    I desperately endured the impulse to kick these idiots into the river.


    ¡¸You guys¡­ Please stop looking at my Regena with those dirty looks on your faces.¡¹


    Nephim stood in front of Regena, shielding her from Novis and Zefa¡¯s sight.


    ¡¸Ah! What the heck are you talking about? Stop trying to monopolize her for yourself!¡¹


    ¡¸In the first ce, since when did Regena-san be yours?!¡¹


    The two idiots quickly snapped back at Nephim.


    Nephim smiled as he looked at the two men.


    ¡¸By the way, how about having a dinner with me, Regena?¡¹


    Nephim asked with a serious expression on his face.


    It seemed like he was trying to woo Regena-san even when they were inside the river earlier.


    Regena-san simply treated him coldly, almost to the point of ignoring him.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­. Thanks for the offer, but I can¡¯t ept it since I already have a master*.¡¹[TL* : Could be heard or interpreted as ¡°Husband¡±]


    Regena-san, with a troubled look on her face, t out rejected Novis.


    Other than the idiot trio¡¯s reactions aside, even big sis Keyna had a surprised look on her face.


    This also included me of course.


    ¡¸Hee~ A husband, huh? You just dealt a critical blow to these guys.¡¹


    Big sis Keynamented as she observed Regena-san.


    Regena-san was married, huh? Even though we were supposed to be the same age.


    This part was what made me rather surprised.


    ¡¸Regena-san has a husband*?! I wonder what kind of a person your husband* is¡­¡¹ [TL : could be heard or interpreted as ¡®master¡¯]


    I unintentionally asked this question.


    Since Reiji-sama wasn¡¯t married yet, the husband she was referring to might not be him. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what kind of person her husband was.


    It made me extremely curious as the priestess of the Goddess of Marriage.


    ¡¸He¡¯s an extremely, gentle and warm person¡­¡¹


    Regena-san replied with a gentle smile on her face.


    She was truly enchanting at this moment.


    I let out a groan when I heard her say this. Honestly speaking? I was jealous of her.


    When I nced to the side, I saw the Nephim¡¯s figure slumped down on the floor.


    Poor guy¡­ but with this, I guess one idiot is down for the count.


    But I was really curious about the identity of Regena¡¯s husband, I mean¡­ What made him so special that just a mention about him was enough for Regena-san to make such a face?


    I really wanted to meet him someday.


    ¡ôDark Knight Kuroki


    ¡¸Are you¡­ sure about this?¡¹


    I unintentionally let out a verbal slip.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Kuroki?¡¹


    While linking her arm with mine, we walked together before Rena asked this question.


    She was currently wearing a hood to hide her face.


    Moreover, we were currently walking in the main streets of the Republic Ariadya. A transcendent beauty like Rena would be bound to cause a hugemotion if she people were to notice her.


    Though, I think that she would still stand out even with her face hidden, fortunately, we were at the center of Faeria¡¯s faith, it was normal for women here to hide their faces.


    ¡¸Well¡­. I mean, with Shirone and the others doing an investigation, is it really okay for us to do this?¡¹


    Shirone andpany should be in the middle of investigating Quiche river right now.


    Can we really stroll about without a care in the world like this?


    Moreover, I was also worried about the lizardmen¡¯s conditions. They did tell me that they would stop trying to get their revenge on humans¡­


    But still¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but be anxious about this.


    I mean they did start revering me as if I was their God. I originally didn¡¯t have any intention to save them, nor did I want to in the first ce. I was inly worried that their promise to me might backfire on them.


    I felt disgusted due to my own indecision in this matter.


    ¡¸It isn¡¯t like they forbade us to do anything. Let¡¯s just put our faith in them, moreover, isn¡¯t your apostle with them too?¡¹


    Rena said with a smile on her face.


    This was also another thing that I was uneasy about. How did she know that Regena was my apostle? I mean¡­ not even Shirone was aware of this fact.


    Regenamanded the lizardmen in my ce, they seemed to be quite obedient towards her too.


    ¡¸Hah~ Come to think of it, is it really okay to sneak out like this?¡¹


    In a normal situation, Rena would¡¯ve been surrounded by numerous bodyguards right now. However, she currently didn¡¯t really have them to protect her.


    As for why we were strolling around right now, it¡¯s because Rena told me that she wanted to see the human world.


    She didn¡¯t bring any bodyguard along since it would make us stand out in the crowd.


    Nevertheless, I thought it should¡¯ve been okay if we brought along one or two bodyguards. Rena seemed to detest this very idea.


    As expected, her bodyguard wouldn¡¯t let her go without anyone to protect her either. Thus, Rena sneaked out of the inn, bringing me along to go with her.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t need any other bodyguard as long as I have you. Won¡¯t you be my knight just for today?¡¹


    Rena said as she pulled me closer to her.


    Right now, I wasn¡¯t wearing my armor. My outfit only consisted of a normal set of clothes for daily use. I could clearly feel Rena¡¯s soft and bouncy breasts squishing on my left arm.


    ¡¸Well¡­ sure enough, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem for me to be your knight just for today, but¡­ are you really sure about not bringing any of your bodyguards?¡¹


    I had to ask her this since she sneaked out.


    I mean, she would naturally get rejected if she asked to go out alone.


    As for the reason why I was apanying Rena in her tour, it was to repay her for providing help in saving Shizufae.


    Her simple request was to stroll in a human city with just me and her together.


    It was still a mystery as to why she asked me of all people, aside from other matters, I had nothing to lose by epting such an easy request. This was why I agreed with her.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. Rather than that, what¡¯s the matter with you? You¡¯ve been walking with such a strange gait since a while ago.¡¹


    Rena questioned with a curious look on her face.


    DAMMIT! LIKE HELL I COULD TELL HER THAT IT WAS BECAUSE SHE WAS PRESSING HER CHEST ON MY ARM.


    And thanks to that, I couldn¡¯t walk properly since a certain body part of mine became as hard as a rock.


    ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing¡­. Anyway, where are you going to take me?¡¹


    Ariadya was one of the most prominent metropolises in this world. I wonder where she was stringing me along¡­


    ¡¸Oh my, isn¡¯t that your duty? You did a research about those kind of ces on your own, right?¡¹


    ¡¸¡­Eh? How did you know?¡¹


    She was right, I did various investigations about the sightseeing spots in Republic Ariadya.


    I mean, it was natural to research about these kinds of things if you came to a metropolis. I even bought a tour guide book. Thankfully, it was cheap thanks to the dwarves that made the printing tools.


    However¡­ How did she know that I have a tour guide book?


    ¡¸Why you ask? It¡¯s because I saw the guide book when I entered your room.¡¹


    Rena exined as if it was the most natural thing to do in the world.


    ¡¸Ah, I see¡­ Wait, no! YOU ENTERED MY ROOM!?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, should I not have?¡¹


    ¡¸It isn¡¯t on the matter that you ¡®shouldn¡¯t¡¯¡­¡¹


    Where was my privacy? Though she shouldn¡¯t be able to find that¡­ I still can¡¯t let my guard down.


    ¡¸Well, don¡¯t mind such trivial matters, let¡¯s get going. Now then, where are you going to take me first?¡¹


    Rena muttered with her sweet and enchanting voice.


    I swallowed anyints I had when her face neared mine.


    Okay then! To the back alley, I mean she doesn¡¯t seem to like this ce. [TL: ¡­. Seriously]


    ¡­Cough, I was joking. Let¡¯s stop thinking about these kinds of silly ideas.


    ¡¸Uhn, let see¡­. Which ce should we visit first?¡¹


    I erased all the evil ideas I had while pondering about this thought.


    The first ce that came to my mind was the giant public bath.


    Ariadya¡¯s giant public bath wasn¡¯t just a bathing facility, there were various amusements that were built around it. It might be the best choice to y around.


    But¡­ there¡¯s a problem. Since the giant public bath is dedicated to Faeria, it has an extreme restriction towards men. It¡¯s an inappropriate ce to go since men and women are separated when we enter the area.


    Because the arena was still closed down and the theatre has yet to raise its curtain, where should I take her?


    ¡¸How about Traid¡¯s fountain?¡¹


    ¡¸Traid¡¯s fountain?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s a dwarven-made fountain which was created as the water facility terminal of this country. At the center of the fountain is a splendid sculpture of the Sea King; Trident is surrounded by beautiful mermaids.¡¹


    Ariadya¡¯s water service facilities were made by the dwarves.


    The Traid¡¯s fountain was made as its main terminal.


    The Sea King, Trident, was a water god, the fountain was also built as an offering for him.


    ¡¸Hu~hm, an offering for Trident, huh? I can¡¯t think too highly of the fountain that was made as an offering for THAT¡­ I don¡¯t really mind as long as Ie with you.¡¹


    Having said that, a whileter, we finally arrived at Traid¡¯s fountain.


    It was an extremely splendid fountain. The water made from the service terminal looked as if it came from a natural spring. The sculpture of the Sea King, Trident, was located right in the center of Traid¡¯s fountain, it was surrounded by beautiful mermaids.


    The splendid sculpture was crafted by dwarves based on a blueprint from a famous designer.


    Traid¡¯s fountain was one of the most famous tourist attractions here. From the people¡¯s appearances alone, I knew that they were from outside of Ariadya.


    ¡¸Kuroki. Do you know what they¡¯re doing?¡¹


    Rena asked me as she looked at some of the tourists doing something.


    They were throwing a coin into the fountain.


    ¡¸Ah, they¡¯re wishing for something.¡¹[TL : Wishing well]


    ¡¸Wishing¡­ for something?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, there¡¯s a certain belief here that says your wish mighte true if you throw a coin into the fountain. Do you want to give it a try?¡¹


    Having said so, I took out a Teycam copper coin from my pocket.


    Teycam was the currency issued by Republic Ariadya. The Ariad Union aside, it could also be used in the Holy Republic Lenaria and other regions.


    ¡¸Humans sure are strange¡­ You make a wish by throwing something like this?¡¹


    Rena said as she looked at the copper coin.


    In fact, from Rena¡¯s point of view, currency was an unusual thing.


    Divine beings never used money in the first ce, nor did they ever need it.


    They could get almost anything they wanted without even having to use something like money. If it was something they truly wanted to get, it would be an object that was too valuable to have a price tag attached to it. These were a few of the reasons why they didn¡¯t need money.


    ¡¸By the way, there¡¯s also a superstition here that says when a man and woman throws a coin together, they will be blessed to be side by side forever.¡¹


    Rena let out a surprised gasp when I told her this myth.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve never heard this kind of magic before.¡¹


    Rena shook her head as if she couldn¡¯t believe what she just heard.


    ¡¸It isn¡¯t magic¡­. But well¡­ It¡¯s sort of like a notion that¡¯s spread amongst the humans.¡¹


    I had no better words to exin this myth.


    ¡¸This actually makes it even harder to understand¡­¡¹


    It seems that things like superstitions were nonsense for Rena.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ I myself feel that it¡¯s okay to believe in myths like these sometimes. Well, at least I wouldn¡¯t dismiss it asplete nonsense out of nothing.¡¹


    I ced my copper coin back into my pocket, it isn¡¯t like I could force her to believe in human superstitions either. But still, I felt kind of lonely inside.


    ¡¸Wait a minute, Kuroki. It¡¯s true that I don¡¯t understand the logic behind this action, but it doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t want to do it.


    Rena stopped me from keeping the copper coin.


    ¡¸I see.¡¹


    I took out the copper coin again with a wry smile on my face. Well, it¡¯s true that leaving this area without doing anything would defeat the purpose ofing here.


    ¡¸Kuroki, don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s better if we threw a gold coin instead?¡¹


    ¡¸¡­EH!?¡¹


    I was speechless at what she just said, could it be that she didn¡¯t hear my exnation a while ago?


    Refusing her right now would be like pouring cold water onto her enthusiasm.


    I ced the copper coin in my pocket and took out a gold coin.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s throw it together, Kuroki.¡¹


    Rena¡¯s snow-white hand grasped on my hand that held the gold coin.


    ¡¸E-Eh¡­ Rena?¡¹


    Thus, just like this, the bewildered me threw the gold coin into the fountain with Rena.


    The coin drew a parabolic orbit before dropping right in the center of the fountain.


    ¡¸Fufufu, humans know how to make a good superstition.¡¹


    Although her face was hidden beneath her hood, I knew that she was enjoying this.


    I felt relieved knowing this.


    To be honest, I had zero experience in this regard. Learning that she was enjoying her time was enough to make me feel ted.


    But then again, was it really okay to do this with someone who wasn¡¯t Reiji? I mean¡­ she was supposed to love him right?


    Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter now, this kind of thinking will only spoil this rare moment of spending time together with a beauty.


    ¡¸Kuroki, where are you going to take me next?¡¹


    ¡¸Let see¡­¡¹


    I started thinking about the next ce to visit.


    ¡ôDark Knight Kuroki


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Rena?¡¹


    After leaving Traid¡¯s fountain, we went to visit Ariadya¡¯s senate building, and Ariadya¡¯s port which was located in the southern part of the city.


    There was a giant cold warehouse located there that was built to store the food ingredients.


    After we enjoyed the ice cream sold around the area, Rena suddenly pulled me to follow her into a deste alley.


    And then, she quickly pulled off her hood as soon as we turned around the corner.


    ¡¸Fuu¡­. Hiding my face with a hood for a long time is really suffocating.¡¹


    Sure enough, she was wearing her hood ever since we came to this city. That might be the main reason why she feels it¡¯s suffocating.


    However¡­ we¡¯ll be troubled to no end if she doesn¡¯t wear her hood anymore.


    I mean, she¡¯s already a head-turner even with it on.


    The scale would basically explode once she takes the hood off in public.


    Good grief, this Goddess is really troublesome.


    ¡¸Are you okay, Rena?¡¹


    And yet, I was still worrying about her. She was a woman before being a Goddess, and I did tell her that I¡¯d be her knight just for today. This is why it¡¯s my duty to protect her.


    ¡¸Fufu, I¡¯m just a little bit tired.¡¹


    Rena said as she leaned against me.


    Her moist eyes locked on me while her small and warm breath leaked out from her pink lips.


    The beating in my heart wouldn¡¯t stop when I looked at her.


    Her current expression¡­ was bad for my heart.


    No¡­ she was basically chipping away whatever restraint I had left¡­


    I don¡¯t think I would be able to hold back if you show me such an enchanted expression, O My Goddess-sama!!


    ¨C What are you waiting for, dude? There¡¯s no one here, it¡¯s your chance.


    The demon and angel inside of me began quarreling.


    The Demon Kuroki said: ¡¸Just do it already! No one can find both of you in this ce anyway. Look! The Goddess is clearly asking for it. Rip her clothes and she¡¯s all yours!¡¹


    Meanwhile, the Angel Kuroki voiced out: ¡¸Demon, that¡¯s clearly wrong! A gentleman mustn¡¯t rip a woman¡¯s clothes. Don¡¯t you think that It¡¯s more exciting to do it with her clothes on?!¡¹


    FUU*UCK, THIS ANGEL IS A FU*CKING FALLEN ANGEL! HE¡¯S ABSOLUTELY THE WORST SE*XUAL PREDATOR IN THE WORLD!


    But with my rm ringing non-stop since a while ago. This was definitely a death g.


    I mustn¡¯t give in to my lust, otherwise, I¡¯d be dead meat.


    In the first ce, I absolutely couldn¡¯t trust this Goddess-sama.


    Rena suddenly made an impish smile.


    My brain was operating at top speed. But honestly speaking, I¡¯m on the verge of giving in to my lust.


    It was during that critical moment.


    The air started trembling.


    ¡¸This is¡­. a barrier?¡¹


    It was created to iste the space around us from the rest of the world.


    And then, I noticed someone heading towards us.


    ¡¸To think that you¡¯de to a deste ce like this, it¡¯s almost as if you¡¯re asking to die in my hands¡­ Goddess Rena.¡¹


    The one who just spoke was a woman.


    She seemed to be surprised to find me together with Rena. Judging from how the situation was unfolding, this woman was probably the person who erected the barrier.


    Moreover, I knew this woman¡¯s identity.


    ¡¸You¡¯re¡­ An-san, right?¡¹


    I¡¯ve already met this woman before, she was An, the wife of Tormalkis, a purveyor of Rena temple.


    She was also the one who prepared an inn for us.


    ¡¸Fufufu, I¡¯d recognize you even if you hid your face, Rena! Now, it¡¯s time to vent my thousands years of grudges towards you!¡¹


    An was wearing a stiff smile while announcing. It seemed like An knew Rena.


    I wonder¡­ who was she?


    ¡¸Rena, is she¡­ Your acquaintance?¡¹


    Considering this Goddess¡¯ rotten personality, I wouldn¡¯t find it strange for her to have so many enemies.


    ¡¸Honestly I don¡¯t really know her either. Uhm, who are you again?¡¹


    Rena looked at An¡¯s face as she asked this question.


    ¡¸Fufufu¡­ You don¡¯t know me? Can you say that even after¡­ SEEING THIS, RENA!?¡¹


    An¡¯s lower half transformed after she said these words.


    ¡¸A SPIDER!¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t hold myself back from screaming upon seeing this sudden change of the situation.


    An¡¯s lower half transformed into a giant spider¡¯s. Her face also transformed, it resembled that of an insect with sharp fangs growing from her mouth.


    She wasn¡¯t human.


    I raised my vignce due to this unpleasant premonition.


    The main reason was because I couldn¡¯t see through her disguise before.


    I mean¡­ she looked so much like a human. I never expected that someday I would meet someone whose disguise reached such perfection.


    ¡¸No way¡­ You are¡­.¡¹


    Rena seemed to remember something as soon as she saw An¡¯s transformation. As I thought, she probably knew An in the past.


    ¡¸Kukuku, surprised huh? Yeah, it¡¯s mo¨C¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ Sorry, but who are you again?¡¹


    I tripped on my own foot after hearing Rena¡¯s words.


    An¡¯s reaction was simr to mine.


    ¡¸You fucking old spinster! How dare you forget about me! Don¡¯t tell me you forgot about me, Ankua!¡¹


    An, or should I call her, Ankua was ring daggers at Rena.


    ¡¸Just kidding, Ankua. It¡¯s not like I could forget you even if I wanted to¡­ So, is that all you wanted to say?¡¹


    Yeah, they¡¯re acquainted with each other. I wonder what kind of rtionship they had in the past?


    ¡¸I hate that fucking attitude of yours the most! How can you be so carefree after seducing my HUSBAND!¡¹


    Ankua was hysteric.


    ¡¸Hus¡­ band¡­? Ah, that persistent god, huh? What kind of misunderstanding do you have? I don¡¯t ever remember seducing him. I should be the oneining since he kept pestering me.¡¹


    Rena replied calmly, almost like she was too used to this kind of dialogue.


    ¡¸MY DEAR HUSBAND WOULD NEVER DO THAT KIND OF THIIIIING! YOU THIEF! YOU VIXEN! YOU THIS VIXEN WHO SEDUCED HIM! DON¡¯T GET CARRIED AWAY JUST BECAUSE YOU¡¯RE A LITTLE BIT MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN ME!¡¹


    Ankua¡¯s real face was like thebination of a human and insect¡¯s face. If I went by humanity¡¯s standard for beauty, then Rena won by a million miles.


    I¡¯m really curious now, what does her husband look like?


    ¡¸If only you¡¯re aware of how ugly your own face is¡­ How about you at least put a bit of effort to look a little bit prettier? Well, it¡¯s not like you can win against me no matter how much hard work you put in.¡¹


    ¡¸WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!¡¹


    Rena kept smiling happily, while on the other hand, Ankua was burning with rage.


    Long story short, it seemed that Ankua¡¯s lover was seduced by Rena in the past. Ankua was enraged over this matter.


    Even a third party like me was having a headache upon hearing about this drama.


    It¡¯s just too stu¡ª Whatever, it¡¯s not my business anyway.


    ¡¸HAHAHAHA, FUGLY SPIDE~R! FUGLY SPIDE~R!¡¹


    ¡¸KIIIIIIIIIIIIII¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª!¡¹


    Rena kept taunting Ankua while hiding behind me. [TL : What is this? Grade school level quarrel?]


    An elementary student-level quarrel between two Goddesses was unfolding right in front of my eyes.


    If I showed this childish side of Rena to her priests, it might be enough to send them to the afterlife.


    ¡¸Uuurgh! Well, it doesn¡¯t matter! Now listen to me, Rena! The one who lured your Hero of Light into thebyrinth is I! And that hero of yours is currently flirting around withbrys¡¯ daughter inside thebyrinth! HAHAHAHA, ISN¡¯T IT VEXING KNOWING THAT YOUR MAN IS STOLEN BY ANOTHER?!¡¹


    Ankuaughed as she told us this piece of information.


    ¡¸I see¡­ So Reiji is¡­¡¹


    Rena¡¯s tone was held back by emotion. She then red at Ankua, the angle of her eyebrows told me that she was truly pissed off right now.


    My heart ached when I saw the expression on her face.


    As I thought, Rena was Reiji¡¯s lover.


    Because she loved him, it was only natural for her to keep worrying about Reiji. Could it be that she suppressed her own feelings and acted like nothing was happening?


    This unpopr me, whose age is equal to almost no girlfriend until just a while ago, couldn¡¯t see through her facade at all.


    I¡¯m starting to regret my previous, rather crude treatment towards her, if only I knew this from the very beginning¡­ I should¡¯ve treated her a bit better before.


    ¡¸HAHAHAHAHA, IT¡¯S INFURIATING, RIGHT RENA? BUT YOUR FEELINGS ARE NOTHING COMPARED TO WHAT I FEEL¡­ HUMPH! THAT RATHER HANDSOME ¡°ORDINARY¡± HUMAN OVER THERE IS MORE SUITED FOR YOU!¡¹


    Ankua wasughing while pointing at me.


    I felt my heart was pricked when she called me an ordinary human.


    ¡¯Ordinary human¡¯ huh¡­? Yeah, she might be right¡­ I¡¯m just a useless and insensitive bastard who can¡¯t even read a girl¡¯s mood after all¡­


    ¡¸YOU SAID WHAT?! SAY THAT AGAIN!¡¹


    Rena screamed back at Ankua.


    ¡¸HOHOHO! I¡¯LL SAY IT AS MUCH AS YOU WANT!! THAT FRAIL-LOOKING-STICK-LIKE-MAN-THAT-SEEMS-LIKE-HE-COULDN¡¯T-EVEN-CARRY-YOUR-LUGGAGE IS MORE SUITED TO BE WITH YOU!!!¡¹


    Ankua pointed at me again.


    ¡­H-How rude.


    I know that I wasn¡¯t handsome, but man, it hurts when someone says those words right in front of me. [TL : he¡¯s more concerned about the ¡°slightly good looking¡± than the weak part]


    Even if I look like this, I did my best to improve my appearance.


    I always keep myself clean. I also asionally trim and style my hair, could it be that doing these alone wasn¡¯t enough?


    ¡¸We match really well¡­?¡¹


    Rwena¡¯s shoulder trembled.


    Yup, she probably hated the fact that Anakua paired her with me. Perhaps everything she did so far¡ªincluding excessive skinship¡ªwas for the sake of saving Reiji.


    When I worriedly looked at Rena¡¯s face.


    She was¡­. smiling?


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ Rena?¡¹


    Why did you look so delighted?


    ¡¸WAIT A FUCKING MINUTE! WHAT ARE YOU LAUGHING FOR, RENA!? SHOULDN¡¯T YOU BE GETTING FRUSTRATED SINCE YOUR MAN GOT STOLEN!?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, you did get on my nerves when you suddenly intruded on our alone time. But¡­ I think you¡¯re mistaken about something, Ankua. It seems your brain is as rotten as your appearance. That must be the main reason why your husband was cheating on you.¡¹


    Rena dered while looking at Ankua with piercing cold eyes.


    ¡¸KIIIIIIIIIII¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D! HOW DARE YOU! FINE, I¡¯M GONNA KILL YOU! CURSE YOUR OWN STUPIDITY FOR WANDERING AROUND WITHOUT YOUR BODYGUARDS!¡¹


    ¡¸No bodyguards¡­? What a hopeless idiot! If you¡¯re talking about my knight, can¡¯t you see that he has always been by my side since the very beginning?¡¹


    Rena pointed at me.


    Please, don¡¯t get me involved in this stupid quarrel.


    ¡¸Humph! Do you think that pipsqueak is enough to stop me? Then, let me show you how I¡¯ll kill him! COME!¡¹


    Two giant shadows appeared behind Ankua when she stretched out her hands.


    And another two behind us.


    ¡¸Golems?¡¹


    What appeared were metal golems. They were a four-armed two-metres tall golem with a weapon in each hand.


    ¡¸Correct! This is abat golem. It¡¯s a duplicate of the guardian golem made by Heibos to protect the entrance to the 5th floor of thebyrinth. They¡¯re as powerful as the original since they are made of the same materials. With these 4 golems and me, you have no chance of winning even with Goddess of Battle beside you!¡¹


    Ankua wasughing.


    ¡¸Ankua, is this all you brought?¡¹


    Rena didn¡¯t even lose herposure.


    ¡¸WHY?! WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?! WHY ARE YOU NOT TREMBLING IN FEAR?! EVEN THOUGH YOU DON¡±T HAVE ANY BODYGUARDS AND IS ONLY ESCORTED BY THAT SLIGHTLY HANDSOME-LOOKING DUDE! EVEN THOUGH YOU¡¯RE TRAPPED INSIDE MY BARRIER WITHOUT ANYONE WHO CAN HELP YOU! WHY CAN YOU MAKE THAT FACE IN THIS KIND OF SITUATION?! GOLEM! KILL THEM ALL!¡¹


    With hermand, the four golems were now rushing towards us.


    ¡¸¡­It can¡¯t be helped.¡¹


    I summoned my sword and armor. The Demon Sword and the Dark Knight¡¯s armor crossed through space to heed my call.


    I could summon them anytime I wanted.


    ¡¸D-DARK KNIGHT?!¡¹


    Ankua let out a dumbfounded yell when she saw me transform into a Dark Knight.


    However, I ignored her reaction and made a beeline towards the enemy in front of me.


    I parried the golem¡¯s sword with my own and destroyed its bnce, this caused it to collide against another golem.


    The deciding factor of a golem¡¯s prowess was its maker¡¯s ability and its material. Speaking of Heibos¡¯ golems aside, these ones didn¡¯t feel that strong at all.


    In addition to being unable to perform small movements, it was also quite easy to read. I could easily win against these guys with my eyes closed.


    After confirming that the two golems in the front were unable to move for a while, I turned around to the other two that were attacking from behind.


    I cleaved the torso of the golem on the left right after dodging the attack that came from its four arms.


    It might be made of special alloy, but the Demon Sword that I received from Modes could easily slice through it like a tofu.


    After I took care of the golem on the left, the golem on the right was already attacking Rena.


    I quickly parried its four arms and decapitated its head with my Demon Sword.


    With these two out of the picture, I leaped toward the tangled golems from before.


    It was quite simple, really, I parried the two golems¡¯ monotonous attacks with my sword, and while circling around them, I sliced their torsos.


    When I was done with them, they were nothing but scrap metals now.


    While I was doing all this, Rena didn¡¯t even move an inch from her original spot. What would you have done if my movement was restrained by Ankua?


    I¡¯m happy that you put so much trust in my abilities but I¡¯m not omnipotent¡­ I wish you at least made things easier for me.


    ¡¸No way¡­ Those four golems¡­ in just a moment¡­¡¹


    Ankua¡¯s voice trembled.


    I felt sorry for her¡­ she might¡¯ve been the creator of those golems, but they were just too weak to be my opponents.


    ¡¸My bad, Ankua. My knight is too strong for your metal scraps.¡¹


    Renaughed at Ankua, she was clearly enjoying thisndslide victory.


    ¡¸DAMN IT! DIE WITH THESE STEEL THREADS OF MINE!¡¹


    Ankua ripped the building around us along with the movement of her arms.


    However, I caught her threads with my left hand.


    ¡¸IMPOSSIBLE!? HOW CAN YOU CATCH MY THREADS?!¡¹


    ¡¸Sorry. These things are a hindrance after all¡­¡¹


    I caught the threads to prevent it from injuring Rena.


    Ankua moved her hands but her threads didn¡¯t budge at all.


    ¡¸No way¡­. To think that this WEAK-looking man¡­ is a terrifying Dark Knight.¡¹


    Though I wanted to retort, I held back since she lowered her guard toward me thanks to that.


    Ankua didn¡¯t even consider me a threat. However, the result might be unpredictable if she started raising her guard against me.


    But it was toote for her. I invoked my ck mes.


    My mes easily burned her threads.


    Ankua tried to run as soon as she knew that she had no chance in winning against me.


    ¡¸I can¡¯t let you go! Venous Blood Rose¡¯s Bind!¡¹


    After I chanted the magic¡¯s aria, ck rose briars appeared, binding Ankua¡¯s body.


    ¡¸That¡¯s impossible! This is supposed to be Zarxis¡¯s magic!!!¡¹


    Exactly, this was the magic Zarxis used back in Rox kingdom to bind Chiyuki and Rino.


    I mastered this magic after studying it.


    This added another reason for me to not let Ankua off since she seemed to know thetest news about Zarxis.


    ¡¸I won, Ankua.¡¹


    Rena walked until she arrived right before Ankua, looking down on her.


    ¡¸GUGUGUGU¡­. I never expected that you, out of all the gods, would be joining hands with the Demon King¡­¡¹


    Despite her screams, Ankua couldn¡¯t free herself from the ck rose bind.


    Her guess was just half-correct though, we weren¡¯t joining hands. But I was just toozy to exin that to her.


    ¡¸You really are unlucky, huh? Ankua. Currently, I¡¯m far saferpared to when I was under the protection of thousands of angels.¡¹


    Rena¡¯s sonorousugh resounded in the vicinity.


    ===


    ¡ôSword¡¯s Maiden Shirone


    We heard about what happened at Republic Ariadya after we regrouped with Kuroki and Rena in the inn.


    ¡¸So that¡¯s what happened¡­. I failed to notice that she wasn¡¯t a human.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, we danced on her palm all along, mdy.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes¡­ if things continued as it is, our n is doomed to fail¡­ ¡¹


    All of us agreed with Kyouka-san


    Ankua¡¯s disguise was perfect. Even I didn¡¯t realize that she wasn¡¯t a human being.


    We were basically doomed if she kept hiding until the end. Thank god she made thatst minute blunder.


    ¡¸But you realized right away that An was Ankua right, Rena? Could it be that you left Teseshia along with Kuroki to lure her out?¡¹


    She was truly different from the rest of us, it seems that Rena was the only one who saw through An¡¯s disguise. This was why she took Kuroki along with her.


    As expected of the Goddess of War, she turned herself into bait to lure Ankua out.


    She even went as far as concealing her n from the rest of us so as not to alert Ankua.


    I mean, Ankua might have chosen to escape if she realized that we were acting strange.


    Though I understand that she used the ¡°To fool your enemy, you must start with your ally¡± tactic, but if possible, I wished that she told us about this n beforehand.


    ¡¸¡­EH?!¡¹


    However, Rena seemed to be surprised in hearing me praise her like this.


    ¡¸¡­EH?!¡¹


    Could it be¡­ was it really just a coincidence? In that case, why did she only take Kuroki along with her to Republic Ariadya?


    ¡¸Y-Yes, it¡¯s exactly as you say! As expected of you, Shirone!!


    ¡¸As I thought, that¡¯s a truly brilliant n, Rena.¡¹


    I nodded,pletely agreeing with her.


    I mean, that was the only reasonable exnation as to why Kuroki and Rena went to Ariadya together.


    I mean, it¡¯s basically impossible for a transcendent beauty like Rena to go on a date with Kuroki.


    I felt stupid for even considering the possibilities of them going on date.


    ¡¸We are also done with our part. what do you think?¡¹


    ¡¸From what I heard from Regena, she and Kuroki should be meeting with the Lizardmen right now.¡¹


    Regena was currently reporting her and the lizardmen¡¯s findings to Kuroki in a different room.


    The lizardmen didn¡¯t want to report to anyone but Kuroki and Regena.


    That¡¯s why they might not choose to report anything if we were around.


    I haven¡¯t heard the specific details yet, but it seems they finally understand something. We could finally dive into thebyrinth.


    There were so many people working together to save Reiji-kun andpany. Even Goddess Rena was doing her best to save Reiji-kun. [TL : ¡­ She¡¯s bloody doesn¡¯t care about that one]


    We even got the help from Kuroki. This is why I was sure that Reiji-kun and everyone else would be alright.


    ¡¸Please wait for me, everyone. I¡¯ll save you soon.¡¹


    ¡ôDark Knight Kuroki


    ¡¸Thank you very much for your report, Regena, and you guys too, lizardmen.¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it, I will even cross a sea of fire if it¡¯s for you, master.¡¹


    ¡¸W-we are undeserving of such praise.¡¹


    Regena and the lizardmen bowed to me as they responded.


    It was thanks to them that I gained understanding about the geography of the area surrounding thebyrinth.


    The 5th floor in Reiji andpany were trapped in wasn¡¯t perfect since it wasn¡¯t meant to be a prison to begin with.


    Combined with the information extracted from Ankua and blueprint from Heibos, I finallypleted the method to capture thisbyrinth.


    ¡¸Wait a minute, Dark Knight! You say that you¡¯re going to release me once I spit out all the information that I know!¡¹


    The still-bound Ankua yelled at me.


    Ankua really did tell me everything she knew.


    It seemed that from the very beginning, she didn¡¯t pledge alliance with the evil god Labrys, their partnership was purely because they had the same goal, to capture Rena.


    ¡¸My deepest gratitude for the new information, but I can¡¯t release you for the time being. I will have to send you to Nargol instead.¡¹


    Ankua seemed to be dissatisfied when I told her that.


    I wish she would just be grateful since I didn¡¯t hand her over to Rena. I could only imagine what kind of ending she would have if I let Rena deal with her.


    Another reason why I¡¯m sending her to Nargol was that Modes wouldn¡¯t treat his sister too harshly.


    Now that we have enough info in our hands, tomorrow was the day we were going to infiltrate thebyrinth.


    To be honest, I was reluctant to go since the others see it as me going in to save Reiji.


    This was what I truly felt.

 Chapter 59: Tarrasque

    <h4>Chapter 59: Tarrasque</h4>


    ¡ôDark Knight Kuroki


    At the outskirts of the freedom city, Teseshia.


    The sound of an explosion resounded in the ins that was slightly separated from the highway.


    ¡¸I DID IT, KUROKI-SAN!¡¹


    The one who eximed with such a delighted voice right now was Kyouka.


    She was currently firing her magic to hit the target.


    After many tries, she managed tond a hit on her 36th attempt.


    Though this seemed natural for other magicians, it was a huge achievement for her.


    Mainly because her magic couldn¡¯t even properly activate prior to this.


    ¡¸E~r¡­ Midou-san. I think you can train by yourself afterwards, just to let your body get used to this sensation.¡¹


    I told Kyouka about the n for her future training.


    ¡¸You¡¯re Kyouka¡¯s best teacher, Kuroki-san!!!¡¹


    Kyouka grabbed my hand.


    ¡¸Eh, no¡­ I don¡¯t think my little advice is worthy enough for you to call me as your teacher¡­¡¹


    I felt really embarrassed when she called me ¡°Teacher¡± just now.


    I mean, I simply guided her a bit, it wasn¡¯t like I taught her some kind of heaven defying secret art.


    The cue that led to all of this happened duringst night¡¯s dinner, Kyouka-san suddenly asked me out of the blue to teach her magic.


    However, I personally don¡¯t think I¡¯m suited for that job.


    At first, I turned down her request but I was forced topromise and limit it to advising her after she sincerely bowed to me.


    This led us to our current situation. We departed in the morning towards the outskirts of Teseshia for Kyouka¡¯s training.


    Kaya and Shirone tagged along with us.


    Once Rena returned to Elios, it seemed that she couldn¡¯t remain absent for any longer than this.


    At present, Regena and the lizardmen were waiting on standby at Quiche river.


    Novis and the others were banned from traveling outside of Teseshia, it was simply to prevent them from creating more trouble for us.


    Kyouka looked for a ce to practice her magic, but there was no need for that.


    I mean, the reason for her failure in activating spells was simply because she injected too much mana in, it caused the magic to explode instead.


    This was why I only told her to rx her shoulders when invoking a spell.


    Naturally, telling her this and her actually doing it were twopletely different matters.


    Even when she tried lessening the amount of mana, she would still subconsciously inject too much.


    If this was the root of her problem, then the only way to fix it was to let her get used to casting spells. This was a matter of feeling it proper after all. It was something that she had to realize herself.


    Thus, she finally got the ¡°feel¡± on her 36th try.


    ¡¸Let me to try it once again, FIREBALL!¡¹


    With these words, the fireball that came out of Kyouka¡¯s cane went in the wrong direction.


    ¡¸MAGIC ERASER!¡¹


    I hurriedly erased her magic that strayed from its supposed orbit. It would be disastrous if a passerby identally got hit by that magic.


    ¡¸Another failure¡­¡¹


    Kyouka slumped down. Her mood swings were basically from one extreme pole to another far end.


    ¡¸I think failure is a part of the natural process. I mean, not everything goes ording to your will in the real world too. You don¡¯t need to feel down just because you failed.¡¹


    I¡¯m consoling Kyouka.


    I felt that I needed to inform her that failure was normal in life. Someone who paved their way through hardship would do better than people who never experienced it.


    ¡¸But¡­ Onii-sama and Chiyuki-san can use magic so easily on their first try. It seems like it¡¯s easy as breathing for them¡­¡¹


    Kyoukained with a gloomy look on her face.


    ¡¸It doesn¡¯t mean that everyone can achieve such a feat on their first try. I mean, I myself failed so many times in the past¡­¡¹


    ording to Kyouka, Reiji seemed to have been able to do everything ever since he was a child.


    However, that didn¡¯t mean everyone could be the same. Every human was born with their own gifts after all.


    I mean, I wasn¡¯t able to seed on my first try too. My talents were a tad below Reiji¡¯s.


    However, nothing would change if you only kept envying another person.


    All you could do was fight back with whatever means you had in your disposal. Any other parts that feltcking could only be supplemented with training and more training.


    This was the conclusion that I came with from my slump after I got miserably defeated by Reiji years ago.


    Kyouka was clearly impatient. I mean, she was surrounded by a genius when she alone couldn¡¯t do anything, this making her irritated.


    Her approach in things was wrong from the very beginning, she should¡¯ve taken things slowly. The more she got impatient, the more likely would fail in her attempts.


    This was the lesson that I learned during my training, never be impatient.


    That¡¯s simply why I think telling this to Kyouka would make her realize that her perspective on things were wrong.


    Suddenly, Kyouka made a surprised look on her face.


    ¡¸Really? Even though I feel that Kuroki-san seems to be really powerful to the point that you can do anything?¡¹


    ¡¸I have no intention to be that kind of broken character. The me in the past was even weaker than Shirone¡­ Will you believe me if I say that in the past and even until now, I still train really hard so I wouldn¡¯t experience defeat anymore?¡¹


    Iughed as I told her about my true feelings.


    I recalled that Shirone used to be stronger than me in the past, I always cried alone in the dojo while mulling over my weak self.


    Even now, I still don¡¯t really feel all that strong


    After I won the fight against Reiji in front of Demon King¡¯s Pce, it felt more like he got defeated by his own carelessness.


    ¡¸No, I trust you. I mean, all I hear about you from Shirone-san are the moments when you show your uncool sides. That¡¯s why I know you¡¯re telling the truth.¡¹


    Kyouka was smiling this time.


    I looked back at Shirone and Kaya, both were standing behind us.


    Shirone turned her face to the side, she was clearly avoiding my gaze.


    What was with that reaction?


    ¡¸NO WAY! SHIRONE?! WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU TELLING OTHERS WHEN I¡¯M NOT THERE~!¡¹


    ¡¸Ahahahahaha! My bad, Kuroki!¡¹


    Shirone smiled apologetically.


    ¡¸SHIRONE! WHAT KIND OF STORIES ABOUT MY PAST DID YOU TELL THEM?!¡¹


    ¡¸Let see~, It¡¯s mainly about the type of porn you hid under you bookshelves and bed¡­¡¹


    Shirone did her usual scratch on the cheek while looking away whenever she felt guilty about something.


    ¡¸W-WAIT A MINUTE! WHERE¡¯S MY PRIVACYYYYYYYY?!¡¹


    ¡¸AHAHAHA!¡¹


    Don¡¯t dodge the topic with that wry smile of yours, please.


    Ever since a long time ago, Shirone had always turned my bedroom upside-down.


    On the other hand, she would always get pissed off whenever I tried entering her room. Isn¡¯t that kinda unfair?


    Now, look. Your stories made both Kyouka and Kaya think that I¡¯m a pervert, right?


    I tried looking at the two women¡¯s expressions¡­


    Kyouka didn¡¯t really seem to be affected by it.


    Kaya¡­ was a little bit scary.


    ¡¸Uhm, may I¡­. Ask a question for you, Kuroki-sama?¡¹


    She suddenly called out to me, I could feel the boiling anger beneath her seemingly calm voice.


    ¡¸Uhm, is something¡­. The matter?¡¹


    I asked timidly.


    ¡¸Could it be that you were looking at Mdy¡¯s certain parts with lewd thoughts in your mind during training a while ago?¡¹


    Although she was smiling while saying those words, but damn, her smile was so scary.


    ¡¸N-No way! I-I definitely wouldn¡¯t look at someone who was doing their best with those kind of lewd thoughts in my mind!¡¹


    I gave an honest answer.


    I couldn¡¯t deny the fact that Kyouka was an extremely charming woman.


    Since the current weather in the western part of the continent was hotter than the eastern part, Kyouka was lightly dressed. For that reason, I couldn¡¯t help but keep ncing at her extremely well developed chest.


    However, I wasn¡¯t lying about the part where I didn¡¯t want to look at someone who was doing her best with a lewd gaze.


    This was why I was definitely saying the truth about the fact that I wasn¡¯t looking at her chest with lewd thoughts!


    I looked into Kaya¡¯s eyes without darting my gaze around.


    ¡¸¡­I see. My apologies, it seems you really are telling the truth.¡¹


    Kaya bowed as she apologized to me.


    ¡¸No, I don¡¯t really mind¡­¡¹


    This woman called Kaya was truly caring towards Kyouka.


    She kept continuously serving Kyouka even after being summoned to another world.


    Their rtionship wasn¡¯t merely master and servant, they had something more special in between.


    I was rather interested in learning about these two women¡¯s rtionship with each other.


    ¡¸But then, that¡¯s really amazing, Kuroki. I mean, not even Chiyuki could teach her magic, and yet, with a single advice from you, she managed to reach this level in just a short while.¡¹


    Shirone told me as she started patting my back.


    To be honest, I was doing my best in suppressing this urge of mine to interrogate Shirone of her deed in telling the others about my past.


    In addition, the one she referred to as Chiyuki just now might be Mizuouji Chiyuki, the one who went to the same high school as us.


    She was a well known figure in our school. A woman with long and beautiful ck hair.


    Mizuouji Chiyuki was known as a prodigy. However, I often heard rumors about her stern personality.


    Though I met her before, anyone would lose their willingness to study once they gazed into her cold, piercing eyes.


    Maybe the same things happened to Kyouka. Just like bing a swordmaster doesn¡¯t equate to them being a good teacher, this also meant that even if a person was a prodigy, it didn¡¯t mean that they would be good at teaching others.


    ording to Shirone, in fact, Chiyuki was a truly kind woman. Well, that might be true for the current Chiyuki.


    It also doesn¡¯t change the fact that she had a rather stern personality. That might be why I was so sure that Chiyuki got too scared of her eyes.


    ¡¸Well, all I did was just give her some simple advice¡­¡¹


    It was too simple to the point that calling it ¡®teaching¡¯ was an overstatement.


    All I did was tell her to rx her shoulders. I thought that she was already good enough as she was. As for the next stage of her training, people from the magician association could teach her better than me, right?


    Kyouka simply feared failure too much and ended up loading too much mana when invoking her spell


    And here I was, wondering why the other girls in their group didn¡¯t teach Kyouka something as simple as this¡­


    Then, I suddenly remembered what kind of people were around her. The women around Kyouka were those who often hung out with Reiji.


    In addition, both Reiji and those girls, all of them were prodigies.


    Everyone else in their group might be the type who could do anything on their first try.


    This might be the reason why they couldn¡¯t do anything regarding Kyouka¡¯s situation.


    In addition, she herself started losing confidence upon seeing what the other girls around her could do.


    The reason why she couldn¡¯t practice magic properly was because she was constantly under pressure.


    In a way, she was kind of unlucky¡­


    ¡¸Not at all, the one who helped me use magic is you, Kuroki-san!¡¹


    Kyouka took my hands and jumped in joy as she thanked me.


    ¡¸Er, that is¡­¡¹


    To be honest, I don¡¯t think I did something that great which deserved this much gratitude. But I guess I really couldn¡¯t win against a beauty¡¯s smile/


    ¡¸I¡¯m all fired up now! I mean, even the super-duper useless Kuroki-san can win against my dear brother, this is the result of him always striving to be better than before!¡¹


    When Kyouka said these words, I couldn¡¯t tell whether it was praise or not due to the carefree smile on her face.


    I know she hadn¡¯t spoken those words out of malice but¡­ it really stung.


    Putting the fact that I¡¯d told them that in the first ce aside, it hurt me when my secret was leaked out by my childhood friend to other people.


    ¡¸Then, I just need to train more to get better!! Kaya, prepare more targets for me!!¡¹


    ¡¸Right away, Mdy.¡¹


    Kyouka released my hands before turning around to face the newly prepared target.


    Well, though some of her actions didn¡¯t make any sense to me, I was d that she was really motivated right now. At least, she wouldn¡¯t force herself like before.


    Though it was just little by little, Kyouka¡¯s control over her magic had already improved. I guess it won¡¯t take her too long before she masters her own style.


    At that moment, a sudden realization dawned on me regarding an extremely important matter. Had I just created another dangerous opponent for my enemy¡¯s side? Though I¡¯d initially just been caught up by her simple wish, I¡¯d forgotten the fact that she was on my enemy¡¯s side.


    Basically, I would have to fight her along with the other women if Reiji ever came to invade Nargol. And at that time, the target of her magic might be me.


    I couldn¡¯t help but think¡­ had I just dug my own grave?


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Kuroki? You look like an idiot right now.¡¹


    Shirone called out to me with her voice carefree as ever.


    ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing¡­.¡¹


    I replied to her, pulling myself out of my thoughts. Kyouka might be able to solve her own problems by herself even without my advice. I guess I shouldn¡¯t worry too much about this matter since I was just elerating that progress.


    It would be fine as long as I got stronger than I was currently.


    I mean, Kyouka was smiling happily right now after she¡¯d realized the trick to using magic. That¡¯s why I¡¯m happy for her too, even if that progress meant that my life was shortened.


    I decided to be positive.


    ¡ôGoddess of Wisdom and Victory; Rena


    I¡¯de back to my house in Elio since my valkyries would ramble non-stop if I hadn¡¯te back soon.


    My residence in Elios was located on top of a floating ind anchored to the peak of the Elios mountain and connected to the main ind via a rainbow bridge. There was ake on my ind with a garden at the center of it. This was the usual scenery of my home.


    ¡¸Wee back, Rena-sama.¡¹


    Upon seeing meing back, my valkyries, led by Nier, came to greet me.


    ¡¸Yes, thank you for your efforts in keeping my home safe during my absence.¡¹


    I took off my hood and gave it to one of the angel¡¯s[valkyrie type].


    ¡¸Have you taken care all of your business in the mortal realm?¡¹


    Nier asked me.


    ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯ve had enough of it.¡¹


    I¡¯d replenished my ¡®Kuroki vitamin¡¯ more than enough. I wonder how long it will be till I can see him again.


    ¡¸Enough? But¡­ Reiji doesn¡¯t seem have to been saved yet?¡¹


    Nier who followed me from behind asked with a worried voice.


    Why did she suddenly mention Reiji¡¯s name here? It¡¯s unpleasant.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve no idea what you are worrying about, Nier. It¡¯ll be fine, he¡¯s Reiji after all.¡¹


    Nier seemed to be puzzled when I turned around and told her so.


    ¡¸Is that so?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, it is exactly as I say.¡¹


    I replied to her, filled with conviction.


    Kuroki went into Labrysbyrinth too afterall. As if that Labrys could beat my Kuroki. Him saving Reiji is just a bonus, there¡¯s nothing to worry about when my man made his move.


    That¡¯s why I could say this to Nier with a confident voice.


    ¡¸I mean, my knight is the strongest.¡¹


    ===


    ¡ôSword¡¯s Maiden Shirone


    Both Kuroki and I dove into the Quice river in the afternoon. Naturally, our goal was to save Reiji and co.


    As for the reason we¡¯d departed during the afternoon, it was because Kyouka-san had booked Kuroki to train her this morning. Since Kuroki might be back right after we saved Reiji and co from thebyrinth, it was why Kyouka-san had asked Kuroki to teach her before we departed to save them.


    Both Kyouka-san and Kaya-san were still training right now. It seemed that Kuroki felt that he no longer needed to give any advice to Kyouka-san.


    ording to Kuroki, Kyouka-san was already extremely talented from the very beginning, all she needed was a trigger to awaken her talent and she would naturally understand what she needed to do after that.


    I looked at Kuroki by my side.


    He was currently d in that hateful Dark Knight¡¯s armor.


    Even though it would be fine even if he kept staying with us without returning to Nargol. But, in this matter alone, Kuroki stood firm in his decision to go back to Nargol. Even though it¡¯ll be fine even if he kept staying with us without going back to Nargol.


    He¡¯d basically ignored any kind of persuasion, even when that persuasion came from me. Could it be that his current condition was also due to that woman?


    Yeah, it was definitely due to that woman. Wait for me, Kuroki, I¡¯ll definitely get you back.


    But it has to wait till we¡¯ve saved Reiji and co.


    Kuroki and I kept diving deeper and deeper into the river. I could breath in the water thanks to the assistance of the water spirit. As for Kuroki, it seems he used the power of the water dragon in his body.


    The one who led us were the Lizardmen.


    After investigating the blueprints of thebyrinth, which for some reason had ended up in Kuroki¡¯s hands, the Lizardmen had found a canal that would lead us towards thebyrinth. ording to thebyrinth¡¯s blueprint, this canal was connected to the 5th floor, the ce where Reiji and co currently trapped in.


    Naturally, the canal was too small a human to go through it. We might be able to enter if we could turn our body into smaller size but, I can¡¯t use such magic.


    In addition to that, there¡¯s something like a membrane of light which acts like some sort of barrier around thebyrinth. But, that barrier wasn¡¯t wless. We should be able to pass the barrier as long as we entered via its gap. The most difficult part of this was looking for the gap in the barrier.


    I alone might not be able to find that gap without Kuroki and the Lizardmen¡¯s help.


    We could go to save everyone as soon as we bypassed this barrier.


    I drew my sword, readying myself for battle.


    ¡¸Wait for me, everyone, I¡¯m gonna save you soon.¡¹


    I raised my sword, and swung it down.


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    ¡¸What¡­. happened just now¡­.¡¹


    I unintentionally muttered out loud.


    A moment ago, I¡¯d felt a wave of magical power. It seems that Rino and Nao, who were currently enjoying tea with me, had also felt something.


    ¡¸Chiyuki-san¡­. It seems the barrier has vanished.¡¹


    ¡¸I can hear spirit-san¡¯s voice again too, Chiyuki-san.¡¹


    We nodded as soon as we exchanged nces.


    It seems that Shirone and co havee to save us.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, everyone?¡¹


    Reiji-kun entered the dining room with Sahoko and Euria.


    ¡¸Fufufu, the barrier has vanished, Reiji-kun. It seems Shirone and co havee to save us.¡¹


    The three of them were really surprised when I told them the news.


    ¡¸As expected of Shirone. It seems my prediction is spot on again.¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufufu. yes Rei-kun, I¡¯m d that we chose to wait for them on this floor.¡¹


    Both Reiji and Sahoko were smiling happily.


    ¡¸Such a thing¡­ the barrier is¡­. A-¡­ doing¡­?¡¹


    Yet for some reason, Euria was muttering something with a low voice.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Princess Euria?¡¹


    She looked flustered when I asked her.


    ¡¸I-It¡¯s nothing! I¡¯ll go to inform everyone of this news at once!!!¡¹


    Euria left the dining room in a hurry.


    Just what in the world was her reaction just now?


    ¡¸Since the barrier has vanished, it means that we can finally leave this ce.¡¹


    ¡¸Come to think of it, Reiji-kun, we might be able to use transfer magic and bring everyone to escape from this ce right now!!¡¹


    ¡ôEvil God; Labrys


    ¡¸WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THE BARRIER HAS VANISHED!!!!?¡¹


    I yelled back at the minotaur who came to report about the vanished barrier. Hearing that, the human females in this throne room were trembling non-stop.


    Those females were really irritating.


    They were the females that were kidnapped from their home outside of thisbyrinth. They¡¯re my favorite being kept on the 13th floor.


    Though the human females looked much better than other races, they were far too fragile and died from just my caress. The ones who¡¯d managed to survive so far didn¡¯t reach even ten percent of their original number from when they¡¯d first been brought here.


    This was far from enough to appease my raging lust.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯m looking for a tough female. Naturally, toughness alone isn¡¯t enough, they¡¯ve got to be beautiful too.


    I still remember the shock when I first saw Rena¡¯s beauty many years ago. That time I decided to make that beautiful goddess into my wife.


    That¡¯s why I definitely can¡¯t allow that wretched existence called Hero of Light who was rumored to be Rena¡¯s lover.


    Just what in the world is Ankua doing right now?


    Something must have happened outside since the barrier suddenly was torn to shreds, and yet, there¡¯s no reportsing from her.


    That ugly spider is really useless after all.


    At this rate, it¡¯s only a matter of time before that hero escapes from this ce.


    I couldn¡¯t help but grit my teeth in frustration.


    And the one who could erect the barrier again, Zarxis, isn¡¯t in this ce right now. I can¡¯t erect a powerful barrier without that guy.


    But, I can¡¯t just let them escape regardless.


    ¡¸Tell everyone to not let the hero escape from this ce!!¡¹


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    ¡¸What!!? Zuun kidnapped Princes Euria!!!¡¹


    I was currently interrogating Euria¡¯s attendant in Uz¡¯s center za.


    The other people had already been sent back outside of thebyrinth with transfer magic. We only knowter that Zuun, the minotaur, had kidnapped Princess Euria.


    ¡¸Yes, Chiyuki-sama. It happened so fast and by the time I realized, the minotaur called Zuun had kidnapped my princess. Oh, and he left a message for you guys too. Here is his message: ¡°Don¡¯t you dare to leave thebyrinth, otherwise, I don¡¯t know what will happen to her¡±.¡¹


    Her attendant bowed to me. Even though I can¡¯t see her expression, she looked as if nothing had happened even though she was reporting the matter of her master being kidnapped. Shouldn¡¯t she be worrying more about her master at this point?


    But since she could report this news calmly without being agitated, even after seeing the event herself, I guess she was originally a girl who couldn¡¯t express herself.


    ¡¸No, we¡¯ve to save her quickly!!!¡¹


    Sahoko was starting to lose her cool.


    ¡¸How dare that sh*tty minotaur!! So he¡¯s just been pretending to be docile all this time huh.¡¹


    Reiji seems to be extremely vexed at the news.


    ¡¸Indeed but¡­ I think it¡¯s strange for Zuun to lie about that. We found out that he wasn¡¯t lying when we questioned him before while using Rino¡¯s lie detector magic after all.¡¹


    I also felt that something was off regarding this matter since we knew that Zuun didn¡¯t lie to us. In fact, the treatment he received here was even more horriblepared to the humans who lived in this city so he should have no idea about how to get out of the 5th floor. Plus, I don¡¯t think he can lie to us in front of Rino¡¯s magic. Besides, I couldn¡¯t find a reason for such a kind and gentle minotaur to do such a thing. Despite only having known him for an extremely short period of time, I already regard him as our friend.


    ¡¸Look at the facts, Chiyuki. I don¡¯t know what would¡¯ve happened to Euria if we hadn¡¯te quickly to save her. Since he told us not to leave thisbyrinth, that means we only have to go down and go after that guy!!¡¹ [TL : Haah, maybe this guy¡¯s brain is located in his d1ck]


    Reiji spoke confidently, shing a daring smile on his face. He couldn¡¯t abandon a damsel in distress, and at the same time, he wanted us to go along with him.


    ¡¸Then, do you know the way he took to go down to the floor below? I mean, we really have no leads about that.¡¹


    We, who had no idea as to how to get down to the floor below, had no choice but to stay on this floor till we could figure out a solution. But, if we didn¡¯t leave this ce soon, the barrier might be erected again. If that were to happen, it wouldn¡¯t be just Euria that would be in trouble. The rest of us would end up in a simrly dangerous situation too.


    I felt bad for Euria, but everyone¡¯s lives were far more important than that of a single person. We should abandon her right now.


    ¡¸That might have been true before, Chiyuki-san, but it seems we can go down to the floor below from the bottom of theke.¡¹


    Nao, who stood by my side, spoke up.


    ¡¸The bottom, of theke?¡¹


    There¡¯s a giantke on the 5th floor. Does it mean that we can go to the next floor from the bottom of thatke?


    ¡¸Yes, no doubt about it. My perception ability has recovered after all. Rino-chan has also confirmed it that the water of thatke was flowing toward its bottom.¡¹


    ¡¸Nao-chan is right, Chiyuki-san. I¡¯ve confirmed that theke¡¯s water was flowing toward its bottom, and continued further below.¡¹


    I guess there¡¯s no mistaking it if both Nao and Rino said so. I looked over to Reiji.


    ¡¸Then, I guess we¡¯ve no choice but to save Euria.¡¹ [TL : D1ck brain]


    ¡¸Haah¡­ It finally came to this huh¡­ let¡¯s go to save her then. Can you two tell Shirone and co about this matter for us.¡¹


    Euria¡¯s attendants nodded expressionlessly as I instructed them so before proceeding to send them with teleportation magic. Thus, this left me, Nao, Reiji, Rino, Sahoko alone on this floor.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s GO!!¡¹


    We started making our way towards theke.


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    We arrived at theke located just outside of Uz.


    ¡¸So, the bottom of thiske will led us to the next floor, right?¡¹


    ¡¸Yesh, Chiyuki-san. The water is flowing toward its bottom, falling even further down.¡¹


    Nao replied to my question.


    It was theke we¡¯d visited during our previous pic.


    The 5th floor had simr brightness as it was above ground despite being underground. This was thanks to the bright luminescence emanating from the giant crystal hanging down from the ceiling of this floor.


    Theke¡¯s water was clear and its surface sparkled like a sea of stars, reflecting the light of the artificial sun. There¡¯s no way a stagnantke could have such clear water. Seeing this ce with my own eyes, I knew that theke¡¯s water was definitely flowing to another ce. The reason we didn¡¯t investigate this important fact earlier was because I¡¯d felt it was too risky to dive into theke when Nao and Rino¡¯s abilities were still sealed.


    Rino, whose ability to control spirits was sealed before, hadn¡¯t been able to fight underwater. Thus, we still had yet to check inside of theke. We couldn¡¯t act recklessly by forcing Rino just because we wanted to leave this ce.


    ¡¸Come forth, Kelpie-san.¡¹


    Rino summoned several Kelpies, a mid rank water spirit.


    Following hermand, theke¡¯s water swelled up, followed by the appearance of grey horse-like beings whose numbers equaled our own.


    ¡¸Everyone, Let¡¯s go.¡¹


    Reiji mounted a Kelpie to ride it, followed by the rest. Once everyone was situated, the horse-like water spirit dove under the water.


    The Kelpie was a terrifying spirit that would drag everyone who rode on its back into the depths of the water. But, since we¡¯d already cast magic that would allow us to breathe and act freely underwater, we didn¡¯t have to worry about drowning.


    Following Rino¡¯s orders, the Kelpies continued to five further towards the floor below. The inside of theke was bright thanks to the several spots of light that appeared every now and then. There were also many fish we passed by that were swimming around freely in theke.


    Thinking about it now, they¡¯ve served us a carp-like fish for our meal before. That carp was in fact often eaten as an ind-type seafood by the people who lived in the ind area, so it wasn¡¯t limited to thisbyrinth. They also had strong vitality and could even survive for a while after being hauled out of water. The most popr way to eat them wasn¡¯t to eat them as sashimi, but rather most recipes involved mincing their flesh and mixing it with vegetables and herbs. Thanks to the varieties of the herbs used, it eliminates their earthy smell and tastes quite good.


    My mind wandered a bit thinking about the fish as we advanced through the blue field, passing by the schools of fish swimming by once in a while.


    ¡¸Everyone Halt!!¡¹


    Nao suddenly stopped everyone.


    Realistically speaking, we shouldn¡¯t be able to talk underwater water, butmunication magic made it possible.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Nao-chan?¡¹


    Sahoko asked with an anxious voice.


    ¡¸There¡¯s something huge ahead of us.¡¹


    When I looked into the direction she was pointing at, I saw something huge was moving at the bottom of theke.


    ¡¸Woaaah, it¡¯s giant turtle~¡¹


    Rino spoke cheerfully at seeing the form of the huge creature moving.


    Just as she¡¯d said, that huge thing was none other than a giant turtle. And yet, the head that came out from its point-shaped shell was simr to that of a lion. I could make out the lines of a huge tusk in its mouth.


    It wasn¡¯t just your normal everyday turtle.


    ¡¸It isn¡¯t a turtle, Rino-san. It¡¯s called Tarrasque.¡¹


    I dered it.


    The thing Rino called a turtle was a Tarrasque, a dragon type demon beast. We¡¯d met a Tarrasque once before.


    Normally, it lives in the jungle near Eldia kingdom, arge kingdom located south of the Holy Republic Lenaria. We were the ones who¡¯d subjugated that Tarrasque, but the one we¡¯d brought down before was onnd, while the one before us is underwater.


    The Tarrasque was a ferocious and carnivorous demon beast. It could enter the state of pseudo death and survive for a few hundred years without eating anything. The Tarrasque before us might have just woken up from its sleep. It seems that our presence woke it up from its slumber.


    The Tarrasque opened its mouth and before rushing towards us to attack.


    But, it couldn¡¯t catch us who rode on kelpies. We scattered to dodge Tarrasque¡¯s attack and then gathered again at one location.


    The Tarrasque was really slow, and that fact didn¡¯t change even in the water.


    The Tarrasque would take quite a lot of time to change its course.


    ¡¸Well, maybe we have to defeat it then.¡¹


    Reiji was looking at everyone¡¯s face.


    No one had a second opinion.


    The Tarrasque was a kind of monster with an absurdly high defense. It¡¯s a demon beast that was born from the union between a mid rank fire spirit, Bonakon, and a Sea Dragon King of Blue Scale, inheriting both fire and water resistance.


    We should be able to defeat it by using lightning element attacks, but that would mean we would get zapped too since we were underwater along with it. In addition, its extremely tough shell invalidated almost all physical attacks. It was the kind of opponent we could beat but it would take a long time to do so.That was why no one had a second opinion.


    ¡¸Let me try. Please protect everyone.¡¹


    I guess everything is up to me now.


    I rode my Kelpie towards the Tarrasque to approach it while taking out six cards with runes inscribed on them from my bosom pocket. These cards allowed me to use any kind of magic engraved on its surface.


    The Tarrasque, which had finally changed its course, went towards me this time.


    I ordered my Kelpie to dodge right just as the Tarrasque had almost reached us. Before we dodged, I threw my cards into the Tarrasque¡¯s mouth. The cards sliced through the water and sessfully entered the Tarrasque¡¯s mouth.


    ¡¸Now Reiji-kun! Attack the Tarrasque with your full power!!¡¹


    I shouted the instructions at Reiji.


    ¡¸Roger that, Chiyuki!!¡¹


    Reiji¡¯s light bullets rained down upon the Tarrasque without mercy.


    In response, the Tarraque pulled back its limbs and head back into its shell immediately. All of the light bullets were repelled by the Tarrasque¡¯s tough shell.


    But this was all going ording to my n.


    I invoked the card that was swallowed by the Tarrasque.


    The magic cards can be activated from anywhere and anytime that I wanted and no barrier could interrupt this activation.


    As I triggered the activation for the card, a small shock wave generated inside theke with the Tarrasque at its center. The Tarrasque that had previously pulled in its limbs and head into its shell was now floating upside down in its spot.


    The cards that the Tarrasque has swallowed were loaded with hundreds of air bullets each. Since the Tarrasque swallowed six of them, the inside of its body was destroyed by the sudden onught it couldn¡¯t defend against. Additionally, thanks to the Tarrasque being so kind as to hide in its shell, the violent bullets of air were limited to the inside of the Tarrasque¡¯s shell without affecting us whatsoever. Everything had gone ording to my n.


    I hadn¡¯t heard anything regarding this Tarrasque from the citizens of Uz. More than likely, this Tarrasque had been sleeping at the bottom of thiske for a very long time, maybe hundreds of years. It might¡¯ve been ced in this ce to kill anyone who tried to go to the floor below and it was probably why it woke up when we came to this ce.


    I¡¯m sure that it was sleeping because it was hungry for a very long time.


    ¡¸I wonder what became of its stomach now?¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t help butugh at the condition of the Tarrasque now.


    ¡¸Splendid.¡¹


    Reiji came to my side.


    ¡¸As expected of Chiyuki-san.¡¹


    ¡¸That turtle-san is no match for you.¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s amazing, Chiyuki-san. Now we can go to the next floor.¡¹


    Everyone offered their praise for me.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s get going.¡¹


    Having taken care of the obstacle, we continued towards the bottom of theke, and then further below to the next floor.


    ¡ôDark Knight Kuroki


    ¡¸Hu~m. So Reiji-kun went down to the next floor to save the Princess called Euria.¡¹


    We were currently gathering in a room within Rena¡¯s Temple in Republic Ariadya. Shirone was currently listening to the report from the attendants regarding the one named Princess Euria. After we¡¯d broken the barrier, everyone who was held captive in thebyrinth was teleported to Rena¡¯s temple.


    Looking around Ariadya, everyone was so delighted and sang praises for the hero Reiji. The one¡¯s who¡¯dest were Princess Euria¡¯s attendants, who informed us that Reiji had gone down to the lower floor of thebyrinth to save the kidnapped Princess.


    By the way, the only ones in the room currently were me, Shirone, Kyouka, Kaya, Regena, and five of Euria¡¯s attendants.


    ¡¸Yes. Reiji-sama went to save our princess. Shirone-sama, please assist him to save our princess too.¡¹


    They made such a brazen request with a face devoid of any emotion. I mean, even Kaya, who was currently standing next to me, would show at least a slight change in her expression. Comparatively, these attendants looked and felt like emotionless dolls.


    ¡¸Do I really need to save her? I mean, that princess called Euria is the daughter of an evil god, right? We heard everything from Ankua.¡¹


    All five of the attendants visibly trembled at hearing Shirone¡¯s words. Their jaw moved slightly, but Kaya moved even faster than they did, knocking out the five within a second and causing them to vomit out the thing in their mouths.


    I moved in closer to take a look at the thing they¡¯d been forced to spew out.


    ¡¸Is this poison? Maybe they were ordered tomit suicide if the truth was revealed¡­¡¹


    The thing they¡¯d spewed out was definitely poison, perhaps the kind that was nted in their mr to be used tomit suicide. They might have been ordered to swallow the poison if the truth were to be revealed.


    ¡¸Poor thing.¡¹


    Kyouka spoke softly while overlooking the unconscious attendants. They were being treated as disposable tools. Maybe their minds were blinded by some sort of magic.


    People often misunderstood Kyouka due to her high states, but, once I¡¯d talked to her, I¡¯de to realize that she was, in fact, a really kind girl. She was worried about those attendants.


    ¡¸What shall we do then, Shirone?¡¹


    I still chose to ask despite already being aware of what her answer would be.


    ¡¸Naturally, we¡¯re going to save them, Kuroki!!¡¹


    I¡¯ve long since been aware that Shirone would give such a straightforward answer in this kind of situation. Even worse, it seems like she¡¯s already decided on her own that I wille with her.


    I¡¯m actually somewhat reluctant to go save them, but Nut was also being carried along with them so it left me no choice but to go with Shirone.


    ¡¸Let me in too, Shirone-san!¡¹


    Kyouka was trying to go with us too.


    ¡¸You can¡¯t, mdy. It¡¯s too dangerous.¡¹


    Kaya immediately raised an objection.


    ¡¸Tell me why I can¡¯t go too, Kaya!! I mean, I can use magic too!!¡¹


    Despite Kyouka¡¯s plea, Kaya simply shook her head expressionlessly, t out rejecting her request for participation.


    ¡¸You can¡¯t, mdy. Your magic is still unstable and you¡¯ve yet to be able tond a hit on the target. Diving into thatbyrinth with such unstable power is simply too dangerous.¡¹


    ¡¸Uuuh¡­¡¹


    Kyouka looks about ready to cry from Kaya¡¯s harsh words of reality. But, in the end, Kaya was right. Kyouka¡¯s magic was still unstable and it was too dangerous to take her along to dive into thebyrinth.


    ¡¸Kyouka-san, will you be standing by here with Kaya-san? There¡¯s something that I¡¯m worrying about.¡¹


    I decided to send a lifeboat to Kaya.


    ¡¸Something you¡¯re worrying about?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, there might be another spy above the ground, people like Ankua. There¡¯s a high possibility that Shirone and I might be locked up inside of thebyrinth too. That¡¯s why, can I ask your help to secure our path for retreat?¡¹


    I looked at Kyouka.


    My words were half lie and half true.


    I couldn¡¯t take Kyouka along since her power was still unstable. And, if Ankua wasn¡¯t lying, Zarxis should still be wandering around in this area. She had said that Zarxis wasn¡¯t currently in thebyrinth but had no idea about his current position.


    This was why the part about needing someone to stand by outside to observe the situation was more or less the truth.


    ¡¸Yes. I understand¡­ I guess I really have no choice but to stay as Kuroki-san had said.¡¹


    Kyouka said those words with a slightly disappointed face.


    ¡¸Andstly, Regena, can I leave the matter ofmanding the Lizardmen to you?¡¹


    ¡¸Acknowledged, Master.¡¹


    Regena replied promptly.


    ¡¸Huhu~m, that mean Kuroki and I will be the only ones who dive into thebyrinth.¡¹


    Shirone said so delightfully.


    ¡¸Well, it seems to be that way¡­¡¹


    Since both Kaya and Kyouka were on stand by outside of thebyrinth, the job to dive into thebyrinth naturally fell onto me and Shirone.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s do our best to save Reiji-kun and co, Kuroki!!¡¹


    Shirone took my hand in hers, her eyes sparkling with excitement in the face of a new adventure before her.


    ¡¸O-O~h.¡¹


    And the poor me ended up getting flustered due to her forceful nature. Is it really that you can¡¯t wait to save Reiji?


    I can¡¯t help but feelplicated inside.


    ¡¸I never expected to be able to work along with you. Doesn¡¯t that remind you of the adventure during our childhood, Kuroki?¡¹


    Shirone spoke merrily with a carefree expression despite the danger awaiting them within the depths of thebyrinth.


    It seems that Shirone¡¯s ability to sense danger was infinitely close to zero.


    But, she¡¯s right. I really missed those old days when we were just running around the small hill close to our house and having y adventures with Shirone. Plus, it has been a really long time since it¡¯s just been the two of us alone.


    Even though we were used to ying around together frequently in our childhood, we barely exchanged words now after growing up. Of course, the reason being that Shirone was always hanging around Reiji.


    Since I don¡¯t have that many friends, I often ended up being alone by myself. Even now, I still remember some of those times.


    I didn¡¯t even celebrate Christmas after Shirone didn¡¯t hang out with me anymore. Besides that, there were still dozens of those lonely memories in my mind.


    I felt so lonely during those times, but it really couldn¡¯t be helped in the end. Afterall, Shirone has found someone she likes.


    Besides, the current me isn¡¯t alone anymore. I¡¯ve got Kuna by my side. It¡¯s been a while since I got to see her and I already miss her so much that my heart feels like it would burst. I guess I¡¯ll return as soon as I¡¯m done taking care of this trouble.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go, Kuroki!! We¡¯ll definitely save Reiji-kun and co this time!!¡¹


    Shirone shed a bright smile towards me.


    I simply nodded in response.


    Thus, I entered thebyrinth while recalling the nostalgic memories of adventuring with Shirone in the past. I¡¯m almost convinced right now that this adventure might possibly be myst adventure with Shirone.

 Chapter 60: Labyrinth’s Minotaurs

    <h4>Chapter 60: Labyrinth¡¯s Minotaurs</h4>


    ¡ôValkyrie, Shizufae


    ¡¸Shirone-sama has already departed to enter thebyrinth.¡¹


    Kaya-sama replied curtly to Novis.


    We weren¡¯t able to meet her yesterday and when we¡¯d gone to the inn she was staying at this morning, she¡¯d already departed.


    ¡¸Geez, give it up already, Novis¡­¡¹


    ¡¸No wa~y, Shizufae!! I¡¯ll make sure that she teaches me this time!!¡¹


    I could only heave a sigh as I failed to stop Novis.


    ¡¸Geez¡­ You¡¯re just bothering Shirone-sama.¡¹


    ¡¸No way in hell!! I¡¯ll show her how useful I am!! Do you know where Shirone-sama is currently at, Kaya-sama!!?¡¹


    Kaya-sama just shook her head, as if giving up upon hearing Novis¡¯ question.


    ¡¸Shirone-sama and co are currently diving into thebyrinth.¡¹


    She replied lightly.


    ¡¸Thebyrinth!!? Then I should be able to guide her!!¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s impossible. The path Shirone-sama and co took are the shortcut that you¡¯re not familiar with.¡¹


    ¡¸You mean, a secret path?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, the secret path. The one you deemed as too dangerous¡­¡¹


    Kaya-sama looked towards the horizon as she told us so.


    ¡ôSword¡¯s Maiden; Shirone


    I¡¯m currently diving into the dungeon alone with Kuroki.


    In my hand was a map we¡¯d gotten from Novis and co. But really, this map was a useless piece of junk.


    If you ask for the reason, it¡¯s because we¡¯re going a route that has never been taken by any other freedom fighter. ording to the information that Kuroki extracted from Ankua, there seems to be a shortcut which would lead us straight into the UG 1st floor beyond the room littered with bugs.


    I looked towards Kuroki.


    He¡¯s wearing his usual clothes, not the Dark Knight armor. He wasn¡¯t wearing it because I really hated that armor. Naturally, he¡¯ll change into that armor if he deems necessary, but I wish that he won¡¯t wear it aside from that situation. Moreover, it¡¯s nice to be able to have a closer look at his face now that we¡¯re finally alone after a long time.


    Hence, that was why his clothes wereposed of just simple gear, an ordinary sword, a ck mantle, and thick clothing.


    ¡¸We¡¯re about to arrive at the bug littered room¡­ Are you sure about this, Shirone?¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about me, Kuroki!!! Bugs are not a big deal!!! I used to catch a lot of rhinoceros beetles in the mountains a long time ago, remember!!¡¹


    I smiled wryly as I spoke, recalling the memories of that time.


    We used to run around the mountain a long time ago. There were so many nice old memories about catching beetles and climbing trees together.


    ¡¸Then let¡¯s go and finish this quickly.¡¹


    Kuroki walked ahead of me.


    I only realized a whileter that the bugs littered in the said room weren¡¯t the cute kind like rhinoceros beetles.


    But still, they couldn¡¯t stop us.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go, Kuroki. We¡¯ll save them for sure this time!!¡¹


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    ¡¸Bumomomomo!¡¹


    There was currently a Minotaur wielding a double-edged great axe blocking our way.


    Double-edged axes were the weapon of choice for Minotaurs, not to mention, it was also the weapon of the Evil God Labrys.


    By the way, both Centaurs and Elves preferred the bow and arrow as their weapon of choice while Dwarves preferred an axe or a hammer.


    ¡¸Iing! Reiji-kun!¡¹


    ¡¸I know, Chiyuki!!¡¹


    Reiji replied to me with his usual tone.


    A Minotaur swung his axe towards Reiji.


    In a swift movement, Reiji parried the axe with the sword in his right hand and cut through the Minotaur¡¯s abdomen with the sword in his left hand.


    Another Minotaur immediately leaped at us from behind the copsed one.


    But it was no use. They were no match for us.


    We defeated one Minotaur after another by using Reiji as the center for our tactic. After an intensebat, we were able to defeat all the iing Minotaurs.


    Following the battle, we decided to take a short break, being currently in UG 7th floor.


    It seems that theke which we¡¯d fought the Tarrasque in was UG 6th floor.


    ording to the information we¡¯d heard beforehand, it seemed that from UG 7th ¨C 9th floors was an underground city where the Minotaurs lived. The underground cities were spiraling downwards, with canals flowing under those cities that spiraled downward in a simr fashion and carried the water from theke in UG 6th floor. The cities were also equipped with magic illumination like the one on the 5th floor.


    Thisbyrinth was extremely well constructed. I couldn¡¯t even imagine our home world being built in a simr underground structure as this one.


    As we followed the canal from the 6th floor to the 7th floor, we were finally able to enter the city, where we¡¯d met and fought against the group of Minotaurs from earlier.


    ¡¸Nevertheless, it¡¯s such splendid structure and yet the Minotaurs who live in this city are a savage tribe.¡¹


    I took a look at the minotaurs.


    They wore splendid sets of armor.


    The ones who¡¯de to attack us seemed to be the soldier-ss Minotaurs. And yet, despite having better physiquespared to other Minotaurs, they were still just muscle brained. All they¡¯d kept doing was keeping at us using the waves tactic.


    There were no twists and turns or any sort ofplicated tactic. All they¡¯d done wase at us with bloodshot eyes.


    Well, they really do act like rampaging bulls.


    Moreover, there seemed to be some internal conflict among the Minotaurs as to who would get the women in the group. I wish they¡¯d start those kinds of arguments only after beating us. Well, it made it easier for us to beat them because of that though.


    The level of intelligence of the beings that resided in this splendid city was really low.


    Maybe this whole space wasn¡¯t created by Minotaurs at all.


    ¡¸Uuuh¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Are you okay, Sahoko-san?¡¹


    ¡¸Are you okay, Sahoko-san?¡¹


    Rino and Nao wereforting Sahoko who was crying on the side.


    Apparently, Sahoko was the Minotaurs¡¯ main target.


    It seems that Minotaurs prefered women with big breasts. That was why they¡¯d targeted Sahoko, the one with the biggest bust size amongst us. Some of them were even goingmando, in other words, n*ked.


    Naturally, all of them were cut down by Reiji¡¯s sword of light before they could even reach Sahoko.


    But even if she didn¡¯t suffer from any physical damage, any girl would cry if a pervert cow monster shing their ¡°Burun Burun*¡± between their legs were rushing at them. [TL : This is Chiyuki¡¯s code for size of pe*n1s]


    At times like these, I feel d that mine aren¡¯t that big.


    By the way, the rank from biggest to smallest were Sahoko, Kyouka, Shirone, andstly, me. Kaya¡¯s were bigger than our smallest duo, aka Rino and Nao, and a little bit smaller than mine.


    Sahoko is still crying. That was just how much she was grossed out by those perv minotaurs.


    Nevertheless, we must keep going forward.


    ¡¸Reiji-kun. I heard that it¡¯s not just Princess Euria. The other kidnapped women are also imprisoned in the lower floor.¡¹


    We heard that the Minotaurs tortured the captured men to death while the women were g4ng r4ped by them.


    For them, women were nothing more than a tool to produce children. Even if they said it was their culture, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to agree with that kind of culture.


    ¡¸I want to save them if possible¡­ But they might be held captive in an even lower floor.¡¹


    Reiji told me so while looking down below.


    ording to Zuun, only Minotaurs whose strength cut above the rest could leave behind their descendants. They were also granted the privilege of living on the lower floor, closer to the evil god. That¡¯s why the captured women must be held in their prison on the lower floor.


    ¡¸I see¡­ well they might be just a little bit stronger than these guys.¡¹


    I sent a sidelong nce to Sahoko who¡¯d finally managed to get a grip on herself and was currently talking to Rino and Nao.


    Maybe the scenery of what happened to those captured women was going to be little bit too much for Sahoko.


    ¡¸Then it¡¯s okay, no need to worry and just stick by my side.¡¹


    Reiji shed his usual daring smile.


    ¡¸Y-Yes. You¡¯re right¡­¡¹


    Sahoko stuck by Reiji¡¯s side. She was the kind of girl who would go through a sea of needles and fire as long as Reiji was there. [TL : Typical 2D heroine]


    But, Reiji had no idea at all.


    He had no idea what kind of face Sahoko had made when he was on the verge of dying due to the Dark Knight¡¯s, Shirone¡¯s childhood friend, attack.


    Just how powerful was the Evil God residing in the deepest part of this Labyrinth? Will Reiji suffer the same critical wound as before?


    That¡¯s why I should¡¯ve stopped him.


    But, my efforts to persuade him were meaningless. He was the kind of person who will ignore any kind of danger just to save a princess.


    Naturally, he also involved the rest of us but still¡­


    ¡¸EVERYONE, LET¡¯S GO!!¡¹


    Everyone of us girls nodded in unison.


    Thus, we continued forward even deeper into thebyrinth.


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    ¡¸KYA~~~!! GROOOOOOOOOOSSSS!!!!¡¹


    Shirone was clearing away the bugs with her me sword.


    This was the scene when we¡¯d entered that bug filled room.


    It was just an empty room a while ago, till all kinds of bugs suddenly filled the room, creeping into the room from all crevices.


    ¡¸Yup, this is¡­ mentally challenging indeed¡­¡¹


    I¡¯ve got no problem if there¡¯s only one or two of them.


    But, like hell if anyone can keep their calm when those guys are basically filling the entire room.


    The bugs were kinda like small ck scarabs which often came out in horror movies. ording to Novis and co, these bugs ate any human who dared to enter this room till there was nothing left of them.


    Though these bugs didn¡¯t seem to react to Ankuas or Minotaurs, they were apparently reacting to us. But despite their best efforts, they couldn¡¯t do anything against me, whose whole body was protected by a membrane of ck me, or Shirone, whose body was protected by defense magic.


    But all that didn¡¯t change the fact that the bug-filled room was gross.


    The Minotaurs didn¡¯t seem to mind it but it was a BIG DEAL for us.


    Both Shirone and I were advancing while burning the bugs with our mes. Soon enough, we were able to finally get out of that bug-filled room.


    ¡¸Fu~h. Finally passing through that gross room huh, Kuroki.¡¹


    After dealing with the barrage of bugs, we¡¯d arrived in a spacious room as soon as we exited. Thankfully, this room wasn¡¯t filled with small bugs like the previous one was.


    But still, I can feel some presences lurking around this room.


    Though there isn¡¯t enough lighting in this room, it isn¡¯t a big deal for me with my night vision.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t let your guard down, Shirone¡­ there¡¯s something on the ceiling.¡¹


    There were giant centipedes that spanned more than 10 meters long clinging to the ceiling of this room.


    ¡¸UWAAA! What in the Elios is that!!!¡¹


    A centipede then fell from the ceiling.


    ¡¸WAAAH~~~~~~~~~~!!!¡¹


    ¡¸UWAAA!!¡¹


    We hurriedly dodged the falling centipede. Well it might not be able to hurt us physically, but it doesn¡¯t mean that I wasn¡¯t grossed out by its appearance.


    Both Shirone and I held up our swords at the ready as we faced off against the centipede.


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    After descending down the giant staircase, we finally arrived at UG 11th floor.


    ¡¸Somehow, the atmosphere here seems to be different from the previous floor¡­¡¹


    It¡¯s just how Nao had said; the atmosphere here was greatly differentpared to the previous floor.


    The ceiling of this floor was supported by numerous pirs lined up in an orderly fashion. Somehow, this scene reminded me of Rena¡¯s temple in the Holy Republic of Lenaria.


    Additionally, there was a crest of a double-edged axe carved into the pirs. It was the Evil God Labrys¡¯ crest, the ruler of this dungeon.


    It seems that what awaits us beyond this point is the Minotaur sanctuary.


    ¡¸Everyone, proceed with caution.¡¹


    ¡¸Roger, Chiyuki.¡¹


    ¡¸Understood, Chiyuki-san.¡¹


    ¡¸Okay, Chiyuki-san.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. We¡¯ll return to the surface safely.¡¹


    Everyone nodded in response to my words.


    We moved to advance through the 11th floor.


    ¡¸It seems there¡¯s no one here¡­¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any Minotaurs left after the fierce battle in the 10th floor.¡¹


    Just as Reiji said, there was a fierce battle on the 10th floor. There were numerous captured women on that floor with many Minotaur soldiers protecting that ce.


    Naturally, we won the battle and freed those women, but¡­


    I recalled the scene when we¡¯d released the captured women.


    Surprisingly, it wasn¡¯t something like a cruel scene like I¡¯d expected. The women ate delicious food and wore nice clothes. Honestly speaking, it looked like they lived far better lives than the low-rank Minotaurs.


    Seeing a scene like that made it even more difficult for us to save those women.


    I mean, some of them chose to remain in thisbyrinth rather than be freed.


    One of them had said that there were so many good things in thisbyrinth that were unobtainable in the outside world and thus refused to leave this ce.


    She might not have a good impression of the outside world.


    But now, we were going into this dungeon to defeat the Evil God who rules over thisbyrinth. I have no way of knowing what will happen to thisbyrinth once we defeat the Evil God. This was why we¡¯d put those women who¡¯d refused to leave into a deep sleep using magic and teleported them outside.


    They mightinter though.


    I could already imagine the oing headache when I will have to deal with theints from those women.


    PON!


    Suddenly, someone patted my head.


    Turning around, I found out that the culprit was Reiji.


    ¡¸You seem to be worried over this matter, Chiyuki. Well don¡¯t think too much about it, I¡¯ll do something about this matter for you.¡¹


    Reiji spoke reassuringly with his usual refreshing smile.


    This guy was really sharp when it came to these kinds of matters.


    ¡¸Look at you, saying those irresponsible words¡­ again. And I¡¯m definitely not troubled at all.¡¹ [TL : Look at you, digging your own grave]


    I red at Reiji as I retorted.


    This guy was always like this. Always saying such honeyed words.


    And yet, he always did keep his promises.


    ¡¸I see, well I guess I¡¯ve no choice if you¡¯ve said so.¡¹


    Reiji calmly replied.


    Just how many women fell for this same phrase I wonder?


    But well, all is well now.


    ¡¸EVERYONE, LET¡¯S GO!!¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸O~h!!¡¹¡¹¡¹


    We advanced deeper into thebyrinth while letting out a determined shout.


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    After defeating the giant centipede, we proceeded to go further down while following the shortcut path we heard of from the Ankua.


    As we arrived at the lower floor, we were met with swarms of Antlions.


    Antlion, also known as Myrmecoleo was a demon beast with the upper half of lion and lower half on an ant and were born between a male lion and ant eggs. [TL : Google for Myrmecoleo]


    The Antlions rushed at us as soon as they saw us.


    They were beasts that hardly died from starvation since they were omnivores.


    ¡¸HEYAAAH!!!¡¹


    Shirone kept swinging her sword, cutting down one Antlion after another.


    My eyes followed her and I ended up being charmed by her graceful movements. Her movements were truly beautiful, like that of a sword dance.


    Not to mention, the sight of bare thigh that sometimes peeked out from below us mini skirt. My gaze ended up locking onto that very scene.


    Shirone continued to swing her sword, twisting and turning her body with every step as if she was weightless. Before long, she¡¯d annihted the Antlion swarm.


    After finishing off thest of the Antlions, she was looking at me as she sheathed her sword.


    Oh crap, she seems irritated by something.


    ¡¸I feel unpleasant gaze since a while ago but¡­¡¹


    She was literally ring at me.


    ¡¸I¡­ I¡¯m definitely not peeking at all!!¡¹


    I unintentionally blurted out my thoughts.


    How did you know about that!!!


    ¡¸Well, it¡¯s way too obvious you know¡­¡¹


    ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    An awkward silence dominated the ce for a long minute.


    ¡¸My apologies.¡¹


    I apologized obediently.


    ¡¸Look into my eyes when you¡¯re apologizing, Kuroki¡­¡¹


    Shirone made a perplexed face as she told me so.


    ¡¸My deepest apologies¡­¡¹


    ¡¸I wear shorts below my skirt though. Do you really enjoy it that much?¡¹


    Shirone was flipping her skirt up.


    Since she put on shorts below her skirt, I couldn¡¯t see her underwear at all. Or so she thought.


    ¡¸I know that already but, Shirone¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Is something the matter?¡¹


    ¡¸I suggest that you¡¯ll be more careful when you¡¯re jumping around, I mean¡­ I can see¡­ your underwear¡­ from the gap of your shorts.¡¹


    ¡¸WHA!!!!?¡¹


    Shirone was ring daggers at me when I told her about the weakness of her shorts.


    ¡¸Wait a minute!! So you peeked at me!?¡¹


    ¡¸Nay, rather¡­ You showed it to me you know¡­¡¹


    I would¡¯ve kept my mouth shut, but at this rate, she won¡¯t ever notice it for as long as she lives unless I pointed it out to her.


    ¡¸Mu~uh!! Don¡¯t peek again, EVER!!¡¹


    Shirone was groaning as she continued to re at me.


    ¡¸Uuh, my bad then¡­ I¡¯ll fight in the front then. That way I can¡¯t peek anymore.¡¹


    I then took the lead, walking in front of Shirone.


    I mean, it¡¯s natural for a girl to hate being peeked at by someone who isn¡¯t her lover. That of course included me, her childhood friend. But then again, I just saw it by ident, that¡¯s all.


    I didn¡¯t wish for Shirone to hate me either.


    So, it was best for me to walk in the front so I won¡¯t see that scene by ident anymore.


    ¡¸Kuroki¡­ You dummy. I know that your eyes were always locking on my butt.¡¹


    I¡¯ve got no idea what Shirone was whispering about behind me, but I only know that her mood seems to have improved somewhat.


    Thank goodness, it seems she isn¡¯t really pissed off from that.


    ¡¸That¡¯s why I said ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡±¡­ I promise that I won¡¯t peek again.¡¹


    I apologized without turning around to look at Shirone.


    Yes, I won¡¯t peek anymore. Shirone already has a boyfriend after all.


    ¡¸Shall we keep going like this then?¡¹


    After advancing for a while, a new swarm of Antlions appeared behind Shirone.


    ¡¸Sorry I take my words back just now, let me deal with it!!!¡¹


    Thus we advanced while ying one Antlion after another.


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    ¡¸You went too far, Reiji-kun!! Nao-san, you go and protect Rino-san and Sahoko-san!!¡¹


    I used an explosion spell while giving the order to Reiji and Nao.


    My spell blew off several minotaur soldiers at once.


    After descending to the 12th floor, the Minotaur soldiers were now blocking our advance.


    They might be thest line of defense trying to stop us from moving forward.


    They¡¯re a bit of a nuisance since they came along with Golems for defense, but still, their strength was a far cry from ours.


    We were able to easily defeat both the Minotaurs and the Golems. And, since there was no barrier here like the one on the 5th floor that locked us inside, we were practically unstoppable.


    ¡¸Is this thest of them?¡¹


    Rino asked while looking at the countless defeated Minotaurs.


    ¡¸It seems this is all of them. Let¡¯s go and defeat that evil god.¡¹


    ¡¸No¡­ This isn¡¯t all of them, Rino, Chiyuki.¡¹


    Reiji was looking towards the deepest part of the passage.


    A Minotaur has been waiting for us there this whole time.


    That Minotaur wasn¡¯t wielding any weapon and his physique was smallerpared to other Minotaurs.


    ¡¸Are you¡­ Zuun?¡¹


    I remembered him clearly. He was Zuun, the Minotaur who¡¯d betrayed us on the 5th floor.


    ¡¸You¡¯ve finally appeared before us huh.¡¹


    Reiji gripped his sword and readied himself, preparing to attack Zuun.


    ¡¸Wait, Reiji-kun!! Let me to talk to him!!¡¹


    I stopped Reiji.


    ¡¸What are you going to talk about to a guy who betrayed us, Chiyuki?¡¹


    ¡¸Something has been weighing on my mind since a while ago. Please, let me to talk to him, Reiji.¡¹


    Reiji lowered his sword at hearing my plea.


    ¡¸I understand, but make it brief.¡¹[TL : I hate this act]


    ¡¸Thanks Reiji.¡¹


    I went towards Zuun.


    ¡¸Chiyuki-sama¡­ Mhoo.¡¹


    Zuun was looking at me with a sad expression on his face.


    ¡¸Zuun¡­ I intended to treat you kindly and yet¡­¡¹


    Zuun might be the weakest Minotaur in thisbyrinth.


    He was treated like a ve by the other Minotaurs.


    I¡¯d intended to treat him, the poor Zuun, kindly.


    ¡¸I only do this because I¡¯ve no choice but to do this mhoo¡­ I can¡¯t even imagine what will be of me if Chiyuki-sama left this ce¡­¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s¡­¡¹


    I was at loss for words.


    Because he was right. I didn¡¯t even think about what would happen to Zuun after we beat the Evil God.


    He might be killed by the other Minotaurs without us here to help him.


    ¡¸Then¡­ How about you leave thisbyrinth with us? That way you¡¯ll survive.¡¹


    I offered the first idea that came to mind.


    But, Zuun shook his head in refusal.


    ¡¸There¡¯s no way the humans will ept a human eater like Zuun¡­ Mhoo.¡¹


    I received another shock at hearing his words.


    I¡¯d forgotten the fact that Zuun was a Minotaur too, and Minotaurs ate humans.


    ¡¸I can only live in this ce mhoo¡­ My life will be spared as long as I can prevent Chiyuki-sama and the others from leaving this ce mhoo¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Zuun, you¡­¡¹


    The Minotaur before me was truly living a pitiful life.


    Then I recalled the legend about the Minotaurs.


    Minotaurs, the creatures born between the King Minos¡¯ Queen and a cow, were locked up in thebyrinth to keep their man-eating habits in check.


    The fact that he was born in and itself was a sin.


    And just like that legend, Zuun had no other ce to live except for thisbyrinth.


    Someone had nted that kind of suggestion in his mind.


    It was at that moment I noticed that Zuun wasn¡¯t the one who wanted to kidnap Princess Euria. Zuun was only a puppet in the hands of the mastermind.


    ¡¸But still¡­ I don¡¯t wish to see Chiyuki-sama hurt either, mhoo. That¡¯s why, Chiyuki-sama¡­ Please stop, don¡¯t go even further mhoo. Labrys-sama is strong, mhoo. You can still make it in time if you run now, mhoo!!¡¹


    Zuun pleaded to us with desperation.


    ¡¸Thank you, Zuun. But still, what will be of you if we escaped from this ce?¡¹


    ¡¸¡­¡­¡­¡­¡¹


    Zuun fell into silence and looked troubled at my words.


    It seems he especially waited for us here to warn us.


    ¡¸Moreover, we have to save Princess Euria.¡¹


    Zuun shook his head the moment he heard my words.


    ¡¸No need to worry about her mhoo¡­ That person is Labrys-sam¡ª-MHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!¡¹


    Zuun¡¯s body was suddenly wrapped in fire.


    ¡¸ZUUN!!?¡¹


    I was toote. By the time I was able to reach him, Zuun had already been turned into a pile of ashes.


    ¡¸Zuun¡­ Why¡­¡¹


    I kneeled down where he was standing just a moment ago, picking up Zuun ashes. Resurrection was impossible since his body had turned into ashes.


    ¡¸Chiyuki¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Chiyuki-san.¡¹


    Everyone came after me.


    ¡¸Only death awaits a betrayer!!¡¹


    Suddenly, I heard a hoarse voiceing from above.


    ¡¸WHO¡¯S THERE!?¡¹


    I was looking up but I couldn¡¯t see the source of the voice anywhere.


    ¡¸Come down to meet me, Rena¡¯s hero!! Don¡¯t ever think about leaving this ce!!¡¹


    The mysterious voice disappeared as soon as it said those words.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go, Chiyuki!!¡¹


    Reiji offered his hand to me.


    ¡¸Yeah¡­ Reiji-kun.¡¹


    I took his hand to help prop myself up again.


    ¡¸Are you okay, Chiyuki-san?¡¹


    Sahoko asked with a worried look on her face.


    ¡¸I¡¯m okay¡­ Let¡¯s get going. I won¡¯t feel good until I kicked the ass of that Evil God.¡¹ [TL : IN YOUR DREAMS!!]


    I raised my head. The voice just now might have been the Evil God¡¯s voice. He might be monitoring us from somewhere.


    Thus, we proceeded towards the 13th floor, the ce where the Evil God has been waiting for us.


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    Shirone and I were quickly advancing through thebyrinth with me taking on the vanguard role.


    The passage we were using was wide enough for 30 people to be standing side by side.


    We should be close to reaching the end of this shortcut.


    ¡¸Wait, Kuroki!!¡¹


    Shirone suddenly called out to me.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Shirone?¡¹


    I turned around and asked her, confused why she¡¯d called out to me.


    ¡¸Geez, why are you not looking over here!! You basically defeated all those monsters by yourself to the point that I don¡¯t even get my turn!!¡¹


    Shironeined to me.


    ¡¸But¡­ you¡¯re angry when I saw¡­.¡¹


    Shirone was angry since my eyes were always locking onto her butt before.


    Since the current me was still basically the embodiment of worldly desires due to the effects from Kuna¡¯s strange drug, my eyes could basically not stop themselves from locking onto her butt.


    That¡¯s why, at this point, her request to fight more monsters was akin to asking me to peep up her skirt.


    In addition, Shirone¡¯s guard was too loose.


    I think she has no idea that she¡¯s always attracting unpleasant gazes from men due to that.


    ¡¸You can close your eyes right!?¡¹


    Honestly, I was at loss when she asked for the impossible.


    I continued to walk in silent since I decided that she was being unreasonable with her demand.


    ¡¸Wait, Shirone!!¡¹


    I stopped Shirone who was about tounch another barrage ofints.


    There was something blocking our path.


    It looked to be a knight standing at about two meters tall donned in brass colored armor. It was equipped with a huge sword in its hand and a pair ofrge wings on its back.


    ¡¸What is that¡­¡¹


    Shirone said so while looking at the knight.


    ¡¸It might be the guardian of this shortcut. I think it¡¯s called Talos by its creator, Heibos.¡¹


    ording to the information that I heard from the Ankua, Heibos had created Talos as the guardian of this passage.


    I also have some information about Talos from its own creator, Heibos.


    Even though it was made of metals just like any other golems, what differentiated it from other golems was the magic blood called Ichor* that was flowing through its body. [TL* : Ichor : God¡¯s blood in greek myth, feel free to google it yourself]


    The existence of that blood made Talos an existence closer to human rather than a golem.


    ¡¸Stop right there. You¡¯ve no permission to pass through this passage.¡¹


    Talos¡¯ voice rang out in the passage as it noticed us approaching. It had a refreshing, genderless voice.


    Heibos had granted it an edo when he created Talos, thus allowing Talos to speak.


    ¡¸Get back Shirone. This guy is a rather troublesome opponent.¡¹


    I drew my sword.


    I heard that Talos, the guardian of this passage, was made of orichalcum.


    Orichalcum was an enchanted alloy that was created from a copper-like metal called Halcon.


    This orichalcum was an extremely tough metal. A normal sword couldn¡¯t even hope to scratch it. But, my demon sword should be able to slice it like a block of tofu.


    ¡¸Wait right there, Kuroki. I mean, I almost never get the chance to fight since you defeated all iing monsters so far.¡¹


    Shirone walked ahead of me while drawing her sword.


    Her transparent, bluish sword de was shining with a pale blue light.


    It seems that the sword was specially made for Shirone. It might be strong enough to match Talos.


    ¡¸But, I can see THAT you know¡­¡¹


    Shirone red at me as I pointed it out.


    ¡¸If you really don¡¯t want to see it, JUST TURN AROUND!¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s even more impossible. I mean, I can¡¯t react fast enough if something unexpected happens during the fight. And it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t want to see it either. It¡¯s the opposite, I want to see Shirone¡¯s beautiful long legs so much to the point that I wanted to lick it.¡¹


    I dered fearlessly while making a guts pose with my right hand.

 Chapter 61: Evil God Labrys

    <h4>Chapter 61: Evil God Labrys</h4>


    ¡ôSerpent¡¯s Queen; Diadona


    The temple located at the peak of the highest mountain was the sanctuary of the Bird Women.


    The nest-like pce, which was made by intecing numerous pirs constructed from blue crystals, was an extremely beautiful sight to behold.


    I was currently here visiting the owner of this pce, Casa.


    ¡¸You¡¯re thest person I expected to visit this ce, Diadona.¡¹


    Casa spoke to me.


    She was definitely cautious of me.


    I mean, after all, we were former enemies.


    I stood by Nargol on the mother¡¯s side, while Casa stood by Orgis on the father¡¯s side.


    ¡¸Cease your vignce, Casa. I¡¯ve note to fight you.¡¹


    Our parents had long since perished, thus I had no more reason to make an enemy out of Casa.


    The goddess in front of me was blessed with the power of future vision in exchange for the impairment of her eyes.


    She was definitely someone I wanted as my ally.


    ¡¸¡­ Then let me hear your business for visiting me. You¡¯ve note for a mere light chat, right, Diadona?¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯ll save me a lot of hassle then. I¡¯ll get to the point, will you be my ally?¡¹


    ¡¸Since you¡¯re talking about ¡°ally¡±, you are bound to have an ¡°enemy¡±. Who¡¯s your ¡°enemy¡± this time? ¡¹


    ¡¸Mina¡¯s children of course.¡¹


    Casa made a face as if she already expected my answer.


    ¡¸As I thought. May I hear your reason? You¡¯ve been obedient up until now after all.¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s because Rena, the daughter of that annoying Melfina, has summoned the Hero of Light from the Spirit World. The fact that he can make a miniature sun* itself is already made him an extremely dangerous existence.¡¹[TL* : Maybe referring to one of Reiji¡¯s magic]


    Originally, there was only eternal night in this world.


    That was until Orgis created the sun to make a bright world for Mina, the goddess who came from the Spirit World.


    I had no idea what kind of methods Orgis had used to make that sun. However, that very same ursed sun was giving birth to light in this world.


    Though he was our father, he was such an idiotic man. Doing that would only reveal Mina¡¯s existence to our mother.


    As a result, half of that sun got smashed by our mother, making it so that it could only shine the world for half a day.


    Oudith, who inherited Orgis¡¯ power, was trying to return the sun back to its original state, but it took everything for him to just maintain it for a while.


    And then, that Hero of Light appeared.


    He also held the same power as Orgis.


    The sun might end up being returned to its original state if Oudith and the Hero of Light were to work together.


    If that were to happen, the world really might fall into the hands of Mina¡¯s children.


    Naturally, I wouldn¡¯t let that happen.


    Eternal night was the most suitable form of this world.


    ¡¸Hero of Light? That one should be defeated by the Dark Knight. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s such big threat though¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Defeated yes, but he¡¯s still alive. Modes will remain undefeated as long as that Dark Knight is by his side. But what about the other gods? ording to the rumor, even though that Dark Knight is protecting Modes, he has no intention to kill the Hero of Light.¡¹


    ¡¸And that Hero of Light¡­ has be Labrys¡¯ captive right now. What are you worrying about, Diadona?¡¹


    I shook my head upon hearing that.


    ¡¸You¡¯re wrong. The barrier that trapped him got destroyed just now. Zarxis returned in a hurry as soon as he heard the news. I¡¯ll go with him since, at this rate, Labrys might be killed.¡¹


    In fact, I came along with Zarxis today. But, he went ahead as soon as he sensed that someone had destroyed his barrier.


    Thus, I might have to chase after himter just to be safe.


    But first, I needed to finish my business with Casa.


    ¡¸I won¡¯t thank you even if you save Labrys, you know.¡¹


    I knew she would say those words.


    Labrys, God of Lust had gained too much hate from the other gods. Thus, no one would thank us for saving him.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right. But still, the Hero of Light is Rena¡¯s lover you know. There¡¯s no way Labrys, who loves Rena, will allow that Hero of Light to exist.¡¹


    There¡¯s no way that Labrys, the very incarnation of lust, would give up on Rena. That¡¯s why he wouldn¡¯t forgive the existence of her lover, that Hero of Light. And that hatred for him was something that we needed.


    ¡¸I see. Rena¡¯s lover huh. Well in this case, that Hero of Light isn¡¯t just buying grudge from Labrys, he basically made an enemies out of so many male gods.¡¹


    I agreed with Casa.


    Rena¡¯s beauty had surpassed Ishtar, the Goddess of Love and Beauty herself.


    It might not even be an exaggeration to call her the most beautiful Goddess.


    Due to this, there were various marriage proposals from many male Gods, not just limiting to Elios¡¯ god, that kepting to Rena.


    Regardless of that, Rena didn¡¯t appear to have any intimate rtionships with any male Gods.


    Well, she might¡¯ve raised her bar very high considering she was brought up alongside her twin brother, Alfos, the most handsome male God in the world.


    Those male Gods that were her admirers had gone into an uproar when they heard that Rena had gotten herself a lover.


    ¡¸Sometimes I wonder, what are those male Gods see in that Goddess¡­ I mean, look at her nasty personality.¡¹


    ¡¸Even I¡­ have to agree with you in that regard.¡¹


    Casa agreed with me.


    Rena¡¯s nasty personality was definitely inherited from that annoying Melfina.


    It wasn¡¯t just Rena. The Goddess¡¯ who were descendants of Mina¡¯s lineage were all beauties. But that very same beauty also made them too full of themselves.


    And most annoying of all, they thought that ugly existences should be eradicated from this world.


    ¡¸Well it¡¯s about the time for me to leave, Casa. Contact me again after you¡¯ve made your choice.¡¹


    I bid my farewell to Casa.


    I left Casa¡¯s temple and headed toward the Minon ins to save Labrys.


    ===


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    ¡¸Come forth, Bonnacons!¡¹


    Seven cows surrounded by fire appeared as soon as Labyrs finished his chant.


    Bonnacon, who sprayed their red hot sh*t towards us, was a middle tier spirit. It was truly a disgusting attack method that was killing us mentally.


    ¡¸RINO-SAN!!¡¹


    I shouted to Rino in a hurry.


    ¡¸Leave it to me, Chiyuki-san!! Please protect everyone, Kelpie-san!!¡¹


    Rino summoned the Kelpies, a middle tier spirit.


    The seven Kelpies she summoned shot water from their mouths to protext us from that zing sh*t.


    Seeing that their sh*t attack failed, the Bonnacons changed their target from us to the Kelpies.


    The result of the battle ended with both sides being annihted.


    ¡¸TAKE THIS!!¡¹


    Nao threw her boomerang with a shot. But that boomerang went back without being able to even scratch Labrys¡¯ naked arm.


    On top of wearing armor magic, Labrys¡¯ muscr body had steel-like skin.


    Nao¡¯s attack couldn¡¯t so much as leave a cut on Labrys¡¯ skin.


    ¡¸Uuh, it¡¯s useless. Nao can¡¯t gather her strength.¡¹


    Nao spoke with a vexed voice.


    ¡¸Nao-san, retreat to protect Sahoko-san!! Leave the offense to me and Reiji!!¡¹


    I fired a few iciclences toward Labrys while giving the order.


    On top of having an extremely tough defense, neither fire or thunder magic worked on Labrys.


    That¡¯s why I used ice magic.


    ¡¸HUMPH!! IT¡¯S NOT EVEN STRONG ENOUGH TO SCRATCH MY BACK!!¡¹


    But my magic couldn¡¯t leave a single wound on Labrys¡¯ skin either.


    This room was giving a huge advantage for Labrys.


    It seems that the power of our magic was halved in this room.


    But, I expected that.


    My magic was just a distraction to create an opening for Reiji.


    ¡¸EAT THIS!! SUNDERING FLASH!!¡¹


    ¡¸Humph!!¡¹


    Labrys¡¯ shield magic that he conjured in a split second instantly split in half due to the sheer force of that attack.


    The two swords were shing relentlessly at Labrys. Each sh worked to erase all of Labrys¡¯ shield magic.


    ¡¸D*AMN IT!!¡¹


    Reiji shouted in frustration.


    ¡¸MY TURN!!!¡¹


    Labrys swung his giant tomahawk, sending out a shockwave attack towards us.


    ¡¸O Light!! Protect Everyone!!¡¹


    A wall of light appeared in front of us along with Sahoko¡¯s shouted chant.


    But, that shockwave destroyed the wall of light and blew us back.


    We might die if we received a direct hit from that shockwave.


    ¡¸NO~~~!!¡¹


    Rino raised her voice.


    The power of that giant tomahawk was no joke.


    Sahoko¡¯s defensive magic was easily torn apart by it.


    ¡¸HOW DARE YOU TRY TO HURT MY WOMAN!!!¡¹


    As the only one of us who dodged that shockwave, Reiji had closed in towards Labrys.


    ¡¸Humph!!¡¹


    Labrys attacked Reiji with his tomahawk.


    Reiji dodged Labrys¡¯ tomahawk with a swift turn and shed at his leg with his sword.


    But, in the next moment, the room shone and the wound had already healed itself.


    ¡¸YOU CRETIN!! TAKE THIS!!!¡¹


    The pair of horns on Labrys¡¯ head then released a bolt of lightning.


    The raining thunderbolts were attacking arge area that not even Reiji could dodge such an attack.


    One of Reiji¡¯s swords was flicked away from his hand, causing him to pause for a moment.


    Labrys didn¡¯t let go of that momentary opening and swung his tomahawk towards Reiji.


    Reiji¡¯s body was sent flying at receiving the full force of that attack.


    But, just as he was about to impact against a wall, Reiji bent his body over like a spring andnded with his feet against the wall, dispersing most of the impact from Labrys¡¯ attack.


    ¡¸LIGHT WINGS SUNDERING HEAVEN!!¡¹


    Reiji kicked off the wall and transformed into an arrow of light.


    ¡¸BUMOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!¡¹


    Labrys was blown away by this attack.


    ¡¸Did we beat him!?¡¹


    Reiji looked towards Labrys.


    But, Labrys rose again, as though nothing had happened to him.


    In the next moment, Labrys¡¯ shield shone.


    It seems that the shield was able to reduce Reiji¡¯s destructive power by half.


    ¡¸Gugugu¡­ not bad, Hero of Light. But, this level of attack is only on the level of tickling my skin!!! LABYRINTH, GIVE ME POWER!!¡¹


    The entire room was enveloped by a sh of blinding light, which then gathered around Labrys.


    This feeling was simr to the battle against golem on the 4th floor.


    This might be Labrys¡¯ means to heal himself.


    ¡¸I won¡¯t lose as long as thisbyrinth exists. You cretins can¡¯t defeat me.¡¹


    Labrys roared as heughed at us.


    ¡¸This is bas¨C!! Let¡¯s retreat, Reiji-kun!!¡¹


    I screamed at Reiji.


    ¡¸Understood!! Everyone, regroup!!¡¹


    Everyone regrouped at once.


    And then, I sang the aria of my spell.


    ¡¸NO WAY!? IT DOESN¡¯T WORK!!¡¹


    I was extremely surprised by this fact.


    We couldn¡¯t use teleportation.


    ¡¸My bad, teleportation is sealed starting from the 11th floor and below. You can¡¯t run from me anymore.¡¹


    Labrys was smiling delightfully seeing our panicked faces.


    ¡¸This is bad, we¡¯re¡­¡¹


    Nao didn¡¯t need to finish her sentence, I knew she wanted to say ¡°We¡¯re screwed¡±.


    ===


    ¡ôGoddess of Wisdom and Victory; Rena


    The Valkyries and I were waiting on top of Labrys¡¯byrinth to wee Reiji and co¡¯s (supposed) return to the surface.


    ¡¸Are you okay, Rena-sama? Reiji and co are¡­¡¹


    Nier shot a worried look towards the ground while standing atop my warship.


    ¡¸What are you worrying about, Nier?¡¹


    ¡¸N-NO! I¡¯M NOT WORRYING AT ALL!!¡¹


    Nier replied with a flustered voice.


    Nier¡¯s innocent gestures and demeanor made her an easy prey for any sc*mbag.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay Nier. He(Kuroki) is strong, no one can defeat him.¡¹


    Nier looked at me upon hearing my confident remark.


    ¡¸You really trust him(Reiji) isn¡¯t it, Rena-sama.¡¹


    For some reason, Nier¡¯s face became gloomy when she spoke those words.


    ¡¸Of course, he(Kuroki) is my knight after all.¡¹


    My knight, Kuroki, was currently infiltrating thisbyrinth. That¡¯s why, there was no reason to worry.


    But, Nier was most likely misunderstanding something.


    The other Valkyries were also looking down with worry.


    Should I make myself look like I¡¯m worried like the others as well?


    I went towards the Valkyiries who were looking down in worry.


    ¡¸Cease your worry, everyone. Reiji will be okay.¡¹


    The Valkyries smiled upon hearing my remark.


    Did that reassure them?


    ¡¸Please return as soon as possible¡­ that girl ising to get you.¡¹


    I muttered those words while looking at the direction where that girl, Kuna, wasing from.


    ===


    ¡ôSilver Witch; Kuna


    ¡¸Just a bit more and we¡¯ll arrive at Kuroki¡¯s location, Glorious.¡¹


    I rode on the back of the Demon Dragon, Glorious.


    The ring on my left hand told me about Kuroki¡¯s position.


    I¡¯ve already reached my limit; I¡¯m suffering from a serious deficiency of Kuroki.


    Obviously, I had to ride Glorious, flying here all the way from Nargol, to meet him again.


    ¡¸Wait for Kuna, Kuroki.¡¹


    ===


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    ¡¸I¡¯m almost at my limit, Chiyuki-san.¡¹


    Rino spoke to me with a weary look on her face.


    Even the lively Rino was extremely exhausted. Her cute face was a mess right now.


    Maybe it was supposed to be more difficult for anyone but Labrys to be able to use magic within thisbyrinth. I mean, the consumption rate of my mana had far exceeded my predictions. Even Sahoko had exhausted herself after chanting both defensive and healing spells so many times at this point.


    Currently, the only one who was least affected by this situation was Reiji.


    Reiji was currently fighting head on against Labrys. But, it was only a matter of time till he exhausted his stamina too.


    Labrys, on the other hand, could theoretically fight forever thanks to the power of thisbyrinth.


    It was the worst possible situation.


    But, we mustn¡¯t give up. We had to continue to fight back alongside Reiji.


    ¡¸Stand up, Rino-san. Sahoko-san¡­ we must assist Reiji-kun.¡¹


    I propped my body up to stand.


    I will fight till the end.


    Reiji and Labrys¡¯ fiercebat unfolded again in front of me.


    Reiji hadn¡¯t given up yet.


    He was one to fight regardless of any disadvantage and at thest moment, he would turn the table against his opponents. [TL : IN YOUR DREAM.]


    That¡¯s why I mustn¡¯t give up.


    Both Rino and Sahoko also propped themselves up.


    ¡¸W-W-WHAT ARE YOU PEOPLE!!!? HOW CAN YOU STILL FIGHT IN THIS SITUATION!!?¡¹


    Labrys screamed at us in frustration.


    To be honest, he spoke too many lines for a boss.


    ¡¸HUMPH, YOU CAN¡¯T STOP US!!!¡¹


    Reiji shed a refreshing smile as he readied his two swords.


    Labrys becamse increasingly irritated upon seeing him prepare for another sh.


    ¡¸SUIT YOURSELF THEN!! I ACTUALLY RATHER RELUCTANT TO USE THIS MOVE BUT, ALL OF YOU CRETIN MIGHT BE AS WELL DISAPPEAR ALTOGETHER!!!¡¹


    Labrys¡¯ body suddenly turned red.


    ¡¸No way, he was just ying around until now!!!¡¹


    Nao voiced her surprise.


    Even I couldn¡¯t believe it. Did he still have an ace in the hole?


    ¡¸O FLAME OF MOROK DWELLING IN MY BODY!! REDUCE EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM TO ASHES!!¡¹


    Labrys¡¯ body was wrapped in zing mes as soon as he finished his chant.


    Within the next moment, the me exploded outwards, burning everything in this room.


    ¡¸O LIGHT!!!¡¹


    Sahoko used everyst bit of her mana and deployed a defensive spell.


    That light wrapped our body, protecting us from the zing me.


    ¡¸THANKS, SAHOKO-SAN!!¡¹


    I looked at Sahoko¡¯s direction.


    Sahoko replied with a frail smile on her face.


    It seems she¡¯d exhausted herself from using this magic.


    ¡¸KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹


    ¡¸NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!¡¹


    Various desperate screams of pain resounded from behind Labrys.


    It seems that his mes had also attacked the women behind Labrys.


    They tried to escape, only to be human torches till they were burnt ck beyond recognition.


    ¡¸DEAR!! WHY ARE YOU KILLING YOUR WOMEN TOO!!?¡¹


    ¡¸HUMPH!! KNOW YOUR PLACE, YOU LOWLY S*W!!! I JUST NEED TO FIND NEW ONES!!¡¹


    Labrys replied with a bored face.


    ¡¸YOU BAST*AAAARD!!!¡¹[TL : YOU TOO!!!]


    I shouted at Labrys.


    Unforgivable.


    ¡¸EURIA!!!¡¹


    Reiji was running in a hurry toward Euria¡¯s position.


    He was barely able to save Euria from the mes by a hair¡¯s breadth.


    Reiji came back towards us while holding Euria in his embrace.


    ¡¸Why did you save me, Reiji-sama? I¡¯m an evil woman who tricked you.¡¹


    Euria looked at Reiji with a puzzled look on her face.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it, Euria. I never abandon my woman.¡¹[TL : WHAT ABOUT WHEN YOU ALMOST LEFT CHIYUKI AND NAO DEAD IN ROC KINGDOM? D*CK HEAD!!]


    Reiji shed his usual refreshing smile.


    ¡¸Reiji-sama¡­¡¹


    Euria looked at Reiji with tears overflowing from her eyes.


    I red at Reiji upon seeing those.


    I don¡¯t mind that he wanted to save her but, you should at least worry about Sahoko whose burden has now only increased with another person to protect now.


    Are you even aware of that? [TL : No, his brain is trapped in his d*ck after all]


    ¡¸My Morok me won¡¯t cease to burn as long as I have mana. Let see how long you can survive under this kind of situation.¡¹


    Labrys came at us again.


    Reiji faced off against Labrys again after setting Euria¡¯s down.


    I tried to invoke ice magic to counter the blistering heat, but my magic wouldn¡¯t invoke no matter how hard I tried.


    I nced towards Rino. It seems she can¡¯t use her spirit magic either.


    The reason behind that was most likely the Morok me. [TL : I¡¯m tempted to change ¡°Morok me¡± to ¡°Moron me¡±]


    Through this, Labrys had literally blocked everyone but Reiji¡¯sbat powers.


    ¡¸No one can protect you anymore, Hero!!¡¹


    ¡¸So what!! I alone am enough to kick your a*s!!¡¹


    Their battle began anew.


    The rest of us couldn¡¯t do anything but be forced into being passive onlookers of their battle.


    I felt really frustrated at seeing our current situation.


    ¡¸HOW!! HOW CAN YOU STILL FIGHT!! HOW CAN YOU STILL FIGHT IN THIS KIND OF HOPELESS SITUATION!!¡¹


    ¡¸MY WOMEN ARE RIGHT BEHIND ME!!! LIKE H*LL I¡¯M GONNA LET THEM SEE AN UNCOOL SIDE OF ME!!¡¹


    ¡¸THEN THOSE WOMEN OF YOURS WILL DIE FIRST!!!¡¹


    Labrys pretended to look at Reiji as he dashed toward us.


    ¡¸EVERYONE SPREAD OUT!!¡¹


    Every one of us spread out in different directions upon hearing mymand.


    The most I was worried about was Sahoko, but, seeing her escaping along with Nao to a safe location, I heaved a sigh in relief.


    ¡¸NO~~~~~! DADD~~~~~Y!!!¡¹


    Euria screamed to the top of her lungs.


    Labrys was clearly aiming for Euria.


    ¡¸YOU B*STAAAAAAAAAAAAAARD!!!¡¹


    Reiji sprinted at unbelieveable speed and arrived in the nick of time in front of Euria to protect her from Labrys¡¯ me.


    Euria¡¯s legs turned jello as she fell on her butt. Honestly, she was only a hindrance.


    Reiji became a target for Labrys¡¯ attack since that useless Euria couldn¡¯t move at all from her spot.


    Though Reiji could fend off Labrys¡¯ attack with his two swords, his situation turned for the worse.


    ¡¸UWAAAAAA!¡¹


    One of Reiji¡¯s swords broke, and he was blown back along with Euria.


    ¡¸Reiji-kun!!!¡¹


    I squeezed every single bit of my mana and fired mana bullets at Labrys.


    I have to distract Labrys away from Reiji.


    So, I kept firing mana bullets at Labrys.


    ¡¸YOU B*TCH!! I¡¯LL KILL YOU FIRST!!¡¹


    Labrys¡¯ attention finally shifted from Reiji.


    Now I just need to keep moving.


    ¡¸¡­ Eh?¡¹


    I fell back to the floor when I tried to stand up. I¡­ couldn¡¯t move my body.


    ¡¸Mana¡­ exhaustion.¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t gather mana in my body.


    Even my legs refused to move.


    ¡¸Chiyuki-san!!!¡¹


    Though I could see Nao sprinting as fast as she could in my direction, the distance between us was simply toorge. She won¡¯t make it in time.


    Labrys was already swinging down his tomahawk.


    I saw the tomahawk approach me in the world of slow motion.


    What this¡­ the end of me?


    Tears welled up in my eyes as I faced my end.


    Someone, please save me.


    I couldn¡¯t help but ask for someone to save me.


    I instinctively closed my eyes.


    ¡¸MOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!¡¹


    Suddenly, Labrys let out a pained scream.


    His tomahawk had missed its target.


    When I opened my eyes, someone wearing ck clothing stood before me.


    I caught the sight of Labrys thrown quite far away from me.


    It seems my savior hit Labrys with his full power.


    ¡¸Are you okay?¡¹


    The man in ck clothes asked me.


    I¡¯ve heard this same voice before. It was the same voice of that person who saved my life back in Rox kingdom.


    He turned around, and looked at me.


    ¡¸You are¡­¡¹


    What was this person doing in this ce?


    Why did he save me?


    My train of thought was frozen in that very moment.


    ¡¸Please get back, leave the rest to me.¡¹


    His body then wrapped itself in a ck me.


    When the ck me dissipated, his figure was reced with the Dark Knight donned in jet ck armor.


    Then I noticed.


    The one who saved me back in Rox kingdom was him, the Dark Knight.

 Chapter 62: Rondo of Light and Darkness

    <h4>Chapter 62: Rondo of Light and Darkness</h4>


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    Cr*ap, I reflexively went and saved her.


    This woman was the very same woman who¡¯d almost killed me before. She mighte again to try to take my lifeter.


    And yet, here I am, saving this ungrateful woman.


    ¡¸Are you okay, Chiyuki-san!!?¡¹


    A short-haired girl ran towards us.


    ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m okay Nao-san¡­ He save my life.¡¹


    The woman called Chiyuki spoke to the short-haired girl called Nao while looking at me.


    Her long slit eyes were focused on me. Honestly, her eyes were beautiful, but also scary. It felt like she was ring at me.


    The girl called Nao then looked at me.


    She was my main objective for this mission.


    I stretched out my arm towards her.


    ¡¸What¡¯z matter?¡¹


    ¡¸Will you return myrade to me?¡¹


    ording to the information I¡¯d received, Nut had been captured by her.


    ¡¸Oya, so Onii-chan is looking for Ruby. Ruby, your ride is here.¡¹


    After she spoke, Nut dashed out from her pocket.


    It seems that she¡¯d already realized Nut¡¯s identity.


    ¡¸DIEHART-SAMA~!¡¹


    Nut jumped up at me.


    ¡¸IT SPOKEEEEEE!!?¡¹


    Nice scream, Chiyuki.


    Contrary to Nao¡¯s perception, it seems that she hadn¡¯t realized anything.


    ¡¸I NEVER EXPECTED THAT YOU¡¯D COME PERSONALLY TO SAVE MEE!!!¡¹


    Nut was crying while clinging on my face.


    ¡¸That¡¯s only natural, right. Now please get down for the time being, Nut. I still have to fight the Evil God.¡¹


    I ced Nut back on the floor. Nut would be alright as long as he stayed inside the range of the defensive magic that was protecting the girls.


    ¡¸Roger that.¡¹


    With the confirmation, Nut left my side. I looked towards Labrys.


    Labrys was already back up on his feet by now as he looked towards me. He didn¡¯te close to me. Perhaps he was being vignt.


    ¡¸Let me assist.¡¹


    Though Chiyuki was offering her help, I put my arm to stop her.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay. You should back down to get some rest. Leave him to me.¡¹


    I approached Labrys.


    ¡¸Why are you in this ce, Dark Knight!? Why are you saving the hero!?¡¹


    The Evil God Labrys shouted at me.


    I wasn¡¯t here to save Reiji. That was just the oue of meing to this ce. In the first ce, why the h*ll do I have to save Reiji?


    ¡¸This fire is a hindrance huh¡­¡¹


    I unleashed my ck mes to devour the red ze that was filling the room.


    ¡¸IMPOSSIBLE!! ERASING MY MOROK FIRE SO EASILY!!!¡¹


    Labrys was visibly surprised by that.


    ¡¸But of course, God Heibos asked me to defeat you after all¡­¡¹


    I drew my sword and prepared myself to attack.


    ¡¸WAIT A MINUTE!!!¡¹


    I turned around to face the one who¡¯d shouted.


    Reiji came forward.


    ¡¸What do you want¡­.¡¹


    ¡¸WE¡¯LL WIN EVEN WITHOUT YOUR HELP!!! GET THE HELL OUT OF MY WAY!!!¡¹


    He readied his sword as well as he spoke. One of them was broken, though.


    ¡¸It¡¯s not like Ie to save you either¡­ ¡¹


    Do as you like, loser. In the first ce, it¡¯d be okay even if I didn¡¯te here to save you. I¡¯m not interested in gaining your gratitude, either.


    I ignored Reiji and pointed my sword towards Labrys.


    ¡¸Why are the Hero of Light and the Dark Knight working together!!!? What¡¯s the meaning of this!!?¡¹


    Labrys readied his tomahawk.


    Both Reiji and I stood at the ready against Labrys.


    Thus began the bottle royale between the Dark Knight vs. the Hero of Light vs. the Evil God.


    ===


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    ¡¸Hey Chiyuki-san, can you tell me what¡¯s going on right now?¡¹


    Rino asked me while her eyes were settled on the ongoing fight.


    ¡¸Honestly, even I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening here¡­¡¹


    I also fixated my eyes on Reiji and the Dark Knight fighting against Labrys.


    I¡¯ve got no intentions of backing them up. The reason for that being that I could see that Reiji and the Dark Knight¡¯s side were starting to gain the upper hand in the battle.


    Labrys was slowly being cornered by those two.


    Thus, I knew that there was no need for me to step in and assist them. Plus, it¡¯s not like we have any leeway to be able to help them either.


    My mana still needs to be restored so I need to take a break as it stands.


    Sahoko¡¯s burden this time around was especially big. She¡¯s had to keep chanting healing and defensive magic continuously since a while ago.


    I wanted to tell her to take a rest.


    ¡¸I have no idea what happened but¡­ we¡¯ve been saved by a hair¡¯s breadth.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah¡­ you¡¯re right.¡¹


    We were able to turn the tables against Labrys after he, the Dark Knight, arrived.


    Though Labrys kept using his fire and lightning on him, he didn¡¯t seem to be affected at all by the attacks.


    He was also able to easily parry Labry¡¯s multi-weapon onught with a single sword in his hand. His attacks were also extremely fierce, deadly, and unblockable.


    His power was clearly far above Labrys¡¯.


    Additionally, Reiji was also there.


    He was attacking Labrys alongside the Dark Knight.


    Watching them, it was like watching a sword dance between Reiji¡¯s Sword of Light and the Dark Knight¡¯s ck me.


    It was a rondo of light and darkness.


    ===


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    ¡¸SUNDERING FLASH!!!¡¹


    Reiji¡¯s sword was going after both Labrys and I.


    I bent my body backwards to dodge Reiji¡¯s sword.


    Reiji¡¯s attacks weren¡¯t taking me into consideration at all.


    Well, from Reiji¡¯s perspective, I¡¯m not his ally so I¡¯m basically being treated as an enemy just like Labrys. It¡¯s also why he can calmly use AOE magic despite me standing right in front of him.


    His sole worry was the women behind him.


    Honestly, this was a highly difficultbat.


    I bent my body again to dodge Reiji¡¯s attacking from behind.


    The sh went past me andnded on Labrys¡¯ body.


    His reaction towards Reiji¡¯s attack was dyed since he was fighting against me just a moment ago.


    Labrys kneeled down on one knee from the pressure of attack.


    ¡¸WHY! WHY ARE THE HERO OF LIGHT AND THE DARK KNIGHT WORKING TOGETHER!!!¡¹


    Labrys screamed at the top of his lungs.


    But, of course, it wasn¡¯t anything close to the definition of working together.


    It was simply Labrys¡¯ misunderstanding.


    At a nce, it might look like we¡¯re working together, but, all I was doing was dodging Reiji¡¯s attacks that wereing from behind.


    We¡¯re definitely not working together.


    Labrys fired lightning from his horn and fire from his mouth.


    But, both of them didn¡¯t work on me.


    Labrys pointed both his spear and tomahawk at me and swung both of them, forming a wide arc with each swing.


    Those levels of attack won¡¯t be able to kill me.


    I parried the tomahawk, turning my body to add more power against Labrys¡¯ residual force and sliced his arms before dodging his spear attack.


    And then, Reiji, who¡¯d readied his sword, stabbed at where I was just a moment ago. I avoided being skewered by Reiji¡¯s sword by a hair¡¯s breadth.


    Reiji kept charging at Labrys without pause.


    Labrys reacted toote and was blown away.


    ¡¸MOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!¡¹


    Labrys was rolling on the floor.


    But, in the next moment, his wounds recovered as soon as the room shone.


    Labrys immediately stood up as if nothing had happened to him.


    ¡¸I¡¯M INVICIBLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!¡¹


    Labrys screamed at the top of his lungs.


    Labrys¡¯ attacks couldn¡¯t hurt me and the damage from our attacks against him were healed in no time.


    It was troublesome, but we couldn¡¯t defeat him within the confines of thisbyrinth.


    That¡¯s why we needed to end this fight as soon as possible. And for that reason, I kept leading him little by little towards the edge of the room during the battle.


    ¡¸SHIRONE, NOW!!¡¹


    I signaled to Shirone as soon as we arrived at the edge of the room.


    Something then leaped out from the entrance of the room at breakneck speed all the way towards the altar located in the inner part of the room.


    It was Shirone.


    ¡¸WHAT THE!?¡¹


    Labrys only noticed Shirone¡¯s presence a momentter.


    By then, Shirone had already arrived in front of the altar.


    ¡¸WHAT ARE YOU DOIIIING!!!¡¹


    I stood firm in front of Labrys, preventing him from returning to the altar.


    ¡¸My bad, you won¡¯t pass me!!¡¹


    Suddenly, the room was enveloped with a sh of brilliant light. When the light receded, we were no longer in the same room.


    ¡¸This ce is?¡¹


    Labrys surveyed his surroundings.


    Our current location wasn¡¯t Labrys¡¯ room on the 13th floor of thebyrinth. We had been transported to the surface part of thebyrinth.


    ¡¸Emergency Transfer Magic. This was the emergency escape device made by Heybos on the 13th floor in case thebyrinth is under attack. You should know about it.¡¹


    I spoke as I pointed my sword at Labrys.


    Normal transfer magic couldn¡¯t be cast on the 13th floor, but, an emergency measure had been installed in that area.


    When the magic installed in the altar behind Labrys¡¯ throne was activated, every living being in the throne room on the 13th floor of thebyrinth would be teleported to the surface.


    ¡¸Now you can¡¯t recover from your wounds anymore!! Nor will we let you escape!! It¡¯s checkmate, Labrys!!!¡¹


    ===


    ¡ôSword¡¯s Maiden; Shirone


    Everyone got teleported to the surface after I activated the emergency escape magic within the altar.


    This was the previous arrangement that I¡¯d made with Kuroki.


    Labrys could gain infinite power while he was in hisbyrinth. That¡¯s why we had no no choice but to drag him out of that ce. In order to do that, Kuroki and I decided to use the emergency teleportation device which we¡¯d found in thebyrinth¡¯s blueprint.


    We split our jobs. Kuroki would distract Labrys while I would wait for the chance to rush in at once towards the altar and activate the teleportation device.


    Everything was going ording to n.


    Just as intended, we were teleported into the za of the ruined metropolis on the surface floor of thebyrinth.


    After flying a full rotation in the sky, I descended before Chiyuki and co.


    ¡¸SHIRONE-SAN!!!¡¹


    Chiyuki-san called out to me.


    ¡¸Everyone, thanks god you¡¯re alright!!¡¹


    I looked at everyone¡¯s faces. They looked tired, but they were safe and sound at least.


    ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m okay Shirone-san. Thanks to him.¡¹


    Chiyuki-san was looking at Kuroki.


    The fight was still going on.


    Kuroki and Reiji-kun were still fighting against Labrys.


    But it was obvious. We¡¯d already won.


    ¡¸They¡¯re amazing, Shirone-san!! Their movement waspletely in sync!!¡¹


    Nao-chan called out to me with an excited voice.


    ¡¸Yeah. Even though this should be their first time fighting side-by-side¡­¡¹


    I¡¯d seen them fight back in the throne room as well. Honestly, seeing their united front left me in awe.


    This was the scene that I¡¯d always been waiting for.


    At that moment, the sky suddenly brightened.


    We looked up to see what was causing the phenomenon. There we saw a giant ship floating up in the air. The ship was being escorted by female angels who were flying around it.


    At the bow of the ship, I spotted someone standing tall while looking down.


    ¡¸Is that, Rena?¡¹


    The one who was standing at the bow of the ship was the Goddess Rena, armed to a T.


    ===


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    The shining ship stopped in the air right above thebyrinth. Standing at the bow of that ship was Rena, fully armed with a shield and spear.


    Maybe she¡¯d been standing by above thebyrinth this whole time.


    It seems that she ordered for the ship to descend after we were teleported outside. The battle between me, Reiji, and Labrys stopped for a moment as we looked up at the sky.


    ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Labrys.¡¹


    Renaughed kindly.


    Though she was quite far away, I could see her face just fine thanks to my enhanced vision. It seems that the same went for Reiji and Labrys.


    ¡¸R-RENA!!! DID YOU COME FOR ME!!? ARE YOU GOING TO ACCEPT MY PASSIONATE LOVE!?¡¹


    What the hell is this guy going on about?


    ¡¸Sorry, Labrys. My love is just for him. That¡¯s why I¡¯m noting for you.¡¹


    Rena t out rejected him, making him look over at Reiji and I.


    ¡¸SO YOU CHOOSE THAT MAN FROM SPIRIT WORLD!!!¡¹


    Labrys screamed at the top of his lungs.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right, Labrys. I love that man who hails from the spirit world. I have a hard time sleeping at night every time I think of him.¡¹


    Rena shed an extremely charming smile as she spoke.


    Her eyes were that of a woman in heat.


    The confession of the Goddess of Love resounded in the vicinity of the area. Reiji, who was standing by my side,ughed at hearing her confession.


    Rena was a beautiful Goddess. No man would dislike receiving a confession of love from such a beautiful Goddess.


    ¡¸YOU FU*CKER!!! DI*EEEEE!!!¡¹


    Labrys lunged towards Reiji to attack, only for Reiji to dodge it with ease.


    ¡¸What a petty man you are, Evil God Labrys!!! Getting jealous and attacking a man just because the Goddess you love won¡¯t spare a nce at you!!! If you¡¯re a man, back off when she rejected your confession and wish for her happiness!!!¡¹


    Reiji spoke confidently to Labrys andughed at thetter, as he dodged Labrys¡¯ attack.


    ¡¸SHUT UUUUUUUUUUUUUUP!!!¡¹


    Labrys became even more enraged as heunched another attack at Reiji.


    ¡¸Come at me, Labrys!!! I love the moment when I turned the table against a man like you!!! And let me to show you the difference between us!!¡¹


    With that, the second round of their fight began. Shirone and the other girls in the back were also covering for him. The angels in the sky also joined in the fray to attack along with Reiji.


    Labrys had lost.


    I separated myself from them.


    No need for me to fight anymore. I¡¯ve already saved Nut so I¡¯ve aplished my original mission here. In the first ce, I had no reason to join the fray and help that raijuu.


    ¡¸DIEHART-SAMA~!¡¹


    Nut ran towards me. He¡¯d gotten teleported to the surface too.


    ¡¸Do you want to returning ahead to Nargol, Nut?¡¹


    ¡¸Returning ahead?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, it seems Kuna is on the way toward this ce. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll go to meet her.¡¹


    I looked at the ring on my finger on my left hand.


    It seems that Kuna couldn¡¯t hold herself back anymore and decided toe instead.


    ¡¸Understood. Leave the report to Your Majesty to me.¡¹


    ¡¸Thanks, Nut.¡¹


    Nut thenmenced with activating the magic tool to start teleporting.


    I looked over at the battle between Labrys and the Hero and co.


    Labrys was powerful even without the power of hisbyrinth. Nevertheless, he was being cornered bit by bit.


    ¡¸Time to leave I guess¡­ They doesn¡¯t seems to need my help anymore¡­¡¹


    When I was about to take my leave, I felt something wasing towards us at a breakneck speed from the center of the mountain range.


    I turned around and struck down the thing that was about to hit Rena who was standing on the bow of her ship.


    The thing I¡¯d struck down was a spear.


    The spear returned to where it¡¯de from after I struck it down.


    I quicklynded on the magic ship as it did.


    Cra*p, my body moved on its own even though I never wanted to save her.


    ¡¸Thank you for protecting me, Kuroki.¡¹


    When I looked around, I realized that no one was left at Rena¡¯s side. Everyone was fighting against Labrys.


    I really wanted to smack those angels on the head and tell them ¡°at least leave some people around her if you want to protect her, fools!¡±


    Thanks to their blunder, I ended up saving Rena¡¯s life instead.


    I looked at the direction from where the spear hade from. There, I saw a giant bird in the middle of the mountain range heading our direction.


    ¡¸Roc¡­ what is that bird doing here!?¡¹


    Rena spoke with a surprised look on her face.


    Roc was a giant bird who lived in the southern part of the continent. They weren¡¯t supposed to exist in this ce.


    Upon closer inspection, I could see someone on the top of that Roc.


    ¡¸Is that Zarxis? It seems there¡¯s another person beside him¡­ Rena, do you know the other person?¡¹


    There were two people standing atop the Roc. One of them was Zarxis. THere was no way I could forget the appearance of his ominous mask.


    And there was another woman-like figure besides him.


    That woman-light figure was donned in red vestments while she held a spear in her right hand.


    Was she the one who threw that spear towards Rena?


    Though the woman-light figure had the appearance of a human, I knew that she wasn¡¯t a human since she could stand side-by-side like that with Zarxis.


    ¡¸No way¡­ Serpent¡¯s Queen, Diadona. What she¡¯s doing he¡ª¡¹


    Rena¡¯s eyes opened wide as soon as she saw the woman on top of Roc.


    The Serpent Queen, Diadona. I¡¯d heard of her before. The Goddess who was worshipped by the Lamia tribe and the Gorgon tribe who inhabited the archipgo in the southern sea.


    She was also the loyal subordinate of the Goddess of Destruction, Nargol.


    Simr to Zarxis, she should hate Modes as well.


    The Roc stopped in midair after reaching a certain distance away from us.


    Everyone below stopped fighting as soon as they saw the giant bird.


    ¡¸We came to bail you out from this ce, Labrys!!¡¹


    Diadona descended from the back of the Roc. She took off her vestments as she fell to the ground. A pair of giant bat-like wings grew from her back as her lower limbs transformed into that of a serpent. A pair of giant bat-like horns grew from her head while her eyes shone a golden color.


    ¡¸Not so fast!!! My Shield!! Unleash your true power!!¡¹


    Rena held up her shield, pointing it towards the sky. As soon as she did, the shield cast off a blue light.


    Diadona¡¯s eyes shone even brighter as her surroundings were enveloped by golden light.


    ¡¸What the he*ll is that?¡¹


    The powerful light magic blinded our eyes, preventing us from being able to see our surroundings.


    When the light finally receded, Zarxis, Diadone, Labrys, and the Roc had long since vanished.


    ¡¸What was just now?¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s Diadona¡¯s petrification gaze, Kuroki. Not even a member of the Divine race can withstand that gaze. That aside¡­¡¹


    Rena looked out towards the direction of where the Roc had been as she spoke.


    ¡¸They managed to get away huh¡­ Never expected that Diadona wille out of nowhere in this ce.¡¹


    Rena showed a gloomy look on her face.


    But it couldn¡¯t be helped now. They¡¯d already gone this far.


    ¡¸Cheer up, Rena. Labrys¡¯ n has failed and he will not disturb you anymore. Victory is yours. That¡¯s why you should smile and enjoy this victory, at least for now.¡¹


    Rena¡¯s lips bloomed into a sweet smile when I told her so.


    ¡¸You¡¯re right¡­ I should be happy. That¡¯s why, please protect me if they appear again, okay.¡¹


    Rena¡¯s face leaned in so close to mine as she spoke those words.


    ¡¸Errr, that¡¯s¡­¡¹


    I became extremely flustered at seeing her beautiful face so close up.


    Meanwhile, Rena was smiling happily, clearly enjoying my reaction.


    ¡¸Well then, it¡¯s about time for me to go down and look at those children. I¡¯ve to meet Reiji no matter what. See youter, Kuroki.¡¹


    Rena descended from her ship after saying her farewell.


    As I looked down, I saw the scene of Reiji being surrounded by so many girls. Reiji was smiling in the middle of the group of girls that were surrounding him.


    They were celebrating this reunion.


    Naturally, Shirone was amongst those girls.


    Shirone embraced herrades too. She looked really happy at their reunion.


    I gave my blessings upon seeing that.


    Her happiness was what I wanted in the end, after all.


    Shirone might not get enough attention since there were so many beauties around Reiji, but it was the path she¡¯d chosen on her own. All I could do was pray for her happiness. Most of all, I didn¡¯t want to have a quarrel with Shirone over this matter again.


    Rena arrived at their group a momentter.


    The girls opened a path for Rena upon seeing her arrival.


    As soon as she approached, Reiji took Rena¡¯s hand in his own.


    When they were standing together like that, the scene was picturesque like that of a match made in heaven. I couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous upon seeing a scene like that.


    After getting his hands on Shirone and the other beauties, he¡¯d also gotten the beautiful Goddess Rena.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel sad at seeing this scene.


    ¡¸Uuh¡­ Let¡¯s stop this¡­ Seeing more than this will only make me feeling more miserable inside.¡¹


    I activated a flying spell as I muttered those words to myself.


    I couldn¡¯t help but be jealous of Reiji.


    But, I also know that I should be chasing after my own happiness.


    I started flying towards Nargol¡¯s direction.


    Wait for me, Kuna.


    I flew alone under the lonely dusk sky.


    ===


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    ¡¸Chiyuki-san, what is the thing that was shining just now!?¡¹


    Nao asked with a loud voice.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know¡­ maybe it¡¯s some sort of magic but¡­¡¹


    The snake woman had suddenly cast brilliant light as soon as she appeared and Labrys¡¯ figure had vanished as soon as the light receded.


    It seems that they¡¯d retreated.


    ¡¸Look! The angels are¡­¡¹


    When I turned around to look at the direction Rino was pointing at, I saw the angels bing transparent, as though they were sculpted from gems.


    ¡¸Petrification curse¡­ they¡¯re still alive. But we¡¯ve to restore themter¡­¡¹


    Upon a closer look, the angels really were turned into gems.


    Though it wasn¡¯t a deadly curse, the petrification curse was still powerful. There should be a way to turn them back still though.


    ¡¸But, that curse is so terrifyingly powerful. To think that it¡¯s still this powerful even with Rena¡¯s protection¡­¡¹


    I shuddered in fear.


    I seems Rena had activated her defensive spells before that snake woman used her demon eyes. I still remember being protected by the pale blue dome at that time.


    Though we were protected from the effects of the curse, the angels, who had less magic resistancepared to us, were still petrified.


    But it was a normal petrification curse that would turn the target into stone. In this case, the target was turned into gem.


    The petrified angels looked as though they were sculpted from emeralds. They might still be alive, but turning them back was going to be a great deal of problem.


    ¡¸We¡¯ve to fight against that kind of opponent huh¡­¡¹


    Nao spoke with a weary look on her face.


    I also wanted to be spared from fighting against a monster like that.


    Everyone¡¯s expression turned gloomy.


    ¡¸Geez, stop spitting such disheartening words already!! Look, at least everyone is save right now!!!¡¹


    Shirone embraced me when I dered loudly.


    ¡¸Shirone¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Thanks you for being safe!!!¡¹


    Shirone¡¯s face was messed up due to her endlessly flowing tears. It seems that she¡¯d been extremely worried about us.


    ¡¸Ah, sorry Shirone¡­ I¡¯ve made you worry so much.¡¹


    Everyone was smiling when the di*ck head said so with a smile on his face.


    ¡¸Most of all, you¡¯re safe and sound, Reiji.¡¹


    Rena was walking towards us.


    ¡¸RENA!!!¡¹


    Reiji quickly went over towards Rena too.


    ¡¸My bad, Rena!! I¡¯ve made you worry so much!!¡¹


    Reiji took Rena¡¯s hand while apologizing to her.


    ¡¸I know that you¡¯ll be okay. But still, I can¡¯t help but to worry, Reiji. I always think that something bad might happen to him¡­¡¹


    Rena spoke with a sorrowful look on her face.


    I felt that something was off about what Rena had said just now.


    I mean, she should¡¯ve said ¡¸Something bad might happen to you¡¹in that kind of situation, right?


    But it seems that it was a trivial matter for Reiji since he didn¡¯t notice nor care about it. On the contrary, Reiji looked like he was deeply moved by Rena¡¯s speech just now.


    ¡¸My bad, Rena!! But, no need to worry anymore!!¡¹


    When Reiji was about to embrace Rena, she suddenly dodged his arms from wrapping around her.


    ¡¸Reiji¡­ It¡¯s true that I¡¯m d upon seeing you safe and sound but, you¡¯ve to calm down for now. That¡¯s why, let¡¯s meet againter on.¡¹


    Rena looked seriously at the petrified angels as she spoke.


    It wasn¡¯t like all of them were turned into sculpted gems. Some were safe, while others were partially petrified.


    Rena ordered the angels who were safe and sound to carry their petrified and half-petrifiedrades back to her ship before returning to Elios. Rena and co. left us behind to return.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go back to the Republic of Ariadya, Reiji-kun.¡¹


    ¡¸ Yeah.¡¹


    Euria had moved to the Republic of Ariadya before our expedition in Labrys¡¯byrinth. That¡¯s why all of us were returning there.


    ording to Shirone, both Kyouka and Kaya should¡¯ve been waiting for us at the Republic of Ariadya as well.


    ¡¸Come to think of it¡­ Kuroki?¡¹


    Shirone surveyed the surroundings.


    There was no one but us left in this ce.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, where did he go, Shirone? You should¡¯ve managed to take him back from Nargol, right?¡¹


    I was also looking to spot his figure. I had yet to thank him for saving my life.


    But Shirone shook her head upon hearing my question.


    ¡¸Uurhm¡­ not yet¡­ he might already be on the way back to Nargol¡­¡¹


    Shirone was already on the verge of crying again.


    ¡¸Let me hear the detailster after we arrive in the Republic of Ariadya. Kyouka-san and co have been waiting for us there, right?¡¹


    There were so many things to ask Shirone regarding what happened to her when we weren¡¯t around. In addition, I wanted to know more about him too.


    I recalled the matter of Shirone¡¯s childhood friend, Kuroki, again as I recited the chant for the teleportation spell.

 Chapter 63.1: A Happy Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 63.1: A Happy Reunion</h4>


    ¡ôDemon King; Modes


    I¡¯ve held a meeting with the Smithing God, Heibos, in one of the Demon King Castle¡¯s rooms.


    ¡¸I¡¯m d Nut hase back safe and sound, Modes.¡¹


    Heibos poured out a golden liquor he¡¯d brought from Elios into our empty cups.


    The golden liquor was a wine that was made from the golden fruit of the golden tree. Naturally, its creator was the God of liquor and food, Nectar.


    Upon taking a sip of the golden liquor poured by Heibos, its rich vor immediately spread on my tongue.


    ¡¸Yeah, Heibos. This is only possible thanks to Lord Diehart effort and your assistance.¡¹


    It seems that Lord Diehart could drive Labrys into a corner even when fighting inside thetter¡¯sbyrinth. ording to Nut, he could easily overpower Labrys even without the hero¡¯s cooperation.


    His performance has surpassed my estimation.


    By the way, Nut had returned to his family after he submitted his report to the Demon King¡¯s castle. He should¡¯ve reunited with his wife and children by now.


    ¡¸But the end of result is he saved the hero and co too, are you really okay with that?¡¹


    ¡¸It doesn¡¯t matter. Nut¡¯s safety is far more important to me. There¡¯s also your unsolved regret in thatbyrinth.¡¹


    Some of my ministers were criticizing Lord Diehart¡¯s actions which resulted in him saving the Hero and co. But, I shut them up before they crossed the line¡­


    I mean, Lord Diehart had done everything he could to save Nut, in that Labrys¡¯byrinth nheless. We shouldn¡¯t me him for that.


    ¡¸I see¡­ my bad. In addition, I should thank the Dark Knight for resolving the grudge of my beloved children.¡¹


    Thanks to Lord Diehart, thebyrinth¡¯s ownership had been returned to its rightful owner, Heibos.


    The minotaurs in thatbyrinth had all escaped after Labrys was no longer in there.


    Currently, thebyrinth had been sealed by the Dwarves. With that, the monster inside won¡¯t be able to go outside.


    ¡¸Yeah, please send my gratitude to Lord Diehart. But of course, it seems he will be absent for quite a while.¡¹


    It seems that Lord Diehart had taken a paid leave to enjoy his time with Kuna. After I¡¯d received the report from Nut, anothermunication via magic came from Lord Diehart saying that he¡¯d be back right away if something happened to Nargol.


    He really was an honest man to boot.


    Honestly, I don¡¯t think that Lord Diehart would betray me. Everyone was simply too paranoid over this matter.


    ¡¸Moreover, I never expected for that Rena to go as far as cooperating with the Dark Knight to save her lover.¡¹


    It was just as Heibos had said. It seems that Lord Diehart had worked together with Rena to save Nut. Rena was willing to go as far as working together with the Dark Knight, her enemy, to save her lover.


    I thought my ears were tricking me when I heard the news on that matter for the first time. But I quickly realized that a woman in love might be willing to go that far.


    ¡¸Sure enough. I heard that the proud goddess went as far as bowing her head to the Lord Diehart, her enemy. Heibos, women are always such mysterious creatures¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed¡­¡¹


    Heibos agreed with me.


    ¡¸But, there¡¯s something even more worrying than that.¡¹


    ¡¸Are you referring to the matter about that Serpent¡¯s Queen, Diadona?¡¹


    I nodded to Heibos.


    Heibos had been informed about this piece of information as well.


    It seems that Diadona had appeared and bailed out Labrys, who was about to die in the midst of battle.


    ¡¸Yeah. Diadona, who hid herself until now, suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Moreover, she¡¯s also trying to recruit the neutral gods as her allies. I wonder what¡¯s she¡¯s up to this time¡­¡¹


    Diadona was a woman who resembled her mother the most and said she would destroy all the gods who descended from Mina.


    That included Mona since she was the clone of Rena.


    That¡¯s why she was also this Modes¡¯ enemy.


    Diadona might be wanting to wage a second war against Elios.


    ¡¸Has the Dark Knight managed to extract useful information from the Spider Goddess he caught a while ago?¡¹


    I shook my head in response to Heibos¡¯ question.


    ¡¸Ankua had no idea about that¡­ It seems she was in the dark about this matter.¡¹


    Ankua was being held captive in one of the Demon King castle¡¯s rooms right now. I still have no idea about what I should do with herter.


    Should I tell Ankua¡¯s husband regarding this matter.


    Ankua¡¯s husband was one of the desert gods with a poisonous tail. If he has yet to move his home, he should still be in a certain temple in the desert.


    But ording to my information source, Ankua should¡¯ve been living apart from her husband right now.


    Maybe it¡¯s better not to tell her husband about his wife¡¯s situation.


    ¡¸She really has no idea huh¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah¡­ just what in the world is that Diadona trying to do?¡¹


    But the answer didn¡¯te to mind no matter how much I thought about it.


    Since there¡¯s no use mulling over this fruitlessly, I should just enjoy this golden wine with Heibos in silence.


    ¡¸Now let¡¯s change the topic, Modes. That Nectar guy wanted gem fruit.¡¹


    Heibos spoke casually as he drank the golden wine.


    ¡¸Nectar want gem fruit? I see now, is that for thepensation of this golden wine?¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s right.¡¹


    Heibosughed merrily with the cup of wine in one hand.


    Gem fruit was Nargol¡¯s native fruit and grew on the gem tree.


    Even though its name was ¡®gem fruit,¡¯ it didn¡¯t mean that it was made of real gems. It was called that way due to its transparent and gem-like beautiful appearance.


    There was almost no one who could find it useful, but the gem fruit was one that would never lose its freshness. There were several harvested gem fruit within the Demon King¡¯s castle.


    ¡¸I understand. I¡¯ll give him the gem fruit that was kept in Demon King castle¡¯s treasury. And take some smoked queen salmon while you¡¯re at it too.¡¹


    ¡¸Smoked queen salmon?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. Lord Diehart made some for me. It¡¯s die for and matches very well with any kind of liquor.¡¹


    ¡¸That sounds delicious. I¡¯m sure that Nectar will be delighted too.¡¹


    ¡¸Sure. Ah, don¡¯t forget to keep this as a secret from Fanacea too. It¡¯ll be a huge headache if Fanacea is reporting the matter about our little mischief to her mother, Faeria, after all.¡¹


    Fanacea, the Goddess of medicinal nts and medicine, was Nectar¡¯s wife. Additionally, she was the oldest daughter of Faeria, the Goddess of Marriage and Childbirth, and big sister of Totona, the Goddess of Book and Knowledge.


    And Goddess Faeria hated this Modes.


    Well, Fanacea herself was a really obedient daughter as she was really close to her mother. That¡¯s why, she¡¯ll definitely report the matter of her husband receiving gem fruit and queen salmon from this Modes to her mother.


    If that were to happen, Nectar would definitely have to face his mother-inw¡¯s wrath.


    Just imagining Nectar¡¯s poor figure at his inw¡¯s wrath was enough to bring tears to this Modes¡¯ eyes.


    ¡¸I understand. Nectar will never be able to stand up to Faeria after all. Or rather, all Elios¡¯ male gods are henpecked husbands.¡¹


    Heibos spoke with a frown on his face.


    ¡¸Elios¡¯ male gods have it hard huh¡­¡¹


    ¡¸They truly do.¡¹


    Heibos spoke with a smile on his face.


    Well then, I wonder what Oudith and co will do from now on? They are the main enemies of Diadona after all.


    Those guys in Elios were about to be in deep sh*t now.


    I thought so as I looked in the direction of Elios.


    ===


    ¡ôGoddess of Wisdom and Victory; Rena


    ¡¸I¡¯m back, Rena-sama.¡¹


    My valkyrie, Nier, had just returned from Fanacea¡¯s ce.


    After we returned to Elios, I immediately sent my valkyries who had turned into beautiful gem sculptures to Fanacea.


    ¡¸Thanks for your hard work, Nier. How¡¯s the conditions of those girls?¡¹


    Fanacea was the Goddess of medicinal nts and medicine. She should be able to cure the valkyries who¡¯d been turned into gem sculptures.


    ¡¸Yes. ording to Fanacea-sama, their symptoms aren¡¯t that bad thanks to Rena-sama¡¯s protective shield. They should return back to normal soon enough.¡¹


    Nier gave her report as she bowed her head.


    ¡¸I see, all is well then. It seems I can feel at ease now.¡¹


    I sat on my chair and raised my face to stare at the ceiling as I heaved a heavy sigh.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ Rena-sama¡­¡¹


    Nier looked at me with a worried expression on her face.


    ¡¸What¡¯s matter, Nier?¡¹


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ your body¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡¹


    Nier¡¯s line of sight paused on my stomach.


    I looked down at my own stomach.


    It¡¯d be slightly bigger than before.


    I could still hide my pregnancy with loose clothing for now. But, it¡¯ll only became harder and harder to hide it in the future.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Nier. All I need to do is stay cooped up in my house after this.¡¹


    ¡¸Please don¡¯t worry about us, Rena-sama. Please just stay in your house and let us to take care of the rest.¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufu, you¡¯re right. I¡¯ll leave this matter to you then, Nier.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Rena-sama. Please leave it to us to take care of your needs. I shall take my leave then.¡¹


    Nier bowed her head once before leaving the room.


    Just as she¡¯d said, I might have to stay cooped up in my room for a while.


    But, the Serpent Queen, Diadona, getting involved was rather worrying. And yet, I couldn¡¯t do anything about the matter with my current condition.


    I have to report the matter about Diadona to Oudith. That way, I can leave the rest to him.


    Though, Oudith might not be able to do anything either.


    He was already upied with protecting Elios.


    And that God of Battle and Power, Thors, might be able to help a little in this matter. But, that muscle head Thors wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat Diadona.


    In short, none of Elios¡¯ gods could stop Diadona at the moment.


    Yes, we couldn¡¯t do anything about Diadona.


    Though I still have Reiji at my disposal, he isn¡¯t that reliable.


    ¡¸Haah¡­ No use in pondering this matter anymore.¡¹


    I brushed my hand lightly over my slightly bulging belly.


    I think that I need to give birth to this child faster.


    This child might even be a hero surpassing Reiji.


    I mean, this child is mine and Kuroki¡¯s, after all. There¡¯s no way this child is weak.


    And once this child all grown up, not even Diadona could defeat mine¡¯s and Kuroki¡¯s child.


    ¡¸Please born soon. My adorable hero.¡¹

 Chapter 63.2: A Happy Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 63.2: A Happy Reunion</h4>


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    ¡¸I see¡­ he¡¯s being manipted by that Silver Witch.¡¹


    I listened to Shirone¡¯s story about the incident in Algore kingdom and Veros kingdom.


    ¡¸Yes, Chiyuki-san. That Silver Witch is the reason why Kuroki¡¯s strange behaviour¡­ Kuroki definitely took the Demon King¡¯s side due to that woman influence.¡¹


    Shirone spoke with a depressed look on her face.


    I never knew that such a powerful witch existed in this world.


    It seems that she¡¯s the daughter of that ugly demon king. She definitely did not look like her father, though.


    We received acknowledgement from General sus after we returned to the Republic of Ariadya.


    After saving the people who had been kidnapped and held captive in thebyrinth, Reiji had be the Republic of Ariadya¡¯s hero. Reiji aside, all of our group also received citizenship in Ariadya.


    With this citizenship, we won¡¯t have any problems in entering any country part of the Ariad Union..


    In addition to that, Reiji also received a former title of ¡®Hero.¡¯


    After receiving the Republic of Ariadya¡¯s recognition, Reiji¡¯s fame as the Hero of Light spread throughout the entire western part of the continent.


    This will make it easier for us to operate in the western part of the continent.


    But there¡¯s something that I¡¯m worried about¨C namely, the vice chairman of the Magician Association, Tarabos.


    He¡¯s currently missing.


    It seems that he was rted to An, and, knowing that his life might be in danger, is now on the run.


    Unfortunately, that was the reason we ended up not receiving anything from the Magician Association. He was the one who¡¯dmissioned us, after all.


    Besides that, Reiji was asked by Euria, who ascended to the throne and became Pashipea kingdom¡¯s queen, to be her husband. Naturally, her request was rejected by Reiji. There were numerous countries that wanted Reiji to be their king, but he wouldn¡¯t be able to move during an emergency situation if he were to take up that mantle. That¡¯s why we would be troubled if Reiji ever chose to be a king.


    After refusing Euria¡¯s offer, we left the general office along with Reiji and headed towards Rena¡¯s temple in the Republic of Ariadya to discuss our future ns.


    Naturally, the topic this time was about Shirone¡¯s childhood friend, Kuroki.


    ¡¸But Shirone-san, that Kuroki-san saved Regena and co¡¯s life right? Doesn¡¯t that mean he isn¡¯t beingpletely manipted by that Silver Witch?¡¹


    It was just as Rino had said. It seems that he wasn¡¯t beingpletely manipted. Especially since there¡¯s no way he would save me if he was beingpletely manipted by that witch. Moreover, considering Regena¡¯s case, I could see that he might be a really kind person. It doesn¡¯t seem like his memory is being manipted either.


    If that¡¯s the case, there might be a way to save him.


    ¡¸Then, there¡¯s nothing to worry about but¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Shirone-san. He¡¯s the kind of character who appears as an enemy in the beginning, helping us for some mysterious reason in the middle, and bes our ally before thest dungeon. That¡¯s why don¡¯t worry, Kuroki-san will be ourrade in the end.¡¹


    Nao was trying to reassure Shirone with her usual baseless theories.


    ¡¸I hate him¡­ he almost killed Rei-kun after all.¡¹


    Sahoko spoke with a slightly displeased tone.


    Sure enough, he¡¯d almost killed Reiji back then. It seems that Sahoko still couldn¡¯t bring herself to forgive him.


    ¡¸SAHOKO-SAN!!! THAT¡¯S BECAUSE HE¡¯S BEING MANIPULATED BY THAT SILVER WITCH!!! KUROKI ISN¡¯T THE KIND OF A PERSON WHO WILL DO THAT!!¡¹


    Shirone spoke with an increasingly loud voice as she struck the table.


    Despite her words, it didn¡¯t change the fact that Kuroki was the one who¡¯d almost killed Reiji.


    Yup, we¡¯re basically stuck because of this problem.


    I wonder what Reiji thinks about this matter? Will Reiji ept Kuroki as hisrade? If not, then we can¡¯t ept him as ourrade even if he did save our lives.


    ¡¸Calm down, Shirone-san¡­ that goes for you too, Sahoko-san, I understand your feelings for Reiji-kun but, I have to say that you¡¯re exaggerating too much regarding this matter. I mean, as we suspected, he was being manipted.¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re right¡­ sorry, Shirone-san.¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay. Kuroki did hurt Reiji-kun after all.¡¹


    Both of them apologized to each other.


    The normally gentle Sahoko would suddenly flip personalities when ites to anything regarding Reiji. It seems that the same goes for Shirone. She also had a flip of personality when it came to her childhood friend.


    ¡¸But still, I never expected for the Demon King to have a daughter. It seems we need to know more about the Demon King.¡¹


    Anyhow, the Silver Witch seems to be the Demon King¡¯s daughter. There¡¯s no information about the Demon King having a daughter. In the first ce, we didn¡¯t even know that he had a queen.


    ¡¸Demon King¡¯s daughter huh¡­ I really don¡¯t want to imagine her face.¡¹


    Reiji made a face of disgust.


    We had a chance to see the Demon King¡¯s picture once before. It was no exaggeration to say that he was extremely ugly. Could it be that the Demon King¡¯s daughter was as ugly as her father?


    At least, Reiji thought that she was ugly.


    Surely, I couldn¡¯t get myself to think that a beauty would be born from such an ugly father either.


    ording to Shirone, it seems that she was extremely unpleasant as well. That¡¯s why she must be an ugly one.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, I just noticed this, SHirone-san. Can I ask you a question?¡¹


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Nao-chan?¡¹


    ¡¸The matter about that Silver Witch aside, who¡¯re those people that rode the giant bird to save that Ox Evil God? One of them is the one who I saw back then in the basement of Rox kingdom.¡¹


    Nao spoke with a rare grim face.


    Both Nao and I had suffered quite an ordeal at the hands of that man with the spider mask.


    ¡¸I¡¯m curious about that matter too¡­ Just who in the world are they? I mean, that Evil God Labrys doesn¡¯t seem to be the ally of the Demon King either?¡¹


    I asked Shirone.


    The monsters in this world should be ruled by the Demon King. If that was the case, that Evil God should be the Demon King¡¯s subordinate.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ I¡¯mcking understanding in this regard but¡­ that Evil God Labrys isn¡¯t Demon King¡¯srade. ording to Rena, Evil God Labrys fought the Demon King in the past, he lost miserably and hid himself inside of thebyrinth.¡¹


    We were really surprised at hearing that.


    ¡¸Is that true, Shirone-san!?¡¹


    I tried to confirm this fact with Shirone.


    ¡¸Indeed but¡­ is something the matter with that, Chiyuki-san?¡¹


    It seems that Shirone had yet to realize the important information that was hidden in her remarks.


    ¡¸I mean, this is big news you know! This is the first time I¡¯ve heard any information mentioning that the monster Evil God isn¡¯t the Demon King¡¯srade after all!!¡¹


    Shirone showed a surprised look on her face upon hearing my exnation. It seems that she¡¯d finally noticed.


    ording to the history I¡¯d read in the past, the one who¡¯d created this world was the Holy Mother Goddess, Mina and the ancestor God, Orgis. The Ancestor God, Orgis and the Holy Mother Goddess, Mina had worked together to create a bright and peaceful world.


    But then, the Demon King Modes appeared out of nowhere and tried to rule the world. Both Orgis and Mina had been killed in the battle against the Demon King.


    The Demon King enveloped the world in darkness and released his kin, the monsters, into the world.


    Orgis and Mina¡¯s children had gathered together under the leadership of Oudith and fought against the Demon King. After a long battle, Oudith and co managed to win against the Demon King and regained half of the world. Because they¡¯d only regained half of the world, the sun could only shine for half the day.


    In this way, the world was split between day and night.


    The Demon King was ultimately defeated but he was still alive, waiting in Nargol for a chance to get his revenge.


    Though they¡¯de out as the victors, Oudith and co had lost too manyrades in the battle against the Demon King, thus preventing them from chasing after the Demon King to kill him once and for all.


    In this manner, the deadlock situation between the two sides had already gone on for thousands of years.


    This should be the lore of this world.


    The reason we were being summoned as heroes was to return the perfect light to this world.


    The fact that the Evil Gods didn¡¯t abide to the Demon King nor their names weren¡¯t even mentioned in this lore. Contrary to our expectations, they were even hostile towards the Demon King.


    In short, they¡¯re the third powerhouse aside from Elios¡¯ Gods led by Oudith and the Demon King¡¯s army.


    ¡¸Things getting more troublesome huh¡­¡¹


    Reiji made a face of disgust.


    Surely, things were bing more and moreplicated.


    I mean, it was already troublesome enough with Elios¡¯ Gods and Nargol¡¯s Demon King.


    ¡¸Yup. It seems there¡¯s so many things to investigate. There¡¯s also various things we¡¯ve to ask to Rena¡­¡¹


    We¡¯ve got no choice but to ask Rena about these various things.


    It seems that Rena hadn¡¯t told us about the true lore of this world.


    I¡¯ve got to investigate the truth.


    This thirst for knowledge will only serve as driving force to get the truth from Rena.


    ¡¸Yeah, we¡¯ve so many things to ask to Rena.¡¹


    Reiji grinned ear to ear when I spoke Rena¡¯s name.


    A pang of pain attacked my chest upon seeing that grin.


    I never expected that even Rena, a Goddess, would fall in love with Reiji.


    Reiji was handsome, but that was the only good thing about him. His features were closer to that of a handsome blonde Hollyw**d actor. He also has a tall and lean figure. He even had both brains and brawn.


    I¡¯ve got nothing to say in regards to appearance. Yes, only in appearance.


    Because there¡¯s so many ws aside from his appearance.


    For example, he¡¯s always surrounded by women due to his neat appearance. For this reason, I couldn¡¯t tell him to look only at me. I expected this kind of situation, and yet, here I am, staying by his side regardless.


    I really only had a faint, small expectation.


    But then, Rena appeared in front of Reiji.


    Rena¡¯s appearance hadpletely destroyed even that faint bit of expectation towards Reiji.


    I mean, there¡¯s no way I could be Reiji¡¯s no. 1 if such a beauty was right by his side.


    Why did such a beautiful Goddess exist in this world?


    Even though I¡¯m quite confident in my own appearance, it¡¯s a far cry from Rena¡¯s.


    Naturally, Reiji was truly ted upon hearing that Rena loved him. My thought at the time was, ¡°Go explode already!¡±


    Yup, it was really irritating.


    Reiji simply went on,pletely ignoring my piercing re.


    What an insensitive man.

 Chapter 63.3: A Happy Reunion

    <h4>Chapter 63.3: A Happy Reunion</h4>


    ¡¸Nevertheless, it seems that General sus wants to celebrate our sess so let¡¯s chill out for the time being before moving to our next n.¡¹


    I spoke with a slightly indignant voice.


    It seems that General sus wants to celebrate the matter of us freeing the people that were imprisoned in thebyrinth.


    ¡¸Celebration huh, sounds good. Having to eat the poor meals in thebyrinth made me miss the delicious meal out here.¡¹


    Nao spoke as a thread of drool hung down from her mouth.


    ¡¸You bet!! Now it¡¯s time to take a breather after being locked down in that ce for a long time!¡¹


    Rino spoke with a strong tone.


    ¡¸Yeah. We need to take a breather.¡¹


    Reiji approved Nao¡¯s suggestion too. Since many beauties would being to the celebration, his smiling face must be a result of imagining those scenes.


    ¡¸Celebration huh¡­ Kuroki, who contributed the most, isn¡¯t even here though¡­¡¹


    Shirone spoke with a gloomy voice.


    Surely, the one who¡¯d contributed the most this time around was him. And yet, that very same person wasn¡¯t even here to celebrate with us.


    ¡¸Yeah. The one who really saved the people in thebyrinth is him, not me or Reiji. We really have to praise him.¡¹


    I spoke while giving a sidelong nce towards Reiji.


    Reiji was clearly displeased upon hearing that. But, he couldn¡¯t talk back and refute it either since he knew very well that we would¡¯ve literally been doomed if it weren¡¯t for Kuroki¡¯s backup.


    My mood suddenly improved a lot upon seeing Reiji¡¯s vexed face.


    I had yet to thank Kuroki for his help back in the Rox kingdom too. I felt the goodwill behind his actions that saved my life. I guess I¡¯m with Shirone in regards to wanting to save him too. Though Reiji and Sahoko might be against it, I think we should make him ourrade.


    I wonder where he is and what he¡¯s doing right now¡­


    ===


    ¡ôDragon Priestess; Regena


    ¡¸Well then, please take care of us, Regena-san.¡¹


    Kaya-sama spoke to me.


    ¡¸Uhm, are you sure about this?¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Tormalkis will help you in that regard.¡¹


    ¡¸Please take care of me, Regena-sama.¡¹


    The plump man besides her cupped his hands while bowing to me.


    The mansion that we were using was previously his properly. But then, he¡¯d fallen under suspicion of tricking the Hero since his wife, An, whose whereabouts were currently unknown, was an Evil God.


    But aside from that, he was only a normal human who¡¯d goten tricked by the Evil God. It seems that even he didn¡¯t know of An¡¯s whereabouts.


    But, Kaya-sama wasn¡¯t so kind as to let him off scot-free. She¡¯d seized his assets and turned them into Kyouka-sama¡¯s property.


    The mansion, which had be Kyouka-sama¡¯s property as well, was currently being used as the Midoupany¡¯s Ariadya branch. And just a moment ago, Kaya-sama had made a request for me to take care of Midoupany¡¯s Ariadya branch.


    ¡¸In addition, I¡¯ll invite the people from Holy Republic Lenaria. You can rest assured with the girl who I trained personally, Regena-san.¡¹


    Despite her words, I shook my head to show my refusal.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ I think it¡¯s impossible for someone like me to handle a tradingpany!!¡¹


    And why me of all people? There should be many morepetent people that would be better for this position.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Regena-san. You¡¯re someone who got Kuroki-san¡¯s recognition after all. That¡¯s why I feel that there¡¯s no worries in entrusting this branch to you.¡¹


    Kyouka-sama smiled as she said so.


    For some reason, Kyouka-sama held my master(husband) in high regard. I feel like it¡¯s a good thing to have more people that had a high evaluation of my master(husband). And her words had hit my sore spot.


    How could I refuse when she¡¯d brought up my master¡¯s(husband) name?


    ¡¸You¡¯re qualified for this matter, Regena-san. I mean, you can use the Lizardmans for the transportation of goods via Quiche river. That will give you an upper hand against the other merchants who can¡¯t do the same thing. You¡¯ll gain enormous profits from that for sure.¡¹


    It seems that Kaya-sama¡¯s expectations for me werepletely different from Kyouka-sama.


    Their gazes were fixed on me.


    If possible, I wanted to escape from this ce.


    ¡¸Shall we test her idea¡­ master(husband).¡¹


    My master¡¯s(husband) appeared in my mind as I looked up to the sky.


    ===


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    The ce I reunited with Kuna was close to the center of the mountain range.


    ¡¸KUROKI!!¡¹


    Kuna quickly embraced me as soon as she saw my figure and looked up at me with moist eyes.


    After not seeing her for a few days, I noticed that Kuna had be even more beautiful than before. And I was currently embracing such a beauty.


    It was something that had never happened to me back in my original world.


    I was almost brought to tears upon recalling those painful memories.


    YOU DID IT, ME!!


    ¡¸Yup¡­ sorry, Kuna. You must¡¯ve been lonely when I wasn¡¯t there with you¡­ You too, Glorious.¡¹


    I gently caressed Glorious¡¯ head.


    Glorious let out a spoiled growl when I caressed her head.


    ¡¸I missed you so much¡­ Kuroki. Let¡¯s go back together¡­¡¹


    I shook my head in response.


    ¡¸Kuna, how about we take this chance to enjoy the Republic of Ariadya?¡¹


    ¡¸Republic Ariadya?¡¹


    Kuna tilted her head, asking with a puzzled look on her face.


    ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯ll take you along for a date around the Republic of Ariadya.¡¹


    I¡¯d done my research for dating spots within the Republic of Ariadya along with Rena. Plus, we could also go see the opera now.


    ¡¸Kuna will follow you wherever you are, Kuroki.¡¹


    Kuna smiled sweetly at me.


    That smile was truly an angelic smile. I could finish three bowls of rice with this smile as a side dish. Naturally, a big bowl of rice.


    ¡¸Nyufufufufu.¡¹


    I ended up letting out a strangeugh. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, it was even apanied with drool.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Kuroki?¡¹


    Kuna asked with a curious look on her face.


    ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing. Shall we go then?¡¹


    I got a grip on myself and wiped the drool at the edge of my mouth.


    Thus we proceeded to fly towards the Republic of Ariadya on Glorious¡¯ back.


    The sun had set already by the time we realized. We were currently bathed under the silvery moonlight that illuminated the night sky. Different from the sun, the moonlight was a gentle light that caressed everyone equally.


    And we continued to ride on Glorious¡¯ back, bathing under the silvery moonlight, as we headed towards the Republic of Ariadya.

 Chapter 64.1: Moonlight’s Goddess

    <h4>Chapter 64.1: Moonlight¡¯s Goddess</h4>


    ACT 5 ¨C ck Storm


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    Flying through the night sky, we finally arrived in the airspace atop the Labyrinth¡¯s city, Labyrinthos. The master of thisbyrinth, Evil God Labrys, was no longer in there. That Evil God had gone somewhere alone with that Serpent Queen. For that reason, the minotaurs that lived in thisbyrinth had left this ce as well.


    I made Gloriousnd on the empty za of thebyrinth¡¯s surface that had already lost its master. That za was barelyrge enough to house Glorious¡¯ giant frame.


    ¡¸Shall we get down, Kuna?¡¹


    Kuna nodded upon hearing my question.


    ¡¸Okay, Kuroki.¡¹


    I held onto Kuna as I descended from Glorious¡¯ back. Several shadows came out from the building around the za as Inded.


    ¡¸We¡¯ve been waiting for you, Master(Husband), and Kuna-sama.¡¹


    The shadow bowed to us.


    The one who¡¯de out was Regena.


    ¡¸Thanks Regena. Come here.¡¹


    Regena was my apostle. For that very reason, we couldmunicate with each other regardless of the distance.


    I¡¯d entrusted Regena to take care of Glorious during my date with Kuna around the Republic of Ariadya, which is why I asked her toe to this ce.¡¡I mean, this was the only suitable hiding ce for Glorious after all.


    Surrounding Regena were the lizardmen who¡¯d chosen to follow her.


    ¡¸It doesn¡¯t matter, Master(husband), I¡¯lle to you no matter where you are as long as you call me.¡¹


    Regena spoke with a steady voice, her eyes sparkling.


    I felt a pang of guilt upon seeing her looking at me like that.


    At first I had no intentions of continuing contact with Regena after she¡¯d left Nargol. But then, one thing led to another causing me to contact her when I was looking for a ce to hide Glorious. I mean, it would be rude if I was to be back in the Republic of Ariadya without even contacting her.


    For that reason, I contacted her, making a request of her to take care of us during our holiday in the Republic of Ariadya.


    Though I felt troubled about asking her for help, she¡¯d ended up readily epting my request.


    Besides, the real reason I¡¯d asked her was because I knew that anyone without citizenship wouldn¡¯t be able to rent a room at a proper inn. That¡¯s why I¡¯m really grateful towards Regena for her help.


    ¡¸Thank you very much, Regena. I¡¯ll leave Glorious in your care then.¡¹


    I bowed to the Lizardmen and Regena.


    Though it had been decided already that the management of thebyrinth would be left to Heibos, its creator, it would be left under the hero¡¯s care until Heibos was ready to take over.


    Or to be exact, it was under the temporary management of Kyouka, the Hero of Light¡¯s little sister. And in that order, Regena was appointed by Kyouka to manage thisbyrinth for the time being.


    That¡¯s why, no one could enter thisbyrinth without Regena¡¯s permission. That was also why it was safe to hide Glorious in this ce.


    In addition, the Lizardmen would be Glorious¡¯ faithful caretakers since the Dragons were literally their Gods.


    ¡¸Understood, Master(husband). Please leave Glorious-sama¡¯s well being to us. In addition, please take this¡­¡¹


    With a gesture from Regena, a Lizardman left for a short moment and came back with a basket in its hands. Regena opened the basket to reveal a set of beautiful clothes inside.


    ¡¸This is?¡¹


    ¡¸Clothes for Master(husband) and Kuna-sama. I think this is necessary since Kuna-sama is really conspicuous.¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡­ thanks, Regena. Since you¡¯ve prepared everything, Kuna will wear it.¡¹


    I took the box and handed it carefully to Kuna who was standing by my side.


    Kuna seems to be moreposedpared to before. It¡¯s as if her previous hostility towards Regena was a lie.


    Though this was the best oue for everyone, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder what had caused such a change.


    ¡¸What is this, Kuroki?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s a part of the clothes to hide your appearance. Since Kuna is beautiful, you¡¯re bound to be the center of attention just by strolling in the city. It also to prevent any suspicious men from approaching you during our long awaited date in the Republic of Ariadya.¡¹


    Same as Rena, Kuna needs to cover her face when strolling through the Republic of Ariadya due to her transcendent beauty. That¡¯s why I¡¯d asked Regena to prepare this set of clothing for Kuna beforehand.


    ¡¸Beautiful¡­ I understand, Kuroki. Kuna will wear this clothes.¡¹


    Kuna, who seemed to be delighted at having me praise her beauty, then changed her clothes with Regena¡¯s assistance.


    After wearing the clothes, Kuna¡¯s appearance was that of a beautiful and neatdy from the Goddess Faeria¡¯s faith.


    She wore a thin veil to cover her face.


    ¡¸It¡¯s¡­ difficult to move if I wear this veil.¡¹


    Kunained about the veil with a pout.


    ¡¸Sorry Kuna. Please be patient, I¡¯ll lead you by hand.¡¹


    It¡¯ll be bad if she identally reveals her face in the middle of our date. That¡¯s why I¡¯d specifically requested from Regena for a set of clothing that included a veil to cover her face during our date.


    ¡¸Kuroki will lead me by hand? Then Kuna will have noints anymore.¡¹


    Kuna easily agreed at thepromise


    ¡¸Great¡­ Well, I¡¯ll change my clothes too.¡¹


    I changed my clothes with the clothing that had already been prepared by Regena after I unfastened my Dark Knight armor.


    My set of clothes were different from Kuna; it was a set of clothing befitting for a butler. Wearing this, it¡¯ll look like we¡¯re a butler and hisdy walking side by side.


    ¡¸Is it way too in for your taste?¡¹


    Regena asked with an anxious look on her face.


    ¡¸It¡¯s perfect. I hate gaudy cloth afterall.¡¹


    I hate standing out in the midst of a crowd. That¡¯s why the clothes prepared by Regena were perfect for me.


    Regena was the one who¡¯d managed my clothes back when she was still at Nargol. That¡¯s why she was well aware of Kuroki¡¯s clothing preferences.


    ¡¸By the way, are they still in Ariadya, Regena?¡¹


    I asked Regena.


    ¡¸Yes. THe Hero of Light and co are still in this country. I think they¡¯ll at least staying in this city until tomorrow¡¯s celebration¡­¡¹


    ording to Regena, it was a celebration to praise the Hero of Light, Reiji, for saving the people who¡¯d been held captive in thebyrinth. But that celebration had been dyed quite a while since they had to open the schedule for the big shots that wanted to attend the celebration. That¡¯s why, Reiji and co were still in this country.


    ¡¸I see¡­ well, there¡¯s no use to worry about every single thing¡­ I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll aware either if I just acting normally and enjoy sightseeing in the Republic of Ariadya.¡¹


    The Republic of Ariadya was vast. It was literally impossible for us to run into them.


    ¡¸I understand, Master(husband). Then let us return to the Republic of Ariadya. Allow me to guide you to Tormalkis¡¯ secondary residence, I don¡¯t think Shirone-sama will meet you by ident in that ce.¡¹


    ¡¸Thanks, Regena.¡¹


    In this way, we headed back towards the Republic of Ariadya.


    ===


    ¡ôDancer, Sienna


    ¡¸Geez, where in the world is that drunkard running to!!¡¹


    I was currently having a night stroll through the city in search of Marchas.


    Marchas for a fellow member of the ¡¸Donkey¡¯s Ear¡¹ that we belonged to.


    We¡¯d gotten a job offer to dance in front of the Hero of Light tomorrow. And yet, that id*ot didn¡¯t even show up for rehearsal. For that reason, our leader, Midas, had asked me to go look for Marchas.


    ¡¸Sienna. Go and find Marchas.¡¹


    I recalled Midas¡¯ words.


    Though I felt bad for saying it, I think Midas¡¯ decision to ept Marchas into our troupe was a mistake. But since the one who¡¯d introduce Marchas to Midas was the person to whom I held the utmost respect for, Ainoe-neesan, he¡¯d been allowed to join the troupe in the end. [TL : Midas gender is UNKNOWN!]


    Marchas was a problematic man. He was a former thief. In addition to that, he was a gambling addict and an alcoholic. That¡¯s why I think a bad seed like that needed to be expelled as soon as possible, but Midas didn¡¯t agree with me. The reason being that our troupe was currently experiencing a shortage of manpower.


    That was especially the case in our band and back chorus. We had a severe shortage for manpower in those two departments.


    Marchas¡¯ skills in ying the flute was simply unrivaled amongst our members. Even Marchas himself once boasted that his skills when it came to ying the flute had already surpassed the God Alphos.


    Maybe due to the fear of being skinned alive, the person himself never said that again.


    But surpassing the God Alphos aside, there was no mistaking his abilities when it came to ying the flute. That¡¯s why Midas had been overlooking Marchas¡¯ bad behaviour so far.


    I heaved a heavy sigh.


    Midas was well-known for their passion towards song and dance. The leader embraced Alphos-sama¡¯s faith, the God of Song and Istar-sama¡¯s faith, Goddess of Dance. Besides, for the leader, even someone with the problematic behaviour could join our troupe as long as they had the skills.


    But at this rate, there¡¯s a chance that our troupe will be banned from performing all together if Marchas caused any trouble.


    Though I know that we¡¯re currently shorthanded, I have no idea why the leader is so persistent about keeping Marchas in our troupe.


    In addition, there¡¯s also Ainoe-neesan. Just where in the world did Ainoe-neesan pick up a b*st*rd like that?


    Before I realized it, I¡¯d already arrived at my destination.


    This ce was quite deserted. It was awless area in which many illegal residents who¡¯de from outside resided.


    Naturally, many of the people who were walking through that ce also came from questionable backgrounds too.


    There were numerous buildings with sign boards advertising liquor hanging in front of doors along the street. The liquor¡¯s mark was the holy crest of the God of Liquor, Nectar.


    This holy crest was mainly hanging outside of bars/inns and I should be able to find Marchas in one of these bars.


    It seems that there were many travelers walking out on the street right now. The waitresses of the stores were calling out for these travelers toe inside. They were bar waitresses/h*rlots. They served customers as waitresses on the first floor and provided night service for their buyers in the inn rooms on the second floor.


    Though prostitution was banned in this country, the current situation was a tacit consent between the man and the woman.

 Chapter 64.2: Moonlight’s Goddess

    <h4>Chapter 64.2: Moonlight¡¯s Goddess</h4>


    Naturally, I had no intention of preaching to those h*rlots, since they¡¯re the followers of Ishtar¡¯s faith, just like me.


    Ishtar-sama, who advocated for the freedom of love, was the Goddess of Harlots and Dancers.


    I entered the dark alley as I pondered over the matter. I figured some drunkard would¡¯ve fallen asleep along this dark alley.


    Upon walking into the dark alley, three men stood in my way. I was about to turn around upon seeing that things were about to be dangerous, but then, a tall and burly man sealed my path of escape.


    ¡¸By chance, have you been looking for someone, onee-chan?¡¹


    The man blocking my way spoke with a deep and gruff voice.


    ¡¸Indeed, so what¡¯s the matter?¡¹


    I red at him.


    ¡¸We might be able to help you. How about we help you to look for that person?¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you, but¡­ I don¡¯t think I need your help in that matter.¡¹


    ¡¸Oh, don¡¯t be so cold like that.¡¹


    The man outstretched his hand towards me.


    ¡¸DON¡¯T TOUCH ME!¡¹


    I swatted off the man¡¯s hand, coiling back from his grasp.


    ¡¸Tch, such a cold woman. Whatever¡­ have some fun with us.¡¹


    The man¡¯s smile turned into a vulgar sneer.


    I heaved a sigh as I gripped on the handle of the curved sword sheathed at my hip.


    I¡¯m quite confident about my fighting abilities. From the way that they move, I can tell that they¡¯re just some average Joes. Knocking them down would be easy peasy. But, the problem was taking care of the aftermath.


    ¡¸My bad. I¡¯m not someone that¡¯ll be your ying mate.¡¹


    They might just be some penniless hooligan freedom fighters that couldn¡¯t afford to buy a h*rlot. They¡¯re just the lowest of the low, bottom of the rung people who couldn¡¯t fight monsters and only targeted civilians that looked weaker than them. Honestly, trying to talk to them was simply an idiotic thing to do.


    I ran towards the wall on the side.


    ¡¸WUT?!!!¡¹


    I ignored the man¡¯s scream. I kept running on the wall, jumped and thennded behind the tall man with a somersault. I didn¡¯t stop there and continued to just run away, leaving that back alley behind.


    ¡¸WAIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!¡¹


    Only an idiot would wait for them.


    I kept running along the night streets of the city. When I felt that it was already safe for me to stop, I finally stopped running and heaved a sigh.


    ¡¸Sienna.¡¹


    Someone suddenly called out my name.


    When I turned to look who it was, it was a man standing there looking at me. The man wore a leather armor on top of his chainmail. Around the chest area of his leather armor was the holy crest of the God King, Oudith-sama.


    That holy crest indicated him as the Law¡¯s Knight of the Oudith temple. The Law¡¯s Knights was an order of knights that maintained the public order and searched for criminals.


    ¡¸Decius-niisan.¡¹


    This Law¡¯s Knight was Decius, my older brother.


    ¡ôDancer, Sienna


    I strolled through the backstreets along with Brother Decius. I¡¯d already given up on trying to find Marchas.


    We were currently patrolling around the area with better public order than the previous area [the one in which I¡¯d almost gotten assaulted.]


    I recalled the event that happened earlier.


    The area that we currently are at was an area for inns. There¡¯s so many inn buildings standing next to each other.


    The Republic of Ariadya was the transit point of many peddlers from other regions, mainly those from the Eastern region of the continent.


    But the number of foreigners visiting this country has been on the rise for a while now. The main reason was none other than the Hero of Light. Many people hade from surrounding countries just to be able to catch a glimpse of the Hero¡¯s figure.


    Thanks to that, however, there were many thieves around that were aiming to rob these foreigners of their fortune. That¡¯s why, my brother, the Law¡¯s Knight has been patrolling this area.


    Though the lighting that was installed on the top of the waterway on the roadside isn¡¯t that bright, we could still see the road just fine since tonight was a full moon.


    ¡¸That knight¡¯s attire looks really good with your diligent and serious look, Nii-san. You really are born to be Oudith-sama¡¯s knight.¡¹


    I praised my older brother¡¯s attire.


    Big brother Decius and I were born and raised in Ishtar¡¯s temple. Our mother was a famous dancer and Ishtar¡¯s shrine maiden, Ishpascia. There, she¡¯d met and fallen in love with Nacius Paracletus, an Oudith¡¯s Knight.


    But, Outdith¡¯s Knights couldn¡¯t get married officially to Ishtar-sama¡¯s Shrine Maiden, whose teachings were about the freedom of love. Thus, they¡¯d eventually broken up.


    Fortunately for my older brother, our father¡¯s legal wife couldn¡¯t give birth before she passed away. That¡¯s why our father had chosen to adopt older brother as his heir in the end.


    I¡¯d barely been able to meet him after his adoption, but my older brother woulde to visit Ishtar¡¯s temple from time to time to visit me and check how I¡¯m doing.


    ¡¸Hahaha, I still have much to learn though¡­ What about you, Sienna? Anything dangerous happen to youtely?¡¹


    My brother¡¯s words made me recall the event from a while ago.


    ¡¸Something like that can barely count as ¡°danger¡± for me you know.¡¹


    I told him a white lie.


    Different from Oudith-sama, Ishtar-sama¡¯s believers weren¡¯t restricted by a prohibition on lying.


    ¡¸Really? Could it be that you¡¯re actually selling y-¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m not doing that. You should know about that too, Nii-san. I¡¯m a member of a troupe. I¡¯m aiming to be a leading actor.¡¹


    I turned around to face my brother as I walked backwards.


    A child raised in Ishtar-sama¡¯s temple had to leave the temple once they reached adulthood. Most women chose to be h*rlots, but I didn¡¯t choose that path.


    Ishtar-sama was the Goddess of h*rlots, but her faith didn¡¯t decree that every woman under her faith had to follow that path. Instead, they could choose to be an actor or actress.


    Ishtar-sama was also the Goddess of dancers, which included dancers, actors, and actresses under that. That¡¯s why, as the believer of Ishtar-sama¡¯s faith, I chose the path of bing an actress.


    I was able to join the ¡¸Donkey¡¯s Ears¡¹ troupe since Leader Midas recognized my talent in dancing. This time, the leader has even entrusted me with the main role when we perform in the Alphos theatre. It¡¯s a leading role for a famous story too.


    Though I feel bad for Ainoe-neesan, I really wanted to be in a leading role.


    ¡¸Yeah, I know. Arfelia huh, I¡¯m looking forward to your performance.¡¹


    The drama I¡¯m going to be performing in is Arfelia. It¡¯s the story of a brave princess who goes on a journey to save her lover who¡¯s been kidnapped by a witch.


    The y had been postponed due to the celebration to praise the hero, but I did want my brother toe and see my performance.


    ¡¸Sure. Make sure youe, Nii-san.¡¹


    I smiled happily when he nodded in reply.


    ¡¸But, Sienna. What is your answer for that matter?¡¹


    I looked at my brother.


    ¡¸That story again? Sorry but, I¡¯m not going to convert. I love Ishtar-sama and have no problem even if I can¡¯t get married for life.¡¹


    My brother wanted me to convert to Faeria¡¯s faith. But I had no intention of doing so. Just like my mother, I¡¯m proud of the fact that I¡¯m Ishtar-sama¡¯s believer. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t care even if I can¡¯t get married. Even if it¡¯s not a formal(religious) union, I would be fine with amonw marriage too.


    ¡¸But, that¡¯s¡­ too sad.¡¹


    My brother could barely squeeze out those words.


    After he¡¯d converted to the Oudith faith, it seems that my brother couldn¡¯t take a man and a woman living together without being officially married. That¡¯s why he¡¯d ended up saying those words.


    ¡¸Enough about me. How about you Nii-san, when will you get married? I heard that you received numerous marriage proposals.¡¹


    I redirected the conversation to my brother.


    I mean, even from my perspective as his little sister, my brother was definitely a handsome man. Lots of noble girls from surrounding countries must¡¯ve been flocking around him to get his hand in marriage.


    However, it seems that my brother rejected them all.


    ¡¸That¡¯s-no¡­ I¡¯m still in the middle of training. It¡¯s still too soon for me to think about marriage.¡¹


    I heaved a deep sign upon hearing that.


    It seems that my brother is a little too strict with himself.


    I realize that there must be so many people talking behind his back due to our mother¡¯s background. That¡¯s why my brother must¡¯ve been pushing himself to act as a just and proper believer of Oudith.


    Of course, I also realize that my brother¡¯s serious nature is very well-matched for being a believer of Oudith.


    But, as his little sister, I want to see the moment when my brother falls in love. Of course, I know I can¡¯t force him to fall in love in the end.


    It was at that moment when we were walking along the road along the canal that I saw someone¡¯s figure walking in front of us. It was a man and a woman walking together. Though they might look like a pair of lovers at a nce, I realized by the next moment that the man was wearing a butler attire while the woman was wearing a nobledy¡¯s attire.


    They might be one of those foreigners that hade to catch a glimpse of the Hero of Light.


    ¡¸Are they foreigners? What are they doing in this kind of ce? The public order around this area might be better but, it¡¯s still dangerous during the night.¡¹


    I spoke with astonishment,pletely forgoing the fact that I¡¯d just encountered that danger just a short time ago.


    Daytime aside, despite its fairlyrge road, it was still too dangerous to be walking along this canal in the middle of the night.


    The woman might be a noble girl of a certain country who¡¯d happened to befriend one of the people who live in the noble district. I mean, her whole atmosphere literally reeks of a nobledy.


    Besides all that, this also wasn¡¯t the right time to be taking a nobledy for a walk. Since it¡¯ll be toote for us to save them if something happened after this, I must at least warn them of the dangers around here.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s warn them¡­ Can you wait for a minute, Sienna?¡¹


    My brother, who¡¯d been thinking along the same lines as me, asked me to wait for him.


    ¡¸Understood. Nii-san.¡¹


    My brother left me behind as he approached the two.


    Those two people were looking up at the moon from the side road of the canal.


    ¡¸You over there. May I have a moment with you two?¡¹


    My brother called out to the two as he approached them.


    Upon hearing his voice, the woman looked towards our direction.


    ¡¸¡­ EH?¡¹


    I unintentionally leaked out a strange sound.

 Chapter 64.3: Moonlight’s Goddess

    <h4>Chapter 64.3: Moonlight¡¯s Goddess</h4>


    That woman was¡­ simply too beautiful.


    I could see her face clearly thanks to the full moon.


    She had an extremely well-ordered face and porcin white skin. She had small red lips and eyes that gleamed like stars. And then, her most noticeable trait was her hair. Her silver colored hair that reflected the moonlight was quite a fantastical sight.


    I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off of her.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, you a-¡¹


    The butler-like man besides the woman suddenly cut in when the woman was about to say something.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ is something the matter?¡¹


    The butler-like man was asking us. But, my brother¡¯s eyes were still locked on the woman.


    ¡¸Eh¡­ eer¡­¡¹


    My brother was trying to say something, but it seems that he was too flustered.


    It¡¯s natural. Afterall, this was the first time we¡¯d seen such a beautiful woman.


    I knew that my brother was really ecstatic right now.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ my apologies if we look like suspicious people to your honored knight but, wee from faraway to catch a glimpse of the Hero of Light. We definitely are not suspicious people.¡¹


    Though the butler-like man was talking to my brother, my brother was still caught up in a daze. He simply couldn¡¯t take his eyes off from the woman,


    The woman was looking at us with a doubtful look on her face.


    We might¡¯ve identally disturbed her.


    ¡¸Nii-san!!¡¹


    I brought my lips closer to his ear and called out to him.


    That seemed to have snapped him out of his daze.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Look, you have yet to reply to him!!¡¹


    ¡¸U-Uhm!! Please refrain from strolling around during the night since your life might be in danger if some hooligans target you!!!¡¹


    My brother¡¯s voice was all over the ce.


    And then, I looked for the woman¡¯s reaction.


    She looked at my brother with piercing cold eyes as if to say, ¡°What the h*ll is wrong with this dumb-looking man?¡±


    ¡¸I see¡­ thanks for the warning. I guess we should take our leave.¡¹


    After saying so, the butler-like man then left along with the silver haired woman.


    ¡¸She was so beautiful huh, Nii-san. You got unintentionally charmed by her, you know.¡¹


    I called out to my brother from behind, but he didn¡¯t react at all.


    ¡¸Wait a minute, Nii-san?¡¹


    Despite my calls, his eyes were steadfastly locked in the direction where those two people had gone.


    ¡¸Goddess¡­ she¡¯s a Moonlight¡­ Goddess.¡¹


    My brother muttered so.


    He had this entranced face as he said that.


    I¡¯d finally witnessed the moment my brother had fallen in love.


    ===


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    ¡¸Wee back, Master(Husband), Kuna-sama.¡¹


    Regena weed us as we returned to the Tormalkins¡¯ second residence.


    I¡¯d been in the middle of a night stroll with Kuna until just a bit ago.


    We¡¯d decided to take a stroll around the city since it was still too early to sleep.


    ¡¸Uhm, Thanks for waiting for our return, Regena.¡¹


    Kuna spoke proudly as she puffed out her ch*st.


    Her attitude had be akin to that of thedy of the house.


    ¡¸Thanks for waiting for our return, Regena.¡¹


    I also thanked Regena.


    ¡¸Fufufu, thank you for the praise, Master. Did you enjoy your night stroll?¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯ve enjoyed it, Regena. Ariadya has far bigger poptionpared to other countries.¡¹


    Even from my perspective, the Republic of Ariadya was thergest human country.


    Though the outside was typically enveloped by total darkness in the other countries once night came, the Republic of Ariadya was still bright during the night and had many ces for amusement. But, since there were so many indecent things around those ces, I refrained from visiting those ces with Kuna.


    ording to my research, the inns in this world also served dinner.


    Since the majority of these inn owners were the followers of the God of Liquor, Nectar, most of the inns around here had Nector¡¯s holy crest hung at this storefront.


    The guests could enjoy food, beverage, or gambling on the first floor, the dining room. And then, they could use the second floor to sleep, or invite a female worker of the inn who was also working as a harlot up there.


    No matter what world it was, the majority of amusement for men remained the same with liquor, brawling, and women.


    But, this practice of prostitution was an open secret in the country whose main religion was the Goddess Faeria¡¯s faith. The reason being that no one could suppress their innate human lust. That¡¯s why it remained an open secret.


    Thus, we really were just strolling since I didn¡¯t want to bring Kuna into such a ce.


    Fortunately for us, the moon tonight was really beautiful.


    The figure of Kuna walking under the moonlight as her silver hair reflected the moonlight was simply wondrous and beautiful.


    I couldn¡¯t help but notice that Kuna had be even more beautiful than before.


    I simply couldn¡¯t take my eyes off of Kuna.


    Moreover, the person herself didn¡¯t seem to realize my gaze on her.


    And then, as we were enjoying our moon viewing together, a male knight in the middle of his patrol called out to us and ended up being charmed by Kuna¡¯s beauty.


    Even though he was talking to me, I knew that he couldn¡¯t look away from Kuna.


    Most likely, Kuna had already forgotten about the existence of that knight by now.


    That knight might not have realized it, but Kuna had almost killed him with her magic. He really might¡¯ve died if I hadn¡¯t cut in back then.


    Plus, that knight had apanion, a beauty.


    Seeing that she¡¯d called him ¡°nii-san,¡± could it be that they¡¯re actually a pair of siblings?


    I mean, they didn¡¯t give off the impression of being a couple.


    ¡¸By the way, have you prepared ¡°THAT¡±, Regena?¡¹


    Kuna suddenly asked such a question to Regena.


    ¡¸Yes, Kuna-sama. I¡¯ve prepared the bath.¡¹


    ¡¸I see. Let¡¯s take a bath together, Kuroki.¡¹


    Kuna pulled me along as she spoke.


    ¡¸Eh¡­ that¡¯ll be bad right? I mean, Regena is here too.¡¹


    Things would turn out really bad in various ways, mainly for my lower half.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Kuroki. I¡¯ll allow Regena to bath with us since I¡¯m in a really good mood tonight. Now, the problem is gone, right?¡¹


    Kuna smiled coquettishly as she spoke.


    What a great ide¨C No, that¡¯ll cause even more problems, mainly for my lower half.


    In the first ce, Regena might hat¨C


    ¡¸REALLY!! THANK YOU VERY MUCH, KUNA-SAMA!! WELL THEN, I¡¯M JOINING IN TOO!!¡¹


    And yet, contrary to my expectations, she was jumping with joy.


    Thus, Regena joined in and dragged me into the bathroom.


    I, on the other hand, was powerless against theirbined force.


    Though I was far more powerful than them, I couldn¡¯t muster up my strength to oppose them.


    ===


    ¡ôSmall Time Viin, Marchas


    I walked along the dark and narrow road.


    I could never feel good about this ce no matter how many times I came here.


    After walking for a while, I arrived at an open ce. There were a few women in that ce. Those women, all of them were wearing a ck attire.


    And then, a goat-headed demon, a Satyr¡¯s statue was ced in the innermost part of the pce where those women had gathered.


    This ce was an altar. It seems that these women were offering their prayers until just a moment ago.


    ¡¸You¡¯vee, Marchas.¡¹


    One of the women was looking at me.


    She was a beauty that looked to be in the midst of her twenties. But, I knew that wasn¡¯t her real appearance.


    ¡¸Hehehe, Ainoe-neesan. Do you have some kind of business for calling me to this ce? I¡¯m a busy man you see. I¡¯ve to perform in front of that hero tomorrow after all.¡¹


    I spoke to her with a servile smile on my face.


    ¡¸This matter is rted to that, Marchas. Tomorrow, you¡¯ll perform in front of the Hero with that creepyss, right? I¡¯m not even invited you see.¡¹


    Ainoe spoke with a vexed tone.


    The creepy girl she was referring to was Sienna. A girl whose feet I wanted to lick the most.


    Ainoe hated Sienna.


    She was the star actress of ¡¸Donkey¡¯s Ear¡¹ until just a bit ago. But, that title was not in Sienna¡¯s hand.


    It seems that she couldn¡¯t ept the fact that her position as the troupe¡¯s leading actress had been taken by Sienna. In addition, it looked like she couldn¡¯t stomach the fact that Sienna was appointed to person in front of the hero in tomorrow¡¯s performance.


    Even though I was nominated too, I was nothing more than a freebie.


    Tomorrow, Sienna would have to dance while I yed my flute in a Satyr¡¯s costume. In short, I¡¯m just to be the clown of that performance.


    ¡¸Well, it can¡¯t be helped. A job is a job after all.¡¹


    I shook my head while raising both of my hands.


    ¡¸Humph, whatever. Take this, Marchas.¡¹


    Ainoe held something in her hand.


    ¡¸Is this, a flute?¡¹


    I looked at the flute that was given to me.


    I looked at the flute that was given to me.


    ¡¸Indeed, you¡¯ll perform with this flute. It¡¯ll call a monster that you will be able to control with this flute. In addition, I want you to kill that girl with this.¡¹


    Ainoe ordered me so without even batting her eyes.


    ¡¸Kill¡­ Sienna?¡¹


    I never thought that Ainoe hated Sienna to the point of wanting her killed.


    ¡¸Yes¡­ kill that girl. Make it to look like you¡¯re aiming for the guest. Nothing will happen to us as long as they have no idea who¡¯s the culprit.¡¹


    Ainoe had an enraptured face as she said those words.


    This woman was insane.


    The women at her side were giggling upon seeing her.


    Every one of them was a witch. Every single one of them had gained a supernatural ability through their rtionship with the ck Satyr.


    And I was their scapegoat.


    I looked at the flute in my hand.


    There was a ck goat¡¯s head crest inscribed on it.

 Chapter 65.1: Sea Banquet

    <h4>Chapter 65.1: Sea Banquet</h4>


    ¡ôValkyrie, Shizufae


    The bright sunlight was being reflected by the surface of the deep blue sea as many beautiful ships floated on the Ariad gulf. Those big ships were interconnected with bridges, making it look as though it was one big ind.


    Many dishes were being lined up on the ship while lots of people chatted idly while enjoying the served dishes.


    I looked at the people on the ship. Every single one of them was wearing beautiful clothes. On top of that, their clothes were also adorned with beautiful ornaments.


    I couldn¡¯t help but heave a sigh upon seeing that.


    ¡¸Shizu-chan¡­ can we really go to that ce with this kind of attire?¡¹


    Madi, who was standing by my side, asked with an anxious voice.


    It seems that Madi was worried about the same thing as me.


    ¡¸We¡­ should be allowed to enter this ce¡­¡¹


    I spoke with a doubtful voice myself.


    We were attending a banquet to celebrate the Hero of Light-sama¡¯s heroic deeds. We were invited by Reiji-sama. Naturally, we decided to participate since we heard there was going to be lots of delicious foods. But as I arrived at the venue, I was filled with regret.


    Majority of the participants turned out to be royalty and nobility from surrounding countries. I mean, weremoners like us even allowed to participate in this banquet?


    ¡¸Do I¡­ look strange¡­ Shizu-chan?¡¹


    Both Madi and I looked at each other¡¯s clothes.


    Madi currently wasn¡¯t wearing her usual magician¡¯s attire. She was wearing a beautiful dress. It was the dress she¡¯d borrowed from Chiyuki-sama. It seems that she wasn¡¯t confident with her dress despite looking so adorable in her blue dress.


    ¡¸Even if you ask me that¡­ I¡¯m not that confident with myself.¡¹


    I replied as my gaze cast down.


    I was also wearing a borrowed gorgeous dress.


    But, if limited to garments alone, we were a match for the other nobledies around. I couldn¡¯t calm myself down since I normally wore cheap clothes. In the first ce, this dress might look ill-suited for me.


    ¡¸No, I think you should¡¯ve more confident in your appearance, Shizufae. I almost mistook you as a nobledy after all.¡¹


    Big sis Keyna spoke encouragingly to me.


    Big sis Keyna was also wearing a gorgeous dress. It was a red dress that matched very well with her tall frame. But, I hope she holds back with a dress that exposes a lot of her skin, otherwise, people might mistake her for a harlot.


    ¡¸Yes. I think you¡¯re the one who should be most confident amongst us, Shizu-chan.¡¹


    Even Laylia-san was praising me for my appearance.


    ¡¸Yeah, be more confident Shizufae. Don¡¯t you notice it? Those men can¡¯t take their eyes off you.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, no way!¡¹


    I looked around upon hearing Nora-san¡¯s remark.


    Come to think of it, I did feel several gazes from the men around us.


    How embarrassing.


    At that moment, my eyes met with that man.


    He was a good looking man.


    Then, that man started walking towards us.


    Though my heart skipped a beat for a moment, I quickly regained my cool the moment I realized the identity of that man.


    I¡¯d met that man before.


    ¡¸If it isn¡¯t Shizufae-dono. Long time no see.¡¹


    The man gave a greeting with a graceful motion.


    ¡¸¡­ Yeah, it¡¯s been a while, Decius-sama. My apologies for failing to notice you immediately, your current appearance is far more dashing than usual.¡¹


    I greeted him back.


    Decius-sama was a knight who belonged to the God King, Oudith-sama, as a Justice Knight. He¡¯de to Teseshia once before for the sake of investigating a case. That time we¡¯d assisted him in his investigation due to the request from the Faeria temple.


    Though he usually donned his knight attire, his current attire was one that was befitting of a young and handsome nobleman. That¡¯s why I¡¯d failed to notice his identity at first.


    I mean, I¡¯d forgotten that he was a real nobleman in the first ce.


    Decius-sama was the son of a certain big shot in Ariadya. To be honest, his identity alone would normally make me hesitate to talk to him.


    And yet, the person himself has always been polite and was never fussy about having strict mannerisms and treated everyone the same way regardless of the station of their birth. I mean, we found out when we were conducting a joint investigation together that he was in fact an easy going person.


    His birth, face, and personality were all top notch. That was Decius-sama, an embodiment of the ideal husband.


    I even wanted Novis to eat the dirt under Decius-sama¡¯s nail.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve to say that the same goes for me, Shizufae-dono. I almost mistook you as a nobledy the moment I saw you a moment ago. Did you make those clothes yourself?¡¹


    Decius-sama asked as he looked at me.


    ¡¸Eh¡­ nay. No matter how pious I am to Faeria-sama, making clothes is just impossible for me. I¡¯m just borrowing these clothes. Does it look good on me?¡¹


    I replied while asking for his impression.


    Faeria-sama was the Goddess of Fabric. That¡¯s why, Faeria-sama¡¯s believers were taught how to make their own attire. In fact, it was normal for a bride to make her own bridal clothing back in my hometown.


    I was taught the art of sewing by my mother back then. Even now, I still stitched my own clothes.


    But this outfit was just borrowed clothing.


    Maybe these clothes really were ill-suited for me.


    ¡¸Yes, it looks great on you. You look extremely beautiful in those clothes, Shizufae-dono. I never expected to meet you in this ce.¡¹


    Decius-sama was smiling heartily.


    I felt my face flushing red.


    I mean, Decius-sama was a dashing and handsome young man no matter how you looked at it. He was a handsome blond haired man with a tall and lean frame. There was no woman who wouldn¡¯t get flustered when such a handsome man praised them.


    ¡¸Yes, we were invited by Hero-sama.¡¹


    I bowed my head lightly to hide my embarrassment.


    ¡¸Aah, so Shizufae-dono is the acquaintance of Hero of Light-sama. I¡¯ve yet to see them but, I hear they¡¯re a wonderful person.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, I¡¯ve never meet a man as handsome, gentle and wonderful as him.¡¹


    Decius-sama was a handsome man, but Reiji-sama was still far above him.


    He was just like a child of light.


    ¡¸Hahaha, I see now. I can imagine that Hero of Light-sama is really popr amongst thedies.¡¹


    Decius spoke with a hearty smile on his face.


    But, I couldn¡¯t help but notice that there was some underlying emotion hidden behind that smile.


    It was envy.


    It came a little bit unexpected for me since I¡¯d never expected that Decius-sama would feel that way.


    ¡¸By the way, Shizufae-dono. Have you met a silver haireddy?¡¹


    Decius-sama suddenly asked such a question.


    Come to think of it, Decius-sama was looking around restlessly when I first spotted him.


    ¡¸Silver haired,dy? Are you referring to silver hair thates with old age?¡¹


    It was a silver haired OLDdy, I did see one before.


    ¡¸No, I think she¡¯s around your age, Shizufae-dono. I wonder from which country thatdy is¡­¡¹


    ¡¸No, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen that person.¡¹


    ¡¸I see now¡­ I¡¯m expecting her toe since her butler-like person had told me that she came to meet Hero-sama¡­ it seems she isn¡¯t in this ce either.¡¹


    Decius-sama was visibly dejected.


    ¡¸Is she an¡­ extremely beautifuldy?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, she is¡­ Moonlight¡¯s Goddess-sama. Given a chance, I want to meet her again.¡¹


    Decius-sama replied as he looked towards the horizon.


    All of us were really surprised upon seeing Decius-sama¡¯s expression of longing. I mean, this was the first time we¡¯d seen Decius-sama acting this way. Afterall, he was well-known to be a straighced priest of Oudith.


    And now, that very same person was now showing longing on his face.


    ¡¸I¡¯m surprised¡­ to think that the straightced Decius-sama can also show that kind of expression¡­¡¹


    ¡¸It really is a big surprise¡­¡¹


    Big sis Keyna and Madi spoke in a low voice as they looked at Decius.


    I felt the same way as them.


    Could it be that Decius-sama had fallen in love at first sight with that Moonlight Goddess?


    I never expected for such a woman to appear in Decius-sama¡¯s life, the life of a straighced man who¡¯d never had any rumors about him fooling around before.


    Thanks to his handsome appearance, I¡¯ve heard that Decius-sama received numerous marriage proposals from famous nobledies. And yet, he¡¯d rejected them all, saying that he was still a knight-in-training. That¡¯s why, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder just what kind of woman it was that managed to steal Decius-sama¡¯s heart at just a nce?


    ¡¸¡­ Ah. My apologies, Shizufae-dono. I¡¯ve showed you an embarrassing side of me.¡¹


    Decius-sama¡¯s expression went back to normal with a cough.


    ¡¸No¡­ it¡¯s nothing¡­ yeah, I¡¯ll tell you if we meet thedy that you described.¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you very much, Shizufae-dono. Well, I shall excuse myself first to give my greetings to the Hero-sama.¡¹


    ¡¸Ah,e to think of it, we¡¯ve yet to give our greeting to Reiji-sama. Shall we go together? What do you think, everyone?¡¹


    When I asked myrades, all of them agreed with me.


    ¡¸Naturally, let¡¯s go together.¡¹


    Thus, we headed towards Hero-sama¡¯s ce along with Decius-sama.


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    In the beginning, the Republic of Ariadya was a small country built atop several small inds in the estuary of Quiche river. There were little to no sea monsters who were hostile towards humans around the majority of the shallow parts of the Ariad inlet.


    Thend monsters had also been unable to infiltrate from the sea.


    This natural stronghold had then be a gathering ce for many humans. Those humans then made a country by connecting these numerous inds with bridges.


    That was the beginning of the country that wouldter be called the Republic of Ariadya.


    After that, the Republic of Ariadya¡¯s territory started to spread towards the ind until it reached its current size.

 Chapter 65.2: Sea Banquet

    <h4>Chapter 65.2: Sea Banquet</h4>


    The Republic of Ariadya was an important central point of transportations between the Eastern and Western continent. The country was able to prosperrgely thanks to the ship traffic moving through the Ariad inlet and the Quiche river and was currently a major power in the human realm. And now, there were numerous giant ships gathered together in the Ariad inlet.


    These giant ships looked like small man-made inds since they were each connected to each other. They were top ss constructions that didn¡¯t sink despite there being countless number of peopleing to and fro them. The reason for that being that the bottom of these ships had already sunk until the bottom of the ocean already. This feat was solely possible because the sea floor around this area was really shallow.


    There were a variety ofvish dishes being carried out to be ced on a long table spanning across the deck of the ship I was currently on. Meanwhile, a handsome man came to pour a beverage into my ss. From it¡¯s color, I guess that it was a wine.


    ¡¸Thanks.¡¹


    I thanked the man who poured the wine for me.


    ¡¸Your words are too good for someone as humble as I, ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki-sama.¡¹


    The man then left after a graceful bow.


    He might be one of Aquario¡¯s believers, the subordinate god under the God of Liquor, Nector. I can¡¯t be wrong about that since there¡¯s a ss crest sewn on the left chest part of his clothes.


    Aquario was a God whose job was waiting on tables¨C a waiter. He handled everything from tableware to liquor management within the Heavenly pce. He was the attendant to male gods while his wife, Maidria, was the attendant to goddesses and also a subordinate of the Goddess Faeria. Outside of his vocation, Aquario also worked as an assistant to Nector and Oudith.


    "


    "


    Due to the diversity of the jobs he held, many called him the male version of Faeria. In addition to that, his original vocation also made him the God of Butlers.


    Aquario was also known as a handsome god who could rival Youth¡¯s God, Pistis, the subordinate god under the Goddess Ishtar and the God of Song, Alphos.


    For the above reason, the majority of his believers were also handsome men. It was quite the site for sore eyes.


    ¡¸He was a rather good looking man. Chiyuki-san.¡¹


    Nao, who was standing besides me, teased me lightly with the remark.


    ¡¸Well, it¡¯s a banquet for us after all, Nao-san.¡¹


    I replied to her jest while lightly swirling the wine ss.


    ¡¸Even so, Reiji-sama is more handsome than that.¡¹


    Euria, who¡¯d tagged along with us, added.


    For some mysterious reason, she¡¯de along with us.


    ¡¸Why are you tagging along with us, Euria-san?¡¹


    I asked pointedly while ring at her.


    ¡¸No way¡­ how cruel of you, Chiyuki-san. There¡¯s no problem with me tagging along right, Reiji-sama?¡¹


    Euria spoke in a flirtatious tone as she entangled her arm with Reiji¡¯s.


    ¡¸Yeah, I don¡¯t mind at all. It¡¯s better if there¡¯s more girls.¡¹


    Reiji spoke with a huge grin on his face.


    For you, that is. Moreover, it¡¯s not even just Euria. There¡¯s several other girls behind Reiji.


    Rino and Sahoko frowned upon seeing that.


    ¡¸But still, what shall we do about Shirone-san?¡¹


    Kyouka, who¡¯de along with us, was worried about Shirone.


    Shirone got dead drunk a while ago and had to be carried off somewhere by Regena. That was truly a rare sight. I mean, normally it was impossible for Shirone to get drunk. We had the ability to regte our mana to prevent ourselves from getting drunk from liquor. It was the main reason that Kyouka would get drunk so easily since she couldn¡¯t regte her mana properly.


    Due to this, in a normal situation, it was impossible for Shirone to get drunk. But, it seems that her mana flow is currently extremely chaotic. The matter of her childhood friend leaving without saying anything might havee as a big shock to her.


    ¡¸Good grief¡­ Normally, Kyouka-san would be the one who get dead drunk first.¡¹


    Nao poked at Kyouka while looking at her.


    Indeed, normally Kyouka would already be drunk by now and Shirone would never be drunk. But, what was happening now was the exact opposite.


    ¡¸Yes, this is also thanks to Kuroki-san¡¯s help. I¡¯m looking forward for the moment when I meet him again.¡¹


    Kyouka spoke dreamly with an expression of someone who was lost in her own world.


    To be honest, I was extremely surprised upon hearing that Kyouka could now use magic properly. No matter how many times I¡¯d tried to teach her, there¡¯d been no improvement before.


    Perhaps I¡¯m not cut out for teaching others.


    I have to admit, I suppose, that I am a bit short-tempered. But, I can¡¯t help but feel down that Kyouka-sana only needed to be taught for less than an hour by Shirone¡¯s childhood friend to be able to get the hang of using magic properly.


    ording to Nao and Kaya, it seems that my personality has the worstpatibility with Kyouka-san.


    I mean¡­ seriously?


    ording to Kaya, he was really gentle when he taught Kyouka, never scolding her even when she made a mistake. Maybe Kyouka-san¡¯s the type to grow when you praise her.


    But, I thought that I was also gentle enough and never scolded her when I taught her either.


    ¡¸That¡¯s enough, Kyouka. Though I¡¯m barely remember his face, I¡¯m sure that he¡¯s a lewd man.¡¹


    Reiji¡¯s impression was quite harsh. Shirone might have gotten really pissed off if she¡¯d heard that remark just now.


    ¡¸Indeed¡­ I can¡¯t deny that side of him.¡¹


    But, Kyouka readily agreed with Reiji on that.


    My foot almost slipped upon hearing that.


    I wanted to retort against her for her remark that lowered the reputation of her benefactor who taught her magic.


    ¡¸Yes. he better noty his hand on you. It doesn¡¯t matter if he¡¯s prepared to face me, but he better get away if he has no resolution. ¡¹


    Reiji told her confidently, seemingly happy at hearing Kyouka¡¯s reply.


    ¡¸Understood, onii-sama. It¡¯s just as you say.¡¹


    Kyouka had readily agreed with him too.


    Didn¡¯t you just say that you couldn¡¯t wait to see him again? I wanted to say that to her outright.


    ¡¸Nevertheless, I feel bad for Shirone-san. It¡¯s the long awaited party after all.¡¹


    Rino spoke with a dejected tone.


    ¡¸No, Rino-sama. I think it¡¯s better for Shirone-sama.¡¹


    "


    "


    Kaya, who stood behind Kyouka, replied as she looked at the direction in which the drunk Shirone was being carried off by Regena.


    She was being carried off to the giant ship that was anchored a little ways away from the other ships. I couldn¡¯t really see who was in there since the top of that ship was covered with a thin veil. There should be some lizardmen in there though.


    Regena had brought them along since they¡¯d yed a major role in thebyrinth capture. However, since they¡¯d cause a panic amongst the other guests if they were seen, it was decided that they would have a separate space to celebrate for themselves.


    ¡¸Why is it better for her to go there, Kaya-san?¡¹


    Rino asked with a puzzled look on her face.


    To be honest, I¡¯m also curious about the reason. Could you spill the beans for us?


    ¡¸Well, I simply said that it¡¯s better for us that way. Look, the General and his colleagues areing.¡¹


    It was just as she said. General sus hade on the ship as well.


    ¡¸How do you fare, Hero-sama? Are you enjoying this celebration?¡¹


    General sus approached her to greet us first.


    ¡¸Yes, we¡¯re enjoying the celebration, General sus. May I ask you to introduce the people who¡¯vee with you?¡¹


    I¡¯m curious about the people who¡¯d tagged along with General sus.


    There were two people who¡¯de along with him. One was a fat, middle aged woman who wore a lot of jewels on her clothing. The other was a rather good looking middle aged gentleman in a fairly simply outfit.


    ¡¸Yeah, let me introduce them to you, Chiyuki-dono. These two are the people who stand at the peak of our country¡¯s politics and wealth.¡¹


    sus introduced the two people who were at his side.


    ¡¸Hohohoho, It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki-sama. I¡¯m Turia, this country¡¯s chairman of the merchant association.¡¹


    The fat woman introduced herself to me.


    Since she said that she was the chairman of the merchant association, she must be rted to the Heibos faith. She even had a small ornamental mallet to show that she was a follower of Heibos.


    Heibos, the Treasure God, was the god of merchants. Originally, Heibos was the god of craftsmen and dwarves and had nothing to do with merchants. But, the reason he¡¯d be the god of merchants eventually was because of his ability to create many treasured items in addition to the fact that many merchants wanted to get along with the dwarves who upied the mountains filled with metal veins.


    The mallet held by Heibos was said to be able to produce silver and gold with each stroke. Thus, merchants would carry around ornamental mallets as a symbol of good fortune.


    ¡¸Since you¡¯re the chairman of the merchant association, may I assume that you¡¯re Heibos¡¯ believer?¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed, Sage-sama. I¡¯m the believer of Cuveria-sama, the Goddess of treasure and also a subordinate god of Heibos-sama. I¡¯m worship the treasure hidden beneath the earth.¡¹


    The jewels on Turia¡¯s dress shook as she talked animatedly.


    Goddess Cuveria was the subordinate god under Heibos. She was in charge of controlling anything rted to construction materials. There were many theories about her being a former angel or a human who¡¯d be a god.


    The reason why she was referred to as the god of merchants and warehouses despite being in charge of anything rted to construction was because her main job included the handling of money and precious materials. Additionally, Cuveria¡¯s believers seemed to earn their fare by loaning money or keeping deposits.


    In short, Goddess Cuveria was also the god of financing and banks. Due to that, almost all of Cuveria¡¯s temples were built right besides Heibos¡¯ temples. Cuveria¡¯s temples also served as a ce to exchange money.


    Naturally, it goes to say that each city-state in this world had their own currency. Thus, being able to exchange money was a must in every single country.


    Anyhow, it was also an open secret that each of these currencies had different weight and sizes. For example, when in the Republic of Ariadya, we had to use a currency called Teycam.


    The job of a money exchanger wasn¡¯t just to be able to differentiate between the quality of currency, but also be equipped with the skills to be able to see through the content of precious metals in the currency which would be the base for the exchanged money.


    Naturally, this was all done by the dwarves. After all, the dwarves had a natural born talent to be able to determine the content of precious metals in currency with just the touch of their hand. There were even theories about dwarves and Cuveria¡¯s believers referring to the same god, Heibos.


    ¡¸Additionally, Turia-sama is also the member of our country¡¯s senate.¡¹


    sus added more detailed information regarding Turia from the side.


    The senate was something simr to Japan¡¯s National Diet. The difference between them was their term of office. The senate in this world held their positions until they died.


    It was amon custom in this world to not separate between religion and state. It was also amon custom for a big shot of a religion to hold an important post in the state. Plus, female politicians weren¡¯t a rarity in this world.


    Or perhaps, it would be better to say that the number of Queendoms in this world far surpassed the number of Kingdoms.


    It wasn¡¯t rare for women to hold important posts in the countries of this world. There wasn¡¯t any problem for them to be attending these kinds of parties either. Those matters were entirely unrted to gender or maintaining equality. It was mainly since there was a high mortality rate for men in this world.


    Many men in this monster-filled world dreamed of bing warriors. The men would either be fighting monsters or plowing fields outside of the ramparts while the women would work inside of the protection of the rampart.

 Chapter 65.3: Sea Banquet

    <h4>Chapter 65.3: Sea Banquet</h4>


    As one would expect, the mortality rate of the areas outside of the ramparts was really high. In the end, half of humanity¡¯s male poption had already been killed by monsters.


    This was the reason why the male to female ratio of the humans in this world was 1:2. The male to female ratio further changed to 1:3 in the areas with dense monster poptions.


    Thus, women had to take a step forward in participating in administrative positions since they couldn¡¯t simply rely on men whose numbers were considerably less than theirs.


    Though the believers of Faeria¡¯s faith generally kept their wives at home, the wife coulde out and take action in times of emergency. But, from the fact that she¡¯de out aside from times of emergencies, it was an indication that Turia wasn¡¯t Faeria¡¯s believer.


    ¡¸The one over here is Nacius. He¡¯s the faithful follower of Oudith-sama, the God King.¡¹


    The other person introduced by General sus was the middle-aged man.


    ¡¸¡­ Nacius? Could it be, that Nakius Paracletus? The leading member of senate?¡¹


    The leading member of the senate literally meant that he was a big shot. Though it was nothing more than a title, the person with such a title held a heavy responsibility. In Nacius¡¯ case, he was the President of the Republic of Ariadya. Additionally, Nacius was also the descendant of Paracleus, one of the twelve pioneers of this country.


    In this world, family names weren¡¯t a fixed thing in this world. Even when introducing their names, it¡¯d rather simr to ¡÷¡÷, son of ¡ð¡ð. And then the son of ¡÷¡÷ would introduce themselves as ¡õ¡õ, son of ¡÷¡÷.


    There were also numerous cases in which people would instead use nicknames, such as ck Haired ¡ð¡ð, or Brown haired ¡÷¡÷.


    My alias, ¡®ck Haired Sage,¡¯ was along the same lines as that.


    Well, if given some time, that ck Hair might end up turning into a family name, such as ¡®ck¡¯ or ¡®Brown¡¯ in case of ¡®Brown Haired.¡¯ But, I don¡¯t think that my nickname will persist long enough to be a family name in any case.


    However, it seems that Nacius Paracletus was an exception amongst those.


    Paracletus was the name of the founder of the Paracletus house, not the name of Nacius¡¯ father.


    But still, should I call him by his family name? And a prestigious family on top of that¡­


    It seems that everyone of the Paracletus family is involved with the government of the Republic of Ariadya. Plus, the Paracletus family is a renowned family who are descendants of a priest of the God King Oudith.


    Looking at the crest sewn on the left chest of his garments, it could be seen that it was Oudith¡¯s crest there. Oudith¡¯s holy crest was simr to the Satsuma family crest: a cross within a circle.


    She would never have expected to see that crest, the sunwheel, outside of Japan. And that same sunwheel was in fact the holy crest of the God King Oudith.


    ¡¸Ooh, I¡¯m honored for someone as beautiful as ck Haired Sage-dono to know about my family. Indeed, I¡¯m that Nacius Paracletus. I came today to express my gratitude to ck Haired Sage-dono and the others who saved the Republic of Ariadya from this crisis.¡¹


    Nacius wasughing heartily while bowing to me.


    Seeing Nacius now, I realized that he was slightly different from the other Oudith¡¯s priests.


    I used to think that the believers of Oudith wouldn¡¯t dabble in such empty ttery.


    Well, it¡¯s still better than facing a grim looking man.


    With this, Callus of the military, Turia of trade andmerce, and Nacius of politics, all the big shots of the Republic of Ariadya had gathered on this ship.


    ¡¸Father!!¡¹


    Someone called out from behind Calsus.


    When I tried to take a look, a young man approached us along with a few women following after him from behind.


    Though this was the first time that I was seeing this young man, I was already familiar with the faces of the women behind him.


    ¡¸Oh my, if it isn¡¯t Shizufae-san and co, may I ask the name of the gentleman who¡¯s apanying you?¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed. He¡¯s such a nice looking man.¡¹


    The ones who¡¯de along with that young man were Shizufae and co.


    ¡¸Ooh, so you came too, Decius. Allow me to introduce him, Hero-sama. This young man is my son, Decius.¡¹


    Nacius stepped forward and introduced his son, Decius.


    The young man named Decius was a handsome blonde with brown eyes. He was quite tall too. He held this handsome and sincere look, the exact opposite of Reiji.


    ¡¸I¡¯m Decius. Thank you very much for saving the Republic of Ariadya from this crisis, Hero of Light, Reiji-sama.¡¹


    "


    "


    Decius gave a polite greeting.


    ¡¸Yoo, Shizufae-chan. You came too, huh. That dress looks good on you. You look like a real princess.¡¹


    But, rather than responding in turn, Reiji tantly ignored Decius and instead spoke to Shizefae.


    ¡¸I-¡­ is that so!! Thank you very much!!¡¹


    Shizufae hid herself behind Decius while responding nervously.


    It seems that she¡¯s more frightened than delighted at hearing Reiji¡¯s praise.


    When I looked to my side, all the women except for Rino, Nao, and I, were ring daggers at Shizufae.


    It makes sense, any normal girl would be frightened by such gazes.


    ¡¸Heeh¡­ Shizufae-san, is it? I wonder what kind of rtionship you have with Reiji-sama?¡¹


    Euria asked Shizufar with an intimidating look on her face.


    As expected of the daughter of an Evil God, her voice was really intimidating. What¡¯s next, will she also grow a pair of horns from her head?


    ¡¸Eh, no, that¡¯s¡­¡¹


    Shizufae shrunk behind Decius¡¯ body further as if trying to make her figure smaller even a little bit more.


    Poor girl.


    ¡¸Hahaha, you¡¯re exactly as the rumors said. Hero-sama is really popr amongst the beautifuldies.¡¹


    Decius, who stood in front of Shizufae, wasughing upon seeing the exchange.


    It was a refreshing smile. In addition, he was cleverly pacifying Euria and co while hiding Shizufae. It worked well enough to finally settle down Euria and co at seeing his smile. The effect of his smile was truly outstanding thanks to his handsome face.


    ¡¸You should follow Hero-sama¡¯s example too, Decius, try to get along with women. You¡¯re already at a marriageable age. How about you try to ask Hero-sama to introduce you to a good woman?¡¹


    Nacius spoke with half-criticism/half-resignation in his voice towards Decius.


    The marriageable age in this world spanned from the middle teens until theter half of teens. Appearance-wise, Decius seems like someone at the end of his teens or the beginning of his twenties.


    Though that age was something seen as too early for marriage in my world, it was deemed as toote for marriage in a world like this with a high mortality rate.


    Finding a good wife should be a simple matter for someone of his status. Or¡­ could it be that he prefers the same s*x?


    ¡¸Father¡­ I have yet to finish my training. Doing something like finding a wife during this period is a bit¡ª¡¹


    Decius replied with a troubled look on his face.


    ¡¸Oh my? Master Decius, have you find a woman you¡¯ve taken fancy to?¡¹


    ¡¸WAAAH, SIS!!!¡¹


    Shizufae panicked upon hearing the words of the tall woman behind Decius.


    ¡¸Is that true, Decius?¡¹


    Nacius pressed further, not willing to let go of this chance.


    ¡¸Nay¡­ well¡­ sure enough, there¡¯s such woman but¡­¡¹


    Decius seemed to be hesitating on speaking further.


    ¡¸This is rare, huh. To think that there¡¯s a girl who can make Decius-dono like this.¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed, Turia-dono. To think that there¡¯s a girl who can make the extremely straightced Decius-dono who rejected all marriage proposals that came to him and fall in love with her.¡¹


    Turia and sus spoke to each other with an astonished look on their faces.


    ¡¸My dear son. Can you tell your father about thatdy, the girl who managed to steal your heart?¡¹


    But, Decius simply shook his head upon hearing his father¡¯s question.


    ¡¸That¡¯s¡­ I also have no idea about her identity, dear father. I only meet herst night after all¡­¡¹


    Decius told us of the brief meeting that urredst night.


    ¡¸He~. In short, you fell in love with that silver haired beauty who you just meet huh.¡¹


    Nao spoke with a curious tone.


    ¡¸Hey, is that woman really that beautiful?¡¹


    Rino asked with a curious look on her face.


    ¡¸Yes, you might say that she is the Moonlight¡¯s Goddess.¡¹


    Decius replied while looking at the night sky.


    Though the moon had yet to ride, I¡¯m sure that he was recalling the events that transpiredst night.


    ¡¸Interesting. I¡¯m absolutely sure that woman ising to meet me, right?¡¹


    Reiji spoke with a smile on his face.


    I was truly perplexed upon hearing that.


    Was this jerk nning on snatching the woman that Decius loves? Even though he¡¯s supposed to be the lover of that peerless beauty, Rena¡­ isn¡¯t that supposed to be enough for him?


    Maybe we should go back to the Holy Republic of Lenaria right after the end of this banquet.


    ¡¸KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹


    At that moment, there was a piercing scream that came from a different ship.


    The ship it originated from was the one where the performers who performed for this banquet were supposed to be. Just what in the world was happening over there?


    ¡¸What¡¯s happening!!?¡¹


    sus shouted to ask for the situation over on that ship.


    Naturally, we were also hurriedly making our way towards that ship.


    I wonder what was happening over there.

 Chapter 66.1: Karkinos’ Attack

    <h4>Chapter 66.1: Karkinos¡¯ Attack</h4>


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    The banquet held to praise the feats of the Hero of Light, Reiji, had begun in the afternoon. Thus, the sky was still rather bright. We could see the situation going on outside from inside the canopy which was made from a thin material that covered the deck of the ship. Many people could be seen going to and fro from atop our ship that was anchored in slightly a separated ce from the other ships.


    ¡¸Nu~~~¡¹


    Kuna was groaning cutely on my left.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Kuna? Are the dishes not to your liking?¡¹


    There were numerous dishes ced in front of us. They were the same kind as the ones that were served up at the banquet so that might be why some of them might not be up to her tastes.


    Take this Hageese meat for example. It was definitely unptable for me.


    Hageese was a round, typus-like animal whose entire body was covered in hair and lived on high ground. It was a creature that was hard to catch since it could move nimbly with its three long feet. Since it was a rare cuisine, it had been served here.


    By the way, there¡¯s a saying that you can¡¯t trust a person who eats Hageese.


    But, I guess the source of Kuna¡¯s displeasure isn¡¯t the dishes.


    ¡¸It¡¯s not the fault of the dishes, Kuroki!! It¡¯s Shirone¡¯s fault foring on this ship!!¡¹


    Kuna spoke while ring daggers at Shirone who was leaningfortably against my right side.


    ¡¸My apologies, Kuna-sama¡­ I couldn¡¯t reject a request from Chiyuki-sama to look after the drunken Shirone-sama.¡¹


    Regena bowed her head towards Kuna to apologize.


    In the first ce, the reason we could attend this banquet was because Regena had received an invitation. But, well, the main reason we¡¯d attended was nothing more than wanting to enjoy the delicious local dishes. I mean, why not?


    Originally, Regena was supposed to greet the big shots of this country including Reiji and co. But then, an incident cropped up with Shirone getting dead drunk and Regena had ended up epting Chiyuki¡¯s request to let Shirone rest in this ce.


    ¡¸Kuroki, you dummy~¡­ why diz you go~. I¡¯m zeally worriez you kno~w¡¹


    Shirone¡¯s breath reeked of liquor. The smell was too much for my nose.


    Just how many bottles of liquor had she downed to get herself so wasted like this?


    By the way, I don¡¯t drink liquor. The beverage in my cup I¡¯ve been sipping at is fruit juice. Though there were many different types of distilled liquors made from a palm-like fruit amongst the dishes in front of me, I didn¡¯t touch any of them.


    It was interesting though that this world did have distilled liquor. Though the majority of it was made by the believers of the God of Liquor, Nector, a small portion was also made by the believers of the Goddess of Medicine and Herbs, Fanacea since distilled liquor could also be used as medicine.


    It seems that food and medicine were always intertwined no matter what kind of world it was.


    Anyhow, there were many herbs used in both the liquor and the various dishes present. Though that was the case, too much of these liquors wasn¡¯t particrly good for health. I mean, you only needed a sip of the liquor for medicinal uses, not hundreds of bottles.


    ¡¸HEY, BAKA SHIRONE!! GET AWAY FROM KUROKI RIGHT NOW!! LOOK, KUROKI IS TROUBLED BECAUSE OF YOU!!¡¹


    Kuna was looking at Shirone with piercing cold eyes.


    In fact, Kuna had almost lopped off Shirone¡¯s head as soon as the former saw thetter being brought onto this ship. I¡¯d ended up having a hard time stopping her from going on a rampage.


    But well, she ended up forgiving it after my desperate plea. She didn¡¯t even cause another hugemotion when Shirone had clung to my other side. Or rather, that just might be my imagination since my nerves were currentlypletely focused on my right side which was enjoying Shirone¡¯s supple yet soft skin.


    Of course, Shirone¡¯s actions had made Kuna even more displeased as thetter attempted to try to peel the former away from my side.


    ¡¸Okay, it¡¯s time for you to let go of me, Shirone. Look, there¡¯s some wrinkles on your beautiful dress.¡¹


    I also tried to separate myself from Shirone.


    ¡¸U~hm¡­ dress¡­ I see¡­ gonna take it off.¡¹


    Shirone started to undress as soon as she spoke.


    ¡¸Stop, Shirone!! You can¡¯t undress yourself in this kind of ce!!¡¹


    I quickly stopped Shirone before it was toote.


    Honestly, I really wanted to see her naked, but she might hate me for that. I definitely wouldn¡¯t use her drunken state to satisfy my worldly desires so I had to stop her.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Kuroki~?¡¹


    Shirone pouted as I stopped her from undressing.


    ¡¸Just sleep for now, Shirone. You¡¯re drunk right now.¡¹


    I gently ced Shirone on top of a soft sofa to let her get some sleep and took out her hair clip since it would disturb her sleep.


    ¡¸Eh, this hair clip¡­¡¹


    I took a look at the hair clip.


    That hair clip was amongst Shirone¡¯s possessions when she came to this world. It was a present from me to Shirone, something that I gave long before our huge quarrel. It seems that she was still using it.


    ¡¸U~hn.¡¹


    Shirone suddenly swung her leg, exposing her blue panties for me to see clearly.


    By the way, there were panties in this world along with the technology to make bras too. But, it seems that this type of underwear has yet to spread to the entire continent. There were some regions that also had adopted loincloth-like or fundoshi-like underwear, or thongs. There were more types, but they were part of the minority.


    Generally, the men here wore a fundoshi-type underwear while the women wore a thong-like underwear. The thong type was one that was fastened or tied at the side with cords.


    In fact, the underwear left behind by Rena back then in the Rox Kingdom was the fastened thong type. Naturally, I was still safekeeping it.


    And now, the one Shirone was wearing was also the type that was tied to the side with cords.


    I did my best to endure the urge to want to nt my face on her cr*tch.


    Besides the fact she was showing off her underwear to me, her splendid dress was a mess right now. Even her mouth was hanging open loosely like a fool¡¯s.


    Shirone never showed this kind of a sloppy look in front of the man she loved back in Japan. But of course, I saw this kind of sloppy look more times that I could count back when we were still in Japan.


    It seems that she hadn¡¯t changed at all even after she¡¯de to this world.


    ¡¸Sorry, Regena. Please cover Shirone with something.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, master.¡¹


    Regena covered Shirone with a white cloth at my behest.


    Not now one will be seeing her underwear anymore


    ¡¸Humph!! what¡¯s with this girl!!¡¹


    Kuna was looking at Shirone with an angry look on her face.


    Even her angry face was really cute. Seeing her like that, I almost couldn¡¯t hold back from embracing her.


    ¡¸Sorry Kuna. Please be patient with Shirone for now.¡¹


    I had no choice to ask Kuna to endure for now.


    ¡¸Kuna is not¡­ Kuna doesn¡¯t mind even if Shirone sticks by Kuroki¡¯s side. But, if it results in her staying by Kuroki¡¯s side forever¡­¡¹


    Kuna spoke softly while leaning against my back.


    Eeh, how did I end up making a girl cry? Usually, I could make Kuna look really happy just by patting her head.


    ¡¸KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹


    At that moment, there was a scream that rang out from a different ship.


    ¡¸What¡¯s that scream?¡¹


    Something was happening on another ship.


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    As soon as we arrived at the scene, we saw the men dressed in Satyr costumes screaming in panic. They were the actors who were called to perform at this banquet. The men in the Satyr costumes were the ones who performed background music during the drama.


    When I was wondering why they looked like that, I realized that this was the first time I was seeing satyr in a theatre y of this world.


    Their costumes were quite well done and looked like a real satyr.


    Satyrs were said to be a race that loved to sing and dance merrily. Though they were no match for minotaurs in terms of raw power, they could use powerful curses through song and music. Additionally, every single one of them loved lewd hunks and beauties.


    One needed to be careful when receiving their invitations since satyrs would use their magic on their intended prey.


    I¡¯d even seen a terrifying ck satyr once before in Nargol. Those ck satyrs were far more powerful and looked more akin to goatspared to the normal satyr. They were adept magic users who woulde to the human realm once in a while to lure women by saying they would grant their wish.


    Thinking about it now, it was rather simr to Sabbath.


    Women who received the love of ck satyr gained the ability to sense supernatural powers and be a witch. Naturally, there were no witches in this ce and the fact that the satyrs were just men in costumes.


    ¡¸Chiyuki, LOOK!!! THERE¡¯S A GIANT CRAB!!¡¹


    Reiji shouted to me.


    As I looked around, I saw a giant crab creeping onto the deck of the ship.


    The crab was almost five meters wide and its pincers were about one meter long.


    This crab-like monster was known as the Karkinos. And currently, there were many Karkinos spitting out attacks towards the people on this ship in a bubble-like form.


    The bubbles seem to have some sort of strong viscosity since some of the people who¡¯d been hit by them were trapped inside, unable to break free from it.


    ¡¸HAAA!!!¡¹


    Reiji summoned his sword and sliced one of the Karkinos in half.


    But, there were five Karkinos in total and every single one of them was attacking a different ship.


    ¡¸HEEELP!¡¹


    Suddenly, I heard a girl¡¯s scream.


    She might be a dancer who came to perform at this banquet.

 Chapter 67.2: Sword Dancer

    <h4>Chapter 67.2: Sword Dancer</h4>


    Though the figure bore resemnce to a Satyr, its head looked more like a goat with ck hair. Plus, its figure was taller and more muscrpared to the Satyr I¡¯d seen before.


    That ck Satyr was looking at us.


    ¡¸HYIIIII!?¡¹


    I kneeled on the floor, unable to bear the pressure from that gaze.


    It seems that Tarabos was also quite surprised at seeing the ck Satyr.


    The only ones that weren¡¯t surprised by the ck Satyr¡¯s appearance were the witches and that man that hade with me. I realized this fact after I looked at the man who didn¡¯t even look perturbed by the ck Satyr¡¯s appearance. He was as calm andposed as before.


    ¡¸It¡¯s nice to meet you, Zeal. I¡¯ve heard about you from Lord Ulbart.¡¹


    The man spoke to the ck Satyr with aposed tone.


    Just who in the hell is this man? I mean, he didn¡¯t even flinch at seeing the ck Satyr¡¯s appearance.


    Then, I noticed that the man wasn¡¯t a normal human being.


    ¡¸Y-YOU KNOW LORD ULBART!! W-WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!? YOU¡¯RE DEFINITELY NOT A HUMAN!!¡¹


    The ck Satyr screamed.


    ¡¸Well, I think you¡¯ll understand once you see this¡­¡¹


    As soon as he spoke, the man was wrapped in ck mes. When the ck me had vanished, the man was seen wearing an ominous, jet-ck armor.


    ¡¸NO WAY! DARK KNIGHT!! DON¡¯T TELL ME YOU¡ª NO, YOUR HIGHNESS IS¡­.¡¹


    The ck Satyr fell to his knees as soon as he saw the figure of the man in the jet-ck armor.


    ¡¸THAT¡¯S RIGHT, ZEAL!! NOW, ANSWER MY QUESTION!!¡¹


    The moment the Dark Knight spoke, I felt a powerful gale emanate from his entire being.


    ¡¸GUH¡­¡¹


    I copsed to the floor immediately at being struck by that wing and moaned in pain.


    An indescribable fear sprung up from the bottom of my heart. I was trembling non-stop like a newborn calf. When I looked around, I saw that Tarabos and Alnoe were also kneeling on the ground while trembling just like me. Though the demon called Zeal was trembling too, he didn¡¯t fall to his knees.


    But, the masked men behind Tarabos were still standing like it was nothing.


    ¡¸Aaah¡­¡¹


    That voice came from the entrance of this room.


    When I turned around, I saw a figure that had already fallen to the floor. Just like me, that person was probably trembling in fear too.


    And then, I took a closer look.


    ¡¸Sienna¡­¡¹


    The lone figure at the entrance of the room was Sienna¡¯s.


    ¡ôDancer, Sienna


    ¡¸Just where in the world is that guy loitering around this time?¡¹


    Marchas, who was about to drown, was healed by Saint Sahoko¡¯s healing magic. He¡¯d then left the lodging of our theatre troupe.


    Well, it¡¯s not like we had a curfew that banned us from leaving the lodging during nighttime. Leader Midas allowed the members of the troupe to act freely during their free time as long as it didn¡¯t disturb their performance.


    Our schedule for tomorrow was open. Our troupe had postponed the y for the Hero-sama who wille tomorrow. Thus, several members of our troupe had gone out to chill at the bar.


    It seems that Ainoe-neesan had gone to enjoy her private time too. Maybe she went to go visit her lover.


    I had ended up following after Marchas. The ce he was heading for was the red light district outside of the ramparts.


    I knew that he went to that ce every once in a while. But then, I didn¡¯t find him yesterday. I wonder which store he visited yesterday.


    ¡¸But Marchas, don¡¯t think you can escape from this Sienna-sama.¡¹


    I erased my presence and the sound of my footsteps.


    Erasing my footsteps was easy peasy for someone who was trained in martial arts like me.


    A whileter, Marchas¡¯ destination turned out to be the biggest building in the outer city. Marchas wasn¡¯t in that store when I looked for himst night.


    ¡¸Eh? that man, could it be¡­¡¹


    Marchas was addressing the man who was standing alone in front of the store.


    I recalled that man¡¯s face. He was the one who was apanying the woman who Brother Decius had dubbed as the ¡®Moonlight Goddess.¡¯


    Why is he wandering around in this kind of ce? Could it be that he¡¯s Marchas¡¯ acquaintance?


    Unfortunately, they were simply too far for me to be able to listen in to their conversation.


    Marchas then left the man into the store. I followed them from behind.


    Though some guests looked at me as soon as I entered the store, they turned their faces away with disinterest immediately as if not caring about my presence in the least.


    My current attire wasn¡¯t the dancer¡¯s attire. I was wearing a big robe and a hood to hide my body and face. This way, no one in this store would be able to recognize me. That¡¯s why no one was interested in me as soon as they saw me entering this store with this kind of attire.


    Hidden under this robe were several hidden weapons and a pair of my beloved curved swords.


    Marchas shouldn¡¯t have the power to manipte those Karkinos. The true culprit was using Marchas.


    In short, those people were the most dangerous ones. That¡¯s why, I¡¯de fully prepared forbat.


    After looking around, I saw Marchas and the other man were walking towards the inner part of the building. Though I¡¯d already confirmed this fact yesterday, but that part should be limited to staff only. But why is Marchas, who¡¯s unrted to this store, able to enter?


    But, this wasn¡¯t the time to be worrying over this matter. The two had already gone inside. It won¡¯t be that simple for me to enter that ce since the eyes of the employees were all over the ce.


    What should I do now?


    I fixed my posture in a way that prevented the others from seeing my throwing knife.


    The throwing knife was a small de that could fit into the palm of my hand.


    I threw the de with a flick of my wrist. It then hit the shoe of one of the guests. The guest, whose shoe was now sewed to the floor, fell forward.


    The other guests would surely regard it as falling due to being too drunk. Unfortunately for him, he fell right on top of another guest¡¯s table, toppling over the dishes and liquor to the floor.


    The eyes of the employees and the other guests instantly focused on the fallen guest.


    While they were distracted, I kicked the wall and leapt silently into their blindspot before following Marchas inside the building.

 Chapter 66.2: Karkinos’ Attack

    <h4>Chapter 66.2: Karkinos¡¯ Attack</h4>


    The dancer was looking at the sea from the portside.


    ¡¸What¡¯s happening!?¡¹


    Reiji and I rushed towards the dancer.


    ¡¸Mypanion fell into the sea!!¡¹


    When I looked down at the water, I saw a man dressed in a satyr costume desperately trying to stay afloat.


    ¡¸A man? What a bum¡­ Chiyuki, take care of that man while I do something about those crabs.¡¹


    Reiji went towards the crabs as he said so.


    ¡¸Good grief¡­ can¡¯t you do something about that peculiarity of yours?¡¹


    I deployed ¡¶Magic Hand¡· towards the man whileining about Reiji¡¯s attitude.


    "


    "


    After I¡¯d saved the man and brought him safely on deck, he copsed on all fours and coughed up sea water before fainting.


    ¡¸WAIT!! HANG IN THERE, MARCHAS!!!¡¹


    The dancer rushed towards the man.


    ¡¸SIENNA!! THANK GODS YOU¡¯RE SAFE!!¡¹


    Decius, who had run after us, rushed towards the dancer.


    ¡¸Nii-san!!¡¹


    The dancer had just called Dius, ¡°Nii-san.¡±


    What a rare pair of siblings. The brother was a priest of Oudith while the sister was a dancer.


    ¡¸Anyone injured, Chiyuki-san?¡¹


    Sahoko finally arrived over to this side.


    ¡¸It¡¯s not that bad but, just in case, please use healing magic.¡¹


    Sahoko used her healing magic on Marchas immediately. Color started to return on his face after having the healing magic cast on him.


    I looked around at our surroundings. It seems that Reiji has already defeated all the Karkinos.


    ¡¸But still¡­ why Karkinos of all monsters?¡¹


    Decius muttered.


    ¡¸I also have no idea why, Lord Decius¡­ But, there¡¯s something that I¡¯m sure about.¡¹


    I suddenly became the center of attention for my words.


    ¡¸It¡¯s crab feast tonight.¡¹


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    The Karkinos were dismantled right on the deck of the ship. Naturally, due to itsrge size and ourck of knowledge in this matter, we left the matter of dismantling and cooking them with the chefs on the ship.


    It seems that the citizens of this world were already used to eating marine products like this. That¡¯s why we could see them serving seafood such as crab, shrimp, and even octopus every once in a while.


    But, as expected, it seems that the cooks are also at a loss since they¡¯ve never eaten the giant crab-like Karkinos.


    There was no such thing as soy sauce made from soybeans in this world. Instead, they¡¯d developed fish sauce in its ce. It was possible to reproduce Japanese-style dishes with the said fish sauce.


    Sahoko, whose forte was cooking, had made Japanese-style dishes for us before by using that very same fish sauce. Since this world had no tomatoes or potatoes, there was a turnip-like nt that resembled the taste and texture of potatoes that Sahoko had used to make a really delicious meat and faux potato stew.


    Knowing the taste of them thanks to her cooking, I¡¯m sure that Karkinos meat should be able to be delicious by using that fish sauce.


    ¡¸Are these crabs the reason behind thismotion?¡¹


    Kyouka asked while looking at the giant crab-like Karkinos..


    Currently, the ones who¡¯d gathered on this ship were our group (except for Shirone), Euria¡¯s groups, Shizufae¡¯s group, andstly, Decius and Sienna.


    sus went to call the person in charge of security during this banquet while Nacius had gone to check on the situation of the other guests. Turia had also just left the ce and gone to another ship.


    ¡¸Are those the Karkinos who escaped from the arena? Even though their whereabouts were unknown, it¡¯s a mystery how they suddenly appeared in this ce.¡¹


    Karkinos were amongst the list of monsters who¡¯d escaped from the arena. Their numbers here matched the total number that were tallied on the list. That¡¯s why, there was no doubt that these Karkinos were the ones who¡¯d escaped from the arena.


    But, the timing that they¡¯d chosen for their attack was rather unnatural. As if these attacks had been nned by someone.


    ¡¸Reiji-dono. I¡¯ve brought people from the Trident temple.¡¹


    General sus brought a man who served under Trident, the Sea King. The Trident¡¯s warrior standing at his side was a middle aged man equipped withting and a three-pronged spear.


    Though Nephim, the Hero of Water, didn¡¯t uses, the true Trident¡¯s warriors normally used both the three-pronged spear andting. These warriors were hailed as Retiarius, or Net Users. They would use theirs to seal their opponent¡¯s movements and finish them off with their three-pronged spear. That was the typical battle tactic for Trident¡¯s Net Users.


    The middle aged man approached us while carrying a bundle ofting on his shoulder. ording to General sus, he¡¯s the person who¡¯s responsible for the security of this banquet. Considering that the party was held on ships, it was only natural for a Trident¡¯s warrior to be in charge of the security.


    ¡¸Apologies!! Our negligence has brought this trouble on you!!¡¹


    The man bowed deeply towards us as he expressed his apology.


    Since Trident¡¯s warriors were rather rowdy people, just like Thor¡¯s warriors, they never used polite speech.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t mind. I know that you¡¯ve a hard timetely too.¡¹


    Their temple was currently experiencing a shortage of manpower since they had to dispatch their troops to capture the escaped Mermen as well. That¡¯s why they could only lend less than the minimum manpower required to safeguard this banquet, resulting in this incident.


    But somehow, I felt that they still wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything to prevent this incident even if they had enough manpower on site. I mean, there¡¯s no way that normal humans could deal with those Karkinos.


    ¡¸Thanks for yer understanding, ck Haired Sage.¡¹


    The Net Warrior bowed towards me again.


    ¡¸Rather than that, can you teach me more about Karkinos? I mean, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s just a mere giant crab.¡¹


    ¡¸More information about Karkinos, is it? I don¡¯t think I know more than you are. But, maybe they¡¯re being manipted by the Mermen in the western inlet¡­¡¹


    The Net Warrior¡¯s reply was exactly the same as my suspicions.


    I¡¯d heard that Mermen, otherwise known as sea folks, had the ability to manipte powerful sea monsters. It seems that there was a story in which they¡¯d used monsters to destroy the kingdom around the Red River, the Hatti Kingdom, in the past.


    ¡¸I see. That¡¯s the biggest possibility for the sudden appearance of Karkinos at this banquet. Did you see any unusual phenomenon before the banquet began?¡¹


    ¡¸No, there was nothing unusual¡­ we have no way of knowing the changes that happened inside the sand dunes afterall.¡¹


    The Net Warrior shook his head.


    ¡¸I see, but that doesn¡¯t change the fact that someone is controlling those Karkinos. Afterall, the owner of the most powerful perception skills amongst us, Nao-san, also failed to notice the iing Karkinos until just before they raided the ship. No doubt about it, they¡¯ve been lying dormant inside the sand dunes waiting for this event. In addition, the timing for their attack is just too much of a coincidence to happen at the same time as this banquet.¡¹


    I told the Net Warrior my conclusions based on the events and his report.


    ¡¸I see, the culprit might be the remnant of the Evil Gods who¡¯re still hostile towards us.¡¹


    I nodded upon hearing Reiji-kun¡¯s words.


    ¡¸No doubt about it. And those people used Karkinos who escaped from the arena.¡¹


    I had no idea what they¡¯re trying to achieve, but one thing¡¯s for sure: they¡¯re definitely our enemy.


    I looked at Euria.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ is something the matter?¡¹


    Euria asked with an anxious look on her face.


    ¡¸Do you know something about this, Euria-san?¡¹


    Euria shook her head when I asked her the question.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know anything about this. Ana is the one who specializes in these matters.¡¹


    Euria spoke with a blunt tone.


    Ana was the alias of the even spider goddess called Ankua. But that goddess had already been captured by Kuroki, Shirone¡¯s childhood friend, and sent to Nargol.


    ¡¸Do you hear something about this matter from him, Kaya-san?¡¹


    Kaya shook her head at my question.


    ¡¸Nope. But, I think Kuroki-sama didn¡¯t deliver Ankua along with me to protect something.¡¹


    ¡¸Protect something?¡¹


    ¡¸Maybe the monsters who escaped from the arena. It seems he took pity after he heard that those monsters were forced to fight against each other in the arena for no reason.¡¹


    Kaya replied with her usual emotionless voice.


    ¡¸I see¡­¡¹


    Surely, the whereabouts of several monsters who¡¯d escaped from the arena was unknown. We might be able to find their whereabouts if Ankua has yet to be sent back to Nargol.


    Meaning that he might have sheltered those runaway monsters.


    ¡¸Fufufu, as I thought, Kuroki-san is really kind.¡¹


    Kyouka sang praise for Shirone¡¯s childhood friend.


    Perhaps Kyouka hadn¡¯t realized the severity of Shirone¡¯s childhood friend¡¯s actions considering that she was giving him such a high evaluation.


    ¡¸But no one was hurt by those runaway monsters anyways. While it might be true that those monsters were forced to fight against each other, we shouldn¡¯t leave them to their own devices. We have to do something about them before they attack more humans.¡¹


    Reiji spoke up from my side.


    Maybe he still has a deep grudge over the fact that he was almost killed by the Dark Knight back then. But, Shirone will be sad if she were to hear this conversation, you know.


    But, even I had to agree with half og Reiji¡¯s opinion.


    The monsters who¡¯d escaped might attack the humans in secret. If that were to happen, we have to exterminate them.


    ¡¸Not like we can do anything about that though. Thinking about what to do from now is a more pressing matter for us.¡¹


    I shifted the topic to prevent us from speaking badly about Shirone¡¯s childhood friend any further. Even though he stood by the Demon King¡¯s side, I knew that he could be trusted after I saw and heard how far he¡¯d gone to save us from thebyrinth back then. ording to Shirone, he might not bepletely under maniption so I have to make sure of that matter first.


    ¡¸Naturally, we¡¯re gonna destroy the remnant of that Evil God¡¯s force. Let them know who they¡¯re picking fight with.¡¹


    Reiji let out a daring smile.


    Really now, what should I do with this idiot.


    ¡¸But Reiji-kun. Do you know how to find them when we don¡¯t even have a clue about their whereabouts?¡¹


    In fact, even Rino and Nao couldn¡¯t find any clues regarding the culprit behind this incident even after scouring the sea around this area. We¡¯d conducted a physical examination of all the guests at this banquet too. Thanks to that, both Rino and Nao were exhausted right now and were being looked after by Sahoko.


    If they were that skilled to the point of being able to outsmart us, then there was nothing we could do about this situation. Moreover, I had no intentions of getting to know more monsters like Ankua.


    The culprit might¡¯ve escaped as soon as he¡¯d summoned the Karkinos. Perhaps that¡¯s why we can¡¯t find any clues regarding the culprit.


    ¡¸Then¡­ let¡¯s look for clues in Ariadya.¡¹


    === A Skit That Has Nothing to do with Story===


    Courtesy to : MobCharacter


    ¡¸Okay, it¡¯s time for you to let go of me, Shirone. Look, there¡¯s some wrinkles on your beautiful dress.¡¹


    I also tried to separate myself from Shirone.


    ¡¸U~hm¡­ dress¡­ I see¡­ gonna take it off.¡¹


    Shirone started to undress as soon as she spoke.


    ¡¸Stop, Shirone!! You can¡¯t undress yourself in this kind of ce!!¡¹


    I quickly stopped Shirone before it was toote.


    Honestly, I really wanted to see her naked, but she might hate me for that. I definitely wouldn¡¯t use her drunken state to satisfy my worldly desires so I had to stop her.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Kuroki~?¡¹


    Shirone pouted as I stopped her from undressing.


    ¡¸Just sleep for now, Shirone. You¡¯re drunk right now.¡¹


    ¡¸But yu zayz ya take ma dress off¡­oh, I know¡­you undress too..¡¹


    Now she¡¯s trying to undress me!


    ¡¸GET YOUR PAWS OFF MY KUROKI YOU FILTHY CAT IN HEAT!!!.¡¹


    Now Kuna is mad and trying to pry me away from Shirone by tugging at me by my shirt resulting in a kind of tug-of-war with me in the middle. And just in the pitch of it¡­


    ¡¸KUNA-SAMA! SHIRONE-SAMA! Please. Stop before¡­.¡¹


    Regena try to intervene but as she tried to approach she tripped on a table and went tumbling forward a iling her hands which somehow got a hold of the wais of my pants which resulted in¡­


    All of us lying on the floor. Me t on my back. Kuna¡¯s breast on my face. My pants halfway down and¡­


    ¡¸Mglfff! Umpf,gggllf!¡¹


    ¡­my nuts somehow inside Regena ¡®s mouth and ¡­


    What¡¯s this moist an warm sensation enveloping my ¡°junior ¡°?


    ¡¸Grgl ummf glp!.¡¹


    MY SHAFT IS INSIDE REGENA¡¯S MOUTH AND ALL THE WAY DOWN HER THROAT!!!


    ¡¸Gur-kh-pwah-hahpnf?.¡¹


    Regena please! Don¡¯t try to talk¡­gasp! ooohh aaaah!


    And right at that moment¡­


    ¡¸Regena-San is Shirone-San al¡­right?!!!¡¹


    Kyouka and Kaya decided to show up.


    ¡°¡±


    ¡°¡±


    ¡¸Mydy , stay away from that man. No matter what.¡¹

 Chapter 66.3: Karkinos’ Attack

    <h4>Chapter 66.3: Karkinos¡¯ Attack</h4>


    ¡¸Impossible. Ariadya has too many citizens. Even if the culprit really is hiding in this country, trying to find that person is close to impossible¡­¡¹


    My words were shot down by Reiji immediately.


    I mean, there was a high possibility that the remnants of the Evil God¡¯s followers were still hiding in the outskirts of this country. Someone with the skills to disguise themselves would rather make full use of their skill to hide in the city rather than staying outside¨C that¡¯s especially so when it¡¯s in the Republic of Ariadya, the most popted country in this world. Considering they don¡¯t follow the system of having a census, there¡¯s many unregistered citizens living in the country. Thus, it¡¯s a lot easier for them to slip in and hide amongst the humans.


    It¡¯s easier to spot a suspicious person in a small country, but it¡¯s literally impossible within the Republic of Ariadya. That¡¯s why, it¡¯s better to just give up flipping over the entirety of Ariadya upside down over this. It¡¯s simply not worth it.


    Naturally, we couldn¡¯t investigate the neighbouring countries either. Waiting for those guys toe after us is a much better choice than wasting our time on investigating.


    Besides, Reiji often went overboard when we conducted investigations in the past. We¡¯d most likely end up being avoided like the gue if we caused problems in this country.


    ¡¸Uhm, please wait a minute. Hero-dono.¡¹


    A voice suddenly interrupted us.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Decius-dono?¡¹


    I asked Decius due to his interruption.


    ¡¸To be honest, it¡¯s our job to look for the culprit behind this incident. That¡¯s why can you let our group handle this investigation?¡¹


    Decius asked for permission while bowing his head.


    Normally there were two kinds of police: the administrative police and thew implementation police. The former job was maintaining public security and preventing crime, while thetter¡¯s job was to investigate crime.


    The administrative police of this country were led by General sus and the members were mostly from the Rena temple. Additionally, the people from the Trident temple who¡¯d mastered the way of fire fighting also did nightly patrols to prevent fires.


    Thew implementation police was mainlyposed of the Priest Knights who served under Oudith, the God of Law.


    If it was in Japan, it would be literally impossible for a religious organization to be entrusted with these matters. But, this was a normal practice in this world which was why Decius was asking us to let his group conduct the investigation.


    I knew from his pure and honest, yet strong, eyes that he would investigate this matter properly.


    ¡¸I see, you¡¯re right. It¡¯ll be easier if we let the Knight of Law handle the investigation. In addition, it is also easier to get help from the other Oudith temples around the world. How about it, Reiji-kun?¡¹


    I looked over to Reiji as I asked him.


    In this case, I wanted to get help from the professional investigators.


    ¡¸But, you know¡­. ¡¹


    But, Reiji gave a sullen reaction to the suggestion.


    ¡¸Naturally, we¡¯ll go along with them. The culprits are strong enough to control Karkinos after all so we might be the only ones who can beat them. What¡¯s your opinion about us tagging along, Decius-dono?¡¹


    Decius nodded to me in response.


    ¡¸Surely, I don¡¯t think our group can defeat the ones who control the Karkinos. In this case, Hero-sama and his group are a necessary addition during the investigation.¡¹


    Decius admitted to the fact easily.


    I couldn¡¯t hate someone who didn¡¯t meaninglessly force themselves to do the impossible. That alone gave me a good impression of Decius.


    ¡¸Is what he say, Reiji-kun.¡¹


    I looked at Reiji again.


    ¡¸Yeah, it can¡¯t be helped then¡­¡¹


    Reiji finally yielded to the terms.


    I mean, the scale of this investigation was far too big for our group alone. We needed the cooperation from a much bigger organization.


    ¡¸And, Shizufae-san. Is your group going to join the investigation too? We¡¯ll give you appropriatepensation for it.¡¹


    I looked at Shizufae.


    ¡¸Yeah, with pleasure.¡¹


    Shizufae exchanged nces with herrade momentarily before they nodded altogether.


    ¡¸It¡¯s decided then. Shall we start the investigation tomorrow?¡¹


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    ¡¸Karkinos huh¡­¡¹


    The woman named Turia in front of me nodded.


    ¡¸Exactly, God of ck Storm.¡¹


    It seems that ¡®God of ck Storm¡¯ was some sort of nickname they¡¯d given me. I have no idea since when that name spread out, but it seems to originally be the name the dwarves used to call me.


    I heard a report of the current situation from the woman called Turia who¡¯de to the ship where Kuna and I were. Meanwhile, Kuna, clearly not interested in this matter, had already entered the dream world with my knee pillow.


    By the way, this woman named Turia was apparently an acquaintance of Dario. She¡¯d heard about me from him.


    Her husband was a dwarf and her husband¡¯s daughter was a dwarf too. The woman who¡¯d gotten married to a dwarf had received lots of treasures including gold and silver from her husband. Thus, she¡¯d opened a business in this country by using those treasures and now she was the wealthiest person in this country. Plus, she was also a part of thebyrinth management team thanks to her husband.


    I¡¯d also met the God Heibos on the way back from reporting to Modes about me staying a while longer in Ariadya. I¡¯d heard about Turia from him.


    Since Dario was one of Heibos¡¯ aides, he naturally knew about me staying in this country and had told Turia the information so she¡¯de to give her greetings.


    It seems that she¡¯d also made various arrangements for my stay in Ariadya.


    ¡¸I see, those Karinoses are the remnants of the one who escaped from the arena. Thank you for letting me know about this, Turia-dono. But, the remnants of Ana¡¯s ns huh.¡¹


    The one who¡¯d released the monsters from the arena had been Ana herself. In short, you might say that half the responsibility of this incidenty with her.


    ¡¸Yes, I never expected that Ana is a monster, worst of all, subordinate to the Evil God. And thinking that there¡¯s more of them hiding in this Ariadya is¡­ just too scary.¡¹


    Turia shook her head as if she couldn¡¯te to terms with such a reality.


    Anta was a member of the merchant association, thus it was natural for Turia to know Ana. But naturally, not even Turia had realized Ana¡¯s real face.


    ¡¸But, regarding the remnants of those monsters. I already knew of their whereabouts from Ankua.¡¹


    I looked at Turia and responded.


    ¡¸Is that true, God of ck Storm.¡¹


    I nodded.


    I¡¯d heard a lot of useful information from the captured Ankia. I¡¯d kept some of that information from Shirone and co. As for the reason, it was simply because it was rted to Nargol.


    ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s why I¡¯m going to visit them personally to check what are they trying to do.¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you very much, God of ck Storm.¡¹


    ¡¸There¡¯s a possibility that they¡¯ve abandoned their headquarters but¡­ leave this matter to me, Turia-dono.¡¹


    Turia showed a relieved expression on her face as I reassured her.


    But unlike her uplifted spirits, I felt pretty down right now.


    I felt an onset of a headache just thinking about the culprit behind this incident.


    I heaved a sigh while patting Kuna¡¯s head as shey on myp.


    ¡ôDancer, Sienna


    After separating from Hero-sama and co, brother Decius and I went to meet our father. Father should still be around somewhere on these ships.


    ¡¸Brother, do you have some sort of lead for tomorrow¡¯s investigation?¡¹


    I called out to my brother.


    ¡¸Unfortunately¡­ not. How about you, Sienna? have you noticed something?¡¹


    I replied to his question with silence.


    I did notice something was amiss, but I definitely couldn¡¯t tell my brother about it since this matter might be rted to the troupe I belonged to.


    I felt bad for my brother, but I don¡¯t wish to bring trouble for Leader Midas and co.


    ¡¸¡­ Is something the matter, Sienna?¡¹


    My brother asked.


    ¡¸Uuhm. It¡¯s nothing. Come to think of it, can you keep this item for now, brother?¡¹


    I handed him a certain item wrapped tightly with cloth.


    ¡¸This is?¡¹


    My brother received it and started to unfold the cloth.


    ¡¸Wait, brother!! don¡¯t look the thing wrapped inside!!¡¹


    I hurriedly stopped my brother.


    ¡¸Sienna?¡¹


    ¡¸Please just hold on to this item for now, brother.¡¹


    ¡¸I understand, Sienna. I won¡¯t look at the item inside this cloth.¡¹


    My brother reluctantly agreed to my request.


    Well, since it¡¯s that straightced brother of mine, I know that he really won¡¯t take a peek at it.


    ¡¸Thanks, brother. Then, I shall excuse myself.¡¹


    I split off from my brother after bidding my farewells.


    ¡¸Wait a minute, Sienna!! Won¡¯t you at least greet our father before you leave!?¡¹


    My brother called out to me in a hurry.


    ¡¸Sorry, brother!! Please say hi to father for me!!!¡¹


    I pondered over the incident while leaving my brother behind.


    Marchas was clearly acting strange during that incident. Plus, the flute that was dropped by Marchas had a ck goat crest engraved on its surface.


    It was why I¡¯d entrusted that flute to my brother.


    But, if he knew that one of our troupe¡¯s members was involved in this incident, I¡¯m afraid that our troupe would get suspended, which was why I hadn¡¯t said anything to my brother.


    I mean, Leader Midas would¡¯ve been troubled if the investigation team came to investigate our troupe too.


    ¡¸It has yet to be confirmed.¡¹


    I returned to our troupe¡¯s base while muttering to myself.

 Chapter 67.1: Sword Dancer

    <h4>Chapter 67.1: Sword Dancer</h4>


    ¡ôSmall Time Viin, Marchas


    ¡¸Fu*ck¡­ I lost it.¡¹


    I was cursing internally while walking down the night streets.


    Sienna should¡¯ve been pushed out of the ship and fallen into the sea to drown, but she dodged right at thest second which ended up with me falling from the ship instead. I must¡¯ve dropped the flute I received from Ainoe-neesan during that time.


    ¡¸What should I do now¡­ at this rate, she¡¯s going to kill me for sure¡­¡¹


    Honestly, I wanted to run.


    But, that was pretty much impossible.


    I¡¯m sure that an even more terrifying retribution would befall those who tried to escape from the witch. Plus, I have nowhere else to go.


    I don¡¯t want to go back to being a sneak-thief again. That¡¯s why, I have to find a way for her to forgive me.


    I arrived at my destination while pondering over the matter.


    My destination was the darkest ce in the Republic of Ariadya.


    The Republic of Ariadya was being protected by three stages of ramparts. The reason for that was due to the ever growing size of the Republic of Ariadya. Whenever the outer city became big enough, a new rampart was added to expand its borders. However, the city¡¯s expansion hade to a stop around dozens of years ago


    And now, I was currently outside of all three of those ramparts. In short, the outer city.


    Anyone coulde and live in this ce regardless of their identity. That included criminals and the people who were exiled from their homnds. The criminals then banded together and there were many criminal organizations formed.


    One of those criminal organizations was a group of heretics who worshipped monsters. This heretic organization was at the top of Ariadya¡¯s underworld. In short, they were the rulers of the dark side of Ariadya.


    I, who had no citizenship nor backing to get one, had no choice to either be a freedom fighter or a criminal.


    Well, I¡¯d ended up choosing thetter since I¡¯m a lousy fighter.


    After walking for a while, I arrived in front of a big building. It was a splendid wooden building.


    At first nce, it looked like a normal dinner and inn. But, it was in fact the headquarters of the underworld organization. In the basement of this inn, there was an enshrined head of a ck goat which they used to worship the demons.


    Ainoe-neesan should be waiting for me in the basement of this ce.


    ¡¸Uhm?¡¹


    I then noticed a man at the entrance of the building. The man just stood at the entrance withouting inside.


    He didn¡¯t look like a traveler nor did his posture resemble one. The man wore clothes that were usually worn bymoners.


    What was he doing right there? Did hee for a prostitute?


    The female employees of this inn did also work as prostitutes. Well, he might fancy a girl in there perhaps.


    Though he looks like an honest man, when you peel off that facade, all that¡¯s left is a mass of lust. Yup, no doubt about it, he¡¯s one hell of a pervert.


    Though, there¡¯s a chance that he might be aiming for a male prostitute, but I don¡¯t see those kinds of signs from that man. There were several cases where the men would be looking for a gay partner, but the look in their eyes waspletely different from the one that man has.


    But then, why doesn¡¯t he enter I wonder?


    Only a virgin would do something like that.


    Well, this might be his first experience in using a prostitute. In short, he¡¯s not going inside due to hisck of experience.


    At a nce, he looks like a good looking man from a well-off family. Upon a closer look, his face is so well-ordered to the point that I wanted to punch him in the face.


    And then, I suddenly got an idea.


    Ainoe-neesan might forgive me if I give her this man. In short, I¡¯m going to present him to Ainoe-neesan as her ve.


    Sorry, dude, but be my sacrificialmb.


    I mean, he could be the witch¡¯s sacrifice or a male prostitute once he¡¯s been brainwashed with drugs.


    This man¡¯s rtives mighte searching for himter, but they wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything once they find out that he was working in this kind of ce. They might even go as far as hiding his existence. Thus, their investigation wouldn¡¯t ever arrive at me.


    That¡¯s why this was a low-risk high-return sacrifice for me.


    ¡¸Heya brother. What are cha doing here?¡¹


    I greeted him kindly.


    The man turned around at my call. He seemed to be surprised since he might¡¯ve never expected to be called out like this.


    ¡¸No, nothing really¡­¡¹


    The man replied with a wry smile.


    As I expected. He¡¯d reallye to buy the prostitute. He couldn¡¯t say it since it was banned byw. It was what someone from a well-off family would always say when answering something like that.


    They did so since they simply couldn¡¯t suppress their fiery passion. That was the reason behind their attitude.


    ¡¸If you want, I can be your guide. I¡¯m the acquaintance of this this store¡¯s owner, I can even introduce you to nice girl if you want.¡¹


    The man looked intently at me upon hearing my words.


    And then, he looked at me again after pondering about something for a while.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll be in your care then.¡¹


    The man was grinning ear to ear as he spoke.


    He waspletely off-guard. I chuckled inwardly as I looked back at him.


    ¡¸Okay then. Follow me,d.¡¹


    I guided the man into the store.


    The first floor was used as the bar and diner. Since it was already evening, the lighting in the store had already been switched on. There were many people already sitting at the bar to drink. Some of them were people with citizenships.


    The reason why this kind of store could keep prostitutes was mainly because the citizens secretly supported them from behind the scenes. Though they had citizenships, it was a simple matter to get rid of the lust in their bodies.


    Though their deeds were against the teachings of Faeria, Ishtar¡¯s teachings didn¡¯t ban prostitution. I thought that this might be the reason why Ishtar was one of the twelve pir gods.


    The man followed behind obediently.


    What an idiot. He had yet to realize that a cruel fate was waiting for him.


    We kept walking through the interior of the store before entering a certain room. The room was a mere warehouse.


    ¡¸Is this, the ce?¡¹


    The man couldn¡¯t hide his surprise at seeing me guide him into the warehouse.


    ¡¸Hehe, see for yourself.¡¹


    I approached one of the cupboards with a smile on my face. And then, I moved the cupboard to the side, revealing the stairs to the basement of this inn.


    ¡¸Oooh?¡¹


    The man seemed to be really surprised by this gimmick.


    ¡¸Kukuku, surprised? But still, are you sure that you want to go down even if a babe is waiting for you below?¡¹


    I wasn¡¯t lying when I told him that. The witches were a group of beauties after all. But of course, they might be hiding their real appearances with magic.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve no idea why you¡¯re showing such kindness to me but, this saves a lot of my time.¡¹


    The man sincerely thanked me for bringing him into a trap.


    Seriously, just how big of an idiot is this man?


    Normally, you would doubt whether there¡¯s really a woman in the basement in the first ce. He might¡¯ve been a bird in a cage being raised in afortable environment all this time resulting in him being unable to doubt someone¡¯s motives.


    I felt the ck me of jealousy eating away at my heart. I really wanted to push this man into the abyss of despair. But of course, that life was waiting for him just beyond these stairs.


    Iughed on the inside.


    I descended down the stairs along with the man.


    The underground floor wasn¡¯t merely dug up ground. The ceiling, wall, and stones were properly leveled, which gave it a unique aesthetic beauty. Though I had no idea who¡¯d made this underground floor, I could tell that the creator was an extremely skillful mage. But then, recalling the figure of the demon who¡¯s bestowed magic to Ainoe, I guess that this kind of work isn¡¯t really a big deal.


    We arrived at a spacious room. The basement wasn¡¯t dark due to the lighting ced along the walls. The man just followed after me without saying anything.


    The men in robes and the usual witches were already waiting inside that spacious room.


    The mean in robes were the ones who saw our arrival. Everyone but the one who led them wore white masks. The mask was a simple mask with holes for the eyes and mouth.


    Who are they?


    I felt an unpleasant sign from those masked men.


    A whileter, Ainoe and co saw my arrival.


    ¡¸Humph, I praise your guts for not running away, Marchas. Well, it¡¯s not like you can escape even if you try with our curse ced on you.¡¹


    Ainoe spoke as she looked at me.


    ¡¸I¡¯m not brave enough to escape from you. By the way, who are those people, AInoe-neesan? ¡¹


    I looked at the men in robes in order to divert the topic.


    ¡¸Humph, even though it¡¯s none of your business, let me give you a special exception this time. That man over there is Tarabos-dono, the vice president of the magician association. Let¡¯s just say that they¡¯re our cooperative workers.¡¹


    Ainoe introduced the only man who wasn¡¯t wearing his mask.


    Sure enough, he was a splendid magician no matter how you looked at it.


    But I never expected that their cooperative worker was none other than the vice president of the magician association himself.


    ¡¸Ainoe-dono. You¡¯re telling him more than necessary¡­¡¹


    Tarabos spoke with a slightly troubled face.


    Surely she wasn¡¯t supposed to introduce such a big shot to someone like me. I could already imagine what kind of ruckus would happen if the secret about the cooperation between the witches and vice president of the magician¡¯s association leaked out.


    And yet, Ainoe didn¡¯t have any intentions of keeping it a secret. It was more like she didn¡¯t even care if she told me this huge secret.


    She was a rather loose-lipped woman.


    ¡¸Aah you¡¯re right, sorry. Rather than that, can you introduce that nice looking man to me Tarabos-dono?¡¹


    Ainoe looked at the man who¡¯de with me.


    ¡¸Hehehe. I did tell you that I¡¯ll let you to meet wonderful sisters, right.¡¹


    After I said so, I unsheathed my dagger and turned around towards the man before mercilessly thrusting my dagger towards him.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t think too badly of me,d.¡¹


    I spoke in a low voice as I thrusted the dagger.


    I man should¡¯ve realized that he¡¯d gotten tricked by me, but it was toote. He couldn¡¯t escape anymore.


    I looked for the man¡¯s reaction. But, he didn¡¯t give any reaction at all.


    His calm and collected appearance in this kind of situation was clearly abnormal.


    ¡¸So you¡¯re the one called Zeal!! I¡¯ve heard about you!!¡¹


    The man suddenly shouted a name.


    The witches and Ainoe were clearly surprised as soon as the man said that name. Because Zeal was the name of the demon worshipped by these witches, including Ainoe.


    How did this man know that name?


    The man¡¯s eyes then moved to Ainoe. But, I felt like Ainoe wasn¡¯t the one he was looking at. It was as if the man was looking at the empty air behind Ainoe.


    ¡¸Hou¡­ you can see huh? Who are you?¡¹


    A hoarse voice resounded in the basement.


    At that moment, a big human figure emerged behind Ainoe.

 Chapter 67.2: Sword Dancer

    <h4>Chapter 67.2: Sword Dancer</h4>


    Though the figure bore resemnce to a Satyr, its head looked more like a goat with ck hair. Plus, its figure was taller and more muscrpared to the Satyr I¡¯d seen before.


    That ck Satyr was looking at us.


    ¡¸HYIIIII!?¡¹


    I kneeled on the floor, unable to bear the pressure from that gaze.


    It seems that Tarabos was also quite surprised at seeing the ck Satyr.


    The only ones that weren¡¯t surprised by the ck Satyr¡¯s appearance were the witches and that man that hade with me. I realized this fact after I looked at the man who didn¡¯t even look perturbed by the ck Satyr¡¯s appearance. He was as calm andposed as before.


    ¡¸It¡¯s nice to meet you, Zeal. I¡¯ve heard about you from Lord Ulbart.¡¹


    The man spoke to the ck Satyr with aposed tone.


    Just who in the hell is this man? I mean, he didn¡¯t even flinch at seeing the ck Satyr¡¯s appearance.


    Then, I noticed that the man wasn¡¯t a normal human being.


    ¡¸Y-YOU KNOW LORD ULBART!! W-WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!? YOU¡¯RE DEFINITELY NOT A HUMAN!!¡¹


    The ck Satyr screamed.


    ¡¸Well, I think you¡¯ll understand once you see this¡­¡¹


    As soon as he spoke, the man was wrapped in ck mes. When the ck me had vanished, the man was seen wearing an ominous, jet-ck armor.


    ¡¸NO WAY! DARK KNIGHT!! DON¡¯T TELL ME YOU¡ª NO, YOUR HIGHNESS IS¡­.¡¹


    The ck Satyr fell to his knees as soon as he saw the figure of the man in the jet-ck armor.


    ¡¸THAT¡¯S RIGHT, ZEAL!! NOW, ANSWER MY QUESTION!!¡¹


    The moment the Dark Knight spoke, I felt a powerful gale emanate from his entire being.


    ¡¸GUH¡­¡¹


    I copsed to the floor immediately at being struck by that wing and moaned in pain.


    An indescribable fear sprung up from the bottom of my heart. I was trembling non-stop like a newborn calf. When I looked around, I saw that Tarabos and Alnoe were also kneeling on the ground while trembling just like me. Though the demon called Zeal was trembling too, he didn¡¯t fall to his knees.


    But, the masked men behind Tarabos were still standing like it was nothing.


    ¡¸Aaah¡­¡¹


    That voice came from the entrance of this room.


    When I turned around, I saw a figure that had already fallen to the floor. Just like me, that person was probably trembling in fear too.


    And then, I took a closer look.


    ¡¸Sienna¡­¡¹


    The lone figure at the entrance of the room was Sienna¡¯s.


    ¡ôDancer, Sienna


    ¡¸Just where in the world is that guy loitering around this time?¡¹


    Marchas, who was about to drown, was healed by Saint Sahoko¡¯s healing magic. He¡¯d then left the lodging of our theatre troupe.


    Well, it¡¯s not like we had a curfew that banned us from leaving the lodging during nighttime. Leader Midas allowed the members of the troupe to act freely during their free time as long as it didn¡¯t disturb their performance.


    Our schedule for tomorrow was open. Our troupe had postponed the y for the Hero-sama who wille tomorrow. Thus, several members of our troupe had gone out to chill at the bar.


    It seems that Ainoe-neesan had gone to enjoy her private time too. Maybe she went to go visit her lover.


    I had ended up following after Marchas. The ce he was heading for was the red light district outside of the ramparts.


    I knew that he went to that ce every once in a while. But then, I didn¡¯t find him yesterday. I wonder which store he visited yesterday.


    ¡¸But Marchas, don¡¯t think you can escape from this Sienna-sama.¡¹


    I erased my presence and the sound of my footsteps.


    Erasing my footsteps was easy peasy for someone who was trained in martial arts like me.


    A whileter, Marchas¡¯ destination turned out to be the biggest building in the outer city. Marchas wasn¡¯t in that store when I looked for himst night.


    ¡¸Eh? that man, could it be¡­¡¹


    Marchas was addressing the man who was standing alone in front of the store.


    I recalled that man¡¯s face. He was the one who was apanying the woman who Brother Decius had dubbed as the ¡®Moonlight Goddess.¡¯


    Why is he wandering around in this kind of ce? Could it be that he¡¯s Marchas¡¯ acquaintance?


    Unfortunately, they were simply too far for me to be able to listen in to their conversation.


    Marchas then left the man into the store. I followed them from behind.


    Though some guests looked at me as soon as I entered the store, they turned their faces away with disinterest immediately as if not caring about my presence in the least.


    My current attire wasn¡¯t the dancer¡¯s attire. I was wearing a big robe and a hood to hide my body and face. This way, no one in this store would be able to recognize me. That¡¯s why no one was interested in me as soon as they saw me entering this store with this kind of attire.


    Hidden under this robe were several hidden weapons and a pair of my beloved curved swords.


    Marchas shouldn¡¯t have the power to manipte those Karkinos. The true culprit was using Marchas.


    In short, those people were the most dangerous ones. That¡¯s why, I¡¯de fully prepared forbat.


    After looking around, I saw Marchas and the other man were walking towards the inner part of the building. Though I¡¯d already confirmed this fact yesterday, but that part should be limited to staff only. But why is Marchas, who¡¯s unrted to this store, able to enter?


    But, this wasn¡¯t the time to be worrying over this matter. The two had already gone inside. It won¡¯t be that simple for me to enter that ce since the eyes of the employees were all over the ce.


    What should I do now?


    I fixed my posture in a way that prevented the others from seeing my throwing knife.


    The throwing knife was a small de that could fit into the palm of my hand.


    I threw the de with a flick of my wrist. It then hit the shoe of one of the guests. The guest, whose shoe was now sewed to the floor, fell forward.


    The other guests would surely regard it as falling due to being too drunk. Unfortunately for him, he fell right on top of another guest¡¯s table, toppling over the dishes and liquor to the floor.


    The eyes of the employees and the other guests instantly focused on the fallen guest.


    While they were distracted, I kicked the wall and leapt silently into their blindspot before following Marchas inside the building.

 Chapter 68.2: Under The Moonlight

    <h4>Chapter 68.2: Under The Moonlight</h4>


    I¡¯d heard that there were only an extremely small number of necromancy users amongst the humans. Reason being that magic power alone wasn¡¯t the only requirement to use it. One had to be born with a natural talent for that particr magic to be able to use it.


    For example, a male born from Striges whose speciality was necromancy had a high chance of being able to use necromancy.


    Nevertheless, it didn¡¯t mean that someone was willing to be an undead. The Draugrs behind Tarabos¡­ I doubt that they became Draugr because they wanted to.


    This man would definitely kill this girl and turn her into a Draugr.


    This guy felt like a devil in human skin.


    But, I also couldn¡¯t me Tarabos for his greed. This girl called Sienna was indeed an extremely skilled sword fighter. She was able to actually fight on par with those Draugr who were theoretically far more powerful than her. But, in the end, they had been simply a bad match for a mere human like her.


    As far as I could see from the way she fought, her swordcraft was created to fight living humans, not dead ones. In other words, it was a swordcraft meant to kill humans. She was at a disadvantage when it came to facing against undead.


    At this rate, she won¡¯t be able to get away. She might¡¯ve really been killed if I hadn¡¯t imed her first.


    ¡¸My bad, I can¡¯t give this girl to you. She¡¯s my prisoner.¡¹


    I spoke in a cold tone to Tarabos.


    ¡¸IT¡¯S JUST AS YOUR EXCELLENCY SAID, FOOLISH HUMAN!!! NO NORMAL MAN CAN RESIST THE TEMPTATION OF THOSE BEAUTIFUL LONG LEGS! WHAT¡¯S THE FUN OF LICKING A CORPSE¡¯S LEG! LIVING HUMAN LEGS ARE THE BEST! RIGHT, YOUR EXCELLENCY!?¡¹


    Zeal, who was listening to my conversation with Tarabos, suddenly eximed with a loud voice.


    ¡¸Y-Yeah, indeed¡­¡¹


    The sheer passion in his voice made me unintentionally agree with him.


    I never expected that the time woulde where I¡¯d be agreeing with a daemon¡¯s opinion rather than a human¡¯s.


    For some reason, this guy felt like a perverted old man in devil¡¯s skin; the exact opposite of Tarabos.


    ¡¸Is that so, Your Excellency? My deepest apologies then.¡¹


    Tarabos reluctantly withdrew his request.


    It felt like I¡¯d just created some sort of misunderstanding.


    Naturally, I have no intentions of doing those kind of perverted acts to this girl, but somehow things have gotten ratherplicated in a good way for this girl.


    But Zeal was right: this girl was a rare beauty. Letting her go to Tarabos just to be turned into an undead would be a huge loss to this world. I guess I¡¯ll y along with Zeal for this matter.


    ¡¸It¡¯s just as Zeal had said, Tarabos¡­ I¡¯ve taken a liking to this girl. I¡¯ll bring her back to enjoy her thoroughly.¡¹


    I carried Sienna on my shoulder and left that ce.


    I received a message from Regena. She told me that Shirone had just woken up.


    Currently, Shirone was resting at the residence that we¡¯re using right now for our stay in the Republic Ariadya. Shirone might create a ruckus with Kuna once she wakes up.


    ¡¸AS EXPECTED OF YOUR EXCELLENCY, AS A FELLOW MAN, I CAN UNDERSTAND YOUR FEELINGS!!! PLEASE TAKE THIS OFFERING FROM ME!!¡¹


    Zeal handed me a box containing some items in it.


    ¡¸This is?¡¹


    I peeked into the contents of the box. There were some sort of tools¡­ and clothes¡­


    ¡¸It¡¯s a tool to give pleasure to women and clothes to double their charm and add spice to the deed. Actually I wanted to use this with my mistress but, I¡¯ll offer these to you, Your Excellency.¡¹


    Zeal presented the box to me.


    Somehow it felt like he was trying to curry my favor in order for me to save his life. But, as I¡¯d told him before, I couldn¡¯t do anything in that regard.


    And then, I heaved a sigh as I looked into the box.


    The clothes inside were clothes that were made from see-through materials. Clothes that could only be described as armor that resembled a bikini.


    I was attacked by a sudden headache.


    What in the hell are you doing here? You¡¯re supposed to be a Daemon, right? Why are you more human than Tarabos who¡¯s supposed to be human?


    I guess he was like the other Dark Satyr. He was meeting with his witches here today in this basement for a sabbath(tryst) with them. I guess I¡¯ll have to scold him for still thinking of having fun despite practically being wanted by Nargol.


    So I responded.


    ¡¸Thanks, I¡¯ll enjoy your gift?¡¹


    I returned in a hurry as soon as I received the box.


    ***


    ¡ôSword¡¯s Maiden; Shirone


    I dreamt of the old times.


    It was when my family and Kuroki¡¯s went on a field trip together. Out destination was a ce abundant with nature.


    I brought Kuroki along with me, running around the mountain until we finally strayed away from our family too much and got lost in the middle of the mountain.


    I¡¯d ignored Kuroki¡¯s warnings and climbed on top of a high tree. But then, the branch I stepped on had broken and I fell from the tree.


    I sprained my ankle due to the shock of my fall. Thus we couldn¡¯t go back to where our parents were.


    Kuroki was about to go call our parents but I¡¯d held him back since I was too scared to be left alone.


    Since there was no other way, Kuroki had ended up carrying me on his back as we returned to our parents¡¯ ce.


    I¡¯m sure that carrying me was actually heavy, but Kuroki had just carried me on his back in silence, notining even once.


    ¡¸U~hn.¡¹


    I opened my eyes.


    I wonder why I dreamt of such old memories.


    In that dream, I was sure that I was being carried on Kuroki¡¯s back.


    I had a dream of being princess carried by someone. This dream was so embarrassing to the point that I couldn¡¯t tell anyone about this.


    The Kuroki in my dream was so kind towards me. Yes, he was always kind towards me since a long time ago. And yet, I never acted kindly towards Kuroki.


    I always treated him like my servant and regarded the timid Kuroki as someone who always followed me.


    And once I met Reiji-kun and co, I started to avoid Kuroki.


    I think I basically treated him very coldly.


    I was sure that at some point, our rtionship had be strained. I¡¯d noticed the fact after I came to this world. That¡¯s why I wanted to go back to Japan to mend our rtionship.


    And then, I was reunited with Kuroki in this world.


    But, I¡¯d soon learned that Kuroki had already be the Demon King¡¯s underling.


    That¡¯s strange; Kuroki was supposed to be a king boy. He definitely wasn¡¯t the kind of person who would be the Demon King¡¯s underling.


    I mean, he was still really kind towards me when we were diving together into thebyrinth. And yet, for some reason he didn¡¯te join us.


    The reason behind his weird actions was that girl for sure.


    Silver Witch Kuna.


    She must be the one who manipted Kuroki to be her servant with her magic. That must be why Kuroki didn¡¯t want to leave Nargol.


    I can¡¯t forgive her. The only one allowed to treat Kuroki like a servant is me. That¡¯s why, I¡¯ll take him back from her.


    I rose up.


    My head was attacked by an intense headache. It seemed to be the aftereffects of the liquor I drankst night.


    I wonder how long I slept? It seems that the sun has set.


    I looked around.


    Though the room was a little dark due to the absence of lighting, I could still see around me thanks to the moonlight entering the room through the windows.


    ¡¸Where¡­ is this?¡¹


    It was an unknown room.


    It seems that I¡¯d slept on the bed in the middle of this room with my dress on.


    The bedding was reallyfortable and big enough for four or five people to sleep together on top of. Just like the room used by Reiji-kun.


    ¡¸Have you woken up, Shirone-sama?¡¹


    Someone entered the room at that moment.


    ¡¸Regena-¡­ san. Thank you very much, you¡¯re the one who carried me to this bed, right?¡¹


    But, Regena shook her head in response.


    ¡¸Nope, it¡¯s not me.¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ Eh, then who?¡¹


    Could it have been Reiji-kun? If that¡¯s the case, I have to thank himter.


    ¡¸So where is Reiji-kun and co right now?¡¹


    ¡¸I think they¡¯re still enjoying the banquet.¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡­¡¹


    Then I noticed something when I tried to leave the bed. The dress I was currently wearing was worn out since I¡¯d fallen asleep while still wearing it. Maybe it¡¯s better if I change my clothes.


    ¡¸Do you have spare clothes, Regena-san? I want to borrow them temporarily if possible.¡¹


    Regena nodded at hearing my question.


    ¡¸Yes, I do have clothes that would suit you the best, Shirone-sama.¡¹


    After she said so, Regena left the room for a bit and presented something after she returned.


    The thing she presented was underwear-like armor. In short, it was a bikini armor.


    ¡¸Eh¡­ why this?¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t help but mutter those words.


    I unintentionally facepalmed upon seeing this clothing. I desperately held myself back from yelling out ¡°WHAT THE HECK!!¡± with a Kansai dialect.


    This underwear-like armor was the normal battle gear for the female warriors of Amazona, the goddess of hunting and battle. She was the daughter of Thors, the battle god.


    ording to the legend of this world, Thors couldn¡¯t get armor from Heibos due to their bad rtionship. But, Thors had just said ¡¸I don¡¯t need your armor¡¹ before beginning to undress himself and went buck naked till her was forced to wear beast pelt.


    After that, since Thors didn¡¯t wear armor, the warriors who became his followers also followed after him to wear beast pelt just like their god.


    And then, following in her father¡¯s footsteps, Thors¡¯ daughter, Amazona, chose to fight buck naked as well.


    Their recklessness was only stopped after Faeria gave them a severe scolding and forced them to either wear underwear or at least a beast pelt.


    As a result, to prevent her breasts from swaying around in the middle of battle, Amazona requested strong underwear which gave birth to the bikini armor.


    Thus, this bikini armor was also passed down to the human realm and the female warriors of Amazona¡¯s faith, otherwise known as the Amazoness, wore the bikini armor as a symbol of their faith.


    And now, this bikini armor was the very thing that Regena was giving me with a wide smile on her face.


    I didn¡¯t feel any malice at all from her smile. When she said that it suited me, she really meant it.


    That¡¯s why I facepalmed.


    I might dismiss this as a joke if it came from Reiji-kun or Nao-chan, but it was from none other than Regena.


    These clothes might not be a joking matter for her, a native resident of this world. In fact, I¡¯ve met a few women who walked around in broad daylight right in the middle of main street with this kind of armor.


    Nevertheless, I wonder for what reason was this bikini armor in this room?


    ¡¸Sorry but¡­ please spare me of those clothes for now.¡¹

 Chapter 68.3: Under The Moonlight

    <h4>Chapter 68.3: Under The Moonlight</h4>


    Regena gave a look of curiosity when she heard me say those words.


    ¡¸Really? I heard from master that you wore these kinds of clothes before though. Master evenplimented that they fit you.¡¹


    That was an unexpected blow.


    I¡¯d worn those clothes before for the sake of finding Kuroki. Now that I¡¯d met him, I had no need to wear those kinds of clothes anymore. I mean, I never even knew that Kuroki had actually seen me wearing that kind of attire.


    Regardless of that, I can¡¯t help but wonder just what in the world did he tell Regena? It seems that I need to speak alone with him once he returns.


    ¡¸No¡­ just give me a normal clothes please.¡¹


    I practically pleaded to Regena.


    ¡¸I see¡­ please wait a minute, I¡¯ll bring another set of clothes.¡¹


    Regena then left with the bikini armor still in her hands with a slightly dejected look on her face.


    AD


    ¡¸¡­ Please wait a minute, Regena-san.¡¹


    I stopped Regena.


    ¡¸Is something the matter?¡¹


    ¡¸I won¡¯t wear that armor now, but¡­ maybe I willter.¡¹


    I decided to keep the bikini armor for now. I might be able to pull Kuroki apart from that woman by wearing this armor.


    Though it sounds like a nonsense idea, for some reason, I¡¯m convinced that this n would work on Kuroki.


    ***


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    ¡¸Chiyuki-san, this is really delicious you know.¡¹


    Nao told me so while eating the meat happily.


    The meat offered by Nao was a dormouse-like animal broiled in honey and fish sauce. The official name of the animal was Yamane.


    These dormouse-like animals weren¡¯t wild dormouse, but rather were cultivated inside ceramic pots which were shaped in spiral patterns on the inside.


    Though I had some resistance against eating this rat meat at first, I¡¯d found it quite delicious when I actually tried it. Nevertheless, I¡¯d almoste to believe that Nao was a cat who ate rats.


    Besides the Yamane, there were various other dishes spread out before us. The party was still going strong despite the earlier appearance of the Karkinos.


    I mean, thanks to us quickly getting rid of those Karkinos, there¡¯s almost no damage leftover from the attack. Additionally, it seems that the people think that it¡¯ll be alright even if something does happen again since we could just resolve any incident almost as soon as it happens.


    In an instant, the day had already turned into night.


    It¡¯s night and yet it was almost as bright as daylight since the moonlight that shone upon the ship in addition to the abundant lighting from the magicmps kept the ce well lit.


    The dancers danced following the tunes. The performers acted ording to the script.


    The musicians aside, the majority of the dancers and performers were of the Ishtar faith. They¡¯re allowed to perform as long as they¡¯re not against the teaching of the Goddess Faeria.


    In the first ce, I¡¯d heard that the Goddess Faeria loves dance.


    In short, Ishtar¡¯s faith allowed these things as long as they didn¡¯t gamble or were involved in prostitution. But even those prohibitions were done in public, whether it was legally or illegally.


    I mean, even if you call them prostitutes, there¡¯s various kinds of them. The high ss prostitutes were more like the hetaira of ancient greek. Some of those prostitutes even managed to climb up thedder in society and became the queen of a country using their beauty.


    But, Faeria¡¯s followers didn¡¯t seem to be able to ept that fact. It seems that many of Oudis¡¯ and Faeria¡¯s followers who¡¯d risen to the upper echelons of the country wanted to do something about this problem and yet were helpless against it.


    In the first ce, some of Oudis¡¯ followers had ended up falling in love with Ishtar¡¯s prostitutes. The thing called lust wasn¡¯t something that could be so easily suppressed. That¡¯s where the politics gotplicated.


    AD


    The people who watched the dancing and performances raised cries of joy and celebration.


    Rino started to dance along in the spur of the moment.


    In the first ce, Rino had received dancing lessons back in Japan so she could dance fairly well.


    The men who saw her dance were rooted in spot, unable to look away from her hypnotizing performance.


    I frowned a little.


    Since Rino¡¯s dress exposed a lot of her skin, the eyes of the male audience here has be really dangerous with her performance.


    Though the person herself didn¡¯t care about it, as a friend, it was hard to see my friend being eyed by lecherous gazes.


    Reiji didn¡¯t seem to mind Rino being exposed to such lecherous sights either. He was enjoying Rino¡¯s dance along with Sahoko and the other women.


    And then, Kaya and Kyouka were standing in a slightly separated ce. Her situation was the exact opposite of Reiji¡¯s; she was surrounded by men.


    It seems that they were trying to woo her, but Kyouka simply ignored all their attempts to approach her with those intentions.


    In terms of the way she treated good looking men, she was way betterpared to Reiji. But, the men who could win against Reiji in this world belonged to an extreme minority.


    For that fact, I happen to know one man who did beat Reiji. I wondered what he was doing right now. It seems that he isn¡¯t with Kyouka.


    ¡¸Oops, Shirone-san seems to have returned.¡¹


    Nao looked up at the sky.


    Nao spotted the figure of Shirone flying in the sky with her wings of light outstretched. Shirone was flying straight towards us.


    ¡¸I¡¯m back, everyone.¡¹


    Shirone retracted her wings as she arrived where we were.


    The people that were watching Rino¡¯s performance then looked at Shirone due to the simrity between her wings and that of an angel¡¯s.


    ¡¸Are you feeling okay already, Shirone-san?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah!! I¡¯m okay!! I was just drunk after all!!¡¹


    I wasn¡¯t asking whether she was drunk or not. But, seeing her expression back to her usual cheerful face, I guess that she¡¯s okay.


    ¡¸I see that you¡¯re cheerful again, but did something happen?¡¹


    When I probed further, Shirone shook her head lightly.


    ¡¸Uhm, nothing happened really. But I had this dream and I think that I shouldn¡¯t be feeling dejected anymore.¡¹


    Shirone replied with a smile on her face.


    It seems that she was saddened by the fact that she couldn¡¯t meet her childhood friend. But, I guess she¡¯s already cheered up.


    ¡¸After Shirone came, Rino isn¡¯t standing out anymore.¡¹


    Rino came over to us and spoke with a slight pout.


    But it doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s really angry at Shirone. And her upset expression is so cute.


    ¡¸Sorry, Rino-chan.¡¹


    Shirone apologized to Rino.


    ¡¸As punishment, let¡¯s dance together.¡¹


    Rino pulled Shirone¡¯s hand as she spoke.


    ¡¸Wait a minute, Rino-chan!!¡¹


    Shirone ended up being dragged forcibly by Rino.


    Since it couldn¡¯t be helped, Shirone ended up dancing along with Rino.


    Though Shirone didn¡¯t seem to have taken dance lessons, it seems that she has a suitable sense for it. In fact, she could dance as well as Rino.


    The two of them looked really beautiful as they danced under the moonlight.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know what happened but it seems that she¡¯s gotten over her slump.¡¹


    Reiji came over and spoke to me while he watched the two.


    ¡¸Most probably.¡¹


    I also agreed with him.


    It was a good thing that Shirone had cheered up again.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve been waiting for her to ask me tofort her though.¡¹


    I looked at the long line of women behind Reiji with a look of disbelief on my face at hearing this di*ck say those words.


    It seems that he was nning tofort Shirone, but do you really think that you¡¯ll have the time for that?


    But still. Reiji is Reiji afterall. He was worrying about Shirone in his own way.


    ¡¸We¡¯re going to start the investigation tomorrow, Reiji-kun, so don¡¯t overdo it.¡¹


    AD


    Reiji showed a strange look on his face at hearing that.


    ¡¸Ah, the search huh. I forgot about it.¡¹


    I almost slipped on my feet at hearing such an irresponsible remark.


    But well, that¡¯s just like Reiji. Though Reiji won¡¯t forgive his enemies, he didn¡¯t hold a grudge against them either as long as they didn¡¯t didn¡¯t appear in front of him. It¡¯s good that he could forget about the past, but that¡¯s also another kind of trouble if you think of it in another way.


    ¡¸Moreover, that priest must¡¯ve already investigated this matter to some extent.¡¹


    Reiji spoke with a light tone.


    Decius, Oudith¡¯s Knight of Law, had already gone off somewhere to conduct the investigation.


    ¡¸Surely, waiting for the report from Decius-dono is a wise choice but still¡­¡¹


    The Knights of Law were given the authority by the nation to investigate crimes, but even then, that authority was very limited. No matter how great the Knights of Law are, they might¡¯ve missed some sort of clue due to the limits of their authority. That¡¯s why, we won¡¯t know just how far the progress of the investigation hase.


    Seeing Reiji who didn¡¯t seem to take this matter seriously forced me to remember again that this d*ck hated doing menial work and investigating.


    I wonder how far the progress of the investigation hase by Decius-dono? I hope he¡¯s found some sort of clue, but¡­


    I wonder just what in the world is the culprit of this incident doing now?


    I pondered as I looked at the moon.


    ***


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    ¡¸My dear master, it seems Shirone-sama has returned.¡¹


    Regena gave her report.


    ¡¸I see. Thanks a lot, Regena.¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t meet with Shirone since Kuna is here with me.


    ¡¸What is this, Kuroki? It look like a cat tail for some reason.¡¹


    Kuna picked up a certain item from the gift box provided by Zeal.


    The thing she¡¯d picked up was definitely the cat tail. There was a round metal fitting attached at the base of that tail.


    Kuna looked at the fake cat tail with a curious look on her face.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ it might be something for you to wear.¡¹


    I feigned ignorance despite knowing very well what kind of thing it was.


    ¡¸EH!! I¡¯M WEARING THIS!! WHAT IS THE WAY TO WEAR THIS!?¡¹


    Kuna asked back excitedly with an innocent look on her face.


    I knew the way for her to wear this essory, but like hell I could exin the truth to Kuna.


    ¡¸U~hm, how to wear that I wonde~r. I seem to have forgotten it already. Ahahaha.¡¹


    I tried glossing over the subject with an unnaturalugh.


    The angel in me kept worrying about what to do with the gift I¡¯d received from Zeal.


    But then, the devil in me whispered, ¡¸YEAH BABY, LET¡¯S ROCK!¡¹


    That¡¯s why, I had no other choice.


    The clothes inside the box had already lost their function with covering the body.


    But still, I felt that it was wrong to dress Kuna up in such a lewd dress.


    Let¡¯s just keep this clothing for now.


    Since there was a bikini armor set amongst the clothing, I¡¯d given it to Regena to pass on to Shirone. Reason being, it suited Shirone to the point that it was literally a match made in heaven.


    Though, it might be impossible for me to see her in that attire from close up.


    ¡¸My dear master, what are you going to do with the girl you brought home just now?¡¹


    Regena asked regarding the treatment towards the sword dancer I¡¯d brought back. In short, the treatment for Sienna.


    In fact, I was at my wits end at seeing Kuna pouting when she saw I¡¯d brought Sienna back with me. But, it couldn¡¯t be helped. I couldn¡¯t beat to leave her in that ce in the end.


    ¡¸Well then¡­ what should I do now I wonder.¡¹


    In fact, I really have no idea regarding what to do with Sienna.


    What should I do now?


    Nothing came to mind.


    In the first ce, I¡¯de to this country to enjoy my vacation, not to destroy this country. I guess I¡¯ve got to tell Turia about this matter in the end.


    After checking his real intentions, I guess I¡¯ve got no more reasons to involve myself with Zeal. The problem was the one who was present along with Zeal at the time: Tarabos. I¡¯m almost convinced that he¡¯s up to something dangerous.


    I will ask the dwarves to create a strong barrier made from extremely rare materials. Messing with it won¡¯t be that simple.


    The Death God, Zarxis, might be able to do something about the barrier, but there was no such thing as enough preparation.


    I continued to rack my brain.


    ¡¸KUROKI!! DOES THIS LOOK GOOD ON ME!?¡¹


    Kuna turned her round butt towards me with the cat tail attached on top of her clothes.


    STRIKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!


    ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s really cute.¡¹


    I patted Kuna¡¯s head as she closed her eyes, seemingly enjoying the moment.


    Well, nothing can be done right now even if I keep thinking about it. Let¡¯s just take a rest for now. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll get some inspiration along the way. Let¡¯s take my take enjoying my vacation with Kuna for the time being.

 Chapter 69.1: Labyrinth Investigation

    <h4>Chapter 69.1: Labyrinth Investigation</h4>


    ¡ôValkyrie, Shizufae


    ¡¸SHIZUFAE!! WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO HASN¡¯T BEEN CALLED BY YEE!!¡¹


    Novis was loudlyining to me.


    Since our gathering ce was the central za in the Republic of Ariadya, his loud voice had gathered the attention of the people around us.


    ¡¸EVEN IF YOU SAY THAT, YOU DIDN¡¯T EVEN KNOW ABOUT THE PARTY UNTIL A FEW SECONDS AGO!!¡¹


    I replied to him.


    It was currently noon so there were many people around. I wished he would lower his voice a bit more so we don¡¯t bring so much attention to ourselves.


    Novis was pissed off since I didn¡¯t invite him to the evening party that took cest night. In the first ce, he didn¡¯t even know that there was an evening party taking cest night until we told him about it today.


    ¡¸Sorry for enjoying the party on our own, Novi-kun.¡¹


    Madi apologized at once even though there was no need for her to do that.


    In the first ce, I¡¯m sure that Novis would only have spoiled the mood of the party if he¡¯d attended. It was also the reason why I didn¡¯t invite him.


    I also knew that he would be pissed off once he found out that he was the only one that hadn¡¯t been invited to the party.


    Thus, he¡¯de to this ce toin.


    ¡¸You don¡¯t need to apologize to him, Madi. The one who told him is big sis Keyna after all¡­¡¹


    I shot a re at big sis Keyna.


    ¡¸My bad for telling him, Shizufae tehepero¡­¡¹


    Though she was apologizing to us, her face and gestures didn¡¯t feel like she was apologizing at all.


    ¡¸In the first ce, state your business, Novis!! Don¡¯t tell me that you came all the way to this ce just toin to us!!¡¹


    I mean, if he¡¯d really juste toin then I guess he has a lot of free time on his hands.


    ¡¸No¡­ I mean¡­ I¡¯m just worried if that hero is asking something strange from you.¡¹


    Novis turned his face away while mumbling something.


    Sure enough, we¡¯re about to head out to join hero-sama and co for the investigation. But, rather than everyone splitting up and doing their own thing, it¡¯s much better for everyone to gather in one ce, which is why we¡¯d met in this za.


    Currently, everyone was already gathered here except for Leylia-san.


    ¡¸Ha~h, what are you talking about?¡¹


    Just what in the world was Novis trying to tell me.


    ¡¸A~h. Poor Novi-kun.¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed¡­¡¹


    For some reason, Madi and big sis Keyna were saying the same thing.


    By the way, Nora wasn¡¯t participating in our conversation since she thought that it probably wasn¡¯t interesting.


    ¡¸What are you two talking about. Do you know something?¡¹


    I looked at Madi and big sis Keyna.


    ¡¸Well. let¡¯s just say that Novis wants to help Shizufae.¡¹


    Big sis Keyna spoke as she looked at Novis.


    Novis turned his face away, pouting.


    Was he really just wanting to help me? If that¡¯s the case, I guess I¡¯ve got to thank him.


    Anyhow, the more people we get on this, the easier the investigation will be.


    ¡¸Is that so? Thanks a lot, Novis.¡¹


    I hugged Novis as I thanked him.


    Though Novis was weak when it came to doing something along the lines of investigating, his strength was the real deal. We could always rely on him during battles.


    ¡¸W-¡­ Well, it¡¯s not big deal anyway!!!¡¹


    Novis replied happily as if his pouting a while ago was a lie.


    ¡¸Uwa~h, he¡¯s so easy.¡¹


    I heard Madi speak with a dumbfounded voice.


    ¡¸Well, only Leylia-san left then.¡¹


    I looked around to find thest member of our party.


    Thereupon, my gaze caught upon a certain person.


    ¡¸Eh? Isn¡¯t it that man?¡¹


    It was the man I¡¯d met before.


    I¡¯d forgotten his name, but there was no way that I could forget his face. It was the baggage carrier who¡¯d gotten punched by Novis.


    ¡¸Oh? I forgot that man¡¯s name but wasn¡¯t he the attendant of Kyouka-sama back then?¡¹


    Big sis Keyna who followed my line of sight saw that man too.


    ¡¸But he¡¯s with a different woman right now. I wonder who that woman is.¡¹


    Just as Madi had said, that man was currently walking besides another woman who was hiding her face with a hood. Despite hiding her face, the giant bulkiness around the chest was indication enough for anyone that the other party was a woman.


    ¡¸Hou¡­ despite hiding her face, she¡¯s got a really nice face huh.¡¹


    Nora-san spoke with a smile on her face.


    If even Nora-san said so, there was no mistake that the hooded woman was a great beauty.


    The woman¡¯s clothes were made of superior materialspared to the clothes of the man beside her. The beautiful golden embroidery on the veil that was used to hide the woman¡¯s face even further reflected the sunlight.


    Was she a high-rankingdy from somewhere?


    I¡¯ve got no idea of thedy¡¯s name, but for some reason, she looks a bit familiar to me.


    ¡¸Just what in the world is their rtionship?¡¹


    Madi wasn¡¯t the only one worrying about that, in fact I¡¯m worrying over the same thing too.


    ¡¸Who knows. They look like a master and her retainer at nce, but there¡¯s this intimate air around them. Oi.¡¹


    Novis was looking at them with a vulgar smile on his face.


    If we only see the fact that the man¡¯s attire was made of cheaper materialspared to the woman¡¯s extremely exquisite dress, it might be natural to mistake them as master and her retainer.


    But, thedy was walking while linking her arm with the man. The way they walk was way too intimate for a mere master and retainer rtionship.


    It was as if they¡¯re in the middle of a date.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, have you apologized to that man, Novis?¡¹


    ¡¸Apologize? What are you talking about, Shizufae?¡¹


    I unintentionally face palmed at his response.


    ¡¸NOVIS!! FOLLOW ME TO APOLOGIZE TO THAT MAN NOW!!¡¹


    I pulled Novis by hand as I walked towards that man.


    ¡¸W-WAIT A MINUTE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING, SHIZUFAE!!!?¡¹


    I ignored his protesting and continued walking towards that man.


    ¡¸Wait, let me to join the fun.¡¹


    ¡¸Me too!!!¡¹


    ¡¸Me too. I want to see that beauty from close by.¡¹


    Big sis Keyna, Madi and Nora-san ended up joining along.


    ¡¸Uhm, excuse me!!!¡¹


    I called out to the person.


    Those two then turned around.


    ¡¸What? who are you people?¡¹


    Thedy replied with a displeased voice as she looked at us.


    Such a beautiful voice¡­ Just like Rena-sama¡¯s.


    From the tone alone, thedy seems to be pissed off.


    Maybe having grasped thedy¡¯s emotion, the man besides here came forward in a hurry to stand between us and thedy.


    Such a beautiful voice. Just like Rena-sama¡¯s voice.


    ¡¸Hahaha, it¡¯s nice to meet you again. How¡¯s the injury on your head?¡¹


    The man spoke to me with a smile on his face. His tone was the exact opposite of thedy behind him.


    And then, though I had no idea what he was talking about for a moment, I recalled what he meant right at the next moment.


    He might be referring to the time when I met Goddess Rena-sama.


    This man definitely saw the moment when I was being carried to Rena-sama¡¯s temple with my head injured.


    But, I never expected that he would be worrying about that.


    ¡¸Yes, it has been healed by a certain personage¡­¡¹


    I replied a bit vaguely. There was no way I could tell him that it was healed by the Goddess-sama herself. Not like he would believe me even if I told him the truth.


    ¡¸Well, that¡¯s great then. By the way, may I ask your business with me?¡¹


    The man wasn¡¯t angry like thedy. He was all smiles as he spoke with us.


    ¡¸No¡­ It¡¯s just, Novis want to apologize for what he did to you.¡¹


    The man made a puzzled look on his face upon hearing my words, and then he made a face as if recalling something.


    ¡¸Aah, that matter, huh. It¡¯s okay. I received ap pillow thanks to that incident after all.¡¹


    The man was waving his hands as if to tell us not to worry about that matter.


    Though I was now wondering what this p pillow¡± he was talking about was, it had nothing to do with Novis apology.


    ¡¸Novis!!¡¹


    I walked in front of Novis.


    ¡¸Yeah, my bad.¡¹


    Novis apologized bluntly.


    Wait a minute!! That¡¯s not how you apologize to others.


    I grabbed Novis by the head and forced him to bow his head to the man.


    ¡¸My apologies. I¡¯ll give this guy a whole lot of scoldingter.¡¹


    I bowed my head together with him.


    ¡¸No, I really don¡¯t mind it any longer you know.¡¹


    The man seems to really have forgiven Novis already.


    ¡¸Hey, big brother. Can you tell me about the one who¡¯s with you? Is she rted to the hero?¡¹


    Big sis Keyna had finally asked the question on everyone¡¯s mind.


    In fact it¡¯s been weighing on my mind since a while ago.


    He was supposed to be Kyouka-sama¡¯s servant. If that was the case, it was only natural to guess that thedy beside him was rted to the hero. And quite an important one to the point that she went as far as hiding her face.


    ¡¸She is¡­ actually¡­ she is my wife.¡¹


    But, the answer we got from that man thwarted all of our expectations.


    Everyone said ¡¸OOOOH!!¡¹ in unison.


    Novis even muttered, ¡°No way!¡±.


    ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m his wife.¡¹


    Thedy puffed her chest proudly. Her gesture caused her already overwhelmingly huge breast to shake even more.


    I felt Novis¡¯ gaze focusing on those shaking breasts.


    ¡¸Well then, we shall excuse ourselves then. I mean, I¡¯m in the middle of sightseeing Ariadya with my wife.¡¹


    After bowing to us for thest time, the man took his leave along with his wife.


    ¡¸No way, he is a¡­ married man.¡¹


    Madi nodded, agreeing with Novis. Sure enough, the wife didn¡¯t give that kind of air at all.


    ¡¸Nevertheless, they seem to be an extremely intimate couple. I¡¯m really jealous of them¡­¡¹


    As the believer of the goddess of marriage, I always yearned for such an ideal married life.

 Chapter 69.2 : Labyrinth Investigation

    <h4>Chapter 69.2 : Labyrinth Investigation</h4>


    ¡¸Oioi, if it¡¯s you Shizufae, I think you can find a nice husband immediately, you see¡­¡¹


    Big sis Keyna replied while looking at Novis.


    ¡¸Geez, you should be the one getting married first, big sis Keyna!! Why haven¡¯t you gotten married yet?¡¹


    ¡¸I think¡­ marriage isn¡¯t for me. By the way, Leylia sure iste.¡¹


    Big sis Keyna changed the topic.


    I heaved a sigh.


    Well, since she didn¡¯t want to continue the conversation about marriage, I guess I should respect her decision.


    I mean, I also didn¡¯t feel like getting married yet. I still remember when my mother used toe to me to talk about marriage interviews all the time.


    Though I couldn¡¯t say that they were lookers even as an emptypliment, the majority of them were honest and rich men in their twenties or thirties.


    I didn¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t want to marry unless they were good looking young men either. I mean, even if for example I really wanted to marry a rich and handsome young man, they were rare existences, and most of them had already married to a princess of a kingdom. As a result, that was the same as me saying that I didn¡¯t want to get married.


    I mean, those rich handsome young men must¡¯ve suffered an extremely bitter experience before they became rich and got married.


    Honestly speaking, those men were really nice people. But, I¡¯d ended up rejecting them.


    There was a time when I thought that my perfect man might not exist but that¡¯s fine with me now.


    Well I guess that¡¯s enough talk about marriage.


    While everyone was talking about the postponement of the opera, Leylia-san finally came up to us.


    ¡¸Sorry I waste everyone.¡¹


    Leylia-san apologized to everyone.


    ¡¸TOO LONG!! YOU TOOK TOO LONG TIME TO COME, LEYLIA-SAN!!¡¹


    I teased her.


    ¡¸Sorry, Shizufae-san. Oh¡­¡¹


    Leylia-san looked at my head.


    ¡¸Hehe, what do you think about my helmet? With this, I¡¯m a battle maiden.¡¹


    I asked Leylia while touching my helmet.


    My helmet was not adorned with wings as decoration on either side.


    I¡¯d officially be Rena-sama¡¯s believer after receiving her divine protection and receiving the title of ¡®Battle Maiden¡¯ from her temple. This helmet was something I got during that time.


    Though I was still also a believer of Faeria-sama, I don¡¯t have any problems with bing Rena-sama¡¯s believer. It¡¯s allowed since Rena-sama is Faeria-sama¡¯s foster child after all.


    Properly speaking, one would be a battle maiden after receiving the divine protection of the angel who served Rena-sama, but the temple gave me special exception by giving me that title.


    Thus, I received this helmet along with the title battle maiden.


    This helmet raised my ability to detect the enemy¡¯s presence and raised my courage.


    By the way, not just anyone could attach the wings ornament on their helmet, only people with battle maiden titles were allowed to do that. Though there really was no punishment for anyone attaching the wings ornament on their helmet.


    ¡¸Yeah, it look really good on you.¡¹


    Leylia-san replied with a smile on her face.


    ¡¸Then, let¡¯s get going.¡¹


    Everyone collectively let out a shout in reply when I said so.


    ===


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    ¡¸Kuroki. There¡¯s so many people around. Shall I st them to bits?¡¹


    I wonder how many times Kuna¡¯s repeated those scary words today?


    ¡¸You can¡¯t, Kuna. If you st them to bi¡ª¡¹


    Come to think of it, Rena said the exact same thing before. Was the reason that Kuna is saying the same thing because she was made based on Rena?


    At noon, both Kuna and I were walking side by side in the Republic of Ariadya, basking under the sunlight.


    Though I didn¡¯t agree with Kuna¡¯s decision, she might be right about the number of people.


    The majority of them might be tourists who wanted to meet Reiji. And even if they¡¯re not, there are many foreigners whoe to visit Ariadya.


    Originally, the Republic of Ariadya was a country located in the western part of the eastern region of the central continent. That¡¯s why it got so many foreign visitors all year round.


    I looked at the traveler-like people who were walking along the main street of Ariadya.


    The ones who were wearing boots and trousers might be people who¡¯de from the East. The eastern part of the continent was mainlyposed of forests and mountains. That¡¯s why most of its inhabitants wore trousers to prevent their skin getting scratched by branches or shrubs.


    On the contrary, the people from the west, mainly from the Saird inlet, didn¡¯t wear trousers and wore sandals on their bare feet.


    Naturally there were some exceptions. The citizens of the countries which are close to the sea in the eastern part wore sandals, and the citizens of the countries which are close to forests and mountains in the western part wore boots and trousers.


    And Ariadya, which became the gathering ce for east and west culture, eventually became the melting pot of fashion in this world.


    Since there were so many travelers from east and west gathering together in the central za, we could barely move forward.


    Moreover, Kuna must¡¯ve had a hard time walking since both her body and face were covered by a veil. That must be the main reason for her irritation.


    That is also the reason why she almost killed Shizufae who greeted us a while ago.


    Maybe it¡¯s much better if we returned as soon as possible.


    ¡¸Shall we go back, Kuna?¡¹


    Kuna shook her head when I asked her.


    ¡¸No, Kuna wants to walk a while longer like this with Kuroki.¡¹


    Kuna hugged my left arm, the feeling of her big, soft yet bouncy br*asts was perfectly transmitted onto my left arm.


    Maybe it¡¯s just my misunderstanding, but Kuna¡¯s irritation might be because I rarely have a date like this with her. That¡¯s why she wanted to fully enjoy the moment without any interruption.


    ¡¸Well then, please take my hand, mydy.¡¹


    We¡¯re about to arrive at the ce that sold sherbert.


    I¡¯d gone to that ce once before with Rena. And now, I was once again going to that same ce.


    ¡¸Uhm? For some reason, this ce seems to be familiar to me. It¡¯s the ce where I ate sherbert with Kuroki in my dream.¡¹


    I was frozen stiff upon hearing Kuna¡¯s unexpected remark.


    Wait a minute, what did she mean?


    Could it be that Kuna and Rena have some sort of mental connection?


    And then, I noticed something.


    If Kuna was seeing Rena¡¯s dream, would that mean the opposite could happen?


    If that was the case, it was only natural for Rena to know about my trend.


    Rena definitely knew about Kuna¡¯s existence.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Kuroki?¡¹


    Since I suddenly fell silent as I pondered over this matter. Kuna looked up at my face with a puzzled look on her face.


    ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing.¡¹


    I replied with a smile to Kuna.


    There was nothing I could do about that situation anyway. I shouldn¡¯t think about another person aside from Kuna right now. Nothing could be done even if some information was leaked from my side.


    ¡¸I see, let¡¯s continue, Kuroki!!¡¹


    Kuna pulled my hand.


    My mood brightens whenever I see the smile on her face. There was no particrly troublesome information that could¡¯ve leaked out anyways.


    Rather, let¡¯s show off this situation to Rena!!


    I walked alongside Kuna as I thought that way.


    ===


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    The next day, Reiji and I visited the general¡¯s office. The reason was to form an investigation team for Karkinos¡¯ incidentst night.


    The reason why it was only the two of us was because Shirone, Rino and Nao were having too much fun dancingst night. Sahoko was looking after those three while Kyouka and Kaya had returned to the Holy Republic of Lenaria for some business matters.


    Reiji was still asleep too, but I¡¯d forced him to wake up to apany me.


    Upon entering the room, Decius and sus were already waiting in there for our arrival.


    ¡¸Please enjoy, gob.¡¹


    The goblin ve who was employed by sus offered tea for us.


    I barely stopped myself from thanking that goblin.


    I¡¯d already learned my lesson to never thank a goblin ve.


    ording to my investigation, it seems that the one who used goblin ves was a magician called Hobadis. Thus, the goblins who were turned into ves came to be called Hobadis Goblins. Many would abbreviate it as ¡°HobGoblin¡±.


    Magician Hobadis was a busy person who was often away from his home due to his job. That¡¯s why he wanted a servant who could protect his home when he was away. Thus, his attention moved toward the goblins, using suggestion magic on a goblin to turn it into a ve and a faithful ¡¸House Spirit¡¹.


    Since HobGoblins were a goblin who were nted with the idea of the goblin being a human ve with suggestion magic, the effect of the magic might wear off if we didn¡¯t treat them like ves.


    That¡¯s why their meals, such as bread and milk, have to be leftover food. And we couldn¡¯t give them clothes inappropriate for a ve.


    If by some sort of mishap they were given excellent clothes unbefitting of a ve, they might say ¡¸Maybe I actually am not a ve, then I¡¯ll sto~p being one.¡¹.


    That¡¯s why I mustn¡¯t thank the goblin ve. Because that¡¯s how you treat a ve.


    The hobgoblin left the room after delivering our tea.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s be honest¡­ we actually have no idea about what to do with this case.¡¹


    Decius spoke in an apologetic manner.


    Reiji, who was sitting by my side, didn¡¯t even try to hide his disappointment.


    ¡¸I see¡­ I guess we have no choice but to use straightforward methods, huh. General sus, how many personel you can allot for this case?¡¹


    I looked at sus.


    The general office existed exactly for this reason: investigating by relying on the number of personnel.


    Due to the small number of Oudith temple¡¯s knights ofw, they couldn¡¯t be relied on for arge-scale investigation.


    ¡¸I can prepare any number of soldiers you need, Chiyuki-dono. If that¡¯s not enough, let¡¯s call several freedom fighters from Teseshia.¡¹


    sus replied with a heartyugh. Now that we have secured the personel we needed, what should we do next?


    When I was pondering about that, another visitor came to the general office.


    The one who came was Shizufae and co.


    ¡¸Sorry, we arete.¡¹


    Shizufae bowed to us.


    ¡¸No, it¡¯s okay. We also just arrived a moment ago.¡¹


    When Reiji replied with a refreshing smile on his face, Novis made a disgruntled face which was in contrast to his femalerade.


    It seems he came too.


    The reason might be to protect Shizufae from Reiji¡¯s evil ws.


    ¡¸Eh, Shizufae-san. That helmet? Could it be that you became a believer of Goddess Rena?¡¹


    The helmet on Shizufae¡¯s head resembled the one worn by the battle maidens.


    Rena¡¯s holy bird was a swan. That¡¯s why her battle maidens wore a helmet with swan wings ornament on its side.


    In addition, the battle maidens were known as Swan¡¯s Maiden while their male counterpart, the temple knight of Holy Republic Lenaria, were known as Cygnus¡¯ Knight.


    And the current Shizufae was wearing that very ornamental helmet.


    ¡¸Yes, I received divine protection from Rena-sama.¡¹


    Shizufae spoke with an extremely delightful smile.


    ¡¸Hee, that suits you, Shizufae-chan.¡¹

 Chapter 69.3: Labyrinth Investigation

    <h4>Chapter 69.3: Labyrinth Investigation</h4>


    ¡¸Thank you for the praise, Reiji-sama. Come to think of it, we met with that male attendant before we arrived.¡¹


    ¡¸Male attendant?¡¹


    I had no idea who she was talking about.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know about this male attendant. Do you know about this, Chiyuki?¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯ve no idea either, Reiji-kun. Maybe it¡¯s just someone who got hired by Kyouka-san.¡¹


    Kyouka has been building her ownpany along with Kaya. That man might be someone hired by Kyouka during this time. Basically, she¡¯d employed nothing but women so far, but it didn¡¯t mean that she didn¡¯t employ men at all.


    ¡¸¡­ Is that so? I heard that man is Shirone-sama¡¯s old acquaintance though?¡¹


    Shizufae told us with a puzzled look on her face.


    ¡¸Shirone?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. And he was apanied by his wife.¡¹


    I became even more confused. I had no idea that Shirone was acquainted with a married man.


    ¡¸I really don¡¯t know about that nor that Shirone ever told us about that man.¡¹


    Reiji spoke with a slightly vexed tone.


    I also had no idea regarding the man¡¯s identity. Apparently Shizufae is saying that this ¡°old acquaintance¡± was someone she knew from the Holy Republic of Lenaria? I mean, it hasn¡¯t been that long since we came to this world and the Holy Republic of Lenaria was the first ce we were summoned to and our base at the same time.


    In the first ce, when did she get acquainted with such a man? And a married one on top of that?


    ¡¸Shizufae-san, do you by chance know that man¡¯s name?¡¹


    I tried to ask Shizufae.


    ¡¸My apologies. I never ask about his name¡­ uhm¡­¡¹


    Shizufae then looked at herrades.


    All of them shook their heads in response. It seems that no one¡¯s ever heard of that man¡¯s name.


    ¡¸Well since no one knows his name, he might be just your average Joey. In the first ce, that man might happened to have been hired by Kyouka.¡¹


    Reiji spoke bluntly.


    Surely it must be just as Reiji said. That man must¡¯ve just been someone who happened to have been hired by Kyouka.


    It might be some sort of misunderstanding because Shizufae said that man was Shirone¡¯s ¡°old acquaintance.¡±


    ¡¸Well, that might be the case. Anyway, let¡¯s start the meeting.¡¹


    I decided to put the matter about the man out of my head.


    ¡¸Well, as a start, I think we have to start by investigating every single participant in thest night¡¯s banquet.¡¹


    When I looked at everyone as I said that, sus and Dekius shed a bitter smile on their faces.


    That was natural. The number of participants at the banquet were simply far too many. It wasn¡¯t just the guests we had to cross-examine, it was EVERYONE, including the guards and performers. That¡¯s why we need many people to finish this as soon as possible.


    ¡¸Well, it¡¯ll be easier if we¡¯ve some clues but¡­ I guess we can leave the males participants to the soldiers, general sus and Decius-dono. Shizufae and co along with us will investigate the females one. Is that okay with you?¡¹


    Shizufae-san agreed with my idea. Most of the soldiers are men after all.


    It was why I was asking Shizufae-san and co¡¯s help since we¡¯recking the manpower to investigate the females.


    ¡¸Leave it to me!! I¡¯ll investigate those fe-BUGYAAA!!¡¹


    Shizufaended an elbow strike against Novis¡¯ nk, preventing him from finishing whatever he wanted to say.


    ¡¸My apologies. I¡¯ll make sure to prevent this guy from recklessly trying to get himself killed again¡­¡¹


    Shizufae apologized to us for Novis.


    Come to think of it, I almost forgot about this guy. Well, he shouldn¡¯t cause any problems as long as Shizufae¡¯s keeping an eye on him¡­ maybe.


    ¡¸Ha~h. Well, that¡¯s all and next is¡­¡¹


    Just as I was about to proceed to talk about the next n, another person came in to inform us about the next visitor.


    The name of the visitor was Midas. ording to what I know, he¡¯s the leader of a theater troupe.


    ¡¸Midas-leader might have brought news rting to my sister. Please allow me to leave for while since this matter is rted to me.¡¹


    When Decius was about to leave his seat, Reiji cut in.


    ¡¸Wait a minute. This is rted to that dancer called Sienna, right? Since she was literally present during that incident, I think we should know about this matter too.¡¹


    Reiji¡¯s words reminded everyone of that fact.


    Sure enough, she did perform during the Karkinos¡¯ attack. As expected of Reiji, being able to remember a girl¡¯s name even though he only saw her face once.


    But I have to ask the rted person¡¯s permission first.


    ¡¸You¡¯re right. So, Decius-dono, will you allow us to join you too?¡¹


    When I asked him, Decius nodded to me.


    ¡¸¡­ I understand. This way please.¡¹


    Decius agreed to our request, albeit with a slightly troubled face.


    A man entered the room. A tall man.


    ¡¸It¡¯s nice to meet you, Hero-sama. My name is Midas, the leader of the Donkey¡¯s Ear Troupe.¡¹


    Midas¡¯ voice was¡­ rather peculiar.


    His voice sounds strange for a man. Even Reiji was knitting eyebrows as he detected that peculiarity.


    ¡¸Reiji-dono and Chiyuki-dono, Midas leader is an ardent devotee of Goddess Ishtar-sama.¡¹


    Having sensed my puzzlement, Decius exined to us.


    ¡¸Aaah, no wonder¡­¡¹


    Now I understand where my difort came from.


    The male ardent devotees of the Goddess of Love and Beauty, Ishtar, have to offer their genitals to the goddess in a sacred ritual.


    After offering their genitals, the sacred ritual continued on with them singing, dancing, performing kata with sword and shield, and hitting drums for an entire night to show their devotion toward the goddess.


    In short, the man called Midas castrated himself on his own will. Or should I say that ¡°He¡± was treated as a woman in Ishtar faith.


    And that was the nature of the peculiar air about ¡°him¡±. Midas was a woman in a man¡¯s body.


    ¡¸Is there something that I can help you with, Midas-leader?¡¹


    When Decius asked that question, Midas replied with a troubled face.


    ¡¸Decius-sama. The truth is, Sienna has yet to go back after she went outst night.¡¹


    ¡¸SIENNA!!?¡¹


    Midas nodded.


    ¡¸I won¡¯t say anything if it¡¯s the other troupe¡¯s member. Sienna always tells me whenever she mightete. She has yet to go back after she leftst night. That¡¯s why I started to look for her when she didn¡¯t show herself this morning. That¡¯s why I think that I need to to inform Decius-dono about this matter¡­¡¹


    The male camp, safe for Decius, made a rather peculiar look on their face when Midas said those words.


    ¡¸That Sienna hasn¡¯t¡­e back¡­ could it be¡­¡¹


    After thinking for a while, Decius took something from his back pocket.


    It was something long and narrow, wrapped in cloth.


    ¡¸What¡¯s that?¡¹


    ¡¸This is something she entrusted to me before she left and said to open in case something happen.¡¹


    Decius replied to sus.


    ¡¸Do you know the content, Decius-dono?¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know, Chiyuki-dono. Sienna told me to not see the content unless something happens after all¡­ But, this thing might be rted to Sienna¡¯s disappearance. Now let see what¡¯s the content.¡¹


    Thus, Decius unfolded the cloth with a troubled face.


    And the thing wrapped inside that cloth was a long pipe.


    ¡¸T-THIS IS!!!¡¹


    Midas let out a surprised voice.


    Everyone¡¯s eyes focused on Midas.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Decius?¡¹


    ¡¸N-no, it¡¯s nothing¡­¡¹


    But, Midas¡¯ face paled as she said that.


    ¡¸This is a flute. But the most intriguing fact about this flute is the fact that it has an inscription on it. Can you check this, Chiyuki-dono?¡¹


    Decius handed over the flute to me.


    Reiji, who sat by my side, was also looking at the flute in my hand with a curious look on my face.


    ¡¸Sure enough, it¡¯s magician¡¯s crest.¡¹


    Just as Reiji had said. There was a pentagram, a magician¡¯s crest, crafted on the surface of the flute.


    The pentagram was the holy crest of Totona, Goddess of Book and Knowledge, and also crest of magician association.


    So the magicians in this world were also using a pentagram as their crest huh. Even back in Japan, the pentagram has been used as the crest of curse or magic, they called it Seimei crest.


    But, the one drawn on this flute was different.


    ¡¸I think it¡¯s not a magician¡¯s crest, Reiji-kun. Looking at the direction of the letter, this part should be ce on top.¡¹


    I shook my head and then reversed the direction of the flute.


    Thus, the pentagram became a reverse pentagram.


    ¡¸Reverse pentagram¡­ ck goat head¡¯s crest¡­ the demon king¡¯s worshipper.¡¹


    The one who muttered was the magician called Madi. It was natural for her, a magician, to know about this crest.


    I also agree with her.


    The reverse pentagram, or widely known as ck goat head¡¯s crest, was the crest of the evil god, Loughas Satanakia, a subordinate of the demon king.


    Though the person himself didn¡¯t show up when we invaded Nargol, we fought many of his subordinates, the lesser demons who held the banner with this crest.


    In addition, it wasn¡¯t just the worshipper of that evil god, many worshipers of the demon king amongst the humans used this crest. In short, the one who held this flute might be the worshipper of the demon king.


    ¡¸IMPOSSIBLE!! WHY DID SIENNA HAVE THIS KIND OF THING!??¡¹


    Decius raised his voice as he stood up from his chair.


    ¡¸Calm down Decius-dono. Can you exin what kind of thing this is to us¡­ Chiyuki-dono?¡¹


    sus asked me for an exnation.


    ¡¸I feel a magical power from this flute. In addition, it seems to be a tool to control something¡­ Maybe, it¡¯s possible to control the Karkinos with this flute at the banquetst night.¡¹


    After I examined the flute using magical power perception and exined my finding to everyone, they made a surprised look on their face.


    ¡¸How did Decius-dono¡¯s little sister-kune to have this kind of thing? Could it be that she was the culprit ofst night¡¯s incident?¡¹


    ¡¸GENERAL CLASUS!!! SIENNA ISN¡¯T THE CULPRIT!!!¡¹


    Decius denied sus immediately.


    ¡¸I agree with him. If she really is the culprit, there¡¯s no way she will let her big brother, knight ofw, keep such an important item. Maybe she found this flute on that ce and gave it to her brother.¡¹


    Reiji has the same opinion as Decius.


    Reiji¡¯s deduction could rival that of a famous detective when ites to protecting women.


    ¡¸It¡¯s still too soon to decide whether she¡¯s the culprit or not, but I think she has the key rted to the Karkinos incident. This flute aside, could it be that the man who disguised as satyr is the culprit of this incident?¡¹


    I looked at the flute.


    This flute was one of the clues about Karkinos¡¯ incident. Since the yer needs to inte their cheeks when they blow this flute, their face must be funny when they do that.


    Therefore, many nobles choose to y harp as their hobby. That¡¯s why the majority of the flute yers were performers.


    And those said performer was none other than the one who performed duringst night¡¯s banquet.


    Could it be that this flute was yed during that incident?


    ¡¸Indeed¡­ the satyrs did y their flute during that incident.¡¹


    sus agreed too.


    ¡¸If I¡¯m not wrong, the satyrs during that incident is¡­¡¹


    I looked at Midas. I remember that Sienna said that one of the satyr was a fellow member of Midas¡¯ troupe.


    ¡¸¡­ The satyrs should be the member of our troupe¡­¡¹


    Midas spoke helplessly.


    ¡¸I see, she found out that the culprit is the one who blew this flute. But she tried to resolve this incident on her own to protect the troupe. And leave this flute as insurance in case something happened to her, right?¡¹


    Reiji made a guess.


    ¡¸THEN, SIENNA MUST BE IN DANGER RIGHT NOW!!! LET¡¯S HURRY UP TO SAVE HER!!!¡¹


    ¡¸Please calm yourself, Decius-dono. It¡¯s still too soon to say that she is in danger.¡¹


    I understand his feelings since I was the same as him. I wouldn¡¯t be able to keep my cool if I knew that myrade was in danger. But, we couldn¡¯t lose our cool right now.


    ¡¸Midas leader. Can you give us the permission to conduct an investigation in your troupe?¡¹


    I asked Midas.


    ¡¸Sure¡­ I¡¯ve no other choice anyway.¡¹


    Midas agreed to my request.


    ¡¸I guess we don¡¯t need to cross-examine everyone anymore.¡¹


    I looked at everyone in this ce. Though I feel bad for Decius, it was a good thing that we could cut the time we needed to cross-examine every participant.


    Thus, we went to investigate Midas¡¯ troupe.

 Chapter 70.1: Song God’s Theater

    <h4>Chapter 70.1: Song God¡¯s Theater</h4>


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    ¡¸Fuwa~. Five more minutes, Chiyuki-sa~n¡­¡¹


    Nao spoke while yawning.


    When I looked around, I saw Rino and Shirone¡¯s udylike appearance. The same went for Sahoko, she was a bit on the lighter side though.


    It¡¯s already past noon. You guys just danced around too muchst night.


    ¡¸Sorry Nao-san, but we can only rely on your power for this investigation.¡¹


    After this, we¡¯re going to head towards the grand theater in the Republic of Ariadya.


    The reason was because the members of Donkey¡¯s Ear theater troupe led by Midas were gathered there.


    We were led by Midas to the theater.


    Other than Midas, there was Reiji, Nao, Rino, Shirone, Sahoko andstly Decius.


    General sus didn¡¯t go with us since he still has some business to finish. Though Shizufae and co wanted toe along, we couldn¡¯t bring too many people with us.


    The journey until we arrived at the theater was uneventful.


    ¡¸Hee~ Such a huge theater.¡¹


    Rino spoke with her usual cheerful voice.


    The name of this theater was Alphos theater.


    Alphos was the older brother of Rena, a male god who ruled over song and arts. This theater was built to revere that god.


    ording to the myth of this world, Alphos was the most handsome god in this world. There was endless gossip about his rtionships with women.


    One of them was the story about Ishtar and Faeria quarreling about his upbringing since his childhood.


    Since none of them were willing to back down, Alphos ended up raised by those two goddesses.


    And then, because of the influence of his step-mother, Ishtar, Alphos¡¯ believers mainly came from Ishtar¡¯s believers.


    ¡¸Please wait here for a while Hero-sama, I¡¯m going to call the prie~st.¡¹


    Midas spoke while sending a sidelong nce to Reiji.


    Reiji seemed to be frightened by that.


    The one who managed this theater was Alphos¡¯ believer. The one Midas referred to as priest was Alphos¡¯ faith¡¯s priest.


    Midas entered the inner part of the theater, leaving us behind.


    The theater wasn¡¯t the semi-circr type. It was full circle like that of a colosseum. The guest seating was also encircling the center, and the height of the seats became lower the closer it was to the center.


    We¡¯re currently waiting right at the entrance of the theater.


    ¡¸Chiyuki-san, is this some sort of relief?¡¹


    Shirone looked at the giant relief-like thing at the entrance of the theater.


    It was a relief of a man wielding a bow and arrows, fighting against a strange monster.


    ¡¸This is Alphos, Shirone-san. Right, Decius-dono?¡¹


    I looked at Decius for confirmation.


    ¡¸You¡¯re correct.¡¹


    Decius replied to me.


    ¡¸What is this Albadon thingy, Chiyuki?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s a myth, Reiji-kun. Republic Ariadya was attacked by the evil god called Badon right after its founding. Records state that there were numerous casualties during that incident but the said evil god was then yed by the arrow fired by Alphos. This theater was built to praise him. And then, this relief was carved in ordance with that event. After Alphos defeated Al Badon, its name waster shortened to Evil God Badon. Or else, also called Albadon.¡¹


    I exined to Reiji.


    ¡¸As expected of the ck Haired Sage. You¡¯re correct.¡¹


    When I looked at the direction from where that voice came from, I saw a woman standing right there.


    ¡¸It¡¯s nice to meet you, Hero of Light-sama. My name is Clio, a priest of Alphos-sama who¡¯s responsible for this theater.¡¹


    Clio greeted us.


    We were fascinated by Clio. She was a beauty with porcin white skin and slightly wavy blue hair.


    But, there¡¯s something that I¡¯m worrying about with her.


    Clio¡¯s ears were pointed. In short, she was an elf.


    That was unusual.


    Elves in human society aren¡¯t that rare. But, this was the first time I saw one of them gaining such high status in human society.


    Elves holding a notable social position in human society was a rarity. It wasn¡¯t because discrimination, it was simply because the elves were rarely interested in being involved with human society.


    In short, this elf was one of those rare types.


    ¡¸Hee~. An elf huh. But, you¡¯re not dryad right, onee-san? You have a tinge of sea smell on you.¡¹


    Nao said so while squinting her eyes.


    ¡¸Indeed, I¡¯m not a dryad, I¡¯m a Nereid.¡¹


    Clio replied with a smile on her face.


    Nereid was one of the elf branches.


    In addition, different from dryad who mainly reside in the forest, they¡¯re the type of elves that excel in music and live by the sea.


    In addition, nereids were famous for their beauty. That¡¯s why they became the target of many races.


    The story in which a poor nereid was forced to be the wife of a cyclops after thetter killed the former lover was famous.


    ¡¸How rare. The god must be delighted knowing that such beautiful elf is the priest of the temple in the human country.¡¹


    Reiji gave praise while touching Clio¡¯s hair.


    ¡¸Fufufu, quite a yer aren¡¯t you, Hero-sama.¡¹


    Clio was smiling happily as she ced her hand on her cheeks.


    Sahoko and Rino raised a groan upon seeing that.


    ¡¸Clio-dono! There¡¯s a demon king¡¯s worshipper amongst the members of the donkey¡¯s ear troupe!!! We¡¯ve to investigate this matter immediately!!! Depending on the result, we might have to stop the next y!! Please give us permission!!¡¹


    Decius forced his way between Reiji and Clio.


    Reiji reluctantly separated himself from Clio.


    Good job, Decius.


    I praised Decius in my mind.


    ¡¸That¡¯s definitely a huge problem. The y is something we do to praise Alphos-sama. If we suddenly cancelled the y midway¡­¡¹


    Clio looked at Midas.


    Midas heaved a sigh as if apologizing.


    If I was in his position, I would do the same if one of my performers was missing. But, themon sense of this world was different. More than anything else, Clio seemed to hesitate to stop the y which was equivalent to praising God Alphos.


    ¡¸Surely, this is a rude request but, now, even our main actress, Sienna, is lost too¡­ It¡¯s not like we can find her recement immediately¡­¡¹


    Midas spoke, but his eyes were swimming.


    And then, Midas¡¯ eyes stopped at a certain ce.


    ¡¸Uhm, is something the matter?¡¹


    Shirone asked since Midas was staring daggers at her.


    ¡¸This is it! Shirone-sama!! Please rece Sienna to y as the temporary lead role!!!¡¹


    Midas rushed over to Shirone and grabbed her hand.


    Shirone¡¯s mouth fell wide open, unable to hide her surprise when Midas suddenly grabbed her hands.


    And then, a few secondster.


    ¡¸EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH!!!¡¹


    ===


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    The sunlight was shining down upon the arena in the center of Alphos¡¯ ceilingless theater.


    It seems they could still perform even during the rain as long as they unfolded the tent but it wasn¡¯t necessary during such good, sunny weather.


    The member of Donkey¡¯s Ear troupe was in the middle of rehearsing in the arena.


    ¡¸THIS IS APOSSIBLE, CHIYUKI-SAN!!!¡¹


    Shirone told me so,pletely against the idea of her substituting in for Sienna.


    ¡¸Is that so? I mean, you¡¯re the best shot for this role, Shirone-sa~n.¡¹


    ¡¸Let me tell you, Rino-chan!! I really am not suited for the lead role!!!¡¹


    Shirone refused vehemently.


    The name of the drama that Shirone refused to y was ¡ºArfelia¡». It was the story of a princess who went on a journey to save the prince who¡¯d gotten kidnapped by an evil witch.


    Shirone was asked by Midas to y the role of Arfelia.


    The main lead, Arfelia, was a knight and also a princess in addition to being a sword master.


    Surely, the character of the female lead matched with Shirone.


    ¡¸Is that so? I think that role suit you though.¡¹


    Reiji spoke with a wide grin on his face.


    He didn¡¯t even try to hide the amused look on his face.


    ¡¸IMPOSSIBLE, I TELL YOU!! RATHER, RINO-CHAN IS MORE SUITED FOR THAT ROLE RIGHT!!?¡¹


    Shirone tried to shift the topic to Rino.


    ¡¸Uhm. That princess character isn¡¯t suited for Rino though.¡¹


    Rino t out rejected Shirone¡¯s idea.


    Both Rino and Reiji have a wide grin on their faces. They really are simr when ites to this kind of stuff, huh.


    ¡¸PLEASE PLAY THIS ROLE FOR US, SHIRONE-SAMA!!!¡¹


    Midas pleaded to Shirone.


    Shirone was slowly being overwhelmed by Midas¡¯ sultry face.


    Despite trying to dump this request to someone else, Shirone didn¡¯t seem to be able to abandon a troubled person.


    ¡¸You mustn¡¯t force her, Midas leader.¡¹


    A woman emerged from the members who were in the middle of rehearsal.


    At a nce, she was a beauty in the middle of her twenties. But, I knew that figure was only a fake.


    That woman was using magic to slightly alter her appearance. Her real age should be around thetter half of her thirties, or first half of her forties.


    A normal person wouldn¡¯t be able to notice that fact but she wouldn¡¯t be able to deceive our eyes.


    The subtle look on everyone¡¯s face had convinced me about that fact.


    What is her name I wonder?


    ¡¸It¡¯s not like we can postpone the y with our lead missing, Ainoe. I really think that we should ask Shirone-sama to help us.¡¹


    ¡¸But still, you really shouldn¡¯t force her, leader. Even if you say that Sienna is missing, I¡¯m the one who yed the role of the princess before her.¡¹


    Such an exchange was happening in front of us.


    And then, I recalled something upon hearing the name of the woman.


    ¡¸You, could it be that you¡¯re that great actress Ainoe-san?¡¹


    I entered in between the two.


    Thereupon, the woman called Ainoe looked at me.


    The great actress Ainoe was a famous figure in the Republic of Ariadya. I heard that the majority of the middle-aged men of this country¡¯s big shots were her fans.


    And then, she was also the one who yed as princess Arfelia up untilst year.

 Chapter 70.2: Song God’s Theater

    <h4>Chapter 70.2: Song God¡¯s Theater</h4>


    But now, that role was relegated to Sienna, Decius¡¯ little sister. Thus, I have been wondering how she feels about that change of role?


    ¡¸Indeed, hero-sama. My name is Ainoe. May I ask the reason for the sudden visit from the famous hero-sama in this ce?¡¹


    Ainoe looked at us with a puzzled look on her face.


    ¡¸Long time no see, Ainoe-dono. Thank you for caring for my sister all this time.¡¹


    Decius stepped forward to greet Ainoe.


    ¡¸Oh my? To think that even Decius-dono hase too. Long time no see, Decius-dono, I wonder how long it¡¯s been since thest time you visited us? If my memory serves me right, it should be during Sienna¡¯s enrollment, right? Nevertheless, may I inquire about your business too? Did something happen?¡¹


    Ainoe spoke with a mysterious smile on her face.


    ¡¸The truth is, Sienna hasn¡¯te back sincest night. Plus, Sienna¡¯s disappearance seems to be rted to the demon king¡¯s worshippers. And that said worshipper might be the member of this troupe.¡¹


    The smile vanished from Ainoe¡¯s face as soon as she heard Decius¡¯ words.


    ¡¸Demon King¡¯s worshipper? How do you know about it?¡¹


    ¡¸From the flute that was left behind afterst night¡¯s incident. Please take a look at this flute. There¡¯s the ck goat¡¯s crest on it, right?¡¹


    Decius retrieved the flute from his pocket.


    Ainoe¡¯s eyes opened wide upon seeing that flute.


    ¡¸Sienna found this flute afterst night¡¯s incident and entrusted it to me. I heard that the man who was masquerading as satyr and yed this flute is a member of this troupe. Did you happen to know what happens in this troupe, Ainoe-dono?¡¹


    ¡¸Marchas!!!¡¹


    Ainoe suddenly shouted a name.


    Since her voice was so loud, all the members of the troupe looked at AInoe.


    ¡¸Ainoe-dono?¡¹


    Decius asked timidly at Ainoe.


    ¡¸My apologies, Decius-dono. I have no idea about this matter.¡¹


    Ainoe replied so, whispering¡¸Hohoho¡¹ in an almost inaudible voice.


    But, I didn¡¯t fail to hear thatugh.


    Marchas should be the name of the satyr who fell in the sea duringst night¡¯s incident.


    Why did she shout that name out of nowhere?


    ¡¸First, my apologies for suddenly interrupting you, Ainoe-san. Do you by chance know the owner of this flute? If I¡¯m not wrong, the one called Marchas should be the one that was masquerading as satyrst night?¡¹


    I asked Ainoe.


    ¡¸¡­ No, I don¡¯t know.¡¹


    Ainoe shook her head.


    I knew something was off when I saw that gesture.


    Let¡¯s try to ask Rinoter. Rino has the ability to detect lies. From this short exchange I was almost convinced that Ainoe was lying to us.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, I didn¡¯t see Marchas¡¯ figure today. He~y, anyone know where Marchas is right now?¡¹


    Midas went towards the other members while asking that question.


    ¡¸Marchas¡­ Come to think of it, that guy is suspicious right?¡¹


    Everyone seemingly agreed with Reiji on this point. To be honest, Ainoe, who didn¡¯t unveil her real face to everyone, was equally suspicious.


    Midas returned a short whileter.


    ¡¸It seems that guy has yet toe back after he went outst night.¡¹


    Midas frowned while telling us that news.


    ¡¸What¡¯s happening, Midas-dono?¡¹


    ¡¸Well¡­ I happened to hear from the other member that Sienna seems to have been tailing Marchasst night.¡¹


    We looked at each other¡¯s faces upon hearing that remark.


    ¡¸I see¡­ do you know where that Marchas-san went to?¡¹


    Midas shook their* head upon hearing my question. [*since Midas¡¯ gender isn¡¯t clear, we¡¯ll be using they/them to refer to them!]


    ¡¸No, unfortunately not amongst my acquaintances.¡¹


    ¡¸Could it be that he went to that kind of ce?¡¹


    ¡¸Maybe, he went to drink in a certain ce in the western outer town but¡­ maybe it¡¯s better to ask the person himself, right?¡¹


    ¡¸Yup. Well since we want to discuss something amongst ourselves, we shall take a leave for now.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes¡­ ma¡¯am.¡¹


    After Midas agreed to my request, I then took everyone to a slightly separated ce, away from Midas and Ainoe.


    ¡¸Well then, Rino-san, was Ainoe-san lying just now?¡¹


    Rino nodded to answer my question.


    ¡¸She¡¯s lying. It seems that she knew about the flute.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, I felt the same.¡¹


    The one who agreed with Rino was Decius.


    ¡¸Do you have the power to distinguish lies too, lord Decius?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes Sage-dono, I got that power from the one who grant me the divine protection, Sulsha-sama.¡¹


    Decius replied with a smile on his face.


    Sulsha was the name of the archangel who was hailed as the God Oudith¡¯s ears, otherwise known as the inspector.


    The duty of this angel was investigating the events that happened in the human realm and reporting them to Oudith. In addition, it seems this angel interfered with events every once in a while in order to enliven humanity.


    That angel also bestowed its divine protection to the Oudith¡¯s priests with bright prospects.


    It seems Decius¡¯ talents were recognized by Sulsha. He might be able to use other magic too.


    ¡¸By the way, we¡¯ve got two suspects here. What should we do with them, Chiyuki-san?¡¹


    ¡¸How about we split into two teams? One team will stay here to observe Ainoe-san while the other team goes to investigate Marchas¡¯ whereabouts. That¡¯s why, Shirone-san¡­ ¡¹


    I looked at Shirone.


    ¡¸What¡¯s matter, Chiyuki-san?¡¹


    ¡¸You may ept Midas leader offer to y as the heroine.¡¹


    Shirone shook her head when I told her so.


    ¡¸Eh¡­ why?¡¹


    ¡¸To avoid Ainoe-san¡¯s suspicions. She might just be a pawn while the real culprit is hiding in the dark. We have to let her go to meet the mastermind. I think having Shirone-san epting the princess role to get close to Ainoe-san is the best choice.¡¹


    Ainoe used magic to change her appearance. She might not be a magician. Someone else might have used magic on her to hide her real appearance.


    Our job was finding that person.


    ¡¸Then, it¡¯ll be easier if you use Rino¡¯s magic¡­¡¹


    Shirone replied with a reluctant look on her face.


    Surely, it would be faster if we used Rino¡¯s mind reading magic.


    But, Ainoe-san might be connected to that person with magic.


    ¡¸Surely, it¡¯ll be faster if we use that method. But, there¡¯s a possibility of the true culprit escaping if we use Rino¡¯s mind dive to read her memories. For example, if that person uses their familiars to observe the situation.That¡¯s why I want to avoid using Rino-san¡¯s magic.¡¹


    I recalled the matter that was caught by Nao-san before. The mastermind might notice if we used magic on Ainoe-san.


    ¡¸Uuuh.~¡¹


    Shirone groaned. It seems she¡¯s really against this idea.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Shirone-san. Rino will assist you?¡¹


    Rino said cheerfully.


    ¡¸I want to see Shirone in a princess costume too. I think it will suit you.¡¹


    Reiji was grinning ear to ear as he ced his hand on Shirone¡¯s shoulder.


    In fact, I wanted to see it too.


    Naturally, I wouldn¡¯t tell Shirone about this.


    ¡¸After that, the mastermind might prepare something for us. That¡¯s why you¡¯ll be a decoy for us. The other party might be lurking in darkness, waiting for their chance, rather thaning at us. This is something that I learnt from the battle against Labrys.¡¹


    I continued nonchntly, hiding my true intentions.


    ¡¸Uuh. Okay, I understand. But, only during the investigation! I¡¯ll stop as soon as we¡¯re done with the investigation!!¡¹


    Shirone agreed reluctantly after being persuaded by Reiji, Rino, and I.


    ¡¸Sage-dono, I¡¯ve been suspecting the man called Marchas.¡¹


    Decius spoke.


    ¡¸I guess it¡¯s decided then. Shirone-san, Rino-san, Sahoko-san, and Reiji-kun.¡¹


    ¡¸Uhm, I understand, Chiyuki-san.¡¹


    Sahoko nodded to me.


    I included Sahoko since she could be Reiji¡¯s stopper.


    ¡¸Lastly, me, Nao-san, and Decius-san will go to investigate Marchas¡¯ whereabout.¡¹


    Nao and Decius nodded.


    Upon looking at him, I found out that Decius¡¯ skin was paler than before, it must be because he was worrying about his sister, Sienna.


    I also prayed for Sienna¡¯s safety.


    I hope she is still alive.


    ===


    ¡ôDancer, Sienna


    Sienna¡­ Sienna¡­


    I heard my brother¡¯s voice calling my name from the other side of the darkness.


    My brother must be worrying about me right now.


    Reason being I have still yet to go back.


    The moment I thought about it, I awakened in a mysterious room.


    ¡¸U~hn.¡¹


    I looked around to scope out my current situation.


    Where is this ce?


    I was sleeping in a spacious and luxurious roomplete with expensive wall ornaments and a fluffy bed.


    When I looked at the small window on a high ce, I knew that the time was around evening. It seems the day was about to change into night.


    And yet, why was I sleeping in this ce?


    I tried to recall the events before I passed out.


    Then I recalled. I recalled the event that happened in the basement of that bar.


    I was tailing Marchas, saw devil, and Ainoe-neesan.


    After that, I was chased around by the people who wore white masks, andstly, fought against the Dark Knight.


    My head was really messed up since too many things happened to mest night.


    I should¡¯ve lost against the Dark Knight. And yet, I¡¯m still alive.


    I tried to get up from my bed.


    I had no idea why I was still alive but there was a devil in this country.


    I have to warn my brother about this situation.


    ¡¸Uhm? what¡¯s this?¡¹


    And then, I noticed that there was ck briar twining around my body. And yet, it wasn¡¯t painful at all. This briar didn¡¯t hurt me at all.


    It might be some sort of magic, but it didn¡¯t hinder my movements at all.

 Chapter 70.3: Song God’s Theater

    <h4>Chapter 70.3: Song God¡¯s Theater</h4>


    Thinking that it couldn¡¯t be helped, I moved my body.


    I was attacked by vertigo when I tried to descend from the bed. This might be the side-effect of Assass. Though it was a miracle drug that could rapidly increase my power, it has a severe recoil.


    I forced my feet to walk until I finally arrived at the entrance of the room.


    The door was open from the inside. Thetch was also inside.


    Basically, I wasn¡¯t being locked up at all.


    I stumbled upon the stairs as soon as I left the room.


    I heard someone¡¯s voice from the floor below.


    I somehow managed to descend the stairs while leaning on the handrail.


    ¡¸Wait, Regena!! I think you shouldn¡¯t do that!!¡¹


    It was the flustered voice of a man.


    I heard the sound of sshing water from the ce ahead of me. It seems the bathroom was right ahead of me.


    I¡¯d noticed this for a while now but, the owner of this house was a rich one.


    Naturally, it doesn¡¯t mean that having a bathroom in one house was normal, the same goes for any other house. That¡¯s why public bathhouses were popr..


    Only the riches could afford to have a bathroom in their own residence.


    I approached the bathroom. I wonder who¡¯s making that ruckus inside the bathroom? Let¡¯s first confirm their faces.


    ¡¸Please Master!! Please at least allow me to rinse your back!!¡¹


    ¡¸No, even if you say that¡­ Kuna, please say something!!!¡¹


    ¡¸Muuh, If Regena rinses your back, it¡¯s only natural for Kuna to rinse your front, right.¡¹


    ¡¸WHA!! STOP IT, KUNA!! UHOOO??¡¹


    I was wondering what they¡¯re doing there. I couldn¡¯t see the inside since it was blocked by a thin silk-like cloth.


    I got entangled on my own feet when I approached the source of the voice.


    I fell forward just like that, taking down the thin cloth along with me.


    ¡¸WHAT THE!!!¡¹


    Oh no, they noticed me. It¡¯ll be bad if I don¡¯t escape immediately.


    But, my legs refused to move.


    Someone then came in my direction.


    ¡¸Are you alright?¡¹


    I raised my face, pulling the cloth that draped on my head off upon hearing that inquiry.


    There, I saw a man standing in front of me.


    And then, I saw THAT.


    ¡¸M-MONSTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!!!¡¹


    And screamed to the top of my lungs.


    I was raised in Ishtar temple, the guardian of harlos. Even though I¡¯m still a v*rgin, there were so many asions where I saw naked men¡¯s bodies due to the nature of the ce I was raised in.


    Amongst them, there were nasty men who would show off their small caterpir-sized d*ck.


    But, the one that this man in front of me had was definitely not a caterpir. And no, it wasn¡¯t a snake either. THAT was¡­ an evil dragon.


    That man¡¯s face evoked the memories from before I fell unconscious.


    That man was¡­ the Dark Knight.


    An indescribable fear rose in my heart.


    ¡¸Your face is pale and your body can¡¯t move properly. I think you still need some rest.¡¹


    The Dark Knight stretched his hand out to me as he told me so. When he did so, the Dark Knight¡¯s evil dragon was also drawn near till just right in front of my face.


    ¡¸U~hn.¡¹


    Thus, I fainted.


    ===


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    ¡¸LIES!! WHY WOULD AINOE-NEESAN TRY TO KILL ME!! AS IF I¡¯M GOING TO BELIEVE THE DARK KNIGHT¡¯S WORDS!!¡¹


    Sienna rebutted as she sent a harsh re in my direction.


    I heaved a sigh.


    She was starting to rampage again after waking up again. Honestly, trying to calm her down was a tough job.


    And then, I exined what happened to her so far after she calmed down.


    ¡¸Believe it or not, that¡¯s the truth.¡¹


    But, she didn¡¯t seem to trust me.


    ¡¸I won¡¯t believe you¡­ Ainoe-neesan is so kind to me.¡¹


    Sienna spoke with her head hanging down.


    Well, she might¡¯ve been kind when you¡¯d just joined the troupe. But, it seems that kindness had slowly turned into hatred as Sienna became more and more popr.


    ¡¸That might be true when you just joined the troupe. But, how about now?¡¹


    ¡¸¡­¡¹


    Sienna was at a loss for now.


    It seems she finally realized the truth.


    ¡¸Moreover, didn¡¯t you realize that the Karkinos attack from before was to get rid of you?¡¹


    When I told her so, Sienna raised her face.


    ¡¸Sure enough¡­ I often find something falling from above, or poison mixed in my food or drink but¡­ I heard that they¡¯d already arrested the culprit after that. But, if that¡¯s also Ainoe-neesan¡¯s plot¡­¡¹


    Sienna was pondering deeply over this matter.


    ¡¸Haa¡­ Here, your belongings.¡¹


    I ced a certain thing on top of the desk.


    ¡¸Are you sure about returning my sword?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. It¡¯s originally your belonging after all. In addition, I think it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t use this drug againter.¡¹


    After the sword, I took out a small jar.


    ¡¸Is that¡­ the pot that contain assass?¡¹


    I just did a little investigation but even that was enough to know that assass was a dangerous drug.


    Sure, the power of the one who consumes it would increase, but there was a severe recoil after the drug lost its effect. It was a dangerous drug that might kill its user if used improperly.


    She slept throughout the day because of this drug.


    Well, to think that my original n to enjoy sightseeing in Ariadya went in apletely different direction.


    ¡¸Why did you tell me that? It¡¯s as if you¡¯re worrying about me.¡¹


    Sienna asked with a puzzled look on her face.


    Sure enough, the fact that I¡¯m worrying about her was strange.


    Why did I worry about her, I wonder?


    I had no intentions of bing a good person. That¡¯s why I, myself, am not clear about the reason behind me saving her life.


    ¡¸Kuroki~¡¹


    Kuna entered the room when I was worrying about this matter.


    Kuna should be in the middle of drying her hair in the next room. Has she dried her hair already?


    The thin silk-like loungewear she wore emphasized her perfect style and curves.


    ¡¸Moonlight¡­ Goddess.¡¹


    I heard Sienna muttering while she was looking at Kuna.


    Kuna came from the side and then sat on myp.


    And then, Kuna let out an enchanting giggle, looking at Sienna as she leaned her head on my chest.


    As if she was showing off our intimate rtionship.


    ¡¸You don¡¯t have to go out of your way to save her, Kuroki. You should just kill her right away and be done with it.¡¹


    Sienna¡¯s shoulder twitched upon hearing Kuna¡¯s remark.


    ¡¸No, you can¡¯t do that, Kuna.¡¹


    I patted Kuna¡¯s head while telling her so.


    Sure enough, killing Sienna would take care of the problem, but I didn¡¯t feel like doing that.


    When considering my current position, I sided with the demon side rather than the human side. But, it didn¡¯t mean that I¡¯d never killed demons or monsters in the past.


    Even though he felt no hesitation when killing monsters, he ended up hesitating when it came to killing humans. Maybe it has something to do with appearance.


    He might not have opted to save Sienna if she was a monster.


    It was discrimination to a certain extent.


    ¡¸Mu~h. What are you going to do with this woman then? Are you going to increase the number of your woman again?¡¹


    Kuna spoke with bulging cheeks, seemingly vexed by that possibility.


    ¡¸NO! I ABSOLUTELY HAVE NO INTENTION TO DO THAT!!!¡¹


    I desperately shook my head in denial.


    I can¡¯t deny the fact that Sienna was a rare beauty.


    Her slender body and alluringly long legs aside, I¡¯d already confirmed when I carried her back here, which must have been an act of god, that her skin was soft and had just enough springiness.


    But, there was no way I¡¯m gonna force her.


    I wouldn¡¯t force her no matter how much I wanted to lick her leg.


    ¡¸Mumumu~!!!¡¹


    Kuna was pinching my side as I lost in my delusion about her deliciously long legs.


    F*CK. It seems she realized what I was thinking about.


    Kuna¡¯s re was too adorable.


    ¡¸OUCH! IT HURTS, STOP! KUNA!¡¹


    After that, I somehow managed to pacify Kuna.


    When I looked at Sienna, I found that she was looking at us with an anxious look on her face.


    It was only natural for her to have that face knowing that she had barely avoided death.


    Though I had no intentions of killing her, I couldn¡¯t release her as it is. Reason being Ainoe would proceed straight to kill Sienna once I released thetter.


    Moreover, there was a high possibility that Sienna might go to Reiji and co¡¯s ce.


    When that happens, Ainoe would be executed for sure.


    Though I had no intention of siding with AInoe, I also had no intention to side with Sienna since siding with either one of them was a huge demerit on my part.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯d only confined Sienna to prevent her from escaping.


    The ck briar that twined around her body would tightened up whenever she tried to leave the mansion. That much should be enough to prevent her from escaping from this ce.


    Her livelihood itself would at least be guaranteed.


    But, just as Kuna had said, I couldn¡¯t keep her for a long time in this ce.


    What should I do now?


    The important point in this case was that everything would be okay as long as Ainoe didn¡¯t try to kill Sienna. In addition, I could release Sienna after I made her promise to not go to Reiji and co¡¯s ce.


    For that, the first thing I had to do was persuade Ainoe.


    But, was that possible? Will Sienna really be willing to reconcile with someone who tried to kill her?


    ¡¸Ha~h.¡¹


    I guess I¡¯ll have to at least try it first.


    Thus, I made a n to visit Ainoe tomorrow.

 Chapter 71.1: The Whereabout of the Goatman

    <h4>Chapter 71.1: The Whereabout of the Goatman</h4>


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    Time passed by quickly and the sun had already set. The area around us was already enveloped by the darkness.


    In a normal country, the nobles and citizens would go home around this time of the evening. Reason being, for economic reasons, they were trying to maximize the use of fuel towards the lighting at the ramparts to chase away the monsters.


    However, since fuel could be easily obtained in a rich country like the Republic of Ariadya, parts of the city were still bright and lively due to themps that lined up along the streets.


    One could walk alongside these streets pretty easily even without the use of illumination magic.


    ¡¸Ho~. Somehow, there¡¯s so many voluptuous onee-sans with sexy outfits in this ce, Chiyuki-san.¡¹


    Nao was looking around with a curious look on her face.


    I¡¯m currently walking in the outer town along with Decius and Nao.


    There were so many cheap inn-cum-diners in this area which were geared towards low ie workers.


    The ones Nao pointed out were the employees of those inns.


    At the same time, they were also working as harlots.


    The fee for the meal and room became the ie of the inn while the price for one night stand became the ie for those harlots.


    ¡¸Please stop looking, Nao-san. It¡¯s bad for your education.¡¹


    They exposed their skin a little bit too much.


    It was clearly attire to entice the lustful men.


    ¡¸Sorry, Chiyuki-san. Nevertheless, mufufufu, I never expected that they would even call this Nao too.¡¹


    Nao was clearly delighted to be called by those men who mistook her for a harlot.


    Compared to Rino, Sahoko, or Shirone, Nao almost never received any calls from the men. That¡¯s why she seems to be really delighted when those men called out to her.


    The women who reside around this area were prostitutes.


    In this world, the area outside of the ramparts was the area where monsters might run rampant at any moment. Female travelers were rare. For that reason, most people who stayed in the inns were men while the women were mostly working as harlots.


    It was also why both Nao and I had received so many invitations from the men around here so far who mistook us for one of the harlots when we walked down this street.


    Though our current attire was far from the ones worn by those prostitutes, those men didn¡¯t seem to care about such matters.


    Thanks to that, chasing them away was a real hassle.


    That¡¯s why, I think we shouldn¡¯t leave Decius¡¯ side as much as possible.


    Though Nao was really delighted by their calls, are you really happy to be treated as one of the prostitutes?


    Though, when I¡¯m looking around, none of them were handsome by any means.


    When ites to face alone, Reiji won against them by thousands of miles. Not to mention that Decius was quite handsome himself. And unlike Reiji, Decius was a handsome and sincere man.


    Their faces aside, I realized that no sincere men called out to me.


    Please stop¡­ this made me even more worried about my own future.


    I mean, that¡¯s including Decius, who despite walking alongside two beauties such as us,pletely disregards us. Naturally, the harlots around the area were also excluded from his field of view.


    Well as it is, it¡¯s not a good thing if he keeps looking around like he was looking for a prostitute. But, the suspicious men and the harlots went into hiding as soon as they saw Decus walking towards them.


    In fact, bringing him to this ce seems to have been a big mistake.


    The knights ofw weren¡¯t weed by the people who lived around this area. Even that Marchas might have ended up escaping before we could catch him.


    Was what I thought as I sent a sidelong nce to Decius.


    There, I noticed the thing strapped on Dekius¡¯ belt.


    ¡¸Dekius-dono, is that by chance, a weapon?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, this is a jutte. I heard that you¡¯re the one who started the spread of this weapon, Sage-dono. Thus, we, the knights ofw decided to use this as our official weapon for apprehending small time criminals.¡¹[TL : jutte ¡ª https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jitte]


    Dekius then took off the jutte from his waist.


    Since I never specified the exact size of a jutte, the juttes created in this world were bigger in dimensionpared to the ones that I knew.


    Surely, I told the Holy Republic Lenaria¡¯s armed police to use jutte as the weapon to apprehend small-time criminals.


    I never expected that it would spread all the way until Republic Ariadya.


    ¡¸Even I never expected for it to reach this far.¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re right, Nao-san¡­ You never know what¡¯s going to spread.¡¹


    We have to be careful since there is an extremely high chance for the strange knowledge from our world to spread in this world.


    Especially for the biggest offender in this case from our group, Reiji and Rino. I have to give a strict warning to themter.


    Though¡­ it might be toote.


    ¡¸Sage-dono. ording to the other troupe¡¯s members, the one called Marchas is a frequent customer of this ce.¡¹


    It seems we¡¯d arrived at our destination in the middle of our conversation. Decius then looked around.


    It seems the person called Marchas often hangs around this ce.


    ¡¸I see. Nao-san, can you try to look around this area to confirm that fact?¡¹


    I gave the portrait of Marchas which was painted by the troupe member to Nao. This should make her job easier.


    ¡¸Roger that!¡¹


    Nao¡¯s figure vanished right after she said so.


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    Decius looked around restlessly upon seeing Nao¡¯s figure vanish right in front of his eyes.


    It seems Nao¡¯s movement was too fast for Decius.


    Well, the same goes for me.


    Even people at the level of Shirone and Kaya¡¯s power could only barely see Nao¡¯s figure when she moved at her fastest speed. The only one who could follow Nao¡¯s movement might be Reiji. No one could follow those two¡¯s movements when they¡¯re moving at their top speed.


    Nao returned a short whileter.


    ¡¸Wee back, Nao-san. Did you find that person?¡¹


    Nao shook her head upon hearing my question.


    ¡¸I didn¡¯t find that man but, I found the traces of battle.¡¹


    ¡¸The trace of battle?¡¹


    ¡¸Yesh. Chiyuki-san. Follow me.¡¹


    I followed Nao.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go, Decius-dono.¡¹


    Decius also followed after Nao and I.


    Nao led us to a slightly secluded ce a whileter.


    ¡¸It¡¯s above.¡¹


    Nao leapt upwards as she told us so.


    ¡¸Can you use flight magic, Decius-dono?¡¹


    ¡¸No, that¡¯s¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Then allow me to take you up there.¡¹


    I caught Decius¡¯ hand and pulled him up with flight magic.


    Despite his inability to use flight magic, Decius didn¡¯t scream at all when I pulled him up.


    ¡¸Take a look. There¡¯s so many holes on the roof.¡¹


    Uponnding on the roof, Nao pointed at several indentations and holes on the roof.


    She was right; the size of these holes were abnormal.


    I had no idea about what kind of battle that had ured at this ce.


    But, I was sure that these holes were created very recently.


    ¡¸Do you know who fought in this ce, Nao-san?¡¹


    ¡¸Dunno but they were by no means normal humans. The way they were moving was too haphazard.¡¹


    I was pondering deeply upon hearing that.


    ¡¸What do you think about this situation, Decius-dono? Do you think that your little sister, Sienna-san was involved in this battle?¡¹


    Decius made a troubled face upon hearing my question.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know. But, if Sienna was really involved in the battle, she should left some sort of clue.¡¹


    ¡¸Clue?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. She might¡¯ve drop something around this area.¡¹


    ¡¸Aaah, I see.¡¹


    ¡¸I guess we can use object finder magic to do so.¡¹


    I felt a deep sense of admiration upon hearing Decius¡¯ words.


    Object finding magic, otherwise known as locate magic, was a magic to find a specific object.


    Naturally it wasn¡¯t omnipotent magic that could find anything. The user had to have a clear image about the thing that they were trying to find.


    Decius seems to be an expert in this area. I mean, I don¡¯t think that he would receive an angel¡¯s divine protection just because of his faith alone, his real ability is definitely involved in this area.


    By the way, naturally I could use locate magic too, but I had no idea about the object that was most likely being carried by Sienna-san.


    Decius then closed his eyes, focusing his mind after he said ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll start using it. My search range isn¡¯t that vast but¡­ it should be enough to find the object left behind by Sienna¡¹ to us.


    Thus, I felt a wave of Decius¡¯ mana a secondter.


    Few secondster, droplets of sweat started to appear on Decius¡¯ face. He might¡¯ve pushed himself way beyond his limits to expand his search range. It seems he had a hard time trying to locate his little sister¡¯s clue.


    Nao and I watched in silence in order to not disturb Decius.


    And then, his eyes snapped open.


    ¡¸Haaah¡­ Haah¡­ found it.¡¹


    Decius took a deep breath as he propped himself up.


    ¡¸Are you alright, Decius-dono?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s no big deal, Sage-dono. Anyhow, please follow me.¡¹


    We descended from the roof and then continued to follow Decius.


    Decius looks like he can barely support himself. It seems that the magic he used just now consumed most of his mana.


    ¡¸It¡¯s here.¡¹


    Decius then pointed at the gap between two buildings.


    ¡¸I think, Sienna¡¯s curve sword is located between these two building but¡­¡¹


    I looked at that narrow alley. It was big enough for a human to enter in between but, honestly I didn¡¯t want to enter since it looked like a dump site.


    ¡¸Uuh. It¡¯s dirty.¡¹


    ¡¸Maybe it¡¯s some sort of illegal dump site. No wonder you don¡¯t want to enter.¡¹


    I made several magic hands and stretched it toward the narrow alley.


    After groping around for a few minutes, My magic hand finally found something that looked like a curved sword.


    ¡¸As I thought, it really is Sienna¡¯s sword.¡¹


    Decius spoke as he looked at the curved sword that was retrieved by my magic hand.


    ¡¸So that¡¯s the case¡­ So Sienna is really involved in that battle above the roof. It¡¯ll be for the best for her to be safe but¡­¡¹


    I looked down as I spoke.


    ¡¸Yes¡­ she might¡¯ve been chased around by the Demon King¡¯s worshipper. I think Sienna is safe and sound since she¡¯s good at escape arts. But, her situation might worsen if we don¡¯t find her as soon as possible.¡¹


    Decius spoke with a bitter look on his face.


    Decius seems to believe that his little sister was safe and sound. Maybe Sienna was an unexpectedly strong girl.

 Chapter 71.2: The Whereabout of the Goatman

    <h4>Chapter 71.2: The Whereabout of the Goatman</h4>


    I too hope for her to be safe.


    ¡¸You¡¯re right. Uhm?¡¹


    I tilted my head upon looking at the curved sword.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Chiyuki-san?¡¹


    ¡¸Take a look, Nao-san. There¡¯s something written on the sword¡¯s de.¡¹


    I showed the curved sword to Nao.


    ¡¸Ah, you¡¯re right. There really is something written on there.¡¹


    ¡¸Moonlight Goddess¡­ do you understand what that means, Decius-dono?¡¹


    These words might be a clue left behind by Sienna for Decius.


    The reason she didn¡¯t write any kind of clue that could be understood by just anyone might be out of fear that her message would be erased by her opponent.


    Though discarding her sword meant reducing herbat capabilities, she might¡¯ve gotten cornered to the point of being forced to do so.


    I gave the curved sword to Decius.


    Decius might be able to understand Sienna¡¯s message.


    Decius then looked at the words written on his sister¡¯s curved sword.


    ¡¸This is undoubtedly Sienna¡¯s handwriting. Moonlight¡­ Goddess, could it be?¡¹


    Decius knitted his eyebrows as he pondered over this matter.


    ¡¸Do you know what¡¯s that message mean?¡¹


    ¡¸Well, it¡¯s something that happened the night before the banquet. Sienna and I met a mysterious woman. Her beauty was simply mesmerizing¡­ with the moonlight shining over her, it was as if she was a Moonlight Goddess. That woman is the only one whoes to mind when ite to ¡®Moonlight Goddess.¡¯¡¹


    Decius spoke as he looked up to the sky as if he was growing senile.


    Nao was whistling upon seeing such an expression on Decius¡¯ face.


    Though he looks like a straightced, expressionless man even from our perspective, I never thought that he could make such an expression: an expression of someone in love.


    Though it seems like a nice topic to see the other side of this man, I had to mind TPO right now.


    ¡¸Did you happen to know that woman¡¯s name, Decius-dono?¡¹


    ¡¸Unfortunately not since she left right away¡­ But, I heard that they came to see the Hero of Light-dono.¡¹


    ¡¸To meet Reiji-kun? Ha~h.¡¹


    I pressed the palm of my hand to my forehead.


    Decius looked like someone who experienced a broken heart upon recalling that matter.


    ¡¸Then, do you know the whereabouts of that beauty right now?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, based on her appearance, she might be a foreign noble, but if I¡¯d known that this would happen, I would¡¯ve asked for her name and address.¡¹


    Decius looked like he was regretting his hesitation that night.


    ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped, not even God can predict the future after all. So there¡¯s no mistake that the Moonlight Goddess is the woman you met before. What shall we do then? Shall we gather new clues by finding that Marchas?¡¹


    I asked them.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go back after searching for a bit more.¡¹


    We nodded upon hearing Decius¡¯ remark.


    Moonlight Goddess.


    That woman might be the clue to solving this case.


    Imitted that name to my heart as we continued with our investigation.


    ***


    ¡ôSmall Time Viin, Marchas


    The light turned on inside the bar as night fell. But, I couldn¡¯t smell the aroma of liquor or fish oil. On the contrary, I was inside a wide room filled to the brim with pink colored smoke.


    The smoke smelled really nice and it colored the room pink under the light.


    ¡¸Are you sure that you won¡¯t go back, Marchas?¡¹


    My colleague spoke to me while drinking and embracing a woman with his free hand.


    Just like me, my colleague was also a member of the heretic cult. He was busying himself with groping the woman¡¯s ch*st beside him.


    Though the me from yesterday would be replying with a lecherous smile on my face, the current me wasn¡¯t in the mood to do so.


    ¡¸Going back my a*s. Like h*ll I¡¯m gonna goin¡¯ back¡­¡¹


    I muttered so.


    ¡¸Hehe, I see¡­ Well, I¡¯ll be going back first then.¡¹


    My colleague left along with the woman who served him.


    And then, I looked at the woman who left along with my colleague.


    ¡¸Spider¡­¡¹


    I muttered so.


    The woman who apanied my colleague looked like a spider for a moment.


    It wasn¡¯t just the woman who just left along with my colleague. Sometimes, I saw that the women working in this store were monsters masquerading as humans.


    The women who worked in this store were the employee-sh-harlots. But, they weren¡¯t just a normal harlot. They were far more beautifulpared to the harlots in the back streets.


    This store was the only store with such a collection of beauties.


    This store looks like your usual, normal bar from the outside, but it was in fact an illegal gambling den and bro*thel managed by the underground organization, ¡ºRed Spider¡».


    This store was perfect for anyone who wanted to forget about unpleasant memories.


    The women were beautiful, the liquor and the dishes were delicious. That¡¯s why I came to this store.


    But, I¡¯m not in the mood to enjoy that today.


    Though I had no idea why things looked a little bit different in my eyes now, I somehow guessed that this might be rted to that Dark Knight.


    My body trembles non-stop whenever I recall that Dark Knight.


    I was even more terrified by the fact that he could literally hide his identity so well and make himself appear like a normal person.


    And worse of all, I actually tried to sell that very same person. There was nothing I could do even if that person killed me on the spot.


    And yet, far from killing me, he thanked me instead. Thanks to that, I barely managed toe out alive from the seemingly hopeless situation.


    And then, I felt some sort of power flowing into me when he ced his hand on my head. After that, the scenery that I saw around me changed a little bit. And thanks to that I couldn¡¯t enjoy the liquor in this store.


    Rather, could it be that this liquor originally tasted like this?


    Before, it was so delicious. And yet, despite drinking the same liquor, today the liquor tastes especially awful.


    Which reminds me, someone did say the same before. That fe also said that the taste of the liquor was awful.


    Why did I lose that ability around this time of the day?


    ¡¸Marchas-san.¡¹


    When I turned to the side toward the one who called me, there was a woman standing there. I remember this woman, she was the woman beside the sect master.


    ¡¸Hehe, is something the matter?¡¹


    I asked back to her, smiling to hide my inner turmoil.


    ¡¸The new sect master is calling you. Pleasee with me.¡¹


    ¡¸New sect master? Okay, please guide me.¡¹


    I wasughing. The new sect master was the female sessor of the previous sect master who became the current vice-sect master. Did that person want to know something from a no-name grunt like me?


    I stood up from the sofa and followed after the woman.


    The new sect master was a reliable person. I might be able to erase this anxiety of mine as long as I met that personage.


    The new sect master has always been absent all this time. When did that person return to this country, I wonder?


    Soon, we arrived in front of the sect master¡¯s room.


    ¡¸I brought him as per your order, New Sect Master-sama.¡¹


    ¡¸You may enter.¡¹


    I heard the voice of the new sect master from inside the room.


    It was a young man¡¯s voice.


    When I was forced to enter the room by the woman, I saw that the room was filled with pink smoke.


    A man sat in the middle of this room. He was a blonde haired man with pale white skin as if there was no blood flowing beneath that skin, long slit eyes and bright red lips.


    The young man was so beautiful to the point of being easily mistaken as a woman.


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    I unintentionally leaked out a dumbfounded voice upon seeing the new sect master¡¯s figure. Because he lookspletely different from before.


    I was really happy when I met him before. It was to the point that I¡¯m willing to die for this person.


    I, who was born in a musician¡¯s family, got kicked out from the house after ruining myself in gambling.


    After that, my life was a wreck. I couldn¡¯t be a freedom fighter or a soldier due to my weak body. Thus, I left with no choice but to live by stealing from those weaker than me.


    Ainoe-neesan was the one who picked me up when I was at my wits end.


    That was how I joined the organization and met the new sect master.


    That was the first time I felt that my life until now was solely to meet this person.


    But now, I don¡¯t feel anything at all. Rather than that, I felt that he was repulsive.


    I looked around the room. It was the same room. The room was filled with the collection of freshly severed women¡¯s heads lined up in the cupboards.


    Before this day, I didn¡¯t feel that this kind of scenery was strange at all. But now, I knew that this room was clearly abnormal.


    ¡¸Marchas-kun, is it? Is something the matter? You seems restless.¡¹


    The new sect master asked with a smile on his face.


    ¡¸Nah, it¡¯s nothing. Ehehe.¡¹


    I entered the room with a smile on my face, bluffing to prevent him from noticing my flustered state and my back that was already drenched with cold sweats.


    ¡¸Let me get to the point. You met him, right? How do you feel right now?¡¹


    I had no idea what he meant.


    ¡¸Him? Who is the ¡°him¡± you¡¯re referring to?¡¹


    New sect master was clearly displeased upon hearing me question him back.


    ¡¸The Dark Knight, don¡¯t you know about him?¡¹


    My body trembled again upon hearing him saying Dark Knight.


    ¡¸The Dark¡­ Knight?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, the Dark Knight. He¡¯s famous amongst us as someone whose power rivals that of the Hero of Light. Let¡¯s see, maybe the reason he caught my interest is because he foiled my father¡¯s n twice. Thus, I want to know more about him.¡¹


    The new sect master wasughing innocently like a child.


    ¡¸If you ask me about what kind of a person that man is. U~hm¡­ He doesn¡¯t stand out at nce. But, he can suddenly be extremely terrifying being in the next moment and¡­¡¹


    I was at a loss for words, unable to find the exact words to describe the man known as the Dark Knight.


    ¡¸Same as Zeal-kun¡¯s testimony huh. Does that mean he¡¯s an expert at hiding his power? That makes him a rather tricky person I guess.¡¹


    The New sect master nodded as he said so.


    ¡¸Uhm?¡¹


    Suddenly, I caught something in my line of sight.


    When I looked at the direction where that feeling came from, my line of sight intersected with the head of the woman in the cupboards.


    I unintentionally screamed at the top of my lungs.


    ¡¸Uhm? Is something the matter, Marchas-kun?¡¹


    The new sect master looked at me upon hearing my scream.


    And then, he stood as if noticing something.


    The new sect master then walked towards the cupboard and picked up the head whose line of sight met mine.


    ¡¸T-That head, could it be?¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufu, Do you remember her? You¡¯re the one who brought her here, you know? And now, she¡¯s one of my most important spirit.¡¹


    The new sect master said so with a delightful smile on his face, caressing the head very carefully.

 Chapter 71.3: The Whereabout of the Goatman

    <h4>Chapter 71.3: The Whereabout of the Goatman</h4>


    I remember her. She was the runaway girl who yearned for Ainoe. Despite her beauty, she has zero acting talent, thus she couldn¡¯t join the troupe.


    Nevertheless, the girl didn¡¯t give up on her dream. If my memory serves me right, her name was Katia.


    I was the one who presented her to the new sect leader, saying that she could join the troupe using a back door in this way.


    And the one I see right now was only her head.


    ¡¸Thank you, it¡¯s because of your help that I can meet Zand-sama.¡¹


    The severed head of that woman was smiling gently at me.


    I screamed upon hearing the severed head speak as if she was still alive.


    I quickly turned around, wanting to escape from this room.


    But then, the head inside the cupboards suddenly moved on its own, blocking the entrance of the room.


    The severed heads of all the women were looking at me.


    ¡¸AAAA¡­¡¹


    I fell to my knees.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t you think that you¡¯re being rude trying to run away? ¡­ Uhm, could it be that you¡¯re sobered up? Well¡­ what should I do now?¡¹


    I heard the voice of the new sect master from inside the room.


    ¡¸Will you let me to turn him into a ¡¶Duhan¡·, Zand-sama?¡¹


    I heard a girl¡¯s voice.


    ¡¸Are you sure? He¡¯s just a weakling you know.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, I don¡¯t mind.¡¹


    ¡¸Well, it can¡¯t be helped then. FUHAHAHA, Rejoice, Marchas-kun. You¡¯ll serve her as her faithful knight from now on.¡¹


    The moment I heard that, I felt something hot passing my neck, and the room suddenly turned around.


    And then, thest thing I saw when the room stopped spinning was¡­ my headless body.


    ***


    ¡ôGod of Sleep and Dream, Zand


    ¡¸Well then, carry me up. Flying take a lot of energy after all.¡¹


    When she said so, Katia¡¯s head was lifted up by Marchas¡¯ headless body. He carried her head as if it was the most precious treasure.


    They look like a master and her attendant. That might be why he carried her like a princess.


    Nevertheless, I would never have expected that an ordinary human could break away from my technique.


    Even though the human beings in this store shouldn¡¯t be able to go against me, what¡¯s happened here while I was away?


    Well, that¡¯s a trivial matter anyway.


    He was nothing more than ugly head anyway, not interesting at all.


    ¡¸Geez, are you really sure about turning that weak man into a ¡¶Duhan¡·, Katia?¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t mind at all, onee-sama. I¡¯ll rece him once I find better person.¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s my sister. Well I¡¯m not that picky either so I might ended up choosing a man around this area to be my knight too.¡¹


    The girls were making merry on their own.


    Those women who¡¯d already turned into fairies had the abilities to control a headless body. Naturally, there was a limit of how much they could control at the same time.


    That¡¯s why almost all fairies have their own brave knight. And by knight, I was referring to the men who lost their head and ended up as their faithful servant, the duhan.


    ¡¸Well then, I guess it¡¯s time to go back to Zeal and co¡¯s ce. Has their meeting ended yet?¡¹


    I left the room, being sent off by my adorable fairies.


    Zeal was ck satyr who originally lived in Nargol. No, maybe calling him lesser demon was more appropriate.


    That lesser demon Zeal has betrayed the demon king and colluded with that spider woman, Ankua. He should be in the basement of this building right now.


    I walked along the passage, entering the secret passage toward the basement.


    When I descended down towards the basement, I saw several shadows lining up in the basement.


    It wasn¡¯t the shadow of a human. It was the shadow of the demon king¡¯s subordinate who lived in Nargol.


    ¡¸Have you finished with the discussion, Ulbard-kun?¡¹


    I addressed the Daemon in the center of those shadows with a smile on my face.


    The name of that Daemon was Ulbard, one of the four Daemon Lords who served under the Demon King. He came to this region to catch Zeal who betrayed the Demon King.


    ¡¸Yeah, thanks a lot for telling me about the whereabouts of this traitor, Zand-dono.¡¹


    Zeal was kneeling on the ground, rubbing his forehead on the floor, trembling in fear in front of Ulbard.


    ¡¸But of course, I wanted you to at least spare his life. It¡¯s thanks to him that I can meet you after all.¡¹


    Finding Ulbard¡¯s subordinates who were looking for Zeal was easy peasy. After I found them, I offered to set this meeting. Naturally, I kept this meeting a secret from my father.


    I¡¯m different from my father, Zarxis. My father is hostile toward the Demon King without even considering the option of reconciliation with thetter. And I was sure that would be the cause of his doom.


    I mean, both sides wouldn¡¯t get anything from such conflict after all.


    But in my case, I tried my best with trying to get along with the Demon King.


    And to be honest, I wanted to get along with the Elios¡¯ Goddesses too.


    Yet, those beautiful Goddesses hate me for some reason. I wonder why they were pissed off when all I did was tell them about how to make themself more beautiful?


    If possible, I want to get my hand on one of those Goddesses¡¯ heads as part of my collection.


    ¡¸You¡¯re right, let¡¯s just spare him since executing him at this point will cause more demerits. Do you hear that, Zeal? Our side won¡¯t be troubled even without your help, that¡¯s why make sure that you work hard for Zand-dono. In addition, even Your Excellency requested for me to spare your life too.¡¹


    Ulbard spoke with a cold tone.


    ¡¸THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ULBARD-SAMAAA!!¡¹


    Zeal expressed his gratitude while rubbing his forehead on the cold floor repeatedly.


    ¡¸Ha~h. Aren¡¯t you d, Zeal-kun? You still have much work waiting for you huh.¡¹


    I felt relieved.


    Zeal was simr to me in one thing after all; both of us love humans. Though the way we expressed our love toward them was different, I was really d that his life was spared.


    ¡¸It¡¯s nothing much but, please work this guy to the bone.¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you, Ulbard-kun. I¡¯ll show you how I defeat that Hero of Light and those Elios¡¯ bastards for sure. Well, thetter was the first thing that my father ever entrusted to me after all.¡¹


    My father, Zarxis, neglected me due to my overwhelming love for humans. I, who got neglected by my father, then joined in Labrys¡¯ scheme.


    Maybe because of my tendency to do strange things, I was ordered to leave this region when that scheme was finished.


    I felt really sad whenever I recalled such cruel treatment.


    But, I didn¡¯t feel that sad anymore since thanks to Labrys¡¯ failure, I was allowed to act freely in this region.


    And then, I joined hands with Ulbard and helped him to prove my worth.


    ¡¸That¡¯s reassuring then. I¡¯ll be looking forward to the result of your work, Zand-dono.¡¹


    ¡¸Fufu, leave it to me. I¡¯ll make sure that the Hero of Light and the Dark Knight kill each other. And thanks a lot for the information about Wicked Beast Ferion too.¡¹


    Iughed.


    Hero of Light and Dark knight. I¡¯m gonna make those two kill each other.


    And then, there is also the Wicked Beast Ferion who once stood side-by-side with my father in a war against Elios¡¯ gods. It then got sealed by the Demon King but, the problem was we had no idea about the location of that seal.


    But thanks to Ulbard¡¯s information, I finally knew the location of that seal. I have to quickly tell my father about this matter.


    ¡¸Yeah, please make full use of that information. And then, the next thing is¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, I won¡¯t tell anyone about the source of this information. Your Majesty, the Demon King will definitely be enraged if he learns that you¡¯re the one who sold this information. I¡¯ll keep this secret with me till I die.¡¹


    The matter of me colliding with Ulbard was a secret.


    For some reason, the Demon King refused to wage a war against Elios. He even went as far as ordering his subordinates to not do that too.


    That¡¯s why Ulbard acted on his own, disobeying the Demon King¡¯s order, just like Zeal. It was why Ulbard wanted to keep this matter a secret.


    ¡¸Well, I shall excuse myself then, Zand-dono. I¡¯ll be waiting for the results of your n.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. I¡¯ll make sure to get their head.¡¹


    Ulbard and his subordinates then teleported out of the room.


    Even if I couldn¡¯t get the Hero of Light¡¯s head, decapitating the head of the women around him was just a simple matter.


    And then, we¡¯re going to release Ferion and wage a war against Elios.


    After that, whether it was the heads of the Hero of Light¡¯s women or Elios¡¯ goddesses, I could get all of it pretty easily.


    I created a projection of a woman¡¯s figure with magic. Being projected in there was a Silver Haired Goddess.


    Her beauty made me fall in love with her at first sight.


    I yearned for this Goddess after I came to know her.


    I want to get her head no matter what. Fortunately, she just happened to be in this country, the best hunting ground for me.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯ve got to get rid of the Dark Knight who stands between this Goddess and me first.


    That was the main goal behind my n.


    ¡¸It seems I¡¯ve to contact Tarabos-kun. How much progress has he made in Badon¡¯s revival¡¯s n right now?¡¹


    Badon was one of the Beasts of Destruction created by our Great Mother God, Nargol.


    I heard that Badon was quite powerful, but not as powerful as the wicked beast though.


    Badon¡¯s corpse was buried beneath the great theatre. Well, it seems Alphos¡¯ altar was the one that was originally built on top of the ce where they buried Badon¡¯s corpse, but Ariadya¡¯s government then built a great theatre in addition to that. Or so I heard from Tarabos.


    I heard that Tarabos did an in-depth research about Nargol and found the matter about Badon by ident.


    Well, the source of that information was a trivial matter to me. The main problem was how to use that information to the fullest.


    One of Zeal¡¯s witches should be working in that theatre. Let¡¯s use her for this n.


    I looked at Zeal who was still in prostrating posture even after Ulbard had already left.


    ¡¸Zeal-kun. I¡¯ll have you to lure that Dark Knight. Fufufu.¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t hold back myugh as I pondered about the events that were about to happen.


    ***


    ¡ôDancer; Sienna


    The Moonlight Goddess danced before me.


    It was an extremely beautiful dance.


    Before I realized it, it was already nighttime.


    Her beautiful silver hair shone under the moonlight that entered from the big windows, giving a mystical charm to her.


    My eyes werepletely fixated on the fantastical scene before my eyes.


    ¡¸How¡¯s that, Sienna? Did I dance correctly?¡¹


    When she stopped her dance, the Silver Haired Goddess shed a charming smile.


    ¡¸Skillfully done. Kuna-sama.¡¹


    I heaved a sigh.


    The Moonlight Goddess easily mastered the dance that I practiced so many times to master with just a little bit of instruction from me.


    Though I felt really envious of her talent, I knew that there was a difference between the Goddess¡¯ natural talent and mine.


    And then, I snapped back, could it be that what I felt right now was simr to what Ainoe-neesan felt when she taught me?


    ording to the Dark Knight, Ainoe-neesan seems to have made a pact with the devil.


    And then, there was me who gained a sessful career without even making a pact with the devil.


    I wonder what I would think if I was in Ainoe-neesan¡¯s position? Would I have felt the same, envious feeling that I felt right now?


    Those were the thoughts going through my mind right now.


    Nevertheless, I wonder what was happening with the troupe right now?


    The Dark Knight said that he would visit the theatre tomorrow to see the situation over there but¡­


    I sent a nce at the Dark Knight by my side.


    The Dark Knight without his jet-ck armor looks no different from your everyday young man.


    I mean, he was looking at the Moonlight Goddess with a slovenly smile on his face.


    The Moonlight Goddess was wearing Ishtar¡¯s dancer outfit right now. The outfit which hasrge exposure and made of thin materials were pulling out the Goddess¡¯ bewitching charm.


    The Dark Knight who looked at that appearance looked no different from pervy old men when they watched my dance.


    I felt that I could easily beat him down in this kind of situation¨C not that I wanted to try that though.


    I heard the rumor that he was none other than the Dark Knight who had beaten the Hero of Light. But, seeing the face he made right now, he looks like a normal, weak young man.


    I looked at the beverage served in front of us.


    There was no liquor amongst the ones served to us.


    The tea that was made from a flower called mintea aside, I thought that he was more like a child when they served a beverage made from boiling down fruit juice. These weren¡¯t what adults drink by all means.


    When I asked for the reason, I heard that the Dark Knight didn¡¯t drink liquor.


    He was holding onto a te of sweets.


    The baked sweet that included dried fruits and nuts was simple yet delicious. And a perfect match for the mintea.


    But, the baked sweets don¡¯t seem to match the Dark Knight¡¯s pte. The sweet that he chose was kinda¡­ peculiar.


    I was holding on to my head as the impression about the devil in my mind was starting to crumble.


    I was looking at the Dark Knight while pondering about this matter.


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    I unintentionally leaked out such a voice.


    The sloven smile from before has gone, reced by the face of a warrior.


    I couldn¡¯t hide my surprise upon seeing such drastic transformation.


    The Dark Knight suddenly stood up.


    Eh, what¡¯s happened with him?


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Kuroki?¡¹


    The Moonlight Goddess asked with an anxious voice upon seeing the sudden change in the Dark Knight¡¯s expression.


    ¡¸Marchas¡­¡¹


    The Dark Knight¡¯s sharp gaze was looking at the direction outside of the rampart.


    I felt indescribable anxiety upon hearing that name.

 Chapter 72.1: Headless Knight

    <h4>Chapter 72.1: Headless Knight</h4>


    ¡ôLeyak and Headless Knight


    A knight mounted on a horse, running under the moonlight.


    I enjoyed such time, strolling in the middle of the night while being carried around by that knight.


    Though I felt that bing Zand-sama was a great honor, it was really inconvenient due to myck of feet.


    That¡¯s why I was being carried by my one and only knight.


    ¡¸What do you feel right now after bing my knight, Marchas-san? Normally, it¡¯s impossible for someone as weak as you to wear armor.¡¹


    I asked so while looking at the knight carrying me.


    He was donned in splendid armor and rode a nice horse.


    All of these were things we received from Zand-sama thus making him look like a real knight.


    He was by no means a suitable man to be a knight. So, I turned him into a special kind of knight. That¡¯s why it was only natural for him to thank me for turning him into a splendid knight.


    But, he didn¡¯t give a reply.


    ¡¸Fufufu, you can¡¯t answer huh.¡¹


    I was smiling at him.


    Well it was natural, for he has no head.


    My headless knight¡¶Duhan¡· was running under the moonlight on the back of his horse,¡¶C¨®iste-bodhar¡·.


    The night wind felt sofortable.


    I became weak against the sunlight after I became a spirit. That¡¯s why I really enjoyed my night strolls.


    I don¡¯t mind even if we are seen by people.


    Because I just need to kill anyone who happens to witness our night stroll.


    My ¡¶Duhan¡· has already beheaded two people tonight.


    Humans were such frail creatures that they would die when their head gets separated from their body. Such poor creatures.


    How can weak creatures like them keep living in this world?


    I only felt a deep gratitude toward Zand-sama who allowed me to be reborn from such weak creatures.


    The reborn me became stronger. I mean, the current me could use powerful magic. Even without my ¡¶Duhan¡·, I was strong enough to make a strong man prostrate in front of me.


    ¡¸Oh my? Do we have another guest tonight?¡¹


    I felt another sign of a living person on the way ahead of us.


    I ordered my knight to draw his sword.


    His sword will behead that person ahead of us as soon as he pulls it out of its sheath. I mean, the likes of humans wouldn¡¯t be able to catch the movements of my knight.


    Or so I thought. My knight suddenly came to a stand still.


    ¡¸Eh? Is something the matter? Won¡¯t you behead that person¡¯s head?¡¹


    What¡¯s happened to my knight? Why wasn¡¯t he moving despite my order?


    I looked at the people who stood in our way.


    One of them wore jet-ck armor. He looks just like the description of the Dark Knight that I¡¯d heard from Zand-sama.


    Is he the one who stopped my ¡¶Duhan¡·?


    In addition, there was a figure of a woman standing behind that Dark Knight.


    ¡¸My apologies but, may I ask you to stop?¡¹


    The Dark Knight spoke with a gentle tone to me as he bowed politely.


    He was a polite man, but the pressure emitted from his entire body didn¡¯t allow me to refuse.


    Even my knight flinched in front of such terrifying pressure. I mean, was he so strong to the point of intimidating an undead who already lost their emotions?


    ¡¸May I ask your business?¡¹


    I asked with a slightly displeased voice.


    ¡¸Eehm¡­ Business aside¡­ That headless body over there¡­ is Marchas¡¯ body, right?¡¹


    I was really surprised. This Dark Knight actually realized that my ¡¶Duhan¡· was actually Marchas¡¯ body.


    Why did he know that Marchas had already turned into ¡¶Duhan¡· even though it happened just a while ago?


    ¡¸Yeah, you¡¯re right. The problem is, how did you know about that?¡¹


    I sent a bone chilling re toward the Dark Knight. I couldn¡¯t see his face since it was hidden by his helmet.


    ¡¸A~h, as I thought¡­ So this is the reason why I felt that something happened to Marchas¡¯ body, I never expected for him to have ended up like this.¡¹


    The Dark Knight shook his head.


    ¡¸Are you, Marchas-san¡¯ acquaintance?¡¹


    Is that why he came all the way to this ce?


    Could it be that he came to avenge Marchas?


    ¡¸Well¡­ even if you ask me that question, I just happened to meet him yesterday¡­ Ha~h¡­ what should I do about this situation now?¡¹


    Though I couldn¡¯t see the Dark Knight¡¯s face, I knew that he was making a troubled face under his helmet right now.


    I had no idea why he came to this ce and he seems to be slightly irritated too.


    Suddenly, my gaze fell on the woman who stood behind the Dark Knight.


    The woman was looking at me, trembling non-stop from head to toe.


    Then, I noticed.


    ¡¸Oh my, it¡¯s been a while, isn¡¯t it?¡¹


    I was smiling as I greeted the trembling woman.


    I remember that I¡¯d met her before.


    She should be a member of the same troupe as Marchas. Her name should be Sienna.


    Sienna was looking at me, eyes wide open. Her face was as pale as well.


    ¡¸Do you know her, Sienna?¡¹


    The Dark Knight asked Sienna for confirmation.


    Sienna nodded, still trembling from head to toe.


    ¡¸Y-Yes!! S-She came to join the troupe before!!¡¹


    Sienna couldn¡¯t speak properly since she was still trembling non-stop.


    ¡¸Was she already like that at that time¡­ I mean just her head alone?¡¹


    ¡¸N-No!! S-She was still human back then!!¡¹


    The Dark Knight nodded upon hearing Sienna¡¯s words.


    ¡¸I see¡­ in short, someone turned her into her current form. Excuse me, can you tell me about the one who turned you into your current state?¡¹


    Should I tell him about Zand-sama? I mean, I clearly felt hostility emanating from the Dark Knight¡¯s entire being.


    ¡¸Why should I tell you about that person?¡¹


    After saying so, Iunched myself high in the air, separating myself from my ¡¶Duhan¡·¡¯s arm.


    This Dark Knight is dangerous. I have to get away from this ce.


    ¡¸Sorry but, I¡¯ll make you to spit that person¡¯s name out even if I have to force you!!¡¹


    The Dark Knight then stepped forward towards me.


    ¡¸MY SERVANT!! STOP THAT MAN AND BUY SOME TIME FOR ME TO ESCAPE!!¡¹


    I ordered my ¡¶Duhan¡· to stop the Dark Knight.


    The ¡¶Duhan¡·spit out ck blood from the cross-section at his neck.


    The ck blood went around my ¡¶Duhan¡·, casting pale blue light as if it had its own will.


    This ck blood wasmonly known as ¡¶Curse Blood¡·. Anyone who bathes in this blood will die in agony after seven days.


    And the ¡¶Curse Blood¡· went towards Sienna.


    This curse blood might not work against the Dark Knight. That¡¯s why it was targeting Sienna.


    ¡¸ck me Barrier!!¡¹


    ck me gushed out from the Dark Knight¡¯s body, forming a barrier around Sienna and protecting her from the ck blood.


    Honestly speaking, I should¡¯ve assisted my ¡¶Duhan¡· with magic but my priority was to leave this ce as fast as possible.


    And I would even use my ¡¶Duhan¡· to stall the Dark Knight.


    I was flying in a hurry in the air.


    ¡¸Do you really think that you can get away from this ce?¡¹


    Suddenly, I heard a bone chilling voicee from behind as a hand grabbed me.


    The one who grabbed me turned my face around.


    There, I saw a silver haired beauty.


    I felt an unspeakable danger from this beauty.


    ¡¸Zand-sama!!¡¹


    Save me, Zand-sama.


    But, the connection that should¡¯ve always existed between us¡­ was gone.


    ¡¸Resistance is futile. Kuna has set a barrier around this ce. You can¡¯t run, mutt. Now, it¡¯s time for you to spit out more information about that Zand to Kuroki.¡¹


    The silver haired beauty let out a derisiveugh as she said those words.


    ***


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    I burned Katia¡¯s head with ck me.


    I¡¯ve already asked for all the information I needed with help from Kuna¡¯s magic. All that was left was letting that woman called Katia ascend.


    As for why I burned her, it¡¯s because I couldn¡¯t bear to see her anymore.


    I would never think that she was truly an unfortunate woman, neither did the environment around her.


    Rather, she might be amongst the fortunate ones.


    And yet, she actually overlooked such a simple fact.


    I burned her thoroughly since I couldn¡¯t bear to see it anymore. This was my selfish decision.

 Chapter 72.2: Headless Knight

    <h4>Chapter 72.2: Headless Knight</h4>


    ¡¸No way¡­ are you telling me that this is, Marchas?¡¹


    Sienna asked me with a dumbfounded look on her face as she saw the headless Marchas.


    Her reaction was natural. It was natural for her to be this shocked upon seeing her acquaintance having ended up like that.


    She insisted on following along when I said that I was about to visit Marchas.


    But, she might never have expected, not even in her wildest imagination, that Marchas would end up like this.


    Color drained from her face and she trembled non-stop.


    Even I feel sorry for him.


    Marchas, who turned into ¡¶Duhan¡·, couldn¡¯t move because of the ck briar.


    Originally, I gave him a little bit of my blessing as gratitude for showing the way to Zeal¡¯s ce.


    My blessing raised his resistance.


    The effect of my blessing would disappear after two years, but it should have been enough to protect him from weak magic.


    In addition, just by granting my blessing to him, I formed a small connection with him.


    That¡¯s why I knew immediately when something happened to Marchas.


    But, I never expected that he would end up like this.


    Half of Marchas was still alive. He had be a being that wandered between life and death, like a vampire. He could still make a child too.


    I heard from Kuna who interrogated Katia that Marchas, who already became something different from human, couldn¡¯t return back to being a human anymore.


    Moreover, with his head gone, it was basically impossible to revive him.


    In addition, when Marchas, who lost his head, was separated from his master, Katia, he would go out of control, and go around hunting for human heads.


    I could only grind my teeth in frustration.


    Marchas turned out like this because I blessed him.


    It¡¯s vexing but I have no idea what to do anymore.


    ¡¸Sorry, Marchas¡­¡¹


    I unleashed my ck me, and burned Marchas¡¯ body with it.


    This was thest thing I could do for Marchas.


    ¡¸What are you going to do after this, Kuroki?¡¹


    Kuna called my name with a worried look on her face upon seeing my vexed face.


    ¡¸Sorry to make you worry so much, Kuna.¡¹


    I patted Kuna¡¯s head.


    Well, let¡¯s see. What shall we do then?


    Zand should¡¯ve noticed us when Kuna killed Katia.


    Zand.


    It was the name of the person that Katia mentioned. There was a high possibility that this Zand person wasn¡¯t a human.


    Anyhow, they were the one who gave that much power to Katia who was a normal woman. They¡¯re definitely a God.


    In addition, though I never met them before, I feel nothing but disgust toward them.


    They would definitely take me as their enemy when they realize that I was the one who broke one of their collections.


    ¡¸Sorry for this unexpected disturbance during our vacation, Kuna. We couldn¡¯t even enjoy it to the fullest despite being on vacation. Can you take Sienna and go back first?¡¹


    I asked while pointing at Sienna who was trembling non-stop.


    I have to check more information on Zand. Maybe it¡¯s better to ask Zeal and Ainoe about Zand.


    ¡¸Understood. Be careful, Kuroki.¡¹


    Kuna replied with an extremely charming smile on her face.


    For some reason, she seems to be enjoying this.


    ¡¸Thanks, Kuna. I¡¯ll be back. Please wait for me.¡¹


    I used flight after I brushed Kuna¡¯s cheeks.


    ***


    ¡ôMoonlight Goddess, Kuna


    The night wind is blowing around me as Kuroki flies in the night sky.


    ¡¸Sorry Kuroki. I¡¯ve no intention of waiting obediently.¡¹


    I muttered while looking at the direction Kuroki was flying in.


    I was dissatisfied ever since I came to this human country.


    I mean, even though I¡¯m enjoying my stroll with Kuroki, why should I regard those humans who are blocking our way?


    There was no need to act reserved toward those weakling.


    The same goes for Kuroki. He¡¯s always enduring something, always being reserved and looking from the side.


    He even acted reserved when he was with Kuna.


    Kuna felt dissatisfied with that.


    Kuroki is strong. That¡¯s why he should act more freely.


    I really want to see Kuroki wielding his power without holding back, showing his absolute might as a warrior.


    The problem was, how to realize that goal?


    I looked at the woman¡¯s head and that headless man at their vanished ce.


    And then, I pondered over Zand, their master.


    He was an amusing person. The fact that he was toying with the annoying humans of this country was particrly noteworthy.


    He might be useful for my n?


    Yosh, it¡¯s decided then. Be proud Zand, for you will be a useful tool for this Kuna.


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile upon thinking about that.


    Kuna¡¯s current smile definitely looks ominous.


    There was no way Kuna could show this kind of face in front of my beloved Kuroki.


    ¡¸O bushkey of shining white butterflies who live in the flower garden of Aedin deep in the darkness of Nargol, heed Kuna¡¯s call. ¡¹


    I focused my mind to call those insects.


    The insect user ability was originally that of ogre Kujig¡¯s ability.


    But Kuna plundered that ability from Kujig.


    This insect user ability allowed its user to freely manipte the power of insects. In short, even if the user has powerful magical power, they¡¯re still considered weak unless they could control powerful insects.


    The insects used by Kujig weren¡¯t that powerful.


    That¡¯s why Kuna decided to look for stronger insects.


    And she finally found one strong insect.


    Shining white butterflies suddenly appeared out of nowhere around Kuna.


    This butterfly was a unique monster(a bewitching insect) which lived in the dark forest of Nargol.


    This butterfly¡¯s magical power isparable to those of divine beings. They have outstanding perception on top of being able to use illusions.


    In addition, since their speciality was moving between space, otherwise known as teleportation, barriers were rendered useless against them.


    Though they have no offensive ability, depending on how you use them, they could be the strongest weapon.


    Using these butterflies required an extreme amount of effort.


    But, that was only for that ogre. The same didn¡¯t apply to Kuna. So Kuna persevered and ultimately seeded.


    ¡¸Go!! My butterflies!! Find the one who hides in the darkness with this light!!¡¹


    The butterflies then vanished into the darkness of the night with a p of their shining wings.


    ¡¸Well then, just how long are you going to tremble in fear like newborn foal, Sienna?¡¹


    Kuna then turned around, looking at Sienna.


    ¡¸G-Goddess-sama!?¡¹


    But, Sienna¡¯s trembling didn¡¯t stop.


    She might be affected by fear after she saw that duhan. Such weak power didn¡¯t work on Kuna and Kuroki since our power wasparable to divine beings, but it was apparently quite powerful for Sienna.


    It seems Sienna has yet to be able to break free from her fear.


    ¡¸What a helpless girl. Hey, look into Kuna¡¯s eyes.¡¹


    This woman had taught Kuna how to dance. So Kuna will at least take care of her safety.


    When I used my magic, color returned to Sienna¡¯s face.


    ¡¸Thank you very much¡­ Goddess-sama¡­¡¹


    Sienna expressed her gratitude with teary eyes.


    ¡¸Well, it¡¯s time to go back, Sienna. Things will only get more hectic after this.¡¹


    Sienna tilted her head, looking at Kuna whoughed as she told her so.


    ***


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    ¡¸Are you alright, Chiyuki-san?¡¹


    Nao asked with a worried voice as she lent her shoulder to me.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Nao-san. I just felt a bit unwell.¡¹


    ¡¸Are you really sure that you¡¯re okay, Sage-dono? Again, just what in the world you see back then?¡¹


    Decius, who walked by my side, asked with a worried look on his face.


    But, there was no way I could tell him about what I saw there.


    Currently, we¡¯re standing in the bar room of an inn.


    I used irvoyance magic to peek into the room of the inn trying to find Marchas.


    But, using irvoyance was my blunder.


    ¨CEvery single one of the guests in the room, even this one was in the middle of ¡°having fun¡±.


    I unintentionally let out such mumbling.


    Yes, when I peeked into the 2nd floor of this inn, the guests were in the middle of having se*x with the prostitutes.


    I even spotted g*y and lesb*ian couples amongst them. Well, I knew that it wasn¡¯t my ce toin since there were various forms of love.


    Rather, I would cheer for them if it was between good-looking men.


    BUT¡­ BUUUUUUT, like hell I wouldn¡¯t feel sick when I saw five, yes, FIVE WHOLE furry middle aged men piling on top of each other.

 Chapter 73.1: Patronage

    <h4>Chapter 73.1: Patronage</h4>


    Note: HAZARD WARNING!!!


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    ¡¸In the end, we haven¡¯t found anything, Decius-dono.¡¹


    The next day, I heard the results from Decius-dono¡¯s investigation in the guest room of the theatre.


    It seems the man called Marchas has yet to return.


    After that, Rino and I, who reunited with Reiji and co., decided to stay in the lodging of the theatre.


    And then, Decius only came looking for us around noon today.


    It seems Decius has been searching tillte at night and overslept, resulting in histe arrival today.


    ¡¸Yes Chiyuki-dono. The investigation should be able to progress if I can enter the staff-only part of the store but¡­¡¹


    Decius spoke in an apologetic manner.


    Well, it really can¡¯t be helped.


    That area¡¯s public order was quite bad. If Decius forces his way in to investigate the interior of that store by force, he might be killed on the spot.


    By the way, that area aside, the overall public order of republic Ariadya was quite bad. Reason being, the Republic of Ariadya was more openpared with the other countries. It was easy for humans toe in and leave this country. But in exchange, it was also easy for bad people toe in.


    Though we have no problem in repelling those thugs thanks to our superhuman strength, it is a different story when ites to the normal people of this world. They might get assaulted when they¡¯re strolling around in the middle of the night.


    And yet, despite such a situation, the general who should make his move to increase public safety has yet to make his move.


    It seems the reason lies in theck of authority.


    Though the citizen¡¯s rights might be protected by the state, the number of crime cases might only increase if the police don¡¯t do something about this situation.


    Despite the sheer number of its citizens, it seems the Republic of Ariadya wascking experience when ites to policing.


    I think they should do something about the police to increase public order. But, it seems the influential senators deemed that it was too dangerous to give more authority to the already powerful general, thus the situation came into this stalemate.


    Though we might be able to use our power and influence to change their decision, our interference might cause another problem in this country¡¯s domestic affairs.


    Moreover, we might end up getting caught in this country¡¯s political strife if we meddle with their government.


    That¡¯s why there was nothing we could do about this situation.


    ¡¸Did he escape from this country?¡¹


    I heaved a sigh.


    Maybe Marchas had quickly left Ariadya after he caused that incident.


    ¡¸It seems Ainoe-san hasn¡¯t made her move either. What should we do, Chiyuki-san?¡¹


    Rino spoke with a vexed tone.


    Currently, Ainoe was practicing the script with Shirone.


    That¡¯s why Shirone isn¡¯t here with us right now.


    The same goes for Sahoko but, well, she was actually brewing tea for us.


    ¡¸Let see, I don¡¯t want to use forceful method, but can you try to ask Ainoe with your magic, Rino-chan?¡¹


    Just as Reiji had said, forcefully extracting information from someone¡¯s heart wasn¡¯t a good thing. But, she might be the only clue we had in order to find Marchas.


    ¡¸Can¡¯t be helped¡­ and we have no other clues either.¡¹


    It was possible to extract the information from Ainoe with Rino¡¯s magic. I didn¡¯t wish to use this method, but we really had no other clues left.


    ¡¸Uhm, Chiyuki-san. If it¡¯s about clues, there¡¯s the message left behind by Sienna-san, right?¡¹


    Nao spoke with a timid voice.


    ¡¸Ah, there¡¯s also that message. It seems we have to search for the one called the Moonlight Goddess.¡¹


    I then recalled the message left behind by Sienna.


    ¡¸Moonlight Goddess? What¡¯s that?¡¹


    ¡¸The words left behind by Sienna-san.¡¹


    I exined the incident that happenedst night.


    ¡¸I see¡­ A transcendent beauty, is it?¡¹


    I nodded to Reiji.


    ¡¸Well, I can¡¯t say it for sure since we never met the said beauty in person, but Decius-dono seems to know more about her.¡¹


    When I said so, everyone¡¯s eyes gathered on Decius-dono.


    ¡¸Moonlight Goddess? Well, she is¡­¡¹


    Decius then started his exnation.


    Though he looks like a serious and diligent person in a normal situation, everyone couldn¡¯t hide their shock seeing his mesmerized expression when recalling his experience with the Moonlight Goddess.


    ¡¸Hee, is that silver haired beauty more beautiful than us?¡¹


    Rino asked so impishly.


    ¡¸Eh? That¡¯s¡­¡¹


    Even Decius was at a loss for words.


    Though it would be alright if he lied and said that Rino was more beautiful, he wasn¡¯t the type of man who could lie.


    Well, I knew that Rino was the one at fault for asking such a question.


    ¡¸Geez, you shouldn¡¯t ask about something like that, Rino-san.¡¹


    ¡¸Ye~s, I just jealous and curious about what kind of person that Moonlight Goddess is.¡¹


    Rino replied with an impish smile as if she was joking, but your real intentions are mixing in there you know.


    ¡¸It¡¯s worrisome indeed. That beauty wants to meet me right? Then I absolutely have to meet her.¡¹


    Reiji spoke with a smile on his face.


    ording to the Moonlight Goddess¡¯ attendant, it seems hisdy came to Ariadya to meet the hero. Reiji was really delighted upon hearing that.


    ¡¸Geez, Reiji-kun. Look at the situation, that Moonlight Goddess might be our enemy, you know. Her reason to meet you might be to assassinate you!!¡¹


    I gave a piece of my mind to Reiji.


    Looking at the situation, the silver haired beauty, who got dubbed by Decius as the Moonlight Goddess, definitely rted to this incident.


    There was a high possibility that she might be our enemy.


    ¡¸Well, but that¡¯s only one of the possibilities right, Chiyuki?¡¹


    ¡¸Truly, I¡¯m also curious about that beauty.¡¹


    Well it was only natural to be curious about her appearance since the said beauty could even charm Decius.


    But, shouldn¡¯t he realize that the very same woman who charmed him might be the culprit behind his sister¡¯s disappearance too?


    ¡¸Her being the enemy aside, we have to find that beauty first.¡¹


    Rino and Nao nodded, agreeing with Reiji.


    Well, that¡¯s true indeed.


    ¡¸Surely, we¡¯ve to find her first, but where do you think we can find her?¡¹


    I asked that question to everyone.


    We have no clues regarding the whereabouts of that Moonlight Beauty.


    ¡¸Clues aside, the ce I met her was around the neighborhood of wealthy people¡¯s residences. In addition, the quality of her dress is outstanding, definitely not cheap. That¡¯s why, shouldn¡¯t we start searching for her around that area?¡¹


    The one who suggested that was Decius.


    Decius then pointed at the small hill with beautiful scenery exposed to the sun, the location that he mentioned before. It was definitely a ce for wealthy people.


    In addition, since he might¡¯ve done a preliminary investigation, he also exined about the number of buildings in that area. He¡¯d even investigated the owner of each mansion.


    The reason he overslept might be because of that preliminary investigation.


    I got a bit scared of his thorough preliminary investigation.


    ¡¸Eh? That¡¯s the location of Regena¡¯s residence right?¡¹


    Reiji said so upon hearing Decius¡¯ exnation.


    Regena was the former princess of Algore kingdom. Her current position was Kyouka¡¯s subordinate.


    If my memories serve me right, she received a mansion from Tormalkis.


    The area Decius pointed at was exactly the location of Tormalkis¡¯ mansion.


    Even though they only conversed briefly, Reiji still remembered Regena, huh.


    ¡¸Correct. One of the mansions in this area is under the ownership of Hero-sama¡¯s little sister. It seems that it¡¯s being used as Regena-dono¡¯s residence.¡¹


    Regena went around, greeting one big shot after another during the banquet since she was the representative for Kaya and Kyouka. It seems she also met Decius during that time.


    That¡¯s why Decius was already familiar with Regena.


    ¡¸Nevertheless, good job in remembering Regena, Reiji-kun. But still, I don¡¯t think that Moonlight Goddess is living in this area.¡¹


    ¡¸I knew that. I¡¯m just thinking about visiting Regena once this mess ends. Moreover, she might be asking for an unreasonable request from Kyouka. If that¡¯s the case, I want to help her.¡¹


    Reiji spoke with a serious expression on his face.


    Reiji never lies when ites to saving women. He might really want to save Regena.


    But, something piqued my curiosity.


    ¡¸Yeah yeah yeah, after this case has ended, let¡¯s go to visit her with everyone. Now let¡¯s go back to the topic of looking for the Moonlight Goddess. Nao-san, please use your ability to investigate the area pointed out by Decius-dono.¡¹


    After dismissing Reiji¡¯s n to have a tryst, I asked Nao to do so.


    ¡¸It shouldn¡¯t take a long time since the number of mansions isn¡¯t that many.¡¹


    Nao replied with a smile on her face.


    The investigation of the mansions in that area should end quickly if we use Nao¡¯s ability.


    ¡¸Please wait a minute. The truth is, there¡¯s an even more suspicious one amongst the owners of the mansions in that area. And that person is the member of senate, Cornes-dono, who also the patron of Ainoe-dono.¡¹


    We couldn¡¯t hide our surprise upon hearing that.


    Once again, I was marveled by how fast and efficient Decius¡¯ investigation was.


    ¡¸As expected¡­ Nao-san doesn¡¯t even get her turn.¡¹


    Both Nao and Rino were praising Decius.


    ¡¸No¡­ in fact, the reason why I stopped with just investigating is because the other party is one of the big shots in this country, a senate member.¡¹


    Decius spoke with his head hanging down in shame.


    The member of the senate was a big shot in this country. Moving recklessly would only cause political issues, or diplomatic issues in our case.


    In addition, the matter of investigation, judgement, and arresting of the senate has to be decided with vote amongst the senate itself.


    There was an example case in which a General in the past was trying to seize power for himself being pardoned with only light crime by his political opponent.


    For that reason, punishing the member of the senate whomitted crime with thew was really difficult.


    Some of them went as far as using their own position to deter thew.


    Naturally they would be judged if they went too far, but, on the other hand, they couldn¡¯t be judged as long as they could draw the line.


    Not even a knight of thew could do anything against such influence.


    One needs to use underhanded means to judge them.


    The main problem was the fact that the old roons couldn¡¯t be judged by thew. Only underhanded means could triumph their protection, such as assassination.


    The news about an influential king being assassinated wasn¡¯t big news for me who knew the above fact.


    Such political feuds happened so many times in the history of the Republic of Ariadya.


    Maybe the anecdote of Damocles¡¯ sword was born from such constant political struggle.


    The senate member called Cornes doesn¡¯t seem to have a good reputation.


    But, he was still a senate member, that¡¯s why Decius couldn¡¯t progress with his investigation.


    ¡¸Then, I guess it¡¯s our turn.¡¹

 Chapter 73.2: Patronage

    <h4>Chapter 73.2: Patronage</h4>


    WARNING: 80% of the chapter IS HAZARD!


    Reiji shed his usual daring smile.


    Unfortunately, I have to agree with Reiji this time.


    ¡¸Well, it wille to this eventually¡­ But let¡¯s start with the investigation first, Reiji-kun. That guy might be innocent after all.¡¹


    But ording to the results of the investigation so far, he was definitely guilty.


    ¡¸Everyone, the tea is ready.¡¹


    As we concluded our meeting, the door of the room opened up and Sahoko came in, bringing tea into the room.


    Other than the tea utensils ced on the tray, she also brought a huge round object along with her.


    ¡¸Sahoko-san. What is that?¡¹


    I asked her, looking at the round object.


    ¡¸Ah, this is cheesecake. I somehow managed to get a good supply of ricotta cheese.¡¹


    Sahoko replied with a smile.


    Ricotta cheese was a cheese made by boiling down milk. It seems such cheese exists in this world too.


    ¡¸Oh, it looks delicious.¡¹


    ¡¸Right. In addition, it match very well with this mintea I got from Regena.¡¹


    Mintea was the name of the flower that blooms in Nargol. The tea made from that flower has a refreshing vor and calming effect.


    It seems that Shirone¡¯s childhood friend loves this tea.


    Regena looks to have gotten a lot of this flower from him when she left Nargol.


    Since it could be made into such delicious tea, I don¡¯t think Shirone¡¯s childhood friend was a bad person.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s call Shirone to join us and have a short break.¡¹


    Reiji stopped me when I was about to go to call Shirone.


    ¡¸Let me call her. You take a rest for now, Chiyuki.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh? Thank you.¡¹


    Reiji then left the room.


    Sahoko brewed the tea and sliced the cake for Nao and Rino.


    The fragrance of mintea drifted around the room.


    Basking in the fragrance of the mintea, I was thinking about the Moonlight Goddess.


    Just who in the world is that woman?


    Though that woman was undoubtedly rted to this incident, there was a possibility that the very same woman was also the mastermind behind this incident.


    Oh whatever, let¡¯s think about that matter after I finish this tea.


    ===


    ¡ôSword¡¯s Maiden; Shirone


    We took a short break after the rehearsal for the drama.


    Honestly, I was so tired.


    Even Ainoe-san looked really exhausted after the rehearsal before she went to the toilet along with a bodyguard.


    Though it might be better if I came along with her, I didn¡¯t feel inclined to do so.


    Nevertheless, the mechanisms in this theatre were awesome.


    There was a crane-like thing used to hang the actor in midair in case their entrance scene was from the air. There was also an opening in the floor for the actor to enter the stage from there.


    Just how much were the costs for making all this?


    Though I¡¯ve seen many other theatres in other countries, their level was far below this theatre.


    When I looked around the wall, various masks of various sizes and colors were fixed along the wall. There was the mask of an angry man, the mask of a calm woman, there was also an interesting clown mask, etc etc.


    All of them were masks to be used in ys.


    In reality, the theatrist actors and actresses in this world performed with masks. It sounds like some sort of ceremonial thing, but honestly I don¡¯t understand the details.


    But, only a few selected ones were allowed to use these masks. With just a few masks, one person could perform more than one role. That¡¯s why, properly speaking, there was no need for me to perform this role.


    But, Leader Midas¡¯ ys were the kind that never used masks.


    I heard that beautiful actresses didn¡¯t wear masks, but it seems to add more color in the y.


    Though it might be thanks to those factors that Midas leader¡¯s drama was really popr, that is also the reason why I was really troubled right now.


    ¡¸As expected of Shirone-sama. It¡¯s as if this isn¡¯t the first time you¡¯re ying such role.¡¹


    Midas approached me while praising me for my acting.


    ¡¸Eh, I see¡­¡¹


    I replied appropriately.


    ¡¸It¡¯s as if you¡¯re the real princess Arfelia. I knew that my choice was right by choosing you.¡¹


    Midas bent their body back and forth in an eerie manner as they praised me.


    I mean, the dialogue just came out naturally when I spoke to the one who yed the witch¡¯s role.


    Wait a minute, didn¡¯t that make Kuroki, a prince?


    NOPE!! APOSSIBLE!! SUCH ROLE DOESN¡¯T SUIT HIM AT ALL!!


    I mean, he was nothing more than a normal, boring person who got seduced by a witch.


    But of course, there was no way I wouldn¡¯t do something about his situation. Just how much is that guy going to keep me worrying about him? [Note : Does this girl have a screw loose in her head or something?]


    ¡¸Yes, Shirone-sama. You¡¯re really talented.¡¹


    Alto-kun praised my acting too.


    ¡¸Thank you, Alto-kun.¡¹


    Alto-kun came to me, still donned in his prince¡¯s attire.


    To be honest, he was more suited to be a princess rather than a prince. I mean, with his cute face, he could be mistaken for a woman if he wore women¡¯s clothes.


    Moreover, he was really weak. He might be even weaker than the normal women of this world.


    Naturally I wouldn¡¯t tell him about this.


    It seems he wants to be a strong man. That¡¯s why he has a lot of respect for Reiji, the hero.


    Come to think of it, Kuroki was really weak back in our childhood too. Since when did he be so strong like that?


    ¡¸Alto-san, aren¡¯t you going to take a break? I made sweets.¡¹


    A woman approached Alto-kun.


    She was the patron of the troupe.


    ¡¸Thank you very much. Madam Sefiria. I love you so much since you always treat me kindly, Madam.¡¹


    Alto-kun was smiling innocently as he hugged Madam Sefiria.


    The madam seems to be really happy being embraced like that.


    So swe~et, was what I felt.


    Alto-kun was weak, but it seems he knew how to use his cuteness.


    Madam Sefiria was the wife of a big shot in this country.


    The inheritance she received from her husband was enormous. It seems that she donated some of that wealth to this troupe.


    It seems that this kind of patron was indispensable for the troupe. Some patrons didn¡¯t just give to the troupe; some patrons even directly gave their backing to a troupe member.


    Ainoe-san¡¯s patron was also one of them.


    I recalled Ainoe-san¡¯s performance during the rehearsal.


    Her performance was splendid. Her magic definitely has nothing to do with that, it was the fruit of her years of effort.


    I couldn¡¯t understand why someone like her would cooperate with our enemy. Could it be that she was really just being used by the mastermind just as Chiyuki-san had said?


    And that person might be none other than Ainoe-san¡¯s patron himself. If she was forced to participate, it was only natural that I wanted to save her.


    ¡¸Shirone!¡¹


    Reiji called me when I was pondering about Ainoe-san.


    ¡¸It seems I came right during the break time. Sahoko brewed tea for us. Do you want to join us?¡¹


    The female members of the troupe let out shrill voices upon witnessing Reiji speak with a refreshing smile on his face.


    He really is popr. He might have felt a sense of superiority since he always received such favorable treatment from women.


    ¡¸Okay, I¡¯ll go.¡¹


    I replied with a smile on my face too.


    Since Sahoko brewed tea, she must¡¯ve prepared a cake for us too. Sahoko-san¡¯s sweets were really delicious.


    ¡¸Ainoe-neesan!! Are you here?¡¹


    Someone was calling for Ainoe-san.


    It was one of the male members of the troupe. Maybe something for Ainoe-san.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter?¡¹


    Reiji-kun went and asked that male member. The man showed a slightly scared face upon hearing Reiji¡¯s question.


    Though he was really popr amongst the female members, the same couldn¡¯t be said for the male members.


    Well it really couldn¡¯t be helped since the way he treated men and women was greatly different.


    He is kind towards women yet extremely harsh towards men.


    But, I wish that Kuroki could get along with Reiji once hees to our side. But then again, was that really possible?


    ¡¸A-A VISITOR IS LOOKING FOR AINOE-NEESAN! HE SAID THAT HE IS THE MESSENGER FROM CORNES-SAMA, BUT I ASKED HIM TO WAIT AT THE ENTRANCE SINCE THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I SAW HIM!!¡¹


    Reiji and my line of sight intersected, and we nodded to each other.


    ¡¸Since Ainoe-san is in the middle of break right now, let me deal with him.¡¹


    That male member showed a troubled look on his face upon hearing what I said.


    ¡¸¡­ EH? But¡­¡¹


    It seems that not even I¡¯m allowed to meet that messenger.


    ¡¸Hey. Shirone said that she¡¯s going to deal with that messenger. Do you have any problem with that?¡¹


    Reiji, who was taller than that male member, asked while looking down on him.


    ¡¸N-NO!! ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEM AT ALL!!¡¹


    The male member quickly excused himself after Reiji threatened him.


    ¡¸Sorry. I should¡¯ve been able to handle it better, but¡­¡¹


    Don¡¯t mind it. This is my duty. I¡¯ll go to question that visitor. Take a rest for now.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh? but, Reiji-kun.¡¹


    ¡¸You must be tired after that rehearsal, right? Now take some rest.¡¹


    Reiji spoke while smiling lightly.


    Sure enough, I was really tired since I¡¯ve yet to get used to their pace. Let¡¯s ept his offer now.


    ¡¸Sorry for troubling you, Reiji-kun.¡¹


    Thus, I went to Chiyuki-san and co after I thanked Reiji-kun.


    The visitor for Ainoe-san. I wonder what kind of person was it that came for her?


    I went to everyone¡¯s ce while pondering about that matter.


    ===


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    Zand escaped from my pursuit.


    It happenedst night when I ransacked his shop.


    I ignored the shop employee and went straight toward Zand¡¯s room.


    But, the main reason why he escaped was those women who only had their head left obstructing my path.


    I hesitated to finish them off knowing that they¡¯re actually Zand¡¯s victims. How miserable.


    I was really helpless back then since the people on the first floor had already escaped when I confronted Zand.


    I was really furious at my own ipetence that time.


    I had no idea where his hiding ce was right now. I also had no idea about Zeal and Tarabos¡¯ hiding ce.


    But, I had a clue in my hand. Ainoe.


    Ainoe got her power from Zeal. In short, she knew Zeal¡¯s hiding ce.


    That¡¯s why I went to meet her to ask her about Zeal¡¯s hiding ce.


    I¡¯m d that I didn¡¯t miss telling her that I was in the middle of inspection when we met before. But then, this time, it was a real inspection.


    ¡¸Thank you for taking me along with you, Dark Knight-sama.¡¹


    Sienna, who was waiting by my side, was thanking me. Sienna was walking by my side, wearing a hood to hide her face.


    She asked me to take her along since she was worrying about the troupe and wanted to meet Ainoe in person.

 Chapter 73.3: Patronage

    <h4>Chapter 73.3: Patronage</h4>


    That¡¯s why I¡¯d taken her along with me.


    Additionally, I was unfamiliar with the situation at the theatre. So, I thought that taking her along would make it easier for me to meet Ainoe.


    In fact, I wanted to take Kuna along with me, but since she hated the fact that she had to hide her face and figure in hard to move attire, she ended up choosing to stay back at the mansion.


    This side of her was different from Rena. Rena didn¡¯t seem to care about hiding her face and figure in simr attire.


    So, they were still different existences despite the fact that Kuna was Rena¡¯s clone.


    That said, I arrived at the theatre along with Sienna.


    ¡¸It¡¯s nothing. I am also rather unfamiliar with the matters in the theatre. I wouldn¡¯t even think of disguising myself as the messenger of a patron had you not told me about it. All I needed was to meet with her after all.¡¹


    I replied to Sienna while looking at the bouquet of mintea flowers in my hand.


    This bouquet was a present for Ainoe. I mean, it would be suspicious if I said that I was her patron¡¯s messenger and yet came empty handed.


    ording to Sienna, the troupe management would have always been in the red if not for the backing of the patrons, that¡¯s why the existence of patrons were necessary for the troupe.


    Originally, I wanted to sneak into the theatre with magic, but it seems to be a difficult task since the theatre was equipped with a dwarf-made magic tool to prevent suspicious people from entering the theatre.


    She told me that the reason that they installed such a magic tool was because a magician had used an invisibility spell to peep in the dancer¡¯s changing room in the past.


    Though such a magic tool was nothing for me, given a choice, I would rather choose a peaceful and appropriate method rather than illegal one.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, we can meet her easily as long as we use senate Cornes¡¯ name.¡¹


    Sienna told me about Cornes too.


    Cornes was a member of the Senate, and patron of Ainoe. That¡¯s why it would be easier for us to meet Ainoe if we used Cornes¡¯ name.


    By the way, it seems he was living in the same area as us; in short, our neighbour.


    ording to Sienna, patrons usually demanded for the actor or actress they supported to sleep with them in exchange for mary support behind the scene.


    But, seeing Sienna¡¯s appearance, I couldn¡¯t help but realize that those kinds of patrons definitely did exist. It wasn¡¯t all entirely glorious like what the normal people imagined it to be¡­


    Even back in Japan, that kind of pillow business was normal for performers.


    ¡¸Do you have a patron too, Sienna?¡¹


    I unintentionally asked such a question.


    ¡¸No, I don¡¯t have a patron yet. I won¡¯t take such egoistic patrons. Though it isn¡¯t in a sense of a patron, my father and my big brother help me a lot in that regard.¡¹


    ¡¸I see.¡¹


    Sienna¡¯s father was a member of the senate and her brother was a priest of Oudith.


    If her father was a senator, she should be some sort of princess in this country. Why did such a girl work as a dancer?


    Though the profession of dancer wasn¡¯t a bottom of the barrel profession, it was definitely a job for someone without citizenship. Though she might have her own reasons to do such work, I shouldn¡¯t poke my nose into her privacy.


    ¡¸Or, are you going to be my patron, Dark Knight-sama?¡¹


    Sienna asked with a smile on her face while looking at me with an upturned gaze.


    ¡¸Sure. I¡¯ll be your patron.¡¹


    I agreed easily.


    Sienna¡¯s dance was splendid, and beautiful. It might be a good idea to fund Sienna¡¯s career after I take care of this matter and send her back to her troupe.


    Naturally, I couldn¡¯t use the Dark Knight¡¯s name, but that¡¯s where Regena¡¯s name came to use.


    ¡¸Eh¡­ that¡­ uhm¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡¹


    She looked really surprised when I agreed to support her.


    ¡¸Is something the matter?¡¹


    ¡¸N-NO!! IT¡¯S NOTHING!!¡¹


    ¡¸?¡¹


    Sienna¡¯splexion changed 180 degrees. And then, she murmured something along ¡¸What should I do? I might end up broken.¡¹.


    tilted my head, unable to understand the meaning behind her muttering.


    Thus, we had that kind of banter while heading toward the theatre.


    Finally, we arrived at the theatre.


    ¡¸Sienna, can you wait here for a while?¡¹


    It would be troublesome if her acquaintances recognized her so I asked her to wait a little bit away from the theatre.


    ¡¸Yes. But, if I¡¯m attacked by the one who killed Marchas while master isn¡¯t by my side¡­¡¹


    Sienna spoke as her body was trembling non-stop upon recalling what happened to Marchas who lost his head.


    Though I¡¯ve already released her from her restraints, it seems she was still scared of Ainoe and herpany.


    Sienna was looking at me with an anxious look on her face.


    ¡¸Then use this to protect yourself.¡¹


    I passed a katana to her.


    That katana was something that I made for myself when I left Nargol after I did my job. The color of its sword¡¯s de had turned ck since I loaded my magical power into it during its creation. She might be able to use that katana to buy some time till I arrived.


    Sienna received the katana and embraced it tightly.


    Did she just calm down a little?


    ¡¸Then, I¡¯ll leave for a while.¡¹


    I proceeded by myself.


    Even those so-called warning devices wouldn¡¯t be able to reject someone who came right from their entrance.


    That¡¯s why it shouldn¡¯t be a problem as long as I act like a normal person.


    I passed by the entrance of the theatre.


    Upon entering, I saw two men standing on guard.


    ¡¸Please stop right there. Only authorized persons are allowed to enter.¡¹


    One man stepped forward as he spoke.


    ¡¸I came here as the representative of our master, Senator Cornes-sama, to deliver this bouquet of flowers to Ainoe-sama. Please convey this message to her.¡¹


    I said the pre-arranged words.


    ¡¸Cornes-sama? But, you¡¯re not the usual person.¡¹


    The man might be familiar with the face of Cornes¡¯ messenger. Such a blunder.


    ¡¸Well even if you say that¡­ All I am doing is delivering this bouquet in ordance to our master¡¯s instructions.¡¹


    I showed a troubled look on my face, looking down at the bouquet.


    ¡¸Haa¡­ it can¡¯t be helped. If that¡¯s the case, you can go back after you entrust the bouquet to us.¡¹


    The man tried to take a bouquet from me.


    ¡¸N-No!! Our master said that she has to receive the bouquet right from my hand. Can you please call Ainoe-sama toe to meet me?¡¹


    I stepped back, to avoid the man.


    Honestly, these kinds of ad libs were really troublesome.


    Though I could threaten them with my power, they did nothing wrong and were only doing their job properly.


    Like hell I would threaten someone who only did their job properly.


    ¡¸Haa, I understand. Please wait for a while, I¡¯ll go ask for Ainoe-neesan.¡¹


    The other man retreated into the theatre.


    Leaving only one guard who tried to take the bouquet and me in the entrance.


    Soon enough, someone came from the theatre.


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t hide my surprise upon seeing the one who came out.


    Because, it was none other than the Hero of Light, Reiji, himself.

 Chapter 74.1: God of Sleep

    <h4>Chapter 74.1: God of Sleep</h4>


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    W-What should I do now?


    Reiji was currently standing right in front of me.


    I made a dumbfounded face since I never expected him to show up here.


    The Dark Knight and Hero of Light ended up bumping into each other in this kind of ce.


    But, no reason to get scared since I didn¡¯t do anything wrong.


    ¡¸AWAWAWWAWAWAWA!¡¹


    I ended up getting flustered.


    ¡¸Are you Cornes¡¯ messenger?¡¹


    Reiji spoke with a daring smile on his face.


    Thus, I noticed that something was amiss about this situation.


    There was something wrong with the way he looked at me.


    ¡¸Uhm, what? Is there something on my face?¡¹


    Since I didn¡¯t say anything, Reiji asked with a suspicious look on his face.


    ¡¸Uhm, don¡¯t you remember my face?¡¹


    ¡¸Hah? No idea.¡¹


    Reiji replied with a slightly irritated voice.


    Thus, I was convinced.


    THIS FUCKER DIDN¡¯T REMEMBER MY FACEEEEE¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D!!!!


    Come to think of it, I never showed my face properly either, save for the moment when my helmet broke after the battle in Rox kingdom.


    It saved me from a whole lot of trouble, but somehow it stung.


    ¡¸The heck? Why are you suddenly orz-ed in front of me?¡¹


    I heard Reiji ask curiously.


    Reiji might simply not care about men¡¯s faces.


    Well, that fact ended up saving my ass, though.


    Rather, it was more convenient if he treated me like a mob.


    Yup, let¡¯s y along with him.


    ¡¸NONONO! IT¡¯S NOTHING! IT¡¯S JUST SOMETHING TRIVIAL!!¡¹


    I put more strength into my voice.


    ¡¸Is that so? What a strange fe.¡¹


    Reiji was tilting his head in confusion.


    SORRY FOR BEING STRANGE!!


    Rather than that, why in the hell did Reiji appear in this kind of ce?


    Thus, I noticed that something was amiss.


    It seems that Reiji and co were also suspicious of Ainoe. If that¡¯s the case, Ainoe might really get killed this time.


    In addition, it might be really difficult for me to contact Ainoe from here on with Reiji and co around. I have to leave this ce immediately before things turn sour.


    ¡¸I just feel a little bit under the weather!! Excuse me then, please give this bouquet to Ainoe-sama!!¡¹


    I showed a forced smile as I pressed the bouquet towards Reiji.


    I might be showing a cramped smile right now since Reiji showed a puzzled look on his face, but I didn¡¯t have the leeway to care about that.


    ¡¸Eh? Ah? I understand.¡¹


    Reiji received the bouquet obediently.


    And then, I turned around in a hurry and quickly left that ce.


    ===


    ¡ôSword¡¯s Maiden; Shirone


    In front of me was delicious cheesecake and fragrant tea.


    ¡¸Uwa~. It looks so good. As expected of Sahoko-san!!!¡¹


    I give praise to Sahoko-san.


    ¡¸Hehe, thanks Shirone-san.¡¹


    ¡¸Is this mintea?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. It¡¯s the tea loved by Shirone-san¡¯s childhood friend.¡¹


    ording to Sahoko-san, Kuroki often drank mintea in Nargol.


    But, I had no idea whether it was the truth. He might have had no choice but to drink this since this tea was the only one avable for him.


    I thought so while looking at the tea that Kuroki loves.


    ¡¸Everyone, I¡¯m back.¡¹


    Reiji-kun returned with those words.


    ¡¸Wee back, Reiji-kun. So what kind of person you meet?¡¹


    I asked Reiji-kun.


    Reiji-kun should¡¯ve been back after he met the person who wanted to meet Ainoe-san.


    ¡¸I can¡¯t really use any expression to describe that fe. But, I felt that something was unusual about him.¡¹


    Reiji-kun replied with a serious look on his face.


    I tilted my head upon seeing that face. It was rare for Reiji-kun to make such a face. I mean, he always had this carefree look on his face.


    He never made such a face even when facing insurmountable hardship and always managed to surpass it with the same carefree face. Just what in the world could force him to make such a face?


    ¡¸Something unusual about him, is it?¡¹


    Chiyuki-san asked Reiji-kun.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know but, my body has been trembling non-stop since the moment I met that fe.¡¹


    Reiji stretched out his right arms as he said so. It was trembling even now.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Reiji-san? It¡¯s as if you¡¯re trembling in fear.¡¹


    Rino-chan voiced her worry.


    ¡¸Fear? Me?¡¹


    Reiji-kun was looking at his right arm as if he couldn¡¯t believe what he heard just now.


    The same goes for me. Chiyuki-san, Sahoko-san, Rino-chan and Nao-chan, all of us looked at Reiji-kun¡¯s face with disbelief.


    Even Reiji-kun had the same kind of face.


    ¡¸This is unbelievable. Just what kind of guy that can instill fear into Reiji-kun?¡¹


    Reiji-kun shook his head.


    ¡¸Dunno, Chiyuki. He looked like your average good guy who can be found everywhere.¡¹


    Slightly heavy air surrounded the room.


    ¡¸Ahahaha. Why everyone so gloomy, it might be just your imagination you know!!¡¹


    Nao-chan, the mood maker of our party, broke the ice with her usual bright voice.


    ¡¸Yeah. Maybe it¡¯s just our imagination¡­ Rather than that, what¡¯s the bouquet in your arm, Reiji-kun?¡¹


    Chiyuki asked while looking at the flower in Reiji-kun¡¯s hand.


    ¡¸Ah, this is¡­¡¹


    He then showed the flowers to us.


    ¡¸It¡¯s such a beautiful flower, Rei-kun.¡¹


    Sahoko-san spoke while admiring the flower.


    It was a beautiful, light violet flower.


    ¡¸This is the flower from that guy who came to see Ainoe. I took one flower from that bouquet. Chiyuki, does the smell of this flower remind you of something?¡¹


    Upon saying so, Reiji-kun gave the flower to Chiyuki-san.


    Chiyuki then sniffed the flower.


    ¡¸Is this¡­ mintea?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. It¡¯s definitely the aroma of mintea.¡¹


    Everyone also agreed with Reiji-kun.


    Though we knew mintea when it already became tea, it was the first time we were seeing it as a fresh flower.


    ¡¸Eh? When you¡¯re talking about mintea, they shouldn¡¯t be able to bloom outside of Nargol, right?¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re absolutely right, Rino-chan. Mintea is Nargol¡¯s flower.¡¹


    They were right. Mintea was Nargol¡¯s flower.


    ¡¸Say, Shirone-san. Why did the man who called himself as the senate Cornes¡¯ messenger being such a flower with him?¡¹


    I agreed with Chiyuki-san.


    ¡¸Since Cornes¡¯ messenger came with such flower¡­ it means that the person himself is the worshipper of demon king.¡¹


    Sir Decius concluded so while nodding in understanding.


    ¡¸Aah,e to think of it, that guy seems to know me too. Well that¡¯s only natural, I¡¯m the famous hero after all.¡¹


    Reiji-kun spoke with a grim face.


    Maybe he recalled Cornes¡¯ messenger.


    That messenger was definitely not an ordinary person to be able to force Reiji-kun into making such a grim look on his face.


    ¡¸I see, in this case, there¡¯s a high possibility that Ainoe is in cahoots with Sir Cornes.¡¹


    ¡¸It is just as you say, Decius-dono. Maybe it¡¯s better if we start the investigation right away. Let¡¯s head out to Sir Cornes¡¯ mansion after this short break.¡¹


    Everyone agreed with Chiyuki-san.


    ===


    ¡ôDancer, Sienna


    I sped tightly on the katana that I received from the Dark Knight a while ago. I was looking at the theatre from a slightly separated ce.


    In addition, I didn¡¯t neglect to check my surroundings every now and then.


    I couldn¡¯t help but tremble in fear toward the guy who turned Marchas into THAT.


    I pulled the katana lightly from its sheath, looking at its ck de. I felt that I could see ck me dwelling in the sword¡¯s de.


    This was definitely an enchanted weapon.


    It seems this katana was made by the Dark Knight himself.


    Though the Dark Knight¡¯s sword arm left me in awe, I was even more surprised upon seeing the enchanted weapon made by him.


    I then remembered the scenery from this morning.


    I recalled the figure of the Dark Knight when he swung his wooden sword in his routine morning training. It seems that the Dark Knight never neglected his daily training even after he became so strong.


    I recalled his figure when he swung his sword really slowly, yet flowing smoothly. It took a really long time for him to finish one swing of his sword.


    And he repeated such motions many times over.


    I ended up exhausting myself, sweating from head to toes afterpleting one swing when I tried to imitate his training.


    ording to the Dark Knight, it happened because I used the muscles that were normally never used by me with normal training.


    And while I was lying down, dead tired from that one swing, Dark Knight kept repeating such training, as if he was observing every little part of his swing, trying to find even the smallest fault in it.


    Albeit slow, his movements were graceful and beautiful.


    Though the Moonlight Goddess who was training with him did the same, her movement was¡­ awkward.


    That Dark Knight¡¯s strength was real. And then, there should be nothing left for me to fear since he said that he would be my patron.


    I then looked at the theatre again.


    Thus, I saw the Dark Knight walking in my direction by himself.


    Something about his condition didn¡¯t seem to be right.


    ¡¸Uhm, did something happened in the theatre?¡¹


    When I asked him, the Dark Knight just shook his head.


    ¡¸Just something trivial that made me feel tired¡­ By the way, sorry Sienna. It seems we won¡¯t be able to meet Ainoe. The hero and co are in the theatre right now.¡¹


    The Dark Knight was apologizing to me while bowing his head.


    ¡¸Eh? Is that so?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. But, I don¡¯t know whether that flower will reach Ainoe or not.¡¹


    The Dark Knight was pondering by himself.


    It seems that AInoe-neesan was with the Hero and co right now, but¡­ no, wait a minute, they might be in the middle of investigating the troupe due to the flute that I entrusted to my brother.


    I mean, my brother did say that he would investigate the incident during the banquet along with the hero and co.


    Thus, I told the Dark Knight about this matter.


    ¡¸I see. That flute is with your brother huh.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, I believe that they¡¯re in the middle of investigating the troupe right now.¡¹


    ¡¸I see. But, I guess we can¡¯t go to the theatre with this¡­ Is there any way to gain the information about Reiji and co¡­¡¹


    The Dark Knight seems to be really troubled right now.


    I also pondered over it for a while.


    My brother did say that he will investigate the incident with the hero and co. In that case, my brother might also be in that theatre right now.


    I recalled what happened to Marchas. There was an extremely dangerous person manipting Ainoe-neesan from the shadows.


    Will that dangerous person harm my brother?


    If that is the case, then I have to do something about this situation.


    ¡¸Eh? It seems there¡¯s some urgent news.¡¹


    When I was wondering about my brother¡¯s safety.


    The Dark Knight suddenly raised his voice.


    ¡¸Uhm, did something happened in the theatre?¡¹


    But, the Dark Knight didn¡¯t say anything to me.


    It was as if he was talking to someone who isn¡¯t here.


    ¡¸Sorry Sienna. I¡¯ve to go to a certain ce for an urgent matter . Can you go back by yourself? Kuna had told me to meet Runfeld who came to thebyrinth after all.¡¹


    The Dark Knight left in a hurry after saying that, leaving me behind alone in this ce.


    ===


    ¡ô???


    This ce was heaven.


    There was a lot of delicious food here.


    It was a great contrastpared to the western desert, the ce where I was born and raised.


    I gave my deepest gratitude to the leader who called me out to this ce.


    I was walking inside a mansion.


    The childrens whose eyes were covered were running around happily.


    I was really happy to see such a scene.


    I love children, after all. I feel blessed just by looking at them.


    The sandman was always bringing their children¡¯s out for a walk after the sunset.


    The sandman was the priest of the God of Sleep, the son of the God of Death. In short, they¡¯re my faithful followers.


    The sandman scattered medicinal powder called ¡ºSand¡» which gave a pleasant dreams to humans.


    But, the human wouldn¡¯t wake from their sleep after a long time use of ¡ºSand¡» and thus became the permanent residents of the dream world.


    And then, they became familiar with the god of dreams.


    It was an extremely pleasant story.


    It also made me full.


    The reason why all the childrens had their eyes closed was simply because there¡¯s no need for them to open their eyes.


    I enjoyed the scenery of childrens frolicking around.


    Was it because of the children¡¯s happiness? I even saw a shining butterfly flying around those childrens.


    ¡¸Oh my?¡¹


    Then, I noticed.


    A girl was walking away from the crowd of the childrens.


    It was an extremely beautiful, silver haired girl.


    But, that girl¡¯s eyes were wide open.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve been waiting.¡¹


    I restrained that girl.


    That girl turned around.


    ¡¸What is it?¡¹


    It seems she was in a really bad mood.


    ¡¸Why did you open your eyes? You naughty girl. You should close your eyes just like them. Now, close your eyes and enjoy your dreams like every child in this ce.¡¹


    I spoke to her as I pointed toward the children who were running around happily.


    ¡¸Kuna will only enjoy a nice dream when she sleeps with Kuroki. This isn¡¯t a ce for sleep.¡¹


    I was puzzled upon hearing the girl¡¯s remark.


    Strange. There shouldn¡¯t be a silver-haired child amongst the ones brought by the sandman.


    That moment, I finally noticed the grave situation.

 Chapter 74.2: God of Sleep

    <h4>Chapter 74.2: God of Sleep</h4>


    ¡¸INTRUDER!! EVERYONE, WE HAVE AN INTRUDER!!¡¹


    I called myrades with urgency.


    ¡¸What¡¯s happening!!¡¹


    Myrades gathered at once.


    ¡¸Hum!! That¡¯s none of your businesses. Kuna will take her leave.¡¹


    The shining butterflies then gathered around the girl. And then, after the butterflies covered her entire body, the girl vanished from my sight.


    It was as if that girl was an illusion all along.


    But if she wasn¡¯t, it would be a great deal of trouble.


    ¡¸EMERGENCY!! WE GOT AN INTRUDER!!¡¹


    ===


    ¡ôGod of Sleep and Dream, Zand


    The dark underground altar was a ce dedicated to deifying my father, the god who governs over death.


    The flesh of my father that I saw for the first time in a long time was decayed, as if it would fall off anytime now.


    When I turned around, I saw someone prostrating in front of me.


    It was an ugly person, but he might be useful.


    If my memories serve me right, his name should be Cornes.


    Cornes seems to be a big shot amongst the humans. Well, such a matter was trivial for a divine being like me anyway.


    Not even Ankua realized his true identity as my father¡¯s follower.


    Well it was mainly because I didn¡¯t get along with Ankua. That¡¯s why I¡¯d never told her about Cornes¡¯ identity.


    ¡¸Such a splendid altar. Quite a rich one, aren¡¯t you?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s thanks to Zarxis-sama¡¯s power. He¡¯s the one who guided us, the desert people, to this ce after all.¡¹


    Cornes bowed his head again.


    ¡¸By the way, Zand-sama. Do you have some sort of business for visiting me today?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, there¡¯s a girl that I want to get no matter what that¡¯s living around this area. I¡¯m going to see her situation.¡¹


    ¡¸I see. That girl is lucky to receive the god of sleep¡¯s dream. She should be able to see a nice dream.¡¹


    It¡¯s just as he said. One is considered lucky to be loved by me.


    For I am the god of sleep, I was the one who guided this country¡¯s dreams. Showing a good dream was my forte.


    Even a goddess would surely be delighted by it.


    My goddess was currently residing in the Dark Knight¡¯s stronghold. So my only problem was how to get my hands on that Goddess.


    Though not as powerful as the Dark Knight, the Silver Haired Goddess was quite powerful herself. A weak god like me has no chance in winning against her in a full frontal fight.


    I had no choice but toy a trap. Now, what should I do then?


    Up until now, I only got my hands on weak guys. I should ce my body in the safest ce.


    But, I really want that Silver Haired Goddess¡¯ head.


    I want to behead that Silver Haired Goddess¡¯ head.


    This might be the first time I felt like this, it must be love.


    And now was the best chance for me when that goddess was in my territory.


    The moment I thought so, Cornes¡¯ subordinate entered the altar room. That subordinate came closer and whispered something to Cornes¡¯ ears.


    ¡¸IMPOSSIBLE!!? ARE YOU SURE THAT YOU¡¯RE NOT MISTAKING SOMETHING!!?¡¹


    Cornes asked with a loud voice.


    ¡¸Is something the matter?¡¹


    ¡¸Zand-sama. My subordinate has told me that there¡¯s an intruder. Though it should be impossible, let me go check it for the time being.¡¹


    Cornes bowed his head and left the room.


    Something came into my mind after Cornes left the room.


    Intruder? How could it be?


    I¡¯ve erected a barrier to cover the entire mansion. No one should be able to enter the mansion unnoticed.


    Meaning that the intruder could bypass the entrance.


    What¡¯s the meaning of this?


    When I was pondering about that, shining butterflies passed by in front of me again.


    Again, this was the second time I was seeing this butterfly.


    Not even a bug should be able to enter this room. What¡¯s the meaning of this?


    Upon a closer look, I noticed that the room was filled with these shining butterflies.


    ¡¸WHAT THE!!? WHAT THE HELL WITH THIS BUTTERFLY?!!¡¹


    I was looking around in a hurry.


    And then, when I turned around, I saw a goddess standing right behind me with a giant scythe in her hand.


    ===


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    The shape of the Republic of Ariadya resembled that of an opened folding fan with the estuary of Quiche river flowing in the middle.


    The number of its ramparts was three. They were separated from each other due to the expansion of the city¡¯s size and Kapiri district in particr located in the western side of the second rampart.


    And this Kapiri district is located on top of a small hill.


    For that reason, the mansion of big shots andrge merchants were gathered in this location.


    Nao, Rino, Reiji, Decius and I were right in that Kapiri district right now.


    By the way, Shirone and Sahoko didn¡¯te with us. They¡¯re on standby at the theatre, watching over Ainoe.


    ¡¸That¡¯s Cornes mansion huh? It¡¯s a big mansion.¡¹


    I spoke while looking at Cornes¡¯ mansion which was just a little bit away from our position. Even though the majority of buildings in this district were quite tall, Cornes¡¯ mansion was truly standing out in terms of height and size, maybe because he was the member of senate.


    Many people in Cornes¡¯ mansion were equipped with weapons.


    Though it might be just his private army working for him to protect his safety as a senate member, aren¡¯t their numbers a little bit too much?


    Since the security was this tight, maybe entering this mansion wasn¡¯t a simple matter.


    In the other countries, members of the senate were equal to the nobility. And a noble¡¯s house should¡¯ve been open for the citizens. They had the responsibility of hearing the petitions of the citizens which reflected the situation of the country.


    But, the gate of Cornes¡¯ mansion was shut tight.


    That might reflect on his reputation as a bad example for the senate.


    But, there¡¯s something more worrying about Cornes¡¯ mansion.


    His mansion was protected by a powerful barrier. Was that due to his guilty conscience? Perhaps he was aware that he had many enemies.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right Chiyuki-dono. This is what make Cornes-dono¡¯s mansion so mysterious.¡¹


    That was Decius¡¯ reply when I tried to ask him about the situation in Cornes¡¯ mansion.


    ¡¸Mysterious? Can you be more borate?¡¹


    Nao asked Decius.


    ¡¸Cornes family is a distinguished family in Ariadya, but that¡¯s the old story. Cornes-dono¡¯s family was on the verge of copse due to debt until three years ago. Suddenly, they bounced back and be prosperous again.¡¹


    ¡¸Suddenly bounced back and became prosperous again? That¡¯s strange indeed.¡¹


    Reiji spoke with a gloomy face.


    ¡¸Yes. I heard that they made a profit by selling¡ºSand¡».¡¹


    ¡¸Sand? What¡¯s that~¡¹


    Just as Rino had said, I had no idea how he made a profit by selling sand.


    ¡¸It¡¯s actually a powdered drug called ¡ºSand¡». It¡¯s called sand because its powdered form resembles sand.¡¹


    Decius exined to us.


    ¡¸¡ºSand¡», huh. Just what kind of medicine is it, Decius-dono?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s a sleeping drug, Chiyuki-dono. People can have nice dreams with this medicine.¡¹


    We knitted our eyebrows upon hearing Decius-dono¡¯s exnation.


    ¡¸That sounds suspicious¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, Nao-chan.¡¹


    Just as Nao and Rino just said, it was an extremely suspicious drug. Could it be that ¡ºSand¡» was actually a narcotic drug?


    ¡¸Decius-dono, does that ¡ºSand¡» harm the body of its user?¡¹


    ¡¸About that. I tried asking Fanacea¡¯s priest to check the ¡ºSand¡» since I also worried about its effects, but all they said is the fact that it¡¯s a powerful magic drug. Some of the users of ¡ºSand¡» have been said to never open their eyes again.¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s clearly dangerous, right! Why aren¡¯t you moving to regte it!?¡¹


    I unintentionally shouted at Decius.


    ¡¸¡ºSand¡» is sold mainly in the outer city. Majority of its users are unregistered citizens. Though some citizens use it, there¡¯s no damage reports from them so far. Since there¡¯s no damage reports, the senate can¡¯t make their decision¡­ ¡¹


    I unintentionally palmed myself.


    So that means the leaders of this country don¡¯t care about what happens as long as it didn¡¯t happen to their citizens?


    ¡¸Does that mean the man called Cornes is the one who supplying this ¡ºSand¡»?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Hero-dono. That seems to be the case. There¡¯s witness of the ¡ºSandman¡», the one who sells ¡ºSand¡», going in and out Cornes-dono¡¯s mansion.¡¹


    Decius exined to us about ¡ºSandman¡».


    The man who carrying bag containing ¡ºSand¡» over their shoulder. Moreover, there¡¯s a rumor going around about the ¡ºSandman¡» kidnapping children.


    Lately, there was even a rumor that the ¡ºSandman¡» wille to anyone who can¡¯t sleep at night.


    And those ¡ºSandman¡» wereing from Cornes¡¯ mansion.


    Even though the evidence kept popping out left and right, Decius and co couldn¡¯t make their move since there¡¯s no damage to the citizens, and due the fact that the culprit was the member of senate himself.


    Maybe Decius was also vexed by this case.


    Nevertheless, maybe it¡¯s better if we confirm it with our own eyes about the ¡ºSandman¡» and ¡ºSand¡».


    ¡¸Chiyuki-san. It seems something has happened in Cornes¡¯ mansion.¡¹


    It is just as Nao had said.


    We heard screamsing from Cornes¡¯ mansion.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go and take a look.¡¹


    Reiji started walking first.


    ¡¸You¡¯re right, Reiji-kun. Lord Decius, we should be able to do the investigation as long as the other party allows us, right? That¡¯s including the fact if he¡¯s willing confess to us, right?¡¹


    I asked Decius as I walked behind Reiji.


    ¡¸Yes, Sage-dono. There¡¯s no problem in investigating as long as we don¡¯t coerce the other party.¡¹


    I nodded upon hearing that.


    Thus, we headed toward Cornes¡¯ mansion.


    ===


    ¡ôSilver Witch; Kuna


    ¡¸Ouch¡­ It hurts¡­ Please stop already, Kuna-sama¡­¡¹


    I was trampling down upon an ugly six-eyed rat under my foot.


    But, this definitely is not animal abuse and this guy isn¡¯t a rat, but a bug. Anyhow, I could end this guy¡¯s pathetic life with just a small push of my foot.


    Though this bug seems to be trying to say something, I didn¡¯t stop trampling on him underfoot.


    This guy seems to be the bottom of the barrel of the divine beings, that¡¯s why I could easily beat him with a surprise attack.


    Since Kuroki isn¡¯t here with me, I could use sneak attacks to beat this bug.


    ¡¸Stop that annoying yammering already.¡¹


    I put even more strength into my leg.


    The crying sound of this bug was truly pollution for my ears.


    It wasn¡¯t just this guy, my anger wouldn¡¯t be appeased if that Ulbard fe didn¡¯t experience the same pain.


    ¡¸I¡¯VE ALREADY TOLD EVERYTHING!! PLEASE FORGIVE ME ALREADY!!¡¹


    The bug kept going on and on with his annoying yammering.


    But he got the point, trampling him down like this made me tired, let¡¯s stop for now.


    ¡¸Fine then. I¡¯ll stop for now.¡¹


    The bug showed a servile smile upon hearing Kuna¡¯s remark.


    ¡¸It¡¯s time to cut off your head after all.¡¹


    Kuna raised her scythe.


    ¡¸WHAT THE!!? YOU SAY THAT YOU WERE GOING TO FORGIVE ME!!¡¹


    ¡¸Hah, when did I say that I forgive you? You should be happy since from this point on, you¡¯ll be my loyal pawn.¡¹


    After saying that, I took out a dried head from an empty space.


    It was the dried head of an ogre. This ogre taught various things to Kuna when they were still alive, yes, when they¡¯re still alive with their head on their shoulder.


    This was the secret art taught to Kuna by the arc witch of the wends who lived in the west of the demon king castle.


    And now, let¡¯s turn this bug into this.


    Kuna really enjoyed this moment since this was the first time she got her hands on the head of a divine being.


    ¡¸HIIIII!! OGRE HEAD!! WHY SHOULD I FEEL DELIGHTED BY BECOMING SOMETHING LIKE THAT!!! HOW CAN YOU DO SOMETHING SO CRUEL TO ME!!¡¹


    I turned a deaf ear to this bug¡¯s wailing.


    This bug should feel grateful to be able to be Kuna¡¯s loyal servant.


    Well, that¡¯s enough.


    Kuna brandished her scythe, beheading the bug¡¯s head.


    ¡¸Well then, I guess I¡¯ll take care of the hero while I¡¯m at it.¡¹


    I looked up at the ceiling of the room while stepping on the bug that had already died.

 Chapter 75.1: High-Rank Ghoul

    <h4>Chapter 75.1: High-Rank Ghoul</h4>


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    Reiji, Nao, Rino, Decius and I finally arrived at the entrance of Cornes¡¯ mansion.


    Upon approaching the gate, two gatekeepers stopped us in our tracks.


    They might be Cornes¡¯ private army. They¡¯re armed to a T.


    And then, the soldiers finally noticed our identity.


    ¡¸Who are you people?!! State your business?!!¡¹


    The tall and burly soldier asked while ring at us.


    ¡¸I¡¯m someone who serves Oudith-sama, Decius, the son of Senator Nacius. Please tell lord Cornes about our arrival.¡¹


    Decius introduced himself with impable manners. It seems the soldiers had no idea about what to do seeing that the other party was directly rted with the senate too.


    The gatekeepers then whispered to each other.


    ¡¸Understood. Please wait for a while.¡¹


    One of the gatekeepers went inside.


    ¡¸It seems your guess is right on the money, Chiyuki.¡¹


    Reiji told me so while looking at me.


    It seems Reiji has noticed it too.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, what is the name of that animal? Why did I feel like I¡¯ve seen one on tv a long time ago?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s a hyena you know, Rino-chan.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. That¡¯s right, Nao-chan. It¡¯s hyena-san.¡¹


    Rino and Nao noticed too.


    ¡¸What are you talking about?¡¹


    Decius was the only one amongst us who had yet to notice it.


    A whileter, the gatekeeper returned. He brought a maid-like woman along with him.


    ¡¸Please follow me, I¡¯ll guide you inside to meet the Master.¡¹


    The girl bowed to us as she spoke.


    We followed her from behind.


    Upon entering the parlor room, we saw a middle aged man had already been waiting for us inside.


    ¡¸If it isn¡¯t lord Decius. Is something the matter? What brings you to visit me in person?¡¹


    The middle aged man was looking at Decius and us.


    It seems this man was the one called Cornes. As expected, whether it was Cornes, the gatekeepers, or the maid, they were the same. It seems that Cornes had no idea about us since he didn¡¯te to the banquet.


    ¡¸Thank you very much for giving us the chance to meet face to face like this. That person is the hero, Reiji-dono and the ones apanying him are Chiyuki-dono, Rino-dono, andstly, Nao-dono. Cornes-dono, the reason for our visit is because we have some questions that you have to answer no matter what.¡¹


    Decius greeted Cornes with his usual impable manner.


    But, aside from Decius, the rest of us didn¡¯t do anything. Reason being we simply didn¡¯t feel the need to do so.


    Cornes seems to be extremely surprised upon hearing Reiji¡¯s introduction. It seems he didn¡¯t expect us toe.


    But then, he seemed to pull himself together and urged us to take a seat.


    We took a seat in the prepared chairs.


    ¡¸So, may I ask what kind of questions you have for me, Hero of Light-dono and Decius-dono?¡¹


    Cornes, who sat in front of us, asked.


    ¡¸The truth is that we¡¯re looking for a certain person.¡¹


    ¡¸A certain person? I see, may I ask who you are looking for?¡¹


    ¡¸We don¡¯t know that person¡¯s name. The only thing we know is the fact that the person is an extremely beautiful, silver-haired girl. We call her the Moonlight Goddess.¡¹


    Cornes¡¯ eyebrows twitched upon hearing Decius¡¯ remark. From his reaction, it seems he knew who we were looking for.


    ¡¸You¡¯re looking for a silver-haired woman?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Cornes-dono. It seems she is rted to the Karkinos¡¯ attack that happened at the previous banquet. Do you know something about her?¡¹


    Cornes made a pondering face upon hearing that question. It seems he was having a hard time answering that question.


    ¡¸Hah? What incident? I don¡¯t know what are you talking about?¡¹


    And then, he seemed to feign his ignorance.


    ¡¸He¡¯s lying.¡¹


    ¡¸Cornes-dono, you just lied to me.¡¹


    Rino and Decius dered so. Both of them could detect lies.


    ¡¸Lying? Lying about what? I¡¯ve no idea about the woman you¡¯re looking for nor is she in this mansion. If you¡¯re asking for me to allow you to investigate my mansion, I refuse.¡¹


    Cornes spoke with a grin.


    It seems he was under the impression that we wouldn¡¯t investigate him just because he was a member of the senate.


    ¡¸Chiyuki, is it okay to do THAT now?¡¹


    Reiji was looking at me as he asked such a question as if he was telling me that he had seen enough of this farce.


    ¡¸Yeah, Reiji-kun. Will you answer onest question for me then, Senator Cornes? When did youe to this country?¡¹


    Decius was looking at me with a puzzled look on his face upon hearing my question.


    The same went for Cornes.


    ¡¸Since when did you say? Since the birth of this country, of course.¡¹


    The moment Cornes spoke, Decius rose from his chair.


    Decius finally noticed too.


    ¡¸Cornes-dono!! Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re?!!¡¹


    The moment Cornes saw Decius¡¯ reaction, he made a face as if he just made the biggest blunder of his life.


    Cornes¡¯ household has always been the member of the senate for generations. That¡¯s why it was correct to say that his household has always been in Ariadya since its dawn.


    But, the old man who took the form of Cornes before us should be a different person, not the real Cornes.


    ¡¸Will you stop pretending and show your true face? To be honest, we saw through your disguise the moment we meet you.¡¹


    Cornes rose up from his chair upon hearing my remark. And then, his face started to change.


    Bing a hyena-like face.


    ¡¸GUUUUUUUUHHH YOU SAW THROUGH ME HUUUUUUUUUUUUH!!!¡¹


    Cornes whose disguise got exposed by us bared his fangs toward us.


    ¡¸How about you let the other guyse out from their hiding ce too? We¡¯ve long since detected their presence.¡¹


    Upon hearing Nao speak with a jesting tone, the people who surrounded us while hiding their figures finally showed themselves.


    They had the same hyena head like Cornes. Every single one wielded a weapon in their hand, baring their hostility toward us.


    ¡¸W-W-W WHAT IN THE WORLD IS HAPPENING HERE, CHIYUKI-DONO?!!¡¹


    After seeing Cornes¡¯ ¡°transformation¡± and then seeing us getting surrounded by bunches of monsters, Decius finally snapped.


    ¡¸A ghoul, huh. This is the first time I¡¯ve seen your kind.¡¹


    I spoke lightly while looking at the people who were surrounding us.


    Ghouls were a type of monster who lived in the desert and had the ability to change their skin color and appearance. I heard that they had hyena-like faces and ate any meat other than their kindred.


    They were also called with other nicknames such as corpse eating demon for their liking to eat rotten corpses, and their female counterpart was called a gho.


    In addition, their special trait was their extremely powerful ability to disguise themself as someone.


    They used that ability to disguise themselves as another race and ate those races in secret.


    In the gho case, they would disguise themself as beautiful women and eat the men who got charmed by their beauty.


    But, the other race, who drink the breast milk of gho, seems to be able to befriend the ghouls.


    What surprised me the most was the fact that the same ghouls had already infiltrated the Republic of Ariadya which is said to be the capital of humanity.


    Decius couldn¡¯t hide his shock upon this finding. Because the member of the senate who governed this country turned out to be a ghoul.


    ¡¸Well then, time to clean up these guys.¡¹


    Reiji stood up calmly as he drew his sword.


    The sword de shone a brilliant golden colour once it was unsheathed.


    Naturally, Rino, Nao and I were also preparing for the battle.


    ¡¸Decius-dono, normally one must need a majority vote to punish a member of the senate, but what about in this situation?¡¹


    I turned toward Decius while asking such a question.


    ¡¸Thatw is for humans. It isn¡¯t aw for monsters.¡¹


    Decius unsheathed his sword as he replied to my question.


    It seems we¡¯d got permission to fight.


    I spun my sage¡¯s staff with both hands.


    ¡¸DAMMIT! CURSES! BECOME DOGS!!¡¹


    Cornes screamed while firing his magic.


    Mimicking the other race¡¯s appearance wasn¡¯t the only prowess of the ghoul. They can also change the appearance of others. And that power might be used on us now.


    But such weak magical power was far from enough to beat us.


    ¡¸KYAUN!!¡¹


    Suddenly, I heard a lovely cry from my side.


    When I turned to see the situation, I saw a white dog appear from beneath Decius¡¯ clothes that had already fallen on the floor.


    I take back what I said just now, it was everyone but Decius.


    Well whatever. He should be back once we beat the ghoul who cursed him. If that isn¡¯t working, let¡¯s try dispel on him.


    ¡¸No way, our chief¡¯s magic isn¡¯t working on them!!!¡¹


    The ghouls around us couldn¡¯t hide their shock.


    ¡¸Now, prepare yourself!!¡¹


    Reiji stabbed his sword toward the ghoul who mimicked Cornes.


    ¡¸Dammit!! Ready for battle!!¡¹


    The ghouls readied their weapons.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t tell me that you n to beat us with only this much personnel!!¡¹


    My voice resounded in the mansion.


    ===


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    I finally arrived at the surface part of thebyrinth.


    Reason being Runfeld came to this ce.


    I, who came flying by myself, descended in the middle za.


    I saw my mount, Glorious, resting in this ce. They weren¡¯t alone, there were lizardmen waiting around to serve them.


    ¡¸Have you been a good child, Glorious?¡¹


    I brushed Glorious¡¯ head as I asked that question.


    Glorious let out a spoiled growl when I caressed their head.


    ¡¸Thank you for helping me with taking care of Glorious, everyone.¡¹


    The lizardmen bowed their heads when I thanked them.


    ¡¸Your Excellency, Diehart.¡¹


    Suddenly, someone called my name from behind.


    It was Runfeld. Following behind him was a dragon whose size was smaller than Glorious and the other dark knights, his subordinates.


    The dragon was Runfeld¡¯s mount, a thunder dragon. I heard that it was under medical care after being injured in his fight against Reiji. But it seems they got back to health now.

 Chapter 75.2: High-Rank Ghoul

    <h4>Chapter 75.2: High-Rank Ghoul</h4>


    ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Lord Runfeld. Is there some sort of urgency that forced you, the aide of His Majesty, toe to this ce?¡¹


    I greeted Runfeld as soon as I saw him.


    Runfeld was the leader of the infamous four daemon lords, otherwise known as the Four Heavenly Kings.


    In addition, he was also the leader of the Dark Knight Chivalric Order, the elite of the Demon King army. Their job was mainly protecting Nargol. That¡¯s why I was curious about his reason for leaving Nargol.


    ¡¸Nice to meet you too, Your Excellency. The truth is that we¡¯ve been entrusted with the management of thebyrinth, which is why I came to this ce in person.¡¹


    Runfeld exined his reason to me.


    Properly speaking, the management of thisbyrinth should be given to the dwarves, the direct subordinates of Heibos. But, after much consideration, they realized that there¡¯s a high chance that Labrys mighte back to reim this ce.


    Heibos, who felt that it was practically impossible to protect thebyrinth just by relying on the dwarves alone, then came to ask for Modes¡¯ help. He literally gave a p on Elios¡¯ god¡¯s right on their faces.


    Thus, it was then decided that the management of thebyrinth would be entrusted to Modes¡¯ subordinates instead of the dwarves.


    That¡¯s why Runfeld hade to this ce in person.


    Upon taking a closer look, I also saw the figure of dwarves around this ce. They might havee to investigate thebyrinth under the orders of Heibos.


    ¡¸I see. Does that mean Lord Runfeld is going to manage this region?¡¹


    ¡¸No. My duty is protecting His Majesty. Another person will be dispatchedter to manage thisbyrinth¡­ The problem is that we haven¡¯t been able to find a suitable candidate for that.¡¹


    I agreed with Runfeld.


    Maybe only someone on Four Heavenly Kings¡¯ level has the permission to manage thisbyrinth, or at least someone from the archdemons. But, dispatching someone ranked higher than a greater daemon in thisnd was literally a demotion in their eyes, no matter how important the position.


    It seems that not just anyone could fit in this position.


    Though the figure of Zeal who loves womenes to mind, I don¡¯t think he was suited for this kind of job.


    But, since they couldn¡¯t choose the manager, Runfeld ended up having to visit this ce for a preliminary investigation.


    Honestly, I couldn¡¯t help but admire him for doing that.


    Runfeld was truly an honest and serious man. Despite his initial hostility, I have a good impression of him.


    I knew that he might not want to bow his head to me, a human. But, he cast away his pride and bowed his head to me. He even visited me in person, asking me to train him in swordsmanship.


    Maybe he still has his regrets in the fact that he failed to stop the advancement of the hero.


    He literally begged me to train him to be stronger, casting away all his pride as an archdaemon.


    But, I¡¯ve got no talent in teaching someone.


    As a result, it ended up with him just following my regime of training. Nevertheless, Runfeld still thanked me for that.


    ¡¸I see, there¡¯s no candidate huh¡­ that¡¯s a problem indeed. By the way, why did you call for me, Lord Runfeld?¡¹


    I stopped beating around the bush and went straight to ask the main question. Why did he call me to this ce even though he didn¡¯t need my help to enter thebyrinth?


    ¡¸That¡¯s, actually, we can¡¯t enter thebyrinth since Your Excellency¡¯s dragon is blocking the way.¡¹


    I ended up muttering ¡¸Aa~h¡¹ upon hearing Runfeld¡¯s remark.


    In the za where Glorious currently lives, there¡¯s a building that leads to the underground.


    Though they could go from the side to avoid Glorious, Runfeld and co seem to be afraid of Glorious.


    Though Glorious seems to show affection and is always docile towards me or anyone who got my recognition, it seems they¡¯re truly ferocious towards anyone beside those.


    I failed to notice that since I never saw them act like that in front of me.


    ¡¸My apologies for the trouble. Lord Runfeld.¡¹


    I apologized to Runfeld since it was true that they couldn¡¯t enter thebyrinth because of Glorious.


    ¡¸No. I¡¯m the one who should be apologizing for disturbing your paid vacation with this matter, Your Excellency.¡¹


    Though Runfeld bowed his head, the one at fault in this case was me.


    I moved Glorious to the side in order to allow Runfeld and co to pass.


    ¡¸Thank you, your excellency.¡¹


    After saying his gratitudes, Runfeld and his subordinates entered thebyrinth.


    ¡¸By the way, Your Excellency, do you happen to know the current whereabouts of Lord Ulbard?¡¹


    After making sure that all of his subordinates had entered thebyrinth, Runfeld asked that question to me.


    ¡¸Lord Ulbard? No, I don¡¯t know where he is right now. Why do you ask that?¡¹


    I tilted my head in confusion.


    ¡¸That¡¯s because I happened to hear that Lord Ulbard ising to this region too, that¡¯s why I want to help him. But, it seems that he¡¯s out of contact right now. I thought that he would visit Your Excellency who came to this region before us.¡¹


    ¡¸I see.¡¹


    This might be rted to that lesser daemon Zeal.


    Ulbard might be looking for Zeal right now. It seems telling Zeal to run away was a mistake.


    I guess I¡¯m also responsible for this incident.


    ¡¸In that case, how about I help you go look for him?¡¹


    Runfeld made a strange look on his face upon hearing my remark.


    ¡¸Are you sure, Your Excellency?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, I won¡¯t say that I¡¯m gonna find him for sure though. In addition, there¡¯s something that I¡¯ve been worrying about.¡¹


    Then, I told Runfeld about that Zand.


    ¡¸I see that the God of Sleep hase to this region, huh¡­ I guess I need to increase my vignce in the area around thebyrinth.¡¹


    Runfeld seems to know about Zand. He nodded upon hearing my story.


    ¡¸Yes. Better safe than sorry. AAH THAT¡¯S RIGHT!! Speaking of vignce, I almost forgot about this piece of information, Lord Runfeld. The hero and co are staying in this region right now. They might note into thebyrinth but, just in case, don¡¯t let your guard down.¡¹


    Runfeld¡¯s body twitched for a moment when I told him about the hero and co.


    ¡¸Lord Runfeld?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Your Excellency. I¡¯m stronger than before. This time, I won¡¯t suffer such an embarrassing defeat again.¡¹


    Runfeld spoke while touching the sword on his waist.


    That sword was the thunder sword which was prepared by Runfeld to defeat Reiji. It was a demon sword with a thunder element which would call thundercloud and lightning when unsheathed from its sheath.


    The reason I knew its power was because I was the one who personally enchanted that sword.


    Somehow, I felt that there was something wrong with Runfeld¡¯s expression just now.


    It seems that Lord Runfeld has always been waiting for a rematch against Reiji. But, due to his position as the protector of the demon king, he literally couldn¡¯t leave Nargol.


    If he wished for a rematch, Reiji had toe to Nargol again.


    But now he knew that Reiji happened to be in Ariadya, he might¡¯ve realized that he could have a rematch against Reiji and co just by visiting Ariadya.


    Come to think of it, he did bring so many subordinates along with him.


    Did that mean he was going to entrust Reiji¡¯srades to his subordinates while Runfeld himself would fight Reiji?


    He received no such order to fight Reiji and co, but he might jump the gun with just a small trigger.


    An ufortable silence between Runfeld and me persisted for a while.


    And then, I decided to break the ice.


    I mean, it really can¡¯t be helped. I should go back to Kuna for now.


    ¡¸I see, I guess I can only look forward to that, Lord Runfeld. But please don¡¯t act recklessly.¡¹


    I left thebyrinth after leaving behind those words while feeling a pang of anxiety in my mind.


    ===


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    ¡¸I was the only one who got exposed.¡¹


    Lord Decius said so after he transformed back to human from being a dog after we exterminated the ghouls masquerading as Cornes.


    It seems he was really depressed since we not only saw him turned into a dog, we also saw him buck naked after he transformed back into a human.


    ¡¸Calm down Decius-san. You¡¯re so adorable(in your dog form) you know.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. You¡¯re so adorable you know(in your dog form).¡¹


    Both Rino and Nao were trying to cheer him up.


    And yet, it backfired instead, making Decius even more depressed than before.


    ¡¸Decius-dono, that ghoul who cursed you is a powerful mage. It¡¯s only natural that you couldn¡¯t block his curse.¡¹


    I joined them to cheer on Decius too.


    In fact, I think that the magic used by the Ghoul Cornes was an especially powerful one. Decius, who has divine protection, should¡¯ve been blessed with powerful magic resistance too. That Ghoul Cornes was definitely a special one since not even Decius could resist the former¡¯s curse.


    He was definitely the species that transcended ghoul and gho, the ghoulrest. Whoops, my mind seems to be out of focus.


    ¡¸Well, that aside. We failed topletely exterminate them.¡¹


    Reiji was looking at the corpses of ghouls.


    ¡¸Yeah. We should¡¯ve left one alive to give us more information.¡¹


    It was as Nao just said.


    In the middle of the battle, we found a few childrens who got captured as the ghoul¡¯s food.


    The moment we found those childrens, we were enraged to the point of exterminating all the ghouls without leaving a single of them alive.


    We forgot to leave one of them alive to give us more information in the midst of our rage.


    Thus, a question appeared in my mind.


    The people in this mansion, all of them were ghouls. Then, who¡¯s the man who delivered the bouquet of flowers to Reiji?


    Reiji himself had told us that the man who gave him the bouquet was a normal human. What¡¯s the meaning of this?


    But, I don¡¯t think we can get any useful information even if we revived those ghouls.


    ¡¸U~rgh, there must be a survivor. Nao-chan. Can you find the presence of a hidden ghoul in this mansion?¡¹


    Nao shook her head upon hearing Rino¡¯s question.


    ¡¸U~gh, There¡¯s none left, but it seems this mansion has a basement. Even my power can¡¯t see through that basement.¡¹


    ¡¸Basement?¡¹


    ¡¸Yesh, Chiyuki-san. There¡¯s a basement-like room beneath this mansion. That ce is the only ce where I can¡¯t feel. It might be protected with some sort of barrier.¡¹


    In short, this mansion has a secret room, the basement which was protected by a second barrier.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go to see it. Who knows what we might find inside that ce.¡¹


    Rino made a displeased face upon hearing my remark.


    ¡¸Basement, huh. Count me out then. I don¡¯t want to enter a ce filled with human bones.¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay Rino-san. Just like hyenas, ghouls can also eat bone. In short, there won¡¯t be any human bones left after those ghouls ate them.¡¹


    Hyena could even eat the bones that couldn¡¯t be eaten by the other animals. The same goes for ghouls. And that¡¯s one of the reasons why it was so difficult to find a ghoul since there was nothing left of their prey.


    ¡¸So no one noticed that someone was missing. Yuck.¡¹


    Nao spoke with a gloomy face.


    It seems this scene reminded her of unpleasant memories.


    Nao¡¯s past was a mystery even for us, nor did she ever tell us about it.


    That¡¯s why I also had no idea about what she experienced in the past.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Nao. Even if you¡¯re gone, I¡¯ll definitely notice it and look for you even to the ends of the earth.¡¹ [Note: Cough, Rox-kingdom-cough.]


    That dic*khead eximed so while patting Nao¡¯s head.


    ¡¸Reiji-senpai¡­¡¹


    Nao¡¯s expression turned brighter when that dic*khead patted her head.


    ¡¸In the end, we can¡¯t even find a trace of the woman called moonlight goddess. But, those ghouls seemed to know about her.¡¹


    The dic*khead said so as if trying to change the topic of our conversation.

 Chapter 75.3: High-Rank Ghoul

    <h4>Chapter 75.3: High-Rank Ghoul</h4>


    Even though we already searched the entire mansion, we couldn¡¯t find the woman we were looking for. Di*ckhead seems to be disappointed by it.


    ¡¸How unfortunate, Reiji-kun. The one you¡¯re looking for might have been a Gho in disguise, you know. We might¡¯ve identally beat her when we exterminated the ghouls in this mansion.¡¹


    Ghos mimicked the form of beauties. The Moonlight Goddess who Decius saw before was most likely a Gho in disguise. The Ghoul who mimicked Cornes might be looking for their ownrades.


    I couldn¡¯t help but smile triumphantly upon seeing Di*ckhead¡¯s depressed face.


    ¡¸Chiyuki-dono might be right. But then, my little sister Sienna is¡­¡¹


    Decius spoke with a gloomy face.


    His expression told everything he wanted to say.


    If Sienna-san was really caught by the Ghouls, she might¡¯ve already been eaten by them by now.


    I absolutely couldn¡¯t bring myself to tell him that.


    ¡¸A-ANYWAY!! LET¡¯S TAKE A LOOK AT THE BASEMENT!! WE MIGHT FIND SOMETHING IN THERE!¡¹


    Nao spoke with a cheerful voice, trying to change the topic of conversation.


    ¡¸Yeah. Let¡¯s go to the basement first.¡¹


    We then headed toward the said basement.


    The entrance to the basement was hidden behind certain bookshelves in the library. It seems to be the cliche same no matter where you go.


    A stairway appeared after we slid the bookshelves to the side.


    There were lighting sources ced at fixed distances in the tunnel leading towards the basement, saving us the trouble from using lighting magic.


    We descended the stairways with Reiji and Nao in the lead while the rest of us followed from the back.


    ¡¸Eh? Butterflies?¡¹


    Rino suddenly spoke with a surprised voice.


    As we arrived in the basement, what weed us was a swarm of butterflies.


    ¡¸What is this? They¡¯re so beautiful!!¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t help but mutter since this was the first time I¡¯d seen such beautiful butterflies.


    It was as if the basement that was filled with shining butterflies had turned into a dream world.


    ¡¸WATCH OUT, REIJI-SENPAI!!¡¹


    Nao suddenly turned around and shouted at Reiji.


    The next moment, the sound of metal shing against metal resounded in the room.


    The moment I turned toward the direction of that sound, my eyes opened so wide, unable to believe what I saw.


    Over there, I saw a girl with a scythe in her hand.


    The shining butterflies were fluttering around her as if to celebrate hering.


    The girl¡¯s extremely beautiful appearance surrounded by the shining butterflies was truly a fantastical sight.


    The girl wore a set of clothes with abination of blue and ck color, and the color of her hair was silver.


    Decius, who stood by my side, muttered ¡°Moonlight Goddess¡± as soon as he saw the girl.


    No doubt about it, that girl was the Moonlight Goddess herself.


    And that Moonlight Goddess was looking at us with a re that sent a chill running down my spine.


    ¡¸Even though it was a surprise attack, it still failed in the end, huh. As expected, it seems you¡¯re a little bit stronger than some maggots.¡¹


    Even though she spoke with a bell-like voice, her tone was packed with extreme hostility towards us.


    ¡¸What a violent wee. I would appreciate it if you used a more gentle wee. Otherwise, I might end up killing you by mistake.¡¹


    Di*ckhead readied his sword as he spoke with his usual frivolous tone. Despite the surprise attack from before, he could still show such a calm smile.


    ¡¸Who¡¯d want to wee you, di*ckhead. Rather, die in the gutter.¡¹


    Wow, that was in old ring hostility. Thanks for not hiding it.


    And then, the Moonlight Goddess stepped back, readying the scythe in her hand.


    ¡¸Unfortunately, I won¡¯t let you to do that.¡¹


    And yet, the di*ckhead spoke with the same smile as before, even though the other party was telling him to DIE, wake up already DI*CKHEAD.


    ¡¸It¡¯s nice to meet you again, Moonlight Goddess.¡¹


    During such a conversation, Decius suddenly decided to greet the Moonlight Goddess.


    ¡¸Hah, who are you?¡¹


    Decius seems to be quite shocked at the Moonlight Goddess¡¯ response.


    Reiji wasughing upon seeing that scene.


    Though the Moonlight Goddess knew about Reiji, she seems to have forgotten about Decius.


    Poor Decius, let me y the world¡¯s smallest violin for you.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve some questions for you. Are you the mastermind behind Karkinos attack at the banquet?¡¹


    But, contrary to my expectations, Decius still asked without looking dejected.


    Atta boy, Decius.


    ¡¸I¡¯m not.¡¹


    The Moonlight Goddess denied her involvement.


    ¡¸It seems she¡¯s telling the truth. Then, do you know about this flute which my little sister, Sienna had entrusted to me?¡¹


    Decius took out the said flute as he asked so. GOGOGO Decius.


    ¡¸Flute? And Sienna? Aah, I see now, you¡¯re that Deci-something- big brother that Sienna talking about huh?¡¹


    We couldn¡¯t hide our shock upon hearing the Moonlight Goddess¡¯ remark just now. She seems to know the whereabouts of Sienna.


    ¡¸Is Sienna okay? And,my name is Decius.¡¹


    As expected of Decius. He still tried to correct the Moonlight Goddess¡¯ misspelling of his name.


    ¡¸At least I won¡¯t behead her since she taught me how to dance, Deci-something.¡¹


    Moonlight Goddess seems to have zero interest in remembering Decius¡¯ name.


    That aside, knowing about Sienna was already more than enough for us.


    ¡¸Thanks goodness, lord Decius.¡¹


    ¡¸Thanks goodness, Decius-san.¡¹


    ¡¸Thank goodne~ss.¡¹


    Decius agreed with us.


    ¡¸Then, will you return Sienna to us right now?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s not like I restrained her or something. Or rather, I want her to leave as soon as possible.¡¹


    I tilted in puzzlement upon hearing such contradicting remarks.


    Sienna seems to be living under the same roof with Moonlight Goddess and yet, the former doesn¡¯t seem to be restricted by thetter either.


    ¡¸But, you better not let your guard down. Something big has been crawling right under your feet.¡¹


    The Moonlight Goddess spoke while pointing her scythe toward Decius.


    ¡¸What do you mean?¡¹


    The Moonlight Goddess stepped back with disgusted look on her face upon seeing Di*ckhead stepping forward.


    ¡¸Hero, I¡¯m not stupid enough to fight a losing battle with you. But, if you wish for a fight, thene to Badon¡¯s altar.¡¹


    The Moonlight Goddess spoke with a light smile on her face.


    That smile seems to be able to mesmerise that f*cking d*ckhead of a hero.


    ¡¸Badon¡¯s altar? What the heck is that?¡¹


    Moonlight Goddess shifted her attention a bit to me when I asked that question.


    ¡¸You can ask for the details from Ainoe. Or ask those filthy ghouls, if any of them survived, that is. Well, it¡¯s time for me to leave since someone might be worrying to no end if I don¡¯t go back soon.¡¹


    The Moonlight Goddess stepped back as she spoke.


    ¡¸Whoops, not so fast. I want to know more about you, you know?¡¹


    Reiji closed in toward the Moonlight Goddess.


    But, a barrier of light suddenly appeared in front of Reiji.


    ¡¸LAYERED MAGIC SHIELD?!!¡¹


    Theyered magic shield that appeared in front of Reiji was keeping him from approaching the Moonlight Goddess.


    ¡¸Farewell, hero.¡¹


    Moonlight Goddess¡¯ body was enveloped by numerous shining butterflies as she spoke. And in the next moment, her figure had already vanished.


    It was as if the one who appeared before us was a mere phantom.


    ¡¸Her presence has vanished too. Is she somehow moving away from this ce?¡¹


    Nao asked with a puzzled look on her face after seeing the Moonlight Goddess vanish before us.


    ¡¸It seems she¡¯s no longer in this room since I can¡¯t feel her magical power either. Did she just used some sort of teleportation?¡¹


    I am also puzzled by the mysteries behind her sudden disappearance.


    That moment, the basement room suddenly shook.


    When I looked around, I realized that the room¡¯s size was smaller than before. And, it felt oppressive.


    Yeah, no doubt about it, the room has shrunk.


    ¡¸OH NO! EVERYONE GATHER AROUND ME!!¡¹


    I screamed at everyone.


    She locked up everyone inside a small, enclosed barrier, and then crushed everyone inside the barrier by shrinking its size. All of us are gonna be crushed to death unless I do something about this situation.


    After confirming that everyone had already gathered around me, I unleashed another barrier around us to push back the barrier that was about to crush us.


    The pressure on my barrier was really powerful. It seems the Moonlight Goddess¡¯s magical power was as strong as mine.


    I focused on my magical power.


    I knew that Cornes¡¯ mansion was crumbling apart outside of my barrier. Maybe, the building on top of this basement was designed to crumble once the basement got destroyed.


    Few minutester, the copse had finally stopped. It seems the space has stopped shrinking too.


    I expanded my barrier to above for the sake of pushing out the rubble above the basement.


    When we returned above ground, Cornes¡¯ mansion had already crumbled down to the ground.


    ¡¸Merciless.¡¹


    The one whopressed the space was definitely that Moonlight Goddess. It seems she prepared that gimmick as a parting gift before she left.


    Though she failed to crush us to death, now we have no idea what actually happened.


    ¡¸But, she was such a babe. Now that I¡¯ve met her in person, I have to agree that she¡¯s befitting to be called as Moonlight Goddess.¡¹


    And yet, a certain di*ckhead praised the very same girl who was about to kill us a few minutes ago.


    ¡¸She¡¯s as short as Rino and yet, her bre*sts are HUGE!¡¹


    Rino orzed as soon as we came out from the basement.


    Yup, her jugs were HUGE.


    In addition, she also has a slender waist and perky butt on top of those HUGE jugs. I¡¯M SO JEALOUS!!


    ¡¸But then, we¡¯re still in the dark about her. Who is she? She doesn¡¯t seems to be a ghoul.¡¹


    Though she wasn¡¯t a ghoul, she doesn¡¯t seem to be a human either.


    ¡¸Maybe, she¡¯s not a human, Rino-san. Did you see through the real appearance of that girl?¡¹


    I asked the still dejected Rino.


    ¡¸Uhm. I did my best to see through her disguise, but that was her real appearance¡­¡¹


    Rino shook her head while replying to my question.


    If her appearance remained the same even after Rino looked at her with her anti-illusion¡¯s eyes, that beautiful appearance is undoubtedly her real appearance.


    That might be another reason why Rino seems so dejected.


    ¡¸Uhm, Chiyuki-dono. Something about her remark keeps bothering me. The part where she said that something big has been crawling right beneath our feet. And then, the part about the other ghoul.¡¹


    Decius spoke with a grim look on his face.


    He¡¯s right. What did that mean?


    ¡¸Moreover,e to Badon¡¯s altar.¡¹


    Reiji muttered.


    Speaking about Badon, it must be the monster depicted on the relief. It seems we still have a lot of things left to investigate.


    ¡¸Reiji-kun. Let¡¯s go back for now since we still have a lot of things to investigate. In addition, we have to locate the altar too.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. It¡¯s rude to note to a beauty¡¯s invitation after all.¡¹


    Everyone nodded together, it seems we¡¯re of the same opinion.


    Moonlight Goddess. Just what kind of scheme did she prepare for us?

 Chapter 76.1: Where the P**p Vanished?

    <h4>Chapter 76.1: Where the P**p Vanished?</h4>


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    We were regrouping in the General¡¯s meeting room. The reason was to give our report to sus, the general.


    Aside from sus, there were also the other members of the Senate, Turia and Nacius, attending the meeting.


    The reason for their attendance was to let the two important figures know about their findings.


    ¡¸To think that such monster was hiding right under our nose¡­¡¹


    sus spoke with a perplexed look on his face.


    It was only natural since it was his job as the general to protect the citizens of this country from monsters, only to find out that those very monsters had been hiding right under their noses.


    The general absolutely couldn¡¯t be doubted by the citizens under their protection.


    We told them that we found ghouls living in Cornes¡¯ mansion when investigating the Moonlight Goddess. Thus, all the government officials who were rted with Cornes had already turned to ghouls.


    ¡¸Yes, General sus. All of Senator Cornes¡¯ officials had already turned into ghouls. We¡¯ve already exterminated all the ghouls in the mansion for now, but¡­ some might still alive.¡¹


    sus made a face as if chewing bitter bugs upon hearing Decius¡¯ words.


    ¡¸But, there¡¯s no need to announce this case to the public, Decius. This will trigger mass panic if we let the citizens know about this.¡¹


    Decius¡¯ father, Nacius warned his son about the risk of letting the public know about this matter.


    He was right, there¡¯ll be an uproar if we let the citizens know that there was a monster in human skin hiding amongst them. That¡¯s why we¡¯ve got no choice but to keep this as a secret between us. It seems everyone in this ce agreed with us on that.


    ¡¸I understand, father. Let¡¯s keep this matter a secret from the public. Therefore, please help us prevent this matter from spreading to the public.¡¹


    Decius spoke while looking at Nacius, sus, andstly Turia.


    The priest of God Oudith should never lie. But, there was always an exception for every case.


    The influence of these three should be enough to hide this fact from the public. It was for that very reason that we reported our findings to these three.


    ¡¸No problem, Decius-dono. The matter of the underground waterway is more urgent. Shouldn¡¯t we prepare a counter-measure immediately?¡¹


    The smile on Turia¡¯s face was reced with a gloomy look.


    The Republic of Ariadya was a country that was built on the estuary of a big river, the Quiche river.


    I heard that this estuary flooded one part of the city due to the heavy rain a long time ago. Thus, the senate realized that they had to build flood control measures. For that reason, there were a lot of waterways for drainage built beneath Ariadya.


    Since this waterway was built by the dwarves, its quality should be at least equal with the one built in our world, or more.


    And now, a problem urred in those very same waterways.


    We knew about this information from the surviving ghoul that we caught.


    And then, from that information, we knew that the underground waterway of this country had already turned into a den of monsters.


    As for the reason why no one noticed the abnormalities, it was because all officials in charge of the waterway had already been reced with ghouls. Thanks to that, the underground waterway of the Republic of Ariadya transformed into a paradise of monsters.


    Thus, we had to act quickly and exterminate the monsters hiding right below our feet.


    ¡¸I understand, Turia-dono. But, let¡¯s leave the matter of exterminating the monsters in underground waterway to the knights¡­¡¹


    sus spoke with an inexplicable look on his face.


    The knights were the biggest war potential of this country. They wouldn¡¯t make their move unless this country was facing a crisis like this.


    But, Ariadya¡¯s knight order was almost annihted due to their failure in subjugating the centaurs a while ago.


    They have yet to recover to their previous condition.


    Horse riding needs special training, and trainingbat art for horse riding only adds to the difficulties.


    sus is definitely reluctant to send the surviving knights, an important war asset, toward the underground waterway.


    ¡¸General sus, the job of knights is to fight on the back of their horse. Sending them to the underground waterway which ill suited for their role is the same as telling them to die in vain, so let¡¯s stop such reckless idea.¡¹


    The knight¡¯s main job was to maintain the safety of the highways. Their job was to protect the travelers who got attacked by monsters along the highway. That¡¯s why ordering them to enter the underground waterway in which they couldn¡¯t use their horse was a bad idea.


    ¡¸Chiyuki-dono¡­¡¹


    General sus looked at me with an expression of gratitude on his face.


    ¡¸Shouldn¡¯t we hire freedom fighters for this kind of situation? Please finish the arrangements to hire them and chose the reliable ones amongst them.¡¹


    I spoke while looking at everyone in this ce.


    The knight¡¯s job was protecting the area around the rampart and the highway. The soldier¡¯s job was to protect the rampart and the area inside the rampart. As for the freedom fighters, their job was to protect anything beside those ces.


    Properly speaking, the underground waterway is located inside the rampart, that¡¯s why it should fall under the jurisdiction of the soldiers. But, since Ariadya rarely got attacked by monsters, the soldierscked the experience in fighting monsters. Just like the knights, asking such inexperienced people to enter the underground waterway was akin to telling them to die.


    That¡¯s why, the freedom fighters were just the right solution to this problem.


    sus has a deep connection with the freedom fighter association. Gathering excellent freedom fighters shouldn¡¯t be that difficult for him.


    ¡¸Freedom fighters, is it? Which means that we need arge amount of cash to hire them. We can¡¯t use public funds immediately, but we should have enough to hire them, right?¡¹


    Decius asked in worry.


    ¡¸We do have the funds, but Turia-dono¡­¡¹


    I looked at another person beside Turia.


    ¡¸You called me for this reason, right?¡¹


    Kyouka spoke while looking at me. Standing behind her was Kaya.


    Kyouka was filthy rich thanks to herpany. She should be able to prepare enough money to hire the excellent freedom fighters.


    ¡¸Yeah, Kyouka-san. It¡¯s advance payment, the rest will be paid in the future. That¡¯s why please lend us your money.¡¹


    But, Kyouka shook her head.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t need you to pay back the money. I¡¯ll donate my money for this operation. In addition, I¡¯ll also prepare the repair cost for the underground waterway.¡¹


    ¡¸MILADY!!¡¹


    Kaya lost her cool the moment she heard her master say those words.


    It was only natural since trading was an extremely risky business in this world.


    It was a harsh world for merchants to live in a world with a literacy rate below 50% and the number became even smaller for the one who could do calctions.


    In short, finding talented personnel was truly difficult.


    And it was the money they amassed with that kind of situation.


    That¡¯s why it was only natural for Kaya to try to stop her master from donating such a huge amount of money.


    Moreover, the social position of a merchant in this world was quite low.


    There was even a famous saying in this world ¡¸You protect your life with a sword, not money¡¹ as if to spit on those merchants.


    That shows just how different the status between warrior and merchant in this world filled with monsters.


    In short, merchants are almost always treated lightly in this world. Not to mention that they still have to face the danger of the monsters outside of the rampart.


    Money hardly circted in this monster invested world. For that reason, connections were more valuable than money.


    That¡¯s why excellent headhunting was really difficult.


    Though it cost a lot of time and money, Kaya raised the number of capable personnel by herself.


    Moreover, even though this world has the concept of an ount book, they still had no idea about how to make financial statements such as a bnce sheet.


    In addition, the cost increased even further considering the time and funds needed to teach the said personnel.


    ¡¸Kaya, money is something that we should use for this kind of moment. Moreover, let¡¯s consider this money spent as prior investment in the Republic of Ariadya. That way we¡¯re definitely not losing money you know.¡¹


    Kyouka spoke while showing a carefree smile on her face. Sometimes, Kyouka would spent money toovishly


    In fact, Kyouka seems to be more popr than Kaya in theirpany despite thetter¡¯spetence.


    I was rather surprised upon learning that truth after associating with them for quite a while in this world.


    ¡¸I understand, Mdy. I shall prepare the money immediately.¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you, Kaya.¡¹


    In the end, Kaya yielded toward her master.


    ¡¸Naturally, I¡¯ll also provide the funds for this operation, Chiyuki-dono.¡¹


    Turia also agreed to fund the operation.


    Now that we solved the problem with money, all that was left was choosing the freedom fighters.


    ¡¸By the way, what are you going to do when we start the operation?¡¹


    Decius was looking at Reiji.


    ¡¸Naturally, we¡¯re going to enter the underground waterway too. Right, Reiji-kun?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. It¡¯s an invitation from a beauty after all.¡¹


    Reiji spoke with a smile on his face.


    Good grief, look at this d*ckhead turn around and change the moment he found out that a beauty was waiting for him.


    Even though that beauty might be the one who controls the ghoul.


    I pressed my palm to my forehead.


    ¡¸Maybe I should go with you too, Chiyuki-dono.¡¹


    Decius dered that he¡¯ll participate too.


    ¡¸You want to go too? Well, if possible, I wish that you¡¯ll stay above ground, Decius-dono.¡¹


    Decius was rare, capable personnel. He should stay behind rather than go forward. Moreover, if he stayed above ground, he could lead the evacuation in the worst possible oue.


    ¡¸No, I¡¯ll go to since I¡¯m also quite curious about her.¡¹


    I was getting a headache. Decius, why you of all people starting to act like that d*ckhead?


    ¡¸Ha~, I understand. But, please don¡¯t overdo it.¡¹


    I guess I have to warn him to not overdo it.


    I mean, he was one of the future leaders of this country after all.


    ¡¸By the way, Chiyuki-san, speaking of the underground waterway, is it by chance, a sewage?¡¹


    Suddenly, Nao asked with an anxious look on her face.


    ¡¸Maybe. Is something the matter with that?¡¹


    Hearing that, Rino, Sahoko, and Nao made an unpleasant face.


    ¡¸E~h. Then I refuse to go, I absolutely won¡¯t go to a ce where p**p is flowing everywhere.¡¹


    ¡¸Me too, that kind of ce is a little bit¡­¡¹


    Rino and Sahoko seem to be reluctant to enter that ce.


    I see, as a fellow woman I pretty much understand their reason.


    And Rino, a girl shouldn¡¯t say something like p**p in public.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay. There¡¯s no po-human waste flowing in the underground waterway.¡¹


    Due to Rino¡¯s influence, I almost said p**p myself. That was close.


    I exined to them.


    Toilets had already developed in this world.


    Some countries have yet to implement it though. In such country, they usually kept their p**p in a pot. To be honest, I wish that we never have to visit such a country.


    In addition, even if there¡¯s toilet in this world, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem if the city was near the river to provide water to flush the toilet. In the case that said country far from the river, the toilet was usually the pit type.


    They also have squat type toilets made by stacking bricks.


    And then, the one who taking care of those gathered p**p was the priest of Goddess Gena, goddess of good harvest and earth.


    In short, they turn p**p into fertilizer.

 Chapter 76.2: Where the P**p Vanished?

    <h4>Chapter 76.2: Where the P**p Vanished?</h4>


    Note: STRICT WARNING!!! THE FIRST HALF IS A TOILET CHAPTER, MAKE SURE YOU¡¯RE NOt IN THE MIDDLE OF MEAL!!!


    ***


    In addition, since we already know that the leading actress, Sienna, was safe and sound, Shirone didn¡¯t need to rece Sienna anymore.


    That¡¯s why Shirone was really delighted to be freed from that role.


    To be honest, I was rather disappointed since I thought that it would be interesting to watch her y the role of princess knight in that drama.


    ¡¸Geez!! As I thought, everyone is such a meanie!!!¡¹


    Shirone screamed in anger.


    Tch, she saw through me, huh. Well, it can¡¯t be helped since I was actually looking forward to seeing her y that role.


    ¡¸But, just what in the world is that Moonlight Goddess trying to do?¡¹


    Decius spoke anxiously.


    ¡¸She told us toe to Altar of Badon. Meaning that she must be waiting for us toe to that ce. Yeah, what she¡¯s trying to do in that ce?¡¹


    Badon¡¯s altar was the ce where the evil god Badon was sealed and this theatre was built right on top of that altar.


    It seems that the altar was connected to an underground waterway.


    Though it actually will be faster for us to arrive at the altar by going down from this theatre, this theatre unfortunately has no path built which leads to the underground waterway. In addition, this theatre was also protected by a fairly powerful barrier.


    This theatre might copse if we force our war down by blowing the floor.


    Thus, we had no choice but to enter from the closest entrance to the underground waterway.


    The monsters seem to be running rampant in underground waterways, but we will leave those monsters to the freedom fighters while we chase our main target, the Moonlight Goddess. That was the gist of our n.


    We willmence the n tomorrow.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve been wondering about the woman called Moonlight Goddess. I wonder what kind of person she is.¡¹


    Turia muttered by herself.


    ¡¸My apologies, Turia-dono. We also do not have enough information about her, that¡¯s why there isn¡¯t much we can tell you about her by this point. But, please let the citizens take shelter for the time being.¡¹


    Since we still had no clear information about Moonlight Goddess, there was not much we could tell the two senators and General sus about her. That¡¯s why, it might be better to not tell them about her at all rather than telling them such half baked information.


    We have yet to tell them about Sienna¡¯s safety too.


    Moonlight Goddess did say that she had no intentions of killing Sienna, but we should take precautions in case she was lying.


    I wanted to avoid the case in which we told Sienna¡¯s father that his daughter was safe, only to tell himter that she was already dead.


    ¡¸Well, we¡¯ll know what kind of a person she is once we arrived in that ce.¡¹


    Reiji shed his usual daring smile.


    Yup, it just the usual d*ckhead. Seeing is believing.


    Everyone agreed with d*ckhead.


    ===


    ¡ôValkyrie, Shizufae


    Early in the morning, we were gathering in the parade grounds of the Republic of Ariadya after receiving themission from the freedom fighter association yesterday.


    The Parade grounds were the training grounds of the soldiers located close to the 3rd ramparts.


    It was huge, it might be enough for an army gathering ce.


    Many other freedom fighters were gathered in that ce too.


    ¡¸Uwaa~, look at this number of people, Shizu-chan. You won¡¯t see this many warriors unless when marching into thebyrinth right?¡¹


    Madi spoke to me while looking around.


    ¡¸Yeah, there¡¯s so many of them. There should be at least two hundred of them, and all of them are big shots.¡¹


    It¡¯s just as big sis Keyna had said. Almost two hundred of the most famous freedom fighters in Teseshia gathered in this ce. Upon a closer look, I also saw the figure of Earth¡¯s hero Godan and Wind¡¯s hero Zefa.


    ¡¸Quite a spectacle, to be able to gather this much force.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, just what kind ofmission is it that need so much freedom fighters.¡¹


    Leylia and Nora-san spoke while looking around at the warriors around us.


    ¡¸But, just what in the hell is happened for them to gather so many warriors, Shizufae?¡¹


    Novis, who came along, was voicing hisint.


    ¡¸Dunno. I think they¡¯re going to exin right after this.¡¹


    In fact, they didn¡¯t tell me the details either. They just told me that it was monster subjugation.


    ¡¸Hey, Shizufae-san. You guys came too, huh.¡¹


    A man carrying a trident with him came to greet us.


    ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s the hero of water, Nephim-san.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, hero of water, Nephim at your service, Shizufae-san. I see you be a valkyrie, huh. That suit look good on you.¡¹


    Nephim sung a praise while looking at my helmet with the wing ornament on both sides.


    ¡¸Yeah. Thanks for the praise.¡¹


    I¡¯ll thank him for the time being for his praise. This helmet and the blessing was a grace I received from Rena-sama after all.


    ¡¸By the way, what¡¯s your business, Nephim.¡¹


    Novis suddenly stood in front of me, looking irritated. What¡¯s wrong with him?


    ¡¸Just giving my greeting, Hero of Fire, Novis. We¡¯re about to enter the underground waterway together, after all.¡¹


    ¡¸Underground waterway?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, Shizufae-san. I heard that the underground waterway has already turned into a monster den. We¡¯re gathered here today to subjugate them.¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t hide my shock upon hearing that. I would never have expected that there¡¯s a den of monsters right beneath the Republic of Ariadya. That was a huge problem.


    ¡¸Oi, if that¡¯s true, this country is literally in for a huge trouble right!!? Just who in the world is the one who is responsible for managing that ce!? How can they make such a mistake!!¡¹


    It¡¯s just as big sis Keyna had said. The one who is responsible for managing the underground waterway should resign.


    ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s why we¡¯re gathered in this ce. In addition, I heard that the person responsible for managing the underground waterway seems to be missing. They might¡¯ve long since escaped from this country. Moreover, the senator who backed them, Cornes, is also missing.¡¹


    ¡¸No way¡­¡¹


    I was really furious upon hearing that.


    How dare they escape after neglecting their job. In addition, I felt an unspeakable sense of resentment toward the senate member called Cornes who went into hiding.


    ¡¸In addition, the matter about monsters in the underground waterway seems to be a top secret matter. Well, the citizens will feel anxious if they know about that after all.¡¹


    Nephim spoke while cing his index finger in front of his mouth.


    Sure enough, things will get hectic if the citizens know about that. But, in the end, it was still difficult topletely prevent the news from leaking out. The reason being some citizens came toin after hearing that news.


    ¡¸Everyone, the general seems to have arrived.¡¹


    When I turned my line of sight toward where Nephim was pointing at, I saw general suse along with Reiji-sama. Moreover, Sage Chiyuki-sama and the knight of Law Decius-sama were also with them. It seems they¡¯ll participate in this mission too.


    And then, General sus climbed on the stage and started his exnation about this mission.


    ===


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    ¡¸I see, Reiji and co went into underground waterway huh.¡¹


    I¡¯m currently hearing the story from Turia who came to visit the mansion.


    ¡¸Yes, ck Storm¡¯s God. The hero and hisrades went into underground waterway.¡¹


    Turia bowed as she spoke.


    ¡¸But, something is bothering me. The woman called Moonlight Goddess¡­ no matter how much I think about it, it¡¯s definitely Kuna, right?¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t hide my shock when I heard the story about Moonlight Goddess from Turia.


    ¡¸Yes. Since I also arrived in that conclusion, I came to give a report.¡¹


    Tarabos spoke with an apologetic voice.


    She also told me that the senate member called Cornes who lives around the corner turned out to be a ghoul masquerading as Cornes.


    And then, Reiji and co met the woman called Moonlight Goddess in the basement of Cornes¡¯ mansion.

 Chapter 76.3: Where the P**p Vanished?

    <h4>Chapter 76.3: Where the P**p Vanished?</h4>


    Since the location of that mansion is just around the corner, it¡¯s highly possible for Kuna to have visited that ce. And it was highly possible for Reiji and co to meet Kuna too.


    I did hear from Kuna that she was strolling around that area, but she didn¡¯t tell me of the fact that she met Reiji and co.


    If that¡¯s what happened, she¡¯s in a really dangerous situation.


    But then, I guess she has a reason to do that and at least an insurance for her own safety.


    ¡¸No, that seems to be contradicting your story. You said that Moonlight Goddess is waiting in the innermost part of underground waterway, right?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. That¡¯s what Hero-dono said. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯t ask for more details about what she said¡­¡¹


    ¡¸If that¡¯s the case, the Moonlight Goddess must be a different woman. I mean, Kuna and I are just about to go on an air tour around the Minon ins to search for Lord Ulbard. It would make it impossible for her to wait for the hero and co in the underground waterway.¡¹


    Yesterday, I made an arrangement with Runfeld to go looking for Ulbard. That¡¯s why my paid vacation ended yesterday.


    And today, I¡¯m gonna look for Ulbard along with Kuna while riding on Glorious¡¯ back.


    Thus, I concluded that the Moonlight Goddess must be a different person. Kuna had no ns to go to the underground waterway after all.


    Well it is just one difference, but I guess it¡¯s enough to conclude that they werepletely different people.


    Kuna was currently in another room with Sienna. It seems Sienna ended up teaching various things to Kuna.


    We¡¯re going to go looking for Ulbard, but I guess it was impossible to bring Sienna along with us. That¡¯s why she will be house-sitting for the time being.


    I mean, it¡¯s not like we¡¯re restricting her or anything. Plus, once we left, she was basically free to leave as well.


    Andstly, it was about Lord Ulbard. To be honest, I really had no idea about his current whereabouts. He might be chasing after Zeal who went into hiding.


    For that reason, he mighte to find us. Well, we might find him soon as long as we¡¯re flying over the Minon in on Glorious¡¯ back.


    ¡¸As I thought, it¡¯s just my misunderstanding, huh.¡¹


    ¡¸Naturally. In the first ce, not even three years have passed since Kuna and I came to this world. And those ghouls were already nested in this country three years ago. That¡¯s why, we¡¯repletely unrted to this matter. In addition, the hero and co are powerful, that¡¯s why they shouldn¡¯t have a problem against most opponents in this world.¡¹


    Turia heaved a relieved sigh after I told her so.


    ¡¸I understood. I guess I felt relieved since the ck Storm¡¯s God has no intentions of destroying this country.¡¹


    Hearing that, I realized that deep inside, Turia held fear towards me.


    Come to think of it, I did hear that many countries fell into ruin after they incurred a god¡¯s wrath.


    Though humans were some sort of familiars in the eyes of Elios¡¯ god, it didn¡¯t mean that they¡¯d be forgiven if they defied the gods. There were numerous tales in this world about such people who received divine punishment from gods.


    ¡¸At the very least, I have no intentions of doing that to this country.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. It¡¯s as you say, O Dear God.¡¹


    Turia was bowing deeply as she said so. A being with great power like me might be an extremely terrifying existence for her.


    I felt conflicted about that view.


    But well, whatever. Let¡¯s focus on finding Ulbard for now.


    I wonder where he is right now?


    ***


    ¡ôDaemon Lord, Ulbard


    I was right under the human country called Ariadya.


    In here was an altar that sealed the evil god Badon. I led my subordinates and came to this ce.


    ¡¸Wee, Great Daemon Lord, Ulbard-sama. I¡¯m Tarabos. I¡¯m following the guidance from Great God of Dreams and came to thisnd.¡¹


    A human was bowing to me.


    God of Sleep, Zand was a small, weak god. That¡¯s why he could only turn a human, the weakest race, as his subordinate.


    To be honest, I felt ufortable speaking with the human ,but I had no choice.


    ¡¸You said you¡¯re Tarabos, right. I don¡¯t seem to see Zand-dono¡¯s figure , but do you happen to know where he is?¡¹


    Despite looking around, I couldn¡¯t find the figure of Zand.


    In the first ce, the one who told me toe to this ce was Zand. He told me that he wanted to show me an interesting scene.


    ¡¸My apologies, he also told me to obey your orders when youe.¡¹


    Tarabos replied with an apologetic look on her face.


    ¡¸Whatever. Let¡¯s wait for him.¡¹


    Though I had no idea what Zand was nning to do, I guess I could only wait for him.


    When I sat in the seat that was already prepared in this ce, I noticed that someone was hiding his figure. It was Zeal.


    ¡¸Ooi, if it isn¡¯t Zeal.¡¹


    One of my subordinates was pointing at Zeal. This person happened to be a ck Satyr like Zeal.


    There were few others like him amongst my subordinates.


    ¡¸O-OOh, long time no see, everyone.¡¹


    Zeal got surrounded by his former colleagues.


    ¡¸ZEAL YOU B*STARD!! WHY IT¡¯S ONLY YOU A*SH*LE WHO GETS TO COME TO A PARADISE LIKE THIS!! AND YET, YOU STILL DARE TO BETRAY YOUR MAJESTY MODES-SAMA, SHAME ON YOU!!¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. We want to flirt with nice human babes too. Why it¡¯s only youuu¡­ I¡¯m so fu*cking jealous¡­¡¹


    They surrounded the flustered Zeal.


    ¡¸Eeh, everyone, there¡¯s still beautiful Empusa-oneesan in Nargol for you to enjoy right.¡¹


    ¡¸LIKE FU*CKING HELL WE¡¯RE GONNA TOUCH THOSE MAN-EATER-WOMAN!! I¡¯LL BE HAPPY IF IT¡¯S SEXUALLY, DID YOU FORGET THAT THEY LITERALLY ATE THEIR SE*X PARTNER!!!¡¹


    Few others ck Satyr nodded along. ¡¸Yeah, he¡¯s absolutely right!¡¹ One ck Satyr shouted that.


    Empusa was a tribe of monsters that wasposed of only females. Their meals were males. One could say that they¡¯re the bane of males due to their ability to use illusions.


    ¡¸H-How about the daemon race oneesan or the dark elves nees-¡¹


    ¡¸LIKE HELL THEY WANT TO PLAY WITH US!!!¡¹


    The ck Satyrs were shouting at Zeal with an indignant voice.


    I ended up pressing my palm on my forehead upon hearing the content of their quarrel. Seriously, just what in the h*ll were these idiots quarrelling about.


    ¡¸T-Then, will you forgive me if I introduce you guys to some human girls?¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, you¡¯re not tricking us, right? I love the ones with a huge rack.¡¹


    ¡¸Count me in, Zeal.¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t you dare to forget about me.¡¹


    The ck Satyrs quickly changed the moment Zeal said that he would introduce some female humans to them.


    Seriously, just how in the hell were these idiots got chosen as the member of the proud Dark Knights of Nargol.


    ¡¸YOU LOT!! WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!!¡¹


    Zeal and co suddenly turned meek upon hearing that voice.


    ¡¸MY DEEPEST APOLOGIES, ULBARD-SAMA!!¡¹


    All of them bowed to Ulbard.


    Good grief, this group of idiots.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, where is that person right now, Ulbard-sama? To be honest, I have yet to trust that god.¡¹


    My close aide spoke with a grim look on his face.


    Sure enough, I also agreed with him. That god of dreams loved to go overboard when he was ying around.


    ¡¸Yeah. I¡¯ve been wondering too just where in the world is he right now?¡¹


    I had a bad premonition about this situation.


    ***


    ¡ôSilver Witch; Kuna


    ¡¸My brother is going to the underground waterway¡­ uhm, Goddess-sama. Is my brother going to be alright?¡¹


    Sienna asked with an anxious look on her face upon hearing the news from me.


    ¡¸Dunno. Well, I can at least tell you that it¡¯s a dangerous ce.¡¹


    Sienna looked dejected upon hearing Kuna¡¯s remark.


    ¡¸Please Goddess-sama!! Please save my brother!!¡¹


    Kuna just looked down on Sienna who pleaded in desperation to Kuna with a cold look in her eyes.


    Now, what should I do with this girl and her brother? The most important thing for Kuna was Kuroki, and only Kuroki.


    But, Sienna had also imparted Ishtar¡¯s secret arts to Kuna.


    It was a lovemaking art to please Kuroki in the bedroom.


    Well, I guess I should lend her a bit of my power as a token of gratitude for teaching me such interesting arts.


    ¡¸Kuna is going to have a date around the Minon ins with Kuroki after this. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t help you with this matter. But, I can lend you my power. Use it to save your brother.¡¹


    Kuna grabbed Sienna¡¯s hand and sent Kuna¡¯s mana into her. This much should be enough to strengthen Sienna.


    ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹


    ¡¸Save that forter. And don¡¯t forget to tell your brother when you meet himter to blow the flute. The rat should disappear when he does so.¡¹


    ¡¸Flute?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, flute. And here, I¡¯ll lend one of my butterflies to you, they should be enough to guide you to your brother.¡¹


    After that, Kuna summoned one butterfly to assist Sienna.


    ¡¸Thank you Goddess-sama. And my brother¡¯s name is Decius.¡¹


    Sienna tried to correct Kuna, but Kuna didn¡¯t care about that.


    ¡¸Okay, that¡¯s all I can do for you. Now you¡¯re free to go- not that we had any intentions of holding you back in the first ce.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes!¡¹


    Sienna left the room as soon as I told her so.


    ¡¸She finally left, Kuna-sama.¡¹


    A flying head suddenly appeared out of nowhere.


    It was Zand. This idiotic man had already turned into Kuna¡¯s ve. Well, only his former status as god prevented Kuna frompletely eradicating him.


    In addition, Kuna had also told him to only appear when Kuna was by herself. It seems he was at least sensible enough to obey Kuna¡¯s order.


    ¡¸How¡¯s the progress of that n, Zand?¡¹


    ¡¸KYAHAHAAHA. As per Kuna-sama¡¯s instruction, I¡¯ve already led that idiot Ulbard to Badon¡¯s altar. I also locked him in there with a barrier. With this, they won¡¯t be able to leave that ce.¡¹


    Zand, who only has his head left, let out an eerieughter. Honestly, I want him to stop.


    Thus, Kuna kicked his head with all her power.


    Kuna¡¯s kick sent Zand¡¯s head bouncing around the room like a ball.


    ¡¸Shut your mouth or I¡¯m gonna kick your head, Zand.¡¹


    ¡¸Uuh, so cruel Kuna-sama. Please say that before you kick my head.¡¹


    I turned a deaf ear to Zand¡¯sints.


    ¡¸You¡¯re the one at fault for being noisy.¡¹


    ¡¸Sorry Kuna-sama~. By the way, aren¡¯t you going toe to the underground waterway, Kuna-sama?¡¹


    ¡¸Naturally, I won¡¯t. Why should I go to that foul ce? In the first ce, Kuna never said anything about waiting for them in that ce, it was just in that d*ckhead¡¯s imagination.¡¹


    Kuna recalled the time when she met the hero and his party.


    Kuna only told them toe to Badon¡¯s altar, she never told them that she was going to wait for them there.


    I pressed my palm against my forehead.


    The contact with the hero and co was my blunder. That time, if that hero failed to stop my attack with his sword, Kuna might have ended up killing him for real.


    Kuna never expected that he would strike back while defending himself from Kuna¡¯s attack.


    A chill ran down into Kuna¡¯s spine upon recalling that moment.


    But, Kuna made the right choice by stopping his sword.


    Since the hero narrowly escaped death with that.


    Naturally, Kuna kept that matter a secret from Kuroki. He would end up worrying for Kuna¡¯s safety if Kuna told him about that event.


    Kuna didn¡¯t wish to make Kuroki sad.


    Thus, Kuna will refrain from acting on her own from now on.


    Since Kuna had obtained a useful piece called Zand, Kuna is going to work him hard from now on,


    ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s a foul ce indeed. Is that why Kuna-sama sent Ulbard instead?¡¹


    Zand came closer whileughing eerily. Kuna had already turned him into a flying head.


    ¡¸Yes. I have to punish Ulbard for trying to plot against Kuroki after all.¡¹


    Kuna didn¡¯t tell Kuroki about Ulbard¡¯s whereabouts. The kind-hearted Kuroki might have ended up forgiving Ulbard and gone into that trap to save thetter despite thetter¡¯s plot to kill him.


    But, Kuna was different. Ulbard must be punished for his sin.


    Kuna was smiling lightly upon imagining that scene.


    Now then, Ulbard. The hero and co areing to you. Enjoy that moment to the fullest.

 Chapter 77.1: Underground Waterway is Kingdom of Dream

    <h4>Chapter 77.1: Underground Waterway is Kingdom of Dream</h4>


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    There were literally countless numbers of branches in the Republic of Ariadya¡¯s underground waterway. Moreover, they also built a lot of entrances to the underground waterways to make it easier for the government to maintain the ce.


    And we descended into the underground waterway from one such ce.


    The underground waterway was really spacious since it was built with the consideration of peopleing inside.


    If it was this spacious, I guess we didn¡¯t need to crouch inside.


    In addition, sidewalks were built in several parts of the waterway for humans to walk. But that was actually unneeded for now since the water depth in the waterway was shallow due to theck of rain nowadays.


    Thus, we could actually walk inside the waterway without having to make our feet wet.


    ¡¸O LIGHT¡¹


    I invoked a simple lighting spell to illuminate our path.


    One had to use an illumination spell since there was no light source in the underground waterway.


    A sphere of light around 30 cm in diameter was floating in mid-air, illuminating our surroundings.


    ¡¸As expected of Chiyuki-sama. With this, we don¡¯t need to carry a torch anymore.¡¹


    Shizufae, who came along with us, sang praises for me.


    Shizufae and co were the members of our investigation party.


    General sus had divided the freedom fighters into several groups and each of them entered a different entrance.


    The other freedom fighters should¡¯ve already entered the underground waterway around this time too.


    The members of our group were our usual members: Reiji, Shirone, Sahoko, Rino, Nao, and me.


    In addition, Shizufae and co, along with hero of fire, Novis, and Decius were also included in our group. Ainoe, who got restricted by us, was alsoing along.


    ¡¸WHY ARE YOU TAKING ME TOO?!¡¹


    Ainoe screamed as we brought her by force.


    ¡¸Ainoe-dono!! Forming a contract with a Daemon is a grave sin!! Don¡¯t you feel sorry for doing something against God¡¯s teachings!?!! In addition, we also found out that the lesser daemon who made the contract with you is lurking inside the underground waterway. That¡¯s why you shoulde obediently with us.¡¹


    Ainoe made an extremely vexed face upon hearing Decius¡¯ remark.


    ¡¸GOD MY A*S! WHY THEY DIDN¡¯T COME WHEN I WAS IN TROUBLE!! THE DAEMON IS FAR BETTER THAN THOSE SH*TTY GODS OF YOURS IN THAT REGARD!!¡¹


    ¡¸WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, AINOE-DONO!!? AREN¡¯T YOU AFRAID OF DIVINE PUNISHMENT!?¡¹


    Those two were bickering non-stop.


    ¡¸Calm down, Lord Decius. And Ainoe-san, I¡¯ll use silence magic on you if you keep shouting like that.¡¹


    I stepped in to stop those two.


    But, it seems that my words were far from enough to stop them.


    I heaved a sigh.


    ¡¸Shizufae-san, if worsees to worst, please escape along with Ainoe-san and Lord Decius.¡¹


    ¡¸I understand, Chiyuki-sama.¡¹


    Shizufae bowed to me.


    The reason why we took Shizufae and co along with us was to prevent Decius from going out of control. He was a serious man with a strong sense of responsibility after all. But, he was no match against the thing hiding in the innermost part of this underground waterway.


    He might be killed by ident if he got involved in our fight.


    But, since it was a waste of excellent human resources if we let Decius die, we attached Shizufae and co as his protectors.


    As one would expect, the gentleman Decius wouldn¡¯t force them to go with him to such a dangerous ce.


    ¡¸Then, let¡¯s go.¡¹


    At Reiji¡¯s cue, everyone went into the underground waterway.


    The vanguard was Reiji and Nao. Following behind were Rino and I. And behind us was Shirone and Sahoko. Following behind them was Decius along with Shizufae and co.


    ¡¸It¡¯s smelly~¡¹


    Rino raised aint.


    ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s a really nasty smell. Almost like kitchen waste.¡¹


    Sahoko spoke in agreement with Rino.


    We went even deeper into the underground waterway.


    Suddenly, Nao stopped in her tracks.


    ¡¸EVERYONE STOP!!¡¹


    And shouted at everyone to stop.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Nao?¡¹


    ¡¸There¡¯s something in front of us.¡¹


    Nao then moved on toward the center of the waterway, walking on the water surface like some sort of ninja. Well, she might be able to move far more easily using that technique.


    And then, Reiji also followed Nao from behind, walking on the water surface.


    Nao took out her boomerang while Reiji readied his sword.


    ¡¸Oi, what¡¯s hiding in there? I can¡¯t see it at all!! Please make the light brighter!!¡¹


    The one who spoke was the vanguard of Shizufae and co, Novis.


    He should learn to be more discreet.


    ¡¸WAIT, NOVIS!!¡¹


    Shizufae tried to stop Novis with a flustered voice.


    It seems she was having trouble because of Novis. For some reason, it felt like a sister rebuking her naughty little brother.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll make the light brighter.¡¹


    ¡¸Sorry for the trouble, Chiyuki-sama!!¡¹


    I moved the light sphere toward the surface of the water while hearing Shizufae¡¯s apologies.


    The light sphere illuminated the area around the water surface.


    And then, a giant thing floated on top of the water surface.


    ¡¸NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!¡¹


    ¡¸WHAT IS THAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!!¡¹


    Sahoko and Rino screaming to the top of their lungs.


    ¡¸Giant slug¡­¡¹


    The thing that appeared in front of us was a giant slug around two metres high, and god only knows how many metres its length was.


    It seems to be a monster called a giant slug. And that giant slug wasn¡¯t the only one. There were so many giant slugs of various sizes clinging on the ceiling and walls in the underground waterway.


    Maybe because the giant slugs have yet to notice our presence, they just crept along slowly on the floor of the underground waterway.


    Yuck.


    ¡¸Seeing them is enough to sent a chill running down my spine¡­¡¹


    Even Shirone, who was rtively calm when dealing with those kinds of creatures, was trembling upon seeing the giant slugs.


    ¡¸What should we do, Chiyuki?¡¹


    Reiji asked while looking at us with an amused look on his face. It was an unpleasant face for me.


    ¡¸GEEZ!! STOP LAUGHING AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT THEM ALREADY!!¡¹


    ¡¸Haha, leave it to me Chiyuki!! O light!!¡¹


    Reiji fired several light bullets whileughing at us.


    The light bullets hit the giant slugs, roasting them alive.


    ¡¸UUh¡­ I want to go back already.¡¹


    Sahoko was sobbing messily as she spoke.


    I understand what she felt right now. She was extremely disgusted by the sight of the disgusting giant slugs. Honestly, I wanted to go back too.


    ¡¸Wait!! There¡¯s still something in there!!¡¹


    Nao was pointing at the inner part of the waterway.


    I made a light sphere flying over there to illuminate that area. And there, I saw several ck figures.


    ¡¸THAT¡¯s ThE INTRuDER!!¡¹


    ¡¸THEY FOUND US!!¡¹


    ¡¸RUUUN!!¡¹


    The ck shadow was running at full speed toward the light sphere.


    ¡¸Is that a rat?¡¹


    Shirone, who saw that spectacle by my side, spoke with a disgusted voice.


    ¡¸Yeah, it was a rat. The only problem was the fact that they¡¯re as big as humans, bipedal, and equipped with weapons.¡¹


    Just as Reiji had said, it was a bipedal rat equipped with a weapon.


    ¡¸Ratman, huh.¡¹


    ¡¸Ratman¡­ Somehow, I feel giddy when I hear that name. Shouldn¡¯t they just named it after a certain mascot of the dream country?¡¹


    Nao almost said something really dangerous just now. Moreover, that theme park was quite distasteful too.


    ¡¸A-A-A¡­¡¹


    ¡¸What¡¯s matter, Rino-chan.¡¹


    Sahoko was the first to notice Rino¡¯s abnormal voice.


    ¡¸The rat-san just now are¡­ former humans.¡¹


    Our attention gathered on Rino all at once.


    ¡¸Is that true, Rino-san?¡¹


    Rino nodded to me.


    ¡¸Maybe. My eyes saw through their true form after all.¡¹


    Rino doesn¡¯t seem to have that much confidence as she said that.


    The power of Rino¡¯s illusion breaker was the strongest amongst us. As long as she focused her eyes, no one could ever hope to hide their true form from her.


    ¡¸I guess we¡¯re facing a difficult situation, huh.¡¹


    Nao spoke with a displeased voice.


    ¡¸Sahoko, assuming that it¡¯s a curse that transformed their appearance, can you undo their curse?¡¹


    Sahoko shook her head upon hearing Reiji¡¯s question.


    ¡¸I won¡¯t know until I try it, Rei-kun. Let¡¯s try it for now¡­¡¹


    Sahoko doesn¡¯t seem to have that much confidence either.


    ¡¸Then, let¡¯s try on a rat first.¡¹


    Sahoko nodded upon hearing my remark.


    ¡¸It¡¯s decided then, let¡¯s delve further inside.¡¹


    Thus, we advanced further inside.


    ¡¸What are you doing now Kuroki¡­¡¹


    I happened to hear Shirone mutter when we were advancing.


    ===


    ¡ôDaemon Lord, Ulbard


    We¡¯re currently in the deepest part of the underground waterway, the ce called the altar of Badon.


    The rats in front of me kept making a ruckus.


    My aides who saw that spectacle made a disgusted face.


    Those rats were former humans who were changed into familiar animals by Zand. Since they were former humans, they could make a child with humans, and their body fluids contain viruses that would transform a human into a ratman.


    For that reason, with the right environment, we could increase the number of these rats.

 Chapter 77.2: Underground Waterway is Kingdom of Dream

    <h4>Chapter 77.2: Underground Waterway is Kingdom of Dream</h4>


    And currently, there are so many rats in this ce.


    My aide, who saw such a scene, couldn¡¯t keep theirposure.


    Honestly, I¡¯m also getting annoyed since they¡¯re noisy.


    ¡¸Tarabos, they seem to be noisy since a while ago. Do you know what¡¯s causing them to act that way?¡¹


    ¡¸My deepest apologies, Ulbard-sama. It seems we have an intruder.¡¹


    Tarabos replied as he bowed to me.


    ¡¸Intruder? But they¡¯re just mere humans, right? They¡¯re not supposed to be a big deal.¡¹


    Why are they making a big deal of those humans?


    And then, he replied,


    ¡¸About that, it seems that the Hero of Light and hisrades are amongst those intruders.¡¹


    I nked for a moment upon hearing thatpletely unexpected answer.


    And then, I stood up as soon as I snapped out of my daze.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the meaning of this!!?¡¹


    Tarabos prostrated the moment I shouted at him for confirmation.


    ¡¸M-MY DEEPEST APOLOGIES!! I AlSO HAVE NO IDEA WHY THE HERO CAME DOWN TO THIS PLACE!!¡¹


    I smacked my lips.


    I realized that this human was truly useless.


    ¡¸Since the hero hase to this ce, we should retreat.¡¹


    I started to chant the area teleport magic as soon as I spoke.


    But, I failed to invoke the magic.


    ¡¸ULBARD-SAMA!! THERE¡¯S BARRIER THAT SEALS TELEPORTATION FIXED AROUND THIS PLACE!! WE¡¯RE TRAPPED IN THIS PLACE!!¡¹


    My aide told me with a flustered voice.


    What¡¯s the meaning of this?


    I was pondering about this strange turn of events.


    And then, I noticed.


    ¡¸ZAND, YOU BASTARD!! HOW DARE YOU TO BETRAY US!!¡¹


    I let my guard down. That bastard said that his goal was to kill both that Hero and Lord Diehart. While in fact, his true goal was to eliminate us.


    But, nothing can be done right now as he had already cornered and trapped us in this ce.


    And I couldn¡¯t win against the hero.


    Despite my previous loss against the hero, I was still a Daemon Lord, the aide of Our honored Great Demon King. A lowly god like Zand wouldn¡¯t have a chance to defeat me in frontalbat.


    But, the strength of Hero of Light and co were amongst the top ranks of Gods.


    I recalled the memories when I fought the Hero and co back then.


    I fought a fierce magicbat against the one called ck Haired Sage. The result was my crushing defeat. My confidence in the fact that I wouldn¡¯t lose even to a god when ites to magicbat waspletely shattered on that day.


    In addition, my confidence was shattered in just a moment, not after a long, drawn out battle.


    Their strength had already shot through the roof, it was simply iprehensible.


    Even that mighty Runfeld was beaten ck and blue by the hero.


    We have to escape from this ce, otherwise, they¡¯re going to kill us.


    ¡¸TARABOS!!¡¹


    I shouted at Tarabos.


    ¡¸Yes!! At yourmand!!¡¹


    ¡¸GO AND REVIVE BADON!! NOW!!¡¹


    But, Tarabos only tilted his head, looking at me with a confused look on his face.


    ¡¸But, at this rate, our ns will¡­¡¹


    ¡¸JUST DO IT!! THIS IS AN ORDER!!¡¹


    I controlled Tarabos using domination magic.


    Thereupon, Tarabos¡¯ eyes lost its light.


    Domination was sessful. Now all that was left was to revive Badon.


    ¡¸And then, Zeal, where is that guy?¡¹


    I¡¯m gonna use that guy to stop the hero and co.


    ¡¸Ulbard-sama, Zeal already left a while ago. It seems that his female acquaintance is amongst the intruders thus he went to save her.¡¹


    My aide replied to me.


    ¡¸What in the hell is that guy doing during such time?¡¹


    I was having a headache due to that one guy¡¯s haphazard action.


    But, it was toote to bring him back now.


    Let¡¯s focus on destroying the barrier used by Zand to trap us in this ce. We¡¯re running out of time.


    ¡¸DON¡¯T UNDERESTIMATE ME, ZAND!! FOR I AM ONE OF THE DAEMON LORD WHO SERVES UNDER THE DEMON KING!! DON¡¯T THINK I CAN¡¯T SMASH APART THE BARRIER CREATED BY WEAK GOD LIKE YOU!!¡¹


    ***


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    I, along with Kuna, was riding on Glorious¡¯ back as she flew over the Minon ins.


    I¡¯d hugely underestimated the Minon ins¡¯ size- it was almost as big as North India.


    But, Glorious¡¯ flying speed could easily cross over a in of that size.


    Upon looking down from the air, I found several human countries in the Minon ins. But, the number of those countries seemed to becking whenpared to the size of the Minon ins itself.


    The main reason might be because of the monsters.


    There were only a small number of monsters in the Minon ins. But, that was only if it waspared to the other regions.


    Despite their small numbers, monsters still exist in the Minon ins.


    Fundamentally, monsters were creatures who hated sunlight. For that reason, monsters rarely appeared during the day in an ultra-sized open field like the Minon ins. That¡¯s why the monster damage around this region was far lowerpared to the other regions.


    But, the night aside, monsters such as goblins were active even during rainy or cloudy days. For that reason, aside from sunny days, the humans living in this region stay inside their house within the ramparts.


    We were following the river that flows along the Minon ins from the north.


    Finally, we were arriving in the north of the Minon ins, the Ruhak mountain range.


    The area beyond Ruhak mountain range to the north was outside of the Ariad union. In addition, that ce was the living ce of many orc tribes.


    In the past, that northernnd was the ce where orc tribes built their empire to conquer human tribes. It was dubbed the¡¸Northern Empire ruled by orc.¡¹


    Though that empire eventually was overthrown by human¡¯s desperate resistance, the remnants of the empire were still living to this day, tormenting the human tribes.


    In addition, since the orcs of northernnds came to the Minon in every once in a while, the countries located in the northern part of the Ariad union were always vignt toward any kind of signs of orcs.


    We were descending in the great forest at the feet of the Ruhak mountain range.


    Though there were many open fields in the Minon ins, a great forest spread in the northern part which is close to the Ruhak mountain range.


    There shouldn¡¯t be a problem if Glorious descended in this ce.


    I mean, I could only imagine the uproar humans would make once they saw Glorious descending in the ins. For that reason, we came to the northern part of the Minon ins.


    There was a beautiful, clear fountain near ournding site. It was a perfect ce for a short break.


    ¡¸Ha~h. We can¡¯t find him after all.¡¹


    I heaved a sigh.


    I wonder where is Ulbard right now?


    Though I used the informationworks from the branches of Ankua¡¯spany which spread in the countries in the Minon ins and even searched for his trace from the air, I still failed to find Ulbard.


    I mean, it¡¯s not like Ulbard or his aides were daemons specialized in covert action either. That¡¯s why I thought that I could find him easily. It might have been an error on my part.


    ¡¸It doesn¡¯t really matter, Kuroki. He can take care of himself after all. Kuna is happy enough to be able to enjoy an air trip with Kuroki.¡¹


    I was really happy when Kuna said those words. I mean, I never had a cute girl say something like that to me before.


    And for some reason, I felt like I was going to cry any moment right now.


    Unable to bear her overloaded cuteness, I ended up hugging Kuna.


    But, it doesn¡¯t mean that I had to give up looking for Ulbard.


    ¡¸Thanks Kuna. But still, let¡¯s try looking for Ulbard for a while longer.¡¹


    I told her so as I embraced her.


    ¡¸But, do you have a clue about his whereabouts, Kuroki?¡¹


    Kuna asked while tilting her head.


    Sure enough, she was right. I had no clue at all about Ulbard¡¯s whereabouts.


    I mean, was he really in the Republic of Ariadya?


    If he is in the Republic of Ariadya, why couldn¡¯t I feel his presence? That¡¯s why I thought that he was simply in another ce, but why couldn¡¯t I still find him?


    If I knew this would happen, it might have been far easier for me to go looking for Zeal.


    I could ask for Zeal¡¯s whereabouts from Ainoe before, but thetter ended up being apprehended by Reiji and co. Thus, effectively preventing me from asking her.


    Reiji and co seem to have brought Ainoe along with them into the underground waterway. Thus, Zeal was most likely hiding in the underground waterway. But, he might have a hard time approaching her since she was under constant surveince by Reiji and co.


    What should I do now that things have be even moreplicated than before?


    ¡¸Haaah¡­ what should I do now?¡¹


    I heaved a sigh as I muttered those words.


    ¡¸If you don¡¯t know what to do, how about taking a break for a while, Kuroki? You might find a solution after a brief rest.¡¹


    Kuna whispered to me with an enchanting smile on her face. Honestly, I almost pounced on her the moment she showed such a smile.


    That¡¯s just how irresistable her smile was.


    But well, Kuna was right. Let¡¯s take a break for now and think of a solutionter.


    ¡¸You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s take a break.¡¹


    Thus, we took a break.


    I spread the sheet that we brought along today and prepared some tea.


    Due to her size, there was no problem even if we also carried tea utensils on Glorious¡¯ back. On a side note, we also brought a basket containing a light meal along with us.


    The light meal wasposed of fresh vegetables sandwiched between bread made from high quality wheat. There was also a cookie made with lots of honey and dried fruit for the sweets.


    The beverage was tea made from a local nt of this region.


    All of this was prepared by Kuna, Regena, me, and Sienna right before our departure.


    Since we made too much, the rest was for Regena and Sienna.


    Nevertheless, I¡¯ve been wondering what Sienna is doing right now.


    She did say that she went to the underground waterway to save her brother. That¡¯s why I gave her my handmade katana.


    Honestly I only knew her for a while but I did feel somepassion for her. Thus, I wished for her safety.


    After finishing all the preparation, we sat on theid out sheet, enjoying the beautiful scenery and the refreshing wind from the forest.


    ¡¸It¡¯s reallyfortable, Kuroki.¡¹


    After she ate a sandwich and cookie, Kuna lied down, using my thigh as ap pillow.


    It didn¡¯t take that long for her to fall asleep.


    Honestly, it was supposed to be the opposite right? I mean, it was usually the man who slept using a woman¡¯sp pillow right?


    But, seeing Kuna¡¯s innocent sleeping face, I thought that such a thing was a trivial matter.

 Chapter 77.3: Underground Waterway is Kingdom of Dream

    <h4>Chapter 77.3: Underground Waterway is Kingdom of Dream</h4>


    I patted Kuna¡¯s silver hair as I enjoyed the beautiful scenery.


    There was an extremely adorable girl sleeping with her head resting on myp, there was no way I wouldn¡¯t be happy.


    ¡¸Guhehehehe.¡¹


    I ended up letting out a pervy smile on my face upon seeing Kuna¡¯s sleeping face.


    Whoops, calm down little guy.


    I drank my tea, enjoying its nice aroma to calm my mind.


    Glorious brought its head closer when I drank my tea.


    ¡¸You¡¯re also such an adorable child, Glorious.¡¹


    I patted Glorious¡¯ nose. Glorious seemed to be really happy when I did that to them.


    After that, Gloriousid their huge body beside us.


    ¡¸Maybe I should take a short nap too.¡¹


    Thus, I leaned my back against Glorious¡¯ body.


    By doing so, my eyes were looking at the forest ahead of me.


    The reason I did this was because I realized that there was a shadow of a person looking toward us from the shadows in the tree for a while now.


    It was a light presence. At first I thought it was a goblin or two, but this area was pretty sunny, the condition hated the most by the goblins. Thus, goblins wouldn¡¯te close to this area around this time. In that case, it must be another creature.


    Though Kuna might have felt their presence too, she seemed to ignore them.


    From what I felt, they¡¯re not powerful creatures. That¡¯s why I think it would be safe to ignore them.


    I mean, Kunaid her head on myp, sleeping without care, as if the ones who observed us pose no problem to us at all.


    Thus, I thought that I should try to talk to them.


    ¡¸Hey, won¡¯t youe out from your hiding ce?¡¹


    I called out to our peeper. I called them since they didn¡¯t seem to be a hostile force.


    I couldn¡¯t help but be curious about what kind of people they are, but well, it really couldn¡¯t be helped if they left.


    But, if they had a business with us, I would at least lend my ears.


    As if responding to my call, the one who came out from the shadow of the tree was a little girl and a foal.


    Seeing their appearance, I couldn¡¯t help but be even more curious about them.


    The little girl was human no matter how you look at it.


    The humans in this world normally live in groups since most of them are too weak to fend off the monsters by themself.


    There was no human country around this area. Thus, I was curious about the reason for that little human girl to appear in this forest. Why did she appear in this secluded, out of nowhere, ce?


    I mean, she might have been eaten by a monster if she was alone.


    Thus, her guardian should be nearby.


    And yet, why did that guardian didn¡¯t show themselves?


    When the little girl and the foal drew near toward me, I saw a small shadow moving behind them.


    It was a dwarf. I mean, there should be no other race with such a young appearance and bushy beard aside from them right?


    Dwarf appearance would be like a middle aged human eight years after their birth. After that, they would stay like that for their entire life.


    For that reason, it was hard to grasp the age of a dwarf.


    The little girl and foal approached us with a light run.


    The little girl¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t looking at Glorious, a giant dragon, nor she was looking at Kuna, a sleeping beauty, she was looking at the sweets we ate.


    If she could see the sweets from that distance, I guess she has extremely good eyesight.


    ¡¸Are you curious about their taste?¡¹


    The girl replied with a nod.


    Thus, I took one cookie and presented it to the little girl. Since Kuna and co ended up making too much of them, there was so much left over even from our portion.


    ¡¸There you go. It¡¯s delicious.¡¹


    But the little girl didn¡¯t ept the cookie.


    ¡¸¡­ My little sister too.¡¹


    The little girl spoke while looking at the foal.


    I was rather curious as to the reason why she called a foal as her ¡°Little sister,¡± but I gave another cookie for the foal too.


    After taking the two cookies, the little girl fed one into the foal¡¯s mouth and ate the other one herself.


    After the little girl ate the cookie, the dwarf finally approached.


    ¡¸Thank you. O Great Dragon Tamer. Thank you for sharing your cookie with this little girl. Efa, Pona. Come on and say thank this gentleman.¡¹


    The dwarf bowed their head as they said their gratitude. I knew from that trembling voice that they were still scared of me.


    Well that¡¯s only natural since no normal person could approach a dragon without being scared of them.


    If the little girl and foal didn¡¯te out to ask for cookies, this dwarf might not approach us either.


    ¡¸Thank you very much, uncle.¡¹


    ¡¸Hihiiin!!¡¹


    The little girl called Efa and the foal called Pona bowed to me.


    Though I was really shocked when she called me uncle, I¡¯m not a petty person to be angry at something as trivial as that. What surprised me the most was the fact that the foal thanked me too.


    ¡¸Are you living around this area?¡¹


    I asked the dwarf.


    I¡¯m curious about the rtionship between the little girl, the foal, and the dwarf.


    ¡¸Yes, my name is Ulim. As you can see, I¡¯m a dwarf. We¡¯re living in this forest.¡¹


    Different from humans, the dwarves were hardly attacked by monsters. For that reason, they could live with ease even in this monster-infested forest.


    The story about seven dwarves who live in the forest protecting the princess who ran away from her cruel stepmother was really famous back in my home world.


    Maybe this Ulim was a hunter and lumberjack. I mean, they were carrying a big axe on their back and a crossbow called Gastraphetes in their hand.


    The one who invented the crossbow was the orc tribe who lived in Nargol.


    Dwarves have short limbs simr to orcs, and they couldn¡¯t use a bow thanks to their natural bulging stomach. That¡¯s why dwarves use a crossbow instead of a bow.


    Though crossbows couldn¡¯t be fired rapidly like a bow, it was easier to use than a bow, and had high pration power even if it was fired by someone with weak arm strength.


    ¡¸It¡¯s nice to meet you Ulim-dono. May I know if this child is your daughter?¡¹


    Ulim shook their head when I asked them that question.


    ¡¸No, they¡¯re a lost child. When I picked her up, she¡¯s already together with the foal called Pona.¡¹


    Ulim spoe while looking at Efa. Maybe they remembered the memories of when they found the two.


    Ulim then retold the story when they met Pona and Efa for the first time.


    It seems that the meeting happened around two years ago. On a certain day, Ulim found an emaciated little girl and a foal in the middle of foraging for mushrooms in the mountain. Since they couldn¡¯t find their parents near the two, Ulim thought that the two might get attacked by monsters anytime soon. Thus, Ulim, a lonely hermit, decided to bring the two into their abode.


    The three of them, two people and an animal, have been living together ever since then.


    ¡¸Have you tried to find their parent?¡¹


    Ulim shook their head again when I asked that question.


    ¡¸When I found them, they were holding onto a blood stained centaurs¡¯ bow. Their father might be a centaur. Since there¡¯s no centaur packs around this area, I tried to ask about their mother. But, though they know that their mother is living in nearby country, they don¡¯t know who their mother is.¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡­¡¹


    Centaurs¡¯ bow was what is widely known as aposite bow in my home world. It was an ¡°m¡± shaped bow made with severalbination materials such as monster¡¯s bones or wood.


    Though a centaur¡¯s bow was smaller than the elf¡¯s long bow, it was far more powerful. But, it was rarely used amongst humans due to its troublesome manufacturing process.


    But, centaurs love to use thisposite bow the most.


    From the bow in their possession, Ulim judged that the two might be the children of centaurs.


    Moreover, I had to agree with Ulim in the fact that the two were centaurs¡¯ children since the little girl called the foal as her little sister.


    Reason being if a girl was born between a centaurs father and human mother, the child would be a human girl and if it was foal, meaning that the little sister¡¯s mother was a horse.


    Thus, resulting in the creation of step sisters of different races. In addition, the reason for their mutual understanding might be due to their blood rtionship.


    But, I heard that centaurs prefer to mate with beautiful female humans.


    There was even a story about a centaur who kidnapped the wife of a human couple who was troubled since they couldn¡¯t cross the river. That centaur was then killed by the husband¡¯s poisoned arrow.


    Efa¡¯s centaur parent might have been killed by the humans.


    Considering such possibilities, Ulim took Efa under his protection.


    Efa and Pona ate the sweets with a delighted look on their faces.


    It seems they had their own way to convey their feelings to each other.


    ¡¸Allow me to thank you again. I¡¯m not skilled enough to bake sweets for them after all.¡¹


    Ulim thanked me again for the cookies.


    Though they could make superior armaments, dwarves were apparently unskilled when it came to cooking. That¡¯s why this was actually the first time Efa and Pona ate sweets.


    So yeah, the reason they approached us was definitely because of the aroma of the sweets.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m d that they like it. By the way, actually I¡¯m in the middle of looking for a certain daemon, did you happen to meet such daemon in this area?¡¹


    I tried to ask, fully aware that the other party might not have even seen the shadow of the said daemon.


    ¡¸Daemon? U~hm¡­ honestly I don¡¯t know about it. But, there¡¯s a witch who lives by herself near our home.¡¹


    ¡¸A witch? In this area?¡¹


    Ulim nodded to me.


    Speaking about witches, they¡¯re women who tied a covenant with an evil god or demon race to gain magical power, or girls who are born from their rtionship.


    Though some male humans tied a covenant with a female evil god or female demon race, in most cases, it was the opposite.


    The reason why the number of male demon races who tied a covenant was bigger than female demon races was because most of them were lesser daemon such as Zeal.


    By the way, the probability of a child born from a race with low magical power was quite high.


    For example, when an elf mates with a human, the probability of their children being born as human was higher than as an elf.


    Since the demon race¡¯s magical power was far higher than human, the majority of the witch gave birth to human children.


    In addition, tying a covenant with the demon race was considered a grave sin in Faeria¡¯s faith. Since the influence of Faeria¡¯s faith has rooted so deeply in this world, the witches became the target for persecution.


    For that reason, the majority of which either never revealed their identity in the public, or simply lived in seclusion.


    And thetter seems to be living around this area.


    ¡¸Yes. That grandma might know a lot of thing about daemon.¡¹


    ¡¸I see, I guess I have to try to ask her.¡¹


    I replied while brushing Kuna¡¯s silky smooth hair.


    Though it might turn out to be just a waste of time, there was nothing wrong with a short visit.


    ¡ôDwarf¡¯s Forest Guard, Ulim


    Honestly, I thought that I would die for real this time.


    I was still scared sh*tless, a chill running down my spine even after I parted ways with the youth who led that giant dragon.


    It happened when we¡¯re in the middle of foraging for mushrooms.


    When I turned around, I found that Pona and Efa weren¡¯t by my side anymore.


    When I went looking for them, I found them hiding in the woods near the fountain, looking at something.


    When I turned toward the ce they were looking at, honestly, I never felt so surprised like this before in my entire life to the point that my waist gave out.


    I mean, the one they¡¯re looking at was a huge¡­ sleeping dragon.


    Though I tried to take her away from this dangerous ce, Efa didn¡¯t budge at all.


    When I took a closer look at the dragon, I found something like tea utensils lying right beside the sleeping dragon.


    And then, a youth who drank the tea while leaning on the body of that dragon called out to Efa.


    ¡¸Efa. Aren¡¯t you scared? I mean look at me, I just barely stood on my own feet.¡¹


    I asked Efa who was walking by my side.


    ¡¸Uuuhm, there¡¯s nothing scary about him, uncle Ulim. I mean, Pona said that they¡¯re not scary at all.¡¹


    Efa replied to me while brushing Pona the foal.


    I couldn¡¯t have a conversation with Pona. But, Efa seems to be able to have a mutual understanding with Pona.


    ¡¸I see¡­ well, if Pona said so.¡¹


    Pona the foal could feel a dangerous presence to some extent. It was mainly thanks to Pona¡¯s power that she and Efa survived in that forest.


    In addition, Pona said that the youth and the dragon weren¡¯t dangerous at all.


    ¡¸He¡¯s such a nice person right, Pona?¡¹


    Efa was smiling delightfully.


    ¡¸Nice person, huh¡­¡¹


    I recalled again the moment when I spoke to that youth. Was he even a human?


    Though his outer appearance might be that of a human, honestly, I couldn¡¯t regard him as human at all.


    Moreover, my instinct kept telling me that youth was far more dangerous than that giant dragon.


    Dragons were gentle beings by nature. But, they would transform into the embodiment of cmity once someone dared to provoke their wrath.


    Could it be that youth was the same as dragon, gentle yet extremely terrifying once he pissed off?


    Though Efa wasughing happily, I reminded myself to get as far away as possible from that youth.

 Chapter 78.1: One Who Made Covenant with Daemon

    <h4>Chapter 78.1: One Who Made Covenant with Daemon</h4>


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    ¡¸CHIYUKI-SAN!! THEY WENT OVER THERE!!!¡¹


    Rino shouted at me.


    ¡¸ROGER!!¡¹


    I responded by knocking out the iing ratman with a magic hand.


    ¡¸GUEN!!¡¹


    Though I had the choice to fight them with my cane, my psychological resistance prevented me from touching them.


    Maybe because they¡¯re former humans, ratmen have the ability to use weapons. The ratman that just got knocked out was equipped with a short sword and leather armor. Those weapons were the reason Shizufae and co could barely hang in there against them.


    Moreover, those ratman might have gained an increase in their agility after they transformed into their current form. Fortunately, they¡¯re not smart enough to use projectile weapons.


    A ratman riding on the back of a giant rat thrusted their spear.


    ¡¸WATCH OUT SHIZUFAE-CHAN!!¡¹


    Reiji sent the ratman rider who was rushing toward Shizufae flying with a light bullet.


    ¡¸Thank you, Reiji-sama.¡¹


    Shizufae thanked Reiji in return.


    ¡¸Humph!!¡¹


    Novis, who stood beside her, didn¡¯t seem to be pleased by the situation.


    Good grief, how simple.


    I knocked down another ratman while thinking about that.


    And then, we advanced further into the underground waterway.


    A battle ensued as we got ambushed by a pack of the monsters. Moreover, they wereposed of nothing but ratmen.


    Moreover, they also gotmia and arachne in the mix.


    Shirone and Decius were fending off those monsters.


    Decius aside, Shirone alone should be enough for this.


    Lamia were a race who inhabited the western part of the continent, they rarely appeared in this region. Their race wasposed of nothing but women with lower body snakes. They were the same as striges, living by sucking the blood of other races.


    Though their whereabouts couldn¡¯t be found after they escaped from the arena, it turned out they were right below us all along.


    Both themia and arachne were no match against Shirone whose magical power was far higher than any normal human.


    I mean, she is literally taking them down one after another.


    Our side has been overpowering them since the beginning of the battle, and finally, we beat all of the monsters who ambushed us.


    ¡¸Are you okay, Decius-san?¡¹


    Shirone asked Decius with a worried look on her face.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay. It just weak poison.¡¹


    Decius¡¯ face was as white as paper. Like hell that was okay.


    The reasonmia could use poison might be because their lower half was a snake. Thus, they¡¯re poisonous by nature.


    ¡¸Sahoko-san. Please use detoxification on him.¡¹


    ¡¸Understood.¡¹


    Decius¡¯plexion went back to normal after Sahoko used her detoxification magic on him.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s take a break. Shizufae-chan and co should be tired too right?¡¹


    Reiji proposed a break.


    The number of monsters in this ce far surpassed our expectations. That¡¯s why even though we could still fight, Shizufae and co need a rest.


    Meanwhile, Rino and Sahoko purified the air around our resting ce. We found out a while ago that ratmen seem to carry some sort of virus in their body. So while we¡¯re immune to it, the same couldn¡¯t be said for Shizufae and co.


    ¡¸Nevertheless, I never expected for their numbers to be this overwhelming.¡¹


    Shirone spoke with a dejected voice.


    Yeah, though the ghoul that we captured said that there weren¡¯t that many of them, the reality was different from their story.


    If our situation was already this bad, I wonder how the situation with the freedom fighters is with the other teams? One wrong move might cause an entire team to get annihted.


    I couldn¡¯t help but to think that we were too naive with our preparation for this mission.


    ¡¸Nao-san, can you try to estimate just how many enemies are left in this underground waterway?¡¹


    I tried to ask Nao, just in case.


    ¡¸Impossible. There¡¯s barriers ced all over the ce which are preventing me from sensing the number of enemies.¡¹


    ¡¸Uwa~. Then this ce must be full with the rat-san.¡¹


    Rino added with undisguised disgust on her face.


    ¡¸But we have no choice but to keep going on. Otherwise, who knows what that beauty is trying to do.¡¹


    Rino and Sahoko made an even more unpleasant face once they heard Reiji¡¯s remark.


    Sure enough, though I¡¯m also curious about what that Moonlight Goddess is trying to do, I couldn¡¯t help but get a feeling that it was a really bad thing.


    I heaved a sigh and then looked at the ratman.


    All we did was stun the ratmen after we knew that they were originally human.


    Come to think of it, was there a way to return them back to being a human?


    ¡¸Come to think of it, Sahoko-san. Is it possible to turn these ratmen back to human?¡¹


    ¡¸I think it¡¯s possible to turn them back to human since the thing that changed them is something akin to curse¡­ let me to try.¡¹


    Sahoko then recited her spell.


    Thus, the ratman¡¯s face turned back to that of a middle aged man.


    ¡¸You did it Sahoko-san!! He became a human again!!¡¹


    Nao was shouting in excitement.


    It seems we can turn them back to humans. Now this was a great harvest.


    ¡¸But, we can¡¯t take him along with us, he¡¯ll just be a burden during the battle.¡¹


    Reiji spoke while looking at the man.


    He was right. A big battle might be awaiting for us beyond this point. Thus, we couldn¡¯t risk bringing a nonbatant to such a dangerous ce.


    ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s correct. What shall we do now? Do you have any idea, Lord Decius? I¡¯m sorry for saying this, but can you escort these people out of this ce along with Shizufae and co?¡¹


    I turned toward Decius while asking such a question.


    Honestly, Decius was just a hindrance for us. It wasn¡¯t a big deal if we¡¯re facing a small number of enemies, but more powerful enemies might¡¯ve been waiting for us beyond this point.


    ording to the information we heard from the monster, there was a powerful daemon waiting in the deepest part of this underground waterway.


    We might not be able to protect them while fighting against such a powerful enemy.


    ¡¸But, Chiyuki-dono. I can¡¯t help but worry about Sienna. Moreover, I have to confirm with my own eyes about what the Moonlight Goddess trying to do.¡¹


    But, Decius shook his head, refusing my suggestion.


    ¡¸But, you see. Decius-do-¡¹


    Reiji signaled me to stop when I tried to persuade Decius.


    ¡¸Let me to say it frankly, you¡¯re just a hindrance for us beyond this point!!¡¹


    Reiji spoke frankly to Decius.


    ¡¸Protecting you while fighting all those monsters will only slow us down. I¡¯m afraid that by the time we arrive, the Moonlight Goddess will have already executed her n. Are you sure that you can take the responsibility when that happen?¡¹


    Decius couldn¡¯t talk back upon hearing Reiji¡¯s harsh, yet bull¡¯s eyes remark.


    Few secondster. Decius bowed his head down after pondering for a while.


    ¡¸¡­ Understood. I¡¯ll escort them back to the surface. But, what about the other ratman and the ones beyond this point?¡¹


    Decius was looking at the other fallen ratmen as he asked that question.


    ¡¸They might be safe since we¡¯ve yet to undo their curse. No need to worry, we¡¯ll erect a barrier around this area, just in case.¡¹


    ¡¸I see, please take care of my little sister when you find her.¡¹


    After bowing his head with a reluctant look on his face, Decius carried the unconscious old man on his back, and walked toward where we came from.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll leave Decius-dono to you, Shizufae-san. And don¡¯t take your eyes off from Ainoe-san too.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, leave it to us.¡¹


    Shizufae and co then followed after Decius. Naturally, Ainoe was also with them.


    Though we brought her along since we might be able to use her as our guide, we couldn¡¯t bring her beyond this point since this ce turned out to be far more dangerous than we expected.


    Thus, we might as well send her back before it was toote.


    After seeing off Shizufae and co, we were the only ones left.


    ¡¸Maybe I overdid it when I told him to back off.¡¹


    Reiji spoke to me.


    ¡¸No, I think it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry. He¡¯s the important future leader of Ariadya, after all. Moreover, I think it¡¯s better for him to go back since Sienna-san might¡¯ve been turned into a ratman too.¡¹


    Everyone nodded, apparently they also agreed with me.


    ¡¸With this, we can increase our movement pace. Let¡¯s go everyone.¡¹


    Thus, we advanced even deeper into the underground waterway.


    ***


    ¡ôHero of Water, Nephim


    ¡¸We somehow managed to beat them.¡¹


    We barely survived from the ratmen ambush.


    ¡¸We would definitely be annihted if not for Nephim-dono. As expected of the Hero of Water.¡¹


    A freedom fighter sang praises to me.


    ¡¸How many people who can still fight?¡¹


    ¡¸Including Nephim-dono, there¡¯s four people.¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡­ we¡¯re truly being cornered huh¡­¡¹


    Our team wasposed of twelve people.


    We were entering the waterway from a route different from the Hero of Light-dono.


    After walking for a while, we encountered a giant slug. Following that was the encounter with groups of ratmen.


    Though we beat every single one of them, their numbers were simply too overwhelming. Thus we decided to evacuate as soon as we felt that we couldn¡¯t beat them anymore, but since our way back was blocked, we decided to take a different path.


    Thanks to that we¡¯re strayed right now.


    As if to add salt to injury, we kept being ambushed by those ratmen. With the total number of freedom fighters being less than two hundred, that war potential was far from enough to fight against the overwhelming number of ratman.


    I don¡¯t think the government was cheating us about the number of ratmen either.


    Maybe even the general had no idea about this situation.


    But, this blunder dealt great damage to our war potential.


    The other parties might be experiencing the same situation.


    I readied my spear once I felt a presence approaching from in front of us.


    ¡¸Everyone take your weapon. I feel some presenceing from ahead of us, it might be another group of ratmen.¡¹


    I squinted my eyes to see the depth of the underground waterway.


    Soon enough, I saw lighting from the torch. I heaved a sigh, knowing that the one who came was human.


    ¡¸And here I¡¯m wondering who¡¯s the people ahead of us after seeing the light of your torch, it turned out to be you huh, Hero of Water, Nephim.¡¹


    ¡¸Hero of Earth, Godan huh.¡¹


    The one who approached turned out to be the Hero of Earth Godan, ourrade.


    ¡¸It seems you guys were in pinch too.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, by the look of it, you guys too huh.¡¹


    ¡¸There¡¯s a lot of ratmen.¡¹


    ¡¸Yup, at this rate we won¡¯t be able to escape.¡¹


    Both of us made a bitter face as we spoke to each other.


    ¡¸We can only rely on the Hero of Light.¡¹


    Godan was right, at this rate, it was only a matter of time before we got annihted.


    If there¡¯s someone who could save us from this pinch, it was only the Hero of Light.


    The Hero of Light, as a fellow man, I was really jealous of him who was always surrounded by beautiful women. And his group was really powerful on top of that. That¡¯s why we had no choice but to believe in him.


    We looked at the ceiling while muttering those words.


    ***


    ¡ôValkyrie, Shizufae


    ¡¸Wait Novis!! You change ce with Decius-sama to carry that unconscious middle aged man!!¡¹


    I spoke to Novis while we retraced our way back in the underground waterway.


    Novis was more powerful than Decius-sama. That¡¯s why Novis should be the one who carried the unconscious middle aged man who got his curse undone.


    ¡¸Eeh, why should I do that, Shizufae? I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s cute girl but, please spare me from the torture of carrying that stinky middle aged man.¡¹


    Novis replied to me with a reluctant look on his face.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Shizufae-dono. Novis-dono is far more powerful than me. Considering the possibilities that we might encounter monster along the way, we need to preserve Novis-dono¡¯s strength as much as possible.¡¹


    Novis showed an ted look on his face upon hearing Decius-sama¡¯s remark.


    ¡¸See that, Shizufae!! Master Decius also agreed with me!!¡¹


    ¡¸Muu¨D¨D!!¡¹


    I gritted my teeth in frustration upon seeing that annoying expression on Novis¡¯ face.


    ¡¸Pipedown already, you two. We¡¯ve yet to reach safe ce.¡¹


    Leylia-san told us so with a dumbfounded look on her face.


    ¡¸Humph, I don¡¯t care even if you¡¯re doing your lover¡¯s spat in this kind ce. But release me at once!¡¹


    Ainoe-san spoke with an irritated voice as she looked at us.


    ¡¸Sorry Ainoe-san. We cannot let you escape.¡¹


    Big sis Keyna spoke to Ainoe-san while pulling the rope that bound thetter.


    ¡¸Are you sure about that? I think it¡¯s better for your own safety if you release me right now.¡¹


    Ainoe-san showed a daring smile as she spoke those words.


    ¡¸Everyone stop!!¡¹


    Nora-san shouted to everyone to stop.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Nora-san?¡¹


    Nora-san squinted her eyes to get a better view of the scenery ahead of us.


    We used the light on Madi¡¯s cane to illuminate the path ahead of us. This was something cast by Chiyuki-sama to help us on our way back.


    But, different from the magic of the light system, illumination magic only illuminates our surroundings, not the path beyond us.


    Thus, we actually had no idea what was waiting in the darkness in front of us.


    ¡¸To think that you managed to discover me, as expected of an elf.¡¹


    The one who was hiding in the darkness finally showed his figure in front of us.


    From his silhouette, he seems like a human.


    But, the part above the neck was clearly not a human head.


    The part above his muscr body which was at least one sizerger than a normal human was the head of a ck goat.

 Chapter 78.2: One Who Made Covenant with Daemon

    <h4>Chapter 78.2: One Who Made Covenant with Daemon</h4>


    ¡ôValkyrie, Shizufae


    He was obviously by no means a human.


    ¡¸No way¡­ Lesser Daemon.¡¹


    Madi shook her head in fear.


    ¡®Lesser Daemon¡¯ meant a low-ranking Daemon. Despite their name, their power was far greater than humans.


    It seems he was waiting for us on the way back.


    ¡¸Surrender. By doing so, I¡¯ll at least spare the women.¡¹


    The Lesser Daemon spoke to us while pointing his wide-ded sword toward us.


    ¡¸What shall we do, Shizufae?¡¹


    Big sis Keyna asked with an anxious look on her face.


    ¡¸Fight, we¡¯ve no choice but to fight him.¡¹


    I unsheathed my sword since that¡¯s the only choice we had. Even though I have no idea about what he meant by sparing the women¡¯s life, surrender wasn¡¯t an option.


    ¡¸Sure enough, there¡¯s no way we will surrender to Demons.¡¹


    Decius-sama also unsheathed his sword after he ced the middle aged man he carried on his back on the ground.


    All of myrades decided to resist too.


    ¡¸WAIT RIGHT THERE, DAEMON!! IF YOU TAKE ANOTHER STEP, I WON¡¯T GUARANTEE WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THIS WOMAN NEXT!!¡¹


    Big sis Keyna walked forward while pointing the tip of her spear toward Ainoe-san.


    It was a cowardly tactic but, seeing our current situation, I guess I had no say in it.


    ¡¸Zeal-sama, I knew that you woulde to save me. HAAH!!¡¹


    Suddenly, the rope that tied around Ainoe-san got loosened. And then, big sis Keyna got blown to the side.


    ¡¸Uuuh¡­¡¹


    Big sis Keyna held her hand that was holding on her spear a few moments ago.


    ¡¸Sis!!¡¹


    I ran toward big sis Keyna. And found out that the arm that held the spear got injured.


    Upon a closer look, I found Ainoe-san¡¯s hand was holding a flexible sword.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve been carrying this sword with me all this time you see. Look, I can hide it with no problem by wearing it like a belt. You should do more thorough job with body examination.¡¹


    Ainoe-san spoke to us as she stood beside the Lesser Daemon while wearing a smile on her face.


    ¡¸Now you have no hostages anymore. What are you going to do now, human?¡¹


    The Lesser Daemon asked with a smile on his face.


    ¡¸Shizufae! Behind us!!¡¹


    When I turned around, I saw a lot of armed ratmening in our direction.


    We were trapped in a pincer attack.


    The reason they didn¡¯t make their move right away might be only because they¡¯re not in a hurry.


    Maybe their goal was to catch us alive.


    Upon a closer look, numerous ratmen came from behind the lesser daemon too.


    ¡¸Shizufae, I¡¯ll lead the charge. Use that chance to escape from this ce.¡¹


    Novis spoke to me while readying his great sword.


    ¡¸Wait, Novis. Are you going to use that?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. It¡¯s not like I have another choice but to use beast¡¯s inspiration to get out of this situation, right?¡¹


    Novis spoke with a calm look on his face.


    Novis was a beast warrior who served under Thors-sama, god of battle and strength.


    ¡¸Thou, Shalt Be Beast¡¹, was Thors-sama¡¯s teaching.


    The warriors who served Thors-sama didn¡¯t live inside the ramparts. They lived outside the ramparts, where the monsters were running rampant.


    Those warriors wore pelts made from the skin or fur of beasts or demon beasts instead of armor. Their attire was the origin of their name, the beast warrior.


    That¡¯s why not every country has Thors-sama¡¯s temple. Reason being none of their priests live inside the ramparts.


    Their faith usually gathered outside of the rampart centering around the beast priest. In addition, they lived nomadic lives, often visiting monster infested ces.


    Beast warriors were regarded as saviors in a ce infested with monsters.


    In any case, beast warriors weren¡¯t too demanding about money. Thus, they were a great help for a country in a monster infested ce and low ie.


    Those beast warriors had secret art passed amongst them, its name was Beast¡¯s Inspiration.


    They drew tattoos made from the blood of ferocious demon beasts on their body which enabled them to gain the power of that demon beast. That was the beast¡¯s inspiration.


    It seems that gaining this tattoo was really difficult to the point that the warrior would die if they drew the tattoo in one go. That¡¯s why the tattoo was drawn bit-by-bit while the beast warrior undergoes training to strengthen their body and adapt their body to the effects of the tattoo. That was the case for most beast warriors. Naturally, there was an extremely talented warrior who could get theplete tattoo in one go.


    There were few known beast¡¯s inspiration such as bear, wolf, and lion.


    And then, the beast warrior who used beastification¡¯s power along with beast¡¯s inspiration was a top notch warrior.


    But, the fact that beastification often caused the warrior to go berserk, attacking everyone around them was regarded as a huge demerit.


    One wrong move and they might even annihte their own allies. For that reason, beast warriors are often called berserkers.


    Long time ago, Novis entered the beast warrior corps to get their beast¡¯s inspiration. Since Novis was already a mass of talent, he gained the full beast¡¯s inspiration in mere two years for what normally took nine years for a normal human.


    Novis¡¯ beast inspiration was boar. He gained a powerful charge by using beastification.


    Before he was hailed as hero of fire, he was known as the Red Boar.


    And now, Novis unleashed his beast¡¯s inspiration.


    ¡¸GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!¡¹


    The tattoos that were running along Novis skin were pulsing as if they¡¯re beating.


    His muscles swelled up and he grew a pair of fangs from his mouth.


    ¡¸Please, don¡¯t run wild¡­¡¹


    Despite what I said, Novis didn¡¯t seem to hear my prayer.


    ¡¸What are you doing? Be a good kids and surrender quietly!!¡¹


    The lesser daemon got flustered when he saw Novis.


    ¡¸GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹


    Novis raised his sword, and rushed toward the lesser daemon.


    ¡¸WHAT THE!!¡¹


    The lesser daemon got blown back upon receiving Novis¡¯ charge attack.


    ¡¸Zeal-sama!!¡¹


    Ainoe-san was running toward the lesser daemon along with a few ratmen.


    ¡¸My apologies but your opponent is me.¡¹


    But Decius-sama kept Ainoe-san at bay.


    ¡¸Sorry, but it seems we¡¯re really cornered this time.¡¹


    Big sis Keyna stood by my side while receiving the healing magic from Leylia-san.


    ¡¸EVERYONE, STAND BEHIND ME!! I¡¯LL SUPPORT NOVIS!!¡¹


    I mean, Novis was a daredevil musclehead with close to no defense. That¡¯s why he might die immediately if I didn¡¯t protect him.


    ¡¸Goddess Rena-sama. Please protect Novis.¡¹


    I used the magic bestowed to me by Rena-sama. It was a goddess¡¯ shield that would protect the target from all kinds of attack.


    Goddess Rena-sama was the same warrior deity as Thors-sama. But different from Thors-sama, her power was focused on defense. That¡¯s why Rena-sama¡¯s crest was engraved in the majority of this world¡¯s ramparts.


    That¡¯s why I used this power which I received from Rena-sama to protect Novis.


    Novis¡¯ body was wrapped in a light membrane.


    The light membrane protected Novis¡¯ body from the ratmen¡¯s attacks. While at the same time, he swung his great sword, mowing down ratmen around him.


    The lessee daemon who just got blown away was also running toward Novis.


    The sound of fierce battle came from behind.


    It was an extremely fierce battle. But we won¡¯t give up.


    ¡¸GODDESS-SAMA!! BLESS EVERYONE WITH COURAGE!!¡¹


    I invoked courage magic. This magic should raise everyone¡¯s spirit.


    We¡¯ve goddess-sama¡¯s divine protection here. As if we¡¯re going to be defeated that easily.


    ***


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    ¡¸Kuroki, is this that witch¡¯s house?¡¹


    Kuna, who stood by my side, asked with an adorable voice.


    ¡¸It seems to be this one, Kuna. I think this one should be the house of the witch, Arima.¡¹


    After hearing Ulim¡¯s story, I waited until Kuna woke up before looking for Arima¡¯s house.


    The house seems to be hidden with illusion magic, but we found it easily.


    After Gloriousnded and we descended from their back, I walked toward the witch¡¯s house along with Kuna.


    A single house with a straw roof stood before us. It might be the house with Arima.


    This house stood lonesome in the middle of the forest.


    Normally speaking, the inhabitants of this house are bound to get eaten by a beast or monster if they dared to live alone in this kind of ce. But, the one who lived in this world was a witch who received daemon¡¯s power.


    ording to Ulim, witch Arima didn¡¯t seem to be a bad person, but she had no choice but to live in seclusion due to her identity as a witch.


    However, it seems that her kindness was well known in this area since the people from nearby countries who visited her were hiding her existence from Oudith and Faeria¡¯s faith believers.


    Ulim and Efa seem to be often helped by her too.


    Upon a closer look, I discovered a lot of talismans pasted up around her house.


    There was a mark of two squares ovepping. This was the crest of the demon king, Modes¡¯ crest.


    In short, this witch was rted to the Demon King, Modes himself.


    After confirming that fact, I wore my Dark Knight¡¯s armor. Why do you ask? Because it seems to be easier to talk with that witch in this form.


    The door suddenly opened when we got closer.


    And then, an old woman appeared from inside the house.


    It seems she knew that there was a guest or two for her. Well, it¡¯s not like we hid our presence either when we came.


    Her figure wrapped in ck robe was the very definition of witch.


    Thereupon, I tilted my head.


    I mean, the old woman kneeled on the floor as soon as she saw my figure.


    ¡¸O messenger of Great Demon King-sama, May I ask the reason for Your Excellency to visit this old woman¡¯s humble abode.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, please raise your head. I came here since I happened to hear about you when I was around this area. You¡¯re the one they call Arima, right?¡¹


    The old woman raised her face when I asked that question.


    ¡¸Yes. I¡¯m the one they call Arima.¡¹


    ¡¸My apologize for this unannounced visit but, I have something to ask you.¡¹


    First I greeted her politely.


    ¡¸Yes, feel free to ask O Great Dark Knight of Nargol!!¡¹


    Arima replied with a shocked look on her face.


    Maybe I need to suppress my presence a little bit to calm her down.


    ¡¸Witch Arima, I want to ask you the name of the Daemon who contracted with you.¡¹


    Arima showed an indescribable look on her face when I asked politely.


    Did she hesitate since I asked in a polite tone?


    ¡¸Oi woman, where¡¯s your answer? Do you want to die?¡¹


    By the time she asked, Kuna¡¯s scythe was already around Arima¡¯s neck.


    ¡¸HYIIIII!¡¹


    Arima¡¯s face cramped due to fear.


    It seems we ended up making her more scared instead. I guess I have to stop Kuna from overdoing it.


    But, Kuna didn¡¯t stop her intimidation.


    ¡¸Oi woman. Look into Kuna¡¯s eyes.¡¹


    Kuna used magic on Arima.


    Arima¡¯s eyes lost their light of will.


    I heaved a sigh upon seeing that scene. This method might indeed be the fastest method to investigate the situation.


    ¡¸The one who I made a pact with is Manseid-sama¡­¡¹


    Arima muttered in a small voice.


    Manseid.


    I knew that name. He was supposed to be Ulbard¡¯s right hand man.


    Manseid was a sorcerer of the Daemon race. I heard that he sometimes gathered intel outside of Nargol under Ulbard¡¯s order.


    Maybe he made a pact with Arima in one of those times.


    But, if she knew the current position of Ulbard¡¯s right hand man, she should know the current position of Ulbard too due to Manseid¡¯s position.


    Let¡¯s try to ask her, shall we?


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ Do you know Manseid¡¯s current position?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, even though it¡¯s been thirty years since thest time I saw Manseid-sama and our connection has weakened, I know his current position. Manseid-sama is in Ariadya.¡¹


    Such a precise and urate answer.


    ¡¸The Republic of Ariadya is way too big, can you tell us his exact location?¡¹


    ¡¸Underground¡­ He might be in the underground.¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t hide my shock upon hearing Arima¡¯s remark.


    When she said underground, did that mean the underground waterway? What is he doing in such a ce?


    I was really confused.


    What¡¯s the meaning of this? Reiji and co should be in the underground waterway right now.


    ¡¸Oh my, so that means Ulbard is in the underground waterway too. The hero should be heading toward their ce right now.¡¹


    Kuna spoke with an impish smile on her lips.


    But, this wasn¡¯t aughing matter. I had no idea why he came to such a ce, but I had to go to save him before it was toote.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go, Kuna!! We¡¯re going back to Ariadya now!!¡¹

 Chapter 79.1: The Beginning of the Storm

    <h4>Chapter 79.1: The Beginning of the Storm</h4>


    ¡ôValkyrie, Shizufae


    ¡¸WAIT, NOVIS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? STOP, DON¡¯T FORCE YOURSELF!!¡¹


    Novis didn¡¯t even reply to my scream.


    Even though he usually would say ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Shizufae. Leave it to me!¡¹.


    ¡¸GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹


    Novis raised a warcry as he charged toward the Lesser Daemon.


    The way he swung his sword could only be described as reckless.


    He might¡¯ve alreadypletely lost his mind right now due to the effects of his skill.


    I mean, my voice didn¡¯t even reach him anymore. He was bound to fall first with such a reckless way of fighting.


    ¡¸DAMMIT ALL! HOW DARE YOU LOWLY HUMAN!!!¡¹


    The Lesser Daemon used big hatchets to block Novis¡¯ attack.


    I¡¯ve seen Novis fight in this berserk state a long time ago.


    Novis, who turned into a berserker, rushed at us once he annihted the monsters.


    We somehow managed to escape at that time and bide our time, waiting till Novis was too exhausted before we saved him. Honestly, I don¡¯t want to remember that time.


    Novis¡¯ power, who turned into a berserker, was truly terrifying. But, that Lesser Daemon had no problem in blocking Novis¡¯ attack in his berserk state.


    The exchange of their offense and defense created shockwaves that shook the air around them.


    The Lesser Daemon was being pushed back by Novis¡¯ relentless attack.


    But, Novis, who turned into a berserker, had no way to protect himself. He just kept moving till the enemy in front of him died, or he died. In this situation, even if he managed to kill the Lesser Daemon, he would eventually die from exhaustion too.


    In the God of Battle, Thors-sama¡¯s, faith creed, there was no higher honor than dying in battle. That¡¯s why many Thors-sama¡¯s warriors died at an extremely young age.


    But, I absolutely won¡¯t allow that to happen.


    I won¡¯t let anyone close to me die meaninglessly again.


    My father who became a freedom fighter was killed by a monster during one of his missions, leaving my mother and I behind.


    I used to think that IF I¡¯d fought by my father¡¯s side at that time, would he survive the entire ordeal?


    Naturally, there was no way that was going to happen. I was far too weak, I wasn¡¯t born to be a warrior. This fact was confirmed by big sis Keyna too.


    But still, I couldn¡¯t help but think about the IF case.


    Why couldn¡¯t I save my father at that time? Why was I not by his side at that time?


    I love both my father and mother. They were the ideal couple in my eyes. But, that ideal was broken with my father¡¯s death.


    Mother remarried after father¡¯s death.


    I knew that was a natural thing to do and didn¡¯t me her for that. Because my mother had no one else to rely on without my father¡¯s ie.


    My stepfather was a kind man. He was also kind toward me, his non-blood rted daughter. He even went as far as to look for a husband for me.


    Honestly speaking, I¡¯ve felt nothing but gratitude toward him. But, I couldn¡¯t help but get scared of marriage seeing how easily a couple¡¯s marriage broke.


    Unable to withstand the pressure to get married from my parents, and the regret that was born since I couldn¡¯t save my father, I consulted big sis Keyna and decided to be a freedom fighter.


    As if to vent my frustration at being unable to protect my father, I fought to save someone in need.


    That¡¯s why when I received divine protection from Rena-sama, I was sure that it must be because she heard my heartfelt wish. [Note : I¡¯m sure that she¡¯s going tough at you when she hears this nonsense.]


    This was the power to protect those who are dear to me, the power to save everyone in need.


    ¡¸O Rena-sama, Goddess of Wisdom and Victory!! Protect Novis!!¡¹


    I deployed my magic.


    Shining magic shield appeared around Novis. And that magic shield protected him from the Lesser Daemon attack.


    The Lesser Daemon looked really annoyed upon seeing that his attack failed to hit Novis.


    Even though they belong to lower rank, Lesser Daemons were still a member of the superior Demon race. If it was just me, I wouldn¡¯t have the chance to beat him.


    This was the first time I protected Novis, it was usually the opposite. With thisbination, we might be able to beat the Lesser Daemon.


    On the other hand, we¡¯re racing against time since we have to defeat him before I run out of mana.


    I¡¯ve also noticed that Novis¡¯ attacks weren¡¯t as strong as before.


    He was also about to hit his limit.


    Everyone who was fighting behind us were also unable to assist us since they¡¯re really upied with fighting against the seemingly never ending waves of ratmen.


    ¡¸GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹


    Novis raised a warcry.


    The Lesser Daemon¡¯s attack broke through my magic shield that protected Novis and blew him away.


    Fortunately it wasn¡¯t a direct hit since the Lesser Daemon¡¯s attack hit his Novis¡¯ great sword.


    But still, it was a really powerful attack since it was strong enough to blow Novis. Novis was sent flying to the side, crashed against the wall and then stopped moving.


    ¡¸NOVIS!!¡¹


    I hurriedly rushed toward Novis to check his condition¡­ it seems he was still alive, just unconscious.


    ¡¸HUMPH!! THAT¡¯S WHAT YOU GET FOR GIVING ME SO MUCH TROUBLE!!¡¹


    The Lesser Daemon spoke with a look of contempt on his face.


    Seeing that, myrades came closer toward us.


    Though they defeated so many ratmen, their numbers were simply too overwhelming.


    Everyone wore an exhausted look on their face.


    Strangely, the ratmen didn¡¯t go after them. It seems they really are nning to capture all of us alive.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t care about what you¡¯re going to do with me!! But at least spare these girls!!¡¹


    Decius-sama shouted to the Lesser Daemon.


    ¡¸That was my intention from the very beginning,dy-killer. These women are outstanding beauties after all. I¡¯m going to give them to myrades. In that way, I can save my face in front of them and have them to help meter when I need their help.¡¹


    The Lesser Daemon was smiling as he spoke.


    ¡¸SORRY BUT I WON¡¯T LET YOU TO DO THAT!!!¡¹


    Suddenly, a loud voice resounded from behind the Lesser Daemon. It was most likely a woman¡¯s voice.


    ¡¸WHO¡¯S THERE!?¡¹


    The Lesser Daemon turned around quickly.


    Thereupon, a shining white butterfly was flying around Decius-sama.


    ¡¸T-THIS BUTTERFLY!?¡¹


    And then, a girl fell down after she passed by the Lesser Daemon by running along the wall.


    ¡¸SIENNA!!!¡¹


    ¡¸SIENNA!!!¡¹


    Both Ainoe-san and Decius-sama shouted upon seeing the girl.


    ¡¸Ie to save the day, Nii-san!!¡¹


    ***


    ¡ôDancer, Sienna


    ¡¸SIENNA!!!¡¹


    ¡¸SIENNA!!!¡¹


    Both my brother and Ainoe-neesan shouted my name.


    I somehow managed to arrive in time.


    Though I had the butterfly as my guide, it still took a really long time to arrive due to the number of ratmen along the way, thus I barely arrived in time.


    It seems there was a fierce battle before I arrived.


    Though I wanted to rush in immediately, I held back since I might end up making irreversible mistakes if I entered during the fierce battle, thus, I bided my time and waited for the perfect moment to arrive.


    And then, I came out in a hurry as soon as I saw the warrior who wielded a greatsword in his hands get blown away by the Lesser Daemon.


    ¡¸Sienna, why are you in this kind of ce? Weren¡¯t you supposed to be caught by the Moonlight Goddess?¡¹


    My brother asked with a confused look on his face.


    ¡¸Save that forter, nii-san. Now let¡¯s focus on this battle.¡¹


    I said so to him while looking at Ainoe-neesan and the Lesser Daemon.


    ¡¸You¡¯re still alive huh, Sienna. Though I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ve already be the ything of that personage.¡¹


    Ainoe-neesama spoke while revealing a smile filled with cynicism.


    ¡¸Unfortunately, I¡¯m still alive.¡¹


    I replied back with a daring smile on my face.


    ¡¸But, why did youe to this ce? Do you think you can save them? Oh whatever, this is the perfect ce to kill you.¡¹


    Ainoe-neesama swung her sword. The sword had a long de, thin, and flexible de.


    ¡¸Oh my, are you sure that dare to say that to me? Shouldn¡¯t you be wondering why I¡¯m still alive right now?¡¹


    After saying so, I unsheathed the katana which I borrowed from the Dark Knight.


    Jet-ck me appeared from the sword¡¯s de when I unsheathed the katana from its sheath.


    ¡¸THAT BLACK FLAMEEEEEE!!!¡¹


    The Lesser Daemon screamed loudly as soon as he saw the ck me.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right. You¡¯re Zeal, I presume. That person is really angry at you. He entrusted this katana to me to act as his messenger. Now then, if you leave now, I will at least mediate between you and that personage you know?¡¹


    That was a big fat lie.


    He only entrusted this katana. He said nothing about making me his messenger.


    But, it seems those words alone were enough to scare the Lesser Daemon.


    ¡¸T-THAT PERSONAGE IS ANGRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY¨D¨D¨D¨D!!! AWAWAWAWAAWAWA!! LET¡¯S ESCAPE FROM THIS PLACE, AINOE-CHAN!!!¡¹


    He was so flustered to the point that hisposure from before seemed like a lie.


    Behind me, nii-san and the others were looking at this scene with a dumbfounded look on their face.


    ¡¸N-NO!!¡¹


    Unexpectedly, Ainoe-neesan refused to escape along with the Lesser Daemon.


    ¡¸A-Ainoe-chan, we angered that personage you know? You saw it yourself just how terrifying that personage, right?¡¹


    The Lesser Daemon was trying to persuade Ainoe-neesan in a hurry.


    And yet, Ainoe-neesan¡¯s reply was,


    ¡¸NO!! LIKE HELL I¡¯M GOING TO ACCEPT A DEFEAT FROM THE LIKES OF SIENNA!! I REFUSE TO LOSE FROM SOMEONE WHO WAS RAISED COMFORTABLY WITHOUT KNOWING HARDSHIPS!!!¡¹


    Ainoe-neesan sent a piercing cold gaze toward me.


    ¡¸DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH HARDSHIP I ENDURED TILL I BECOME THE STAR OF THE TROUPE!!! EVERY SINGLE NIGHT, I DANCED IN THE BAR IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF THE TOWN!!! I EVEN SOLD MY SOUL TO A DEVIL SO THAT I CAN GET OUT OF SUCH MISERABLE LIFE!!!¡¹


    ¡¸Neesan¡­¡¹


    ¡¸AND YET, THE DAUGHTER OF A MEMBER OF SENATE, THE SISTER OF A KNIGHT OF LAW, A PRINCESS WHO WAS RAISED WITHOUT HARDSHIP LIKE YOU SUDDENLY CAME AND ROBBED ME OF MY STATUS!!!¡¹


    Ainoe-neesan shouted loudly as if to vent her pent up emotions.


    Maybe, that pent up frustration has been piling up for so many years.


    ¡¸DO YOU HEAR ME, THAT BROTHER OVER THERE!! HOW DARE YOU, WHO NEVER KNEW ABOUT THE HARDSHIP THAT I ENDURED TO REACH MY CURRENT STATUS, PREACH ME ABOUT JUSTICE!! YOU PAIR OF SIBLINGS ARE JUST AN EYESORE TO ME!!!¡¹


    Ainoe-neesan was pointing her sword at us as she shouted.

 Chapter 79.2: The Beginning of the Storm

    <h4>Chapter 79.2: The Beginning of the Storm</h4>


    Honestly, it¡¯s not like I didn¡¯t understand her feelings. I mean, I¡¯m a dancer. I knew what kind of hardship a dancer goes through to survive.


    But, there was no way I¡¯m gonna let her bber around without even knowing what kind of suffering I went through too.


    I felt magma-like rage boiling up in my heart upon hearing her venting like that.


    I don¡¯t know what kind of hardship you endured, you say? How dare you say that when you don¡¯t even know a single thing about us.


    We were born from our father, a priest of Oudith-sama, god ofw and our mother, a priest of Ishtar-sama, goddess of love and beauty. Ishtar-sama¡¯s creed prevented the two of them from getting married. Since our mother has no citizenship, we were treated as bastards who had no citizenship.


    ording to the Republic of Ariadya¡¯sws, a child who isn¡¯t born from an official marriage won¡¯t be recognized as the father¡¯s child, even if we¡¯re rted by blood.


    That¡¯s why I have never lived like a princess in my entire life. The same went for my brother.


    I¡¯ve lived my entire life in the poor outer city along with my brother and mother.


    Our life was by no means full of riches.


    Such a lifestyle continued until someday, our father came to adopt nii-san. My father, who didn¡¯t have an heir from his official wife, then adopted nii-san to be his heir.


    But, it didn¡¯t mean things were that simple.


    ording to the Republic of Ariadya¡¯sw, he needed permission from Faeria temple who oversaw marriages in order to adopt niisan.


    I don¡¯t know about the details, but it seems to be a requirement to prevent human trafficking in the form of adoption.


    In addition, Faeria temple didn¡¯t admit niisan¡¯s adoption.


    It seems the fact that my father, Oudith¡¯s priest, the god ofw having a bastard gained their ire.


    In addition, whether it was my father¡¯s rtives or Oudith-sama¡¯s priests, neither of them acknowledged niisan as our father¡¯s child since he was a bastard.


    But, niisan did his best to gain their recognition.


    I am also putting a great effort on my own.


    Everyday was a grueling training for me to master etiquette as fast as possible. Just like niisan, I did my best to gain recognition from the other people around me.


    And yet, they still gave me a cold shoulder despite all the efforts I put in.


    But, I knew that the great angel was watching over our efforts. On a certain day, niisan received the divine protection of the archangel, Sulsha-sama.


    Seeing that niisan received the divine protection of the archangel, Sulsha-sama, the people around us had no choice but to recognize him, thus my brother became the official son of our father.


    I was staring back at Ainoe-neesan.


    I don¡¯t mind if she trash talked me. But, I absolutely won¡¯t forgive her for bad mouthing niisan without even knowing what kind of hardships he went through to arrive at his current position.


    Once, a long time ago, I saw Ainoe-neesan y. Her at that time was really dazzling, and beautiful. I also wished to be like her someday. Thus, I enrolled in the same theatre troupe as her and trained desperately to be able to reach my goal.


    I did my best to be able to reach my goal, Ainoe-neesan. That¡¯s why I felt really sad, and angry at the same time when I heard her scream.


    Did she think that she was the only one who was suffering from hardships out there?


    ¡¸Neesan, I can¡¯t understand what kind of trouble and suffering you experienced back then to reach your current position. But, don¡¯t spout nonsense as if you know about niisan and me. Let¡¯s settle this right here, right now.¡¹


    I readied my katana.


    ¡¸Some nerve you got there, SIENNA!! FINE, I¡¯M GONNA BEAT YOU IN YOUR OWN GAME!!¡¹


    Neesan readied her flexible sword too.


    ¡¸W-WAIT!! AINOE-CHAN!!!¡¹


    ¡¸ZEAL-SAMA!! PLEASE, LET ME DO THIS!!¡¹


    Though the Lesser Daemon was trying to stop our fight, it seems Ainoe-neesan had no intentions of backing down from this fight.


    ¡¸Sienna¡­¡¹


    Niisan was also calling my name with a worried look on his face.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, niisan. Please watch my fight from there.¡¹


    Finally, we were facing each other.


    The Lesser Daemon was waiting nervously behind Ainoe-neesan.


    ¡¸O WIND, DANCE!!¡¹


    Ainoe-neesan recited her magic¡¯s aria, it might be the power she received from the Lesser Daemon. Moreover, Ainoe-neesan¡¯s flexible sword was moving weirdly along with her.


    As if the sword itself was dancing along with her.


    In that case, I¡¯ll dance along with her.


    As if reacting to my feelings, the ck me burst one more time from the katana which was entrusted by the Dark Knight to me.


    If she was dancing in the wind, I shall respond to her with my dance of mes.


    The flexible sword d in the wind came toward me.


    I ran toward Ainoe-neesan while turning my body to dodge the iing sword.


    And then, our shadows passed each other.


    ¡¸So, I really can¡¯t win huh¡­¡¹


    Ainoe-neesan muttered in a whisper. The flexible sword¡¯s de in her hand was gone.


    I smashed the sword¡¯s de with the katana¡¯s power.


    And then, Ainoe-neesan fell on the ground as I hit the nape of her neck with the hilt of the katana. That moment, I saw tears flowing down from the tips of Ainoe-neesan¡¯s eyes.


    I feel sorry for her, but I shall take this victory.


    I mean, just knowing about my patron, my victory was guaranteed.


    Please don¡¯t hold a grudge against me for this since the power of my patron was also part of my power, the same goes for you and the Lesser Daemon.


    Ainoe-neesan should¡¯ve understood that much. Nevertheless, she still insisted on fighting me.


    I looked down at the woman who fell unconscious on the floor.


    ¡¸Ainoe-chan¡­¡¹


    The Lesser Daemon was rushing toward her.


    ¡¸PLEASE DON¡¯T KILL HER!! I PROMISE YOU THAT SHE WON¡¯T APPEAR BEFORE YOU AGAIN, BUT PLEASE DON¡¯T KILL HER!!¡¹


    After telling me that, the Lesser Daemon carried Ainoe-neesan and vanished into the depths of the underground waterway.


    Despite what the Lesser Daemon had said, I got the feeling that the Dark Knight he called master that I met before wasn¡¯t a bad guy. That¡¯s why, I wouldn¡¯t me Ainoe-neesan for her contract with a Lesser Daemon.


    Naturally, there was no way I would tell niisan about that.


    ¡¸Sienna. You, what in the hell is that sword?¡¹


    Niisan and co rushed toward me.


    The ratmen who lost their leader were clearly confused.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s save the story forter niisan. Rather than talking about that, please lend me your flute for now. That flute should be able to control those ratmen.¡¹


    I recalled what the Moonlight Goddess-sama had told me.


    It seems this flute¡¯s effects didn¡¯t just work on Karkinos, it also worked on ratmen. It seems neesan had no idea about this.


    Well, she might never realize that. I mean, what other reason does she have for giving up so easily to retrieve such an important tool?


    But, it was a trivial matter now.


    I received the flute from niisan and ced it on my lips.


    ===


    ¡ôHero of Water, Nephim


    ¡¸Oi, Nephim. Still alive?¡¹


    Hero of Earth, Godan, who stood back to back with me asked me such a question.


    ¡¸Naturally. I won¡¯t go down by these small fries.¡¹


    But, there was no one left to fight beside me aside from Godan. All of them got done in by the ratmen.


    Though I¡¯d almost hit my limit, we somehow managed to escape from their previous encirclement.


    ¡¸I lost my torch. And I have to rely on your power.¡¹


    Godan spoke with a smile on his face.


    I, who had water spirit¡¯s power, even if it was less effective than light, could do something in a ce with water.


    That¡¯s the biggest reason I survived for so long in this battle.


    But, I knew from my water senses that more ratmen wereing toward us.


    Their numbers were more than what we could handle in the current situation.


    ¡¸They¡¯reing. This time, there¡¯s thirty of them.¡¹


    I spoke while looking into the end of the underground waterway.


    Even the ratmen behind us were rushing toward us now. We¡¯re checkmated.


    ¡¸Ain¡¯t gonna escape this one, huh. I¡¯m gonna open the path. Make sure to follow me from behind.¡¹


    ¡¸I understand. That¡¯s the only choice left in this situation huh.¡¹


    I nodded to Godan. Godan couldn¡¯t see his surroundings without a torch.


    My job was to tell Godan the best ce to rush and cover his back as he opened the path for us.


    Those ratmen seem to be able to see in the dark. As much as I hate to say this, we¡¯re in an extremely disadvantageous situation.


    Those ratmen went after us since they could see us.


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter?¡¹


    Godan asked anxiously since I suddenly spoke with such a dumbfounded voice.


    ¡¸Those ratmen¡¯s movements are strange. Even though they should be able to see us, they went somewhere else instead.¡¹


    The ratmen who ambushed us from the front went toward somewhere else as if being called by something.


    Therianthrope like the ratman has far more sensitive sensing organs than humans. They might have gone somewhere else after hearing some sort of sound that was far too low for human ears.


    ¡¸But, we barely came out alive from this situation.¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re¡­ right.¡¹


    We kept running inside the underground waterway and didn¡¯t dare to take a rest.


    ***


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Nao-san?¡¹


    I asked Nao when I saw her flinching.


    ¡¸I hear a flute¡¯s sound, Chiyuki-san.¡¹


    ¡¸Flute sound?¡¹


    But why couldn¡¯t I hear it?


    That might be because Nao¡¯s hearing far surpassed all of us.


    ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s definitely a flute¡¯s sound, Chiyuki. It feels like it¡¯s calling something. The same sound before those karkinos¡¯ attack.¡¹


    Reiji, who also has sharp ears like Nao said the same thing.


    ¡¸Is is a trap?¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know, Shirone-san. If this sound appears when we¡¯re at the entrance of the altar, it is most probably a trap. But, it¡¯s clearly strange when this flute¡¯s sound appeared at such timing when we¡¯ve yet to enter.¡¹


    We were standing in front of a passage leading toward Badon¡¯s Altar.


    Originally, the underground waterway wasn¡¯t connected to Badon¡¯s altar. For that reason, the monsters dug up a tunnel from the closest location to Badon¡¯s altar in order to create a path toward the altar.


    Those flute¡¯s sound made me raise my vignce against magic traps.


    It was a nasty trap that would be activated when someone¡¯s magical power reached a certain threshold.


    Though installing such a trap was really troublesome, I could use it too.


    If we entered carelessly, we might end up triggering the trap.


    I then recalled the event that unfolded in Cornes¡¯ mansion. She might¡¯ve used some sort of trap. And that flute¡¯s sound was the trigger.


    And then, when I was busying myself to solve and cancel the trap.

 Chapter 79.3: The Beginning of the Storm

    <h4>Chapter 79.3: The Beginning of the Storm</h4>


    Though magic traps were really difficult to solve from the inside, it was no big deal cancelling them from the outside.


    ¡¸What shall we do, Rei-kun? Should we go back to towards the direction of the flute?¡¹


    ¡¸No, Sahoko. Let¡¯s go ahead. It¡¯s gonna be troublesome if we have to go back every single time. Moreover, since we¡¯ve arrived this far, why don¡¯t we use this chance to see the altar.¡¹


    Reiji shook his head as he replied to Sahoko.


    ¡¸Sure enough, it¡¯s going to be really troublesome if we go back aftering this far. How¡¯s the magic trap, Chiyuki-san? Have you solved it yet?¡¹


    Rino agreed with Reiji. It seems she wanted to get out of this underground waterway as fast as possible.


    ¡¸Wait Rino-san. This one is a bit tricky. Just give me few seconds.¡¹


    I focused on my magical power.


    This magic trap was really powerful. Even I, who had confidence in my magical power, was having a hard time solving the trap. But, I could somehow deal with it.


    The time I needed to solve the magic trap was longer than I expected.


    ¡¸Done. Well, what are you waiting for.¡¹


    Thus, we entered the passage leading toward Badon¡¯s altar.


    After we came out from the short passage, we arrived in a vast open space.


    Different from the underground passage, it was easier to see the situation in this open space.


    The one who had been waiting for us in that open space were grotesque monsters. Most of them were what they call Lesser Daemons.


    In addition, there was a man standing in the middle of their formation.


    I¡¯ve seen that man¡¯s face before. If I¡¯m not wrong, he should be the Daemon Lord called Ulbard.


    As expected, the Demon King was really the one who was pulling the string behind these incidents.


    ¡¸You¡¯vee huh¡­ Detestable hero.¡¹


    Ulbard was looking at us with eyes filled with hatred.


    For some reason, he had this tired look on his face.


    ¡¸Well then, will you tell us what are you guys trying to do?¡¹


    Reiji unsheathed his sword and pointed it toward Ulbard.


    ¡¸What I¡¯m trying to do huh, that should be my question.¡¹


    Ulbard replied as he shook his head.


    ¡¸What are you talking about?¡¹


    Reiji was right. The way Ulbard asked us back was iprehensible.


    ¡¸Sorry but I can¡¯t answer that question. But, thanks to you guys solving the barrier, we can finally escape from this ce. Tarabos!!¡¹


    ¡¸Yes¡­¡¹


    A man stepped forward when Ulbard called out to him.


    ¡¸Vice president Tarabos¡­¡¹


    I muttered his name.


    Tarabos was the vice president of the Magician¡¯s Association who I met before. I heard that he vanished after that but to think that he was right here in Ariadya all along.


    Tarabos¡¯ eyes were empty. Did Ulbard do something to him?


    ¡¸Tarabos!! Buy us some time to escape!!¡¹


    After saying so, Ulbard leapt upward and broke the ceiling. Naturally, the other Daemons were also following after him.


    The theatre should be right above us. Though we¡¯ve evacuated the people in the theatre for today, were they done by now?


    ¡¸I¡¯ll go after Ulbard!! Take care of this ce, Chiyuki!!¡¹


    ¡¸WAIT, REIJI-KUN!!!¡¹


    I was trying to stop him but I was a beat toote. Reiji had already flown after Ulbard.


    ¡¸Haa~h. He¡¯s gone.¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s toote already¡­¡¹


    I ended up massaging my temples upon seeing another one of Reiji¡¯s antics.


    ¡¸Chiyuki-san look!! That person is¡­!¡¹


    Shirone called out to me with a flustered voice.


    When I looked at Tarabos again, I realized that his body had already swelled up.


    ¡¸What is that? A bug?¡¹


    Rino spoke with a disgusted look on her face.


    Several bug¡¯s legs were protruding from Tarabos¡¯ body.


    The bug¡¯s body was growing bigger as if it was eating away at Tarabos¡¯ body.


    And then, it also absorbed the bodies of the undead-like beings around Tarabos. Yeah, it looks like that bug just ate them.


    I then recalled the relief I saw in the theatre. Badon, the bug evil god, was growing bigger by eating anything. Did that mean Tarabos¡¯ body had already turned into Badon¡¯s vessel?


    ¡¸Wait!! Chiyuki-san!! Things look really bad now!!¡¹


    Sahoko became really flustered.


    Her worry was natural since Tarabos¡¯ body grew bigger and bigger. At this rate, his body would fill this space.


    ¡¸EVERYONE GET OUT OF THIS PLACE!!¡¹


    We used the hole in the ceiling which was opened by Ulbard before to escape from the space.


    ***


    ¡ôDaemon Lord, Ulbard


    ¡¸Ulbard-sama!! The Hero is chasing after us!!¡¹


    My aide warned me.


    Naturally I also knew about that.


    It seems Tarabos couldn¡¯t even buy time for us to escape. What a useless human.


    The human called Tarabos had turned into Badon¡¯s vessel. Badon was an evil god that had already been vanquished a long time ago.


    Its current power was nothing more than the shadow of its past. That¡¯s why even those humans with their weak bodies could be its vessel.


    But, the hero went after us,pletely ignoring Tarabos. And that hero was too fast. At this rate, he would catch up to us.


    The transfer magic that I tried to invoke failed. There might be some sort of trick which prevented me from invoking transfer magic.


    The ck Satyrs who came with me kept being taken down by the hero. Ihis is bad, I can¡¯t let him do as he pleases.


    ¡¸Ulbard-sama!! I¡¯ll try to slow him down!! Use that chance to escape as far as possible!¡¹


    The one who spoke was Manseid, the lowest rank amongst my side.


    Manseid was a former investigator whose job was to investigate the situation outside of Nargol. I¡¯ve heard that he came to this region a long time ago.


    Though he was considered weak amongst the daemons, he might be able to buy some time for me.


    ¡¸Be careful, Manseid-dono!¡¹


    Manseid then charged toward the hero after he heard my confirmation.


    I had to use this chance to escape as far as possible.


    ¡¸WHAT ARE YOU DOING, ULBARD-DONO!! ARE YOU GOING TO ABANDON YOUR SUBORDINATE!?¡¹


    Suddenly, I heard someone¡¯s voice calling out to me.


    I looked up to the sky on top of me.


    Then, I saw a dragon hiding behind clouds. I knew that dragon.


    ¡¸WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, RUNFELD-DONO!!?¡¹


    That dragon was the thunder dragon, Runfeld¡¯s mount. Flying around him were his subordinates donned in the Dark Knight¡¯s attire.


    ¡¸The hero seems toe after you tried to do something¡­ What¡¯s the meaning of this, Ulbard-dono!!¡¹


    Runfeld came down along with his subordinates, looking at me with an indignant look in his eyes.


    ¡¸T-This is¡­¡¹


    I tried to make an excuse but I ended up at a loss for words.


    ¡¸But, save that exnation forter, Ulbard-dono!! I shall engage the hero in one-on-onebat to stop him!! Use that chance to escape with your subordinate!!¡¹


    Runfeld unsheathed his sword as he spoke. Lightning spark ran on the surface of his sword de as soon as he unsheathed his sword.


    Runfeld¡¯s sword was an enchanted sword with a thunder element; its name was Thunder Cloud. And his Thunder Dragon could create thunder clouds.


    In the blink of an eye, ck thunder clouds spread around this area.


    ¡¸Please don¡¯t be unreasonable¡­¡¹


    The Hero was really powerful. None of the Dark Knights in Nargol was a match for him. Trying to stop the hero by himself was pretty much impossible, except for one particr person who is not here right now.


    ¡¸Algard-dono, Zyresd-dono¡­¡¹


    I heard Runfeld mutter something. If my memories serve me right, those were the names of the Dark Knights who were killed by the hero.


    Runfeld was someone who really cared about his subordinates. He might still be regretting the fact that his subordinates sacrificed themself because of his order.


    Runfeld hoisted himself, pointing it toward the hero.


    ¡¸Leave this ce to us. Please escape from this ce along with your subordinates, his excellency Ulbard.¡¹


    Runfeld¡¯s subordinates, the Dark Knights,e to my side.


    ¡¸Are you going to stay in this ce too?¡¹


    ¡¸We received a retreat order from his excellency Runfeld too. But, we have no intention to leave Ulbard-sama behind. That¡¯s why we¡¯re going to stay with him.¡¹


    I felt a headache upon hearing their deration.


    Just how stupid can you be? You people were only going to increase the number of hero¡¯s victims if you stayed in this ce.


    But, unlike a low rank subordinate, I couldn¡¯t abandon Runfeld to die in this ce.


    ¡¸What should I do now¡­¡¹


    Despite my worries, I couldn¡¯te up with a feasible solution.


    Lightning shed from the cloud summoned by Runfeld¡¯s thunder dragon as if it was signaling the beginning of a storm.

 Chapter 80.1: He Who Herald The Golden Dawn

    <h4>Chapter 80.1: He Who Herald The Golden Dawn</h4>


    ¡ôDancer, Sienna


    I walked in the underground waterway while shouldering Novis.


    ¡¸WAIT, NOVIS!! DON¡¯T STICK TOO CLOSE TO SIENNA LIKE THAT!! MIND YOUR DISTANCE A LITTLE BIT!!¡¹


    Shizufae was scolding Novis when we started walking again.


    Since Novis waspletely exhausted, he couldn¡¯t even walk properly.


    Though not as much as Novis, Shizufae and the others were also quite exhausted. My brother was carrying an unknown man on his back despite his exhaustion.


    That¡¯s why, I, who had much more stamina left than anyone else, decided to carry him over my shoulder.


    Certainly, Novis slipped a little bit and touched my ch*st. But, it was thanks to his perseverance with keeping Zeal busy that I arrived on time to save my brother.


    That¡¯s why I shall forgive him for that ident.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry Shizufae-san. He¡¯s the one who worked the hardest after all. He¡¯spletely exhausted too. That¡¯s why it must be a pure coincidence.¡¹


    I¡¯ll at least protect Novis from hisrade¡¯s wrath.


    ¡¸As expected of Sienna-san, so ki~nd. Rather, Shizufae, are you by chance jealous of her?¡¹


    Novis leaned closer to me as if embracing me, shing his smile toward Shizufae.


    ¡¸Haah? What in the world are you talking about!?¡¹


    They were smiling as they had such an exchange.


    And then, being touchy with each other.


    Shizufae was a war maiden who was chosen personally by the Goddess Rena-sama. Since she was an extremely beautiful girl, I would introduce her to director Midas if she was interested in ying in theatre.


    In addition, seeing his attitude, Novis seems to have a crush on Shizufae. That¡¯s why he must be really happy seeing Shizufae acting jealous like that.


    But, from my perspective, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. I mean, if she really was jealous, Shizufae would try to separate us when Novis was acting all clingy toward me.


    In short, Shizufae didn¡¯t seem to have any special feelings for Novis.


    From her tone, it seems she was purely worrying about me.


    ¡¸Sienna, how about we exchange the person we¡¯re carrying? This man is lighter than Novis after all.¡¹


    My brother then offered to exchange the man he carried with Novis.


    I had no idea about the identity of the man who my brother was carrying along.


    Even though he woke up, his eyes were lifeless. He couldn¡¯t even walk by himself.


    His heart might have broken. I had no idea what¡¯s the reason behind his condition but we might have to bring him to the temple of Fanacea-sama, the Goddess of Medicinal Herb and Healing.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about me, niisan. I mean, you¡¯re just barely managed to carry him too. Moreover, he¡¯s the famous hero of fire. It¡¯s my honor to be able to get to know him.¡¹


    I looked at Novis, smiling at him with the business smile that I used when greeting my fans.


    Compared to the muscr Novis, the man who was being carried by my brother was thin. That¡¯s why he was right about that man being easier to carry than Novis. But, I couldn¡¯t ept his offer since my brother was also exhausted from the prolonged battle.


    ¡¸OOh, Sienna-san! I want to get to know you better too.¡¹


    Novis¡¯ face broke into a smile upon hearing my remark. That¡¯s too easy, hero of fire.


    Shizufae behind us might be making a dumbfounded face right now.


    Well, let¡¯s stop that impossible conclusion.


    ¡¸Finally, we¡¯ve returne~d.¡¹


    The female magician called Madi spoke. We¡¯re finally back to the entrance of the underground waterway.


    ¡¸Uhm? What¡¯s happening? Something feels amiss.¡¹


    The female warrior called Keyna suddenly spoke up.


    We also noticed what she meant a momentter.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the meaning of this? The weather was just fine when we entered!!¡¹


    Laylia, the female priest, spoke while looking at the sky.


    Yes, the weather was clear when we¡¯d just entered the underground waterway. And yet, the sky was covered by dark clouds, stormy wind, and lightning right now.


    This sudden change of weather was clearly abnormal.


    Moreover, the people were starting to make a ruckus.


    ¡¸EVERYONE!! LOOK!!¡¹


    We were looking in the direction where the elf Nora was pointing at.


    ¡¸No way¡­ what¡¯s that?¡¹


    Though the distance was really far away from us, we could see it clearly.


    There were numerous monsters flying in the northern sky. That scene was as if it was the herald of the end of the world.


    That might be the reason why everyone was making so much ruckus.


    Some people were starting to run with a flustered look on their face.


    Some were simply crying.


    Some were praying to their god.


    Some were heading towards ramparts with a sword in hand.


    In short, everyone reacted in various ways.


    But, I knew that there was nothing we could do in this situation.


    ¡¸Did those monsterse to attack this city?¡¹


    Leylia was looking up at the sky with an angry look on her face. And yet, her face was as pale as a sheet of paper.


    ¡¸Ain¡¯t things looking pretty bad if we don¡¯t escape as fast as possible¡­¡¹


    Keyna spoke with a trembling voice.


    I understand her feeling of wanting to escape from this city. I mean, she is just being realistic.


    ¡¸AAAH!! LOOK OVER THERE!! IT¡¯S REIJI-SAMA!!¡¹


    Shizufae pointed at the shining figure in the sky.


    Indeed, that shining figure was confronting the monster as if he was trying to protect the city.


    ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s definitely hero of light-dono.¡¹


    My brother was right. It was the figure of the hero of light. I met him once before.


    Though his figure was supposed to be really far away from this ce, I could see him very clearly for some reason.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know what happen but, let¡¯s see it!!¡¹


    Everyone nodded together upon hearing Shizufae¡¯s remark.


    ===


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    ¡¸As expected of Chiyuki-san. That monster is no match for you.¡¹


    Sahoko spoke as she flew to my side.


    Down below was the figure of Badon who stopped moving due to my curse magic.


    It was a giant, long and thin bug. That was the true figure of Badon.


    Long time ago, this Badon was the evil god who attacked Ariady, and was finally killed by Alphos, god of music. But, Badon was revived by using magician Tarabos¡¯ body as its vessel, and moved to destroy the city again.


    Even though he should have been destroyed when Alphos defeated it before, I couldn¡¯t deny that he was still here. But now, I¡¯ll erase that guy for sure.


    The awakened Badon was starting to rampage again. That¡¯s why I decided that it would be too dangerous to let him without restraints.


    The people who saw Badon were starting to run in panic.


    So I used invisibility magic to make Badon¡¯s body invisible.


    With this, Badon¡¯s existence couldn¡¯t be seen by those with weak magical power. The people around will calm down too.


    ¡¸Sealing its movement is but a temporary measure, what should we do to itter? I want to erase its existence for sure this time. But at the same time, I can¡¯t use such powerful magic when we¡¯re right below the city¡­¡¹


    Badon was really big. Using powerful magic to eliminate it might affect my surroundings.


    ¡¸How about moving it to wider location outside?¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re right, Shirone-san. Rino-san, can you move this guy to the sea?¡¹


    I asked for Rino-san¡¯s assistance.


    ¡¸Uhm, let me try.¡¹


    After Rino summoned the wind spirit, Badon started to float in the air. Naturally, it tried to rampage but it couldn¡¯t move since I¡¯d sealed its movements with my magic.


    Alphos might not be able to use powerful magic to kill Badon back then due to the situation but it should be possible for Rino and I. All we had to do was bring it to the sea and turn it into cinders.


    ¡¸CHIYUKI-SAN!! THIS IS BAD!! LOOK OVER THERE!!¡¹


    Nao called out to me while pointing to the north.


    There were a lot of monsters in the direction where Nao was pointing at.


    And standing in the center of them was the figure of a Dark Knight.


    ¡¸Is Kurokiing too?¡¹


    Shirone said so while ring at the crowd of the monsters.


    ¡¸No, it doesn¡¯t seems to be him, Shirone-san.¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s not him but still¡­¡¹


    Shirone heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing Nao¡¯s confirmation.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, where¡¯s that Moonlight Goddess? She doesn¡¯t seems to be amongst the people who we met in the altar.¡¹


    Sahoko was right. Now that she mentioned it, Moonlight Goddess¡¯ figure really wasn¡¯t amongst the people we met in the altar.


    ¡¸But since Kuroki isn¡¯t here, I¡¯m not interested in this anymore. If it¡¯s only that, Reiji-kun alone is enough.¡¹


    Shirone said so while looking at the crowd of monsters.


    ¡¸Yeah, you¡¯re right. I do think that Reiji-kun alone is enough to beat them but¡­ some citizens might be victims. I¡¯ll go just in case. Can I leave the rest to you?¡¹


    The monsters that appeared in the air had already caused unrest in Ariadya. Even if they didn¡¯te to attack, some people might get injured due to the chaotic situation.


    ¡¸I understand, leave this ce to us, Chiyuki-san. I¡¯ll leave the matter of the citizens to you.¡¹


    Shirone replied to me while nodding along with Rino.


    Thus, both of them carried the floating Badon toward the Ariad inlet.


    Using my most powerful magic above the sea might minimize the environmental damage.


    ¡¸Sahoko-san, can you go to Fanacea¡¯s temple? Just in case.¡¹


    When I asked, Sahoko nodded immediately.


    Fanacea¡¯s temple was something akin to a hospital of this world. Thus, I sent Sahoko, who excels in healing magic, there.


    ¡¸Nao-san, can youe with me?¡¹


    ¡¸Roger that!¡¹


    Thus, Nao and I went toward Reiji¡¯s direction.


    ¡¸Reiji-kun. What¡¯s the situation?¡¹


    I asked Reiji as soon as we arrived by his side.


    ¡¸Chiyuki, and Nao too huh? Well, the thing is, someone, interrupted me when I was chasing after Ulbard. And the situation has been turned into this stalemate since then.¡¹


    Reiji spoke to us with his sword still pointing toward his opponent.


    His sword was pointing at the Dark Knight.


    That Dark Knight wasn¡¯t Shirone¡¯s childhood friend.

 Chapter 80.2: He Who Herald The Golden Dawn

    <h4>Chapter 80.2: He Who Herald The Golden Dawn</h4>


    It was obvious since he wasn¡¯t even wearing his helmet. If I¡¯m not wrong, we met him once before back in Nargol, he was the one called Runfeld.


    Runfeld was ring at us while standing on top of his thunder dragon.


    ¡¸I wonder what he¡¯s going to do?¡¹


    ¡¸Dunno. But well, he seems to be really eager right now. You two, step back.¡¹


    ¡¸The other party is bringing so many people along. Isn¡¯t it much better if we join the fight?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, It seems he¡¯s asking for one-on-one duel.¡¹


    It is just as Reiji had said. The monsters were stepping back, leaving Runfeld alone in front of them.


    ¡¸It seems that¡¯s really the case. Let¡¯s step back too, Nao-san. But don¡¯t let your guard down, we¡¯re going to move as soon as those monsters try to attack Ariadya.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, please take care of the protection of the city.¡¹


    Reiji spoke with aposed look on his face.


    Yeah, I wasn¡¯t worried about him either. Reiji had be even more powerful than before after all.


    I recalled the scene when Reiji and Shirone were training together.


    The genius who never cared about training had started training to be stronger. Maybe no one could beat the current Reiji.


    That¡¯s why there was no need to worry about Reiji.


    Rather than that, I¡¯m more worried about whether the monsters are going to attack Ariadya or not.


    Though I¡¯ve been wondering since before whether I¡¯m going to st them with magic before, I decided to back down for now.


    Nao and I left Reiji and went towards the first outer ramparts outside of the Republic of Ariadya.


    When I looked down, General sus was already standing by along with his subordinates. Maybe they hurriedly went to that ce to intercept the monsters¡¯ attack.


    I also saw Kyouka, Kaya and Regena with them. It seems they hurriedly came to this ce as soon as they heard about this riot.


    Nao and I descended near them.


    ¡¸Uhm, are they going to attack our country, Chiyuki-dono?¡¹


    General sus asked with an anxious face.


    ¡¸I think it¡¯ll be alright. Reiji won¡¯t lose against that guy. Moreover, we¡¯re also standing by here just in case. Right, Kyouka-san, Kaya-san?¡¹


    I looked at the two of them as I asked so.


    ¡¸Yeah, if worsees to worst, we¡¯ll also make our move. Right, Kaya?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Mdy.¡¹


    Kaya replied appropriately upon hearing Kyouka said so while puffing her chest.


    Kaya aside, Kyouka had also be reliable since her magic efficiency had improved.


    ¡¸sus-dono!! Can you exin this situation to us?!!¡¹


    Someone ran in a hurry towards us. It was Decius. With Shizufae and co following him from behind. And following them was a woman in a dancer¡¯s outfit.


    If my memories serve me right, she was the one called Sienna, right? Why did she appear in this ce out of all ces?


    ¡¸Ah, Decius-dono. The monsters are about to attack. But no need to worry, the hero of light-dono is holding them at bay. Right, Chiyuki-dono?¡¹


    sus was looking at us.


    ¡¸Yes. The opponent is not HIM after all.¡¹


    ¡¸HIM?¡¹


    The one who spoke with a puzzled look on her face was Shizufae.


    That moment, I noticed that I just made a slip.


    ¡¸The Dark Knight who defeated Reiji-sama before. Reiji-sama won¡¯t lose as long as the opponent isn¡¯t that particr Dark Knight.¡¹


    Kaya replied instead of me.


    ¡¸There¡¯s someone like that amongst them?¡¹


    Shizufae asked in worry.


    ¡¸Yes, you should¡¯ve already met him before.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    The face of every single member of Shizufae¡¯s party paled at once.


    ¡¸CHIYUKI-SAN!! IT¡¯S STARTING!!¡¹


    Nao suddenly called out to me.


    After Runfeld descended from his thunder dragon, both of them closed on each other and started to fight.


    When both the thunder sword and the light sword shed in the air, it created a powerful shockwave that reached our location.


    ¡¸ARE YOU REALLY SURE THIS IS THE RIGHT DECISION?!!!¡¹


    sus spoke while trying his best to withstand the shockwave. The other person was in the same situation as them.


    The ones who could calmly withstood the shockwave on top of the ramparts aside from me were Nao, Kaya, Kyouka, and Regena.


    ¡¸Chiyuki-dono!! The citizens are in panic!! Shall we do something about this situation?!!¡¹


    Decius spoke to me while looking at the bottom of the rampart. As expected of a man of his caliber, even in this kind of situation, he prioritized the citizens.


    I followed his line of sight. It seems the shockwaves from their shes also reached the ground. Thus, the citizens had started to raise a ruckus.


    ¡¸Guess I¡¯ve no choice. I¡¯ll do something about it.¡¹


    I let the citizens of the Republic of Ariadya below be able to see Reiji and co fight with image magic.


    The battle between Reiji and Runfeld was so intense. But, Reiji was clearly in an advantageous situation.


    There was his usualposed face, he was clearly toying with his opponent.


    The citizens might be able to calm down as long as they saw this.


    ¡¸Please calm yourself, citizens of the Republic of Ariadya!!¡¹


    And then, I made my voice resound around with magic. In this way, the entire Ariadya should be able to hear my voice.


    ¡¸BEHOLD!! EVEN THOUGH THE DEMON RACE HAS COME TO THIS LAND, WORRY NOT!!! THEY¡¯RE DEFINITELY GOING TO BE DRIVEN AWAY BY THE HERO OF LIGHT!!¡¹


    The restless citizens calmed down at once when they heard my voice.


    sus¡¯ subordinates, who¡¯d positioned themselves above the rampart, raised a cheer.


    ¡¸THAT¡¯S RIGHT, REIJI-SAMA WON¡¯T LOSE!! HE¡¯S THE ONE WHO WILL HERALD THE GOLDEN DAWN AFTER ALL!!¡¹


    Shizufae shouted too.


    He Who Heralds The Golden Dawn


    That was the savior in human legends.


    Long time ago, humans lived in this world devoid of monsters along with the Elios¡¯ gods. That was the shining, golden era of humanity which happened a really long time ago.


    And then, Demon King Modes appeared and released the monsters to conquer this world.


    As a result, humanity, who was weaker than monsters, were forced to build ramparts and live inside those ramparts.


    That was the current era, the dark era.


    ¡¸He who heralds the golden dawn¡¹ was the one who will cut open the dark night, and bring back the golden era of humanity in this world again.


    Most people believe that defeating the Demon King would effectively erase the monsters from this world too.


    Shizufae seems to believe that Reiji was the one who will herald the golden dawn.


    To be honest, knowing his personality, I doubt that he was the one.


    But, the humans of this world seem to wish it was him.


    Though I feel that Reiji¡¯s image in Shizufae¡¯s mind could be regarded as exaggerated, I had no choice but to use her to defuse the restless citizens of Ariadya.


    ¡¸ARIADYA¡¯S CITIZENS!! THE HERO OF LIGHT WON¡¯T LOSE!! HE¡¯S CHOSEN BY GODDESS RENA-SAMA AS THE ONE WHO WILL HERALD THE GOLDEN DAWN AFTER ALL!!! THAT¡¯S WHY REST ASSURED, HE¡¯LL PROTECT ALL OF US!!¡¹


    The citizens of the Republic of Ariadya raised a cheer upon hearing my encouragement which resounded around Ariadya.


    The citizens repeatedly shouted ¡¸Hero of Light¡¹ and ¡¸He who heralds the golden dawn¡¹.


    Well, that should be enough to ease their restlessness. There should be no problem as long as Reiji doesn¡¯t lose.


    Though the fight looks intense, I could look at that fight without worry.


    ¡¸You have to win. You¡¯re the hope of humanity after all.¡¹


    ***


    ¡ôDaemon Lord, Ulbard


    ¡¸W-WHAT SHALL WE DO NOW, ULBARD-SAMA?!!!¡¹


    My aide asked me.


    ¡¸I¡¯M ALSO THINKING ABOUT WHAT TO DO NOW!!¡¹


    I shouted back at my aide.


    Runfeld and the hero of light were currently fighting right before them.


    Runfeld was clearly in a disadvantageous situation. So he might need our assistance. But, I couldn¡¯t think of any kind of assistance that could help him in this situation.


    Runfeld was the strongest Daemon. The other four heavenly kings, including me, were no match for him even if webined our power.


    His power rivaling that of the divine race.


    And that Runfeld was being toyed around by that hero of light.


    Runfeld¡¯s subordinates were also watching the fight with a tense look on their faces.


    It seems Runfeld brought quite a lot of his subordinates from Nargol.


    Runfeld¡¯s subordinates who were standing by in thebyrinth came to this city as fast as they could as soon as they felt an unusual phenomenon in the airspace above this city. But, even with their superior numbers, I don¡¯t think they could beat the Hero of Light.


    Maybe I should just withdraw while Runfeld was still fighting.


    Was what I¡¯m going to do if it was another person who fought right there but, it was apletely different matter if the other person was Runfeld.


    Even though we were often butting our heads against each other like dogs and cats, and despite the difference between our principles, I had to say that Nargol needed Runfeld.


    For the sake of Demon King-sama, I couldn¡¯t just abandon Runfeld here.


    ¡¸DAMMIT!! SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT SHOULD I DO NOW?!!¡¹

 Chapter 80.3: He Who Herald The Golden Dawn

    <h4>Chapter 80.3: He Who Herald The Golden Dawn</h4>


    ¡ôValkyrie, Shizufae


    The shockwaves from the shes were assailing us even now.


    ¡¸OI SHIZUFAE!! THIS PLACE IS DANGEROUS! LET¡¯S LEAVE THIS PLACE NOW!!¡¹


    Big sis Keyna shouted at me while lowering her back as low as possible to minimize the effects of the shockwaves.


    ¡¸IT¡¯S OKAY BIG SIS KEYNA!!! REIJI-SAMA IS HERE!! THIS PLACE IS SAFE!!¡¹


    I replied to her while still looking up at Reiji-sama¡¯s battle.


    ¡¸Yeah, I agree. The one who¡¯s fighting against the Hero of Light is a famous Daemon Lord. He is far more powerful than the lesser daemon we fought before. And yet, for him to easily overwhelm such powerful opponent¡­ is simply too amazing.¡¹


    Madi spoke with a surprised look on her face.


    Behind the Daemon Lord who was fighting Reiji-sama, there were a lot more Lesser Daemons and just one of them was enough to overwhelm our party in the previous battle.


    And those Lesser Daemons were clearly afraid of Reiji-sama.


    ¡¸Awesome. It¡¯s too overwhelming¡­¡¹


    Novis, who was being supported by Sienna-san, spoke as he heaved a sigh.


    Novis was aiming to be the strongest man in the world. That¡¯s why I knew why he had a sense of rivalry towards Reiji-sama.


    But, I wonder if he knew just how huge the gap of power between them was.


    ¡¸As expected of Goddess-sama¡¯s beloved man. He¡¯s definitely going to save Ariadya.¡¹


    Leylia-san spoke with a voice filled with admiration.


    ¡¸Naturally!! Reiji-sama is the herald of golden dawn after all!! Let alone a Daemon Lord, he¡¯ll even defeat the Demon King and all monsters!! GOGOGO REIJI-SAMA!!¡¹


    I cheered for Reiji-sama at the top of my lungs.


    No doubt about it, Reiji-sama is the herald of golden dawn.


    I mean, just how many humans had already fallen victim since the Demon King released monsters into this world?


    And one amongst those victims was my father.


    That¡¯s why I hate Demon King who released those monsters. [Note : Poor Modes, framed for something that he never did.]


    That¡¯s why I was cheering on Reiji-sama.


    I didn¡¯t want to hear anyone crying because their important person was killed by a monster.


    Thus, I, along with the citizens of Ariadya were cheering for Reiji-sama.


    ¡¸GOGOGOGO!!! HERO OF LIGHT-SAMA!! BRING BACK THE GOLDEN DAWN!!!!¡¹


    ***


    ¡ôStrongest Daemon Lord; Runfeld


    The hero¡¯s sword and mine were shing as we flew in the air. Each sh of our sword created an extremely powerful shockwave with us at the center.


    ¡¸RUNFELD-SAMA!!¡¹


    My subordinates who were standing behind me were calling out to me with a worried voice.


    But, I had no leeway to reply to them.


    The Hero of Light¡¯s sword was sharp and heavy.


    I could feel that he had be more powerful.


    I should¡¯ve be stronger than before after taking swordcraft lessons from Diehart. And yet, the hero seems to have be more powerful.


    I looked at the hero¡¯s face, he had aposed look on his face.


    He might¡¯ve yet to go all out.


    If he was serious from the very beginning, I might have already been dead by now.


    It seems the reason he held back was to measure how powerful he was right now. And I was nothing more than a good sparring partner.


    It was a bitter reality but still, I grit my teeth to endure it.


    I was the leader of the proud Chivalric Order of Dark Knights, the one who assisted his Majesty the Demon King after all.


    And I was currently overwhelmed by the hero of light.


    In this kind of situation, I didn¡¯t even know why I lowered my head to Diehart to ask him to train me anymore.


    I wanted to be stronger than before. That¡¯s why I swallowed my shame and asked Diehart to train me.


    I trained and trained like there was no tomorrow. I wanted to take back our Chivalric Order of Dark Knight¡¯s pride which had been shattered by the hero of light.


    ¡¸DAMMIT!!!¡¹


    I swung my thunder sword in frustration.


    But, the hero parried my attack with ease and shed back at me.


    I somehow managed to protect myself, but my stance crumbled as a result.


    The hero¡¯s sword resembles Your Excellency¡¯s sword.


    Maybe this man was also training to be stronger like me.


    How careless of me to exclude such a fact. I grit my teeth even harder as I realized such a fact.


    As if that wasn¡¯t enough, I even exposed my subordinates to a dangerous situation.


    The hero swung his sword to the side.


    Since my stance was crumbled, I couldn¡¯t defend against that sh and my thunder sword fell from my right hand.


    ¡¸GUH!!¡¹


    I groaned a bit and then retreated a bit.


    ¡¸This is a good sword. I shall take it.¡¹


    The hero caught the thunder sword that was flipped in the air.


    That sword was something that I got after a lot of hardships in order to defeat the hero. And now, it was taken by the hero.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel mortified about this.


    ¡¸RUNFELD-SAMA!!¡¹


    My subordinates who rode wyverns came forward.


    ¡¸YOU FOOL!! WHY AREN¡¯T YOU GUYS STILL DILLY CALLING IN THIS PLACE!! YOU¡¯RE NO MATCH FOR HIM!!¡¹


    ¡¸WE CAN¡¯T JUST RUN AWAY WITH OUR TAIL BETWEEN LEGS AND LEAVE YOU BEHIND, RUNFELD-SAMA!!¡¹


    My subordinates drew their weapons.


    It wasn¡¯t just my subordinates. The others were also standing in front of me as if protecting me from the hero.


    ¡¸YOU FOOLS¡­¡¹


    At this rate, everyone is going to be killed by the hero.


    ¡¸ALL OF YOU GUYS, WAIT RIGHT THERE!!¡¹


    The one who shouted at them was Ulbard.


    ¡¸Leave this ce to me. You guys take lord Runfeld as far as possible from this ce.¡¹


    ¡¸Lord¡­ Ulbard.¡¹


    ¡¸This is my responsibility. Lord Runfeld. ¡¹


    Ulbard¡¯s body was clearly trembling in fear. He did realize that he was no match for the hero.


    ¡¸Lord Ulbard, you¡¯re no match for the hero. No need to add more sacrifices to our side. You take the others and escape from this ce.¡¹


    This was my punishment for thinking such foolish things as having a rematch against the hero.


    I¡¯d nned to somehow win this fight.


    I couldn¡¯t let my subordinates get involved in this.


    So I mustered the rest of my willpower.


    I was quite exhausted. But, I had to make sure that I gained enough time for them to escape from this ce.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to say, but do you think I¡¯m going to let you off?¡¹


    The hero spoke as he walked closer.


    ¡¸You guys are the ones whoe to attack first right? Moreover, just how much people suffered because of the Demon King? No matter how much I think about it, there¡¯s no reason to spare you guys.¡¹


    An oppressing aura started to gush out from the hero¡¯s body.


    And then, several light bullets appeared around him.


    ¡¸Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯m going to send you all to afterlife as thanks for being my sparring partner.¡¹


    The hero pointed his sword as he smiled lightly at us.


    ¡¸IT¡¯S COMING!! EVERYONE RAISE YOUR DEFENSIVE BARRIER!!¡¹


    Everyone started to follow Ulbard¡¯s order and poured in all their power to create a magic barrier to protect me.


    But, I knew that those magic barriers weren¡¯t strong enough to stop the hero of light¡¯s attack.


    ¡¸NO, EVERYONE RUN!!!¡¹


    Dammit, I won¡¯t make it in time.


    Thousands of light bullets were raining down toward us.


    Just when I thought that we were done for¡­


    ¡¸What the?¡¹


    The hero raised a surprised voice.


    The thousands of light bullets suddenly turned around in mid-air right before hitting us.


    We were saved.


    I turned around and looked behind us.


    Upon a closer look, I saw a giant ck dragon appearing from behind the storm. And the one who rode atop that dragon was a silver haired girl and a Dark Knight.


    That Dark Knight raised his right hand and those thousands of light bullets seemed to be sucked into his right hand.


    The dragon raised a howl that shook the air above Ariadya.


    I felt a wave of oppressive wrath from that Dark Knight.


    And then, a ck me mixed with lightning was unleashed from the Dark Knight¡¯s upper body.


    As if signalling the arrival of a ck Storm.

 Chapter 81.1: Darkness That Swallowed The Light

    <h4>Chapter 81.1: Darkness That Swallowed The Light</h4>


    ¡ôGoddess of Wisdom and Victory; Rena


    ¡¸RENA-SAMA!! THIS IS BAD!! REIJI AND CO ARE CONFRONTING THE AFOREMENTIONED DARK KNIGHT!!¡¹


    The female angel, Nier, came in a hurry into my room.


    What a noisy girl.


    Nier was themander of my valkyries. As someone who stood above the others, she should¡¯ve calmed down a little bit.


    ¡¸I know already, Nier. It¡¯s okay. I mean, the winner had already decided from the very beginning. My beloved man won¡¯t lose to anyone.¡¹


    Nier let out a voice of admiration after I said those words.


    ¡¸You really believe in Reiji-sama huh, Rena-sama.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    I let out dumbfounded voice upon hearing Nier¡¯s stupid remark.


    ¡¸Am I wrong?¡¹


    ¡¸No, though I¡¯ve no idea what you mean. But well, we might have to go to save Reiji. That useless bump.¡¹


    I stroked my stomach as I said those words.


    Once I raise the hero in my stomach, I wouldn¡¯t need Reiji anymore.


    That¡¯s why, let¡¯s use him to the fullest until that very moment.


    It seems that the evil gods in the west were trying to do something too.


    For that reason, I had to save Reiji and co to deal with those evil gods.


    ¡¸Nier, gather all the valkyries. We¡¯re going to Ariadya.¡¹


    ***


    ¡ôValkyrie, Shizufae


    The figure of the Dark Knight riding on the back of a giant dragon was being projected in the air above Ariadya.


    This projection could be seen by every citizen in the Republic of Ariadya.


    The Dark Knight in the projection raised his right hand.


    All the light bullets fired by Reiji-sama got sucked into his right hand.


    ¡¸Shizufae¡­ That¡¯s the Dark Knight we met before, right?¡¹


    Big sis Keyna asked me as she looked at the projection of the newly appearing Dark Knight.


    ¡¸Yeah, seems to be that one. We met him back in thebyrinth.¡¹


    I nodded upon hearing that.


    He was the one who stood in our way when we were about to subjugate the lizardman. That Dark Knight was also the reason why I received divine protection from Rena-sama.


    Nevertheless, I had no intention of thanking him for that. The Dark Knight was the enemy of humanity after all.


    ¡¸That Dark Knight is awesome. He neutralized all of the hero of light¡¯s attacks with just a flick of his hand.¡¹


    Novis spoke in admiration.


    ¡¸Hey, Novis, are you cheering for that Dark Knight?¡¹


    I asked that question while ring at Novis.


    ¡¸N-No way! Ain¡¯t gonna do that!! I just marvelled at how easily he cancelled that powerful Hero of Light¡¯s attack. Moreover, it¡¯s not like that one Dark Knight can win against the Hero of Light, right? So stop looking at me with that kind of look.¡¹


    Novis exined in a hurry.


    My good mood returned upon hearing that.


    But, Novis was right. The other party might be quite strong since he could deal with Reiji-sama¡¯s attack so easily.


    He showed everyone that he was far more powerful than the Daemon Lord from before.


    But, there was no way he could beat Reiji-sama. Reiji-sama could easily beat him like that Daemon Lord too.


    ¡¸What¡¯s with that Dark Knight? Well, there¡¯s no way he can beat Reiji-sama. Right, Chiyuki-dono?¡¹


    It seems General sus felt the same way as me.


    He spoke to Chiyuki-sama who stood by his side while smiling wholeheartedly.


    And yet, for some reason, I saw the colour drain from Chiyuki-sama¡¯s face. She was sweating profusely from her forehead. Looking at her current situation, it was as if the calmness from before was a big fat lie.


    ¡¸Kaya, don¡¯t you think that this situation looks really bad?¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed, Mdy. This is an extremely dangerous situation.¡¹


    Kyouka-sama and co who stood beside Chiyuki-sama also spoke with pale faces.


    The look on their face was clearly abnormal.


    Suddenly, something akin to a bad premonition hit me.


    ***


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    I asked Glorious to fly closer to Runfeld¡¯s side.


    That was a really close call.


    It seems Reiji was toying with Runfeld.


    And yet, thanks to that, I managed to arrive in time.


    ¡¸Are you satisfied now, Lord Runfeld?¡¹


    I asked him with a furious tone.


    ¡¸My deepest apologies, Your Excellency.¡¹


    Runfeld bowed down to me. He apparently understood that he was at fault this time, his blunder almost caused a huge loss for Nargol after all. Let¡¯s give him a strict warning so that he won¡¯t make this kind of blunder again.


    ¡¸Lord Runfeld, you should¡¯ve considered your own position a little bit before you act so recklessly!! Your job is to protect Your Majesty, the Demon King, and yet look at you now¡­ You¡¯re literally abandoning your duty!!¡¹


    Runfeld didn¡¯t say anything when I rebuked him with such a harsh tone since he knew that he was in the wrong.


    Seeing his appearance, I guess he finally understood how foolish his current actions were.


    Since that was the case, I guess I had nothing to say to him anymore.


    Thus, I suppressed my anger since I didn¡¯t see the merit in scolding him further.


    ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s evacuate to thebyrinth for now. You¡¯re alsoing with us right, Ulbard-dono?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Your Excellency¡­¡¹


    Ulbard bowed respectfully as he replied to me.


    It seems the one who triggered the current situation was Ulbard.


    In the end, Runfeld was only taking advantage of the mess caused by Ulbard. And that was the overall story.


    I guess I should ask for the details from Ulbardter.


    ¡¸WAIT A MINUTE!!!¡¹


    Suddenly, Reiji interrupted us who were about to retreat.


    Though I had been facing Runfeld and co since a while ago, I didn¡¯t lower my vignce toward Reiji. I mean, he was clearly hostile towards me.


    ¡¸IS SOMETHING THE MATTER? WE¡¯RE ABOUT TO WITHDRAW ANYTIME NOW!!¡¹


    I replied with a loud and clear voice.


    ¡¸YOU THINK I¡¯M GOING TO LET YOU OFF?!! I¡±VE BECOME EVEN STRONGER THAN BEFORE IN ORDER TO DEFEAT YOU!!¡¹


    Reiji took a stance with two swords in his hand as he shouted those words.


    Dual wield, huh. So that was how he nned to defeat me.


    Wait a minute, the other sword seems like Runfeld¡¯s sword.


    I really couldn¡¯t afford to show my back toward Reiji, it was too dangerous for all of us to keep our withdrawal n as it was.


    What a bump. Why is he forcing me to do this when I actually gave him a way out of this situation without having to lose his face.


    ¡¸It seems he won¡¯t let us off huh¡­ Kuna, wait for me here for a while.¡¹


    I descended from Glorious and then stood in front of Reiji. Both of us were flying in the air.


    When I just came to this world, I was so scared of fighting against Reiji. I thought that I would end up in another miserable situation like how he beat me during a match in the dojo. Moreover, I¡¯ll die if I lose to him. That made me even more scared of fighting him.


    But, it seems I really couldn¡¯t afford to escape. It was an automatic loss once I escaped from him.


    Only miserable things await the loser.


    That¡¯s why I did my best to be even stronger than before.


    Reiji himself had said that he became stronger to defeat me. And the answer he arrived at was DUAL WIELDING.


    To be honest, I felt like a hole was bored into my stomach upon seeing his stance.


    There was no doubt about it, he did be stronger than before.


    Let¡¯s assume that he did some training to be stronger. But, there was also the possibility that it was just my own misconception.


    If my assumption was right, I might really die this time.


    As much as I hate to say this, Reiji was a genius. My victory in front of Demon King castle was nothing more than a fluke.


    There might be no next time for me.


    ¡¸You finally came, huh. Being a loser isn¡¯t really my style. Now let¡¯s fight for real this time.¡¹


    Reiji let out his usual refreshing smile.


    It was as if he had the confidence that he absolutely won¡¯t lose this time.


    Crap, I really hope that I have stomach medicine with me this time.


    If not for this f*cked up situation, I would have long since abandoned my pride and escaped from this ce.


    And yet, here I am, forced with no other choice but to fight.


    Moreover, Kuna was also with me. Like hell, I could show such an unsightly figure of me escaping from my opponent in front of Kuna.


    Someone, please tell me what should I do?


    In the end, I was crying in silence due to how f*cked up the situation I was forced into.


    ¡¸HERE I GO!!!¡¹


    But of course, Reiji didn¡¯t have the intention of waiting for me. He was closing in at once, swinging both his swords toward me.


    He was moving even faster than the time when he fought Runfeld a while ago. In addition, his movements also betrayed all of my expectations.


    ***


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    Reiji and Shirone¡¯s childhood friend, the Dark Knight, were facing each other in the air right in front of me.


    This is bad, at this rate, Reiji will end up killing Shirone¡¯s childhood friend.


    When that happens, Shirone might be really sad.


    Though it was hisplete loss in the duel in front of Demon King castle, Reiji had be more powerful since then. That¡¯s why he won¡¯t lose this time.


    I have to stop the fight immediately.


    ¡¸What shall we do, Chiyuki-san? At this rate, onii-sama will be put in an extremely dangerous situation.¡¹


    Kyouka asked me with a flustered look on her face.


    But, shepletely misunderstood the point.


    ¡¸The one who is in danger is Shirone¡¯s childhood friend, Kyouka-san. Reiji-kun has be even more powerful since then, you know.¡¹


    Upon hearing my remark, Kyouka suddenly looked at me with an even more confused look on her face.


    ¡¸Eh? I wonder about that. Kuroki-san should be stronger, he¡¯s my master after all. Right, Kaya?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s exactly as you say, Mdy.¡¹


    Apparently, Kaya was also agreeing with Kyouka.


    But, no matter how I think about it, their opinion was strange. Just because he¡¯s Kyouka¡¯s master, it doesn¡¯t make him strong. [Note : Coz your f*cking brain is rotten, those sses must be mere essories, shame on you sses character!!!]


    ¡¸OH NO, CHIYUKI-SAN!! THEY¡¯RE STARTING!!!¡¹


    Meanwhile, Nao shouted in panic.


    When I took a look, I saw Reiji closing in as he shed with his two swords.


    Oh no, we¡¯re toote.


    I knew that we¡¯re toote as soon as I saw Reiji¡¯s two swords shining brightly.


    ¡¸SUNDERING FLASH!!!¡¹


    Reiji raised a warcry as he unleashed his skill.

 Chapter 81.2: Darkness That Swallowed The Light

    <h4>Chapter 81.2: Darkness That Swallowed The Light</h4>


    It was a skill that I couldn¡¯t stop even when he was only using one sword.


    And yet, he used two swords to unleash that skill now.


    This attack might tear him apart.


    Reiji¡¯s sword of light approached at extremely fast speed.


    That blinding light enveloped Dark Knight¡¯s figure.


    The next moment, something came flying in our direction.


    ¡¸EH?¡¹


    I ended up leaking out a dumbfounded voice.


    The thing that was sent flying was crashing onto the top part of the rampart, the ce we¡¯re standing right now, and didn¡¯t stop until it crashed against the second rampart far behind us.


    A thunderous noise resounded around Ariadya as that something crashed against the second rampart.


    I turned around quickly and looked at the second rampart.


    What was that just now? Though I only caught a glimpse of it the moment it crashed through the ce where we stood, the third rampart, I still doubted my eyes since the one who got thrown just now was Reiji.


    ¡¸Uuhm¡­ can someone exin to me what was happened just now?¡¹


    I asked Nao who stood beside me.


    Nao with the best motoric nerves and eyesight amongst us might be able to tell me what was happened.


    ¡¸Shirone-san¡¯s childhood friend, he parried Reiji-senpai¡¯s attack, and sent a counterattack that sent Reiji-senpai flying within just a moment¡­¡¹


    Even Nao¡¯s eyes were opened wide as she replied to me as if she couldn¡¯t believe what she just seen.


    ¡¸Nevertheless, it¡¯s the skill that I used on Kuroki-sama before. It seems he stole that skill.¡¹


    Kaya muttered so.


    Her forehead was drenched in cold sweats.


    I rarely saw Kaya this surprised before.


    ¡¸DAMMIT!!!¡¹


    Reiji jumped out from the second rampart along with that warcry.


    Reiji came again at his fastest speed toward him, the Dark Knight.


    And then, the sky was filled with blinding light again.


    The next moment, something was thrown right into the ground in front of Ariadya.


    Upon a closer look, I saw the figure of Reiji, buried in the middle of the crater created from his fall, looking at the ck, stormy sky.


    ¡¸IMPOSSIBLE, REIJI-SAMA!!!¡¹


    Shizufae who stood by my side raised a bitter cry upon seeing her idol being toyed around.


    The same goes for the subordinates of General sus.


    ¡¸Look, he ispletely toyed around by his opponent¡­¡¹


    Kaya spoke with a calm andposed voice as she looked at Reiji who was buried in the middle of the crater.


    ¡¸Look, it¡¯s exactly as I told you, right.¡¹


    Kyouka spoke to me with a triumphant look on her face.


    This wasn¡¯t the time to feel ted though. [Note: WHY SHOULDN¡¯T SHE!???]


    Reiji jumped from the ground to challenge the Dark Knight again.


    But, Reiji¡¯s sword of light never reached its target.


    ¡¸Uhm. I think Reiji-senpai is really in deep shi*t right now¡­¡¹


    Nao muttered with a surprised look on her face.


    ¡¸AH, YOU¡¯RE RIGHT NAO-SAN! REIJI-KUN IS REALLY IN DEEP SHI*T!! CALL SHIRONE ASAP!!! SHE¡¯S THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN STOP HIM!!!¡¹


    ***


    ¡ôSilver Witch; Kuna


    ¡¸What¡¯s happening here? He¡¯s actually toying around with that hero of light.¡¹


    Ulbard spoke with surprised look on his face.


    Currently, he was looking at the battle between Kuroki and the hero which unfolded in front of him.


    It was only natural for Kuroki to overwhelm the hero.


    The hero could only me his own stupidity for trying to challenge Kuroki when my Kuroki actually gave him a way out of this situation.


    Since that was the case, could he at least make himself a bit more useful and show what he got so that I could see the figure when Kuroki fought seriously. What a useless hero.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Ulbard? you look unwell.¡¹


    ¡¸N-No, it¡¯s nothing¡­ Kuna-sama. I was just really surprised by Your Excellency strength.¡¹


    There was a fear mixed in Ulbard¡¯s expression.


    It seems this idiot had finally realized just what kind of person he was trying to plot against.


    ¡¸What a foolish statement!! It¡¯s only natural that Kuroki is far more powerful than the hero!!¡¹


    Such an idiot. I had no idea whether there was merit in letting this idiot to live.


    Just what in the hell is that useless hero doing all this time to make him fail to kill this idiot. Albeit, I had to say that this idiot was lucky.


    But still, just what in the hell was this idiot thinking about for nning to kill Kuroki and Hero after making them fight against each other?


    In the end, all his ns would be smashed by Kuroki even if I didn¡¯t do anything.


    ¡¸Yes, I was such a fool¡­¡¹


    Ulbard bowed as he spoke.


    ¡¸It¡¯s good that you know What about your wounds, Runfeld? can you still fight?¡¹


    I directed my question to Runfeld this time.


    ¡¸Since I¡¯ve received healing magic, I¡¯m ready to fight anytime.¡¹


    Runfeld¡¯s arm had already back to normal after he received healing magic.


    And then.


    Though not as much as before, he could still fight.


    ¡¸I see. Well then, Demon King Army. Prepare for the battle which might happen anytime now.¡¹


    Ulbard look really surprised when I ordered them to prepare for battle.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ Kuna-sama. Aren¡¯t we, going to evacuate?¡¹


    I sent a cold piercing re toward the useless idiot called Ulbard.


    ¡¸YOU FOOL!! ARE YOU PLANNING TO LET KUROKI FIGHT BY HIMSELF?!! LOOK, THE HERO¡±S COMRADES ARE STANDING BY RIGHT THERE!! OUR DUTY IS TO KEEP THEM IN CHECK!!¡¹


    Was this idiot nning to leave Kuroki behind to fight by himself?


    ¡¸Kuna-sama is right. There¡¯s no way we can let Your Excellency fight on his own in the midst of enemy territory.¡¹


    I let out a smile upon hearing Runfeld¡¯s remark.


    And then, I invoked my magic.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right. It¡¯s time to teach those foolish humans¡­ no, those foolish humans and their gods about the darkness that swallowed the light!!!¡¹


    ¡ôSword¡¯s Maiden; Shirone


    ¡¸Fuh. Transporting that fe does take a lot of time, Shirone-san.¡¹


    Rino-chan spoke while smiling at me.


    ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s ended safely, Rino-chan.¡¹


    Currently, we¡¯re flying above Ariad inlet.


    All we did was carry Badon above this inlet, and annihte it.


    The me king which was summoned by RIno-chan had already vanished as the steam of vaporized seawater rose in the air.


    ¡¸Yeah, shall we go back? I¡¯m a bit worried about what happened over there.¡¹


    ¡¸Naturally it¡¯s Reiji-san¡¯s victory. There¡¯s no way he¡¯s gonna lose against such an opponent.¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re right.¡¹


    We wereughing.


    At that moment, I felt the extremely powerful pressure from afar.


    It seems Rino-chan had also felt the same since she was looking at the direction of Republic Ariadya.


    ¡¸Shirone-san¡­ This is¡­¡¹


    I nodded to Rino-chan.


    Suddenly, something akin to bad premonition hit me.


    ¡ôDemon Queen; Mona


    The projection of the battle between the hero of light against Lord Diehart could be seen from the sky above the throne room of Demon King castle.


    ¡¸Kukukuku, this scene is really something else. Seeing this makes me feel so refreshed for some reason. What about you, Mona?¡¹


    My dearest Modes-sama asked me of such a question.


    He was clearly enjoying this.


    ¡¸Yes¡­ I can¡¯t help but feel extremely surprised upon witnessing Lord Diehart¡¯s strength.¡¹


    Despite replying with such an answer, I didn¡¯t feel happy at all.


    Being shown in that reflection was the image of the Dark Knight one-sidedly beating the hero of light.


    That scene only brings forth more anxiety to me.


    Because wasn¡¯t that mean that the hero from another world who would beat Modes-sama was none other than Lord Diehart himself? Though it was just possible, the chance of him beating Modes-sama was even higher than that shi*tty hero.


    That¡¯s why with such consideration in my mind, I secretly ordered Ulbard to crush Lord Diehart.


    Ulbard then proceeded to create a n to crush both the Dark Knight and the hero of light by using the greenhorn called Zand.


    But, that useless idiot failed to meet my expectation.


    That¡¯s why this development didn¡¯t make me happy at all.


    Moreover, the people who stood behind us seemed to feel the same as me. All of them made frightened looks on their face.


    The one they were afraid of was Modes-sama.


    Because normally, Modes-sama would always smile kindly.


    And yet, the smile he showed right now was that of an extremely belligerent smile.


    Maybe, his blood was boiling upon seeing Lord Diehart¡¯s battle against that hero of light.


    And the people beside us who perceived Modes-sama¡¯s belligerent smile got frightened as a result.


    ¡¸GAHAHAHAHAHA. THAT HERO LITERALLY TURNED INTO A PUNCHING BAG. LORD DIEHART IS TRULY POWERFUL KUKUKUKU, HE MIGHT BE EVEN STRONGER THAN THIS MODES.¡¹


    Despite what he said, my dearest Modes still spoke of those words with a bright smile on his face.


    I could only feel anxious upon seeing that.


    ***


    ¡ôSerpent¡¯s Queen; Diadona


    The projection of the battle between the hero of light against Lord Diehart could be seen from the sky above the throne room of my pce.


    ¡¸Strong. That Dark Knight is really strong. You¡¯re absolutely no match for him.¡¹


    ¡¸ARE YOU TRYING TO PICK A FIGHT WITH ME, SERPENT QUEEN!!!!?¡¹


    Labrys was looking at me with the vexed look on his face as he shouted those words.


    ¡¸My bad Labrys. I¡¯ve no intention to make you angry.¡¹


    I calmed Labrys down.


    The ox-headed god turned his face away, clearly vexed by that fact.


    ¡¸Nevertheless, to think that Modes have such powerful Dark Knight amongst his subordinate¡­¡¹


    I looked at the reflection again.


    An image might be, but even that image was enough to tell me just how powerful and terrifying that Dark Knight was.


    Modes, the strongest god had such a powerful Dark Knight by his side.


    He was way too dangerous.


    I remember the information which I got from Zand, one of Zarxis¡¯ son.


    ¡¸As expected, we have no choice but to revive that¡­¡¹

 Chapter 81.3: Darkness That Swallowed The Light

    <h4>Chapter 81.3: Darkness That Swallowed The Light</h4>


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    In the magical projection that could be seen by all the citizens of the Republic of Ariadya was the image of Reiji, the hero of light, being beaten to a pulp without being able to as much as offering any semnce of fighting back against the Dark Knight.


    Though I tried to erase the projection which showed Reiji¡¯s defeat, I realized that I couldn¡¯t do that.


    Maybe someone had hijacked my magic. For that very reason, all citizens of Ariadya could see this projection even now.


    Even from where we stood, I could hear the despairing wail of Ariadya¡¯s citizens behind us.


    It was a huge blunder on my part for projecting the scene of Reiji¡¯s battle.


    I just said that Reiji was the hope of humanity, and yet, this image dropped them again to the depths of their despair.


    ¡¸WAIT CHIYUKI-SAN!! REI-KUN IS IN DANGER!! PLEASE SAVE HIM!!¡¹


    Sahoko ran all the way till the top of the rampart where we stood and spoke to me in a hurry.


    ¡¸Calm down, Sahoko-sama. We mustn¡¯t move carelessly to save dickhead-sama. Look, they¡¯re ready to make a move as soon as we make our move. We can only wait for Sh*trone-sama for now.¡¹


    Kaya who arrived beside Sahoko stopped thetter.


    Kaya¡¯s line of sight was looking at the Moonlight Goddess, or should I call her, the Silver Witch.


    Her power seems to be equal to or stronger than ours.


    Moreover, there was a demon race army waiting right behind the giant dragon.


    A war might break if we tried to save dickhead.


    ¡¸But, Rei-kun might die¡­¡¹


    Sahoko was looking at Reiji with a worried look on her face.


    That was only natural since Reiji was being beaten to a pulp right in front of her. He was getting beaten by an unarmed opponent though.


    ¡¸No, there¡¯s no danger to his life this time. Look, Kuroki-sama is going easy on him. If Kuroki-sama is serious, Reiji-sama would have already been dead since the beginning of their battle.¡¹


    I simply couldn¡¯t hide my shock upon hearing Kaya¡¯s remark.


    ¡¸Kaya-san. Is that true that he has yet to go¡­ all out?¡¹


    Kaya nodded in response to my question.


    ¡¸Indeed, Chiyuki-sama. Please take a look carefully, he has yet to use his sword.¡¹


    ¡¸AH!!!¡¹


    Kaya was right. He was using his bare hands instead of his sword to bash Reiji.


    And then, upon a closer look and seeing how Reiji was the one who kept attacking since the start of the fight, I could see that he was only toying with Reiji since thetter was asking for it.


    Which reminds me, the Dark Knight did try to evacuate before.


    He didn¡¯t feel like fighting and actually trying to prevent the situation from spiraling down even now.


    Only when I realized that he wouldn¡¯t kill Reiji did I feel relieved.


    ¡¸He¡¯s really powerful right, Kaya? What do you think the factors that make Kuroki-san so powerful?¡¹


    Kyouka asked with aplicated look on her face.


    For Kyouka, the Dark Knight was her benefactor. And the very same benefactor was turning her brother into a living sandbag right now.


    She might be torn inside as to whom she should cheer for.


    ¡¸I¡¯m also wondering about that. Why is he so strong? He¡¯s literally the exact opposite of what Shirone-san said about him being a weak man.¡¹


    I also asked Kaya.


    Shirone described him as an unsociable, weak, but kind person without any redeeming merit. And yet, when we actually met him for real, he was the exact opposite of what Shirone said about him.


    ¡¸That might be Shirone-sama¡¯s own misconceptions. From my perspective, he is a genius of martial arts. Even more than Reiji-sama¡­¡¹


    Every single one of us was at a loss for words upon hearing Kaya¡¯s remark.


    ¡¸But, ording to Shirone-san, he¡¯s really weak¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Geniuses are divided into those who awakened their talent since their birth and those who awakened their talentter. From what I know, Shirone-sama has rarely interacted with him after she joined Reiji-sama and co. His talent should have awakened during that time.¡¹


    Kaya told us her opinion while looking at the two battles.


    The difference between their strengths was obvious.


    Though Reiji didn¡¯t stop charging at the Dark Knight, none of his attacks could reach the Dark Knight.


    ¡¸No way, even though Rei-kun did his best¡­ even though he has been training every day¡­¡¹


    Sahoko spoke with a sad look on her face.


    ¡¸Oh my, if that¡¯s the case, Kuroki-san has never neglected his daily training either.¡¹


    Kyouka spoke while tilting her head upon hearing Sahoko¡¯s wail.


    She was right, I¡¯ve never even considered such possibilities.


    Who said that his opponent couldn¡¯t get stronger from training if Reiji was getting stronger from training too.


    Not even Reiji himself ever considered that matter and thus, ended up underestimating his opponent¡¯s growth.


    That¡¯s why there was no way he was going to win!!


    It became clear when I saw the fight between them.


    Reiji¡¯s face, which always had a carefree smile on his face, had be serious now.


    He no longer had the sameposure as when he fought Runfeld.


    ¡¸No way¡­ Rei-kun is losing.¡¹


    I could only look at their fight in silence.


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    He seems even weaker than before¡­


    Reiji¡¯s growth was far below my expectations.


    He attacked, yes, but his pattern was no different from before.


    The only thing that changed was the fact that he attacked with two swords instead of one.


    What in the hell was wrong with this situation? I expected that he would grow stronger than me by now.


    And yet, his growth didn¡¯t even meet a tenth of my expectations.


    I mean, I expected that Reiji who started training seriously will be even stronger than before.


    Naturally, I wouldn¡¯t let my guard down too.


    And yet, when I saw Reiji¡¯s current movements, I realized that he was slower than before, and his movements were literally asking me to telegraph a punch on his face, readable like an open book, no exquisite feint whatsoever, he just used his old tricks over and over again.


    Is this guy really trying to win against me? Are you sure that you¡¯re not asking me to turn you into a living punching bag?


    Reiji swung the sword in his right hand. His swing was too big, he was literally asking for a counter.


    I caught Reiji¡¯s right wrist with my left-hand and twisted his right-hand almost at the same time as I caught it.


    ¡¸GUH!!¡¹


    Reiji let out a pained voice.


    But, that didn¡¯t stop him from swinging the sword in his left hand.


    I used knife-hand to strike down that swing right after it started.


    The sword that he snatched from Runfeld fell to the ground. Runfeld and co should be able to retrieve that swordter.


    Reiji, who just dropped the sword in his left hand, then tried to use a kick on me.


    What a feat, it always came out of nowhere.


    I let go of his right-hand and retreated a few steps back.


    The kick missed its target and ended up hitting the empty space before me.


    When Reiji¡¯s posture crumbled due to that missed kick, I nailed my right fist into his face.


    ¡¸BUGYAAA!¡¹


    Reiji let out a funny scream as my punch sent him flying toward the ramparts.


    His body sunk into the third rampart.


    Even though I held back quite a lot of my power, it was still nailed perfectly since the target was full of openings.


    In a normal situation, that punch shouldn¡¯t be that powerful. Against a trained martial artist, that is. The problem was the fact that Reiji was never a martial artist.


    He was overly relying on surprise attacks by using his unique physical abilities which went across the board.


    His main attack method was circling around into his opponent¡¯s blind-spot with acrobatic-like movements.


    But, I just needed a simple trick to deal with that, and the flow of the battle would always be in my control.


    Rather, since all he did was make big moves, it left him with a huge opening once his attack missed.


    That¡¯s why my punch nailed perfectly and showed its maximum power with less strength.


    And this was the main reason why I didn¡¯t use my sword. He had way too many openings to the point that I would literally kill him by ident if I counterattacked with my sword, he was lucky when we foughtst time we fought in Nargol since I didn¡¯t put that much power when I showed him, otherwise, he would be a goner.


    That¡¯s why, though it was a little dangerous, I chose to fight him with my bare hand.


    ¡¸Not bad¡­¡¹


    He came charging at me again.


    You act like it was just a scratch, but your face has already swelled up like a balloon you know.


    I mean, are you sure you want to continue this useless fight when just my light punch could easily break your nose?


    ¡¸Still not giving up?¡¹


    ¡¸OF COURSE! I¡¯M RENA¡¯S CHOSEN HERO, AFTER ALL, THE HERO OF LIGHT, THE HERALD OF GOLDEN DAWN!! THOUGH YOU¡¯VE BEEN MANIPULATED BY THE DEMON KING, THERE¡¯S NO WAY I¡¯M GONNA LOSE TO YOU!!¡¹


    Reiji shouted as he readied his sword of light.


    He Who Heralds The Golden Dawn.


    I felt a headache upon hearing such a stupid deration.


    Regain the golden era of humanity he says.


    That sounds nice and heroic, the problem was the fact that such an era never existed.


    The monsters had already been roaming in this world even before the ancestors of humanity were created.


    This made me wonder who was the idiot who started to spread such nonsense?


    ording to my investigation, Elios¡¯ gods had nothing to do with this lie.


    It might have appeared naturally along with the long history of humanity.


    Humans were weak. They had no choice but to be afraid of monsters who were stronger than them.


    Such painful history might be the main reason for the propagation of this lie.


    Naturally, this might be the result of someone¡¯s lies.


    But, the humans who are always living in fear of monsters might be the reason why they could easily ept such lies instead of trusting the bitter reality before them.


    And then, they might hope that someday, that lie will be a reality.


    And the fabricated hero who would save them was the one called the herald of the golden dawn.


    Reiji and co happened to fit in such roles. Thus, they¡¯re hailed as the saviours of humanity.


    The monsters wouldn¡¯t disappear even if they killed Modes, nor would the golden dawn of humanity evere.


    Nevertheless, such lies became the only source of hope for humans to survive.


    But, I honestly didn¡¯t care about that.


    I¡¯m the protector of the Demon King, the Dark Knight. I didn¡¯t mind even if I became the symbol of despair for humanity.


    ¡¸AAAH!! F*CK!! FINE, AS YOU WISH THEN!! LET¡¯S SETTLE THIS AT ONCE!! COME ON, SHOW ME YOUR FULL STRENGTH, HERO OF LIGHT!! AND I SHALL CRUSH IT TO PIECES!!¡¹


    I took a stance, I decided to stop ying around and end this farce at once.


    ¡¸HERE I COME!! YOU CAN¡¯T DODGE THIS, DARK KNIGHT!!!¡¹


    Reiji¡¯s body shone brightly.


    He readied his sword and rushed at me.


    Reiji¡¯s body had literally turned into an arrow of light.


    I unleashed the full might of the dragon¡¯s power in my body.


    As a result, ck me and ck lightning were coiling around my body.


    Both of us then collided.


    I turned my arms which were protected by the ck me to cancel Reiji¡¯s power and then instantly loaded all my mana into my right fist.


    A momentter, a thunderous explosion resounded throughout the entirety of Ariadya.


    The only one left standing from that collision was only a single person, me.


    When I looked at Ariadya, it seemed that Reiji had blown away on top of the third rampart, broken through the upper portion of the second rampart, pierced through the first rampart andnded right in the za in front of the temple, creating a deep crater.


    I could hear Kuna¡¯s and co cheerful cries from behind me.

 Chapter 81.4: Darkness That Swallowed The Light

    <h4>Chapter 81.4: Darkness That Swallowed The Light</h4>


    Reiji¡¯s party members who saw our battle from on top of the third rampart were flying in hurry to the first rampart. I snapped out of my stupor upon seeing that.


    Oh crap¡­


    I ended up going all-out with myst attack. Did I just¡­ kill him by ident?


    Since I got really worried about it, I flew toward the za too.


    The beautiful za had already beenpletely smashed to pieces and been turned into a small crater when Reijinded on it.


    I stood in silence at the edge of the crater.


    Fortunately, no one was in the za right now, and I couldn¡¯t see anyone injured around the za aside from Reiji.


    I saw Reiji being supported by his women in the center of the crater.


    It seems he was safe.


    I heaved a sigh upon seeing that scene.


    Thank god I didn¡¯t identally kill Shirone¡¯s boyfriend.


    ¡¸You¡¯ve already won¡­¡¹


    The woman with ck long hair said so as she looked at me. She should be called Chiyuki.


    The other women were standing between me and Reiji.


    Well, I didn¡¯t even want to fight him to begin with though¡­ on the contrary, I wanted to evacuate to prevent the situation from spiraling down to the worst direction.


    I came here to make sure that I didn¡¯t identally kill him.


    ¡¸KUROKIIII¨D¨D¨D!!!WHAT ARE YOU DOING¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D!!!¡¹


    Suddenly, someone shouted from above.


    It seems Shirone hase. Should I just leave then?


    Shirone was flying quickly toward the injured Reiji.


    Another two women were following along from behind.


    ¡¸ARE YOU OKAY, REIJI-KUN?!!! KUROKI, WHY ARE YOU DOING SUCH A CRUEL THING TO REIJI-KUN!!? APOLOGIZE TO HIM!!!¡¹ [Note : What in the hell is this b*tch talking about? no wonder Kuroki has had enough with her.]


    Shirone red at me.


    ¡¸WAIT RIGHT THERE, SHIRONE!!!¡¹


    And then, Kuna came to my side in the next moment along with Glorious.


    Glorious¡¯ giant frame destroyed several buildings as theynded on the ground.


    Kuna came to my side after she descended from Glorious¡¯ back.


    ¡¸Silver Witch, Kuna.¡¹


    Shirone red at Kuna.


    ¡¸STOP MESSING AROUND WHEN A GOOD SCENE IS REACHING THE CLIMAX, SH*TRONE! KUROKI!! KUNA AND THE OTHERS WILL STOP THE HERO¡¯S WOMEN!! YOU GO FINISH UP THE HERO DURING THAT TIME!!¡¹


    I ended up saying ¡¸Eh?¡¹ upon hearing Kuna¡¯s remark. Stop, I had no intention to do that!!


    ¡¸YEAH!! KILL THE HERO!!¡¹


    ¡¸KILL THOSE WHO DARE TO DISOBEY OUR GREAT DEMON KING!!¡¹


    ¡¸JUDGMENT TO THE IDIOTS!!¡¹


    When I looked up, Runfeld and co were already flying above us, ready for the second round.


    STOP!! WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO DO NOW!? I¡¯VE TOLD YOU TO EVACUATE RIGHT!!?


    Runfeld and co started shouting ¡¸God of ck Storm¡¹ and ¡¸Darkness that swallowed the light¡¹.


    WTF?


    Were you guys trying to tell me to kill the hero?


    It¡¯s kinda forced.


    ¡¸PLEASE WAKE UP, KUROKI!! THIS GIRL IS DANGEROUS!! SHE SUMMONED GHOULS TO ARIADYA!! SHE¡¯S ALSO THE ONE WHO RELEASED MONSTERS IN THE UNDERGROUND WATERWAY!! SHE¡¯S TRYING TO BRING A CALAMITY INTO THIS COUNTRY!!¡¹


    Shirone pointed at Kuna.


    Ehm, what kind of nonsense was she talking about? I knew none of it though.


    I mean, Kuna and I arrived in Ariadya just a few days ago. I don¡¯t think she had that much spare time to make such a refined n.


    Well, I had no idea what she was talking about but, I knew of one thing, I couldn¡¯t just overlook the fact that Shirone just bad-mouthing Kuna for no reason.


    ¡¸Even if you¡¯re my childhood friend, I won¡¯t forgive you if you keep badmouthing Kuna for no reason. I finally got a cute girl like her and yet¡­ You kept bothering me, who do you think you are? Moreover, Kuna never had any intentions of bringing cmity into this country. So, if you want to hurt her¡­ don¡¯t think that I won¡¯t fight back like when we fought in Rox kingdom.¡¹


    Shirone made a desperate face upon hearing my deration.


    ¡¸WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! DID YOU HEAR THAT SH*TRONE!!! IT¡¯S KUNA¡¯S VICTORY!! KUROKI IS KUNA¡¯S!! HAHAHAHAHAHA, SERVE YOU RIGHT!! BLEEH!!¡¹


    Kuna embraced my left arm while sticking her tongue out toward Shirone.


    ¡¸LieS¡­ he¡¯s already¡­pletely¡­ brainwashed¡­¡¹


    Shirone shook her head as she staggered back.


    ¡¸HANG IN THERE SHIRONE-SAN!!!¡¹


    The girl who came along with Shirone rushed to support her.


    ¡¸WELL THEN, IT¡¯S TIME TO FINISH OFF THE HERO!! RIGHT, KUROKI!!¡¹


    Kuna separated herself from me as she pointed her scythe toward Shirone and co.


    Honestly, I really want to scream ¡°WAIT!¡± right now.


    Though it was true that I wanted to protect Kuna, I also didn¡¯t wish to kill Sh*trone and her idiotic friends¡­


    This was truly a difficult situation.


    ¡¸Stop right there!!!¡¹


    Suddenly, the sky above us was wrapped in brilliant light.


    And then, someone descended from that light.


    The one who descended was an extremely beautiful woman.


    She was being surrounded by fully armed female angels.


    The beautynded in space between Shirone and I.


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸RENA!!!¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹


    Shirone and co couldn¡¯t hide their surprise upon seeing the sudden appearance of the woman.


    Yes, the one who came was none other than Goddess of Wisdom and Victory; Rena.


    Naturally, I was really shocked by her sudden appearance too.


    The same went for everyone in this ce.


    ¡¸Rena, what are you doing here?¡¹


    Rena just replied with ¡¸Fufufu¡¹ upon hearing my question.


    The timing for her appearance was way too perfect.


    She might be looking at this situation from somewhere since some time ago, waiting for the perfect opportunity to show herself.


    Runfeld and co were really surprised by the sudden appearance of the angels.


    ¡¸Please withdraw for now, Kuroki. You¡¯ll at least hear this request of mine, right?¡¹


    Rena made such a request with a sweet and gentle smile on her face.


    But, I had to thank her for this perfectly timed appearance since we could withdraw safely with this situation.


    ¡¸Wait, what is wrong with you suddenly appearing like that and making such a request? ¡­ No, why does Kuna feel like you¡¯re familiar? Who are you?¡¹


    Kuna tilted her head as she asked those questions.


    ¡¸That¡¯s only natural, right? I¡¯m your original after all.¡¹


    ¡¸What¡¯s that mean? What are you talking about? But still, even if more of youe, Kuroki is invincible!! There¡¯s nothing that can stop us!!¡¹


    Kuna made such a deration as she pointed her scythe toward Rena.


    Runfeld and co¡¯s fighting spirit was also reignited upon hearing her encouragement.


    Eh, wait a minute. I think we should withdraw, you know¡­


    ¡¸Unfortunately for you, Kuroki cannot fight me. Now please remember, Kuroki!! Remember the memory of THAT night!!¡¹


    I felt some sort of magic wave from Rena entering my body.


    And then, the sealed memory of a certain night in Rox kingdom resurfaced.


    ¡¸OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!¡¹


    I screamed. HOW IN THE HELL DID I FORGET SUCH WONDERFUL MEMORIES¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D!!!


    ¡¸What¡¯s happening to you, Kuroki?¡¹


    Kuna asked anxiously upon seeing my unusual behaviour.


    Even the other people around were restless upon seeing the sudden change in my behaviour.


    Well I mean, it really can be helped. I was weak against this kind of thing.


    ¡¸WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO KUROKI?!!¡¹


    Kuna asked so while ring at Rena.


    ¡¸I¡¯m not doing anything. I just made him recall something. With this, Kuroki won¡¯t be able to fight. And all of you will have no choice but to withdraw from this ce.¡¹


    Rena spoke with a triumphant look on her face.


    It seems she was really into her role right now.


    Dammit, my lower half didn¡¯t want to listen to me too.


    Calm down!! Take it easy!! Your turn is not in this kind of ce, wait till I¡¯m alone with Kuna.


    ¡¸Sorry Kuna!! I don¡¯t think I can continue the fight in this state!! Let¡¯s withdraw from this ce!!¡¹


    I pulled Kuna and forced her to withdraw.


    I had a hard time walking properly since my lower half decided to enter strike mode on his own.


    ¡¸Uuh, I understand Kuroki¡­ Are you okay?¡¹


    I nodded upon hearing Kuna¡¯s question.


    It seems she was really worried about my condition.


    I apologized to Kuna in my heart, sorry for being a pervert.


    ¡¸Thanks, Kuna.¡¹


    And then, I looked at Runfeld and co who were floating in the air above.


    I had to make them withdraw from this ce too.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s not shed more of ourrades¡¯ blood! Everyone, withdraw! Demon King army, I order you to withdraw to thebyrinth!!¡¹


    I ordered Runfeld and co with a loud voice.


    They might feel dissatisfied but things would turn for the worse since the angels had alreadye to help Reiji and co.


    More fighting would only bring more victims on our side. That¡¯s why I gave a strict, retreat order.


    ¡¸Wait¡­ the victor¡­ has yet to be decided¡­¡¹


    And just when I was about to step back, an idiot decided to push the situation to enter the worst oue.


    Yes, the idiot was Reiji.


    It seems he still wants to continue our fight whose oue was already clear for everyone to see.


    His injuries had already healed by healing magic.


    But, he could barely stand on his feet. He was even propped up by the woman in white robe when he walked toward us.


    He was clearly not in the condition to fight.


    Just where in the hell were those gutsing from?


    ¡¸Reiji, stop it, the victory has already been decided.¡¹


    Rena stepped in to stop Reiji.


    ¡¸But Rena¡­ There¡¯s no way I¡¯m gonna show such ugly side of me in front of you¡­¡¹


    Hoo, such bravado despite being propped up by a woman. Well, he might not want to show his uncool side in front of Rena.


    Such bravado¡­ honestly, I admired his bravado, just a little though.


    ¡¸Please. It¡¯ll be a huge p¡ª I mean, I¡¯m also worried about you. Please step back for my sake.¡¹ [Note: Yes, Rena almost said ¡°What a big pain in the a*s¡± in the raw]


    Wait, is it just me or she was about to say ¡¸It¡¯ll be a huge pain in the a*s¡¹? Was there anyone else noticing this?


    But still, thanks to Rena¡¯s persuasion, Reiji finally epted his loss.


    He hung his head down with an extremely vexed look on his face.


    ¡¸¡­ I understand, Rena. I guess I mustn¡¯t make you worry about me. But, I have onest request¡­ Show me your face. I failed to remember your face in ourst fight. But, I¡¯ll make sure not to forget it this time.¡¹


    Hearing that, I thought ¡°Uwaa, this guy is serious.¡±.


    Could it be that he was nning to settle the score with me?


    If that was the case, no way in hell I¡¯m gonna show my face to you. I mean, it¡¯s scary.


    ¡¸I refuse. let¡¯s go back, everyone.¡¹


    Thus, I refused tly.


    ¡¸Does that mean that I¡¯m not even worthy enough to see your face?¡¹


    Reiji spoke with a vexed voice but why should I care about that.


    I mean, no, he even started to misunderstand on his own.


    But I didn¡¯t say anything to correct his misunderstanding since I didn¡¯t feel like it.


    I walked toward Glorious along with Kuna while bending forward a little bit.


    Dammit, walking in this posture was too hard.


    But, I couldn¡¯t help but recall the memories of that night whenever I saw Rena¡¯s face.


    That¡¯s why let¡¯s leave this ce as fast as possible.


    Glorious pped their wings after we rode on its back.


    With Glorious leading the way, Runfeld and co followed obediently.


    The Valkyries didn¡¯t go after us.


    Thus, we left Ariadya after blowing up a storm.

 Chapter 82.1: After the Storm(Act 5 Epilogue)

    <h4>Chapter 82.1: After the Storm(Act 5 Epilogue)</h4>


    ¡ôShizufae


    ¡¸The devil¡¯s armyes with a storm.


    They¡¯re led by the evil Dark Knight


    The Hero of Light fights back s


    He loses against the Dark Knight


    And then, the goddess of light descended


    the Dark Knight escaped in front of the goddess of light¡¯s power


    Thus, the human¡¯s capital is saved.¡¹


    A minstrel was singing in front of the temple of Goddess of Wisdom and Victory; Rena-sama.


    The visitors of the temple stopped to hear the song.


    Three days after the day of ck storm, there were so many people visiting the temple to pay homage to Rena-sama.


    I also came every day after that event.


    I mean, I just finished praying at the temple a while ago.


    Nevertheless, the waiting time was long for sure.


    ¡¸Shizufae~¡¹


    ¡¸Sis!!¡¹


    Big sis Keyna came over from the other side.


    ¡¸Have youe again to pray?¡¹


    Big sis Keyna asked with a dumbfounded look on her face.


    ¡¸Of course, justing once is far from enough to express my gratitude towards Rena-sama.¡¹


    Big sis Kayna came with me once the day after the ck storm incident and then stoppeding altogether. She shoulde more often to express her gratitude.


    I recalled the events that transpired during the ck storm.


    The devil¡¯s army that came along with the ck storm.


    And the one leading them was the Evil Dark Knight riding on top of a giant dragon.


    That Dark Knight was extremely powerful.


    He beat the Hero of Light; Reiji-sama, who beat the strongest Daemon Lord in the previous battle with ease.


    The scene in which he beat Reiji-sama was seen by so many people from the magic projection above the Republic of Ariadya.


    I also saw that scene from the ramparts.


    There was a huge hole in the ramparts.


    The Dark Knight could easily break through the solid ramparts made by the dwarves. That scenery reminded me again about the terrifying strength of the Dark Knight.


    That Dark Knight blew Reiji-sama¡¯s body away till thetter pierced through the solid rampart.


    Even now, the stone paving in front of the temple has yet to be fixed.


    And then, the Dark Knight approached to deliver the finishing blow to Reiji-sama and the devils flying in the air above Ariadya were raising cheerful cries.


    The citizens of the Republic of Ariadya despaired upon seeing the cheerful cries of the devils.


    I also cried, falling to my knees, thinking that we were doomed.


    The moment everyone thought so, Goddess Rena-sama, leading her army of angels, descended upon the Republic of Ariadya.


    We were so captivated by the halo of the beautiful goddess as she descended upon thisnd.


    And then, the Dark Knight was wailing in agony as he slouched forward because of the power of the Goddess Rena-sama.


    Though I only saw that from a magic projection, I was so deeply moved by that spectacle.


    The Dark Knight kept suffering in a slouching position and we were saved from peril.


    The other people who were also deeply moved by that scene decided to make a mural depicting that scene.


    Drawn on the mural was the figure of the Dark Knight, slouching forward in front of Rena-sama, this legend would be handed down forever in the Republic of Ariadya. [Note: Poor Kuroki, Dark-slouching-Knight.]


    And then, the people who saw the mural would once again realize the greatness of Rena-sama.


    ¡¸Well, you¡¯re right about that¡­ but still,ing here so many times is just impossible.¡¹


    Big sis Keyna spoke with a weary voice as she looked at the long line of people who came to offer their prayers.


    There were so many people as if there was some sort of festival.


    Rena-sama¡¯s temple was a huge one and yet, it wasn¡¯t big enough to aodate this many people, that¡¯s why the rest of the people were crowding outside of the temple.


    It was why it took a really long time for me to even pay a homage in Rena-sama¡¯s temple.


    Even Leylia-san, the priestess of Rena-sama, was really busy dealing with the visitors.


    ¡¸Then, you can at least start praying from now, big sis Keyna.¡¹


    To be honest, I thought that big sis Keyna should¡¯ve gone inside to give her prayers to Rena-sama¡¯s statue inside the temple too. But, lining up for hours just to pray seemed to be ill-suited for big sis Keyna.


    ¡¸Well, if it¡¯s just that¡­¡¹


    Big sis Keyna then gave a simple prayer as she said so.


    I also followed after her.


    Rena-sama, thank you very much for saving our lives.


    ***


    ¡ôChiyuki


    A lot of people gathered in the temporary theater made outside of the rampart. The y was a special y dedicated to Goddess Rena.


    There was a loud voice giving a praise to Goddess Rena who they believed had driven away the devil army which had been dubbed as ¡¸ck Storm¡¹.


    Sienna, who put on her make-up, was performing on the stage.


    It seems that the Donkey¡¯s Ear trope decided to perform as soon as their star actress returned.


    The y was the same as they¡¯d initially nned,¡¸Arfelia¡¹.


    By the way, they modified the script and made it so that Goddess Rena would appear in the y.


    Rena would appear in thest part of the y when Princess Arfelia is about to be defeated by the witch.


    In fact, many other ys aside from ¡¸Arfelia¡¹ were also modified to make Rena appear in thest stage of the y.


    Naturally, she acted like a Deus Ex Machina and brought a conclusion to chaotic situations in the story.


    I mean, even the ¡¸ck Storm¡¹ incident that almost destroyed the Republic of Ariadya was also settled down by Rena.


    Yeah, she settled it down so easily just like in these ys.


    ¡¸She¡¯s so beautiful, right, Chiyuki-san?¡¹


    Nao, who sat beside me, spoke as she looked at Sienna who was performing on the stage.


    Sienna, who moved like a dancer on the stage, was truly beautiful.


    I heardter from her that she was staying in Regena¡¯s mansion along with Shirone¡¯s childhood friend during her disappearance.


    It seems she wasn¡¯t treated badly during her stay. Rather, she told us that she was treated like a guest during her stay.


    I guess that was to be expected since he saved my life twice, spared Reiji¡¯s life too, so he shouldn¡¯t be a bad person.


    But then, why did he choose to serve the Demon King?


    The reason for that was most likely that Silver Witch; Kuna.


    It seems she was the daughter of the Demon King.


    I was really surprised when I heard that ugly Demon King had such a beautiful daughter.


    ording to Regena, she came to Ariadya for sightseeing along with the Dark Knight. But, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to trust that.


    I mean, she definitely had something to do with the monsters in the underground waterway and the ghouls.


    I mean, she was the one who told us toe to the underground waterway after all.


    Though she was always in Nargol this entire time, it didn¡¯t restrict her from using her subordinates.


    But then, I heard from Sienna that the Silver Witch also gave a hint to save her big brother, Decius.


    Her two-faced actions gave me a headache in trying to figure out which one was the true her.


    But, seeing that we met the Daemon Lord Ulbard in the underground waterway, I was sure that she was nning to bring some sort of cmity to Ariadya .


    ¡¸Yeah. Look, Shirone-san. Sienna-san is really beautiful.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah¡­ Chiyuki-san.¡¹


    Hearing her lifeless reply, I realized that her body might be in this ce but her mind was wandering elsewhere.


    It seems she had yet to recover from the shock of seeing her childhood friend protecting the Silver Witch.


    ¡¸Geez, Shirone-san. It really can¡¯t be helped that he acted in that way since he was being controlled by that Silver Witch. Right, Rino-san?¡¹


    I asked for Rino¡¯s cooperation who came along with us to see the theatrical y.


    ¡¸Yeah, maybe. It seems Rena¡¯s mind magic was also working on him. He might be affected by an extremely power charm magic.¡¹


    ording to Rino, Rena had used magic to cancel the effects of mind magic.


    By the way, though there were several mind magics such as charm magic or forgetfulness magic, Rino didn¡¯t seem to be able to see what kind of magic was used to control him.


    But normally speaking, it should be charm magic.


    Depending on the user and their target, the effect of charm magic might be stronger.


    And Silver Witch was definitely a beauty rivaling that of Rena.


    Any men would easily sumb under the charm of such beauty,


    ¡¸That¡¯s right, Shirone-san. We can still save him. It seems the charm can¡¯t be perfectly canceled, but Rena¡¯s magic showed us that the mind magic used by the Silver Witch isn¡¯t perfect. We can still take him back.¡¹


    I tried to cheer on Shirone.


    ¡¸Yeah, I understand, Chiyuki-san.¡¹


    Shirone replied with a feeble voice.


    ¡¸By the way, there¡¯s something that I¡¯ve been wondering about, supposed that he¡¯s not being controlled with magic, could it be that he is actually given into temptation due to the Silver Witch¡¯s beauty?¡¹


    Nao was right, there was also that possibility.


    In the first ce, the one who told us about this possibility was Kaya.


    Kaya had returned to the Holy Republic of Lenaria along with Kyouka.


    It seems she had neglected her job during the mission to save us from thebyrinth until now.


    ¡¸U~hn. Sure enough, since Kuroki isn¡¯t that popr with girls, I¡¯m sure that he easily sumbed to such temptation. If Kuroki really isn¡¯t under the control of magic, then I have no choice but to wake him up with my fist of fury.¡¹


    Shirone clenched her fist as she dered so.


    ¡¸Well¡­ Please hold back a little, okay.¡¹


    I stopped Shirone before she went too far.


    Honestly, the expression on her face right now was downright scary.


    ¡¸That¡¯s strange, Shirone-san. I mean, Your childhood friend is actually quite good looking, and he seems to be a kind and gentle person too, so why is he unpopr with girls?¡¹


    Rino asked with a curious look on her face.


    Sure enough, that¡¯s also something that I¡¯ve been wondering about. Normally speaking, it shouldn¡¯t be that difficult for him to get a girlfriend with his appearance and personality.


    ¡¸Aah, Kuroki has this habit of looking at cute girls with an extremely lewd look on his face. Maybe he looks at every girl with that kind of look on his face.¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡­¡¹


    Rino¡¯s face slightly stiffened upon hearing that.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve told him so many times to stop looking at every girl with that kind of face, but it seems to be some sort of habit for him. It seems he tried to fix that habit by trying to make to look like that he doesn¡¯t see them but¡­ it backfired and made the other party feel that he¡¯s up to no good and stop approaching him.¡¹


    Shirone told us so while massaging her temple.

 Chapter 82.2: After the Storm(Act 5 Epilogue)

    <h4>Chapter 82.2: After the Storm(Act 5 Epilogue)</h4>


    ¡¸Then¡­ did he also have the same look when he was looking at you, Shirone-san?¡¹


    Rino drew back a little bit upon asking that.


    ¡¸Yeah, and it was especially bad when I came into his room wearing a mini skirt. But well, since we¡¯ve known each other from childhood and I know that he¡¯s not the kind of man who will assault women, I¡¯m pretty much used to it. I think the people who aren¡¯t used to it react just like you though. After that, this girl who saw Kuroki from afar asked me to introduce her to Kuroki but, well, she drew back as soon as I told her the contents of the p*rn book hidden under Kuroki¡¯s bed. That¡¯s why Kuroki¡¯s never had a girlfriend¡­¡¹


    ¡¸I see now¡­¡¹


    Yeah, it was only natural for those girls to draw away from him since Shirone told them about the contents of the p*rn book hidden beneath his bed.


    I hope she stops doing something like checking the p*rn books under his bed. It¡¯s a breach of privacy. And even if she did, she shouldn¡¯t tell anyone about it.


    It seems the poor childhood friend didn¡¯t even have something like privacy when it came to Shirone.


    ¡¸Yup, that might be the reason they drew away¡­¡¹


    ¡¸I feel the same as you, Rino-chan¡­¡¹


    The two spoke in agreement while making a disgusted face.


    ¡¸But still¡­ It¡¯s pretty much impossible to get along with him even if we manage to take him back¡­¡¹


    I mean, being exposed to a lewd gaze around the clock was pretty much impossible.


    He had no choice but to stay in the base, house-sitting. [Note: And have Renae to f*ck him]


    After that, we shifted our focus back to the theatrical y to avoid topics about him.


    On the stage, Sienna, who yed as the princess, defeated the witch.


    Honestly speaking, the woman who acts as witch should be Ainoe. But, Ainoe had escaped along with the Lesser Daemon.


    That was why the role of the witch was switched with a masked actress. Despite being a substitute, the masked actress disyed an excellent performanceparable to the full-time stage actress.


    Finally, the y came to a close and all the cast members returned to the back stage.


    ¡¸Chiyuki-dono, I heard that you¡¯de to see the y too.¡¹


    Someone then called out to us when we were about to take our leave.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Decius-dono?¡¹


    The one who called out to us was Decius. He should be still busy with the post-processing work after the ¡¸ck Storm¡¹ incident.


    ¡¸I came to make a report since the post-processing ended faster than I expected. Come to think of it, I didn¡¯t see Reiji-dono and Kyouka-dono today? I came to express my gratitude for the reconstruction fund that Kyouka-dono has provided for us, but¡­¡¹


    Decius spoke while looking around.


    Reiji was responsible for half of the reconstruction fund to rebuild Republic Ariadya.


    Well, all of it was in fact funds provided by Kaya and Kyouka. They just put it under Reiji¡¯s name.


    But then, the thing that I was worried about was the fact that Regena also provided the other half of the reconstruction fund. The thing I¡¯m worried about is the origin of Regena¡¯s money.


    ¡¸Reiji-kun is still being treated by Sahoko-san. His wound isn¡¯t a big deal, the real problem is his exhausted mana. That¡¯s why he¡¯s resting for now.¡¹


    Reiji was currently under medical care from Sahoko.


    Though there was no danger to Reiji¡¯s life, he¡¯d consumed most of his mana during the fight against Shirone¡¯s childhood friend.


    Even Reiji, with his vast amount of mana, couldn¡¯t win even after he exhausted all his mana. It reminded me again just how much of a monster his opponent, Shirone¡¯s childhood friend, the Dark knight was.


    And then, since his endurance and recovery ability took a nosedive when he exhausted his mana, Reiji had a hard time recovering naturally.


    In addition, healing magic didn¡¯t work for his depleted mana since it wasn¡¯t an injury.


    Though there was a drug that promoted mana recovery, the drug was far from enough to recover Reiji¡¯s vast amount of mana. Though Elios seems to have such a drug, I heard that it was pretty rare even for them.


    But then, since mana would recover just by sleeping, it was pretty much not a big deal even without that rare drug.


    For that reason, Reiji was currently put under special sleep to recover his mana. Well, he should wake up sooner orter.


    ¡¸I see. I guess that makes sense. Well then, the report is about the devils who retreated. It seems they retreated into thebyrinth and have turned it into their base.¡¹


    ¡¸I see, thebyrinth, huh¡­¡¹


    It was the ce that used to be ruled by the evil god, Labrys.


    And now, ording to Decius¡¯ report, it was now under the control of the demon king.


    But, honestly, I didn¡¯t feel like recapturing it.


    ¡¸And then, about the damage report¡­ How should I say, I don¡¯t know whether to call it blessing in disguise or not, but none of Ariadya¡¯s citizen died during this incident. However, there are still some freedom fighters that haven¡¯t returned from underground waterway.¡¹


    Decius spoke with a grim look on his face.


    It seems that many freedom fighters had fallen victim to the ratmans.


    The damage might¡¯ve been even worse if Sienna hadn¡¯t used her flute back then.


    The humans who were changed into ratmen were returned to being human with Sahoko¡¯s magic. They were also currently under medical care.


    But, I had no idea whether all the ratmen had already transformed back into humans.


    It seems that those with poor hearing and those who couldn¡¯t walk around have yet to be lured out of the underground waterway.


    I wanted to ask Sienna to y the flute again, but it seems she returned it to the Dark Knight along with her katana. That¡¯s why the flute was no longer in this country.


    ¡¸And then, regarding Ainoe-dono, we honestly have no idea about her whereabouts. The witch hunters are really frustrated over this matter.¡¹


    Witch hunters were the people who hunted those who made a contract with an evil god and daemons despite being human. They were volunteers from Rena¡¯s faith, Faeria¡¯s faith and Oudith¡¯s faith, where the witch hunter regarded witches as abominable beings.


    I heard that the promoter was the professor of the university and Oudith¡¯s priest.


    Though they¡¯re not regarded as the official members of Oudith¡¯s faith, they dared to act boldly in their hunt. They were more relentless than hunting hounds and their torture methods were simply beyond cruel.


    In addition, they didn¡¯t even hesitate to getpletely unrted bystanders involved if it was for their hunt and thus are regarded as an extremist organization.


    There was no doubt about it, there¡¯s only cruel torture waiting for Ainoe once they find her.


    ¡¸Haa, her whereabouts aside. It seems she doesn¡¯t have any important information¡­ Moreover, even if we find her, there¡¯s no way we¡¯re going to hand her over to the witch hunters.¡¹


    We didn¡¯t actually care about her since she didn¡¯t have any important information with her. But then, we also didn¡¯t want to send her to the witch hunters since their torture methods were simply too much.


    ¡¸Indeed. The witch hunters do go a little bit too far in that regard. They even dared to put my little sister, Sienna, in their suspect list.¡¹


    Decius spoke with a slightly indignant look on his face.


    He seems to have a bad impression about them after they put his little sister on their suspect list.


    Sienna didn¡¯t have any contract with a daemon. Though that matter was as clear as day, the witch hunters weren¡¯t convinced.


    Thus, I gave them my guarantee that she wasn¡¯t a witch.


    The witch hunters had no choice but to withdraw since it was a guarantee from me, the hero¡¯srade. I mean, they might put Sienna through torture right away if I hadn¡¯t given my guarantee.


    ¡¸Well, anyhow, we have an even more urgent matter at hand now. We have no leeway to think about Ainoe¡¯s whereabouts right now.¡¹


    I said so while shaking my head.


    I mean, we need to investigate the Silver Witch right now.


    Thus, I started to ponder about the girl with silver hair again.


    ***


    ¡ôSienna


    ¡¸SIENNA!! WHAT¡¯S WITH YOUR PERFORMANCE JUST NOW!! IF I¡¯M PUT IN YOUR POSITION, I CAN DO IT MUCH BETTER!!¡¹


    After the two of us retreated to the backstage tent, A, who had just taken off her mask, scolded me.


    Even when she changed her face, her character was still the same as before.


    A¡¯s face wasn¡¯t her real face. She changed her face with magic. That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t need to wear a mask to hide her face.


    But, those with high magical power could see through her disguise. And when that happened, the witch hunters would definitelye to arrest her.


    That¡¯s why she wore her mask to avoid such a situation and yed her role while wearing the mask.


    I remember the time when I was questioned by the witch hunters.


    They were suspicious of me having a contract with a Daemon since I had the katana entrusted to me by that person.


    Naturally, I denied all their usations.


    I mean, that person wasn¡¯t a daemon- they were an even higher existence.


    Thus, I never made a pact with daemon.


    But, the witch hunters who used lie detection magic didn¡¯t seem to understand that fact.


    They might have tortured me if not for my big brother and the hero¡¯srade¡¯s interference.


    To be honest, that was such a close call.


    After that, I returned the katana and the flute to that person via Regena-san. I¡¯m really d I did it before the witch hunters came to interrogate me.


    I mean, they were definitely going to confiscate those items when they found it.


    ¡¸Yeah yeah, thank you for your guidance. Aino¡ª I mean, A-san.¡¹


    Woops, I almost called out to her by her real name.


    The woman called Ainoe was no more. Instead, she was reborn as a woman called A.


    As for the reason why she was staying in this ce, well, I had to say that it was due to my request to that person.


    I mean, no one in our troupe was skilled enough to rece her. She was the backbone of our troupe.


    Thus, she returned to this ce.


    The only ones who knew about this matter were Leader Midas and I.


    Leader Midas wasn¡¯t the type of person who would fuss over whether Ainoe-san was a witch or not as long as it was rted to theater y.


    Naturally, she also epted her return to the theater.


    In the first ce, she wasn¡¯t the type of person who could abandon theater considering it was what she loved the most.


    I mean, she should have been able to raise her fame fairly easily as long as she asked the lesser daemon she was contracted with.


    And yet, she never did that.


    Because that is just how much Ainoe¡­ or should I call her with her current name, A loved theatrical y.


    Thus, she agreed to my proposal immediately.


    That was how she made hereback to the theatrical stage.


    Naturally, I had no intentions of yielding the lead role to her.


    There was still a possibility of her trying to kill me, but I felt that such possibility was quite low due to a certain reason.


    ¡¸Another quarrel?¡¹


    And then, someone entered our waiting room.


    ¡¸Regena-san!!¡¹


    ¡¸Regena-sama!!¡¹


    A and I stopped our quarrel at once to greet her.


    Regena-san was our patron, that¡¯s why there was nothing wrong with hering to our tent.


    ¡¸Please stop these useless quarrels, my dear master entrusted the two of you to me after all.¡¹


    Regena-san spoke with a troubled look on her face.


    ¡¸That¡¯s a misunderstanding, Head Priest-sama. We¡¯re not quarrelling¡­¡¹


    A spoke with a business smile on her face.


    ¡¸A-san, Sienna-san is receiving direct support from my dear master. Please hold back from hurting her.¡¹


    Though Regena-san was smiling, her eyes were radiating piercing cold killing intent.


    A¡¯s face was dyed in fear. Well, it was only natural for her to get that scared. I mean, Regena-san was the apostle of the Dark Knight who had brought fear to the whole of Ariadya. It might be only a portion, but she could use a part of that person¡¯s power. If she felt like it, she could beat a few human heroes all at once with ease.


    And then, the will of that person was an absolute order for Regena-san. If A tried to hurt me, she would lose her ce in the theatre.


    That¡¯s why she would never go as far as trying to kill me again.

 Chapter 82.3: After the Storm(Act 5 Epilogue)

    <h4>Chapter 82.3: After the Storm(Act 5 Epilogue)</h4>


    It was alsorgely thanks to Regena-san pulling strings from behind the scenes by using her certain connections with the hero of light that the witch hunters didn¡¯t dare do anything to us. We were saved by her.


    ¡¸Uhm. Regena-sama. I think this much is okay.¡¹


    Suddenly, someone came out from behind Regena.


    It was the lesser daemon with a ck goat head, Zeal. It seems he¡¯d hidden his figure until now.


    ¡¸The same goes for you, Zeal-san. It¡¯s thanks to my dear master that you¡¯ve been pardoned and allowed to return to Nargol. You better not have any ideas about betraying him.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. I have the utmost gratitude towards His Excellency.¡¹


    Zeal bowed to Regena when thetter warned the lesser daemon.


    This lesser daemon called Zeal had an unexpectedly timid personality. I used to think that devils were an extremely terrifying beings, but it didn¡¯t seem to be the case.


    Currently, Zeal was working in thebyrinth. The reason he came to Ariadya was nothing more than to see Ainoe¡¯s situation.


    It was only a while ago that I heard about the situation with Zeal and Ainoe for the first time.


    Years ago, Zeal, who realized that he unknowingly betrayed the Demon King, was masquerading as a human and drinking his sorrows over being unable to go back to Nargol away in one of the many bars here.


    That day, he met Ainoe, who danced with a mncholic look on her face- the same look that he had at that time.


    Zeal, who felt something upon seeing Ainoe¡¯s dance, then proposed to assist her.


    Nevertheless, the way I looked at devils had already changed due to my first-hand experience during thetest event.


    The citizens of this country feared that person, the Dark Knight, as a symbol of fear.


    But, I saw the lewd look on his face when I showed my dance to him and couldn¡¯t bring myself to think of him as a terrifying person.


    The person himself didn¡¯t seem to realize that fact but it was actually really obvious from a third party¡¯s perspective.


    Naturally, I never told my big brother about this matter. I mean, I was also a witch in a certain sense.


    Different from the god ofw, Oudith, or Faeria-sama, the creed of goddess of love; Ishtar-sama was a god of freedom of love without bounds. That¡¯s why it was okay for me to love anyone, even if the other party was the Dark Knight.


    That person, the Dark Knight, seems to have already returned to Nargol.


    I want to know, what is he doing right now?


    ***


    ¡ôUlbard


    I was currently bowing down in the audience room of the Demon King¡¯s castle.


    ¡¸Lord Ulbard, I¡¯ll entrust the management of thebyrinth to you.¡¹


    His Majesty the Demon King gave his decree.


    Thebyrinth was a ce located far away from the Demon King castle and used to be ruled by a certain evil god.


    As someone whose position is simr to an aide of His Majesty the Demon King, which I took pride in, this decree was akin to a demotion.


    But, I had no choice but to ept it.


    ¡¸Yes. This servant humbly epts Your Majesty¡¯s decree.¡¹


    I bowed even deeper than before.


    I knew that both Myurenas and Zephyrus were looking at me with a cold, piercing look in their eyes.


    It was mortifying but I had no choice but to endure it.


    Even if they looked at me like that, this treatment could be considered as ¡°mild.¡± I heard His Excellency had spoken in my stead, asking to reduce my punishment. Thus, I was sent to manage thebyrinth, a ce far away from the Demon King¡¯s castle.


    Nevertheless, I never expected that His Excellency¡¯s strength surpassed all of my expectations.


    I looked at Mona-sama who stood beside His Majesty the Demon King.


    Mona-sama was acting like this matter had nothing to do with her.


    She was the one who¡¯d ordered me to dispose of His Excellency in secret but now all of us knew that it was an impossible feat. Reason being, he was simply too powerful, no amount of deceit could defeat such an absolute strength.


    Thus, Mona-sama had pretty much abandoned her ns to dispose of His Excellency in secret. Because even Runfeld, who was under house arrest for now, was no match against Your Excellency.


    Plus, His Excellency seems to have received his own territory as an aftermath of this incident and he was pretty satisfied with that.


    Thus, I reminded myself again that we should never try to provoke a dragon¡¯s wrath no matter how docile they seem to be, ever.


    ***


    ¡ôKuroki


    ¡¸Thanks a lot, Kuroki. Thanks to you Lord Runfeld were able to return alive and well.¡¹


    Modes, who returned from the audience chamber, thanked me.


    Under his own insistence, Runfeld was put under house arrest.


    Though that punishment seemed to be too light, we had no choice since no one could rece him. We couldn¡¯t punish him with a heavier punishment.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t mind it, Modes. Lord Runfeld is an important person for Nargol. There¡¯s no way I can let such an important man die. That aside, the movements of the evil gods have been on my mindtely, but¡­¡¹


    Currently, there was no one but Modes and I in this room.


    Thanks to that fact, both of us could speak as friends without a formal tone.


    It was a scene that couldn¡¯t be seen bymon people.


    ¡¸Diadone and the others, huh.¡¹


    I nodded upon hearing Modes¡¯ remark.


    The Serpent Queen Diadona was the 3rd major force who was hostile toward both Elios¡¯ god and Modes¡¯ faction.


    In addition, they were nning to do something and move in secret.


    ¡¸Yes. I¡¯ve been wondering about what she¡¯s trying to do.¡¹


    I took out the flute that I received back from Sienna.


    This flute seems to be able to control specific types of monster.


    ording to Modes¡¯ story, the merman in the Saird inlet had a simr flute. There might be some sort of connection between the two.


    ¡¸That matter is still under investigation. I can¡¯t let you do all the work. Let the others to do this investigation for you.¡¹


    Diadona was building her power in the western part of the continent to oppose Nargol. Modes had already sent his subordinates to go there to investigate.


    ¡¸Thanks a lot. But, notify me immediately if something happens. I¡¯m ready to move anytime.¡¹


    I left the room after I told him so.


    ¡¸By the way, Kuroki.¡¹


    I stopped when Modes called me again.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Modes?¡¹


    ¡¸Did something happen between you and Rena?¡¹


    ¡¸Ugh!¡¹


    I slouched forward the moment he said Rena¡¯s name.


    STOP, LITTLE ME!! STOP ACTING WILDLY WHENEVER I REMEMBER THAT CERTAIN NIGHT IN ROX KINGDOM!!


    That time Rena had used her time maniption magic. She¡¯d created a barrier and prolonged the passage of time inside that barrier.


    In that way, we¡¯d spent an extremely wonderful two weeks together. We went at it like rabbits in heat until both of us copsed from exhaustion.


    Really now, how did I forget about such a wonderful experience?


    I mean, even now, I can still remember those moments vividly in my head.


    It seems I wouldn¡¯t be able to erase those wonderful memories. I mean, whenever I recall those memories, Rena¡¯s nice, curvy figure immediatelyes to mind.


    Something like this wouldn¡¯t settle down so easily.


    ¡¸Is something the matter?¡¹


    ¡¸No, I¡¯m okay. Well, there¡¯s nothing special between Rena and I.¡¹


    To be honest, something DID happen but Rena was Modes¡¯ enemy.


    It wasn¡¯t something that I could tell others.


    ¡¸Are you okay, Kuroki? you seem to be in pain.¡¹


    Modes was looking at me with a worried look on his face.


    ¡¸No. It¡¯s nothing. There¡¯s no problem at all. Well then, I guess this is it for today¡­¡¹


    I left the room while showing such an unsightly, slouching posture in front of Modes.


    ***


    ¡ôKuna


    Kuna sat on the throne of the sweet¡¯s castle that had already be Kuna¡¯s castle.


    The sweet¡¯s throne was made smaller to match Kuna¡¯s stature.


    Since there was an additional cotton candy cushion padding the seat, sitting on this throne was reallyfortable.


    Currently, Kuroki isn¡¯t in the castle. He was called away by the demon king castle.


    ¡¸How do you feel about your new body, Zand?¡¹


    I asked the clown in front of my eyes.


    ¡¸Thank you very much, Kuna-sama. This wooden doll body feels really nice.¡¹


    Zand was dancing. It was aical dance, theplete opposite of Sienna¡¯s beautiful dance.


    Well, that body did suit him.


    I gave Zand a wooden doll body which allowed him to move around. Kuna wascking pawns to move around. That¡¯s why let¡¯s make full use of this fe.


    As a finisher, I even added a mask to cover his unsightly face.


    ¡¸Now then, work your hardest for Kuroki and Kuna. Destroy Kuroki¡¯s enemies.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Kuna-sama.¡¹


    Kuroki was a little bit too kind.


    He¡¯d even pardoned the low-lives who tried to kill him.


    For that reason, Kuna would be the de that eradicated his enemies.


    Kuna touched the ring in her finger.


    This ring was something that was bound to Kuna and the proof of her bond with Kuroki.


    That¡¯s why she needs someone else to move for her.


    ¡¸For now, keep a watch on the heroes. Make sure that you hide your presence too, Zand. Understand?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes!¡¹


    Zand¡¯s figure vanished after she said so. Zand¡¯s ability to bypass any kind of barrier unnoticed was most suited ability to gather information.


    Well then, since it¡¯s about the time for Kuroki to return from the demon king castle, let¡¯s go out to wee him.


    I went to the clothing room.


    ¡¸Now then, let see which one I should wear this time.¡¹


    Sienna had imparted so much knowledge to please Kuroki to me.


    My lower abdomen was bing hot just by recalling the content of that knowledge.


    Kuroki is mine, I won¡¯t give him to anyone else.


    Naturally, not even to that Goddess of Wisdom and Victory, Rena, who¡¯d appeared that time.


    ¡¸Nevertheless, who in the world is that goddess? Why she has simr face to Kuna?¡¹


    ***


    ¡ôRena


    ¡¸Rena-sama, please stop acting recklessly like that¡­¡¹


    Nier spoke to me with a worried look on her face.


    Nier had long since known about my pregnancy. Naturally, I wasn¡¯t stupid enough to tell her about the father of this child.


    I have to rest periodically since I was pregnant.


    But, I couldn¡¯t help but keep wanting to move around.


    ¡¸I know Nier. I¡¯ll rest properly this time.¡¹


    I went back to Elios right after Kuroki and co retreated. So now, I¡¯ll rest properly this time.


    ¡¸You must, Rena-sama. Well then, I shall excuse myself. Please call me whenever you need anything.¡¹


    Nier left my room after she excused herself.


    ¡¸Well then, it seems I really need to rest this time. Plus, I also need some sort of excuse to not leave my room.¡¹


    I brushed my hand over my slightly bulging stomach.


    The matter of my pregnancy was a secret. I only told a few tight-lipped people about my pregnancy.


    I mean, Thors was definitely going to flip out once he heard about my pregnancy. That was something that I wanted to avoid at all costs.


    Since my stomach would only be bigger and bigger after this, it was pretty much impossible for me to leave for the time being.


    If they saw my inted stomach, they would definitely discover my pregnancy. Therefore, I needed a solid reason to not leave this room.


    Since many were still under the misconception that I¡¯d fallen in love with that idiotic d*ckhead, let¡¯s make full use of him by saying that I, who¡¯s grieving by his loss, am refusing to leave my room.


    ¡¸Good grief, why do I have to handle all of these troublesome things? I¡¯ll make sure that you¡¯ll pay for this, Kuroki¡­¡¹


    I smiled upon recalling Kuroki¡¯s state at that time.

 Chapter 83.1: Elios’ Goddesses

    <h4>Chapter 83.1: Elios¡¯ Goddesses</h4>


    ¡ôGoddess of Knowledge and Books; Totona


    The sky garden of Elios located above the clouds was always overflowing with light.


    The nts in the garden that took root in the clouds were blooming in various beautiful colours.


    The river that flows by the garden reflected the sunlight, almost as if it had turned into a sea of stars.


    The reflection of the sunlight was far more beautiful than the scenery of the blooming flowers inside the garden.


    There were a lot of beautiful ships floating around the garden while goddesses wereughing merrily inside the garden.


    The female angels and high-elves were singing and dancing around the flying ships.


    Anyone would think that this garden was beautiful the moment theyid their eyes on it.


    Maybe it wasn¡¯t wrong to call this ce one of the most beautiful ces in this world.


    Nevertheless, this ce was way too bright for me.


    That¡¯s why I never liked this ce.


    I was already satisfied just by seeing it from afar. But then, I had no choice but toe since my sister Fanacea had told me toe.


    And just as I expected, I¡¯vee to regret this decision.


    ¡¸TOTONA!! WHAT¡¯S WITH THAT APPEARANCE!!!!!? AREN¡¯T YOU EMBARRASSED COMING HERE WITH SUCH UNSIGHTLY CLOTHES!!!?¡¹


    My mother, Faeria, who sat in the seat of honor above the flying shipsunched into a full-blown sermon as soon as she saw my attire.


    The angels were flustered upon hearing my mother¡¯s angry voice.


    My mother, who hailed as the goddess of childbirth and marriage, was an existence that stood above every angel and goddess of Elios. That¡¯s why she wore the most gorgeous clothes amongst the goddesses.


    From my mother¡¯s perspective, my current appearance definitely looks unsightly.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t think my clothes are that unsightly. There¡¯s no need to feel ashamed of my attire.¡¹


    ¡¸What are you talking about!! Take a look around!!¡¹


    My mother pointed around with an angry voice.


    The female angels and goddesses who belonged to Elios had gathered in this ce.


    All of them came wearing beautiful clothes.


    No one was wearing dark, gloomy clothes like me.


    From a third-person perspective, I look like a crow amongst beautiful looking birds.


    ¡¸Dear mother! Please don¡¯t me Totona! She¡¯s going to seclude herself again!¡¹


    My sister who stood beside me spoke for me.


    And sure enough, our mother stopped her preaching upon hearing my sister¡¯s remark.


    ¡¸Haa¡­ If Fana says so, I guess it really can¡¯t be helped. Totona, I¡¯ll lend you my clothes. Change into those for now.¡¹


    My mother shook her head as she heaved a sigh.


    ¡¸No¡­ I rather leave this ce than change into those troublesome clothes.¡¹


    The clothes of my mother who was hailed as a heavenly goddess were gaudy with a pale blue-color as its base color.


    I would definitely stand out if I wore such clothes. Thus, I refused tly.


    ¡¸TOTONA!!¡¹


    Mother stood from her seat while shouting angrily at me.


    She was shaking with rage.


    But, I had no intention of doing what she said.


    I turned my face away from her, pouting.


    ¡¸Hold your anger, Faeria. Look, you¡¯ve made a mess of your make up.¡¹


    Suddenly, someone appeared from behind my mother.


    The woman who just appeared grabbed my mother¡¯s breast from behind.


    ¡¸WHA-WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU¡¯RE DOING, ISHTI!!?¡¹


    My mother protested to the newly appeared woman.


    The name of the newly appeared woman was the goddess of love and beauty, Ishtar.


    She was a beautiful goddess with ruby-coloured hair and bountiful ch*st.


    By the way, she, along with my mother and Rena, was known as three heavenly beauties.


    Properly speaking, she should be the one who held the position of heavenly queen, but maybe because she felt that position was troublesome, she gave that position to my mother.


    ¡¸You shouldn¡¯t be angry. Totona has her own reason for wearing such clothes. She¡¯ll naturally want to dress better once when the time for you-know-what ising.¡¹


    After she said so and left my mother¡¯s side, her movements caused her clothes to flutter around her.


    The portion of her clothing that exposed her skin was far greater than my mother¡¯s clothes.


    Rather, she was literally half-naked.


    My mother frowned upon seeing that.


    Ishtar and my mother¡¯s personalities were opposite to each other¡¯s.


    Contrary to my mother who only had a rtionship with her husband; Oudith, Ishtar had rtionships with several men.


    Even her clothes had much more exposurepared to the ones that my mother had. The exposure was so extreme to the point that she was literally half-naked. After all, she believed that beautiful things shouldn¡¯t be hidden.


    In addition, the difference in their way of thinking also affected their human followers.


    ¡¸Ishtar, you shouldn¡¯t wear such inappropriate clothes. Look, you¡¯re showing a bad example to the young girls. Moreover, that ne. You should return it to Heibos.¡¹


    She was the kind of woman who would seduce any man she was interested in, even if the said man already was in a rtionship with another goddess. That¡¯s why she had a bad reputation amongst the other goddesses.


    She was also the source of constant trouble for my mother, the leader of those goddesses.


    ¡¸Oh my, I don¡¯t care about the exposure of my clothes. I¡¯m not as uptight as you after all. In addition, this ne looks much better when I wear them rather than letting it stay in Heibos¡¯ treasury.¡¹


    My mother heaved a sigh upon hearing that.


    Preaching Ishtar was like trying to make a stone to understandmon sense.


    I heard that she didn¡¯t even listen to my father, the god-king Oudith.


    Thus, the two heavenly goddesses quarrelled with each other,pletely forgetting about my sister and me.


    My sister was flustered. It seems she had no idea about what to do about the quarrel.


    But then again, their quarrel was a chance for me to avoid my mother¡¯s scolding.


    ¡¸Haa~h¡­ That¡¯s enough for today, Ishtar. Telling you to do the proper thing is pretty much impossible.¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯ve finally understand that point, Faeri.¡¹


    And soon enough, my mother gave up like usual.


    ¡¸Good grief, you really are¡­ By the way, Ishtar. What brought you here today? I mean, you rarelye to this ce.¡¹


    My mother asked with a curious look on her face.


    She was right. Just like me, the Goddess of Love and Beauty, Ishta, almost never appeared at this kind of gathering. So the reason behind her arrival today was what everyone was wondering about.


    ¡¸I wanted to meet Rena. She should¡¯vee today, right? I mean, that Rena is secluding herself after her man lost in a fight. That¡¯s why Ie today looking forward to seeing her sad face.¡¹


    She suddenly spouted such malicious remarks while letting out an evil smirk on her face.


    Rena had been secluding herself in her own room, drowning in sadness after her lover, the hero of light, was defeated by the Dark Knight. And today, she¡¯d finallye out from her seclusion after a long time.


    In fact, her situation was still the hot topic amongst the goddesses.


    You could say that Rena was the most beautiful goddess amongst the young goddesses.


    Despite the numerous marriage proposals she received from numerous gods-including my big brother; Thors-, she¡¯d rejected all of them.


    That¡¯s why the news of Rena falling in love shook the entire poption of Elios.


    Just what kind of man was that hero of light? All male gods who had a crush on Rena were seething with rage, wanting to tear apart the so-called hero of light.


    Nevertheless, that so-called hero of light lost miserably against the Dark Knight, Kuroki.


    Rena, who was shocked by the defeat of her lover, ended up secluding herself in her own room, refusing to meet anyone until now.


    ¡¸Ishtar, you should stop doing that. Rena is feeling down right now. We should be cheering her on.¡¹


    My mother chided Ishtar.


    But, to be honest, I agreed with Ishtar.


    I could never bring myself to like Rena.


    Rena was something akin to my mother¡¯s stepdaughter. That¡¯s why she was also my step-sister.


    Maybe because we were raised together, the two of us always became objects ofparison to each other.


    I always lost to Rena when it came to beauty, wits, and strength.


    Everyone loved Rena and I got the feeling that they tended to forget about me.


    In fact, both my mother and big brother also only care about Rena.


    The only one who was always worrying about me was my big sister.


    If I had to say, my feelings toward Rena were akin to jealousy. But, I couldn¡¯t do anything about this feeling either.


    And then, though it was true that I hate her, Rena and I were simr when it came to our favourite things.


    Since both of us loved the same kind of clothes back when we were still children, we were oftenpared to each other.


    Thanks to that, I did everything to like whatever Rena hated.


    Though I¡¯m already used to doing that by now, it was really hard when I tried to do that at first.


    That was also the reason for my liking for ck clothes.


    And just as I¡¯d expected, we never gotpared to each other again since Rena never wore ck clothes.


    But then, I¡¯m really d that our types of man didn¡¯t resemble each other. [Note: ¡­ Poor Totona]


    That was a relief.


    I caught a glimpse of the hero of light¡¯s appearance before but, to be honest, he wasn¡¯t my type.


    To be honest, Kuroki looks much better than that hero of light.


    In fact, I was really happy inside whenever Kuroki came to my library to read some books.


    I even recalled myself giving a standing ovation when Kuroki beat the hell out of that hero of light AKA Rena¡¯s lover in broad daylight.


    GOOD JOB. As expected of MY KUROKI. It was what I felt inside.


    The moment I thought so.


    The goddesses were starting to kick up a fuss.


    As I was wondering what caused them to make such a fuss, I saw a flying ship was approaching from afar.

 Chapter 83.2: Elios’ Goddesses

    <h4>Chapter 83.2: Elios¡¯ Goddesses</h4>


    There was no mistaking it. That morous, white flying ship was definitely Rena¡¯s ship.


    Rena¡¯s ship was heading straight in our direction.


    As it came closer, I could see Rena and the valkyries, her subordinates, standing atop the deck of her ship.


    Voices of admiration could be heard from the angels and goddesses who admired Rena.


    I mean, that¡¯s just how beautiful Rena was.


    She was donned in golden ornaments over her white clothes and her blonde hair sparkled as it reflected the sunlight.


    Even I ended up being entranced upon seeing her figure. Yeah, that¡¯s just how beautiful Rena was.


    It¡¯s vexing but she might be the most beautiful, if not a second-most, beautiful woman under the heaven. Her beauty definitely wouldn¡¯t fall behind the goddess of love and beauty.


    Rena¡¯s flying ship passed by the goddesses¡¯ flying ships and headed straight toward us.


    ¡¸It¡¯s been a while, Faeria-sama. My deepest apologies for my inability to show myself until now.¡¹


    Rena gave her greetings after she boarded our flying ship.


    Her smile was really beautiful.


    It didn¡¯t seem like the smile of someone who¡¯d just secluded herself in her own room after her lover got beaten to a pulp.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Rena. What about you? Is it true that you were feeling down until now?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, I¡¯m alright. I know that I can¡¯t stay locked in my room forever due to my sadness.¡¹


    Rena sent a nce toward me.


    This is why I hated her. She must be sneering at me, who¡¯s always locking myself inside my library.


    This woman¡¯s personality was the worst.


    ¡¸Long time no see, Rena. Quite lively, aren¡¯t you.¡¹


    ¡¸Long time no see you too, Ishtar-sama.¡¹


    Rena returned Ishtar¡¯s greeting.


    ¡¸Humph. Aren¡¯t you bing more and more beautiful? Just as I expected, women change when they know love. Now I¡¯ve really be more and more interested in your lovely hero of light.¡¹


    She was licking her lips as she spoke.


    ¡¸Please stop with that bad habit of yours, Ishtar! ¡¹


    Mother almost snapped at her.


    Because Ishtar, the goddess of love, often sneaked herself into the bedroom of the man she got interested in. Even if that man already had a wife.


    ¡¸Oh my, I don¡¯t see any problem with it. You cannot take a good man for yourself.¡¹


    But, she didn¡¯t seem to have any intentions of restraining herself.


    ¡¸Ishtar-sama, Reiji is my hero. If possible, I want you to stop that but¡­¡¹


    Rena made a troubled face.


    As expected, even Rena would find it distasteful if someone was aiming for a one night stand with her lover.


    I could even feel the thorn in her tone.


    ¡¸As expected, it seems you also hate it if I try to steal your man. Well since that¡¯s the case, maybe I should try to woo the Dark Knight who beat your lover. At least you have no worries if I go after him, right?¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸YOU CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN¡¯T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡¹¡¹


    For some reason, my cries ovepped with Rena¡¯s.


    We looked at each other with puzzled looks on our faces.


    My mother, sister and the other goddesses made a shocked faces due to our screams.


    ¡¸Dear me, what¡¯s wrong with you girls?¡¹


    Ishtar asked with a puzzled look on her face.


    ¡¸How can I not scream, Ishtar-sama!! The Dark Knight is the subordinate of that Demon King, Modes!! He¡¯s Elios¡¯ enemy!! You mustn¡¯t approach someone like him!!¡¹


    Rena¡¯s expression took a 180pared to before.


    She seemed to be flustered for some reason. Maybe she didn¡¯t want anyone to approach the Dark Knight since he was her lover¡¯s enemy.


    Though it was for apletely different reason, I felt the same way as her.


    I absolutely didn¡¯t want another woman, except for me, to approach Kuroki.


    ¡¸Uhm, Ishtar-sama¡­ The Dark Knight is someone who hurt the hero of light, Rena¡¯s lover. I¡¯d feel bad for Rena if you¡¯re interested in that kind of person.¡¹


    So I spouted some lies to trick Ishtar.


    Rena looked at me with a curious look on her face. Rena and I never get along with each other. That¡¯s why I even thought it was strange.


    ¡¸Just as Rena and Totona said, Ishtar. How can you even go as far as being interested in the subordinate of that disgusting demon king¡­¡¹


    My mother¡¯s face changed too.


    There was fear painted all over her face.


    Upon a closer look, she was also trembling non-stop.


    My mother hated Modes. Or should I say, she was afraid of him.


    To be exact, she was afraid of the Goddess of Destruction; Nargol, Modes¡¯ mother.


    From what I knew, my mother apparently saw the scene of Nargol killing the holy mother goddess; Mina, my grandmother from a hidden ce.


    It seems she was extremely scared of Nargol¡¯s expression when she killed Mina, that¡¯s why everyone said that mother was suffering from ¡°Nargol Phobia¡± ever since then.


    For that reason, she was really scared of the Demon King; Modes who¡¯d inherited his mother Nargol¡¯s power.


    Since in terms of influence, mother stood alone on top of the other Elios goddesses, everyone hated by mother would be hated by the other Elios¡¯ goddesses too.


    Using such influence, she plotted against Modes to exile thetter from Elios.


    By now, not only was mother¡¯s body trembling non-stop, color had also drained from her face.


    The angels were also confused upon seeing her current state.


    ¡¸M-My bad Faeria. I promise you that I won¡¯t approach the Dark Knight, so calm down, okay.¡¹


    ¡¸Even if it¡¯s a joke, you went too far this time, Ishtar. Even though I can¡¯t see the face behind his helmet, from the fact that he¡¯s the subordinate of that ugly Modes, I know that he must¡¯ve an extremely atrocious face. Since you¡¯re also Elios¡¯ goddess, that kind of face must be far from your liking. Right, Rena, Totona?¡¹


    Mother turned around as she asked both Rena and I.


    ¡¸Yes, Faeria-sama. It¡¯s as you say. Ishtar-sama should never ever think about approaching the Dark Knight.¡¹


    Rena spoke with a smile on her face.


    I could only tilt my head in puzzlement upon seeing that.


    It looked as if she felt relieved that Ishtar wouldn¡¯t approach her lover¡¯s enemy anymore but it must be just my imagination.


    But then again, why did I feel this way?


    Thus, I looked at Rena while pondering about that feeling in my heart.


    ***


    ¡ôGoddess of Wisdom and Victory; Rena


    ¡¸Wee back, Rena-sama.¡¹


    Deneb, one of my valkyries, bowed her head as she weed me back after returning from Faeria-sama and co¡¯s garden party.


    ¡¸I¡¯m home, Deneb. How¡¯s Kouki¡¯s condition?¡¹


    ¡¸About that, he started crying aloud when he realized that you weren¡¯t by his side, Rena-sama.¡¹


    ¡¸I see. Sorry for troubling you with this.¡¹


    I went in a hurry to Kouki¡¯s ce.


    Kouki was Kuroki¡¯s and my son.


    I, who learned Japanese from Chiyuki, decided to name Kuroki and Mine¡¯s child Kouki(Light Tree), as opposed to his father¡¯s name, Kuroki(Dark Tree).


    My baby Kouki was starting to grumble in the bed in the middle of my room.


    I held Kouki in my arms.


    He calmed down immediately as soon as I held him in my arms, and fell asleep as he leaned on my chest.


    ¡¸My dear son, you really are resembling your father in this regard.¡¹


    I looked at Kouki who was sleeping peacefully nestled up against my chest.


    He loves my bre*asts, just like his father.


    Good grief, he keeps troubling me just like his father too.


    I had to stay in my room when he was still in my stomach.


    It would be a huge scandal amongst the Elios goddesses if they knew that I was pregnant with the child of someone from the enemy side after all.


    This matter was an absolute secret, especially to Faeria. That¡¯s why only my valkyries and I knew about this matter.


    I hugged Kouki, my baby as if to tell him that I loved both him and his father.


    I mean, I¡¯ll raise this child as my hero. And once he grows big enough, I have no need for Reiji anymore.


    ¡¸Fufufu, grow-up quickly, my cute hero.¡¹

 Chapter 84: Your Majesty Demon King’s Little Angel

    <h4>Chapter 84: Your Majesty Demon King¡¯s Little Angel</h4>


    ¡ôPrincess of Hell; Polenna


    FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!


    What an amazing sound.


    It was the sound of my tummy filled to the brim.


    ¡¸Uh!! It stinks!!¡¹


    Even if I said it was amazing, it really did stink.


    My bed had be smelly. It was impossible to sleep in such a ce.


    I got up and went toward the shelves where I stocked my snacks.


    If I¡¯m not wrong, there should be thinly sliced, fried giant ck garlic in there.


    I walked over cheerfully and opened my cupboard.


    And yet, I couldn¡¯t find anything inside.


    ¡¸Eh? That¡¯s strange. I should¡¯ve brought some from the kitchen, and yet¡­¡¹


    I was pondering about this strange turn of events.


    Did I put them in the wrong ce?


    Thus, I started rummaging through my room.


    My room was uselessly huge. Thanks to that, I always had a hard time finding something.


    Anyhow, I was the daughter of the Demon King who ruled over Nargol after all.


    In short, I was a princess.


    A princess is someone who lives in an extremely huge room. At least, that was what was drawn in the picture book.


    But, the princess¡¯ room in the picture books that I read was clean, the exact opposite of my room.


    I went toward my dressing room and opened its door.


    I should have some stash of sweets inside this room.


    The scene that weed me upon entering my dressing room was lines of uselessly gorgeous dresses.


    Every single one of them was a beautiful dress ill-suited for me.


    Even these clothes shelves were nothing more than my food warehouse.


    I always secluded myself inside my own room, almost nevering out of it.


    Since I almost never came out of my room, I stocked food in my room as much as I could.


    I pushed the dresses aside, looking for the sweets that might still remain, hidden in this room.


    ¡¸Ah¡­¡¹


    I unintentionally leaked out such a voice.


    Reason being, I saw my own reflection in the huge mirror ced in the dressing room.


    Ugly, just like my ugly father.


    My mother, Mona, was an extremely beautiful woman and yet, I was so ugly.


    Why? Why didn¡¯t I turn out like my mother? I really wanted to cry here.


    For that reason, I ended up hurting my father by saying ¡°If only I wasn¡¯t born ugly like you, father!¡±.


    My mother became extremely frightening when I said those words to my father.


    Because of the extreme fear from that time, I ended up locking myself inside my own room.


    My mother was a goddess created from Elios¡¯ goddesses.


    Elios¡¯ goddesses were really beautiful.


    Why were so many of my father and his colleagues¡¯ races so ugly, and yet their enemies were so beautiful?


    This was unfair.


    I turned my gaze away from the mirror.


    Well, I¡¯d rather look for my sweets than worry about such things.


    I kept rummaging in my dressing room. And yet, I couldn¡¯t find any semnce of sweets at all.


    There was a high possibility that I¡¯d consumed all of it.


    If that was really the case, it might be the time to ask for provisions.


    ¡¸YOUR HIGHNE~SS!! YOUR HIGHNESS POLE~N!! WHERE ARE YOU~?!!!¡¹


    There was a voice calling me from outside while I was pondering over this matter.


    This voice was Poh-chan.


    By the way, my name was Polen. To be exact, it was Polenna, but Poh-chan called me Polen.


    Poh-chan was my friend. She came to visit my room once in a while to y.


    Poh-chan¡¯s name was demon beast general; Putina. Since the previous general, her mother; Eltina , was killed by that hero of light, she had no choice but to take the position as her mother¡¯s daughter.


    I be really sad whenever I recall the matter about aunt Eltina. She was the one who always yed with me when I was a child after all.


    That¡¯s why no matter how good looking that hero of light, I would never forgive him.


    The very same hero of light had alsoe to kill my father.


    He was really strong to the point that not even Lord Runfeld could beat him.


    Honestly speaking, even though I should¡¯ve stood up to protect my father at that time, I ended up trembling in fear in my own room.


    Fortunately, I didn¡¯t have to fight since the person from another world who was summoned by my father defeated that hero of light.


    I was really grateful to that person from another world.


    ¡¸Poh-chan!! I¡¯m here!!¡¹


    The one who I saw when I came out from the dressing room was a little girl.


    It was Poh-chan. She might look like a little girl in a normal situation but don¡¯t get tricked, her real form was that of a gigantic bear.


    ¡¸Your Highness, I came to see your situation since it should be about the time for you to run out of food. By the way, I brought food with me too.¡¹


    As expected of Poh-chan. She understood the condition of my stomach the most.


    ¡¸Thank you~. Poh-chan.¡¹


    I hugged Poh-chan to express my gratitude.


    ¡¸GUGEE!!!¡¹


    Poh-chan raised an agonizing cry.


    Oh cr*p.


    I used too much power when I hugged her. I forgot that I inherited my father¡¯s extreme physical strength too.


    My casual swing around was enough to pulverize several orcs.


    In Poh-chan¡¯s case, she was far tougher than any other demon, so she was okay, but I still had to be careful since I might identally turn her into minced meat if I didn¡¯t control my strength carefully.


    Nevertheless, Poh-chan¡¯s spine wouldn¡¯t break as long as I didn¡¯t hug her too strongly.


    ¡¸Sorry, Poh-chan. I forgot to control my strength since it¡¯s been a while since thest time we met.¡¹


    Poh-chan waved her hands, signalling that she was okay when I apologized to her.


    ¡¸No problem¡­ Your Highness. More importantly, is the food that I brought with me enough for you?¡¹


    I eyed on the food brought by Poh-chan.


    It was far from enough.


    ¡¸It¡¯s not enough, Poh-chan. You have to bring more.¡¹


    ¡¸As I thought. Well, I shall bring back more for you.¡¹


    Poh-chan turned around after she said so.


    ¡¸Wait, Poh-chan. I¡¯m going too.¡¹


    There was a limit to how much food could be brought by Poh-chan. Moreover, I had no freedom of choosing the food that I liked if I didn¡¯t go along.


    ¡¸Are you sure, Your Highness? We¡¯re going to leave the room, you know?¡¹


    ¡¸Ugh!¡¹


    I was at a loss for words.


    I was ugly, that¡¯s why I wanted to stay hidden as much as possible.


    ¡¸¡­ Then, let¡¯s move as fast as possible to the point hat no one can see us.¡¹


    Poh-chan heaved a sigh upon hearing my remark.


    ¡¸Your Highness, the daemons and Dark Elves aside, there are actually many other ugly beings in this Nargol. Please don¡¯t worry too much about this matter.¡¹


    Sure enough, there were so many ugly beings in Nargol.


    Poh-chan was right, I was worrying for nothing.


    But, it seems Elios was aware of this fact.


    Elios¡¯ gods might notice me if I left.


    I didn¡¯t want to leave since I might be aughing stock for the male gods of Elios if I leave.


    ¡¸Sorry, Poh-chan. I have yet to prepare my heart for that, let¡¯s just run quickly.¡¹


    Thus, I pulled Poh-chan as we left my room.


    The Demon King¡¯s castle was uselessly huge. For that reason, there was great distance until we reached the kitchen.


    I moved along from one shadow of the pir to another.


    I ended up leaving Poh-chan behind but it wasn¡¯t a big deal since I could just wait for her in the kitchen.


    That aside, I had to make sure that no one could see me.


    I¡¯ve grasped the timing when the patrolling orc soldier or cleaningdy is going to appear. And since it wasn¡¯t the time for their duty, no one should walk along the corridor during this time.


    So I moved ahead.


    I ran as fast as I could along the corridor leading toward the kitchen.


    ¡¸AH!!!¡¹


    I unintentionally leaked out such a voice.


    Reason being that someone suddenly passed by from the corner.


    At this rate, I¡¯m gonna crash against him.


    I decelerated my running speed in a hurry. I mean, the other party would most likely turn into minced meat if I crash against them.


    OH NO! WE¡¯RE GOING TO CRASH!!


    And then, the moment I thought that we were going to crash, my body suddenly spun around with ease.


    And fell on the ground on my butt after one rotation in the air.


    What happened just now?


    I mean, I¡¯m sure that I was about to crash on someone just now.


    And yet, here I am, sitting on the ground instead of crashing.


    ¡¸Are you alright?¡¹


    Someone was asking me, maybe the one who I was about to crash against.


    The voice wasing from behind me.


    And then, the moment I turned around, it felt like the time in this world stopped.


    The one who called me from behind was a man donned in Dark Knight¡¯s armor.


    He carried his helmet under his armpit.


    That¡¯s why I could get to see his face.


    He was a man with ck hair and white skin. He wasn¡¯t a Daemon either since there were no horns growing from his head.


    His face might becking ¡°shiness¡± but it was definitelyparable with the face of Elios¡¯ male gods.


    Who?


    WHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHOWHO?


    WHO IS THIS GENTLEMA¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨DAN?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


    It was my first time seeing his face.


    There should¡¯ve been no gentleman in Nargol before!!


    I mean if he was in Nargol, I should¡¯ve noticed it a long time ago.


    This gentleman was definitely a divine being.


    He was good looking and yet, not a weak daemon either. Meaning that he was an existence far more powerful than daemons.


    ¡¸Are you okay? Can you stand?¡¹


    The gentleman d in Dark Knight¡¯s armour lent his hand to prop me up.


    My heartbeat elerated the moment I took his hand.


    I unintentionally forgot to control my strength and squeezed his hand.


    And yet, he didn¡¯t even flinch, instead, his hand gripped back with an equally strong grip.


    And just like that, he pulled me back to my feet.


    When both of us were standing like this, I noticed that he was far taller than me.


    ¡¸Is something the matter? Are you hurt somewhere?¡¹


    Even though he was asking with a worried look on his face, I couldn¡¯t say anything back to her.


    My mouth just pped repeatedly.


    ¡¸YOUR HIGHNE~SS!! WA~IT!!!¡¹


    That moment, Poh-chan finally caught up with me.


    ¡¸Eh, if it isn¡¯t Putina-sama?¡¹


    The gentleman was calling Poh-chan. It seems he was Poh-chan¡¯s acquaintance.


    ¡¸Yes, long time no see, Your Excellency.¡¹


    Poh-chan and also returned the gentleman¡¯s greeting upon noticing him.


    Poh-chan should be one of the big-shots in nargol. Seeing Poh-chan acting courteously toward him, it meant that this gentleman¡¯s status was even higher than Poh-chan¡¯s.


    Poh-chan then raised her face and looked at me.


    ¡¸Did something happened?¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed, General Putina. We almost crashed into each other a moment ago¡­ by the way, General Putina, may I ask for the name of this personage? I asked her before but have yet to receive her answer. If I¡¯m not wrong, you called her ¡°Your Highness¡± a moment ago, right?¡¹


    The gentleman asked with a troubled look on his face.


    It seems he was really troubled by my silence.


    I knew that I should say something back then. But, for some reason, my mouth refused to move.


    ¡¸This personage¡¯s name is Her Highness, Polen. She¡¯s His Majesty, The Demon King¡¯s, Daughter.¡¹


    Poh-chan introduced me to that gentleman in the Dark Knight¡¯s armor.


    Thereupon, that gentleman¡¯s expression changed into that of surprise.


    It seems he had no idea that I was the daughter of the Demon King.


    ¡¸Is that so? My deepest apologies for myck of awareness. Are you hurt somewhere, Your Highness?¡¹


    He looked at me with a troubled look on his face.


    I had to answer him now.


    ¡¸N-N-NYO PROBLEM!!¡¹


    I ended up biting my own tongue.


    But, he made a relieved face upon hearing that I was okay.


    It was such a lovely smile.


    ¡¸Thanks goodness. Well then, I have to go since I still have some business to attend. Excuse me, Your Highness Polen.¡¹


    The gentleman then went away after he said those words.


    As for me, I could only watch his retreating back in silence.


    In addition, my eyes were still glued to the direction in which he walked away even after his figure vanished from my line of sight.


    ¡¸W-WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU, YOUR HIGHNESS?!!!¡¹


    Poh-chan asked me with a worried look on her face upon seeing the dumbfounded look on my face.


    ¡¸Who¡­?¡¹


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    ¡¸Who¡¯s that gentleman, Poh-chan?¡¹


    I lifted Poh-chan by the nape of her neck as I asked that question.


    ¡¸It hurts, Your Highness¡­¡¹


    ¡¸PLEASE!! TELL ME HIS NAME!! POH-CHAN!!¡¹


    I shook Poh-chan¡¯s shoulder as I asked her again.


    ¡¸He is His Excellency, Diehart¡­ An extremely strongman who wiped the floor with that hero of light¡­¡¹


    After saying so, Poh-chan blew a bubble from her mouth, and passed out.


    That gentleman was the man from another world who defeated the hero of light?


    Since all divine beings who befriended my dear father so far had ugly faces, I thought that was the case for the person who was summoned from another world too.


    And yet, HE TURNED OUT TO BE SUCH A LOVELY GENTLEMAN!!!


    Thus, I kept looking at where that gentleman, the Dark Knight, was walking to.

 Chapter 85: Hero and Co’s Side Situation

    <h4>Chapter 85: Hero and Co¡¯s Side Situation</h4>


    ¡ôSword¡¯s Maiden; Shirone


    The Bandol ins were the biggest ins in the eastern part of the central continent.


    Since they were open ins like the Minon in, the number of goblins residing in this ce was minimal.


    Nevertheless, there was no human country around Vandohl in up until now.


    The reason for that was the huge demon beast called Peluda who lived in the centre of the Vandohl ins.


    Peluda was a creature with a snake-like head and tail, four limbs, emerald green skin covered by a turtle-like shell, a body covered with long lion-like mane, and extremely poisonous thorns growing along its spine all the way until the tip of its tail.


    This peluda could use fire breath and burn the growing corps, attack the livestock, and cause floods that would kill many people.


    But now, that peluda is history.


    The reason being Reiji-kun annihted it on his own.


    The way Reiji-kun fought that time was simply too amazing.


    Though he lost to Kuroki, it didn¡¯t mean that he was weak.


    I looked down at my feet, thinking that I wouldn¡¯t lose.


    A giant wild boar was lying down beneath my feet.


    It was an eight-meter long wild boar that I¡¯d killed just a few moments ago.


    ¡¸As expected, Sword Maiden; Shirone-sama. To be able to kill a Phaia by yourself.¡¹


    I heard such praise from a warrior who¡¯de with me.


    This giant pig called Phaia was running amok, devastating the surrounding countries.


    Though finding it was hard due to its vast range of activity, it finally had been in today.


    The warriors who apanied me were also cheering.


    Even though they were nothing more than a hindrance, they still came with me. It seems I looked like a goddess in their eyes. For some reason, it was always these kinds of people who gathered around me.


    They were looking at me with sparkling eyes.


    ¡¸Shirone-sama, please allow us to carry that boar.¡¹


    The warriors were swarming around the boar.


    Though it would be faster if I was the one who carried the boar, let¡¯s just let them carry it.


    ¡¸Well, Shirone-sama, let¡¯s return to the Eld kingdom.¡¹


    I nodded to the warrior who said so.


    The Eld kingdom was the kingdom we¡¯d built after we defeated peluda in thisnd.


    It¡¯s been half-year since we parted ways with Kuroki in the Republic of Ariadya and during that time we¡¯d built a new kingdom in the Vandohl ins.


    Honestly speaking, I wanted to go to save Kuroki even if I had to do so by myself but I was stopped by Chiyuki-san.


    I mean, it¡¯s not like there was anything I had to worry about with myrades.


    That¡¯s why I took this demon beast¡¯s subjugation mission to curb my restlessness.


    But, I¡¯ve been wondering, is it okay for me to make my move now?


    Let¡¯s try to ask Chiyuki after this.


    Thus, I returned to the Eld kingdom while pondering about such things.


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    Not even one year has passed since the founding of the Eld kingdom.


    Originally, no humans lived on thisnd since it was the nest of a demon beast called Peluda.


    And now, humans had started living in thisnd after Reiji beat that demon beast.


    For that reason, we decided to build a country in this ce.


    There were various reasons behind our decision, but the biggest reason was that we had no idea whether we could go back to our homeworld or not, thus we decided to make a base for our activities.


    We used the Holy Republic Lenaria as our base before, but that was Rena¡¯s country. For that reason, we had to leave to keep some distance from Rena.


    Thus, we decided to create our own country.


    And the name of the country we created was Eld.


    It was still a small country right now. But, it would soon be the biggest country in this region since it was located right in the center of the Vandohl ins.


    Currently, we are having a meeting in the Eld kingdom¡¯s royal pce.


    ¡¸Well then, Chiyuki-san. Everyone has been gathered here except for Sahoko-san.¡¹


    Shirone sent an expectant look toward me as she said so.


    Sahoko wasn¡¯t in this ce since she couldn¡¯t go to the conference room. That¡¯s why everyone was gathering in this ce except for Sahoko.


    ¡¸Yes. Shall we start the meeting then?¡¹


    Everyone nodded at hearing my words.


    ¡¸Well then, Kaya-san. Please start from your side.¡¹


    Kaya started reading the document in her hand after I said so.


    Though the item in the report covered various fields, Kaya could read it smoothly.


    It detailed things such as public order, financial affairs, and many other mundane problems.


    Though there were several small problems left, it wasn¡¯t something that required us to make our move to handle. It was the kind of job that we could dump to our subordinates.


    Most of our subordinates were the maids trained by Kaya when we were still in the Holy Republic of Lenaria. They were quite excellent manpower who could do their job without having us to point things out one by one.


    ¡¸¡­ Thus, there¡¯s no problem with the management of the Eld kingdom.¡¹


    I nodded along with Kaya¡¯s remark.


    I recalled that creating a country was quite literally a back-breaking job.


    In the beginning, there were mountains of problems waiting for us.


    I mean, we wereplete amateurs when it came to urban nning after all. In the beginning, things were really chaotic.


    And then came the biggest problem when building a country, the policy of religion.


    Different from Japan in which religion was separate from government, in this world, religion and government was inseparable.


    When ites to government, it would be Oudith¡¯s and Faeria¡¯s faith. When ites tomerce and industry, it was Heibos¡¯ faith.


    When ites to health management such as fresh water and the fishing industry, it was Trident faith, drainage and agriculture was Gena faith.


    These religious organizations were the ones that moved the economy.


    But if we are to make a country, we want to make a country without having to rely on those religious organizations.


    For that reason, we faced so many problems in the beginning since we were not relying on those religions.


    Nevertheless, after more than half-year, things are starting to settle down now.


    In addition, we also received much help from the people who adored us back when we were still in the Holy Republic of Lenaria.


    In addition, they revered us like the gods of this country.


    In a certain sense, it was as if they founded a new religion called Hero¡¯s faith with the Eld kingdom as its holynd.


    ¡¸Well then, can we assume that we¡¯ve been passed through the first stage of nation-building, Kaya-san?¡¹


    Kaya nodded upon hearing my question.


    ¡¸Maybe. Let¡¯s just say that we¡¯re already used to securing funds and information.¡¹


    Everyone raised a cheer upon hearing that conclusion.


    ¡¸WELL THEN!! LET¡¯S GO TO NARGOL!!¡¹


    Shirone spoke with the loudest voice as she tapped the desk.


    But then, everyone else fell into silence upon hearing that.


    It was only natural, I mean, after her childhood friend literally toyed around with Reiji, the strongest amongst us, and turned thetter into a literal living sandbag even with a handicap. Everyone now became really wary when ites toing to Nargol.


    Building this country was also one of the reasons for not going to Nargol.


    ¡¸But, Shirone-san, your childhood friend is really strong. Not even Reiji-san can beat him. Don¡¯t you think that we should really be careful this time?¡¹


    Rino asked with a worried look on her face.


    In addition, Reiji, who sat beside me, grabbed his ch*st as he muttered ¡¸GUH!¡¹ when he heard ¡¸No match!!¡¹.


    It seems those words became a trigger that made him recall hisplete defeat against Shirone¡¯s childhood friend.


    Though he looked as calm as usual, it seems he had yet to recover from the defeat at the hands of the Dark Knight a half-year ago.


    He who loved to take the initiative fell into silence this time.


    ¡¸RINO-CHAN!! KUROKI ISN¡¯T OUR ENEMY!!! EVERYTHING IS THAT SILVER-HAIRED¡¯S WITCH FAULT!!¡¹


    Shirone pped the table as she corrected Rino¡¯s misunderstanding.


    ¡¸Indeed, Kuroki-san is a good person. He¡¯s definitely not our enemy.¡¹


    Kyouka was also supporting Shirone.


    I had no idea what ¡°Good¡± she was referring to, but Kyouka seems like she had a high evaluation of Shirone¡¯s childhood friend.


    ¡¸But, Shirone-san, that Silver Witch isn¡¯t our only enemy, it¡¯s literally the entire Nargol. We cannot just focus on just the Silver Witch alone.¡¹


    I tried to persuade Shirone.


    ¡¸Chiyuki-san, your argument might be right, but that¡¯s only if she is in Nargol. That Silver Witch doesn¡¯t seem to be living in Nargol.¡¹


    At that moment, everyone¡¯s attention was focused on Nao.


    ¡¸What do you mean, Nao?¡¹


    ¡¸Well, the truth is, Reiji-senpai. I tried to visit the area around the proximity of Nargol a while ago.¡¹


    ¡¸Proximity of Nargol¡­ Nao-san, that¡¯s too dangerous¡­¡¹


    Going alone herself was way too dangerous.


    And yet, the way she spoke as if she was only strolling around that ce, seriously, just what do you think you¡¯re doing, Nao?


    ¡¸I-IT¡¯S OKAY CHIYUKI-SAN!!! IT¡¯S NOT LIKE I ENTERED NARGOL!! AS I SAID, I JUST SEE THE SITUATION IN ITS PROXIMITY!! BUT, I¡¯VE DISCOVERED A SWEET CASTLE WHICH WE HEARD ABOUT FROM SHIRONE-SAN, IT¡¯S RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BLUE FOREST DURING MY INVESTIGATION!!¡¹


    Nao exined with a flustered look on her face upon hearing my scolding.


    The sweet castle she was talking about was the ce of the Silver Witch which Shirone told us about before.


    It seems to be moving around by using Myulmidon.


    And the blue forest she was talking about was the forest that spread to the southern side of Akeron mountain, the boundary of the human realm with Nargol.


    In short, she was right about the sweet castle located outside of Nargol.


    ¡¸WHAT DO YOU MEAN, NAO-CHAN?!!¡¹


    Shirone drew her face closer to Nao.


    ¡¸That¡¯s all I know about it. I¡¯m not brave enough to get close toward it since it¡¯s simply too dangerous¡­ But, I could see the silhouette that looked like the Silver Witch from afar.¡¹


    Everyone¡¯s eyes matched together the moment they heard those words.


    ¡¸Maybe we should try to go and visit that blue forest¡­¡¹


    Everyone nodded in agreement with me.


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    The blue forest was the forest that spread across the southern side of the Akeron mountain range.


    The widespread forest was adjoined with several countries.


    In the north was Algore kingdom, in the east was Velos kingdom.


    Until just some time ago, the one who ruled that forest was an ogre tribe¡¯s witch, Kujig.


    But, that Kujig was now gone and the forest had gained a new queen.


    After returning from Demon King castle, I walked a little bit deeper into the forest.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ doesn¡¯t this forest feels rather familiar to Nargol¡¯s forest of darkness?¡¹


    After walking for a while, I saw the figure of a monster who normally lives in Nargol.


    I was tilting my head, pondering whether it was really okay to see the monsters in this way.


    I kept walking onward, passing by the monsters.


    And then, my nose was assailed by an extreme sweet aroma.


    In the center of the blue forest, the line of sight would be reduced due to the pink mist spreading in the forest.


    And the reason for that mist was right in front of me, the sweets¡¯ castle.


    Kujig the ogre was luring her prey using the sweet aroma from this sweets¡¯ castle and preyed upon any human who got lured in.


    Even after Kujig was gone, it was still working autonomously and numerous orcs were being lured in by this trap when this castle was in Nargol.


    Naturally, the orc lord sent aint to Kujig.


    For that reason, this sweets castle was then moved out of Nargol.


    There has yet to be any human victim since the human¡¯s sense of smell was worse than that of an orc. But, it was only a matter of time before that happened.


    I pushed open the gate of the sweets castle, and entered inside.


    Thereupon, the Myulmidon(Antman) were raising their spear straight upward, giving their salute.


    I raised my hand to return their greeting as I passed them.


    Just like that, I stepped on to the stairs made from sweets and went toward the bedroom of the lord of this castle.


    I passed by several gold beetle fighters(golden rhinoceros beetle warriors) along the way toward the bedroom.


    Gold beetle fighters were one of the strongest Bugman warriors who lived in the dark forest. They were around two meters tall and looked like bipedal golden rhinoceros beetle.


    They who held one weapon in each of their four arms, and were donned with iron-like exoskeleton armor, were natural-born warriors.


    And Kuna, who gained bug user¡¯s abilities, used them as her royal guard.


    ¡¸I¡¯m ho~me, Kuna. Have you been a good girl during my absence?¡¹


    Upon entering, I saw Kuna, the new queen of the blue forest, lying down on the sofa made from cotton candy.


    ¡¸Wee back, Kuroki.¡¹


    Kuna jumped to her feet the moment she saw me, and then rushed toward me at once.


    ¡¸Good girl. Was there anything unusual during my absence, Kuna?¡¹


    I patted Kuna¡¯s head.


    ¡¸Uuhm. There¡¯s nothing unusual, but¡­¡¹


    Kuna then looked in a certain direction of the room.


    Seeing that, I ended up following her line of sight too.


    At that moment, I felt my facial muscles stiffen.


    There was something that shouldn¡¯t be in this ce.


    ¡¸Long time no see, Your Excellency. Gufufufufu.¡¹


    I felt a chill running down my spine the moment I heard thatugh.


    ¡¸Uuhm. Why are you in this ce?¡¹


    ¡¸Uhm. Kuna wants to entrust the castle to this fe while Kuroki and Kuna are away. So I asked her toe.¡¹


    ¡¸Aah¡­ I see now¡­¡¹


    I somehow managed to force myself to smile.


    But, it was obviously a stiff smile no matter how the others saw it.


    ¡¸Yes. Please leave the castle to this Datie while Kuna-sama is away.¡¹


    The goblin queen, Datie spoke whileughing creepily.

 Chapter 86.1: Kuroki-Sensei’s Honey Lesson

    <h4>Chapter 86.1: Kuroki-Sensei¡¯s Honey Lesson</h4>


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    There was a garden in Demon King castle called Lampas¡¯ garden. There were so many big and thick trees growing inside this garden along with numerous other beautiful flowers blooming inside.


    This was the ce where Modes invited me to drink tea when I¡¯d juste into this world.


    The ce where we drank tea was in a corner in this garden, I mean, this garden was HUGE.


    The Demon King¡¯s castle was really huge and so was its garden. Rather, it was more like a forest rather than a garden.


    And by the way, the ones who managed this forest were the dark elves. They, who had deep ties with wood spirits, were the best gardeners for this garden.


    And now, I¡¯d been called toe to this garden of Lampas.


    Both Modes and I were sitting at the table and chairs prepared at one corner of that garden, enjoying some tea.


    ¡¸Here you go, Your Excellency.¡¹


    The queen of dark elves Mintia brewed the tea for us.


    Mintia was the mother of the apparition general, Shirley.


    Despite having lived the longest amongst the dark elves, her appearance looks even younger than her daughter Shirley¡¯s.


    My status might be second only to Modes in the Demon King¡¯s army, but I would¡¯ve never expected that the queen herself would brew the tea for us.


    There were many Lords that submitted under Modes, the High-Lord, in Nargol.


    There were also the thirteen orc lords and the seven goblin lords, with Datie being one of them.


    But, there was only one dark elves¡¯ lord, Mintia.


    Even amongst the Daemon tribe, the strongest tribe in Nargol, there were only three lords. Or four, if the fallen angel tribe was included in the equation.


    Even with such rarities, dark elves¡¯ lord rarity goes one rank higher.


    ¡¸Thank you very much, queen Mintia.¡¹


    Mintia replied with a sweet smile as she took a step back after I expressed my gratitude to her.


    And just like that, she joined the ranks of dark elf maids behind her.


    I then looked at Modes, the one who¡¯d invited me for tea.


    In front of us was a lovely tart-like sweet made from raspberry to apany our tea.


    It seems to be Modes¡¯ favourite sweet. I also received the same tart.


    ¡¸Eh? Me teaching swordcraft to Her Highness Polen?¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t hide my surprise upon hearing Modes¡¯ request.


    ¡¸Yeah, Kuroki. I don¡¯t know why but¡­ Polen suddenly said to me that she wanted to learn swordcraft.¡¹


    A few days ago, I collided with Polen in the corridor. When I recalled the memories of that day again, her appearance did resemble Modes. And her strength could only be described as monstrous, even by my standards.


    Though I managed to somehow avoid a direct collision, the residual strength alone was enough to numb my arm. Should I say, as expected of Modes¡¯ child.


    That encounter was also my first encounter with Polen. So what made her want to learn swordcraft from me?


    ¡¸My apologies, Modes. I¡¯m also still far from being a master. I¡¯ve yet to have the qualification to teach someone¡­¡¹


    I desperately shook my head in denial.


    ¡¸Please stop being such a humble person, Kuroki. Everyone in the world already knows that you¡¯re the strongest swordsman in Nargol. If you say that you have yet to have the qualifications, no one in Nargol can say that they have the qualifications either. Moreover, Polen, who is always staying in her room, finally wants toe out. My apologies for asking this but, will you teach her?¡¹


    Modes went as far as bowing his head to me.


    This was a troubling matter. There was no way I could refuse his request when he was willing to go this far for his daughter.


    I also heard about Pollen on the way to this garden.


    Polen has been hiding in her room since she hated her appearance.


    Maybe because he thought that it was his fault, Modes could only heave a sigh, unable to do anything for his daughter.


    In addition, I heard that her rtionship with her mother, Mona, who loves her father with all her heart, has deteriorated ever since she said that she hates her father¡¯s appearance.


    As a result, their family rtionship had grown cold.


    Nevertheless, for Modes, Polen was still his adorable daughter.


    For some reason, Polen¡¯s action was like that of a hikikomori.


    ¡¸But, even if you say such a thing¡­¡¹


    ¡¸PLEASE, KUROKI!!!¡¹


    Modes was literally pleading to me right now.


    I was troubled.


    I was clearly ill-suited to guiding someone.


    Much less to say that the other party was a princess. I was really bad at dealing with girls.


    Kuna aside, I had no recollection of getting along with other women other than Shirone.


    Maybe that was the reason I was spending less and less time outside.


    But then, I couldn¡¯t help but feel responsible when he asked me to teach his daughter.


    ¡¸I understand. If you¡¯re okay with it¡­¡¹


    I agreed unwillingly.


    ¡ôPrincess of Hell; Polen


    ¡¸Please take care of me, Master!!¡¹


    ¡¸Best regards, Your Excellency.¡¹


    Currently, I was meeting Master Kuroki in the training grounds near the Demon King Castle.


    This was the training ground for the orc soldier.


    Honestly speaking, there should be many orcs training right now, but I couldn¡¯t see any of them around right now.


    The reason they¡¯d vacated the training grounds was that I¡¯m gonna use this ground for training. That¡¯s why none of the soldiers approached the training ground.


    The training ground was huge. And no roof to cover it. For that reason, we could see Nargol¡¯s dark sky.


    Poh-chan has been fidgeting nervously since we arrived at this training ground.


    I wanted to talk with master Kuroki.


    He had the appearance rivalling that of Elios¡¯ gods while being my dear father¡¯srade after all. And he was really kind on top of that.


    That¡¯s why I wanted to meet him once again.


    And this training was the result of my consultation with Poh-chan.


    The result of our discussion was, ¡°Let¡¯s use sword craft training as a reason to get close to him¡±.


    ¡¸Best regards to you too, Your Highness Polen.¡¹


    Master Kuroki replied to our greeting with a smile on his face.


    It was such a kind and gentle smile.


    He seems to use ¡°Diehart¡± as his alias in order to prevent the hero party from realizing his name.


    ¡¸I hear that you want to learn swordcraft from me but, Your Highness, have you ever held a sword before?¡¹


    I shook my head when Master Kuroki asked me that question.


    ¡¸Nope. I¡¯ve never held a sword before.¡¹


    ¡¸I see, let¡¯s start from the way to hold a sword then.¡¹


    He then gave me a wooden sword as he spoke.


    ¡¸Please try to swing this.¡¹


    ¡¸Y-YES!! HEYAA¨D¨D¨D¨D!!¡¹


    I swung the wooden sword with all my might.


    But, since I put too much power into my swing, the sword ended up slipping from my hand and striking the ground beneath me.


    KABOOO¨DOOOOOOOOOM!!


    A momentter, a thunderous explosion resounded throughout the entire training ground.


    Upon a closer look, I saw that the wooden sword which slipped off from my hand had already broken to pieces right in the middle of the crater that had just been created.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ Your Highness¡­ You put too much power into your swing just now.¡¹


    Master Kuroki made a dumbfounded look on his face as he told me so.


    ¡¸My apologies, Master. I broke the sword.¡¹


    I ended up losing such a precious article in a single swing.


    ¡¸D-Don¡¯t worry about it, Your Highness!! I shall bring a recement for you!! Here, please use this!!¡¹


    Master Kuroki handed over the second wooden sword as he said so.


    It seems he got flustered after seeing the dejected look on my face.


    Nevertheless, for it to break in a single swing, wasn¡¯t this wooden sword way too fragile?


    ¡¸Well then, Your Highness. Please try to swing the sword again.¡¹


    ¡¸Y-Yes!¡¹


    I tried to swing the sword again.


    ¡¸First, don¡¯t grasp the hilt too strongly. Please keep some distance between your right-hand and left-hand.¡¹


    Master Kuroki then touched me as he gave me some pointers.


    CLOSE! CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!CLOSE!HIS FACE IS WAY TO CLOSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!


    My heart felt like it was about to explode when Master Kuroki brought his face closer to me.


    ¡¸BUHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHI¨D¨D¨D¨D!!¡¹


    I was too nervous to the point that I ended up making a strange shrill.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­? Is something the matter, Your Highness?¡¹


    Master Kuroki got away from me as he asked such a question with a puzzled look on his face.


    DAMMIT!! I GOT TOO EXCITED JUST NOW!!


    ¡¸NO!! NO PROBLEM!! BUHI!!¡¹


    I shook my head in desperation, trying to quell his worry.


    ¡¸Well then, please try to swing it carefully without putting too much power this time, Your Highness.¡¹

 Chapter 86.2: Kuroki-Sensei’s Honey Lesson

    <h4>Chapter 86.2: Kuroki-Sensei¡¯s Honey Lesson</h4>


    ¡¸Y-YESH!! TEYAH!!!¡¹


    Then, I tried to swing the wooden sword without putting that much power in my swing this time.


    Thereupon, the wooden sword slipped again from my hands.


    It flew toward the horizon before finally vanishing from line of sight.


    We could only see as the sword flew towards the horizon with a dumbfounded look on our faces.


    ¡¸The wooden sword¡­ gone again, ¡¹


    Poh-chan muttered.


    ¡¸¡­I¡¯m sorry, master.¡¹


    ¡¸EH!! N-No, don¡¯t worry about it, Your Highness! I¡¯ll prepare another wooden sword!!¡­ To think that such thing will happen with just light swing¡­ as expected of the Demon King¡¯s child¡­¡¹


    Master Kuroki quickly waved his hands to stop me from worrying about the lost wooden sword. It looked like he was muttering something at the end but I didn¡¯t hear what he said.


    ¡¸Well then, I guess I¡¯ll start by showing you an example this time.¡¹


    Master Kuroki drew his sword.


    It was a ck sword with a blood-colored pattern resembling those of blood vessels on its surface. It looks like a powerful demon sword.


    ¡¸First, you grasp the hilt of the sword like this. And then, swing the sword without putting much strength into it. The key is, only put your power on the moment of contact. Now please take a look.¡¹


    After he spoke, Master Kuroki swung his sword.


    BWOOOSH!!!


    Different from mine, his swing created sound in the air.


    Though it looked like a simple swing, it felt like that swing could slice through anything.


    His form when swinging his sword was neat without any useless movements.


    ¡¸OOOOOOOOOH!¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s such a neat swinging form¡­¡¹


    Poh-chan and I ended up being entranced by such a sight.


    ¡¸Well then Your Highness. This is thest wooden sword. Please take it.¡¹


    Master Kuroki took another wooden sword and gave it to me again.


    Though he brought his face closer again when he gave the wooden sword, I steeled my heart this time in order to prevent my mouth from leaking a strange voice.


    ¡¸Now, please rx your arms and hands while raising the sword upward.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes!¡¹


    E-Even if he said so, I ended up putting more power into my grip.


    ¡¸Rx Your Highness, you¡¯re putting too much power before swinging the wooden sword. Take a deep breath, and release it as you let your shoulder to rx.¡¹


    ¡¸YES!!! FU¨D¨D¨D¨D!!¡¹


    I exhaled a breath, and somehow managed to release the tension in my arms and shoulders.


    ¡¸Keep it that way, and swing it slowly. And then put your power into the swing again when reaches this area.¡¹


    Master Kuroki guided me by swinging my sword while touching my hands.


    And he did it a few more times.


    ¡¸Now, please try to swing by yourself.¡¹


    Master Kuroki left my side as he said so. Tch!!


    I was clicking my tongue.


    But, it was impossible for me to not reply properly after he taught me so politely like that.


    I grasped the hilt of the wooden sword.


    If I¡¯m not wrong, I¡¯m supposed to not put that much power first, right?


    I exhaled the air in my lungs to rx my shoulders and arms.


    And then raised the wooden sword overhead.


    Andstly, I just need to swing it down and add my strength at thest moment.


    ¡¸HAH!¡¹


    So I swing my sword.


    BWOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!!


    The moment I put my strength into the swing¡­


    I ended up farting grandiously.


    That was really uncool of me.


    ¡¸Ah, sorry!! It came out! Ahahahaha.¡¹


    I turned around whileughing awkwardly.


    ¡¸EH?!! W-W-WAH!!! POH-CHAN!! ARE YOU OKAY!!?¡¹


    Poh-chan who was standing right behind me copsed on the spot while blowing bubbles from her mouth.


    ¡¸Your Highness¡¯ fart¡­ is STRONK¡­¡¹


    And then passed out after she said that.


    Master Kuroki, who stood by my side, had also fallen on his knees, covering his mouth.


    ¡¸I should have poison resistance, and yet¡­ This is, impossib¡ª¡¹


    And muttered painfully.


    ¡¸WAIT A MINUTE¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨DE!! HANG IN THERE¨D¨D¨D¨D¨DE!! SOMEONE, HE¨D¨D¨D¨DELP!!!¡¹


    My voice resounded throughout the training ground.


    ¡ôSilver Witch; Kuna


    ¡¸Kuna-sama~ the Hero and co are making their move~¡¹


    Zand, who wore a clown mask, was reporting to Kuna with his usual disgusting voice.


    Kuna was currently standing by in the sweets¡¯ castle right now.


    Kuroki wasn¡¯t with Kuna.


    I heard that he went to teach swordcraft to the demon king¡¯s daughter.


    Though I¡¯ve never met her before, I¡¯m sure that her appearance resembled her father, an ugly pig.


    Thus, Kuroki had left for the demon king castle today.


    Though it was vexing when Kuroki left my side, it wasn¡¯t a big deal since I could return to our mansion in Nargol anytime I wanted to.


    Moreover, I didn¡¯t want to show this ugly clown to Kuroki.


    But, this clown was really useful. It was thanks to him that I could gather the information about the hero with ease.


    Bushkey¡¯s butterflies couldn¡¯t leave Kuna¡¯s side after all. Thus, I need another person to fill in the information gathering duty. And Zand just happened to be suitable to fulfill that position.


    ¡¸Is that so? What¡¯s their goal this time then? Are theying to Nargol?¡¹


    Kuna asked Zand as she leaned back on the transparent sweet throne.


    ¡¸NaiNai~. They ain¡¯ting to Nargo~l. In fact, they might being to this ~ce. What shall we do~. Nihihihihihihi.¡¹


    ¡¸I see, are they aiming for Kuna?¡¹


    ¡¸Most probably~.¡¹


    Zand replied to Kuna while flying happily around the throne room.


    Maybe he was the kind of fe who always high-strung.


    In the end, there was nothing that matched him well with him aside from being a clown.


    ¡¸ALERT!! ALERT!! KUNA-SAMA!! AREN¡¯T YOU GOING TO TELL KUROKI-SAMA ABOUT THIS!!?¡¹


    The one who made noise beside me was Tibel the fairy.


    Tibel was a fairy with luminous wings that shone in prismatic colors.


    She was a noisy girl who came from Aedin¡¯s garden and started to follow Kuna and revered Kuna as a goddess.


    Fairies were a race whose appearance resembled that of a human girl but were the size of a palm with butterfly wings on their back.


    Tibel might¡¯ve the appearance of a young girl but she was a full-fledged adult fairy.


    Tibel¡¯s race had an ugly, worm-like appearance in their childhood.


    ¡¸Shut up, Tibel. There¡¯s no need to tell Kuroki about this matter. We can just abandon this sweets castle.¡¹


    There¡¯s no need to act silly.


    Even if they really came, I just needed to abandon this castle. It¡¯s not like we really need this castle to begin with.


    ¡¸As expected of Kuna-sama~. Not even a twitch when talking about abandoning the sweets castle. KYAHAHAHA.¡¹


    ¡¸Right?Right?As expected?¡¹


    Zand and Tibel were making merry amongst themselves. Seriously, why in the world are only these kinds of noisy fes gathering around Kuna?


    ¡¸Well then. Datie. You¡¯re to stop those hero fes in this castle.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh!?¡¹


    Kuna then spoke to Datie who was waiting behind the sweets throne. It seems she didn¡¯t expect this.


    ¡¸Do you have anyints with my decision, Datie?¡¹


    Kuna red at Datie as Kuna asked this question.


    ¡¸No, Kuna-sama. I¡¯m notining. But¡­ Can I¡­ evacuate?¡¹


    Datie asked with a timid voice.


    ¡¸Nope. You have to stay in this ce. That¡¯s the reason why you assumed Kuna¡¯s appearance, right?¡¹


    Kuna walked toward Datie¡¯s side as she pushed her scythe on Datie¡¯s neck.


    ¡¸HYIIIII!¡¹


    Datie ended up screaming like a ughtered pig when she felt Kuna¡¯s scythe on her neck.


    Kuna had always been wondering why this goblin wanted Kuna¡¯s hair. Only to find outter that she wanted to assume Kuna¡¯s appearance.


    There was morphing magic that allowed one to assume the appearance of the others. But, the user needs the hair of the target to be able to do that.


    And this idiot actually wanted Kuna¡¯s hair to use that magic.


    ¡¸You really are a fo~ol. There¡¯s no reason to allow you to appear near Kuroki by using Kuna-sama¡¯s appearance. This is why you goblins are idio~ts.¡¹


    Tibel was flying around Datie while making fun of her.


    Just as Tibel had said, Datie was nning to approach Kuroki by assuming Kuna¡¯s appearance.


    Even if it would make Kuroki feel ufortable, Kuna had no reason to stop Datie when all she did was ogling over my Kuroki.


    But, there was no way Kuna was going to let Datie deceive Kuroki by assuming Kuna¡¯s appearance.


    Thus, Kuna had to punish this stinky goblin.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right, Datie. You¡¯ll act as my body double. And remember, Kuna will unseal the bug in your body if you dare to escape from the hero.¡¹


    Datie looked like she was about to cry upon hearing that.


    ¡¸Serves you right¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Well then, Kuna will go first. Do your best and make a good use of the bugs that Kuna¡¯s leaving in this ce, Datie.¡¹


    Kuna turned around after she told those words to Datie.


    ¡¸Do your be~st. See ya, goblin quee~n.¡¹


    ¡¸Ri~ght. Do your be~st. I¡¯m gonna cheer you from behi~nd, KYAHAHAHAAHA.¡¹


    The two noisy fes were also following after Kuna.


    Well then, time to go back to Kuroki¡¯s mansion in Nargol.

 Chapter 87.1: Great Witch of Marshland

    <h4>Chapter 87.1: Great Witch of Marsnd</h4>


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    ¡¸Uuh¡­ it doesn¡¯t seem to be a sess, Master Kuroki¡­¡¹


    Polen sighed heavily, having fallen on all fours to the ground.


    It seems Polen was the clumsy type just like me.


    ¡¸Please don¡¯t feel down, Your Highness. I shall prepare another batch of wooden swords.¡¹


    Putina, who finally recovered from the effects of Polen¡¯s fart, patted Polen to console her.


    ¡¸U~h. Poh-chan¡­¡¹


    Polen ended up destroyed all the training tools that had been prepared for her. For now, we couldn¡¯t continue the sword training due to theck of tools.


    But, such amazing power.


    Polen had created one crater after another with each swing of her sword.


    In terms of strength alone, she might be the strongest.


    But, it was also thanks to that power that the wooden swords were destroyed in just a single swing every time.


    Polen kneeled on the ground, seemingly worrying over the matter.


    ¡¸Calm yourself, Your Highness!! It¡¯s not something that you can master with just one day of training!!¡¹


    That was lie.


    ording to what I¡¯d heard, Reiji could literally do anything on the first try. He was the type that could do anything on first try- a f*cking genius.


    I held back from crying upon recalling the matter.


    ¡¸¡­ Really?¡¹


    When I gave some words of encouragement, Polen looked up to me with teary eyes.


    ¡¸Yes, it was also the same for me when I held a sword for the first time. I only got to my current state after many long years of arduous training.¡¹


    This was the truth.


    I wasn¡¯t the type that could do anything on the first try. There were times when I felt frustated since my hardwork looked like nothing in the eyes of a genius like Reiji.


    But, I¡¯d perservered no matter how difficult it seemed to be.


    Humans weren¡¯t born equal.


    I had no choice but to rely on what I had. No matter how ugly it was.


    ¡¸That¡¯s why, I¡¯m sure that Your Highness will be able to do the same as long as you never give up.¡¹


    I took Polen¡¯s hand, pulling her up to her feet as I said so.


    So heavy.


    Polen was only as tall as my chest. But, it seems she was much heavier than me.


    ¡¸Yes!! I¡¯ll perserve!!¡¹


    Polen replied enthusiastically as she gripped my hand back.


    Oh cr*p¡­ My hand is gonna broke.


    ¡¸Yes. Let¡¯s do our best together.¡¹


    But, I replied to her as if there was nothing wrong with my hand.


    ¡¸Hou, what an interestingbination.¡¹


    Suddenly, I heard someone¡¯s voice.


    Polen and I looked in the direction the voice came from.


    Since Polen, the daughter of the demon king, was using the training grounds right now, there should be no one else approaching this ce.


    ¡¸Geh!! Grandma!!¡¹


    ¡¸H-Heqet-sama!!¡¹


    Both Polen and Putine became flustered once they saw the owner of that voice.


    ¡¸Long time no see, Heqet-dono.¡¹


    I greeted the owner of the voice who came toward us.


    Her name was Heqet, the archwitch of the wends.


    Her figure resembled that of bipedal cat with three heads.


    Similiar to Loughas, she was one of divine beings who came under Modes¡¯ wing.


    Her status was only lower than Modes- in short, we were of the same rank.


    By the way, since she was Modes¡¯ caretaker, not even Modes could go against her. Many people fear her since not even the demon king dared to go against her.


    ¡¸U~hm. What are you doing here, grandma? I¡¯m sure that you¡¯re supposed to be in the east wends¡­¡¹


    Polen asked as beads of cold sweat started to appear on her face.


    It seems she was also the one who reared Polen. And just like Modes, it seems that Polen couldn¡¯t go against Heqet either.


    Normally, Heqet stayed in the poisonous wends located far east of the demon king castle, rarelying out from there. Even I had only met her once before.


    That¡¯s why, seeing her in this ce was an extremely rare opportunity.


    ¡¸I just wanted to take a look after I heard from the empusa(female mantis) that a certain shut in had finally decided to leave her room. Ribbitribbitribbit¡¹


    Heqetughed like a frog.


    ¡¸U~h. You¡¯re overexagerrating it.¡¹


    The empusas(female mantises) were Heqet¡¯s kin. Heqet knew the situation in the demon king castle from them.


    ¡¸Heqet-dono, allow me to express my gratitude for the matter regarding Kuna.¡¹


    I ryed my appreciation to Heqet.


    Heqet seemed to only ept female disciples, Kuna being one of them.


    Kuna had taken lessons from Heqet to be stronger in the past.


    Heqet could teach everything about medicinal nts and medicine. In those areas, not even Loughas, the god of knowledge, could beat her.


    Even Fanacea, the Elios¡¯ goddess of medicine and medicinal nts, was her former student.


    Nevertheless, I heard that her rtionship with Fanacea¡¯s mother, the goddess of childbirth and marriage; Faeria, was the worst.


    And she also stopped her contact with Fanacea after Modes was banished from Elios.


    ¡¸Yeah. It¡¯s not big deal, ck Storm. She¡¯s a bright child after all.¡¹


    Heqet said so while waving her hand at me.


    ¡¸I see, thank goodness.¡¹


    In fact, I was really anxious when I sent Kuna to take a lesson at Heqet¡¯s ce.


    I wanted to go with her too but Heqet only took in female disciples. Thus, I couldn¡¯t help but leave her there by herself.


    I felt relieved upon hearing her remark.


    ¡¸But, I really can¡¯t take my eyes off what you do. You¡¯re also amazing. Oh right, I shall go to see that child too. You don¡¯t mind me doing that, right?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, please do so.¡¹


    ¡¸Uhm, what are you talking about?¡¹


    Polen was tilting her head upon hearing our conversation. Looks like she didn¡¯t know anything about Kuna.


    ¡¸Ribbitribbitribbit. Just a matter between us. Well, it¡¯s already time for lunch. Since this is a rare assion, why don¡¯t we have lunch together.¡¹


    ¡ôPrincess of Hell; Polen


    The Neb¡¯room was the dining room of the demon king castle.


    However, it was different from the dark hole-like room which were used by my father, the demon king, for his meals. The ones who ate in this room were the subordinates of the dark knights.


    Nevertheless, there was no one but us in this dining room right now. Reason being, they were giving us some space for a private lunch in this big room.


    Gems of various colors were iid in the ceiling made of ck marble, making the ceiling look like sea of stars;Iit was apparently the representation of a neb.


    The gems were shining on their own, illuminating this room.


    A variety of insect dishes loved by dear grandma were being lined up on the giant table.


    The insects were freshly caught from the forest of darkness in the south of Nargol.


    I ate my favourite deep-fried giant locust with gusto.


    The aroma and vor of the finest oil pushed the deliciousness to a whole other level.


    Suddenly, I looked over at master Kuroki.


    He didn¡¯t touch his meal.


    I noticed that they¡¯d eaten less than 1/20 of my portion.


    Stew of dposition flies was grandma¡¯s favourite and he ate it less than Poh-chan who stuffed her mouth with honey.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, master Kuroki? Why are you eating so little?¡¹


    ¡¸Er, Your Highness Polen. Please don¡¯t mind me. I¡¯m not big eater.¡¹


    Master only ate the veggies which came with the dishes.


    ¡¸Which reminds me, Your excellency prefer fruit and vegetables more than meat. Moreover, he eats so little.¡¹


    Poh-chan exined.


    ¡¸I can¡¯t bear to see us wasting them, they¡¯re so delicious after all.¡¹


    I scooped mouthful of salty and sweet stew filled with small worms.


    ¡¸Polen, you eat a bit too much. You¡¯ll gain weight if you keep eating like that and you won¡¯t be able to swing your sword properly.¡¹


    ¡¸Ugh!¡¹


    Grandma rebuked me.


    In fact, I was slowly losing my confidence the more I thought about it.


    I couldn¡¯t swing my sword properly since the meat around my joints kept hindering my movements whenever I swung my sword. Yeah, it seems I have to go on a diet.


    But, I really couldn¡¯t control myself around the sweets that I loved so much.

 Chapter 87.2: Great Witch of Marshland

    <h4>Chapter 87.2: Great Witch of Marsnd</h4>


    Eating my favourite dark garlic fries while lying down on my bed was a supreme bliss.


    I couldn¡¯t imagine myself from stopping that kind of enjoyment. Thus, let¡¯s change the topic.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, I¡¯ve never have a meal with my dear father¡­ Buhihihi.¡¹


    I tried to somehow changed the topic with a forceful smile on my face.


    ¡¸Good grief, you haven¡¯t changed since you were a child. Always trying to divert the topic whenever you feel it¡¯s inconvenient to you.¡¹


    Grandma heaved a sigh as she spoke.


    It seems she¡¯d seen through my intentions.


    ¡¸Your highness, why don¡¯t you have meals with Mode- I mean, with His Majesty?¡¹


    Master asked me with a worried look on his face.


    His expression was serious.


    My heart was about to burst when he looked at me with such eyes.


    ¡¸Eh! That¡¯s¡­ you see. We were quarreling in the past and I haven¡¯t¡­ seen him again after that¡­¡¹


    My heart pounded even faster as I replied to him.


    ¡¸I see¡­ Come to think of it, Your Highness. Do you know His Majesty¡¯s favourite food?¡¹


    After pondering for a while, Master suddenly asked me about my father¡¯s favourite food.


    It seems he had some idea.


    What was the meaning behind his question? Honestly I couldn¡¯t understand it. But, I replied at once.


    ¡¸Uhm, my father loves kraken dishes¡­¡¹


    I replied while recalling the matter of the past.


    I mean, my dear father did enjoy the liquor while eating dishes made from kraken.


    ¡¸I see. Well then, Your highness. How about we catch some kraken for His Majesty?¡¹


    ¡¸M-Master, what¡¯s the matter with you having such an idea out of nowhere!!??¡¹


    I went into a panic.


    Kraken were giant sea beasts who lived in nothern sea. I heard that catching one was really hard. The degree of difficulty was too much for a weak shut-in like me.


    ¡¸You can give that kraken to his Majesty and have a meal with him. And while you¡¯re at that, how about using that chance to mend your rtionship?¡¹


    Master was nodding with smile on his face as he said those words.


    It was an extremely refreshing smile.


    ¡ôSilver Witch; Kuna


    Kuna and the others were in Kuroki¡¯s mansion in Nargol.


    This mansion was ill-suited for secret talk since the female knight, Guno, and co were also standing by in this ce.


    But, since I literally had abandoned sweet¡¯s castle, I had no choice but to receive the secret report in this mansion.


    I ordered Guno and co to stay away from the room so I should be able to receive the secret report safely for the time being.


    ¡¸The hero and co are too slow in making their move. What in the world are you doing, Zand?¡¹


    ¡¸U~hm. I¡¯m also puzzled by their actions, Kuna-sama. But, they¡¯re definitely heading toward the sweet¡¯s castle~.¡¹


    Zand the clown replied so while bending his body.


    His movements made me even more irritated.


    ording to Zand¡¯s report, the hero and co were definitely moving toward the sweet¡¯s castle but their speed could only be considered as a snail¡¯s pace.


    Kuna really hated it when anyone aside from Kuroki made her wait.


    Just what in the world was that useless hero doing right now?


    In fact, I¡¯ve really been looking forward to the sight of that idiot Datie fighting against the hero and co.


    ¡¸Zand. Kuna really hates to be forced to wait like this. Investigate the cause for the dy of their arrival. And if possible, force them to make their move.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Kuna-sama.¡¹


    The clown vanished after he said so.


    ¡¸Geez, just what in the world is that idiot hero doing.¡¹


    Kuna left the room after the matter was dealt with.


    Well then, there was still sometime until Kuroki returns. What should I do to kill time until then.


    ¡¸KUNA-SAMA!! KUNA-SAMAAAAAAA!!¡¹


    A moment after I was pondering what I wanted to do to kill some time, Tibel the fairy came flying toward Kuna in hurry.


    ¡¸What¡¯sthe matter, Tibel?¡¹


    She was always noisy but her current state was clearly abnormal no matter how I looked at it.


    ¡¸BAD NEWS KUNA-SAMA!! IT¡¯S A REALLY BAD NEWS!!! THE GREAT FROG IS COMIIIIIIIING!!¡¹


    ¡¸What?!!¡¹


    Even Kuna was caught off guard hearing that news.


    There was only one person who called great frog by Tibel: Archwitch of the wend; Heqet.


    Heqet¡¯s kin, Toadmen and Empusas, were the nemesis of Tibel and the other fairies. No wonder she¡¯d fallen into this state upon knowing that the big boss of her tribe¡¯s nemesis wasing in person.


    Upon listening carefully, I found out that it wasn¡¯t just Tibel. All the faries in this mansion had fallen into the same state as her.


    ¡¸You¡¯re noisy, Tibel. Since you don¡¯t want to meet her, hide yourself when I go out to meet her.¡¹


    Kuna headed toward the parlor after she said so.


    Kuna intended to recieve Heqet in this ce.


    ¡¸Sorry for intruding. The mansion is rather noisy.¡¹


    Heqet, who was guided by the female daemon Guno, entered the room.


    Archwitch of the wends; Heqet was a personage that was highly revered even by the demon king himself. Let alone the likes of Guno, she had no qualifications to shoo Heqet away.


    Thus, she could only guide Heqet into the mansion.


    ¡¸Heqet¡­ Is something the matter?¡¹


    Kuna weed her while still sitting in her chair.


    Honestly speaking, the one who should sit in this master chair was Kuroki. But, Kuroki was absent right now.


    Thus, Kuna, as his mistress, was the one who sat in this chair to wee Heqet.


    ¡¸Call me master, Silver. Good grief, both Mona and you are the same in this regard. It seem all the goddess¡¯ clones have the same warped personality. Maybe it was really a great mistake on my part to impart the secret arts of creation. I should warn that boy Modes about this matterter.¡¹


    Heqet took a seat in the guest seat while shaking her head as if to say ¡°Good grief.¡±


    Kuna studied under Heqet some time ago.


    Though I couldn¡¯t bring myself to like this woman, her knowledge rivaled that of Loughas and even surpassed him in some areas.


    It was also thanks to this witch that Kuna gained the ability as a bug user.


    I guess I need to show a little courtesy to her as my master.


    ¡¸Fine then. Is something the matter, Master?¡¹


    Kuna asked as she released intimidating air toward Heqet.


    Regardless, this witch was asposed as ever.


    ¡¸Cease your vignce, Silver. Ribbitribbitribbit. I simply came to see you. I even got permission from that ck Storm of yours.¡¹


    ck Storm was Heqet¡¯s nickname for Kuroki.


    In this part, I really wished that Kuroki would rebuke her.


    ¡¸I see. Since you wanted to see me, I guess you¡¯ve already fulfilled your purpose. Now you may leave, Master.¡¹


    ¡¸Can¡¯t be helped then. RibbitRibbitRibbit. Which reminds me, what are you trying to hide from me?¡¹


    All of Heqet¡¯s six eyes were locked on Kuna. She might beughing but her eyes were dead serious.


    ¡¸It¡¯s not like I¡¯m trying to keep it a secret from you.¡¹


    But, Kuna didn¡¯t back down and red back at Heqet instead.


    ¡¸Not trying to hide, huh. You only don¡¯t want to tell me about it, right?¡¹


    ¡¸About what?¡¹


    ¡¸About the Blue Forest. And the fact that the Hero and co are heading toward that ce. Are you sure that you¡¯re not going to tell ck Storm about this matter?¡¹


    ¡¸!!¡¹


    Honestly, I was really surprised.


    Good grief, I really couldn¡¯t hide anything from this witch.


    Currently, the matter regarding the hero and co was being handled by Kuroki, including the information gathering.


    Nevertheless, since Kuroki was really bad at gathering information, that task ended up being handled by Kuna.


    Thus, properly speaking, I should tell Kuroki about the heroing to blue forest.


    Could it be that Heqet knows the reason why I didn¡¯t tell Kuroki about this piece of information?


    ¡¸Well, I only knew about this a while ago. Those fairies are chatterboxes after all. All I need is a little magic to eavesdrop on their conversation. RibbitRibbitRibbit¡¹


    Heqet was smiling as she spoke.


    ¡¸There¡¯s no need to report this matter to Kuroki. It just my way to make Datie pay for her transgression.¡¹


    Datie¡¯s transgression was trying to trick Kuroki by taking Kuna¡¯s appearance.


    But, even if Kuroki knew about this matter, the gentle Kuroki would most likely forgive her since it was only an attempt.


    Thus, Kuna simply kept this matter as a secret from Kuroki.


    ¡¸Well, it makes sense I guess. This might be a good lesson for that s*x maniac. But, that idiot goblin is still this old woman¡¯s apprentice. You don¡¯t mind if I give her a little assistance right, Silver?¡¹


    Datie was also Heqet¡¯s apprentice. That was the reason why the former knew how to create an aphrodisiac.


    Heqet seems to want to at least keep Datie alive.


    ¡¸Yeah, do as you wish, Master. But, the hero is strong. More than you.¡¹


    ording to the story, she was supposed to face the hero and co when they arrived at the demon king castle before, but since Kuroki wiped the floor with the hero and nearly cut the hero in half, she didn¡¯t get the chance to fight him at all.


    But I was sure of one thing, the hero was most likely far more powerful than Heqet.


    Heqet was strong, but I don¡¯t think she could win against the hero.


    In the first ce, it should take someone at Kuroki or the Demon King¡¯s level to beat the hero.


    ¡¸Indeed. Well, I¡¯ll escape once things get dangerous. I have some ns to make use of that fe¡¯s power. RibbitRibbitRibbit.¡¹


    Heqetughed as she spoke.

 Chapter 88.1: When I Met You in My Dream

    <h4>Chapter 88.1: When I Met You in My Dream</h4>


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    I returned to my mansion after today¡¯s training with Polen had ended.


    My mansion was located at the outskirts of the demon king castle.


    Calling it a mansion was an understatement at this point- it was literally a small castle.


    Upon entering the mansion, Guno and her subordinates came out to greet me.


    ¡¸Wee back, Your Excellency.¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m back, Lord Guno. Did anything happen when I was away?¡¹


    ¡¸No, there was nothi¡ª ah,e to think of it, the Archwitch of wends-sama visited the mansion a little while ago.¡¹


    The one she was referring to as the arch witch of the wends was Heqet.


    Come to think of it, she did say that she was going to visit Kuna after lunch.


    ¡¸It¡¯s just that, her visit seems to have affected Kuna-sama¡¯s mood.¡¹


    ¡¸Ah¡­ I see¡­¡¹


    I felt cold sweat running down my back upon hearing that.


    Kuna didn¡¯t seem to like Heqet.


    But still, the one who applied for an apprenticeship at Heqet¡¯s ce to be even stronger was none other than Kuna. And since Heqet was Kuna¡¯s benefactor, I couldn¡¯t just turn her away.


    But, I guess I should pacify Kuna for now.


    ¡¸Well, I¡¯ll go check on Kuna then.¡¹


    I spoke as I looked at Guno and co.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Your Excellency?¡¹


    ¡¸No. I¡¯ve been wondering about this for a while, but¡­ what¡¯s with that attire?¡¹


    For some reason, Guno and co haven¡¯t been wearing their dark knight¡¯s attire the entire time I¡¯ve been in this mansion. They were wearing a ck bandage-like uniform instead.


    Looking from behind, their well-shaped butt waspletelyid bare for me to enjoy.


    And just like the angel tribe, the daemon tribe wasposed of handsome and beautiful people.


    As a man, I always had a hard time deciding which ce I should be looking at whenever they appeared in front of me donned in such bold attire.


    ¡¸Eh? You love this kind of attire right, Your Excellency?¡¹


    Guno asked with a puzzled look on her face.


    Eh? Wait a minute.


    How did they know that I like it when I see them in that kind of attire?


    I mean, yes, I f*cking love it!!


    But, I should never show that on the outside.


    ¡¸Yeah, I love it, but¡­ it¡¯s honestly really bad for me, especially for my lower half¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Your Excellency. That¡¯s exactly the goal of this kind of attire right, to invoke the other party¡¯s excitement? Rather than that, allow us to help you with taking off your armour.¡¹


    Guno and co approached me, emphasizing their delicious looking cleav*ge.


    ¡¸Yeah, it looks really good on you girls¡­¡¹


    Guno and co then started to take off my armour.


    And then, they dressed me in clothes made from the highest quality ck silk.


    ¡¸Thanks a lot, lord Guno¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Please don¡¯t mind it, we¡¯re just doing our job properly.¡¹


    Guno let out an enchanting smile as she spoke.


    They were actually senior knights so they didn¡¯t actually have to do this for me. In fact, this should be the job of the dark elf and the werebear maid who was working in this mansion.


    But, they¡¯d taken it upon themselves to look out for me.


    Their movements were flowing naturally. There was no awkward movement at all.


    I went toward Kuna¡¯s ce as soon as they were done.


    The princess of this mansion was sulking in her bedroom after all.


    ¡¸Wee back, Kuroki.¡¹


    Maybe because she felt my presence, she weed me from the bed without even looking at me.


    The fact that she didn¡¯te to hug me was proof that she was definitely sulking right now.


    ¡¸I¡¯m home, Kuna.¡¹


    I approached the bed and touched Kuna¡¯s cheek.


    Kuna embraced me immediately in response.


    She always embraced me immediately when I approached her no matter how much she was sulking.


    Her adorable reaction healed me.


    ¡¸Bu~h.¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m really sorry. Cheer up, Kuna.¡¹


    I pacified her while patting on her head.


    ¡¸Okay¡­ but I won¡¯t forgive you unless you give a lot of love to Kuna.¡¹


    Kuna spoke while behaving like a spoiled girl.


    ***


    ¡ôDaemon Tribe¡¯s Female Knight; Guno


    ¡¸I¡¯ll leave His Excellency¡¯s armour in your care.¡¹


    After helping Kuroki-sama put on his clothes, I entrusted his armour to the werebear girl to be taken care of.


    ¡¸Leave it to me, Guno-sama.¡¹


    His Excellency¡¯s armour looks like it would crush that girl whose height is only half of ours.


    Nevertheless, one shouldn¡¯t be tricked by their appearance which might look like a normal human girl in her early teens- their real form was that of a giant bear.


    Their strength was literally a cheat amongst the demons since even their young children had enough physical strength to single-handedly win against a few adult goblins or orcs.


    Nevertheless, they were still far too weakpared to high noble daemons like us.


    ¡¸Lucor, prepare a meal for His Excellency immediately. His Excellency might have yet to eat lunch at demon king castle¡¯s dinner.¡¹


    I ordered Lucor, the dark elf maid, to prepare a lunch for Kuroki-sama.


    Kuroki-sama¡¯s pte couldn¡¯t ept the orc tribe¡¯s meal. So I¡¯m guessing he didn¡¯t ate anything during lunch time.


    If I had to say, he preferred the elves tribe¡¯s meals. Thus, elven maids were stationed in this ce to cook for him.


    But, it was only limited to meals¡­


    Taking care of Nargol¡¯s strongest knight was our duty as the daemon tribe. We absolutely wouldn¡¯t relegate this duty to any other.


    ¡¸Understood, Guno-sama. Shall I add some ¡°invigorating¡± seasoning as usual?¡¹


    Lucor asked for a confirmation.


    I turned away and replied as usual.


    ¡¸Of course, that¡¯s the most important ¡°seasoning.¡±?¡¹


    ***


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    I rode on Gryphon, heading toward northern direction.


    We were headed towards the northern capital, Velos.


    Though there were a lot of clouds in the sky, this kind of situation wasn¡¯t a big deal for Gryphon.


    ¡¸In the end, our departure got dyed huh, Reiji-kun.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, Chiyuki.¡¹


    Reiji was flying by my side, riding on a pegasus.


    In fact, there was no particr reason for the dy in our departure.


    Though there were various misceneous matters we needed to attend to, they could have been dyed for after we¡¯d returned from the north.


    I looked at Reiji who was flying by my side.


    He didn¡¯t have his usual assertive attitude.


    And if my guess was correct, Reiji is actually pretty reluctant to visit the north too.


    He might be afraid of Shirone¡¯s childhood friend.


    Thus, he yed a part in dying our departure.


    Honestly, I was really surprised seeing the usually fearless Reiji fallen into this kind of state.


    Nevertheless, the person himself might¡¯ve not realized that yet.


    ¡¸Hey, Chiyuki-san. Isn¡¯t it about time for us to take a rest?¡¹


    Rino, who was riding on a hippogriff, suggested that we should take a rest.


    Sure enough, we¡¯ve been flying non-stop since our departure this morning.


    ¡¸E~h, it¡¯s still a long way to go, Rino-chan. Why are we taking a rest so soon?¡¹


    Shirone, who flew with her own wings in the front, asked with a dissatisfied look on her face.


    In regards to pure flying speed, Shirone was the fastest amongst us. She might also be the one who wanted to arrive as fast as possible amongst us.


    ¡¸I know that you¡¯re in hurry, Shirone-san. But let¡¯s take a break for now. It¡¯s true that we can still go a bit more, but you also want to stay in a proper inn right?¡¹


    Though I tried to persuade her, Shirone seemed to be reluctant.


    Well though the sun has yet to set, it was about the time for dusk to fall soon. Plus a country with a proper inn was quite rare.


    We might have no choice but to sleep outdoors if we n poorly.


    Fortunately, I remember that there should be a fairlyrge country around this area. Let¡¯s stay at night in that country.


    ¡¸Shirone, Kaya and Sahoko aren¡¯t with us right now. Camping outdoors when none of us can cook is a bad idea. That¡¯s why we¡¯ve to stay in the inn.¡¹


    Reiji was trying to pacify the sullen Shirone.


    Sahoko was house-sitting along with Kaya and Kyouka so she wasn¡¯t with us right now.


    And the only ones who could cook amongst us were Sahoko and Kaya.


    Even if, for example, we could forage our food from around our area, it was meaningless when there was no one who could cook it.


    Though we brought portable rations which were easy to eat, we had to save them for when we really needed them. For that reason, we should find a good inn as soon as possible for today.

 Chapter 88.2: When I Met You in My Dream

    <h4>Chapter 88.2: When I Met You in My Dream</h4>


    ¡¸U~h, I understand. Reiji-kun.¡¹


    Shirone finally agreed, albeit reluctantly, after Reiji persuaded her.


    Thus, wended on the ground.


    There was a country right ahead from where we¡¯dnded.


    If I¡¯m not wrong, the name of that country should be the Sendea kingdom.


    It had made a name for itself after around a hundred years ago, the young king of the kingdom suddenly abandoned his throne, wife, and son to elope with an elf.


    Apparently, the two of them had eloped towards the Hardy Forest to the south of the kingdom.


    Though no one knows what really happened to the two of them after that, I assume that the young king must already be dead by now.


    But thanks to that incident, the elves had be the mortal enemies of this kingdom ever since. But, that had nothing to do with us.


    ¡¸Nao-san, are there any signs of anyone observing us?¡¹


    I asked Nao after we descended to the ground.


    ¡¸No, nothing so far. Even if there is someone, they won¡¯t be able to hide from me. Well, it seems that they aren¡¯t following us all the way through the sky¡­¡¹


    Nao shook her head.


    It seems we were being observed by something.


    Nao spoke time and time again that she felt an unpleasant presence.


    One of our goals for this trip was to catch the one who was observing us. But, it couldn¡¯t be helped since the one who followed us didn¡¯t follow after us as we were traveling from the air.


    ¡¸Nao-chan, is the one who was following us not Ruby-chan?¡¹


    Ruby was the fire rat who observed us before he was caught by Nao. That rat seems to have returned to Nargol to follow Shirone¡¯s childhood friend after that.


    ¡¸No, Rino-chan. I¡¯d know immediately if it¡¯s Ruby¡­ The one who was observing us isn¡¯t Ruby¡­ the way this fe has been observing us sent a chill running down down my spine.¡¹


    ¡¸Since that fe isn¡¯t following after us, is it observing Sahoko and co¡¯s side right now?¡¹


    Shirone asked while tilting her head.


    ¡¸Shirone-san, even if that¡¯s the case, their side has Kaya. Even if something happens, we can return with transfer magic immediately.¡¹


    There was no contact from them right now.


    ¡¸If that fe dares to do something to Sahoko, I¡¯m gonna turn that guy into the rust of my sword no matter who he is.¡¹


    Reiji shed his usual daring smile.


    Well, it was a good thing that he looked so eager.


    We¡¯re the ones who would be troubled if he stayed dispirited after all.


    Nevertheless, the unpleasant person who¡¯s been observing us¡­ I wonder what kind of fe it is.


    We might be able to meet that fe in the middle of this journey.


    I had such premonition.


    ¡ôSilver Witch; Kuna


    Kuna found herself standing inside a shiny garden.


    White flowers were blooming in the garden and blue little birds were chirping around the garden.


    This ce wasn¡¯t Nargol.


    This is in my dream. I¡¯m sure of that.


    Kuna was currently in Elios¡¯ heavenly pce.


    Kuna, who was in Nargol, suddenly entered into this very ce in Elios. Normally speaking, that was impossible.


    That¡¯s why it could only happen in the dream.


    Kuna was walking around the garden when just then, an open space appeared ahead.


    A table and chair had already been prepared in that ce.


    Someone was already waiting for me in that ce.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve been waiting for you, my clone.¡¹


    The person who waiting for me called Kuna as her ¡°clone¡±.


    She seemed to call herself as the ¡°real¡± one.


    ¡¸What business do you have with me, Rena?¡¹


    I red at the real one before me, the origin that became the base of my appearance.


    Goddess Rena.


    Yes, Kuna was something akin to Rena¡¯s clone.


    Maybe because of that, Kuna and Rena had formed some sort of mental connection.


    That was also the reason why we were able to meet here like this in a dream.


    ¡¸I called you here to lodge a formal protest, my clone. I¡¯m really jealous that he¡¯s ALL OVER YOU!!¡¹


    Though Rena seemed to be really enraged, I honestly didn¡¯t care about what she felt.


    ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped. You¡¯re so far away in Elios after all. Thus, it¡¯s only natural that he LOVES KUNA who¡¯s staying by HIS SIDE!¡¹


    ¡¸BUT IT¡¯S TOO MUCH EVEN FOR ME!! I MEAN, WHAT THE HECK WITH THAT MAID UNIFORM AND NURSE UNIFORM PLAY!!¡¹


    What she was referring to as the maid and nurse uniforms were the native clothes from Kuroki¡¯s homeworld.


    Kuroki had Kuna wear those clothes from his hometown every once in a while.


    ¡¸It¡¯s not a problem. Kuroki is happier when Kuna wears those clothes.¡¹


    ¡¸I also don¡¯t mind since he¡¯s really delighted by it, but¡­ since he goes really wild when you wear those, my body has be¡­¡¹


    Rena was heaving a sigh as she spoke.


    She was blushing.


    Maybe she was recalling the extremely passionate night between Kuroki and Kuna that she saw in her dream.


    ¡¸What are you talking about? It¡¯s much better than seeing Mona¡¯s side, right?¡¹


    ¡¸I know that, but still¡­¡¹


    Rena no longer saw Mona¡¯s dream after Kuroki created Kuna.


    And since both of us love the same man, her mind chooses Kuna over Mona.


    ¡¸Since you¡¯re okay with it, Kuna will leave if you have nothing else to tell Kuna.¡¹


    ¡¸Wait. This time, please tell Kuroki to visit my ce. It¡¯s okay even if he simply just visits Totona¡¯s library. I mean, I feel that I¡¯m starting tock Kuroki¡¯s essencetely¡­¡¹


    She looked really frail when she spoke.


    It seems she really had a hard time with not being able to meet Kuroki.


    ¡¸That¡¯s difficult. Your house is located right in the centre of Elios, far away from Totona¡¯s library.¡¹


    Totona¡¯s library was located at the outskirts of Elios. This was the main reason why Kuroki, the most fearsome Dark Knight, could enter Totona¡¯s library in secret.


    In contrast, Rena¡¯s house was located right at the centre of Elios. Kuroki would definitely stand out if he came to visit her house.


    In the first ce, this woman couldn¡¯t even abandon her status and chose to hide her rtionship with Kuroki instead. That¡¯s why, asking Kuroki to visit her house was literally asking for a trouble, right?


    ¡¸U~h. What should I do now? Things will be easier if I go to the introvert¡¯s ce, but she really hates me¡­¡¹


    Rena was really at her wit¡¯s end.


    The introvert here was referring to the Goddess of Knowledge and Books; Totona.


    Rena came to call her an introvert since Totona always secluded herself, from reading books in her library.


    Kuroki came to visit Totona¡¯s library every once in a while whenever he had to do some prior investigation.


    I hate that introverted woman since she was always ogling Kuroki like a cat in heat.


    Rena was on bad terms with Totona. Thus, she was quite reluctant to visit Totona¡¯s library.


    But, I guess we¡¯re running out of time.


    ¡¸Anything else to say? Kuna is going to leave if you have nothing else to say.¡¹


    Kuna stood up from her chair.


    ¡¸W-WAIT A MINUTE!!¡¹


    ¡¸Anything else?¡¹


    Kuna turned around toward Rena.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t care about the clothes that you wear, but please stop using that cat-tail. Even I had a hard time seeing it in my dream you know.¡¹


    Rena¡¯s face was dead serious when she said that. It seems this was the main reason for her calling me here today.

 Chapter 89.1: Aspidochelone Island

    <h4>Chapter 89.1: Aspidochelone Ind</h4>


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    The Nosoi kingdom was an orc kingdom which was located at the coastline, northwest of the demon king¡¯s pce.


    I was currently visiting that country.


    Orcs were a tribe that were created by Modes¡¯ mother, Nargol.


    The Orc tribe was split into two factions once Modes betrayed Nargol.


    Those who pledged their loyalty to Modes lived in Nargol. Those who didn¡¯t pledge their loyalty to Modes mostly chose to leave Nargol and scattered around the world.


    The orcs who didn¡¯t pledge their loyalty to Modes lost their divine protection and became weaker as a result. While on the other hand, the orcs who pledged their loyalty to Modes grew into prosperity in Nargol.


    For that reason the orcs who lived outside of Nargol were living a primitive lifestyle of human from stone age while the level of civilization in the Nosoi kingdom rivaled that of humans.


    Orcs had a caste system with the king standing at the summit. The upper-echelons of their tribe were the warriors or priests, the middle-ss were workers or peasants, and the lower-ss were the ve.


    Workers and peasants were free people and had the right to own weapon.


    And though the ves didn¡¯t have the right to live freely, depending on their achievements, they could buy their freedom.


    The orc lord¡¯s castle was built facing the sea with numerous ships moored at the harbour that could be seen from the watchout of the castle.


    We¡¯re going to depart to the sea inhabited by the kraken from this city.


    Nargol was and of evesting darkness and this coast was also enveloped in the darkness all year long. Thus, sun-bathing on the beach was literally impossible.


    ¡¸Uhm, Master Kuroki. Are we really going to go? The ship won¡¯t sink right?¡¹


    Polen, who stood by my side, asked with an anxious voice.


    Polen didn¡¯t seem to want to go.


    I thought that I had failed when I saw that reluctant look on her face. I mean, it was my idea to catch a kraken to make Polen and Modes get along again after all.


    After some investigation, I found out that both of them didn¡¯t actually hate each other. Thus, I wanted to use the kraken to break the ice.


    But then, taking Polen out of her room might be a bad idea after all.


    It seems the pressure was too much for her.


    I didn¡¯t consider her feelings and just pushed my idea on her.


    That¡¯s why things had became harder for her when we reached this point.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. The ship won¡¯t sink that easily. And even if it does, I can still fly in the air.¡¹


    I muttered the most optimistic answer I could think off.


    The truth is, the kraken might sink the ship but there was no need to make her anxious right now.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ I¡­ I can¡¯t use flight magic nor can I swim.¡¹


    Polen replied again with anxious voice.


    She was already on the verge of tears.


    ¡¸In that case, I¡¯ll hold you. That¡¯s why, everything will be okay, Your Highness.¡¹


    I tried to reassure her to clear her anxiety-filled heart.


    Now, she would definitely replying with something along ¡¸What, are you talking about?¡¹.


    ¡¸H-HOLDING ONTO ME?!! REALLY?!!!¡¹


    But contrary to what I expected, Polen suddenly shouted joyfully.


    That face, it was as if she was looking forward to something.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ Your Highness.¡¹


    ¡¸YAAAY!! I¡¯M SUDDENLY ALL FIRED UP! WITH THIS, I WON¡¯T LOSE TO THE SHIP!!¡¹


    Polen¡¯s state was now the exact opposite of her pessimistic state from a moment ago.


    I don¡¯t know the reason but it was a good thing that she¡¯d be fired up like this.


    That moment, I felt some presence approaching us.


    ¡¸There you are. Your Highness, Your Excellency.¡¹


    The one who¡¯de was the queen of Nosoi, Nef.


    Nef bowed to to us.


    ¡¸Thank you very much for lending the harbor to us, Nef-dono.¡¹


    I expressed my gratitude to Nef.


    ¡¸It¡¯s not big deal. This is a simple request after all. By the way, this one is my daughter, Ezasa. Please take her along as your attendant for this journey.¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m Ezasa. It¡¯s an honor to meet you, Your Highness, Your Excellency.¡¹


    Ezasa bowed to us.


    ¡¸It¡¯s pleasure to meet you too, Princess Ezasa.¡¹


    The one I called princess was the daughter of the queen. But, since she was an orc, her physique was muchrger than mine. I felt that calling someone with such physique a ¡°princess¡± was strange.


    In the first ce, the female orcs was much stronger than the male orcs. Even the famous orc, Grendel, was no match for his mother.


    In addition, female orcs seems to have a special pheromone which prevented the male orcs from going against them.


    To be honest I felt really d that I wasn¡¯t born as an orc but let¡¯s not say this to Nef and co.


    ¡¸Ezasa~ The big one ising.¡¹


    Four more orcs joined us while we¡¯re shared pleasantries.


    One of those who approached was a really huge orc.


    ¡¸You!! You¡¯re in the presence of Her Highness and His Excellency!! Greet them properly first! My apologies, Your Excellency!! This one is Ozma, my husband. Though no one can beat him in our country, his head is a little bit¡­¡¹


    Ozma bowed to us.


    That huge orc waspletely submissive to Ezasa.


    I looked at Polen. She didn¡¯t seem to mind this. Or rather, she didn¡¯t even looking at Nef and co.


    She had been talking about something with Petina since a while ago.


    I guess it wouldn¡¯t be a problem since Polen had no problem with it too.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it, Ezasa-dono. Rather than that, the ¡®big one¡¯ that you mentioned before? Could it be?¡¹


    I inquired about the matter that was mentioned by Ozma when he came in.


    ¡¸Yes. It seems it has arrived, Aspidochelone.¡¹


    I followed Ezasa¡¯s line of sight as soon as I heard her remark.


    Thus, my eyes caught the figure of something like an ind approaching toward the harbor.


    I called it an ind since it was the most appropriate word for it.


    In fact, that so-called ind was moving on its own toward Nosoi.


    The thing that I saw as an ind was in fact a giant marine mammal; Aspidochelone.


    The giant, turtle-like marine monster always had its shell out of the surface of the water.


    Before long, soil had gathered on its shell, forming vegetation and making it look like a moving ind.


    In addition, Aspidochelone was an extremely docile creature.


    Modes had tamed this Aspidochelone and built his holiday vi on its shell.


    We were going to ride on this Aspidochelone to the frozen sea.


    Something came flying from Aspidochelone.


    The one who came was a small sized dragon the size of a human.


    ¡¸Sorry to kept you waiting, Your Highness, Your Excellency.¡¹


    Yes, it was the dragon demon general, Liburm.


    He was the one who managed the vi on Aspidochelone.


    Liburm belonged to the winged lizardman tribe.


    Winged lizardmen were the superior species of normal lizardmen.


    Though they lost their mimicry ability, they instead gained even more powerfulbat capabilities and the ability to fly.


    And since they¡¯re worshipper of dragon, they held me, who has features of a dragon which made me simr to one, in high regard.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, it wasn¡¯t that long, General Liburm. Anyhow, it¡¯s time to go, Your Highness.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Master Kuroki!!¡¹

 Chapter 89.2: Aspidochelone Island

    <h4>Chapter 89.2: Aspidochelone Ind</h4>


    Note: A familiar character make hiseback


    ¡ôSilver Witch; Kuna


    I woke up in my bedroom in the mansion the moment I felt the presence of Tibel the fairy.


    It seems I¡¯d fallen asleep again after I sent off Kuroki.


    When I looked around, I saw that Guno and her subordinates were still asleep, naked.


    Such miserable fes.


    ¡¸Are you oka~y, Kuna-sama~?¡¹


    It was your noisy voice that woke me up though.


    ¡¸Be quiet, Tibel. As you can see, I¡¯m alright.¡¹


    For some reason, Tibel was under the impression that Kuna was being bullied by Kuroki. Well, it couldn¡¯t be helped, this fe has no idea just how awesome Kuroki is.


    ¡¸I see~. Are you sure that you¡¯re not going to go with him, Kuna-sama?¡¹


    ¡¸It is a wife¡¯s duty to guard the house when her husband is out. And to wee her husband with love when he returns.¡¹


    I told her so with smile on my face.


    ¡¸I see~. Like when you wore a apron while naked, ri~ght.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Tibel. Kuroki was extremely delighted when I did that.¡¹


    ¡¸As expected of Kuna-sama~.¡¹


    Tibel was flying around happily inside of the room.


    Though she was noisy, her praise aren¡¯t that bad.


    ¡¸Enough with the praise, Tibel. Are you here because you have something to report?¡¹


    ¡¸Ri~ght, Kuna-sama~. It seems the hero and co have yet toe to the Velos kingdo~m. They¡¯re stopping along the way too much during their trave~l.¡¹


    And here I thought that they were going to start something, what a bummer.


    ¡¸I see. Keep standing by to observe the situation with clown. Moreover, be prepared since my master might have her own n.¡¹


    Kuna looked away as she gave the order to Tibel.


    ***


    ¡ôGoblin¡¯s Prince; Goz


    I was walking through the banquet hall of the sweet¡¯s castle, the nice, sweet smell of sugary treats assaulting my nose with every step I took.


    Honestly, I was sick of this overly sweet smell. This great me hates sweets.


    The goblin soldiers wearing red hats were standing orderly in a line inside the banquet hall.


    Red hats were hats that were only given to goblins whose military achievements were a cut above the rest, a special force. Strength alone was not enough for one to receive red hat. It was only awarded to those with all sort ofbat capabilities.


    Honestly speaking, they¡¯re not the kind of fes that you want to make an enemy of.


    My mother, the leader of the red hats, was leaning back arrogantly on the throne in the innermost part of the banquet hall.


    I kneeled upon arriving in front of my mother.


    ¡¸You¡¯vee huh, Goz.¡¹


    For some reason, she seems rather pale today. It made her already ugly face became even more uglier than usual.


    As expected, it seems that my mother was also scared sh*tless of the Silver Witch.


    That Silver Witch might be an extremely beautiful woman, but inside, she was colder than the coldest night of mid-winter.


    It seems my mother was really cornered this time.


    I mean, the fact that she even brought the elite red hats along was enough proof of that.


    I sneered at my mother in my heart.


    ¡¸What¡¯s your order for me, mother?¡¹


    I asked straightforwardly without beating around the bush.


    Did she think that I was going to forget the resentment of being locked in that cold and dark prison?


    ¡¸Stop acting dumb, Goz. Do you want to go back to jail again? You¡¯re going to deal with the hero who¡¯s about toe soon. I shall forgive your transgressions so far as long as you can defeat the hero.¡¹


    You¡¯re also ying dumb yourself, mother.


    You already know that this weak me has no chance at wining against the hero.


    But, I¡¯m not stupid enough to tell her that.


    ¡¸IS THAT SO, MOTHER!! THEN I¡¯M GOING TO BEAT THE HERO FOR SURE!!¡¹


    I forced out a happy voice to respond.


    I would escape the moment I saw a chance.


    ¡¸Yeah, I promise. That¡¯s why, you have to protect your mother¡­¡¹


    Mother¡¯s face distorted due to fear, making her at least twice as ugly as before.


    ¡¸It seems you really are cornered this time, Datie.¡¹


    Suddenly, a voice came from the ceiling.


    That voice was then followed by the appearance of a ck sphere.


    That ck sphere descended toward the middle of the banquet hall.


    The red hats pulled their weapon, surrounding the ck sphere that appeared out of nowhere.


    The back sphere descended into the floor, and vanished just like that. Instead, it was reced with a person with three frog heads who was even uglier than my mother.


    ¡¸H-Heqet-SAMA!!!!!!!!!!!¡¹


    The moment she saw that person¡¯s appearance, my mother rushed over and kneeled before that person.


    I was really surprised upon seeing my mother do that.


    That huge mother of mine was actually rubbing her forehead on the ground.


    The red hats themselves couldn¡¯t hide their surprise upon seeing the state of their queen.


    The frog woman called Heqet or whatever was much smallerpared to my mother. For that reason, her identity became even more and more bizzare.


    Who the hell is she?


    ¡¸Raise your head, Datie.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes¡­ Heqet-sama¡­¡¹


    When my mother raised her head, I noticed that her face had be even messier than before due to the drool and nasal mucus stered across her already ugly face.


    ¡¸Good grief, you really went too far this time. How can you think about trying to put your hands on that Dark Knight. I¡¯ve had enough of your stupidity¡­ have you realized your error now?¡¹


    After saying so, Heqet then looked at the male humans who stood at mother¡¯s sides.


    Every single one of them were beautiful men. But, their eyes were empty.


    They didn¡¯t just turn like that due to the effects of drugs or magic.


    Every single one of them had broken after being forced by mother.


    ¡¸Auuu¡­¡¹


    My mother hung her head feebly.


    ¡¸Good grief, you pair of parent and child never cease to bring me trouble.¡¹


    Heqet then looked at me.


    The moment her six eyes locked on me, I felt tremendous pressure.


    And then, it seems she knew about me too.


    Suddenly, I had the urge to pee. But, I ended up leaking my pants.


    I want to escape. But, I might die if I try to escape now.


    I have to endure this, I don¡¯t want to die yet.


    I won¡¯t die until I visit Velos¡¯ red-light district!!


    ¡¸Am I clear, Datie? That ck Storm, the Dark Knight is the one who saved and protected my adorable Modes boy. He¡¯s far more important than the likes of you. If you try to pull out this kind of stupidity again, you¡¯ll die for sure with no one willing to save you.¡¹


    After she said so, I felt a suffocating pressure release from Heqet¡¯s body.


    ¡¸I UNDERSTAND!!! HEQET-SAMAAA!! PLEASE-PLEASE SAVE MEEEEEEEEEEE!!!¡¹


    My mother was prostrating on the ground while clinging onto Heqet¡¯s feet.


    ¡¸It¡¯s good that you finally understand. It can¡¯t be helped then, I¡¯ll save you just this once. RibbitRibbitRibbit.¡¹


    Heqet replied with a froggishugh.


    Her ugly face really rivaled my mother¡¯s.

 Chapter 90: Amazoness Girl

    <h4>Chapter 90: Amazoness Girl</h4>


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    The Velos Kingdom was thergest of the human kingdoms in the northernmost region of the human realm. Though almost all kingdoms in this region were poor, Velos was one of the exceptions to that.


    Velos¡¯ two massive ramparts protected the orchards, agriculturalnds, and the humans within.


    In many other countries, though they could build ramparts to protect the humans, they usually didn¡¯t have enough manpower and funding to build ramparts that also protected the agriculturalnds as well. Due to this, farming in this world was an extremely dangerous upation since there was always a threat of monsters roaming about outside the ramparts.


    But, since Velos¡¯ agricultural areas were protected by ramparts, farming in this country was much safer than other countries. It was the main reason that this kingdom was flourishing.


    On top of that, Velos¡¯ special wine was really popr in even faraway kingdoms like the Holy Republic of Lenaria, which kept importing it to maintain the high demand for it. That was yet another reason for the Velos Kingdom¡¯s prosperity.


    Currently, we were standing in the Velos Royal Pce.


    It might be extremely difficult for normal people to meet the king, but that wasn¡¯t the case for someone like Reiji, the hero who was chosen by the Goddess Rena.


    The permission for an audience was granted as soon as we applied for it. We were then escorted into a room that was prepared for guests in the royal pce.


    An extremelyfortable sofa stuffed to the brim with soft feathers was already prepared in that room for us.


    As we settled in, the maids of the royal pce served beverages to us, the beverage being Velos¡¯ fruit water.


    The slightly sweet fruit water went easily down our throats.


    We enjoyed the refreshments while we waited for the king and made ourselves at home.


    ¡¸In the end, it took a really really long time to arrive to this ce, huh, Chiyuki-san.¡¹


    Rino was leaning back on the sofa as she spoke to me.


    ¡¸Yeah, Rino-san. It took more time than usual.¡¹


    I looked at Shirone as I spoke.


    Shirone seems to be in an extremely bad mood due to our dy.


    ¡¸I mean, who would have expected that we would end up getting ourselves involved in the domestic problems of the Zentea kingom.¡¹


    Nao sent meaningful nce toward Reiji.


    ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped, I¡¯m hero after all. Isn¡¯t it my job to save people in trouble?¡¹


    Reiji spoke calmly.


    ¡¸In your case, it isn¡¯t people in trouble, it¡¯s damsels in distress.¡¹


    I replied sarcastically.


    We received a monster extermination request from Zentea kingdom¡¯s princess when we stopped by that kingdom during our journey toward Velos kingdom.


    Though we easily exterminated the monsters, we ended up staying a little bit too long in Zentea Kingdom due to the request from the beautiful princess.


    The few days we spent in Zentea kingdom dyed out arrival to Velos kingdom even longer.


    Thanks to that, Shirone waspletely in a bad mood right now.


    ¡¸Even if you say so, the matter about her being in trouble was true. And I can¡¯t just turn a blind eye to that.¡¹


    He added so with his usual refreshing smile.


    Good grief, this d*ckhead really is a¡­ Whoops-


    I massaged my temple to stop that dangerous train of thought.


    I wanted to retort but then I heard the announcement that the king had arrived.


    After replying, the door opened and the king of this kingdom, Es, entered the room.


    Had he be plumper than before? But, well, he was still the same kind-hearted king as before.


    And then, following behind him was Queen Corfyna.


    This pair of husband and wife were as cozy as ever. It seems this part was also the same as before.


    ¡¸Long time no see. Wee to our kingdom, Hero-sama.¡¹


    ¡¸Long time no see, hero-sama.¡¹


    Both Es and Corfyna gave their greetings.


    ¡¸Long time no see, Es-sama.¡¹


    ¡¸Long time no see, Queen Corfyna.¡¹


    Reiji and I replied to their greeting.


    ¡¸Long time no see, ck Haired Sage-dono. By the way, may I ask what your business is for visiting our kingdom this time?¡¹


    After sitting on the sofa that had already been prepared inside the room, Es asked us the reason for our visit without beating around the bush.


    ¡¸Ah, about that, the truth is¡­¡¹


    I then exined about the Silver Witch living in the sweets castle to the pair.


    ¡¸WHAT!! THAT STRANGE PHENOMENON THAT HAPPENED IN THE BLUE FOREST IS THE DEED OF THAT WITCH!!!?¡¹


    Es raised such surprised exmation upon hearing my exnation.


    ¡¸Strange phenomenon in blue forest?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. In fact, strange phenomenons have been confirmed in the Blue Forest these days.¡¹


    Es then started to exin about the strange phenomenon to us.


    Everything began around two months ago.


    The rate of the appearance of monsters who lived in the Blue forest had increased exponentially.


    At first everyone thought that it was temporary. But then, the number of monsters appearing on the highway kept increasing day by day instead of decreasing.


    Moreover, some amongst the monsters were species that were never seen before. Thus Es and co deducted that something must¡¯ve happened inside the Blue forest.


    The kingdom tried to send their best ranger(mountain hermit) to investigate the situation, but it seems they couldn¡¯t get too close towards the center of Blue forest since it had already turned into an extremely dangerous area.


    Being a Ranger(mountain hermit) was an expert outdoor activity, they could pick herbs or hunt animals in dangerous zones with their extremely developed survival and scouting skills.


    Though they¡¯re not specialized in fighting against monsters, they¡¯re more familiar with forest than anyone else.


    And the fact that even those rangers couldn¡¯t approach the center of Blue forest exined just how dangerous that ce had be.


    ¡¸In the end, there¡¯s nothing you can do about this situation¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. Since I felt anxious that something bad might happen if I don¡¯t do anything, I gathered the freedom fighters to dispatch them to the center of the forest.¡¹


    I nodded. It seems he was at least prepared.


    ¡¸I see¡­ they must be the freedom fighters who we saw in the city, right?¡¹


    In fact, I did notice on the way toward royal pce that there was more freedom fighters in this kingdompared to when we¡¯de before.


    Originally, the number of freedom fighters in Velos kingdom weren¡¯t that much and yet their numbers had increased so muchpared to thest time.


    No doubt about it, the freedom fighters came after being lured in by therge sum of reward.


    I didn¡¯t have any intention of bad-mouthing the profession but freedom fighters were the mercenaries of this world. They took dangerous jobs which were too dangerous for the soldiers or knights of the country.


    Moreover, due to the danger of the monsters, the knights couldn¡¯t be dispatched since they were thest line of defence to protect this kingdom.


    Thus, it was the freedom fighter¡¯s job to take care of the monsters outside.


    Es might be a kind and gentle person but it didn¡¯t mean that he couldn¡¯t make cruel decisions when the safety of his citizens was on the line.


    ¡¸Yes. We¡¯ve been gathering freedom fighters since ten days ago. There¡¯s around three thousand of them so far.¡¹


    Es said so cheerfully.


    Rino and Nao who sat beside me let out voices of admiration.


    Three thousand was truly a big army when you consider the situation in this world.


    The Holy Republic of Lenaria or the Republic of Ariadya aside, no country in this region could gather that much war potential.


    ¡¸That¡¯s a really big army¡­ as expected of the Velos kingdom.¡¹


    ¡¸No, the reason why we could gather this much manpower is mainly thanks to our connection with other countries. Well, this kingdom isn¡¯t the only one adjoined with the Blue forest after all¡­¡¹


    It seems Es sent a notice to the other countries about Velos kingdom recruiting manpower to investigate the Blue forest.


    The other countries also didn¡¯t dare to neglect the abnormal phenomenon that was urring in the Blue forest. Thus, they were more than willing to cooperate with Es.


    ¡¸I see, the other countries noticed the strange phenomenon in Blue forest too, huh.¡¹


    Es nodded, agreeing with me before adding further.


    ¡¸Since we¡¯ve already gathered so many warriors and hero-dono is participating too, I¡¯m sure that this problem will be solved quickly.¡¹


    He spoke with a hearty smile on his face.


    ¡¸Yeah, leave it to us.¡¹


    Reiji replied with his usualposed line.


    But, in my opinion, he didn¡¯t seem to be thatposed.


    This might be the first time I saw Reijicking confidence.


    ¡¸Ooh, as expected of hero-dono. I¡¯ll be looking forward to working with you.¡¹


    Es spoke happily, failing to notice Reiji¡¯s unusual state.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, dear, how about introducing the freedom fighters to hero-sama?¡¹


    Corfyna who was staying silent until now spoke up to suggest.


    ¡¸Yeah right. Ooi, if I¡¯m not wrong, Brown Bear-dono should being to the royal pce today. Can you ask him toe?¡¹


    Es then called out to the attendants who were standing by outside the room to call someone.


    A whileter, the door of the room opened again and a pair of man and woman entered the room.


    The man was a giant, burly man which screamed ¡°Warrior¡± no matter how you look at it.


    His half-naked body was covered by bear¡¯s pelt.


    He might be the beast warrior, the follower of battle god, Thorz. There was red tattoo drawn on his naked, upper-haf.


    The follower of the battle god, Thors, didn¡¯t don armor.


    ording to Nao, if we¡¯re to use game terms to describe Thors¡¯ warrior, they were either barbarians or berserkers.


    And then, the woman behind him might be the follower of Amazona, Thors¡¯ daughter.


    As for why I was so sure about it, it was simply because she wore bikini armor.


    Amazona¡¯s followers wore bikini armor due to their religious reasons. Thus, their followers were easily spotted.


    ¡¸Let me introduce them, he is the leader of brown bear team, Arcas-dono. And behind him is his daughter, Charis-dono.¡¹


    Es introduced the two to us.


    ¡¸Name¡¯s Arcas!! Myrades call me brown bear!! I¡¯ve heard the rumor about you, hero of light!! It¡¯s honor to meet you like this!! Gahahahahaha!!¡¹


    The brown bear-like man wasughing heartily as he greeted us.


    ¡¸Brown Bear-dono is a famous warior in this region so I asked him to be a mediator with the other warriors.¡¹


    ¡¸Please don¡¯t praise me too much in front of the hero of light who¡¯s far stronger than me, Your Majesty.¡¹


    Brown Bear Replied with rough, yet humble tone.


    Contrary to his appearance, he might be extremely sensitive to change around him.


    Then, I looked at Charis, his daughter.


    Unlike her father, she was an adorable girl. She might be around the same age as us.


    But, the traces of wounds on her arms were the testimony of her being a true warrior.


    Her slightly curly hair was gathered and tied at her back. Her long and slender limbs suggested that she was used to moving at high speed.


    But, it seems she was rather falling behind in term of ch*st volume. That was unfortunate since she only wear bikini armor.


    Charis was smiling lightly as she looked at Shirone.


    Was there some meaning behind that smile?


    When I was pondering about that, Charis¡¯ figure suddenlye forward.


    ¡¸Hey, are you the one called the Sword¡¯s Maiden? Will you let me spar with you?¡¹


    Charis spoke as she pointed at Shirone.


    All of us were at a loss for words due to the sudden development.

 Chapter 91.1: Clown

    <h4>Chapter 91.1: Clown</h4>


    ¡ôSword¡¯s Maiden; Shirone


    As night fell, a bonfire was built in the za right in front of the Velos Kingdom¡¯s Royal Castle to illuminate the surroundings.


    There were many people gathered in the za. Majority of them were battle-hardened warriors.


    The warriors were gathering around us who stood at the center of the za.


    I looked at the girl before me.


    She was a beautiful and lovely girl whose red-hair was bundled in a ponytail.


    Her name was Charis.


    It was obvious that she was the believer of the Battle Goddess, Amazona, from her bikini armor.


    She shouldered her battle axe on her shoulder as she shed a daring smile.


    In short, I¡¯d epted her challenge to spar with her.


    I wanted to reject her request at first but I quickly realized that there was no way to reject her.


    ¡¸DO YOUR BEST, YOUNG MI¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨DSS!!!¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯M CHEERING FOR YOU!!! MISS CHARI¨D¨D¨D¨DIS!!¡¹


    ¡¸MISS CHARI¨D¨D¨D¨D¨DIS!!¡¹


    The half-naked and rugged warriors were cheering for Charis.


    They might be the brown bear Arcas¡¯ subordinates.


    A nce at them was enough to convince me that they were the God of Battle and Strength Thors¡¯ Warriors.


    The warriors¡¯ cheering rose on a whole another level when Charis waved her hand toward them.


    It seems she was quite popr amongst the warriors.


    Well, Charis was a really adorable girl after all.


    Moreover, the men were clearly delighted by the fact that she wore bikini armor. In fact, some of the men who were cheering for her were looking at her with lustful eyes.


    But, maybe because the person herself didn¡¯t realize that, she just smiling back at them innocently.


    ¡¸Do your be~st, Shirone-sa~n.¡¹


    ¡¸Gogogo, Shirone-san.¡¹


    ¡¸Do your be~st, Shirone-sa~n.¡¹


    ¡¸Go, Shirone.¡¹


    I heard the voice of myrades cheering on me.


    I replied to myrades by waving my hand to them.


    It seems that only myrades were truly cheering for me now.


    Some others seemed to be cheering for me too, but it was more so that they wouldn¡¯t lost their bet.


    I¡¯ve been hearing the warriors talking about who they¡¯re betting for.


    The warrior who was betting on me was cheering for me to win this spar.


    The fact that they were cheering me on because of their bet was really pissing me off.


    ¡¸Ehehehe, thank you for epting my request to spar with me. This is the first time I met a female warrior around my age.¡¹


    Charis was talking cheerfully before the start of our sparring match.


    There were only a small number of female warriors in this world.


    I looked at the warriors who were cheering on Charis.


    Yup, it was only muscr men as far as I could see. Maybe she was actuallycking a female friend her age.


    Poor girl.


    ¡¸Ready!! Here I, GO¨D¨D¨D!!!¡¹


    Charis readied her battle axe and then rushed at me.


    Fast.


    She was already circling around my back by the time I noticed.


    I felt Charis unleash a strike with the blunt side of her axe.


    The audience raised a cheer with ¡¸OOOOOOOOOH!¡¹ upon seeing that.


    But, I wouldn¡¯t go down that easily either.


    I shifted my centre of gravity a little bit.


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    Charis, who swung her axe, looked really surprised by my action.


    That was only natural since a strike that she thought going to score a hit ended up missing right at thest moment.


    ¡¸HOW ABOUT THIS!!¡¹


    Charis¡¯ attack didn¡¯t end with that first strike. She used her momentum to keep moving around me as she brandished her axe with ease.


    But, I dodged all of her attacks.


    Seeing that none of her attacksnded a hit, Charis retreated at once.


    ¡¸Amazing, none of my attacks can score a hit on you.¡¹


    Charis spoke happily.


    Despite being at a loss, she seemed to be fully enjoying the match.


    ¡¸No need to hold back. I¡¯ll dodge all of your attacks.¡¹


    I readied my stance as I drew my sword. Honestly speaking, I could win this match even without using my sword. But, I wanted to show some respect to the girl before me.


    ¡¸Really? Then I¡¯m going all out from now on.¡¹


    The moment Charis finished speaking, the tattoo on her body started to throb as if it was alive.


    It was the beast¡¯s inspiration.


    Amazona¡¯s warriors could use beast¡¯s inspiration just like Thors¡¯ warrior.


    Charis managed to earn the beast¡¯s inspiration despite her young age.


    Charis¡¯ eyes changed into that of a feline¡¯s.


    Her beast¡¯s inspiration might be rted to leopards.


    Though they were less powerful than a wolf or bear, they were agile and flexible.


    The user of beast¡¯s inspiration always faced the risk of turning into a berker with prolonged use of their power. But, I¡¯m gonna end this match before that happens.


    ¡¸HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!¡¹


    Her movement became three times faster after activating beast¡¯s inspiration.


    Charis moved freely around the za.


    The spectators couldn¡¯t hide their surprise when they saw that.


    I mean, normal humans of this world wouldn¡¯t even be able to see her silhouette since she was moving way too fast.


    But, it wasn¡¯t fast enough in my eyes.


    Charis¡¯ axe approached fast.


    I shifted my body to the side a little bit and drew my sword to match her movement.


    Thus, our weapons shed against each other.


    Charis¡¯ axe was thrown out of her grip as the sound of the shing of our weapons resounded throughout the za.


    The next moment, I felt Charis¡¯ presence weaken a lot.


    The audiences raised loud cries upon seeing that.


    Thus, the match ended with my victory.


    ¡ôMember of Brown Bear¡¯s Mercenary; Remus


    The two of us were currently in one room of the inn that was being used by our brown bear mercenary group. There was a bed ced in this spacious room.


    His Majesty seems to have this room prepared for Charis.


    Charis was really delighted when she received this room from His Majesty.


    She said delightfully that it felt like she had became a princess in a fairy-tale which I¡¯d read to her before.


    That was only natural since we normally lived in the outer city.


    That meant that we never slept in proper ce. Thus, it was no exagerration to say that this kind of treatment felt like one for a princess.


    I sat on the bed where Charis was lying down.


    ¡¸Feeling better now, Charis?¡¹


    I checked on her who was asleep till just a moment ago.


    Charis had gotten knocked out by the sword¡¯s maiden.


    Even the powerful Charis was no match for the sword¡¯s maiden.


    Charis was strong.


    I mean, she¡¯d never lost, even to adult male warriors.


    The only one stronger than Charis in our mercenary group was her father, our leader.


    Though we¡¯re the same age, Charis was already being treated as a top-ss warrior.


    Well in this case, I was simply too weakpared to her.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m okay!! You¡¯re always such a worrywart, Remus~¡¹


    Charis waved her hand at me, telling me to not worry about her.


    In fact, I tried to check her body but there was no external wound.


    Maybe the sword¡¯s maiden was going easy on her.


    ¡¸It¡¯ll be fine then, but¡­¡¹


    But still, I couldn¡¯t help but worry about her.


    ¡¸Fu, hu~mph.¡¹


    Charis seemed to be enjoying my current situation.


    ¡¸W-What¡¯s the matter, Charis? Is there something on my face?¡¹


    ¡¸Nothi~ng. But still, she is so strong, huh. I never expected that I would meet a girl around my age who is more powerful than me. It just as you said, Remus, this world is big.¡¹ [Note: Seriously? A world where nothing is bigger than Japan?]


    Though she lost the match, she didn¡¯t seem to worry about it.


    Instead, she looked really happy to be able to meet a girl whose strength surpassed her.


    I mean, I also never expected that there¡¯s actually a girl who was more powerful than Charis.


    For as long as I could remember, Charis had always been powerful.


    I recalled the time when I met Charis for the first time.


    It happened around three years ago.


    I, who¡¯d escaped from a country that had been destroyed by monsters, got picked up by Charis.


    In short, Charis was my benefactor.


    Since then, I¡¯d worked as one of the members of the brown bear mercenary team.


    ¡¸Yeah. The world is big.¡¹


    I was smiling happily as I agreed with Charis.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, what¡¯s everyone doing right now?¡¹


    Charis asked while looking around.


    ¡¸Ah, they already went out for a drinking party. I mean, our meals are prepared by the king during our stay in this kingdom after all.¡¹


    ¡¸I see. Why didn¡¯t you go with them, Remus?¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m house-sitting. Well, can¡¯t be helped, I¡¯m just underling after all.¡¹


    The weak me was at the bottom of the barrel in our mercenary team.


    I¡¯m mainly doing odd jobs in our mercenary team.


    The strong get a proper position on the mercenary team. On the other hand, the weak could only doing odd jobs.


    ¡¸Remus is an underling eh¡­ even though you can read, are smart, and really helpful to our mercenary team¡­ it seems that lot have yet to understand it. Guess I have to talk properly to father after this so that he can remind those brutes.¡¹


    Charis spoke while looking straight into my eyes.


    I was the only one who could read in our mercenary team.

 Chapter 92.1: Selkie’s Village

    <h4>Chapter 92.1: Selkie¡¯s Vige</h4>


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    We were heading north by riding on Aspidochelone¡¯s back.


    The ice spirit¡¯s power was really strong in the ds of the north.


    The cold wind that blew to the grand central continent came from there.


    The krakens were living around this ice ind.


    And we were currently heading to that very ce.


    It¡¯s been three days since we departed from Nosoi, the orc¡¯s country.


    So far, its been smooth sailing journey.


    The orc Ezasa had his fleet sail around aspidochelone as if protecting it from any danger.


    The orc¡¯s ship had no watch tower or sail.


    If you ask how their ship could move, it simply because their ship was puled by an oceanic monster called an orca.


    Orca was a huge oceanic monster with a nose resembling that of pig, fangs, scales covering their body, and bristles growing on their body.


    Since their faces resembled that of an orc, they were nicknamed as the oceanic orc.


    Ezasa and co from the orc-tribe tamed this orca mainly for fishing.


    I looked at the outside scenery from the 3rd floor of the mansion on aspidochelone¡¯s back.


    Since ss had already been invented in this world, I could take a look at the scenery outside without having to open the window.


    Though the price was expensive, it wouldn¡¯t even put a dent in Modes¡¯ pocket by installing the entire windows of the mansion with ss.


    Upon looking outside, I saw more and more ice floating in the ocean.


    There was a barrier protecting this mansion from the cold air, so it wasn¡¯t that cold in this ce.


    Nevertheless, I, who gained the power of a Frost Dragon, could move outside just fine.


    I stopped looking at the outside scenery and scanned inside the room.


    ¡¸Ma~n. There¡¯s nothing that can beat hot pot during cold weather right, Poh-chan.¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed, Your Highness.¡¹


    Polen and Putina were enjoying a cheese hotpot.


    Both of them have been eating since a while ago.


    Especially Polen, isn¡¯t she already eating a bit too much for her size?


    Did she suffer from some sort of disease that was gonna kill her if she didn¡¯t eat?


    But well, maybe I didn¡¯t have to stop her.


    I mean, she kept saying that she didn¡¯t want to capture the kraken so let¡¯s not make her mood take a nose dive.


    Was what I felt as I looked at Polen.


    She looked like she was enjoying the hot pot after all.


    And then, that smile.


    Yes, I guess I really shouldn¡¯t say anything when she looks like she¡¯s really enjoying the food.


    ¡¸Won¡¯t youe and eat with us, Master Kuroki~?¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you for your offer but do allow me to refuse, Your Highness¡­ I¡¯m already full myself.¡¹


    Unfortunately, I had to refuse her invitation since I¡¯m already quite full myself.


    ¡¸¡­ I see.¡¹


    Polen looked so lonely.


    I feel bad for her but I really couldn¡¯t eat anymore.


    I did eat along with them in the beginning but anymore than that was honestly impossible.


    ¡¸Nufufufufufu. Since Your Excellency said so, then I shall take the responsibility to eate the food.¡¹


    ¡¸AH!! SO SLY!! POH-CHAN, THAT MEAT IS MINE!!¡¹


    Polen and Putina were eating happily.


    Nevertheless, Putina was also a big eater.


    Though I couldn¡¯t see it now, her real appearance was that of a giant bear, maybe the amount that she ate didn¡¯t change even in her human form.


    I turned my attention to the outside again.


    Thereupon, I could see a lump of ice floating right in front of us.


    It seems we¡¯ve arrived at the nearby ds.


    ¡¸Your Highness, there¡¯s an d in front of us. I shall go out a little bit to take a look at the d.¡¹


    ¡¸Hu~ff¡¹


    Polen replied so while stuffing food into her mouth.


    I left the mansion and headed toward the head of aspidochelone. Liburm, the high lizardman general, had already been waiting there.


    ¡¸If it isn¡¯t Your Excellency. Is something the matter?¡¹


    General Liburm greeted me the moment I arrived.


    ¡¸Well, I actually came to see the situation since I saw ds right in front of us, General Liburm. Is it going to affect our voyage?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, since Ezasa is our guide.¡¹


    Liburm and I were looking at the scene in front of aspidochelone.


    Ezasa¡¯s fleet were looking for a route to avoid crashing against the floating d as they advanced.


    ¡¸I see,e to think of it, General Liburm, I heard that the kraken are living around this area of the sea, do you know how to find them?¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about that, Your Excellency. We¡¯re going to find a selkie¡¯s guide to locate the kraken¡¯s position for us.¡¹


    ¡¸Selkie? The earless seal?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. The kraken¡¯s most favourite food is selkie. For that reason, we can easily find kraken around the living ce of the selkies.¡¹


    Selkie were the beastman¡¯s form of an earless seal.


    Selkie lived as earless seals in the sea, but they¡¯re going to shed their skin once they mature enough and gained a human form.


    A selkie¡¯s human form was really beautiful, they¡¯re the best at charming humans.


    The selkies targetted the dissatisfied human husbands or wives, and charmed them to have a s*x.


    But then, it was just a one night stand. The selkies went back into the ocean when the sun rose.


    Selkies could only spent a single night with the human they tempted with and they had to go back to the sea immediately after that.


    By the way, legend said that the human who wanted to meet selkies had to drop seven droplets of tears into the sea.


    In addition, hiding the seal skin of selkies would prevent them from returning to the sea and left them with no other choice but to be the other party¡¯s spouse.


    But, since they were originally sea dwellers, they would often gaze out to the sea even after they married the human.


    In addition, they would return right back to the sea, or their home in the sea once they found their hidden seal skin.


    Selkies were an existence that were born because of the mating between the demon beast earless seal and the human tribe.


    In most situations out there, the descendants of the two should be born as the father¡¯s race if it was male or the mother¡¯s race if it was female, but Selkies were a rare race whose child inherited both of their parents racial traits, all of them were both an earless seal and human.


    That seems to be the Selkie¡¯s ancestry.


    The Hippogriff seems to have this trait too. Hippogriffs were a race that was born between gryphon and horse.


    ¡¸Your Excellency, it seems we¡¯ve arrived at the Selkie¡¯s vige.¡¹


    When I looked at the direction where Liburm¡¯s finger pointed at, I saw a few earless seals on the ice.


    There were a lot of them.


    Just like that, the gargantuan turtle, aspidochelone, steered toward the selkies.


    And just like that, we were heading toward the Slekie¡¯s vige.


    ¡ôPrincess of Hell; Polen


    Audience room in Aspidochelone¡¯s mansion.


    Handsome gentlemen were kneeling on the floor, bowing their heads down in front of me.


    I suddenly had the urge tough upon seeing such a scene. Reason being, every single one of them was a young man of the Selkie tribe.


    They¡¯de to wee us who¡¯d just arrived at their vige.


    All of them were half-naked, only coiling their seal skinn around their waist.


    Honestly, they were eye candy since they has such nice, well-proportioned bodies and handsome faces.


    ¡¸Wee to our vige, o the daughter of our Great Demon King, Your Highness Polenna.¡¹


    They said my name with their clear and refreshing voice.


    The one who greeted me was Inul, the representative of the Selkies. I remembered his name since I¡¯d heard it before from General Liburm.


    Inul was a brown-haired, ck-eyed, gant-looking young man. He might be the most handsome amongst them.


    Currently, he and the other Selkies were down on one knee, bowing their head toward me.


    Show your face please.


    ¡¸Please raise your head, everyone.¡¹


    I urged them to raise their heads.


    Inul and co then raised their faces at once.


    Their beautiful eyes were looking at me.


    Yup, handsome was justice after all.


    I desperately held back my feelings that wanted to hug them so much.


    I mean, I had a bad experience with a young selkie way back, a really long time ago.


    That time, that young selkie was bringing tribute from his tribe to my dear father. I, wanting to get along with him, sped his hand tightly, and broke his hand.


    I mean, I just squeezed his hand lightly.


    But then, a selkie¡¯s body was way more fragile than mine. Thus, they ended up severely wounded just by bumping into me.


    He cried upon seeing his broken hand and fainted from the shock.


    Thus, I mustn¡¯t repeat that tragedy again.


    That¡¯s why I decided to treat them as eye candy and forbade myself from touching them.


    ¡¸Here you go, Your Highness. The best seafood in this area.¡¹


    Inul, the representative of the selkies presented a seafood tter consisting of shellfish, prawn, and fish to me.


    Poh-chan unintentionally bent forward upon seeing that.


    ¡¸Yaay, let¡¯s have seafood hotpot before we go to catch the kraken, Your Highness.¡¹


    Poh-chan spoke with drool dripping from the edge of her mouth.


    Her appetite couldn¡¯t be underestimated.


    But, I understood her feelings.


    ¡¸You¡¯re absolutely right, Poh-chan. Gufufufu.¡¹


    Let¡¯s have some seafood hotpot while looking at the handsome selkies. That would make the hot pot even more delicious.


    ¡¸Inul-dono. Do you happen to know the location of the kraken around this area?¡¹


    Master Kuroki, who stood by my side, came forward and asked that question.


    Master Kuroki was donned in his usual Dark Knight¡¯s armor.


    But, he unfastened his helmet in this asion, so I could see his face.


    Master was smiling as he knelt on one knee on the floor in front of Inul.


    Maybe he did that so that their line of sight would be in line.


    The scene of handsome people facing each other was really picturisque. Creative artist could make all kind of scenes with this spectacle alone.


    ¡¸Yes, Your Excellency. In fact, the kraken appears rather frequently nowadays. It seems they are aiming for us since they often appear when we go out to fish.¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡­ The kraken is aiming for you guys, eh¡­ Can you guide us to the location where you often run into that kraken?¡¹


    ¡¸By all means, Your Excellency!! Many of our brethren have already fallen victim!! Please avenge our brethern!!¡¹


    Inul spoke while crying.


    Such tearjerking story.


    HANDSOME MEN WERE THE TREASURE OF THIS WORLD!! HOW DARE THAT KRAKEN TO EAT THEM!!!


    ¡¸WORRY NOT, INUL!!! THIS POLEN WILL HUNT DOWN THAT KRAKEN!!¡¹


    I said such passionate words as I stood from my chair.


    Our surroundings raised a cheer upon seeing that.


    Inul and co look so moved, and Master Kuroki was looking at me with look of admiration on his face.


    Seeing that, I realized that Master Kuroki¡¯s evaluation of me had skyrocketed.


    YAAAY!!


    ¡¸W-WHAT¡¯S HAPPENED TO YOU, YOUR HIGHNESS?!! YOU USUALLY ONLY LAZE AROUND, EAT AND SLEEP EVERYDAY, RIGHT!!!?¡¹


    Poh-chan who stood by my side spoke too much.


    I wanted her to keep her silence at this kind of time.


    ¡¸AS EXPECTED OF YOUR HIGHNESS!! MOVING TO SAVE THOSE IN NEED IS THE DUTY OF THOSE WHO STAND ABOVE!! AS EXPECTED OF THE CHILD OF YOUR MAJESTY, THE DEMON KING!!¡¹


    Master Kuroki looked really delighted.


    How embarassing.


    ¡¸Ehehehehem is that so? You make me embarasse~d.¡¹


    I posed an embarrassed gesture.


    ¡¸THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WILLING TO MOVE FOR US, YOUR HIGHNESS!!¡¹


    Inul and co were apparently moved to tears by my deration.


    I almost blurted ¡°Then let me to hug you¡± just now.


    ¡¸WELL THEN!! EVERYONE, LET¡¯S HAVE SEAFOOD HOTPOT TONIGHT! WE¡¯RE GOING TO HUNT THE KRAKEN TOMORROW!!¡¹


    Everyone raised a war cry in unison upon hearing my remark.

 Chapter 92.2: Those Who Lurk in The Sea

    <h4>Chapter 92.2: Those Who Lurk in The Sea</h4>


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    One night had passed and the aspidochemone that we rode departed toward Selkie¡¯s vige.


    Despite being called a vige, you wouldn¡¯t see something like house in Selkie¡¯s vige, it was more like a crowd of selkies.


    Selkie took the form of an earless seal when they were not in front of humans.


    Thus, their so-called vige was nothing more than an ice field. That¡¯s why there was nothing to see over there.


    When I looked outside of the window, I could see the aurora.


    I heard that this world¡¯s aurora was a phenomenon that appeared in this world along with Mina, Goddess mother of Elios.


    Mina seems to be responding to Orgis¡¯ call and appeared right above these ds.


    It said that Orgis was dazzled by Mina¡¯s beauty who appeared along with seven coloured light when thetter came into this world.


    And the remaining of that seven-coloured light stayed in this region as aurora.


    Those beautiful, seven-colored lights stayed above the ds even after Mina was gone from this world.


    Goddess of Destruction, Nargol must hate this seven-colored light so much.


    And I was looking at the very same colour from the window of the room.


    I was currently in the room of the top most floor of this mansion.


    This room was the perfect ce to view the beautiful scenery that spread below¡­


    Polen was surrounded by young selkies.


    She was smiling slovenly right now. But, she was serious when she said that she will subjugate the Kraken.


    I could see in her eyes that she really wanted to save the troubled Selkies.


    For some reason, I was also curious about the reason why Polen wanted to exterminate the Kraken.


    But, I guess I shouldn¡¯t do anything unnecessary since my knowledge in that part wascking.


    Let¡¯s conclude that the real reason Polen decided to help the selkies were their helpless cries.


    The one who truly move to save the selkies were Polen.


    I felt happy, yet powerless at the same time.


    All I had to do after this was act as Polen¡¯s assistant to exterminate the kraken.


    Polen let out a sloven smile when she got surrounded by the young males of selkies.


    But that was a facade, I¡¯m sure that deep inside, she was burning with a passionate fighting spirit.


    ¡­ Yeah, I¡¯m sure of that.


    ¡¸Kuroki-sama. Do you want to drink? or me first?¡¹


    A female selkie asked so while presenting a beverage for me.


    Just like the young male selkies, the young female selkies were alsoing to this ind.


    Currently, all of them were taking off their earless seal¡¯s skin.


    The females were also beauties just like their male counterparts.


    But, the females were adding shell¡¯s bikini aside from the earless seal¡¯s skin twined around their waist. Their erotic appearance made it hard for me to look at them.


    ¡¸Thank you very much. The beverage, please.¡¹


    The female selkie made a slightly disappointed look on her face when I chose the beverage.


    But, I really shouldn¡¯t touch them.


    I mean, as a normal and healthy man, my lower half was naturally reacting upon seeing them in their shell¡¯s bikini.


    You could say that the side effect of the dragon¡¯s power in me was my personality getting slightly altered, I¡¯ve be a phnderer.


    I had to do something to return my mental state to normal before I crossed the line.


    Any wrong move would result in me turning this area into an erotic ce. I had to avoid that result at all costs!!


    I tried my best to avoid looking at the three female selkies who surrounded me.


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    That moment, I looked down.


    I noticed that there was a small earless seal at my feet.


    ¡¸Kyu~¡¹


    The small earless seal let out an adorable purr upon seeing me.


    ¡¸Is that you, Inura!? Are you by chance following us to this ce?! I¡¯m telling you that you cannot leave the vige yet, right!! ¡¹


    One of the female selkies said so as she raised the small earless seal.


    ¡¸Who¡¯s the name of this child?¡¹


    ¡¸My apologies! This child is following us on her own convenience!!¡¹


    The female selkie said so while bowing to me.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t mind but, this child can¡¯t assume her human form yet, right?¡¹


    I approached the small selkie.


    ¡¸Yes. This child¡¯s name is Inura. She¡¯s the little sister of Inul, our representative. She can¡¯t shed her skin yet since she¡¯s still young. That¡¯s why please do forgive her since she can¡¯t be Kuroki-sama¡¯spanion yet¡­¡¹


    The female selkie exined so while bowing to me.


    It seems selkie¡¯s children couldn¡¯t assume their human form yet.


    But, it was a piece of good news for the current me since she couldn¡¯t assume her human form yet.


    I mean, I even retorted ¡°Companion!? For what!?¡± inside.


    In addition, the young selkie who apanied Polen was called Inul.


    And this small earless seal was his little sister.


    Since I couldn¡¯t tell the difference between one earless seal to another, I had no idea that the small earless ear was a boy or girl.


    But still, both are equally adorable.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s such an adorable girl after all.¡¹


    The small earless seal let out adorable cries upon hearing my praise.


    She must be embarrassed because of my remark.


    I remembered the time when I went to the aquarium with Shirone when I saw this small earless seal.


    The two of us saw the earless seal family.


    The scenery of newborn earless seals cuddling to their mother was truly adorable.


    And I had a hard time trying to stop Shirone from charging into the water tank to touch the earless seal.


    This was one of my memories along with Shirone. [Note: Which I don¡¯t care.]


    I wonder what was that earless seal did now?


    My lower half had finally calmed down thanks to the remembrance of my childhood memories.


    That was close call.


    ¡¸Kyu~¡¹


    The small earless seal in the female selkie¡¯s arms suddenly twisted her body.


    No matter how I looked at it, it was as if she wanted toe here.


    ¡¸Okay,e here.¡¹


    I epted the small earless seal from the female selkie.


    Thus, the small earless seal was starting to rub her nose on my chest like a spoiled child.


    ¡¸There there, adorable girl.¡¹


    She seems to be really happy when I brushed her head.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ could it be that Kuroki-sama is preferring Inura? Should we turn into our earless seal form too?¡¹


    ¡¸NO!! KEEP THAT APPEARANCE PLEASE!!¡¹


    FU*CK!! I UNINTENTIONALLY BLURTED OUT MY REAL THOUGHT.


    The small earless seal seems to be a little bit surprised since I raised my voice.


    ¡¸Kyuu~?¡¹


    ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing.¡¹


    In the end, I could only be focusing on brushing her small earless seal¡¯s head.


    Her eyes were really pure. There was no way she would be a dirty-minded like me.


    ¡¸By the way, I heard that your vige is rather far away from Kraken¡¯sir, how far it is to be exact?¡¹


    Since the silence feels ufortable, I decided to break the ice.


    ¡¸Eh? Theirir is right in the ocean you know, Kuroki-sama.¡¹


    I, who looked outside couldn¡¯t hide my shock upon hearing their answer.


    The scenery was the same as far as I could see, ice everywhere.


    I closed my eyes and focused my mind.


    That moment, I noticed that something big was heading to our direction.


    I only noticed its presence now since it didn¡¯t have killing intent.


    ¡¸Wait a minute, this is bad¡­¡¹


    ¡ôPrincess of Hell; Polen


    ¡¸Poh-chan. As I expected¡­ It¡¯s really impossible after all¡­ As if a shut-in who can¡¯t swim like me can beat Kraken¡­¡¹


    I muttered those words so that the gentlemen from the selkie tribe couldn¡¯t hear my voice.


    ¡¸It¡¯s toote to say that no~w, Your Highness Polen. Are you sure you¡¯re going to back down after such a show of courage?¡¹


    Poh-chan¡¯s remark stabbed right into my sore spot.


    ¡¸Fu~h. What a blunder¡­ I got too hot-headed at that time. As expected of the murderous charm of male selkies¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Ha~¡­ Well, that¡¯s just exactly who you are, Your Highness. Have you calmed down now?¡¹


    Poh-chan shrugged her head as if to say ¡°Good grief¡±.


    I was rather curious what kind of person I am in Poh-chan¡¯s opinion.


    ¡¸Polen-sama. The sweets areing, do you want to try?¡¹


    Inul and co offered new sweets to me.


    They called me by name instead of title, simply because I want my name to be called by handsome men.


    If possible, I wanted Master Kuroki to call me by name too but, he might refuse since he was such a diligent person.


    On the other hand, for some reason, the female selkies had already calling Master Kuroki by name.


    Well, since Master Kuroki is such a diligent and honest person, something like that wouldn¡¯t be enough to move his steady mind.


    Thus, I had no worries about him.


    ¡¸Uhm. Thank you, I shall try it out. A~h.¡¹


    I ate the sweet right away.


    I received it directly from the selkie¡¯s beautiful hand.


    The sweets made from honey taste much sweeter than usual. Yeah, it¡¯s the enhanced effect of handsome men after all.


    Inul and co were literally naked, wearing only earless seal¡¯s skin around their waist.


    Since more than half of their bodies were exposed, it truly was eye candy.


    My heart couldn¡¯t help but skipped a beat every time I thought that I might catch a nce at their bazonga.


    ¡¸Muhha¨D¨D¨D¨D!!¡¹


    I was starting to breathe heavily.


    Well, I¡¯m aware of that of course.


    Inul and co were looking at me with sparkling eyes.


    They definitely expect me to y the Kraken.


    Honestly, I really wanted to apologizing to them.


    But, even if I didn¡¯t do anything, Master Kuroki would definitely y the kraken, right?


    I mean, even My Dear father hailed Master Kuroki as the strongest Dark Knight.


    Maybe, except for my dear father, master Kuroki was the only one whose brute strength could rival mine.


    Yeah, there absolutely no problem to leave this matter to Master Kuroki.


    Thus, I could enjoy my sweets.


    Suddenly, the mansion shook.


    It seems the aspidochelone suddenly stopped in its ce.


    ¡¸W-WHAT¡¯S HAPPEN?!!¡¹


    Thereupon, Master Kuroki came in hurry to me while holding a small selkie in his arms.


    This young selkie kept rubbing their nose on Master Kuroki¡¯s face, behaving like a spoiled child.


    I¡¯M SO JEALOUS!! CHANGE PLACE WITH ME!!


    ¡¸Your Highness. I detected a gigantic living being came to our direction. Let¡¯s prepare for battle.¡¹


    Master Kuroki bowed to me as he exined the situation.


    ¡¸I-Is that so?! Is it the kraken we¡¯re looking for?¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know. But, most probably a Kraken. I¡¯m sure that Liburm-dono and Ezasa-dono has already preparing to intercept that giant sea creature. That¡¯s why prepare yourself for battle too, Your Highness.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh? Me too?¡¹


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    At that moment, Master Kuroki and Me were looking at each other with puzzled looks on our faces.


    That moment, I finally remember.


    I did give my promise to the selkie to beat the Kraken.


    I¡¯m so vexed since I easily got carried away.


    ¡¸AH! YOU¡¯RE RIGHT! LET¡¯S GO!!¡¹


    Thereupon, I prepared for battle and left the mansion along with Master Kuroki.


    Upon arriving on the top of the head of aspidochelone, demon dragon general, Liburm had already been waiting for us.


    ¡¸Wee, Your Highness and Your Excellency. Ezasa-dono has already made the preparation with his fleet.¡¹


    Liburm kneeling in front of me and reporting the situation.


    When I looked forward, the orc¡¯s fleet led by Ezasa had already standing by.


    When I looked at the sea beyond, I couldn¡¯t see anything special on it.


    ¡¸Your Highness. Please close your eyes first and focus your mind to feel the sea blow. You should be able to do that.¡¹


    Master tapped my shoulder while carrying the young selkie in his other hand.


    My heart skipped a beat when Master Kuroki tapped my shoulder.


    ¡¸Yes, Master.¡¹


    I close my eyes and focused my attention on the ocean.


    Thereupon, I noticed that my perception was widened.


    I knew that something big wasing in front of Ezasa¡¯s fleet.


    It was quite a big creature.


    It was pretty much impossible for Ezasa and co to stop that.


    ¡¸General Liburm! Please tell Ezasa-dono to retreat! They can¡¯t stop that!!¡¹


    Master Kuroki stepped forward after entrusting the young earless seal to the female selkie.


    ¡¸What are you trying to do, Master Kuroki?!!!¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. I¡¯ll stop that fe.¡¹


    Master pushed his hand forward as he spoke. At that moment, Master Kuroki¡¯s body unleashed extremely powerful magical power.


    Everyone gasped in awe upon feeling that powerful magical power.


    ¡¸WHAT THE?!!¡¹


    ¡¸Amazing¡­¡¹


    And then, that magical power was fired toward the giant monster that was charging toward us from the front.


    Giant water spray appeared in front of Ezasa¡¯s fleet.


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸Snake?¡¹¡¹¡¹


    Everyone couldn¡¯t hide their shock upon seeing the being that came out of the water spray.


    The giant creature that came rushing toward us turned out to be a sea serpent.

 Chapter 93.1: Kraken of Frozen Sea

    <h4>Chapter 93.1: Kraken of Frozen Sea</h4>


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    We were at the area around the head of aspidochelone, looking at the giant sea serpent who¡¯d appeared in front of it.


    The giant sea serpent was around 12 metres long.


    But, I couldn¡¯t feel animositying from that giant sea serpent.


    It seems they aren¡¯ting to attack us.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ something else seems to being this way, Master Kuroki.¡¹


    Polen said so to me while standing by my side.


    It seems Polen had detected the other monster behind the giant sea serpent too.


    ¡¸Indeed, Your Highness. The giant sea serpent seems to be trying to escape from something.¡¹


    The moment I said so, water columns rose from around the giant sea serpent.


    ¡¸WHAT IN THE HECK IS THAT!!!?¡¹


    Putina screamed aloud upon seeing the rising water columns.


    Some sort of tentacles appeared from the water columns.


    Just one of those tentacles was far thicker than the giant sea serpent.


    When that tentacle twined itself around the giant sea serpent, another huge water column rose from the sea.


    ¡¸That¡¯s the kraken¡¯s tentacles. But, what a size¡­¡¹


    Liburm groaned by my side.


    It seems that the tentacle was only a part of the kraken.


    But, Liburm should¡¯ve seen a Kraken before. What made him so surprised about this kraken?


    Well, I guess that will have to wait after we take care of this.


    Suddenly, six other tentacles came out from the sea, trying to catch Ezasa and co¡¯s ships.


    Though Ezasa and co¡¯s ships were quite big, the tentacles had no problem twining themselves around their ships.


    ¡¸Oh no!¡¹


    I summoned the demon sword of venous blood and took a flight.


    ¡¸Haah!¡¹


    I sent a flying sh as I spun around in mid-air.


    The sh sliced through the tentacles that were twining around Ezasa and co¡¯s ship.


    ¡¸Ooh!¡¹


    I heard cheering from the people around.


    ¡¸GENERAL LIBURM!! USE THIS CHANCE TO SAVE THE CREWS OF THE OVERTURNED SHIP!!¡¹


    Though I managed to cut the tentacles, the other ships had already been overturned.


    I could see the figure of the orcs being thrown out from the ships. They had to be rescued immediately.


    ¡¸Understood, Your Excellency. GUYS, LET¡¯S SAVE EZASA AND CO!!¡¹


    The subordinates of general Liburm, the lizardmen, took flight and started the rescue operation immediately.


    Normally lizardmen were really bad with cold ces. But, the winged lizardman were different from the normal lizardman. They had stronger cold resistance and could move without any problem even in cold ces outside of the barrier around the mansion.


    They picked up the orcs that had fallen into the sea.


    The tentacles that received my sh withdrew while still twitching.


    Seeing that, I descended back to aspidochelone.


    ¡¸MASTER KUROKI IS SO COOL!!¡¹


    Polen ran toward me while pping her hands.


    Honestly, it feels good to be praised.


    But, the others¡¯ state aside from Polen seems to be a bit off.


    Well, let¡¯s set that aside for now and move to save the orcs.


    There were two ships being turned over by the tentacles of the Kraken. Ezasa¡¯s ship, which was cruising in the front most of the formation, was amongst the two.


    The orc tribe had far more powerful bodies than the humans. It seems that none of them sunk to the bottom of the ocean thanks to the abundance of fat in their body which act like floaters.


    Liburm¡¯s subordinates were moving with tacit understanding to save the orcs.


    ¡¸Are you okay, Ezasa-dono?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, I somehow survived from that, Your Excellency¡­¡¹


    I scanned Ezasa¡¯s body and found no external trauma on their bodies.


    But, why did he look so depressed? Did he feel depressed since his ship had just sunk into the ocean?


    ¡¸Nevertheless, for it to be able to sink a ship with just one of its tentacles¡­ This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a Kraken of such an enormous size.¡¹


    When I said so, the orcs who just bailed out from the sea were looking at each other¡¯s faces.


    ¡¸You¡¯re slightly mistaken about this, Your Excellency. Their size isn¡¯t supposed to be that huge. At least not to the point where they can sink a ship with just one of their tentacles. The Kraken we just met is simply out of norm.¡¹


    Ezasa then exined to me.


    Female orcs had a bigger physique than their male counterparts. Nevertheless, Ezasa¡¯s physique rivalled that of those female orcs.


    Since he was more than two metres tall, his physique gave off quite the pressure.


    ¡¸Your Excellency, that Kraken is abnormal. Catching that one is simply impossible. Let¡¯s retreat for now.¡¹


    Ezasa brought his face closer as he told me so with ring nose.


    That¡¯s too damn close.


    ¡¸Your Excellency, I agree with Ezasa-dono. This is also the first time I¡¯ve seen such a giant Kraken. Let¡¯s retreat.¡¹


    Liburm agreed with Ezasa.


    ¡¸Please wait!! What will happen to the selkie if we leave such a huge Kraken then!? Some of ourrades were killed by that Kraken too, right!? Such a huge Kraken will definitely eat a lot of fish in this area!! We have to kill it right now!! So please subjugate it!!¡¹


    Inul, who stayed by my side, pleaded with a loud voice.


    It seems he was desperate too with the selkie-tribe being in a predicament.


    ¡¸What are you talking about? Are you trying to put Her Highness in a dangerous situation? It seems the selkie really have no idea about their position.¡¹


    Colour drained from Inul¡¯s face when Liburm red at the former as he spoke.


    The selkie was a weak tribe. They were easily scared of Liburm, one of the eight demon general¡¯s, re.


    ¡¸Good grief. Are they eating yourrades with their skin on just like a normal earless seal?¡¹


    Ezasa asked such a question to Inul after he left my side.


    Since he left my side, Inul was in pinch.


    Come to think of it, the orcs also ate earless seals. Thus, Inul¡¯s face paled upon recalling that.


    ¡¸No way¡­ even though Her Highness has promised us that she¡¯s going to subjugate the Kraken¡­¡¹


    Everyone turned toward Polen the moment Inul said so.


    ¡¸Eh? A~h. Hahaha. You¡¯re right¡­¡¹


    Polen spoke while scratching her head.


    Sure enough, we promised to save them in the name of Polen. We absolutely couldn¡¯t go back on our words.


    Moreover, it was the first time Polen was being so assertive like that. Thus, I was troubled about whether I should send a lifeboat or not.


    The Kraken from before was clearly an extremely dangerous existence.


    Considering Polen¡¯s safety, we should retreat for now.


    But since the person herself wanted to save the selkies, I guess I had no choice but toe forward.


    ¡¸GENERAL LIBURM!! EZASA-DONO! HER HIGHNESS WILL SUBJUGATE THE KRAKEN!! RETREATING HERE WILL INSULT HER HIGHNESS¡¯ NAME!! BUT OF COURSE, I, AS HER ESCORT, CAN¡¯T ALLOW HER TO RECKLESSLY CHALLENGE THE KRAKEN EITHER!! THUS, I PROPOSE TO GO IN HER PLACE TO EXTERMINATE THE KRAKEN!!¡¹


    I dered so.


    It should be okay for me to go in Polen¡¯s ce since doing so would allow Polen to fulfil her promise to the selkies, while also preventing her from endangering her own life.


    ¡¸Master Kuroki¡­ are you sure about this?¡¹


    Polen wore an apologetic look on her face as she spoke.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. I¡­ will do something about this.¡¹


    Honestly speaking, this was the first time I was fighting a Kraken.


    I wouldn¡¯t have any trouble dealing with it when it came to the surface, the problem was when it tried to escape by diving into the ocean.


    And I¡¯mcking experience in underwaterbat too.


    Can I win against this guy?


    But well, I have no choice but to fight it.


    At that moment, I felt a powerful killing intent swelling up from the sea.


    ¡¸SUCH KILLING INTENT!!¡¹


    Petina let out an amazing voice while looking at the sea.


    It seems I wasn¡¯t the only one who felt that killing intent.


    Liburm and Ezasa were looking at the sea too.


    A gigantic presence was approaching in our direction and it was much bigger than the sea serpent from before.


    ¡¸It seems we didn¡¯t even have a choice to evacuate, to begin with¡­¡¹


    Liburm muttered so.


    Giant waves attacked aspidochelone as that gigantic presence got closer to us.


    The shaking it caused couldn¡¯t even bepared to that of normal waves.


    Inul and co were screaming in fear.


    But, this was only the beginning, the real attack was only about to start.


    When the wave had passed, a few giant tentacles were coiling around the aspidochelone.


    Including the smaller ones, there were at least dozens of them.


    Upon a closer look, I found out that even the length of the thest tentacles was bigger than Aspidochelone, which is already as big as an ind.


    ¡¸K-KRAKEN!!¡¹


    Ezasa¡¯s subordinates screamed loudly.


    The Kraken was coiling its tentacles around Aspidochelone in an attempt to drag thetter into the bottom of the ocean.


    Few of those tentacles were attacking the people riding on aspidochelone¡¯s back.


    The Kraken was clearly pissed off.


    Well, it might be because I cut its tentacle before.


    ¡¸This is quite bad eh¡­¡¹


    Now we have no choice but to fight.


    ¡ôPrincess of Hell; Polen


    ¡¸AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT¡¯S SHAKING! IT¡¯S FRICKING SHAKIIIIIIIIIIIING! POH-CHAN HELP, I CAN¡¯T SWIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM!!!¡¹


    The giant tentacles suddenly appeared up from the sea, shaking the aspidochelone.


    And since the ground was shaking, I could barely maintain my standing position.


    A few of the tentacles that appeared from the sea were attacking us.


    ¡¸YOUR HIGHNESS, WATCH OUT!!!¡¹

 Chapter 93.2: Kraken of Frozen Sea

    <h4>Chapter 93.2: Kraken of Frozen Sea</h4>


    Poh-chan suddenly pushed me aside.


    One of the tentacles caught onto Poh-chan who stood at where I was at just a moment ago.


    ¡¸NOWAAAA¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D!!!¡¹


    ¡¸POH-CHA¨D¨D¨D¨D¨DAN!!!!¡¹


    The tentacle which caught her was amongst the slender ones but it was strong enough to catch Poh-chan who specialized in brute force.


    At this rate, she was going to be dragged into the sea.


    IT¡¯S MY FAULT!!


    ¡¸WATCH OUT, GENERAL PUTINA!!!¡¹


    Master Kuroki jumped up as he cut the tentacle and caught Poh-chan.


    While at it, he cut several other tentacles to save the others who were also caught by tentacles.


    His movements were truly a sight to behold.


    Master Kuroki thennded on the ground while carrying Poh-chan.


    IN A PRINCESS CARRY ON TOP OF THAT!!! I¡¯M SO JEALOUS OF POH-CHAN RIGHT NOW!!


    ¡¸Thank you, Your Excellency¡­ NYOHOHOHOHO.¡¹


    Poh-chan whonded safely on the ground thanked Master Kuroki while letting out a strangeugh.


    A rosy hue appeared on her cheeks too.


    KUUUUUUUH¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D I WANT TO BE HUGGED TOO!!!


    The shaking on aspidochelone finally stopped after Master Kuroki showed those tentacles who¡¯s boss.


    But, the killing intent of the Kraken was still going strong.


    It will attack again.


    ¡¸You Highness!! I¡¯ll go engage the Kraken in the sea!! Please use that time to get away from this ce with the remaining ships!!¡¹


    Master Kuroki told me to go to a safe ce.


    But, I¡¯M NOT GONNA BUY THAT!!


    I mean, I want to be saved by Master Kuroki too!! I recalled the reason why I came to this ce.


    Master Kuroki would definitely save me when he realizes that I¡¯m in danger.


    I couldn¡¯t swim!!! But it isn¡¯t a big deal!! I want Master Kuroki to carry me in his arms too!!


    ¡¸NO!!! I¡¯LL GO WITH YOU, MASTER!!!¡¹


    Master Kuroki look really surprised and happy upon hearing that.


    ¡¸UNDERSTOOD, YOUR HIGHNESS!! LET¡¯S GO!!!¡¹


    Master Kuroki stretched his arms towards me as he said so with strong voice.


    I became a little bit embarrassed when he looked at me with sparkling eyes full of trust.


    ¡¸W-WHAT¡¯S THE MATTER, YOUR HIGHNESS!! STOMACHACHE?!!!¡¹


    And Poh-chan was disturbing such a great moment.


    ¡¸POH-CHAN BE QUIET!!!!¡¹


    I wanted to tell her that I¡¯m so jealous of her who got a lucky chance to be carried with princess carry but I decided not to tell her that.


    The Kraken used more of its tentacles and shook aspidochelone again.


    ¡¸YOUR HIGHNESS, WE¡¯RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME!! SOMEONE, PLEASE LEND YOUR WEAPON TO HER HIGHNESS!!!¡¹


    ¡¸No, Master. I have my weapon with me. Come, Great Hammer of Roaring Thunder!!!¡¹


    A giant metal hammer appeared in my hand when I called its name.


    Amongst the weapons given to me by my dear father, this weapon was the only one that could withstand my power.


    Though I might have no chance to use it seeing that Master Kuroki is with me.


    ¡¸LET¡¯S GO, MASTER!!¡¹


    Master Kuroki and I ran until the tip of aspidochelone¡¯s nose and took a deep breath.


    This should allow me to survive in the sea for a while.


    Thus, our bodies plunged into the sea.


    The seawater was really cold. I somehow managed to resist that while trying to stay afloat.


    When I strained my eyes, I saw the silhouette of a gigantic figure in the darkness of the sea.


    That gigantic figure was rushing toward us while unleashing a barrage of tentacles.


    But, Master Kuroki cut off the tentacles that were heading in my direction.


    Just a bit more.


    Master Kuroki wouldn¡¯t save me unless I got attacked by those tentacles.


    I pped my hands as I went toward the Kraken.


    ¡¸YOUR HIGHNESS, YOU WENT TOO FAR AHEAD!! PLEASE RETREAT A BIT!!¡¹


    Though we¡¯re inside the sea, I could hear Master Kuroki¡¯s voice.


    This must be some sort of magic.


    But right now wasn¡¯t the time to ask such a question.


    This was my first time doing an exercise called swimming but I somehow managed to close in toward the Kraken.


    You don¡¯t know unless you try, eh?


    The kraken¡¯s tentacles were heading toward me.


    At the same time, I heard Master Kuroki calling me from behind.


    Finally, the tentacles wrapped around my body and brought me toward its head.


    It was a bit painful.


    I struck its head lightly with my great hammer of roaring thunder.


    Thereupon, the tentacle¡¯s mping suddenly loosened.


    Okay, this should be enough.


    Now I only need to wait for Master Kuroki to wait for me.


    Defeating this kraken should be a piece of cake for Master Kuroki.


    My imagination went wild.


    I imagined the gant figure of Master Kuroki rushing to save me and holding me gently.


    WELL THEN, MASTER KUROKI!! COME AND SAVE ME!!


    Suddenly, Master Kuroki who was rushing to save me stopped mid-way.


    Eh, what¡¯s happened with him?


    Moreover, I noticed that the mping of the tentacles became really weak.


    And then, I looked at the kraken.


    For some reason, it wasn¡¯t hostile anymore. Moreover, its eyes that shone ominous red until a while ago had already faded away.


    The Kraken who caught me rose up to the surface.


    And just like that, I rose along with the giant Kraken to the surface of the sea.


    The tentacles that were coiled my body finally let go off too.


    ¡¸SPLENDID, YOUR HIGHNESS POLEN!! I NEVER EXPECTED THAT YOU COULD TAKE IT DOWN IN A SINGLE HIT!!¡¹


    Master Kuroki came up from the sea and toward me.


    Why did it die so easily when I only tapped its head lightly? You must be kidding me, right?


    Uuh, had I known this, I shouldn¡¯t have brought my great hammer of roaring thunder at all.


    Regretful.


    ¡¸U~hm¡­¡¹


    I scratched my head. What should I do about this situation?


    Can I cry now?


    ¡¸EVERYONE!! THE KRAKEN HAD ALREADY BEEN SUBJUGATED BY HER HIGHNESS POLEN¨D¨D¨D!!¡¹


    Master Kuroki flew into the air, heading toward aspidochelone.


    I want him to at least hold me.


    And then, a cheer raised up from the aspidochelone.


    ¡¸ALL HAIL YOUR HIGHNESS POLEN!!!¡¹


    ¡¸AMAZING, THAT KRAKEN WAS NO MATCH AGAINST HER HIGHNESS!¡¹


    ¡¸AS EXPECTED OF THE DAUGHTER OF HIS MAJESTY THE DEMON KING!! THERE ARE NO WORDS THAT CAN EXPRESS THIS LIBURM¡¯s AWE!!¡¹


    ¡¸YEAH, AS EXPECTED OF HER HIGHNESS!!¡¹


    ¡¸ALL HAIL HER HIGHNESS POLEN!!¡¹


    ¡¸ALL HAIL HER HIGHNESS POLEN!!¡¹


    ¡¸YOUR HIGHNESS¨D¨D¨D!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING¨D¨D¨D!! QUICKLY GO TO SEE THE DOCTOR ¨D¨D¨D!!!¡¹


    Everyone was cheering for me.


    Let¡¯s ignore that one rude voice amongst them.


    Liburm¡¯s subordinate and Ezasa¡¯s ship wereing to pick me up.


    I had yet to be saved by Master Kuroki, but¡­


    ¡¸REDO!! I DEMAND A REDO!!¡¹


    But, my voice was drowned by the cheering of others.

 Chapter 94: Black Lion

    <h4>Chapter 94: ck Lion</h4>


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    Ten days had passed since the encounter with that creepy clown and we¡¯d finally arrived in the center of the blue forest.


    The reason why it took so long was that they had to wait for enough freedom fighters to gather in Velos. And since there was a lot of participant, it was bound to have slowed the movement.


    Es seems to be extremely delighted by it. ording to the nobles who made the n, they nned to gather around a thousand fighters. And yet, they managed to gather more than three times the number they¡¯d nned.


    For that reason, the Velos kingdom goverment ended up being forced with two choices, either to screen the warriors or continue forward with the ns.


    In the end, they choose thetter.


    That¡¯s why it took a lot of time to prepare for the march.


    There were around four thousand freedom fighters marching towards the blue forest.


    It was quite arge army.


    We were looking at them from the back of a gryphon and a pegasus who were flying in the air.


    The march of such arge number of people was quite a spectacle.


    But, this maarch was a mess.


    Though freedom fighters were superior in individualbat prowess, they¡¯re inferior when ites to group battles.


    When I was looking below, I caught the sight of some of them marching while drinking their liquor.


    General Portos, who led the march, was really having the hardest day in his entire career.


    ¡¸Eh, are you okay, Chiyuki-san?¡¹


    Nao, who rode on the hippogriff beside the gryphon, came to ask me.


    ¡¸Well, I just can¡¯t help but feel worried. I¡¯m trying to stop them and yet, they choose to go as is.¡¹


    I muttered so.


    The ce we¡¯re heading toward was a dangerous ce, even from our perspective.


    I felt something really dangerous from that mysterious clown. Thus, I¡¯d proposed to the king to cancel the campaign.


    And yet, the freedom fighters opposed it. Reason being they didn¡¯t want us to steal their reward and loots.


    When they told me so, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to try and convince them to stop anymore.


    In the first ce, we¡¯re the ones who were cooperating with them.


    Thus, we were matching their speed.


    ¡¸Hey, are you really sure that Shirone-san¡¯s childhood friend will really wait in that ce?¡¹


    Rino asked with a worried look on her face.


    It seems she was recalling that clown.


    ¡¸Honestly, I¡¯m not sure about this matter either, Rino. And he doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯s in that ce to either which makes this situation even more confusing.¡¹


    Reiji, who was riding on a pegasus in front of us, then spoke while keeping a watch ahead.


    Reiji was looking at the ce filled with pink mist.


    The confectionary castle seems to be right inside that mist.


    But, something about Reiji¡¯s remark felt amiss.


    What did he mean by ¡°Not in there¡±?


    I looked at Nao.


    But, Nao also shook her head.


    Nao had the sharpest senses amongst us.


    Even though Nao couldn¡¯t feel that person¡¯s presence, what did Reiji feel with his perception?


    ¡¸Reiji-kun is right. I don¡¯t think Kuroki is waiting for us in there. If he¡¯s right in there, he might¡¯ve already shown himself a long time ago.¡¹


    Shirone, who was flying at the very front, spoke while ring at the pink mist.


    It seems Shirone was also convinced that her childhood friend wasn¡¯t in there.


    Since both Shirone and Reiji had the same opinion, that person was definitely not in there.


    ¡¸I see. Since the two of you say so, you must be right. But, it doesn¡¯t mean that there really is nothing in there. We mustn¡¯t let our guard down.¡¹


    Everyone nodded in agreement.


    ¡¸It seems you¡¯re right¡­ I feel an eerie presence inside that mist. We mustn¡¯t jump in carelessly.¡¹


    We were looking towards the pink mist again upon hearing Nao¡¯s remark.


    ¡¸Uwaa~. Something with eerie presence ising. Shall we just ignore that clown and go back?¡¹


    Rino offered such a splendid proposal.


    ¡¸Yeah, I want to go back too. It¡¯s not like we have to do as that clown said.¡¹


    I added so while looking at Reiji.


    ¡¸E~H!! NO!! EVEN IF KUROKI ISN¡¯T IN THAT PLACE, THAT GIRL SHOULD BE WAITING IN THERE!! AND WE ABSOLUTELY CANNOT LET GO OF THAT GIRL!!¡¹


    Shirone shot down our proposal as if it was natural.


    She wanted to take back her childhood friend. It seems she couldn¡¯t abandon her childhood friend who was being manipted by that Silver Witch.


    ¡¸Yeah. There¡¯s no such thing as refusing the invitation of such a beauty.¡¹


    Reiji shed his usual daring smile.


    This d*ckhead became a real pain in the a** once he knew that the Dark Knight wasn¡¯t in this ce.


    ¡¸Ha~h, fine then. General Portos seems to be starting to prepare the camp. It is safe to assume that the operation will start tomorrow. Let¡¯s get down and take a rest too.¡¹


    I heaved a sigh as I spoke.


    ¡ôGoblin¡¯s Prince; Goz


    ¡¸AAAAAAAAAAAH!! THE HERO AND CO ARE COMING!!¡¹


    In the reception hall of confectionary castle, the figure of hero and co were reflected in the image floating in the air inside the spacious hall.


    My mother got flustered upon seeing that.


    ¡¸GOZ!! WHAT ABOUT HEQAT-SAMA!? DID SHE COME BACK ALREADY!?¡¹


    Like hell I know about that.


    That ugly frog goddess wasn¡¯t here right now.


    It seems she went somewhere after saying that she had to gather something.


    In the first ce, why did this mother of mine ask such a question to me who was even more clueless than her?


    ¡¸Even if you ask me¡­ I¡¯m as clueless as you, mother¡­¡¹


    I said so in order to pacify my mother.


    ¡¸TCH!! WHAT A USELESS SON YOU ARE!!!¡¹


    My mother cursed at me.


    I really wish that this ugly goblin would die already. Well, not that I¡¯m gonna said that to her face though.


    ¡¸Ma~n. Po~or thing, you really have been abandone~d.¡¹


    A man in a clown get up said so as if making fun of us while hopping in the air.


    Though I couldn¡¯t see his face due to the clown mask, I knew that he didn¡¯t even pity us.


    Nevertheless, can this clown just shut up already?


    ¡¸KU~UH!! SINCE THAT¡¯S THE CASE!! I¡¯M GONNA USE MY BEAUTY TO CAPTURE THE HERO¡¯S HEART!!¡¹


    My mother¡¯s body moved eeriely, back and forth.


    To be honest, it was soo disgusting to the point that even the other goblins beside me made a face as if they wanted to vomit on the spot.


    Wait a minute, could we just use this visual impact to repel the hero? I mean, even that hero might escape with his tail between his legs once he saw this abomination.


    And then, just when I came up with such an idea, a magic circle suddenly appeared in mid-air.


    ¡¸It seems I made it in time. RibbitRibbitRibbit¡¹


    The one who appeared from the magic circle was Heqat, the goddess with three frog heads.


    ¡¸HEQAT-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I¡¯VE BEEN WAITIIIIIIIIIIING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡¹


    My mother was clinging to Heqat as she was bawling to her heart¡¯s content.


    ¡¸Good grief, what a useless woman you are. Well, you don¡¯t have to worry anymore, I¡¯ve brought some reinforcements with me.¡¹


    After Heqat said so, several magic circles appeared in mid-air.


    Several shadows appeared from those magic circles. Some were human-like and some had a grotesque appearance.


    Who in the hell are they??


    ¡¸Uhm, Heqat-sama. These people are?¡¹


    My mother asked while tilting her head in confusion.


    ¡¸They¡¯re the male gods who are trying to court goddess Rena and got t out rejected by her. RibbitRibbitRibbit¡¹


    Following Heqat¡¯s remark, I looked at the people who just appeared.


    Every one of them was unleashing an incredible oppressive air.


    ¡¸That¡¯s something that I can¡¯t overlook, Heqat. This great me hasn¡¯t gotten rejected. She just can¡¯t see how awesome I am. Hero of light? Ptooey, I¡¯m gonna beat that brat who forgot his ce.¡¹


    The male god with a terrifying face draws closer to Heqat.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right. As if we¡¯re gonna let that brat from another world snatch away our heavenly beauty. Don¡¯t you agree with me?¡¹


    ¡¸YES, I¡¯M WITH YOU!!¡¹


    ¡¸THAT FRIVOLOUS MAN ISN¡¯T SUITED FOR OUR HEAVENLY BEAUTY!!¡¹


    ¡¸EVEN THOUGH I¡¯VE BEEN COURTING RENA FOR A FEW HUNDREDS OF YEARS!!! LIKE HELL I¡¯M GONNA LET THAT BRAT GET AHEAD OF US!!¡¹


    ¡¸YESHH!! RENA-CHAN IS MINEEE!!¡¹


    ¡¸HEY!!? WHERE IS THE BASTARD WHO DARED TO SAY THAT!? SHOW YOUR FACE!! RENA IS MINE, NOT YOURS!!¡¹


    ¡¸What are you guys talking about? Only I am suitable for that beautiful princess.¡¹


    ¡¸HOW DARE YOU TO SAY THAT, YOU SNOBBY BAST*RD!!¡¹


    Thus, the male gods started quarrelling amongst themselves.


    ¡¸THAT¡¯S ENOUGH!!!! STOP QUARRELING AMONGST YOURSELVES!!!¡¹


    Powerful magical power emitted from Heqat¡¯s body.


    I almost pissed my pants when I was exposed to such pressure.


    All the male gods suddenly turned their attention to Heqat.


    ¡¸Anyone who manages to kill the hero is the most appropriate man for the heavenly beauty. It¡¯s still not toote to quarrel amongst yourselves after that. RibbitRibbitRibbit.¡¹


    The male gods exchanged nces amongst each other as they heard Heqat¡¯s remark.


    ¡¸Yeah, you¡¯re right¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, let¡¯s kill that poser first.¡¹


    ¡¸Let¡¯s set aside our conflict until then.¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯ll be the one who¡¯s gonna kill that b*stard who dared to steal my Rena!!¡¹


    They changed so much to the point that their bloodthirsty air from before was a lie.


    Their killing intent alone was enough to make this castle creak.


    ¡¸Well, that¡¯s all I wanted to say. Now you lot have to enter the barrier and wait till the heroes. Don¡¯t worry about Rena resenting you since no one aside from me knows who enters the barrier. RibbitRibbitRibbit¡¹


    Heqat replied with augh.


    It seems Heqat was running around all over the ce to gather the male gods who resented the hero of light.


    She¡¯d put together such a big n in such a short amount of time.


    When I thought so, another magic circle appeared in mid-air.


    The one who appeared from the magic circle was a man with head of a ck lion. He carried a giant great sword on his back.


    ¡¸Humph. To think that there are so many people who don¡¯t know their ce.¡¹


    The man with the ck lion head muttered so as he looked at the gathering of male gods.


    The mouth of the ck lion didn¡¯t move at all. So that means the ck lion head was just a headgear.


    ¡¸Oh, never thought that you woulde too.¡¹


    ¡¸Humph. It¡¯s the old frog, eh. To be honest, I want to beat you to death, but I¡¯ll turn a blind eye just this one time. I have to kill that bastard called hero of light first.¡¹


    The ck lion unleashed his killing intent as he spoke.


    And it wasn¡¯t just aimed at Heqat. It was aimed at everyone in this ce.


    Tense air unfolded once again when the male gods were exposed to that powerful killing intent.


    That man with ck lion head, just who in the world is he?


    ¡¸He~~. To think that even that person came. Interesting!!! Kuna-sama going to be really amused by this!!¡¹


    The clown who was already behind me since who-knows-when muttered so with amused voice.


    It seems he knew the identity of that man with the ck lion headgear.


    ¡¸Not even that hero of light can win against this many gods. And I don¡¯t see any problem with one or two of them getting injured since they¡¯re not even that Modes boy¡¯s allies to begin with. RibbitRibbitRibbit¡¹


    Heqat¡¯sugh resounded in the hall of the confectionary castle.


    ¡ôHeavenly Beauty; Rena


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Totona? It¡¯s rare to see you looking for me.¡¹


    I greeted Totona who was waiting for me at the entrance of my mansion in Elios.


    ¡¸Just a minor business. Rena, have you seen my big brother? He doesn¡¯t seem to be in Elios.¡¹


    ¡¸Big brother? Are you talking about Thors? What do you mean by he isn¡¯t in Elios?¡¹


    Thors¡¯s job was to protect Elios. For that reason, he rarely left Elios.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know. But, there are some traces of an outsider contacting my big brother. And here I thought that my big brother was consulting with you, but I guess I¡¯m wrong. Sorry for the intrusion. I¡¯ll go back to my library.¡¹


    Totona left after she said so.


    Outsiders were contacting Thors¡­ what¡¯s the meaning of this?


    Thors hated anyone unaffiliated with Elios.


    The first person that came to my mind was Trident, the god of sea, but Trident was secluding himself.


    So the one who contacted Thors must be someone unaffiliated with Elios.


    What was the identity of the other party then? Moreover, Thors didn¡¯t seem to refuse the other party either. What¡¯s the meaning of this?


    For some reason, I got a bad feeling about this.

 Chapter 95.1: Campground

    <h4>Chapter 95.1: Campground</h4>


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    I was riding on the gryphon¡¯s back, looking at the warriors preparing the campground below me.


    Though it was still too early to make the camping preparations, we might not make it in time if we didn¡¯t prepare our camp right now.


    The camping ground was a ce that used to be a country.


    If the country still existed now, there might be around 500 citizens living in the country, but it was already gone.


    The reason why the country got destroyed remained a mystery.


    But, the crumbled ramparts that had already lost the people it was supposed to protect were filled with decay all over the ce over long years of being exposed to nature. Though this was indeed a perfect campground.


    The problem was the fact that it was too narrow to amodate all the warriors.


    Seeing that there was not enough space, most warriors decided to camp outside the ramparts.


    But then, they didn¡¯t seem to be discontent about this situation.


    Was it because most of them were used to staying outside of the ramparts?


    I could see naked warriorsughing with each other.


    Many of them weren¡¯t even wearing decent equipment.


    Well, that might be a normal situation for them since many of Thors¡¯ warriors were used to not wearing proper clothes.


    They, who were hailed as berserkers, had a creed to not wearing protectors.


    Well not that I¡¯m gonna object to their creed, but they should at least wear underwear.


    That¡¯s why I had trouble with where to look at.


    Rino and Nao wereughing upon seeing me in such a state.


    How could they be so calm about this?


    I mean, not even Shirone was perturbed by the such spectacle.


    ording to her, theirs were rather cute.


    The moment I heard that my imagination went wild and imagined that she must¡¯ve seen something far more terrifying in the past, but then again, I was too afraid to ask.


    Besides, Shirone wasn¡¯t here right now.


    She went ahead and flew towards the Algore Kingdom, the closest ce to this camping site. Naturally, she didn¡¯t leave before telling us that she wouldn¡¯t enter Nargol.


    Well, she might return by tomorrow.


    ¡¸Reiji-san, I think it¡¯s about the time for us tond. I¡¯m quite tired.¡¹


    Rino, who rode on hippogriff along with Nao, said so to Reiji.


    Rino¡¯s endurance was quite low, thus she quickly got tired even just by riding a hippogriff.


    ¡¸Okay, Rino. Let¡¯s get down and get some rest, Chiyuki.¡¹


    Reiji was smiling as he spoke to me.


    ¡¸Understood. Let¡¯s descend first, I have something to ask to General Portos about our arrangements.¡¹


    After Reiji, who rode on a pegasus, nodded to me, we decided tond on the za of this country.


    ¡¸The smell is so nice. It seems they prepared a more sumptuous feast than usual.¡¹


    That was the first thing that Nao said after descending from our mount.


    She was drooling. I pointed it out to her quickly.


    The camp builders who had finished building the camp were now preparing dinner.


    Camp builders weren¡¯t warriors; they were camp specialists employed by the Velos Kingdom.


    Their main job was transporting goods, making meals, and taking care of us.


    I saw one of them taking out salted meat from a wooden box.


    This world also had the same preserved food as ours. Things like pickling in salt or simply drying.


    But different from our world, many use magic instead of machines to create preserved food.


    In this regard, this world¡¯s preserved food was far superiorpared to our world since there was no drop in the quality of the preserved food¡­


    But, since there was only a small number of mages who could use this magic and their meagre amount of mana on top of that, the most they could do is preserve it for three months.


    For that reason, the majority of preserved food in this world was made without this magic.


    The problem was the fact that the food made without preserving magic tasted really bad. It was really salty amd the hard bread was really hard and tacky so it was literally impossible to eat such bread without dipping it into some sort of soup first.


    I tried to eat one of such preserved foods before and gave up due to its unappeatizing nature.


    ¡¸If it isn¡¯t Hero-sama. We¡¯ve already prepared tent for your group.¡¹


    A woman who built the campground approached us and called out to us when she noticed us.


    This one was the one in charge of taking care of us.


    King Es of Velos designated a special caretaker for us.


    Different from the camp builder, those who aren¡¯t used to journeys were riding in the carriage. Thus, their clothes were neat and tidy.


    Moreover, the king even prepared a caretaker for the gryphon and pegasus, a cook, and even prepared a bed for us.


    They really went all out to provide hospitality.


    It seems Es had a high expectations for us to solve this problem.


    But, I had no idea whether we could answer his expectations or not.


    ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹


    The girl¡¯s cheeks were dyed red upon seeing Reiji replying with his usual refreshing smile.


    Yeah, this development isn¡¯t amusing at all.


    ¡¸Well then, I¡¯ve to go to General Portos for the regr report.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯ll leave that matter to you, Chiyuki.¡¹


    I, who didn¡¯t want to show my sulking face to this d*ckhead, decided to head to General Portos¡¯ tent first.


    Well then, where can I find him I wonder?


    When I was looking for the camp builder in the open space, I saw a pair walking toward me.


    ¡¸Eh? If it isn¡¯t Remus-kun? What are you doing here?¡¹


    The one who approached me were Remus and Charis of Red Bear mercenary.


    ¡¸ck-Haired Sage-sama, we¡¯re in the middle of distributing meal. I mean, we have to confirm that no one is stealing others¡¯ meal, and Charis came along to help me.¡¹


    Thus, the girl in bikini armor beside him nodded to me.


    ¡¸I see, that¡¯s a serious matter indeed. But, I guess it¡¯s okay if it¡¯s being taken care of by you,Remus-kun.You¡¯re more suited for a desk job after all.¡¹


    ¡¸No way¡­¡¹


    Remus¡¯ face flushed red as I praised him.


    Well, he must¡¯ve had quite a hard time due to his fairly handsome visage.


    I got to know Remus during this march.


    I mean, being a member of a muscle-headed group of mercenaries who could read, write and calcte was already rare, not to mention his unique features that made it hard to forget about him.


    I mean, managing a group of muscle-heads was a truly tough job.


    I got this feeling that the one who truly supported the Red Bear Mercenary group was actually him.


    Unfortunately, he was too frail to be a warrior.


    Though I couldn¡¯t see his upper-half since he wore clothes-something that Thors¡¯ warriors would never do- he was clearlycking mucle.


    I came to worry about his safety as the only normal human amongst the group of almost-naked-muscle-brains.


    Nevertheless, the person himself didn¡¯t seem to have any intention to quit the mercenary group. And the reason for that might be the girl beside him, Charis.


    I mean, Charis was an adorable girl.


    Her tanned skin gave her this healthy vibe.


    In addition, Charis was the warrior of the war goddess, Amazona.


    Thanks to Beast¡¯s Inspiration she was really powerful despite her slender figure.


    And no male warrior of her age could match her.


    And despite losing against Shirone, I knew that she was really skillful warrior.


    And that said Charis seems to be put in bad mood upon seeing Remus blushing from hearing my praise.


    Quite a charming smile she got there.


    ¡¸That aside, where are you going to go, Sage-sama?¡¹


    ¡¸Uhm, I¡¯m in the middle of looking for General Portos¡¯ location. Do you happen to know his whereabouts, Remus-kun?¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, you should be able to find him right beyond this point.¡¹


    Remus was pointing at a certain direction as he spoke.


    ¡¸I see, thanks. Now this third wheel is going to leave.¡¹


    The two couldn¡¯t hide their shock the moment I said so.


    And then, their faces rapidly turned red like boiled octopus.


    It was truly an envious rtionship.


    That¡¯s why, let¡¯s get away from them as fast as possible.


    Thus, I left the two.


    I followed the direction pointed out by Remus and found the tent immediately.


    Reason being, there were so many soldiers around which made it different from the freedom fighters¡¯ area.


    General Portos¡¯ tent was made in order topensate for the broken ramparts.


    General Portos himself was staying outside the ramparts while the area behind his tent was used by nonbatants such as the camp builders who came with us.


    General Portos brought around fifty or sixty soldiers with him.


    It seems they were staying outside of the rampart too.


    I was guided to General Portos¡¯ ce by a soldier who I asked about the General¡¯s whereabout.


    His tent was much more splendid than the other tents around.


    When I entered the tent, General Portos and the others had already gathered.


    ¡¸If it isn¡¯t ck-Haired Sage-dono. Just when I was wondering about you. Come here please. We¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡¹


    The plump man donned in splendid armor told me toe inside.


    This plump man was the one who led this army, General Portos.


    Though he seems to be a knight from a prestigious noble of Velos, his appearance suggested otherwise.


    I mean, he looked like your normal, plump, middle-aged uncle which you could find everywhere instead of a general once he took off his armors.


    I mean, I doubt he could even ride a horse with such a plump figure.


    ¡¸Ma~n, we really owe much gratitude to Hero-sama and co for making it possible for us to arrive this far.¡¹


    The people who were gathered in this ce nodded along with Portos¡¯ statement.


    ¡¸Your Excellency is right. In some way, those fes who can¡¯t protect order are worse than goblins who raid at night. The red bear mercenaries led by Arcas-dono are better than most though.¡¹


    The old man beside Portos added such remark.


    The name of this old man with sharp glint in his eyes were Hornes.


    He was the leader of the Velos¡¯ freedom fighter association.


    Velos kingdom¡¯s freedom fighter association was different from Teseshia city¡¯s freedom fighter association, You couldn¡¯t join the organization unless you¡¯re Velos Kingdom¡¯s citizen.


    Velos¡¯ freedom fighters were also participating in this mission and they were led by Honess.


    And the one referred as ¡°those fes¡± by Honess were the freedom fighter from outside of Velos.


    In fact, the freedom fighters who participated in this campaign were divided into two groups.


    The freedom fighters who had citizenship, and the ones who didn¡¯t.


    And majority of the warriors belong to thetter.


    Though the former received proper training could protect the order, the majority of thetter type couldn¡¯t do the same.


    Well, since they lived a life in which they had no idea when they would die, they live without care about tomorrow.


    As soon as they got their payment, they would use it to buy booze or women. They had no savings at all.


    If there was something that they wanted to have, they rather stole it.

 Chapter 95.2: Campground

    <h4>Chapter 95.2: Campground</h4>


    I heard that there was a never-ending case of someone stealing goods along this march.


    The brown bear mercenaries, which Remus and Charis belong to, were truly the exception.


    Thus, the knights, soldiers, Honess and co seem to be quite troubled since they didn¡¯t take goods for their convenience.


    From Honess¡¯ perspective, they might be no different from a group of ouws.


    It seems Portos¡¯ subordinates had the same opinion as Honess.


    But the people who were happy with the situation did exist.


    ¡¸Honestly, they¡¯re bunch of troublesome and unpleasant fes. They even called us, who built tents inside the ramparts, cowards.¡¹


    One of the knights spoke angrily.


    ¡¸Calm down everyone. Tonight is thest of your difort. We¡¯re going to make them work their asses off tomorrow, which is why I allowed the supply group to give them more booze and food than usual to raise their morale.¡¹


    Portos spoke with a smile on his face.


    ¡¸That¡¯s a good idea, but¡­ General Portos, that forest is really dangerous. Shouldn¡¯t we stop this reckless campaign as soon as possible?¡¹


    I raised a suggestion to stop the campaign again.


    ¡¸Sage-dono, why are you suggesting that again? I mean, it¡¯s already toote to do that at this point.¡¹


    Portos told me so with a troubled look on his face.


    For the warriors, fighting was their job. My suggestion was akin to robbing them of their job.


    Especially for Thors¡¯ warriors who regarded dying in battle as their highest glory.


    Even if they didn¡¯t aim for the glory in death, many of them were aiming for the remuneration from this campaign.


    And aftering this far, Portos might be right about being toote to stop this campaign.


    ¡¸You¡¯re right, but¡­ the level of danger is so high that even our group is in danger.¡¹


    I lowered my voice as I spoke.


    Even minus Shirone¡¯s childhood friend, the Dark Knight, the Silver Witch alone was a huge threat for us. So I really had no idea what gonna happen this time.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it, Sage-dono. At that time, we¡¯re going to evacuate. Our main duty is to bring back as much information as possible.¡¹


    Portos said so with a grin on his face.


    Ha~h, how many warriors are gonna lose their lives in this reckless n?


    Though it was their own choice to participate in this campaign, I couldn¡¯t help but getting a headache over this matter.


    ¡ôMember of Brown Bear¡¯s Mercenary; Remus


    I returned to our mercenary camp when the evening sun dyed the forest in red.


    Charis seemed to have gotten sweets from one of the Hero-sama¡¯s female attendants.


    In short, she would be back muchter.


    Since it was already dark outside, I had quite a hard time finding the way back.


    The Brown Bear Mercenaries, where I belong, were camping in a rather detached ce.


    The reason being, our boss, Arcas, was responsible for the most dangerous ce.


    Well, that¡¯s just how our boss is.


    ¡¸ck-Haired Sage-sama¡­ she¡¯s as beautiful as rumoured.¡¹


    I recalled the event that happened before.


    Receiving such high praise from such a beautiful woman was truly the highest honour for me.


    I unintentionally revealed a smile upon recalling that.


    ¡¸Ye seems to be in good mood eh, Remus?¡¹


    That moment, someone called me out from the side.


    And suddenly tripped my feet.


    The unprepared me fell at once.


    ¡¸What are you doing, Torx!!!¡¹


    I turned around and yelled at the one who tripped my feet for no reason.


    The owner of that voice was Torx, a fellow member of the Brown Bear Mercenary group.


    There was no way I could mistake his voice.


    ¡¸What are you hoping for by swinging your tail to those cowards hiding behind the wall? Aren¡¯t werades here?¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯M HELPING HIS EXCELLENCY, THE GENERAL!! AND IN ANY CASE, THIS IS AN ORDER FROM OUR LEADER!! THERE¡¯S NOTHING TO HIDE HERE!!¡¹


    I raised my voice as I spoke to the man who stood in the shadow of a tree.


    ¡¸WHAT¡¯S WITH THAT CHEEKY MOUTH!! YOU SURE CAN TALK FOR SOMEONE WHO CAN¡¯T FIGHT!!¡¹


    Torx walked closer to me and stepped on ch*st.


    ¡¸UGH!!¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t breathe since he also applied his weight.


    I tried to pry his foot off from my chest, but s I was far too weak.


    ¡¸Oioi, I¡¯m only stepping lightly you know. And here you are, exhausted by that. I wonder what the youngdy sees in you¡­¡¹


    Torx said so with a voice filled with anger.


    The one he called youngdy was Charis.


    Torx has always been in love with Charis. Thus, he seems to be pissed off seeing me always by Charis¡¯ side.


    His age was the same as mine and he was the second strongest of our generation- the strongest was Charis.


    It seems he couldn¡¯t forgive the fact that I got close to Charis in this mercenary team which values strength above everything.


    But to be honest, that was his problem.


    I was looking into the darkness, looking for something to get rid of his feet off my chest.


    But, his feet didn¡¯t budge at all.


    Despite the absence of the beast¡¯s inspiration, Torx himself was a powerful warrior.


    Though he imed that he was only stepping on lightly, it was too much for my body to handle.


    ¡¸Ha~h, what a miserable guy. You¡¯re really gonna die.¡¹


    Torx spoke with a voice that sent a chill running down into my spine.


    He increased the strength he put into his feet.


    Oh crap!! I¡¯m really gonna die this time!!


    ¡¸WHAT ARE YOU DOING, TORX!!!¡¹


    It happened when my consciousness was getting foggy.


    I heard Charis¡¯ voice.


    That moment, I felt Torx raise his feet from my ch*st.


    I quickly took a breath and raised my body.


    I could see pair of eyes glowing golden inside the darkness.


    Those were without a doubt Charis¡¯ eyes.


    ¡¸I didn¡¯t do anything, Young Lady. Just a little training with Remus. Right, Remus?¡¹


    ¡¸LIES!! IF IT¡¯S TRAINING, YOU DON¡¯T NEED TO STEP ON REMUS!! YOU¡¯RE TRYING TO KILL HIM, RIGHT!!??¡¹


    Charis shouted at Torx with an enraged look on her face.


    Charis gained night vision as part of the power of her beast¡¯s inspiration. Thus, she could see what was happening even in the dark.


    ¡¸WAIT, CHARIS!! TORX IS RIGHT, WE¡¯RE JUST TRAINING A LITTLE BIT!!¡¹


    I stopped Charis from doing whatever she was trying to do while adjusting my breath.


    I got so much hate from the warriors of our generation. The reason being I¡¯d gained Charis¡¯ and our leader¡¯s attention despite being the weakest.


    Torx on the other hand was really strong for his age. He was also popr amongst the young warriors.


    Further inciting Torx¡¯s wrath because Charis trying to protect me would only create a rift between Charis and the other young warriors.


    That was something that we had to avoid at all costs.


    Thus, I had no choice but to keep my patience to prevent the situation from worsening.


    ¡¸Trust me, Charis¡­ there really is nothing to worry about.¡¹


    I insisted with a forced smile stered on my face.


    ¡¸That¡¯s it, Young Lady. Well, it¡¯s time for me to go.¡¹


    Torx left after he said so.


    ¡¸Remus¡­ why did you do that?¡¹


    Charis came to my side after making sure that Torx had left the ce.


    It seems she wanted to know the reason why I was covering for Torx.


    But, I really couldn¡¯t tell her the reason.


    I couldn¡¯t afford to offend Torx. If the weak me and Torx fought, the members of our mercenary group would definitely side with Torx.


    And when that happened, even our leader would have no choice but to banish me.


    I wanted to stay by Charis¡¯ side. Thus, I had to endure this.


    ¡¸It really isn¡¯t big deal¡­¡¹


    I told her with a bright voice to prevent Charis from worrying about me.

 Chapter 96.1: God of Song and Arts

    <h4>Chapter 96.1: God of Song and Arts</h4>


    ¡ôSword¡¯s Maiden; Shirone


    ¡¸Wee to Algore, Shirone-sama. What brings you here today?¡¹


    Omiros was bowing to me.


    Currently, I was visiting the Algore kingdom.


    It only took around one hour for me to arrive at the Algore kingdom by flying with my own wings.


    The reason I came was to visit Omiros.


    ¡¸Long time no see, Omiros-kun. I came for a visit today since we happened to be nearby. How¡¯s the situation in this ce? Anything change after that incident?¡¹


    I asked for the current situation of Algore after telling Omiros about the reason for my visit.


    ¡¸Yes, the harvest of our crops were much better thanst year, but¡­ that¡¯s not what you really want to know, right? Well, nothing has changed and Daigan is also living a peaceful life here.¡¹


    Omiros replied with a big smile on his face.


    And then, my eyes caught the figure of a middle aged man.


    Though he looked like a human, he was in fact a werewolf.


    Due to various reasons, he is currently staying in this country.


    ¡¸Humph. How strange, you¡¯re not doing something bad right?¡¹


    I squinted my eyes as I looked at Daigan.


    This werewolf did something bad to the humans before we caught him after all. I never expected for him to have suddenly turned into a new leaf.


    ¡¸Hehehe. Sorry but I won¡¯t do bad things anymore. That personage is going to kill me if I do bad things again after all. Rather, my current job is protecting this country.¡¹


    Daigan spoke with a faint smile on his lips.


    ording to Chiyuki-san, werewolves were unexpectedly loyal to their master. They¡¯ll obey their master¡¯s order.


    ¡¸I see. Well, it might be alright since Kuroki is the one who gave that order, right?¡¹


    Kuroki is kind after all, there¡¯s no way he could do bad things if not for that Silver Witch¡¯s influence.


    I decided to trust him.


    ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s right. In addition, he¡¯ll know right away when something unusual were to happen to this cou¡ª woops!!¡¹


    Daigan made a face as if he almost spilt the beans.


    It seems he just said something that he wasn¡¯t supposed to say.


    ¡¸Is something the matter? It shouldn¡¯t be a problem to call for Kuroki¡¯s help right?¡¹


    Kuroki was protecting this country for Regena.


    Thus, he¡¯d ced Daigan in this ce. And if something unexpected happened, he woulde in person.


    There shouldn¡¯t be any problem with that.


    ¡¸Eh? U~hm. As long as you¡¯re okay with it¡­¡¹


    Daigan replied with a little bit of a curious look on his ce.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter? Did I say something strange?¡¹


    ¡¸N-NO! NOT AT ALL!! Hehe.¡¹


    Daigan wasughing. I got this feeling that there was more to his smile.


    I wonder what he was trying to say with that smile.


    But then, it¡¯s not like I could do anything.


    ¡¸Uhm, Shirone-sama? We haven¡¯t prepared anything to wee you since you came out of nowhere. Honestly speaking, we should wee you with a banquet, but do you want us to do that?¡¹


    Omiros-kun asked with an apologetic look on his face.


    ¡¸Nah, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m the one at fault for this sudden visit after all. By the way, long time no see, Riette-chan. And congrattions on your marriage with Omiros-kun.¡¹


    I looked at Riette who was sitting beside Omiros as thetter¡¯s wife.


    ¡¸Yes. Thank you very much, Shirone-sama.¡¹


    Riette bowed elegantly as she returned my greeting.


    She had this adult-like air around herpared to thest time I met her. Even though her previous, childlike air around her was more suited for someone as young as her.


    Was this what they called the change that came along with marriage?


    If this was Japan, a girl around Riette¡¯s age couldn¡¯t get married.


    But it was possible in this world since many countries didn¡¯t have legal marriage agews. Thus, it wasn¡¯t rare for someone of Riette¡¯s age to get married in this world.


    But it felt lonely since she lost her childishness along with her marriage.


    But well, the person herself wanted this so I really couldn¡¯t say anything in this regard.


    ¡¸Uhm, Shirone-sama. Uhm¡­¡¹


    Omiros seemingly wanted to ask me about something while he kept ncing toward Riette.


    I knew what he wanted to know though. It was about Regena.


    ¡¸If you¡¯re asking about Regena-san, she currently living a fulfilled live in the Republic of Ariadya.¡¹


    Omiros heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing my remark.


    ¡¸I see, that¡¯s good then¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Omiros-kun¡­¡¹


    I felt a pang in my ch*st upon seeing Omiros¡¯ reaction.


    Maybe he never stopped worrying about Regena, his childhood friend.


    ¡¸SHIRONE-SAMA!! THE REPUBLIC OF ARIADYA IS A COUNTRY LOCATED FAR WEST FROM THIS PLACE RIGHT?!!¡¹


    Riette drew near as she asked that question.


    Different from before, the air around her returned to the childish air befitting of a girl around her age.


    ¡¸Y-Yeah. Maybe it isn¡¯t wrong to say that it¡¯s the biggest country I¡¯ve ever seen you know?¡¹


    ¡¸Uwa~. How ni~ce. I want to go there too~.¡¹


    Riette was looking up with sparkling eyes.


    That was the eyes of a girl from the boonies yearning for the big city.


    It seems the Republic of Ariadya was a really well-known country since even the people of Algore kingdom who lived closest to Nargol had also heard about it.


    Well, it might be natural for the people who were born in the Algor kingdom whichcked amusement to want to see a big ce such as the Republic of Ariadya.


    It seems Riette didn¡¯t have any grudge left toward Regena.


    I felt relieved upon confirming that fact.


    ¡¸Oioi, Riette. As the next queen of this country, you can¡¯t say something like that you know? Have you given up on bing an adult already? As expected, you¡¯re still a brat deep inside, eh.¡¹


    ¡¸What are you talking about, big brother Maxis! It¡¯s only natural to want to go there right!!¡¹


    Riette flew into a rage upon hearing Maxis¡¯-her big brother- teasing.


    I was really surprised at first but I guess Riette was still Riette.


    I unintentionally smiled upon seeing their interaction.


    Omiros, who stood by my side, was also smiling upon seeing the siblings¡¯ quarrel.


    ¡¸GEEZ!! WHY IS EVERYONE LAUGHING AT ME!!?¡¹


    Riette was pouting upon seeing our expression.


    Everyone couldn¡¯t hold back theirugh since her pouting was really adorable.


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    The sun had set and the soldiers were starting to head to their own tents.


    Well, most of the warriors were still drinking their fill as usual as they made merry around the camp though.


    Their voices were so loud to the point that we could hear them even from our camp.


    They really had to fix their bad habit of drinking liquor during the march.


    General Portos and co seemed to be in the same opinion as me but, in the end, they said nothing about it.

 Chapter 96.2: God of Song and Arts

    <h4>Chapter 96.2: God of Song and Arts</h4>


    Naturally, the more serious and experienced warriors understood that and didn¡¯t participate in the drinking party.


    During this moment, those warriors were busying themselves with training or maintaining their weapons.


    The training methods of martial arts were varied. Some used goblins that they caught along the way as their practice target.


    Naturally, the goblins were bare-handed but the point was training against a living enemy.


    This training method wasn¡¯t just used by freedom fighters, the soldiers and knights used this method too.


    asionally, it turned into something like a bullfight.


    ¡¸Chiyuki-san. He¡¯s looking at us.¡¹


    Rino, who stood beside me, said so while smiling.


    We were in the middle of dinner along with Portos and co.


    Various dishes were prepared on the table in front of us.


    It wasn¡¯t the portable meal being carried by the soldiers or warriors, the bread was the soft and fluffy one which was eaten by nobles instead of the hard and tacky bread eaten during a march, nor was the soup the salty vegetable soup.


    Moreover, the meal was the mostvish one so far to raise our spirits since tomorrow was the start of the battle.


    They even prepared a minstrel to sing a song for us.


    And the one who was referred as ¡°He¡± by Rino was none other than that minstrel.


    This minstrel wasn¡¯t there yesterday.


    I heard that he came this far to meet Reiji.


    A minstrel¡¯s goal was to create a song about a hero or brave after all. And the person himself had confirmed so.


    But then, that kind of thing wasn¡¯t that rare either. He was only one of the many minstrels who wanted to create a song about Reiji.


    But then, something about this minstrel made me believe that he was different from the other minstrels.


    `I mean, he was TOO FRICKING HANDSOME.


    Well-ordered nose, long and shiny hair, and a handsome face almost as if it was sculpted by all the best sculptors in the world. He also had a beautiful voice on top of that, thus we weren¡¯t the only ones who got mesmerized by his beautiful heroic songs he sang, all people who gathered in this ce got mesmerized by his voice.


    He sent a meaningful gaze toward us every once in a while. His line of sight was simply charming.


    Thus, Rino, who stood by my side, became restless.


    And it wasn¡¯t just limited to Rino. Our female attendant who came along with us was getting pretty restless too.


    Reiji might not be too amused by this situation. Though he looked calm andposed, who knows what he felt inside.


    Everyone gave their apuse when the minstrel ended his song.


    And then, the minstrel started walking toward us.


    ¡¸Greetings, Hero Reiji-dono. Nice to meet you.¡¹


    The minstrel¡¯s eyes were looking at Reiji.


    Rino and the other women suddenly raised a stir upon seeing the two handsome men facing each other.


    ¡¸The two of them make quite good picture right, Chiyuki-san?¡¹


    Even Nao ended up getting infected by Rino and the other women¡¯s rotten air.


    The said person, Reiji himself, wasn¡¯t interested in that kind of hobby. If he did, it would be the greatest eye candy for us.


    Reiji¡¯s expression didn¡¯t show any change even when the minstrel greeted him.


    ¡¸Yes. By the way, who are you? You¡¯re not a human, right?¡¹


    The minstrel plucked the string of his harp the moment Reiji said so.


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    Rino was the one who reacted to the minstrel¡¯s change.


    Reason being that except for me, Reiji, Rino and Nao, the other people here couldn¡¯t move at all.


    Portos¡¯ eyes were empty. The same went for the other people.


    It was definitely magic. And the minstrel before us was the one who invoked that magic.


    Who in the hell are you??


    ¡¸As expected of the Hero of Light. There¡¯s also the fact that you¡¯ve been called by Rena. You must¡¯ve noticed my identity.¡¹


    ¡¸Nope, I don¡¯t know you. But, I know that you¡¯re not a mere human. Who are you,dykiller?¡¹


    Reiji stood as he asked the minstrel with a daring smile on his face.


    This was his expression when he was facing his opponent. Thus, all of us raised our vignce at once.


    ¡¸I¡¯m noting to fight you today, Hero of Light Reiji. And the beautifuldies over there, be at ease, I mean no harm. My name is Alphos. Rena¡¯s big brother.¡¹


    He revealed a sweet smile as he introduced his name.


    Rino, Nao, and even I were left speechless upon seeing such a dreamy smile.


    And then, I recalled Alphos¡¯ name.


    It was the name of the God of Song and Arts, Alphos.


    ording to the rumour, he was the most handsome man in Elios.


    In addition, he was also the big brother of Rena, Goddess of Wisdom and Victory. And that god had appeared right before all of us.


    I looked at Alphos.


    Alphos raised his right hand, while still holding his harp in his left hand, expressing his intention that he came in peace.


    ¡¸I see. Rena¡¯s big brother, eh? Your face does resemble her. So? Are you looking for me because I¡¯m your little sister¡¯s lover?¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed. I came to meet her rumoured boyfriend. But, I guess it was a fool¡¯s errand.¡¹


    ¡¸What? what do you mean?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s exactly as I say. I don¡¯t think that you¡¯re Rena¡¯s lover. That¡¯s why I came to confirm with my own eyes. I thought that I¡¯d know the truth when I came to meet and talk to you, but¡­¡¹


    Alphos shook his head.


    Even the way he acted was much more elegant.


    ¡¸Even if you can¡¯t believe it, it¡¯s the truth. I do understand your feeling of not wanting to see your adorable little sister get taken away by another man though.¡¹


    Reiji said so while puffing his chest with a proud look on his face.


    ¡¸I see¡­ Well, let¡¯s just treat it that way. But, aside from me, there are many more people who aren¡¯t convinced. What are you going to do when they challenge you?¡¹


    Alphos was looking at Reiji as he asked.


    Reiji didn¡¯t flinch and stared back at Alphos.


    ¡¸I¡¯LL KICK THEIR ASSES OF COURSE!!¡¹


    ¡¸Quite confident, eh. Their numbers aren¡¯t small, you know?¡¹


    ¡¸I won¡¯t back down since Rena is at stake. I¡¯m gonna win and prove that I¡¯m her destined man.¡¹


    Reiji replied with a confident look on his face.


    ¡¸So much confidence, eh? Have you never doubted Rena¡¯s love?¡¹


    ¡¸NEVER! MY MEETING WITH RENA WAS DESTINED BY FATE!!¡¹


    I almost doubted my ears upon hearing that. How could this guy have so much confidence in himself?


    Well, I guess that he was acting like usual.


    ¡¸I see¡­ Well, I guess I¡¯ve nothing more to say. I guess you¡¯ve no problem with them challenging you. I¡¯ll see the show from the side. Oh right, let me give you a warning. I don¡¯t care even if you ept their challenge, but you should never think about killing the ck lion man if you want to get Rena¡¯s love.¡¹


    Alphos smiled as he said those remarks.


    ¡¸What¡¯s that? You¡¯re talking as if I¡¯m not the person who Rena loves.¡¹


    But then, Alphos ignored Reiji¡¯s remark.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve warned you. Hero of Light.¡¹


    Alphos plucked his harp again as he spoke.


    Thereupon, his figure vanished like a mirage.


    ¡¸Eh? What¡¯s happening here? Where¡¯s the minstrel from before? Chiyuki-dono, what happened just now?¡¹


    Portos and co started moving again right after Alphos vanished.


    ¡¸It¡¯s nothing, General Portos. The Whimsical god just left.¡¹


    General Portos tilted his head in puzzlement upon hearing my remark.


    But, exining this matter to them would be a real pain.


    ¡¸He¡¯s so handsome, Chiyuki-san.¡¹


    Rino spoke cheerfully to me.


    It seems she was really ted to be able to meet someone whose looks rivalled that of Reiji¡¯s.


    ¡¸Yeah. He¡¯s really handsome indeed¡­¡¹


    Nevertheless, what was the real reason for him toe? I just couldn¡¯t get that matter out of my head.

 Chapter 97: Demon Princess Shadow I

    <h4>Chapter 97: Demon Princess Shadow I</h4>


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    We finally took the captured Kraken back to Nargol along with aspidochelone.


    Aspidochelone had no problem with swimming in the slightly stormy weather, moreover, the mansion on top of its shell didn¡¯t even sway a bit.


    I was sitting on the floor while looking at the Kraken outside from the mansion¡¯s window.


    The Kraken was tied with giant ropes and dragged by aspidochelone.


    It was easier to carry the Kraken after its corpse was frozen with magic, just like carrying a drifting block of ice.


    When I turned my head into the room again, Polen and Petina were already preparing their food as usual.


    And The young men from the selkie tribe were getting a bit restless waiting for their shares on the table.


    But, Polen¡¯s expression didn¡¯t seem to be that good. What happened to her I wonder.


    I looked at them while brushing Inura¡¯s head, letting her stay on myp.


    Inura always let out adorable cries whenever I did that to her.


    Inura was a selkie too. But she couldn¡¯t turn to her human form yet since she was still way too young.


    Thus, the young selkie was always in their earless seal form. It felt like I was cing an extremely adorable stuffed plushie on myp.


    I looked outside of the window again.


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    My ring buzzed the moment I saw the spectacle outside of the window.


    Kuna should probably be heading on her way toward us now. It seems that she couldn¡¯t take it any longer since I went out quite a long time this time.


    Thus, she decided toe.


    By the look of it, she seems to be riding on Glorious.


    Glorious, who was hailed as the Demon Dragon, could fly really fast despite her giant frame.


    They were about to arrive anytime soon.


    ¡¸Sorry Inura. Can I leave your side for a moment?¡¹


    Inura looked really pitiful the moment I told her so, but I ignored her and gave her to the female selkies who were waiting on the side.


    ¡¸Yes, Your Excellency¡­¡¹


    The female selkie epted Inura with a smile on her face.


    I had a hard time replying back to her thanks to their shell bikini. But, I somehow managed to keep an uptight face without showing a sloven smile.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Master Kuroki?¡¹


    Polen called out to me the moment she noticed that I was about to leave.


    ¡¸Yes, Your Highness. I¡¯m going to wee someone who is about toe.¡¹


    I said so and then bowed to Polen before I left the mansion.


    A few minutester, I finally saw a giant silhouette from afar.


    ¡¸KUROKI!!¡¹


    Kuna jumped into my embrace the moment Glorious arrived.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Kuna? Are you getting impatient already?¡¹


    Kuna nodded her head hard when I asked her.


    That gesture was really adorable.


    I unintentionally made guts pose inside the moment I saw her make such an adorable gesture.


    No cute girl has ever shown such an adorable gesture to me before.


    GUHEHEHEHEHE.


    ¡¸I came to here myself since Kuroki is so slow.¡¹


    My face was reflected in Kuna¡¯s beautiful eyes.


    Oh crap!! That expression was cheating, I almost made my sloven expression show.


    Brace yourself, me.


    The moment I thought so, Gloriousnded herself on aspidochelone.


    Glorious was a giant dragon but she could stillnd on the aspidochelone back. But of course, aspidochelone¡¯s body was a bit shaken due to the sudden addition of weight on his back. Even the orcs were screaming in panic as if an earthquake had happened.


    But Glorious ignored themotion and approached me as if wanted to be spoiled by me too.


    It seems Glorious missed me so much too.


    ¡¸Sorry for leaving you too long, Glorious. Have you been a good child?¡¹


    I patted Glorious¡¯ nose.


    Thereupon, Glorious let out a satisfied hum.


    The way she acted was just like Inura.


    Extremely adorable like Kuna.


    There wasmotion all over the aspidochelone¡¯s back while we¡¯re enjoying our reunion.


    It seems Ezasa¡¯s subordinates and Liburm¡¯s subordinates couldn¡¯t hide their shock upon seeing the arrival of Kuna and Glorious.


    The lizardman and Liburm were showing an expression of admiration upon seeing Glorious. The orcs were scolded by Ezasa for looking at Kuna with a sloven look on their face.


    Well, I understand their feelings since Kuna was so adorable, and Glorious was a really cool dragon.


    ¡¸OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!¡¹


    And then, I heard another scream which didn¡¯te from either the lizardman or the orc.


    When I turned around, I found out that the owner of that voice was Polen.


    Her eyes were wide open as she looked at us with an extremely surprised look on her face.


    Her eyes were locked on Kuna.


    Polen was really shocked upon seeing Kuna.


    Her body was trembling nonstop.


    Is something the matter? Why did she all of sudden freeze on the spot?


    Finally, she opened her mouth.


    ¡¸M-MASTER KUROKI!! W-WHO IS THAT SUPER DUPER EROTIC BEAUTY¡ª?!!!¡¹


    Polen¡¯s shout resounded through the back of aspidochelone.


    ¡ôPrincess of Hell; Polen


    Chewchew, crunch crunch.


    I was intensely eating the dishes that were being carried by the male selkies.


    I mean, my n to get saved like a damsel in distress by Master Kuroki was crumbling apart.


    I mean, Poh-chan was saved by him and getting an experienced princess carry on top of that.


    I¡¯m so jealous.


    Why everything just wouldn¡¯t go ording to my n?


    ¡¸Uhm, It¡¯s so delicious, Your Highness.¡¹


    Poh-chan was gobbling on her fish beside me.


    It was delicious but it feltcking somehow.


    ¡¸Bu~. Sure enough¡­ Poh-chan¡­¡¹


    I ate the boiled lobster while pouting lightly.


    But, Poh-chan waspletely absorbed in eating and didn¡¯t seem to realize my mood.


    Well, that¡¯s a good thing though.


    Moreover, everything is the fault of that fragile Kraken!!!


    How can it be defeated so easily when I only tapped it lightly, its giant body must be just for show.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ Your Highness Polen¡­ Is something the matter?¡¹


    Inul who noticed my mood was asking with a frightened look on his face.


    Starting from Inul, the selkies were singing high praise to me for defeating the Kraken but at the same time, they were also frightened silly by my power.


    Thus, they had that frightened look on their face from time to time when they saw me.


    Though their shell swimsuit was truly such eye candy, such spectacle was useless when they looked at me with that kind of face.


    Sure enough, I could easily break their bones just by brushing against them.


    That¡¯s why it really couldn¡¯t be helped that they¡¯re scared of me.


    But, to be honest, there was nothing more pitiful than seeing these handsome men looking at me with frightened look on their faces.


    As I expected, Master Kuroki was the only one who could withstand my strength.


    Currently, Master Kuroki was sitting in the chair as he petted the young selkie(earless seal-form) on hisp.


    From the time he took off his helmet, I could see his heavenly face.


    He had an extremely kind look on his face when he brushed on the head of the young selkie.


    His eyes that sometimes peep from his hair carried gentle light in them.


    It was such a soothing spectacle.


    Master Kuroki didn¡¯t really stand out when he waspared with those handsome and beauties from Elios which I saw in a magic book.


    But, he was just less shy, appearance-wise, he didn¡¯t lose to those Elios¡¯ gods.


    On the contrary, his gentle appearance should give him a huge boostpared to Elios¡¯ gods, right?


    Though I felt this murky feeling in my che*st when I saw his face, it gradually turned into shame as I recalled how kind and gentle Master Kuroki was.


    My n to get saved was ruined but, well it wasn¡¯t a big deal.


    ¡¸Guhehehehe.¡¹


    Woops, gotta keep me from showing a sloven look on my face.


    I mean, it would make me look like my dear father when he was alone with my mother.


    I refuse to be the same kind as him in that regard too.


    Master Kuroki suddenly stood up when I was pondering this matter.


    He went toward the entrance of the room after he entrusted the young selkie on hisp to the other female selkie.


    The young selkie sends a pitiful nce toward Master Kuroki.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Master Kuroki?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Your Highness. I¡¯m going to wee someone who is about toe.¡¹


    Master Kuroki bowed his head as he replied to me.


    Thus, he left the room and went down to the entrance of the mansion.


    ¡¸Ah? It seems that the Silver Princess is arriving soon.¡¹


    Poh-chan said so after Master Kuroki left the room.


    ¡¸Silver Princess? Who¡¯s that, Poh-chan?¡¹


    I tilted my head in confusion as I asked Poh-chan.


    ¡¸Your Excellency¡¯s wife of course.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh!?¡¹


    I dropped the grilled crab in my hand the moment Poh-chan dropped the bombshell.


    Wh-what? Master Kuroki already had a wife? Why have I never heard about it!?


    I felt like I was being zapped by a thunderbolt upon hearing Poh-chan¡¯s remark.


    ¡¸W-w-w-w-w-w-WHAT DO YOU MEAN, POH-CHAAAAAAAAAN?!!!¡¹


    I went to Poh-chan and grabbed a hold of her head.


    ¡¸A-AAARGH! IT¡¯S EXACTLY AS I SAY, YOUR HIGHNESS!!!¡¹


    Poh-chan copsed, blowing bubbles from her mouth after I shook her head so many times.


    Silver Princess. Who in the world was that person?


    I suddenly felt really anxious.


    I walked back and forth in the mansion while pondering about such things.


    ¡¸KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹


    Suddenly, the female selkie screamed.


    When I looked outside of the window, I saw a giant jet-ck dragon approaching aspidochelone.


    Oh crap. That one was clearly far more powerful than the Kraken.


    I headed toward the entrance of the mansion in a hurry.


    Upon arriving, I saw that Ezasa¡¯s orcs subordinate had already gathered at the entrance of the mansion.


    With this, the exit had been blocked.


    When I was troubled about what to do, the orcs who finally noticed me opened a way for me to pass.


    Thus, I could finally leave the mansion.


    Upon exiting the mansion, I saw that giant dragon right outside of the mansion.


    The dragon didn¡¯t seem to have any intention to attack us.


    Upon a closer look, I found out that Master Kuroki was right beneath that dragon¡¯s figure.


    Come to think of it, I heard that Master Kuroki tamed a dragon for his mount.


    This giant dragon might be Master Kuroki¡¯s mount. That¡¯s why the dragon looks so docile.


    And then, Master Kuroki wasn¡¯t alone too.


    Is that girl, the one called Silver Princess?


    ¡¸OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!¡¹


    I unintentionally leaked out such a voice.


    At that moment, Master Kuroki¡¯s figure moved.


    Which allowed me to see a super duper gorgeous babe in his embrace.


    The Silver Haired Beauty who got surprised upon hearing my scream then looked at me.


    Such beautiful eyes.


    The difference between the two of us made me want to dig a hole to hide.


    Her beautiful skin was as white as her enchanting silver hair.


    Gems were iid on her attire that was based on blue and ck colour.


    And then, even with her attire, I could tell that she had a pair of massive bre*ast, constricted waist, and round butt.


    In addition, maybe because the short skirt, actually entuated her slender and beautiful legs.


    That leg was truly charming, borderline erotic.


    No, it¡¯s not just her leg. Her entire being was literally the personification of eroticism!!!


    Her beauty alone rivals that of my dear mother.


    Many of Elios¡¯ goddesses would be eclipsed by her beauty.


    As I expected, she must be the beautiful silver princess, right?


    You Lost¡­pletely lost¡­ Mom¡­


    I mean, how could she have such a massive pair of tits despite her short height? Rather, that slim waist was cheating.


    AND YET, WHY IS MY FIGURE NOT LIKE THAT DESPITE BEING THE SAME HEIGHT AS HER?!!!


    I looked at my round, barrel-like body while pondering about life.


    I truly wanted to cry, you know.


    I mean, I saw many beauties until now.


    But, this was the first time I saw a girl whose beauty brought this much shock to me.


    Was it because she had a rtionship with Master Kuroki?


    I WANT TO BECOME A BEAUTY TOO!!


    I screamed inwardly as such feeling budded in me.


    Let¡¯s try to talk to her.


    Let¡¯s ask Master Kuroki to introduce the girl to me!!


    ¡¸M-MASTER KUROKI!! W-WHO IS THAT SUPER DUPER EROTIC BEAUTY¡ª?!!!¡¹


    Thus, my voice resounded through the back of aspidochelone.

 Chapter 98: Demon Princess Shadow II

    <h4>Chapter 98: Demon Princess Shadow II</h4>


    ¡ôPrincess of Hell; Polen


    ¡¸So You¡¯re the one who is called Polen huh. I¡¯ve heard about you from Kuroki. By the way, my name is Kuna, Kuroki¡¯s W-I-F-E.¡¹


    The super sexily beautiful girl greeted me, emphasizing the ¡°Wife¡± part.


    Her eyes were full of disdain, as if she was looking down on me.


    Moreover, it was as if she wasughing scornfully at me the first time she saw me.


    But, this girl did release an overwhelming oppressive air.


    This sense of oppression rivaling that of my mother.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ Kuna. The way you speak is a bit¡­¡¹


    Master Kuroki panicked a little bit.


    I am the daughter of my father, the demon king after all. In short, I am a princess in flesh and blood.


    Thus, no matter how ugly I looked, everyone was always pampering me.


    Thus, I failed to realize the most important thing.


    I failed to realize how ugly I am.


    I couldn¡¯t forget the shock that I received the first time I saw Elios gods¡¯ appearance from the projection magic.


    There were a lot of beautiful men over there.


    While they¡¯re the demon¡¯s enemy, I couldn¡¯t help but marvel at their handsome appearance.


    Thus, I hid my appearance from the world.


    Even now, the collection of the picture of naked gentlemen from Elios which I received from Goblin Queen Datie has be my greatest treasure.


    Also when was it I wonder?


    By chance, I found a picture of the goddesses standing beside those gods.


    And I noticed.


    I¡¯m actually really uglypared to them, right? I mean, I looked like a pig no matter how one looked at it.


    My confidence copsed the moment I realized that fact.


    It was one of the darkest times in my life which still made me tremble in shame whenever I recalled how I acted as if I was a cute girl at that time¨D¨D!!


    I REALLY WANT TO DIG A HOLE AND BURY MYSELF INSIDE WHENEVER I RECALLED THOSE DAYS!!


    It was really embarrassing to the point that I would like to roll myself around to hide my face whenever I recalled those memories.


    And today, I recalled the dark history of my life upon seeing the beauty whose beauty surpassed even the Elios¡¯ goddesses.


    ¡¸Your Highness, are you alright? is it because Kuna¡¯s remark?¡¹


    Master Kuroki asked me with a worried look on his face upon seeing my agonizing face.


    Uuh, I had no idea that Master Kuroki had such a beautiful wife.


    I cried hard inside.


    The beauty who stood beside Master Kuroki was ring at me with a piercing re.


    But, I guess it was only natural for his wife to be this beautiful.


    I mean, if I was as beautiful as her, I would surely be looking down at the other party raising my chin whileughing ¡¸Ohohoho¡¹.


    And thenughing haughtily in a tea party while saying ¡¸The honey isn¡¯t enough!!¡¹ while elegantly enjoying the sweets with plenty of honey.


    ¡¸No, you¡¯re mistaken Master Kuroki. It¡¯s not your wife¡¯s fault¡­¡¹


    I was pretending to be calm while crying inside.


    ¡¸T-Thanks goodness. And, Kuna. Please get along since both of you are woman.¡¹


    Master Kuroki said so to the beauty with a slightly anxious face.


    But, that was a really harsh request, right?


    I mean, can I really stand by her side?


    I mean, this beauty might actually hate me.


    ¡¸Getting along with this fe? Sure, it¡¯s not big deal.¡¹


    But then, the beauty readily agreed.


    I couldn¡¯t read her expression since she was making it as if it wasn¡¯t that important.


    ¡¸Eh? Are you sure?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s Kuroki¡¯s request after all.¡¹


    The beauty stood before me.


    My height was arund her che*st.


    Thus, the first thing that I saw when she approached me was her swaying, huge bo*bs.


    STONK!! THIS GIRL¡¯S EROS WAS OFF THE CHART!!! ??


    I ended up getting charmed by her EROS¡¯ power.


    ¡¸Uhm? Is something the matter? Why are you staring at Kuna¡¯s bre*ast?¡¹


    The beauty was tilting her head as she asked that question.


    DAMMMIT, SHE WAS SO DAMN CUTE!!


    That simple gesture alone could destroy a dynasty.


    ¡¸No, it¡¯s nothing. I was just wondering, what should I do to be a super erotic beauty like you?¡¹


    Oh crap, I identally spat out my thoughts.


    I mean, every girl would definitely want to be like her, right?


    ¡¸Hah? Kuna has been cute since she was born. Kuna also doesn¡¯t neglect daily effort. It¡¯s only natural for Kuna to be this adorable, it¡¯s gift of hard work and talent.¡¹


    I received another shock upon hearing her words.


    ¡¸You put even more effort despite already this beautiful?¡¹


    Suddenly, I realized that I somehow spoke respectfully to her.


    ¡¸OF COURSE!! LOOK AT KUROKI!! HE¡¯S STILL PUTTING MORE EFFORT TO BECOME STRONG DESPITE ALREADY HAVING SUCH POWER!!¡¹


    Sure enough, Master Kuroki never neglected his training even during this journey.


    He was so powerful, yet he still strives to be even stronger.


    And here I am, onlyzing around despite telling him that I wanted to learn swordcraft from him.


    Never once did I worry about putting more effort since I didn¡¯t even care about swordcraft to begin with.


    Yet, this beauty¡¯s remark stabs deep into my sore spot.


    ¡¸I see¡­ Does that mean¡­ I can also be a beauty if I put more effort?¡¹


    I asked timidly.


    ¡¸Who knows. But nothing will change unless you try.¡¹


    My head felt dizzy when she pointed that fact out.


    Yeah, she was right. Nothing would ever change since I haven¡¯t started anything.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ Please impart your teaching to me, Shiso?¡¹


    I was clinging to the beauty with tears in my eyes.


    ¡¸HAH?!! WHAT ARE YOU EVEN DOING!!?¡¹


    Kuna shisou appeared to be flustered.


    ¡¸Plea~se. Please teach me how to get such huge bre*ast, will you?¡¹


    ¡¸THAT¡¯S BECAUSE KUROKI LIKE IT BIG!!! AND STOP HUGGING ME!! KUROKI, PLEASE DO SOMETHING ABOUT HER!!¡¹


    Kuna-shisou asked for master Kuroki¡¯s help.


    But, Master Kuroki was looking in another direction instead.


    There was this grim look on his face.


    Thus, Kuna-shisou and I ended up looking at Master Kuroki¡¯s sight.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Kuroki?¡¹


    Only then did Master Kuroki snapped back and looked at us.


    ¡¸It¡¯s an emergency, Your Highness. The hero and co ising.¡¹


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    The Werewolf Daigan contacted me just a while ago.


    He was the one who¡¯s stationed in Algore as their guardian and also my watchman said that hero and co were nearby.


    He even added that Shirone was visiting the Algore kingdom.


    The reason was because they were looking for the confectionery castle.


    It seems that the existence of the confectionery castle had finally been discovered.


    Datie might be in danger.


    ¡¸KUNA!! CONTACT DATIE-DONO IMMEDIATELY!! TELL HER TO EVACUATE!!¡¹


    I exined the situation to Kuna and asked her to contact Datie.


    But, Kuna shook her head.


    ¡¸I can¡¯t contact her, Kuroki. It seems the castle is being surrounded by some sort of barrier. It also prevents us from using teleportation.¡¹


    H*ly Cr*p!!


    Honestly speaking, Datie was really weak.


    But, I had to save her since she was myrade in arms.


    ¡¸I see¡­ Then we have to save her¡­ My apologies, Your Highness. I have to go first.¡¹


    I apologize to Polen since I had to leave immediately.


    ¡¸Wait a minute!! What do you mean by Datie is in danger, Master Kuroki?!!!¡¹


    But, Polen suddenly asked with a shocked look on her face.


    ¡¸Your Highness know about Datie-dono?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. I got a lot of nice paintings from Datie and she¡¯s still sending them until now.¡¹


    I was slightly surprised.


    I never expected that Polen and Datie turned out to have simr hobbies.


    What kind of painting was it, I wonder?


    Honestly, I¡¯ve enjoyed beautiful painting the most.


    ¡¸Painting, eh. Come to think of it, Datie did bring a lot of pictures with her. Is it by any chance that the number is still increasing?¡¹


    ¡¸No way!!!¡¹


    Polen made a desperate look on her face the moment she heard Kuna¡¯s remark.


    It seems that she was looking forward to the new painting.


    ¡¸Your Highness. Can you tell me what kind of painting you¡¯re looking for? I will try to bring it back while saving Datie.¡¹


    ¡¸Ah. That¡¯s¡­¡¹


    Polen was starting to sweat like waterfall upon hearing my question.


    Did she have a hard time exining the painting?


    ¡¸Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll bring back every single one of the paintings.¡¹


    ¡¸EH!! DON¡¯T!! OH RIGHT!! PLEASE BRING ME WITH YOU TOO, MASTER!! I WANT TO SAVE DATIE TOO! THAT¡¯S WHY IT¡¯S BETTER FOR ME TO COME WITH YOU!! POH-CHAN!¡¹


    ¡¸Well, if Your Highness decided toe. Let¡¯s go together then.¡¹


    Polen suddenly became fired up.


    Maybe Polen was the kind of girl who couldn¡¯t abandon those who idolized her.


    She had the talent to be a ruler.


    But, I shouldn¡¯t let her move alone either.


    I mean, I might¡¯ve to fight Reiji and co again.


    Reiji was a far more dangerous enemy than the kraken.


    Polen might be injured if she came along, and there was no way I could bring her to such a dangerous ce.


    ¡¸Your Highness. I understand that you¡¯re worrying about Datie but it¡¯s still dangerous. So please wait in safe ce.¡¹


    I said so while bowing at Polen.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, let¡¯s bring her along, Kuroki. Kuna will being along too after all.¡¹


    Kuna said so as if it was a natural thing to do.


    ¡¸PLEASE, PLEASE TAKE ME ALONG, MASTER KUROKI!!¡¹


    Polen said with a serious look on her face.


    It seems that she really wanted to save Datie.


    I guess I had no choice but to take her along.


    I heaved a sigh upon realizing that.


    ¡ôSilver Witch; Kuna


    ¡¸Do you understand, Kuna? You must escape with Her Highness Polen when things get really dangerous. But, you have to prioritize your safety too, okay?¡¹


    Kuroki spoke to Kuna with a worried look on his face.


    Kuroki was really worrying so much about Kuna after all.


    But, the same goes for Kuna.


    ¡¸Understood Kuroki. You have to escape too when things get really dangerous.¡¹


    Kuroki looked rather troubled after Kuna said so.


    Maybe he thought that he¡¯ll be okay.


    But, I had no intention to let him brace danger.


    Well, Kuna could understand his attitude since Kuroki was really strong.


    He could literally wipe the floor with the hero and co if not for that bi*tch Shirone.


    But, that was even more reason for me to go with him.


    Maybe I should warn Datie so that the goblin didn¡¯t bber too much.


    Not that Kuna was worrying about Datie¡¯s safety.


    Heqat-Shisou was right by her side after all.


    Her nickname, the Archwitch of the Wend wasn¡¯t just for show, after all, that woman definitely had a way to defeat the hero.


    That¡¯s why there was no need to worry about Datie.


    Rather, this would be a chance to let Datie know her ce.


    Kuroki¡¯s picture was amongst Datie¡¯s suspicious collection after all.


    Naturally, Kuna had already disposed of Kuroki¡¯s picture in Datie¡¯s collection.


    Even Kuroki would be displeased if he saw his picture in that collection. Anyone who displeases Kuroki should just go die.


    Thus, I left Datie and kept the matter about Hero and co marching to the confectionery castle from Kuroki.


    Kuna¡¯s only blunder was the fact that she forgot about Kuroki¡¯s personalwork.


    Thanks to that, Kuroki ended up knowing the current situation.


    ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s go.¡¹


    Kuroki, who had yet to realize that Kuna was tricking him, urged Kuna and co to go.


    ¡¸I understand, Kuroki.¡¹


    ¡¸YES, MASTER!! PLEASE TAKE CARE OF ME, SHISOU!!¡¹


    Polen called Kuna a Shisou.


    It seems she truly wanted to learn how to be beautiful from Kuna.


    Though Kuna could teach her about cosmetics that she learnt from Rena, Kuna had been wondering whether this pig could make full use of that knowledge or not.


    Well, she might be a pig but she is still the daughter of the demon king, who was also a pig. She might be useful for Kuna.


    Let¡¯s pretend to get along with her.


    ¡¸Are you sure that you want to go, Your Highness? That ce is dangerous you know?¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Poh-chan. Master Kuroki is with me after all. Moreover, I¡¯ll somehow retrieve the pictures behind Master Kuroki¡¯s back, Poh-chan.¡¹


    ¡¸Haa¡­ I understand, Your Highness.¡¹


    Polen and co were discussing something in low voice behind Kuna¡¯s back.


    Though it was true that it would be alright since Kuroki is with us, are they really not nervous at all?


    Even if Kuroki could wipe the floor against the hero, thetter was undeniably powerful.


    But, seeing that Kuroki entrusted their protection to me, I guess I had to protect them.


    How troublesome.

 Chapter 99.1: Sniping

    <h4>Chapter 99.1: Sniping</h4>


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    When it was dawn, I felt that the warriors had already assembled.


    Thanks to the illumination magic, the area around the camp was quite bright.


    But, the sky was dark and cloudy, not to mention the thick mist inside the forest which made the forest even darker.


    I couldn¡¯t help but worry about whether the warriors who would enter the forest would be alright.


    ¡¸Wee back, Shirone-san.¡¹


    When the morning hade, Shirone finally returned from Algore.


    ¡¸I¡¯m home, Chiyuki-san. By the way, do you know what is that thing in the sky?¡¹


    Shirone, who had just returned to the camp, pointed to the sky.


    The thing she pointed at was a flying ship, the reason why there was nomotion despite the appearance of the flying ship in the sky might be because it couldn¡¯t be seen by people with lower magical power.


    ¡¸Ah, don¡¯t worry about that. That thing is just observing the situation.¡¹


    ¡¸?¡¹


    Shirone tilted her head upon seeing me replying while massaging my forehead.


    ¡¸Shirone-san! that¡¯s Alphos you know, he¡¯s amazing!! He¡¯s really a handsome god!! I came to his ship a while ago along with Nao-chan!!¡¹


    Nao exined to Shirone with an excited look on her face.


    The flying ship was owned by God of song and arts, Alphos.


    Alphos seems toe to oversee our battle.


    I recalled his appearance.


    He was an extremely handsome man.


    I knew where Rino¡¯s excitement came from. I mean, no woman could refuse the serious courting of such a handsome man.


    So this was how the men felt when they saw a girl like Rena.


    I mean, Alphos was literally the male version of Rena.


    ¡¸Sure enough. He¡¯s a really handsome guy. And apanied by many beauties by his sides. It look like the spectacle in paradise.¡¹


    Nao nodded in agreement.


    The flying ship wasn¡¯t just amodating Alphos inside, his wives were also living in there with him.


    There¡¯re more than thousands of them.


    From goddesses to high-elf, female angels, even former female humans, all of them were beauties of their own.


    Nheless, it didn¡¯t mean that Alphos was the only man in his flying ship, the other men in Alphos ship were mainly doing chores or manning the ship, those poor men literally being pushed around by Alphos¡¯ wives.


    Since Rino said, ¡¸Eh, there¡¯s other men in that ship?¡¹, it means that those men¡¯s presence was quite thin.


    But since there was an escort for the wives, their number must be quite big.


    And they were observing us from above the cloud.


    Honestly, I felt a bit annoyed by them.


    ¡¸They should help us instead of just looking from the sky and yet¡­¡¹


    I unintentionally muttered so.


    I thought that he was going toe out and fight since the human was in trouble and yet, he didn¡¯t seem to have any intention to do so.


    It seems like he only wanted to observe the situation from above like a god he does.


    ¡¸Let him be. Maybe he wanted to see me, his sister¡¯s hero fighting. Since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll let him see as much as he want.¡¹


    Reiji said so with a daring smile on his face.


    Reiji seems to be all fired up too, well it might be because Rena was involved in this matter too.


    But, I felt uneasy for some reason.


    From the way Alphos spoke, I¡¯m sure that something had been lying in wait for us in the forest.


    We might be as well as leave this ce right now.


    ¡¸Hero-dono. All warriors are ready, can I ask you to give some words of encouragement for them? ¡¹


    Portos came to our camp as he made such a request.


    ¡¸I Understand General Portos. We¡¯ll be there immediately.¡¹


    Upon leaving our tent, the warriors could already be seen lining up, waiting for us in front of our encampment.


    I said lining up but, it was in fact akin to clumping together rather than lining up in order.


    It really couldn¡¯t be helped since they¡¯re in fact the freedom fighters (mercenaries) who never receive proper military training.


    In addition, their equipment also varied from one to another.


    Some people only wore tunic, some wore clothes and were equipped with swords and shields.


    While the Priest of God of War, Thors, had their upper-half naked.


    In general, they were naked due to their creed. They could only wear the pelt of a huge demon beast or monster.


    For that reason, I often saw Thors¡¯ warriors wearing animal costumes.


    Orc, wild boar, bear, or wolf.


    They were mostly forest animals. In fact, I¡¯m quite reluctant to let them participate in this march.


    I meanpared to them, the equipment of the soldiers and knights lining up beside general Portos was much better than the one owned by the freedom fighters.


    The knights had long swords and metal armors, not to mention that they were also equipped with a kite shield that was big enough to protect their feet when they rode their horse.


    The soldiers were equipped with a long spear, chainmail to protect their body, and a round shield around 60 cm in diameter.


    They were clearly more well equipped and preparedpared to the freedom fighters.


    And yet, it seems they were only ordered to stand behind and not to step into the forest.


    In short, the least, poorly equipped force had to charge into the forest while the one properly equipped had to wait outside of the forest.


    But, no one seems to question that decision.


    Rather, Thors¡¯ warriors seem to be rearing to charge into the forest as soon as possible.


    ¡¸WARRIORS!! THE TIME HAS COME!! OUR SIDE HAVE GODDESS RENA-SAMA¡¯S BELOVED HERO, REIJI-DONO!! VICTORY WILL BE OURS! YOUR BATTLE IS SURELY WATCHED OVER BY THE VALKYRIES!! THE BRAVE ONE WILL SURELY BE GUIDED TO ELIOS PALACE!!NOW, IT¡¯S TIME TO FIGHT!!!¡¹


    The warriors¡¯ war cry resounded as soon as Portos finished his fiery speech.


    ording to Rena¡¯s and Thors¡¯ creed, when someone died of heroic death against a monster, their soul would be carried up by the valkyries to the Elios pce.


    In there, they¡¯re going to be weed by celestial maidens.


    That¡¯s why the warriors were not afraid of death. On the other hand, they are literally rearing to charge into the battlefield.


    Seeing these warriors somehow reminds me of Vikings, the power of religion was scary.


    ===


    ¡ôGoblin¡¯s Prince; Goz


    ¡¸How¡¯s the situation outside, Goz?¡¹


    Mother was asking from behind when I was observing the situation outside of the barrier with the magic mirror.


    ¡¸They¡¯reing, My Dear Mother.¡¹


    I turned around as I said so.


    We were in the banquet hall of the confectionery castle. Many male gods were gathering in this ce.


    ¡¸TOOK THEM LONG ENOUGH, EH!! THE FOOLS WHO DARE TO STEAL MY WIFE-TO-BE, RENA, WILL DIE BY THIS HARSESH¡¯S HANDS!!¡¹


    The one who said those words was a man with tanned skin, wearing various golden essories on his body.


    His figure resembles that of a human except for the wings that grow from his back.


    Naturally, he was by no means a human. He just transformed into human form with his magic.


    This man called Harsesh was the god of light who lived in the far western desert.


    In thend governed by him, there were so many beastmen tribes such as The bugs, crocodile, frog, falcon, with the cat and dogs reigning the top as noble of the beastmen race.


    ¡¸Can a youngster from desert like you even do that?¡¹


    The man wearing ck lion mask who camest said so as if trying to make a fool of Harsesh.


    ¡¸ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A FIGHT!!? THOUGH YOU TRIED TO HIDE YOUR IDENTITY WITH THAT LION MASK, YOU THINK I DON¡¯T KNOW WHO YOU ARE!! ZUTO! YOU EVIL GOD OF WAR!!¡¹


    ¡¸Zuto, eh. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s the way you shortened my name and called it in reverse means to insult your opponent back in yournd? you¡¯re really asking for a beating eh.¡¹


    The man wearing ck lion mask drew the greatsword on his back. There were seven bright gems iid in his greatsword.


    ¡¸AS YOU WISH!! YOU OWE US A DEBT OF BLOOD FOR HUNTING DOWN OUR FATHER!! LET¡¯S SETTLE THIS GRUDGE IN THIS LAND!!¡¹


    Right after saying that, the wings on Harsesh¡¯s back shone brightly.


    I got away from them in order to not get caught up in their fight.


    ¡¸Humph!! It¡¯s your father, Ushals¡¯s fault for reaching out his hand to Ishtar. And I don¡¯t recognize you as Ishtar¡¯s son. If my memories serve me right, he is barely getting himself resurrected¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Humph. The one who resurrected my father is Heqat-dono and your little sister, Totona-dono. BUT, DON¡¯T THINK THAT YOU¡¯LL BE FORGIVEN!! YOU EVIL GOD!! YOU HAVE TO PAY THE DEBT OF THIS LEFT EYE TOO!!¡¹


    Harsesh shouted as he touched the exquisite golden eyepatch on his left eye.


    ¡¸My little sister and that Frog hag did something unnecessary. But then, it seems you lost your left eye forever. Since that¡¯s the case, I shall crush the right one this time.¡¹


    The god called Zuto wasughing as he spoke.


    At this rate, a battle was unavoidable.


    ¡¸STOP!! NOW ISN¡¯T THE TIME TO FIGHT AGAINST EACH OTHER!!¡¹


    Suddenly, Heqat¡¯s voice resounded in the hall.


    Harsesh and Zuto then looked at Heqat.

 Chapter 99.2: Sniping

    <h4>Chapter 99.2: Sniping</h4>


    ¡¸Please don¡¯t stop me, Heqat-dono. I must to settle this heavy debt with this evil god.¡¹


    ¡¸Harsesh, the son of Ushals and Ishtia. There¡¯re more urgent matters right now. Take a look around you. The other gods are also itching to crush both of you.¡¹


    Heqat was looking around as she spoke.


    The other gods looked at the two with evil grin on their faces.


    Though their alliance was formed to defeat their mutual enemy, the Hero of light, they were originally the gods who were pursuing Rena.


    Maybe they had already nned to get rid of the two.


    ¡¸Good grief, it¡¯s actually much better with fewer people here, Heqat-dono. I alone am enough to beat the likes of that hero.¡¹


    A man with brown skin came forward this time.


    This man also looked like a human, except for his scorpion tail.


    The name of the god with the scorpion tail was Giltar. It seems he was often called by his pet name, Gilta.


    Giltar was the god of the scorpion man who lived in a different desert, so his territory didn¡¯t sh with Harsesh.


    If I¡¯m not mistaken, his little sister god was called Bruhl.


    Two pir gods who live in the far western desert had actuallye to this ce.


    ¡¸WHAT DO YOU MEAN, DEATH GOD OF DESERT, GILTAR!!!¡¹


    Harsesh snapped upon hearing Giltar¡¯s remark.


    Giltar was a former subordinate of the God of Death, Zarxis.


    Thus, it was only natural for him to be hailed as the local god of death.


    ¡¸It¡¯s exactly as I said. I alone am enough to beat the crap of that hero. And naturally, the most suitable man for that beautiful Rena.¡¹


    Giltar spoke with a confident smile on his face.


    ¡¸HUMPH!!! SUITABLE MAN FOR RENA!! ONLY THAT UGLY SPIDER GODDESS ATLANKUA IS SUITABLE FOR AN UGLY MEN LIKE YOU!!¡¹


    Zuto didn¡¯t even try to hide his indignation.


    ¡¸I¡¯ve already parted ways with Ankua. Thest time I heard from Modes she was under Nargol¡¯s protection. Thank you very much for taking care of my wife, Heqat-dono.¡¹


    Giltar thanked Heqat.


    ¡¸Yeah, I shall take care of Ankua. And send her back to you soon. That¡¯s why I want you to stay calm till the hero ising.¡¹


    Heqat heaved a sigh as he shook her head.


    ¡¸Understood. I definitely am in your debt. Now let¡¯s focus to defeat the hero.¡¹


    Heqat nodded in satisfaction upon hearing Giltar¡¯s reply.


    ¡¸THAT¡¯S RIGHT!! THE REAL FIGHT COME AFTER WE BEAT RENA¡¯S LOVER, THE HERO!!¡¹


    The gods nodded in unison upon hearing Heqat¡¯s remark.


    They formed a united front as the men who were aiming for Rena. For the sake of defeating the hero, they temporarily set aside their rivalry.


    ¡¸DATIE, GOZ!!¡¹


    Hellcat then looked at me.


    ¡¸W-WHAT¡¯S YOUR ORDER, HEQAT-SAMA!!?¡¹


    My mother approached Heqat in a hurry.


    ¡¸I¡¯LL LEAVE THE HUMAN OPPONENT TO YOU!! YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO AT LEAST HANDLE THEM, RIGHT?!!¡¹


    Mother and I had no choice but to nod.


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    ¡¸The heck, it isn¡¯t just Reiji and co right?¡¹


    We were using teleportation magic to move to Akeron mountain range and rode Glorious toward the confectionary castle.


    ording to Daigan the werewolf, they¡¯re going to start the raid at the break of the dawn, Kuna added that archwitch Heqat was also in the confectionary castle.


    I had no idea why Heqat was in the confectionery castle though.


    Well, she might be visiting Datie, her student, but why in such a hurry?


    Despite those doubts above, I felt reassured with Heqat being in the confectionery castle.


    Maybe because I felt relieved that our departure got dyed.


    And then, on the way toward the confectionery castle, I saw a flying ship floating above the clouds.


    I hurriedly told Glorious to hide in the cloud the moment I saw that flying ship.


    And just like that, morning hade while we were hiding in the clouds.


    Reiji and co should¡¯ve been raiding the confectionary castle around this time.


    ording to Daigan¡¯s report, Reiji and co shouldn¡¯t be the only ones who came.


    Who is he, I wonder?


    Reiji and co¡¯srades?


    If that is really the case, things are bound to get really troublesome.


    I might be able to do something against Reiji and co but things might get really troublesome if they had another helper.


    ¡¸What¡¯s your n, Kuroki?¡¹


    Kuna spoke with a worried voice.


    Maybe I should just charge in.


    But Kuna and the daughter of the demon king, Pollen, had a higher priority so Datie had to do something about this situation for now.


    I couldn¡¯t let both of them meet in a dangerous situation.


    I brought them along with me since it would be alright if it was only Reiji and co but the situation was far worse than I expected.


    I couldn¡¯t make the stupid move right now.


    I turned around and looked at Kuna who sat behind me.


    Behind Kuna was Pollen who was sleeping soundly on Glorious¡¯ back while muttering ¡¸I¡­ can¡¯t eat anymore¡­¡¹ in her sleep.


    She slept along with Putina who seemed to be in pain in her embrace.


    ¡¸To be honest, I also have no idea about what to do.¡¹


    I was really troubled.


    Firstly, I want to know what the people in that flying ship wanted to do by floating over there.


    I might be able to do something if they¡¯re not Reiji¡¯s reinforcement.


    I asked Glorious to fly a bit closer to the flying ship.


    And then, when we reached a certain distance from the ship while hiding in the cloud.


    I felt an extremely powerful hostilitying from the ship.


    ¡¸Oh no!!!¡¹


    I quickly summoned my demon sword and swung it in front of me.


    I reacted in the time since right at that very moment, an arrow tore apart the cloud and headed straight toward us. Then it was sliced apart by my demon sword, and burnt to a cinder by my dark me.


    Glorious raised a low groan.


    Kuna, who was sitting behind me, had already readied her scythe.


    ¡¸Sorry Kuroki. I failed to conjure my barrier fast enough.¡¹


    Kuna had no choice but to apologize to me for her negligence.


    But, it wasn¡¯t her fault since that arrow came as soon as I felt the hostile intent from the ship.


    Unless the barrier had already been set beforehand, no one would be able to conjure such an instant barrier in front of that arrow.


    ¡¸What happens, Master Kuroki?¡¹


    Polen woke up immediately upon feeling the abnormal situation.


    ¡¸Enemy ising Your Highness.¡¹


    I dered so.


    And based on their level of hostility, the other party was clearly not an average Joe either.


    I red at the flying ship.


    After the arrow that fired toward us dispersed the cloud that we used to hide our figure, we couldn¡¯t hide anymore.


    There, I saw the figure of a man standing on the deck of the ship with a bow in his hand.


    He was an extremely handsome man, even from the perspective of a man.


    And that handsome dude was surrounded by numerous beauties by his side.


    That flying ship then started to inch closer toward our position.


    I couldn¡¯t afford to let my guard down.


    ¡¸My bad, I had no choice but to attack when I saw such a giant dragon approaching my ship. I just never expected that someone has been riding on the giant dragon¡¯s back all along. Are you injured?¡¹


    The handsome dude spoke shamelessly after firing an arrow that was clearly aimed at me.


    Yes, that arrow wasn¡¯t aimed toward Glorious, he was aiming at my heart.


    In short, that nonsense about having no idea about ¡°Someone riding¡± was a big fat lie.


    Who is he, I wonder?


    Despite the smile that he maintained on his face, he kept releasing his killing intent toward me a while ago.


    Even if for example, this handsome dude had some sort of grudge against me, I had no idea why he had such a grudge.


    I kept pondering about that matter while looking at the women surrounding the handsome dude.


    Those beauties wore white clothes that allowed one to take a glimpse of the contour of their body curves, and adorn themselves with many essories made from gold and silver.


    The long slit on their clothes exposed their rich, bountiful valley, and their long legs.


    The handsome dude was smiling while being surrounded by beauties.


    The beauties were looking at the handsome dude with dreamy look on their faces.


    If it was me before Kuna was born, I would surely cry tears of blood as I cursed at the handsome dude.


    In contrast to the dreamy look that they showed when they looked at the handsome dude, the beauties were ring at me.


    ¡¸NO WAY!!! THAT¡¯S ALPHOS-SAMA! MASTER, IT¡¯S ALPHOS-SAMA IN THE FLESH!!¡¹


    Polen was screaming hysterically upon seeing the face of the handsome dude. As if she met her idol.


    Alphos¡­ that name sounds familiar.


    That was the name of Rena¡¯s big brother. He should be deified as the god of song and arts by humans.


    And that Alphos was currently ring at me.


    I got this feeling that he wouldn¡¯t let me go in peace.

 Chapter 100.1: Snow White Holy Knight

    <h4>Chapter 100.1: Snow White Holy Knight</h4>


    ¡ôMember of Brown Bear¡¯s Mercenary; Remus


    ¡¸DAMNIT!! WHY ARE WE STARTING LAST, REMUS!!?¡¹


    Torxined while ring toward me.


    Torx seems to be vexed by the decision since he was a strong guy.


    ¡¸No matter what you say¡­ it¡¯s been decided that way, it got nothing to do with me¡­¡¹


    I replied while shaking my head.


    Though for some reason, Torx was pissed off about our turn to enter the forest, I mean why would he want to rush into a forest full of monsters?.


    We, the brown bear mercenary, had to startter than the other mercenaries.


    For a warrior, going as vanguard was an honor. Thus we, the brown bear mercenary, were proud of the fact that we might get the chance to fight as the vanguard.


    But then, the other warrior felt the same way as us.


    Every mercenary was quarreling about who would go first as the vanguard.


    And then, after the discussion via ck Haired Sage-sama¡¯s mediation, we managed to get a peaceful solution.


    And as a result, our group happened to be thest one to enter.


    Thus, the brown bear mercenary, especially the young one, was dissatisfied by that fact.


    In fact, I, Charis and our leader, Arcas participated as the representative from our group.


    And since they couldn¡¯t show their dissatisfaction to Charis or our leader, their anger was pointed toward me.


    ¡¸You useless weak ass!!! If I make you unable to speak, what¡¯ll be left of you!?¡¹


    Torx kept cursing me.


    The other young members of the group joined too.


    ¡¸WAIT A MINUTE!! YOU CAN¡¯T BLAME REMUS FOR THE REASON WHY OUR TURN COMES LAST!! IT¡¯S DECIDED BY BLACK HAIRED SAGE-SAMA!!¡¹


    Charis walked forward, turned around and then scolded them.


    Yeah, it¡¯s just as Charis had said.


    ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki-sama was the one who nominated us to gost.


    As for the reason, Sage-sama didn¡¯t tell us why we had to gost.


    But, someone with a brilliant mind like Sage-sama might have her own reason for doing that.


    ¡¸TCH!! I KNEW THAT YOUNG MISS!!¡¹


    Torx backed down after he received a warning from Charis.


    ¡¸Rather than wasting our time in this way, we should hurry up and catch up to our seniors!!¡¹


    Charis raised her voice.


    The veteran warriors led by the leader Arcas were walking faster than our group. In the blink of eyes, they had already left the young group behind.


    If Charis was right, she might want to go to the frontline too.


    But, Arcas, her father ordered her to lead the younger group.


    Thus, Charis matched her pace with us.


    We followed Charis from behind as we advanced even further into the forest.


    Was it because we¡¯re thest one that no monster came after us?


    The corpses of giant insect-like monsters and the warriors who came before us were strewn all over the ce.


    Those traces were enough to tell me just how brutal the fight was.


    ¡¸Everyone halt!!!¡¹


    Suddenly, Charis stopped everyone.


    When I looked in front of Charis, there were a lot of monster corpses in there.


    But, that was the same spectacle that we saw so far.


    Thus, I started to think what had stopped Charis from moving forward?


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Young Miss? There¡¯s nothing ahead of us.¡¹


    One of the members of the group, Deknos, came forward and asked such a question.


    He was the biggest and tallest one in our mercenary group, his hobby was gathering the heads of monsters.


    Even now, his body was covered with the severed head of goblins that we killed along the way, acting as a makeshift shield.


    ¡¸RETREAT!! DEKNOS!!!¡¹


    And then, it happened the moment Charis warned Deknos.


    Something flew out from inside the stomach of one of the warrior¡¯s corpses.


    ¡¸FUEEH?¡¹


    And that was Deknos¡¯st word.


    The thing that flew out pierced his head and killed him almost instantly.


    Deknos¡¯ body fell back as blood spurted from his head.


    ¡¸IS THAT A GOBLIN!!!? I CAN¡¯T FEEL THEIR PRESENCE AT ALL!!¡¹


    Torx shouted.


    Torx had the ability to detect enemy presence. And he who had such abilities actually failed to feel their presence.


    The goblin who killed Deknos wore a red hat as it sneered toward us.


    This goblin might be nning to ambush us from behind by hiding in the mountain of corpses, making full use of its small body.


    To be honest, that was such a close call.


    And then, the goblin with red hat retreated.


    ¡¸WAIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!¡¹


    Torx and a few other warriors were chasing after that goblin with red hat.


    ¡¸YOU FOOL!! WAIT RIGHT THERE!!¡¹


    Charis was calling them with a flustered voice.


    Her shout stopped the other warriors from following after Torx.


    ¡¸THERE!!¡¹


    The enraged Charis then threw her ax.


    Her axnded right at the goblin that was hiding between human corpse and monster corpse.


    It seems there was more than one goblin who used that tactic.


    ¡¸EVERYONE, DRAW YOUR WEAPON!!¡¹


    Charis walked quickly to retrieve her thrown ax and readied her ax again.


    Her eyes shed golden light. Charis¡¯ leopard inspiration possessed far more powerful presence detection than any other beast¡¯s inspiration.


    The other hidden red hat goblin thenes one after another out of their hiding ce. It seems they knew that they had to change their tactic.


    I felt cold running down my spine upon imagining what would be of us if we passed this ce as it was?


    If not for Charis, all of us might die this time.


    Thus, all of us raised our weapons, ready to fight our enemies.


    Torx and co had already left us behind. So we had to fight these goblins with only half of us.


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    We were entering the barrier and looking at the situation inside the forest from the sky.


    ¡¸This is bad, Chiyuki-san!! They¡¯re going to be annihted for sure!!¡¹


    Nao said so while looking at the freedom fighters who fought in the forest below.


    ¡¸Most likely¡­ Goblin¡¯s forte is their well coordinated teamwork after all. Maybe we need to do something about that.¡¹


    What a blunder. Had I known this would happen, I should just use force to stop them.


    Looking at the battle with my farsighted magic, the freedom fighters were killed one after another by the¡¶Red Cap¡· goblins.


    ¡¶Red Cap¡·goblin was a far more powerful and brutal typepared to normal goblins.


    Their attire had already dyed red with human blood.


    Some of the ¡¶Red Cap¡· goblins that we fought in the past wore tunics made from human skin.


    That goblin gave an overwhelming maliciousness.


    Aside from those goblins, there were also numerous insect-type monsters.


    There was no way the 5000 freedom fighters of our side could win this battle.


    ¡¸The one who can somehow deal with this situation is only those veteran like Arcas-san and co.¡¹


    Upon hearing Shirone¡¯s remark, I shifted my gaze and saw the mercenaries who wore demon beast pelt fought against the iing monsters.


    They¡¯re the warrior who gained special power called the beast¡¯s inspiration by drawing a tattoo on their body with the blood of demon beast.


    Arcas who gained the strength of bear demon beast fought valiantly.


    He kept defeating one demon beast after another.


    But, they alone were far from enough to tide the flow of the battle to our side.


    It seems Charis was also doing a good job.


    But, the other warriors around her weren¡¯t that powerful. They ended up bing a hindrance for her.


    It seems Remus was also safe and sound. I guess we could save them now.


    ¡¸Hey, what are you going to do, Reiji-san? Our side is slowly being cornered.¡¹


    Rino asked Reiji with an anxious look on her face.


    ¡¸I guess helping everyone to evacuate will be a tough job. But, let¡¯s try to save as much as possible.¡¹


    Reiji replied with a serious look on his face.


    ¡¸ Then, let¡¯s use voice amplification magic to tell them to withdra¡ª REIJI-KUN?!!!¡¹


    It happened the moment I was about to invoke voice amplification magic.


    Brilliant arrow of light was speeding toward Reiji at breakneck speed.


    My reaction was dyed since the arrow was simply too fast¡­


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay Chiyuki.¡¹


    But then, it seems my worries were useless since Reiji was uninjured.


    It was a surprise attack but, it seems Reiji had already prepared in time.


    If it was me, that arrow would¡¯ve already killed me. A chill running down my spine upon imagining that arrow was aimed toward me.


    ¡¸Hou, you defended against that eh. Not bad.¡¹


    When I looked at the direction where that arrow came from, I saw a man with wings growing from his back was speeding to our position.


    He had a pair of wings growing from his back but he didn¡¯t seem like an angel.


    The man with wings growing from his back had tanned skin, and was wearing shiny, golden essories on his body. Honestly, the shiny essories were too bright for my eyes.


    ¡¸Our name is Harsesh. I¡¯m the ruler of Gypseal as the son of Ushals. Now it¡¯s time to deci-BOGEEEEEEEEEE!!!!¡¹


    The man with tanned skin was then blown away by Reiji¡¯s light cannon.


    ¡°Light Cannon ¡± was the weaker version of ¡°Light Cannon of Heavenly Might¡±.


    I guess things won¡¯t end peacefully.


    ¡¸Reiji-kun. That guy seems to be trying to say something¡­¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t care, it seems to be long and troublesome.¡¹


    Reiji replied with a smile on his face.


    It seems Reiji knew that his attack just now was far from enough to finish off the other party.


    ¡¸Wait, Reiji-san!! There¡¯s something over there!!¡¹


    There were several shadows in the ce Shirone was pointing at.


    ¡¸That brat from desert got defeated eh¡­¡¹


    ¡¸He¡¯s the youngest amongst us after all. He definitely has no qualification topete for Rena.¡¹


    ¡¸Things seem to be looking good, Hero of Light. I absolutely won¡¯t approve your rtionship with Heavenly Beauty, Rena.¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s absolutely right!! Someone like you is unsuited for Rena-chan!! Rena-chan is MINE!!¡¹


    ¡¸Well then, shall we throw the gauntlet?¡¹


    Those shadows start talking amongst themselves.


    ¡¸What are they going to do¡­¡¹


    ¡¸For some reason, they seems to resent Reiji-san¡­¡¹


    Nao and Rino spoke with an anxious voice.


    ¡¸This does not look good. I never expected for them to lie in waiting¡­¡¹


    I readied my cane.


    ¡ôGoblin¡¯s Prince; Goz


    ¡¸Tch!! What are those useless humans doing?!!¡¹


    In the image projected in the magic mirror, the human side was beaten up so badly.


    I was ordered by my mother tomand the bug soldier and goblin to fight the human.


    The human was almost annihted by the tactic of the goblins.


    I massaged my temple upon seeing that.


    ¡¸We only have our elite left¡­¡¹


    The golden bug warriors left by the SIlver Witch were left as our trump card.


    I mean, those humans would surely get annihted if we sent those golden bug warriors too.


    But, I cannot allow that to happen.


    I thought that the red cap and ordinary bug warrior was enough.


    But then, those humans were weaker than I expected.


    I had to do something to help those humans since they would be my way to escape from my mother.


    If those humans got annihted, I wouldn¡¯t be able to use my disguise magic to slip amongst their rank and escape from my mother.


    She might notice my escape attempt but, did I have any other choice than disguising myself as a human to escape?


    Anyhow, let¡¯s see my mother¡¯s state for now.

 Chapter 100.2: Snow White Holy Knight

    <h4>Chapter 100.2: Snow White Holy Knight</h4>


    I should use the chance when she didn¡¯t pay any attention to me to escape from this ce.


    Mother was currently looking at the situation on the Hero side along with that frog witch.


    They didn¡¯t seem to care about the situation on the human side.


    ¡¸Ah, the Light God from Desert got defeated.¡¹


    My mother, Datie, bitterly shouted.


    Upon looking into the mirror, the light god of the desert got knocked out in one hit.


    ¡¸Good grief¡­ he might not die but what in the world he¡¯s doing¡­ I guess I¡¯ll have to retrieve himter. Gerogero.¡¹


    The frog witch spoke while shaking her head.


    ¡¸The other gods made me anxious too. I¡¯ll be more reassured if Alphos participate too.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh?!!! You invited the most handsome god in heaven, Alphos-sama too?!!!¡¹


    Mother looked really delighted upon hearing Alphos¡¯ name.


    ¡¸Yeah, I invited him too. Is something the matter?¡¹


    The frog witch replied so while ring at my mother.


    ¡¸N-No!! Not at all!! Ohohohohoho!!¡¹


    My mother revealed an ugly smile on her face. That smile was ugly enough to send a chill running down my spine.


    I¡¯m actually quite familiar with the God of Song and Arts; Alphos.


    I mean, how I couldn¡¯t when he was the god who was painted the most by mother?


    In addition, all those pictures had traces of dried, strange liquid on them.


    ¡¸But, Heqat-sama. What do you mean by feeling at ease if Alphos-sama ising too? That personage should¡¯ve nothing to do with battle. He¡¯s so handsome but, he doesn¡¯t seem like a strong person.¡¹


    I agree with my mother.


    I heard that Alphos was a god who spent his timezing around while singing a song.


    Didn¡¯t seem like a strong person at all.


    ¡¸Humph. I guess your eyes are just knotholes. Well, he¡¯s always been ying around for thest hundreds of years. And his appearance suggests that he has nothing to do with battle. But, that man is really powerful. Definitely more powerful than any of the gods whoe to this ce.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh? Is that so?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. His image in thest hundreds of years might be that of a flippant god who loves ying around but, he used to be hailed as the strongest Holy Knight who served Oudith. That Holy Knight is the real him. And maybe, his actualbat prowess is far more powerful than Oudith. Gerogerogero.¡¹


    My mother was at loss for words upon hearing that remark.


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    We and Alphos co were confronting each other above the cloud.


    The beauties on Alphos¡¯ ship were sneering at us.


    They were clearly ridiculing us.


    Honestly, I felt really helpless when these beauties were sneering at me.


    Alphos, who had such beauties waiting upon him, was smiling gently toward me.


    But, it could be seen from his eyes that he definitely was not smiling at all.


    I wonder what makes this pinnacle of normies firing his arrow toward me?


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Alphos-sama? We should go back soon since the hero and co battle is about to begin.¡¹


    The beauty by Alphos¡¯ side asked such a question.


    This beauty was still very young, and t. She might even be mistaken as a boy.


    ¡¸My adorable Hyashis. That one over there is far more interesting than the hero.¡¹


    ¡¸Hee, is that so, Alphos-sama. As for me, I¡¯m far more interested in the hero than this Dark Knight though.¡¹


    Was she a member of the Dryad tribe? A green-haired elf said so as she approached Alphos.


    ¡¸You¡¯re such a sweety, Daphne. Could it be that you¡¯re far more interested to that hero than to me?¡¹


    ¡¸Geez, you¡¯re such a tease, Alphos-sama!! You¡¯re the only one for me. Maybe all of us is far more interested to the Hero than the Dark Knight.¡¹


    The elf called Daphne said so as she looked at the other women.


    ¡¸Is it true?¡¹


    The beauties regrouped to discuss something upon hearing Alphos¡¯ question.


    ¡¸Yes. The handsome hero is much better than that Dark Knight. We won¡¯t force Alphos-sama if you¡¯re more interested in the Dark Knight though.¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s right. There¡¯s no reason for us to be interested in the subordinate of that ugly demon king~.¡¹


    ¡¸As the demon king¡¯s subordinate. I¡¯m sure that the face beneath that helmet is so ugly as well.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. Ugly people should just disappear from this world.¡¹


    ¡¸How about you lift that helmet and let us to see that ugly face of yours.¡¹


    ¡¸Stop it, I rather not see an ugly face.¡¹


    The beauties were sneering at me as they spoke.


    To be honest, I really wanted to leave this ce when I received such a one-sided judgment.


    Since I¡¯m not as handsome as Reiji, there was no way I could lift this helmet of mine.


    ¡¸What¡¯s wrong with those women head¡­ for them to make such baseless assumption.¡¹


    ¡¸Wait, calm down, Kuna!!¡¹


    I stopped Kuna who was about to jump from behind.


    I didn¡¯t want her to make an enemy of those women.


    I don¡¯t mind if they hate me.


    Well, not that I wanted them to hate me.


    Maybe I should talk back a little bit but, I guess I¡¯m no match against that many mouths.


    Dammit, my eyes were sweating.


    ¡¸Hey, look over there, isn¡¯t that child look like the splitting image of demon king?¡¹


    Suddenly, one of the beauties pointed her finger toward Polen.


    ¡¸Eh!?¡¹


    I could hear Polen¡¯s bewildered voice from behind me.


    ¡¸YOU¡¯RE RIGHT, THEY¡¯RE SPLITTING IMAGE OF EACH OTHER!!¡¹


    ¡¸Yup, just like that pig-like demon king!! Everyone look, we got a pig here!!¡¹


    ¡¸The pig over there. You must be the children of the demon king right? such an ugly child you are. I might kill myself if I¡¯m born with such ugly face.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. I wonder why you¡¯re still alive.¡¹


    ¡¸How ugly. I don¡¯t know whether she really is his daughter or not, but she¡¯s still rted to the demon king. If that was the case, her personality must be rotten too.¡¹


    ¡¸She must be born from filth. Just go die already.¡¹


    The beauties were sneering at Polen.


    ¡¸A¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Y-Your Highness?¡¹


    I could feel that Putina was patting on Polen who was on the verge of crying on her back in order to pacify thetter.


    I spread my mantle in order to hide Polen from the beauty¡¯s sight.


    And then¡ª


    ¡¸SHUT YOUR UGLY MOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTH!!!¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t hide my shock since I shouted louder than I expected.


    The beauties who kept chirping until just a moment ago were looking at me with surprised look on their faces.


    Why are they looking at me like that?


    Well it didn¡¯t matter as it was toote to stop now.


    ¡¸YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT HER HIGHNESS POLEN AT ALL! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT HER KINDNESS!! DO YOU KNOW THAT SHE BRAVED HERSELF TO JUMP INTO THE SEA AND KILL A KRAKEN DESPITE BEING UNABLE TO SWIM HERSELF TO PROTECT THE PEOPLE WHO¡¯RE LOOKING UP TO HER!!!!¡¹


    I pointed my sword toward those beauties.


    ¡¸NEVERTHELESS!!! IF YOU REALLY MEAN WHAT YOU SAY!!! THIS ONE WON¡¯T BE MERCIFUL EVEN IF YOU¡¯RE A WOMAN!!!¡¹


    ck me exploded from my body the moment I dered it.


    ¡¸HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!¡¹


    ¡¸NOOOOOO!!! SCARYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡¹


    ¡¸SAVE ME, ALPHOS-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹


    ¡¸KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹


    ¡¸NOOOOOOO!!! SAVE ME, ALPHOS-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹


    Those ugly-hearted beauties were running around in panic on the deck of the ship.


    Their act was almost to the point of beingical.


    It seems that I identally unleashed fear on them.


    I felt Kuna¡¯s shock too.


    In addition, Glorious was also looking back at me with a worried look in her eyes.


    ¡¸Master Kuroki¡­¡¹


    Polen was calling my name while sobbing.


    ¡¸You¡¯re going to hurt my adorable brides? That¡¯ll trouble me, you know. If that really happens, I¡¯ve no choice but to be your opponent.¡¹


    Alphos¡¯ body was wrapped in light as he said so with a smile on his face.


    When the light had vanished, Alphos¡¯ body had already been covered in snow-white armour.


    ¡¸No way? For Alphos-sama to take his Holy Knight form¡­¡¹


    ¡¸I heard the rumour about this but, this is the first time I saw him in this figure¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Alphos-sama is, going to fight?¡¹


    ¡¸He¡¯s going to fight for us, just like a knight¡­¡¹


    ¡¸HOW LOVELY!! HE CHOSE TO ASSUME HIS SEALED HOLY KNIGHT¡¯S FORM TO PROTECT US FROM THE DARK KNIGHT!!!¡¹


    ¡¸ALPHOS-SAMA, BEAT THAT DARK KNIGHT!!¡¹


    ¡¸YES, BEAT THAT DARK KNIGHT, ALPHOS-SAMA!!!¡¹


    The beauties became mesmerized upon seeing Alphos figure in snow-white Holy Knight armour.


    But, Alphos¡¯ gaze was looking at me, ignoring those noisy women.


    ¡¸MUSE!! MY SWORD!!¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Alphos. I shall prepare it immediately.¡¹


    The beauty called Muse came with a sword and gave it to Alphos.


    ¡¸Thanks Muse. NOW COME, WHITE HOLY DRAGON, VALJINIAS!!!¡¹


    After Alphos shouted, the deck of the ship opened and a dragon with snow-white scales jumped out from inside.


    It was quite a big one. Its body size isparable to Glorious.


    ¡¸Toou!!¡¹


    Alphos leapt upward andnded on the back of the dragon called Valjinias.


    ¡¸Hey Dark Knight. My Valjinias, and your ck dragon. Shall we do this, mano o mano? I don¡¯t want any other factors from hindering my victory after all.¡¹


    Alphos unsheathed his sword and pointed its emerald sword de toward me.


    ¡¸Agreed. I shall ept your challenge.¡¹


    I nodded.


    ¡¸Kuroki¡­¡¹


    Kuna spoke with a worried look on my face.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Kuna. Can you wait below along with Her Highness?¡¹


    I caressed Kuna¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡¸Mater Kuroki¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. I¡¯ll be back immediately.¡¹


    I said so to Polen who was still crying.


    Polen had always been staying in her room untiltely.


    She had to gather her courage just to leave her room.


    I had no idea why Polen shut herself in her room.


    But still, Polen had finally stepped out of her room.


    So anyone who had no idea about her situation had no right tough at her.


    Wasn¡¯t this meant that I had to win this fight?


    Moreover, this guy was really a skilled sharpshooter.


    Anyhow, I still had to beat him.


    Thus, I red at Alphos who had already been d in his snow-white holy knight¡¯s armour.

 Chapter 101.1: On Top of A Sea of Clouds

    <h4>Chapter 101.1: On Top of A Sea of Clouds</h4>


    ¡ôPrincess of Hell; Polen


    We boarded Alphos-sama¡¯s flying ship.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ Your Highness, are you sure that you want to go there?¡¹


    Poh-chan, who stood behind me, asked with an anxious look on her face.


    ¡¸ABSOLUTELY!! LET¡¯S GO, POH-CHAN!!¡¹


    The beauties on the deck of the ship all had their sights on me. I felt hostility from their gazes, it was pretty painful.


    I wanted to escape.


    But, I absolutely couldn¡¯t escape right now.


    We walked fearfully on the deck of the ship.


    ¡¸Hey, why are youing to our ship?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, why is a pig allowed to step into this ship?¡¹


    ¡¸Why did Alphos-sama allow her toe to this ship?¡¹


    ¡¸This ce is really going to be smelly now.¡¹


    I could clearly hear the voices of the beauties around me. But, all I could do was look down on the floor, unable to even refute their remarks. They were being a bit much, but there was nothing I could do.


    Contrary to me, Kuna Shishou was walking forward with a puffed up ch*st, as if those hostile words were trivial. I couldn¡¯t understand how she could just ignore them when the words they said to her were far worse than mine. Shishou justughed scornfully as she looked at them.


    At her gaze filled with scorn, the beauties got irritated.


    ¡¸What¡¯s wrong with that girl?¡¹


    ¡¸She¡¯s too cocky.¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t think that you win just because you¡¯re a bit more beautiful¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Humph! Rena-sama is still more beautiful than you!¡¹


    Those kinds of insults came from the beauties around us toward Shishou, but I knew that there was a sense of absolute defeat in their voices. Those thousands of beauties were no match for Shishou. I mean, Shishou was the most beautiful woman on this ship. She alone had overwhelmed the beauties in this ship. She walked with so much confidence as if she owned the ce.


    ¡¸Excuse me, can you let go of your weapon? The girls are scared.¡¹


    Upon advancing a little bit further, a beauty called out to Shishou. I knew who she was as soon as I saw her.


    She was the Goddess of Poems, Muse.


    She was a Goddess who always stayed by Alphos-sama¡¯s side.


    The reason why I knew her identity was because I¡¯ve been investigating Alphos-sama, especially the women around him. Unlike the other beauties, she was the only one who didn¡¯t show any fear toward Shishou.


    ¡¸Worry not, Kuroki told me to wait quietly and not cause any trouble. That¡¯s why those women can still keep their heads for now.¡¹


    Shishou waved her hands as she reassured the other party.


    ¡¸For now? Are you implying that you¡¯re going to behead them after this?¡¹


    ¡¸Naturally. I¡¯ll wait till the fight ends though. I mean, if I behead you girls now, you won¡¯t be able to see the sorry state of your man when he gets miserably beaten to a pulp.¡¹


    Shishou answered with a sinister smile on her face.


    Muse looked visibly surprised upon hearing that and the beauties took a step back as if trying to get away from Shishou.


    Their hostile intent soared.


    Shishou ignored all of those beauties and walked by Muse¡¯s side. Seeing that, the beauties had no choice but to open the way for Shishou. No one dared to stop her.


    She kept walking until she arrived at the couch prepared on the deck of the ship, and sat down as if it was her own couch.


    She then watched master Kuroki and Alphos-sama from there.


    ¡¸That¡¯s Alphos-sama¡¯s sea-¡¹


    ¡¸HAH?¡¹


    ¡¸HIIIIIIIIII!!!¡¹


    The beauty who tried to look at something got scared sh*tless by Shishou¡¯s re.


    As expected of Shishou, she is always able to shut down the other party with a mere nce.


    ¡¸Just who in the world is that girl?¡¹


    ¡¸Is she the famous demon king¡¯s child?¡¹


    ¡¸Lies. How can that ugly demon king have such a beauty as his daughter¡­¡¹


    ¡¸But, she does have an air of royalty¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Sure enough¡­ it¡¯s still hard to believe though¡­¡¹


    The beauties were whispering amongst themselves.


    I¡¯m the demon king¡¯s daughter though¡­


    But then, no matter how you look at it, Shishou truly had the air befitting of a princess of hell. She was beautiful, powerful, charming, terrifying, yet sweet and lovely on other asions.


    She was my ideal figure.


    She was someone I strived to be like. An extremely dazzling female figure.


    ¡¸Is something wrong, Polen? Aren¡¯t you going to sit down and watch the show?¡¹


    Shishou, who didn¡¯t even notice my inner turmoil, said she looked at me.


    The couch was huge, huge enough for several people to sit together. Normally, Alphos-sama would sit in the center of the couch, ying his harp as the beauties waited upon him. That was definitely a sight to behold.


    But, the one sitting on the couch right now wasn¡¯t Alphos-sama, but Shishou. Shishou sat on the couch while crossing her legs. It was as if she was the lord of this ship.


    Was it really alright for someone like me to sit beside her?


    Since the beauties who originally sat on the couch had left due to their fear toward Shishou, there was some space left for Poh-chan and me. I only hesitated for a moment, and then shook my head immediately.


    Not good.


    I need to remind myself again of the reason I followed Shishou. The reason why I came to this ship was that Shishou had reminded me again of that fact.


    Master Kuroki actually wanted to let us descend to a safer ce, but Shishou rejected that idea. It was because she couldn¡¯t see the battle between Master Kuroki and Alphos-sama clearly unless she was in this ship.


    Master Kuroki hesitated at first, but Shishou didn¡¯t change her opinion. As a result, Master Kuroki gave in and allowed Shishou to watch the fight from this ship.


    Master Kuroki actually just wanted me tond in a safe ce. But, I insisted on following Shishou. That was a natural choice!!


    I did this for the sake of Master Kuroki who showed his anger for my sake. It was my duty to watch master Kuroki¡¯s fight till the end.


    I sat beside Shishou.


    When I sat, the beauties¡¯ hostility shot through the roof, but I wouldn¡¯t lose to them this time.


    In Shishou¡¯s line of sight, the figures of two giant dragons facing each other from quite a distance could be seen. It was the ck Demon Dragon and White Holy Dragon. Riding on the back of the two dragons were the Dark Knight and the Holy Knight.


    Sorry master Kuroki.


    I apologized quietly to master Kuroki, the Dark Knight.


    Master was angry for me, but I wasn¡¯t such a good kid for master Kuroki to protect me!! I had an ulterior motive when I said that I was going to subjugate the kraken. I wasn¡¯t a passionate girl like what master Kuroki thought!!


    Sorry!! I¡¯m really sorry!!


    I¡¯ll do my best to change myself!!


    I¡¯ll leave my room!! Train to be stronger!! And stop my bad habit of just eating and sleeping!!


    I¡¯ll do my best to even be a bit more beautiful!!


    That¡¯s why¡­ win this fight, master Kuroki.


    ***


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    ¡¸I wonder if Kuna and the others will be alright¡­?¡¹


    I looked at the flying ship in the distance from Glorious¡¯ back.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, that silver-haired girl will be alright. I¡¯ve told the others not to hurt her after all.¡¹


    Alphos, who was on the back of the White Holy Dragon, remarked as he held his helmet under his arm.


    ¡¸Then, there¡¯s nothing to worry about, but¡­¡¹


    I dropped them on the deck of the flying ship after gaining Alphos¡¯ permission after all.


    Well, it should be alright since the beauties on that ship seemed to always listen to Alphos. But, it didn¡¯t mean that I didn¡¯t feel anxious at all.


    ¡¸Still feeling anxious, eh? If I was in your position, I would start worrying about myself rather than others.¡¹


    Alphosughed, it felt as if he was looking down on me.


    This man was powerful. That¡¯s why he was really confident when he picked a fight with me.


    The problem was, for what reason did he do that? Why did he pick a fight with me?


    ¡¸By the way, do you know that the male gods who are pursuing Rena are currently engaging in a fight against the Hero of Light at the Sweet Castle?¡¹


    ¡¸Say what?¡¹


    This was my first time hearing about this. Seriously, just what happened at the Sweet Castle?


    ¡¸Aren¡¯t you going to participate in the fight to pursue Rena?¡¹


    I ended up tilting my head in puzzlement upon hearing Alphos¡¯ question.


    ¡¸No, I won¡¯t participate. It¡¯s a meaningless fight. Even if they fight to pursue Rena, the one who has the final say is Rena herself. Why should I participate in a fight for Rena when the person herself has nothing to do with it and is not involved in any way? Rena isn¡¯t a trophy.¡¹


    ¡¸Sure enough, Rena is different from other women. She is the only one who dared to speak rudely to me. You probably know how special she is too. So, can you endure the sight of her being snatched by another man?¡¹


    Alphos asked, trying to test me.

 Chapter 101.2: On Top of A Sea of Clouds

    <h4>Chapter 101.2: On Top of A Sea of Clouds</h4>


    ¡¸U~hm. It¡¯s not like she¡¯s mine to begin with, I have no choice but to give up if she chooses another man¡­¡¹


    I mean, I would only hurt the woman I loved if I hurt the man that she loves.


    That¡¯s why I just had to swallow my tears quietly and pray for her happiness.


    ¡¸Hee, so you won¡¯t feel anything even if the girl you love is snatched away from you? Me, on the other hand, I prefer snatching her first. I¡¯ve lost count of how many women I¡¯ve taken as my own until now.¡¹


    ¡¸Eeh¡­ What about their will?¡¹


    ¡¸What are you talking about? Something like that is just a trivial matter. In the end, they¡¯ll choose me. Isn¡¯t it the same with you?¡¹


    Alphos said those words as if it was the most natural thing in the world.


    Woow!!


    To think that he could make such a bold deration.


    I¡¯m a bit envious of him.


    Well, it was only natural for women to have a change of heart when faced with such a handsome guy, not to mention if he was wooing them.


    But, what would happen if I did the same?


    Even if I tried to snatch someone¡¯s woman, the woman might just end upughing scornfully at me.


    The only one who was allowed to do something like that is someone like the handsome dude in front of me.


    I had no such confidence.


    ¡¸Nah, I can¡¯t do something like that. And I don¡¯t have the confidence to do it.¡¹


    Let me make it clear!! I never even held a girl beforeing to this world!!


    Rather, they seem to hate me!!


    Shirone once reprimanded me, saying that I should stop my bad habit of looking at girls¡¯ legs or ch*st. ording to her, apparently my face bes simr to that of a lecher when I leer at them and that¡¯s why they hate me.


    I might have never noticed that fact if it wasn¡¯t for Shirone telling me about it. When I heard her exnation, I finally understood the reason behind those girls¡¯ hateful looks towards me.


    I apologized to them right away for making them feel ufortable.


    I always had perverted delusions whenever I saw the bare legs or protruding bre*sts of women. At first, I thought that it was okay since I wasn¡¯t acting on it or hurting them in any way. But, now I know that I have a perverted face whenever I look at them, just like a lecher, which is honestly very disgusting.


    That¡¯s why, once I found out, I tried my best to get away from them.


    After recalling those days, I suddenly felt sweat running down my forehead.


    ¡¸I¡¯m surprised! You seem to have zero confidence in yourself. It¡¯spletely different from that Hero of Light. Should I take this as good omen¡­?¡¹


    Alphos spoke with bewilderment upon hearing my reply.


    ¡¸Even if you ask me that question¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Do you not feel anything knowing that you¡¯re loved by Rena?¡¹


    ¡¸Of course I¡¯d feel like a winner in life if I was liked by such a beauty, but¡­ I don¡¯t think she is in love with me.¡¹


    In fact, the memories of our passionate night in Rox Kingdom didn¡¯t feel real to me, rather, it felt strange instead. I mean, why would such a beautiful woman choose me of all people?


    No matter how much I thought about it, it just felt like a huge and deadly trap.


    ¡¸Rena started bing strange ever since she met you, her tone fluctuates whenever the topic shifts towards you¡­ So I made a conclusion that you¡¯re the reason for her change.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    ¡¸You know, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen Rena act that way. The past her would never do something like that. It¡¯s so strange to the point that she gave up on trying to kill Modes.¡¹


    I never knew how Rena acted prior to meing to this world. So, I had no idea what he meant by Rena had changed after I came. But, it was a good thing that she gave up on trying to beat Modes.


    ¡¸At first, I thought that her change had something to do with the Hero of Light. But, I was really wrong. When I told her that the Hero was trapped in thebyrinth, her reaction was very nd. She was way too calm for a woman whose man was trapped in that infamousbyrinth.¡¹


    And then, Alphos shook his head.


    ¡¸And then, when I saw the magical image of Rena and you in the Republic of Ariadya, I finally realized that you¡¯re the reason behind her strange behaviour.¡¹


    Alphos was now pointing his finger at me, his eyes looking straight into mine.


    ¡¸That¡¯s why I can¡¯t stop worrying about her. I mean, it¡¯s only natural for a big brother to want to know more about the man who caused a change in his little sister.¡¹


    Alphos spoke with a calm voice.


    Yet, it was filled with unyielding hostility.


    ¡¸That¡¯s why, I¡¯m gonna challenge you. Show me that you really are a suitable partner for Rena.¡¹


    Alphos pointed his sword towards me.


    ¡¸What a selfish reason. I don¡¯t even understand what you¡¯re talking about. But, you guys insulted Her Highness Polen; I¡¯m gonna beat you for that!!¡¹


    I also pointed my sword towards Alphos.


    ¡¸HAHA!! GOOD ANSWER, DARK KNIGHT!!¡¹


    Alphos put on his white helmet as he spoke.


    ¡¸LET¡¯S GO, VALJINIAS!! LET¡¯S TEACH THEM A LESSON AND SHOW THEM HOW THEY CAN NEVER BEAT US UNDER THIS AZURE SKY!!¡¹


    The white dragon spread his wings, and suddenly charged towards us.


    ¡¸GLORIOUS!!¡¹


    I told Glorious to dodge the attack immediately.


    The white dragon swooshed through the location we were at a moment ago at a tremendous speed.


    ¡¸Truly a selfish fe. Sorry Glorious, let¡¯s just y along.¡¹


    I brushed Glorious¡¯ head as I said so.


    Glorious raised a roar as I brushed his head. He was filled with fighting spirit, and that fighting spirit was pointed towards the white dragon.


    It seems Glorious was also fighting for his own pride.


    ¡¸Thanks, Glorious. Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s paint this azure sky with a ck storm.¡¹


    Glorious pped his wings as he raised a deafening roar.


    The roar of the two dragons reverberated on top of the Sea of Clouds.

 Chapter 133.2: Phantom of The Past

    <strong>Chapter 133.2: Phantom of The Past</strong>


    ¡¸IMPOSSIBLE! YOU SNATCHED ECLIPSE FROM ME!¡¹


    Zarxis shouted hatefully.


    Zarxis couldn¡¯tpletely control Eclipse, in fact, my affinity with Eclipse was much better.


    That¡¯s why I managed to snatch Eclipse from him.


    ¡¸What a terrifying man you are, Dark Knight! To think that you really managed to snatch the control of Eclipse from Zarxis! Honestly, your ability is wasted on that wimpy Modes! I¡¯ll give you another offer! Be myrade, Dark Knight!¡¹


    The Serpent Queen gave me another invitation.


    But that wasn¡¯t something that I could ept.


    What she did inside the pyramid is still fresh in my memories.


    Diadona calmly disposed of the subordinates who failed to aplish their mission.


    Modes would never do that.


    Though it showed his naivety as a ruler, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to hate that kindness of his, the one that cared for his subordinates no matter how trivial they were in the scheme of things.


    Even if his naivety made him a failure as the ruler, Modes was still the best person as arade.


    That¡¯s why I wouldn¡¯t be Diadona¡¯srade.


    ¡¸My deepest apology, Serpent Queen. I can¡¯t be yourrade. Despite his cowardice, I still prefer to be on His Majesty, The Demon King¡¯s side.¡¹


    I bowed to her and expressed my rejection.


    ¡¸I see. That makes you a coward too, no? Truly unfortunate¡­¡¹


    The Serpent Queen shook her head in disappointment.


    ¡¸Serpent Queen! I¡¯ve already snatched Eclipse from you! The tables have turned! Will you take this chance and step back peacefully?!¡¹


    I asked the Serpent Queen.


    Elios and Gypseal aside, I had no reason to start a fight with the Serpent Queen.


    ¡¸AHAHAHAHA! THE TABLES HAVE TURNED YOU SAY! WHAT A JOKE, DARK KNIGHT! YOU THINK YOU¡¯VE ALREADY WON! ZARXIS!¡¹


    The Serpent Queen suddenly replied with a sinisterugh.


    ¡¸She¡¯s right, Dark Knight! Eclipse is not my only trump card! Behold, the true essence of death!¡¹


    The moment he said so, Zarxis¡¯ figure transformed.


    The lower half of his vestment bulged and then tore to pieces, showing a spider-like body with six legs.


    Those legs were sharp, and shaped like a scythe.


    ¡¸NOW SING, O SORROWFUL ONES! GIVE DEATH TO THE DARK KNIGHT!¡¹


    Zarxis¡¯ vestment waspletely torn to pieces and then, the countless faces on his body started wailing in pain.


    ¡¸Did you take people¡¯s soul?!¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t help but shout in shock.


    ¡¸Correct, Dark knight! They will eat your soul! And return Eclipse to me!¡¹


    Zarxis had already turned into something grotesque. Hairless, pale skinned, with a lower half of a spider and an upper half of a bat.


    There was a huge mouth around his stomach.


    The twelve eyes on his face red at me.


    ¡¸Hahahaha! Zarxis! Since you nned to go all out, then I, Diadona shall go all out too! Come forth, spirit cup of chaos!¡¹


    The moment Diadona said so, a huge cup appeared right before her.


    My gut told me that this cup was really bad news.


    I felt that I mustn¡¯t let whatever was inside the cupe out.


    Even the Evil Gods paled when they saw the cup.


    Some of them screamed in fear.


    It seems they knew what the Serpent Queen was trying to do.


    Apparently, the same thing happened to Rena, Totona, and the Gypseal side.


    Suddenly, I felt my back was drenched in cold sweat.


    It seems that snatching the control of Eclipse was not enough to ensure our victory.


    There was only one option left, I had to go all out.


    s, I still had no full control over my draconic power.


    If I use this power, I would need Rena to save me again.


    That would include taking care of my raging boner after that.


    That¡¯s why I wanted to avoid using that power.


    ¡¸Wait right there, Diadona!¡¹


    A voice could be heard from overhead.


    When I looked up to the source of that voice, I saw a giant sphinx shining like the sun flying above us.


    I was really surprised when I saw that sphinx¡¯s face.


    It was the face of the Lion Queen, Sekhmetra.


    Her current figure made her look more like a lion than a human.


    This might be her true form.


    ¡¸So youe too eh, Sekhmetra?!¡¹


    The Serpent Queen spoke with a surprised face.


    ¡¸I came in a hurry since I received a report that you¡¯re making a move on me! I won¡¯t let you kill my adorable daughter and nephew!¡¹


    Sekhmetra in her sphinx form roared.


    ¡¸I see! But, even you, who once hailed as the Goddess of ughter, have also be a coward who got her fangs pulled out by the man from Elios! Don¡¯t think you can defeat me!¡¹


    The Serpent Queen replied quickly.


    ¡¸Are you sure, Diadona? Though I have no idea why the Dark Knight came to save them, if I help him along with the other Elios Goddesses, I don¡¯t think you¡¯lle out unscathed either. Don¡¯t you think that both sides retreating peacefully is the best oue here?¡¹


    Diadona couldn¡¯t help but ponder Sekhmetra¡¯s suggestion.


    ¡¸Sure enough. Fine then, we¡¯re going to pull back here. EVERYONE RETREAT!¡¹


    Diadona shouted.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the meaning of this, Diadona?!¡¹


    And just as I had expected, Zarxis was the one who protested.


    ¡¸We¡¯re pulling back for now, Zarxis! We can afford to wait a few more years, I¡¯m sure that chance wille!¡¹


    Zarxis looked really frustrated upon hearing Diadona¡¯s remark.


    ¡¸KUH! Got it, Diadona! DARK KNIGHT, WATCH YOUR NECK, FOR THE NEXT TIME WE MEET WILL BE YOUR DEATH!¡¹


    Zarxis retreated, albeit reluctantly.


    The other Evil Gods also retreated along with Diadona.


    It seems everything ended peacefully without having to truly fight.


    Nevertheless, I was dead tired.


    It seems I didn¡¯t have the making of a spirit user since I couldn¡¯t control Eclipse as well as using my sword.


    When I looked up, I saw the spirit of darkness, Eclipse and the spirit of light, Bennu, flying in the sky.


    It was a spectacle befitting of this ce, the border between Gypseal and Apophis, light and darkness.


    TN: Next act Kuroki vs Giant Robo

 Chapter 102: The Demon Dragon VS. The Holy Dragon

    <b>Chapter 102: The Demon Dragon VS. The Holy Dragon</b>


    BGM: Poseidon Wrath


    <b>¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki</b>


    Two dragons, white and ck respectively, were flying in circles under the azure sky as their wings cut apart the cloud.


    The one who stood before the ck Demon Dragon, Glorious, and me, was a Holy Knight riding a white Holy Dragon. [TL : Stardust Dragon vs Red Dragon Archfiend!]


    The white Holy Dragon, Valjinias, was fast; Glorious couldn¡¯t overtake him.


    ¡¸VALJINIAS!!!¡¹


    Valjinias unleashed light breath from his mouth as soon as he heard the Holy Knight Alphos¡¯mand. The light breath headed straight towards us like aser beam.


    ¡¸GLORIOUS!!¡¹


    Upon hearing mymand, Glorious unleashed ck me breath as well to counter the oing attack. The light shed with the ck me and vanished.


    After firing its light breath, the Holy Dragon pped his wings again and rapidly retreated to keep a distance from us.


    In terms of speed and the range of his breath attack, the Holy Dragon was superior to Glorious. Glorious¡¯ exploding me breath had an extremely destructive force but was short range, which made it impossible tond a hit on the Holy Dragon. The Holy Dragon¡¯s attack, on the other hand, was long range, so they could easily attack us from a safe distance while we couldn¡¯t even reach them


    Glorious raised a low groan. He was irritated as he now understood that none of his attacks would reach his enemy.


    ¡¸Glorious, calm down. Let¡¯s slowly find an opening in between their attacks.¡¹


    I brushed Glorious¡¯ head to soothe his mind.


    We have to stay level-headed.


    Though the other party was attacking non-stop, it¡¯s not like we couldn¡¯t defend against their attacks. It was not a big deal as long as we could cope with them. We could let Glorious intercept every single one of the white Holy Dragon¡¯s long distance breaths.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s keep this pace, Glorious. We¡¯ll catch up to them bit-by-bit.¡¹


    Contrary to Glorious who only needed to keep looking at his opponent, the white Holy Dragon had to turn his head back as they circled the sky. Everytime he wanted to attack he had to pause and turn around to fire his breath. Thus, the more they attacked, the more distance we could shorten.


    After who knows how many shes between the two dragons¡¯ breaths, our enemies finally entered into Glorious¡¯ attack range.


    ¡¸GLORIOUS NOW!!!¡¹


    Glorious fired his exploding breath.


    Though the Holy Dragon managed to intercept it with his light breath, it was far from enough to kill all of its force, and that failure caused the Holy Dragon to stagger mid-air.


    Glorious didn¡¯t let go of that chance and rushed at once towards the Holy Dragon.


    The two dragons collided in the air.


    This time, Glorious showed his superiority.


    Even if we lost to the other party in terms of range and speed, we overwhelmed them when it came to firepower and strength.


    ¡¸We¡¯re at a disadvantage in closebat, get away from them, Valjinias!!¡¹


    Alphos ordered with a loud voice.


    The Holy Dragon pped his wings, trying to get away from Glorious.


    Glorious could only groan in annoyance upon seeing his prey getting away.


    ¡¸Calm down Glorious, we¡¯ll get another chance soon.¡¹


    I soothed Glorious.


    Thus, their breaths shed again.


    This time though, the Holy Dragon didn¡¯t fire his light breaths in session anymore. It was clear that he was trying to prevent us from getting closer to them.


    That made things easier for us instead.


    But, at the same time, our attacks couldn¡¯t reach them either.


    We were now at a deadlock with both dragons unable tond an attack on the other.


    ¡¸NOT BAD, DARK KNIGHT!! LET SEE HOW YOU HANDLE THIS!!!¡¹


    Alphos took out a longbow from his space. It was the bow he had used to snipe me a while ago.


    Seeing that both dragons reached a stalemate, the rider had no choice but to do something to break it.


    I drew my sword.


    Alphos¡¯ arrow was really powerful.


    I couldn¡¯t afford to get distracted.


    ¡¸TIME FOR THE SECOND ROUND, VALJINIAS!!¡¹


    Alphos and the Holy Dragon were suddenly engulfed in white light, I knew that that meant¡ªthey were cloning themselves.


    Clones appeared from all directions, each flying at a high speed.


    They weren¡¯t even an illusion, each one of them felt like the real version.Alphos¡¯ magical power was also immense, so each clone was attacking, firing light breaths and arrows.


    The number of their attacks was simply overwhelming. It was literally impossible to intercept them all since all of the attacks wereing at us at the same time.


    I could always try to block them with my magic shield, but I knew that I wouldn¡¯t make it in time.


    ¡¸GLORIOUS! EARN ME SOME TIME!!¡¹


    Glorious pped his wings and flew towards a safer location.


    Alphos¡¯ clones followed us from behind.


    Glorious tried desperately to escape from the enemy, but his injuries increased bit by bit.


    Do your best, Glorious!!


    ¡¸TAKE THIS, DARK KNIGHT!!¡¹


    Alphos¡¯ugh could be heard from our surroundings. Looking around, we finally noticed that due to our enemies¡¯ speed, they had surrounded us from every corner.


    Alphos and the white dragon¡¯s clones fired magic arrows and light breaths at the same time.


    But, it was toote for them.


    I silently thanked Glorious for persevering till now.


    ¡¸LET¡¯S GO, GLORIOUS!!¡¹


    I unleashed my magical power.


    Thereupon, a gravitational field that distorted the trajectory of the light breaths and magic arrows appeared around Glorious and I.


    ¡¸What the?!!!!¡¹


    The breath attacks and magic arrows were sent back to Alphos and his dragon. They couldn¡¯t escape since they had surrounded us so densely.


    Alphos and his dragon couldn¡¯t dodge the iing attacks while their clones were erased.


    ¡¸THOSE ARE THE REAL ONES!! GLORIOUS CHARGEEEEEEEEEEEE!!¡¹


    We rushed towards the ones who didn¡¯t vanish from their own attack.


    The ck Demon Dragon and white Holy Dragon once again shed in mid-air.


    ¡¸GET AWAY FROM VALJINIAS, BLACK DRAGON!!¡¹


    ¡¸ABSOLUTELY DON¡¯T LET THEM GO, GLORIOUS!! WE MUSTN¡¯T LET GO OF THE WHITE DRAGON THIS TIME!¡¹


    Alphos drew his sword in order to force Glorious to let go of his white dragon, but I would never allow him to do that. I gripped my sword once again and shed with Alphos¡¯ one, preventing him from reaching Glorious.


    The Demon Dragon against The Holy Dragon and The Dark Knight against the Holy Knight; such an intense battle happened high in the sky.


    The wings of both dragons ended up getting wounded and both started falling, piercing the clouds as they fell. The ce we were going tond in was right in the center of some mountain.


    Both dragons finally reached the ground and raised a cloud of dust in the process.


    ¡¸Are you okay, Glorious?¡¹


    I jumped from Glorious¡¯ back as I patted his head.


    Glorious raised his head, allowing me to pat him.


    It was as if he was telling me ¡¸Don¡¯t worry.¡¹.


    But, I knew that he was covered in injuries; I couldn¡¯t let him fight anymore.


    When the cloud of dust recedeed, I could see the figure of Alphos and the white dragon not faraway from us.


    The body of the white dragon was also covered in wounds.


    It seems that both dragons had received tremendous damage.


    The dragons were looking at each other while raising a low growl.


    But, both of them had yet to make their move.


    They just red at each other from where they were.


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸ALPHOS-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹¡¹¡¹


    Alphos¡¯ flying ship descended to the ground carrying along hysteric screams.


    They seemed to be worried about him upon seeing him and his dragon fall from the sky.


    The beauties left the ship and ran towards Alphos.


    ¡¸Are you okay Kuroki?!!!!¡¹


    ¡¸Master Kuroki!!¡¹


    Kuna and Polen also left the ship and ran towards me.


    ¡¸I¡¯m okay Kuna. I¡¯ll leave Glorious¡¯ treatment to you.¡¹


    ¡¸I understand. Good job Glorious, now let Kuna heal you.¡¹


    Kuna used healing magic on Glorious. With that magic, Glorious could move again.


    When I looked at Alphos¡¯ side, the beauties were also using healing magic on Valjinias.


    ¡¸Muse, take care of Valjinias.¡¹


    After saying so to one of the beauties, Alphos looked at me again.


    ¡¸DARK KNIGHT! IT SEEMS THAT BOTH OF US DON¡¯T WISH TO SEE OUR DRAGON MORE WOUNDED THAN THIS! LET¡¯S DECIDED THE MATCH WITH JUST THE TWO OF US!!¡¹


    After bellowing such words, Alphos levitated off of the white dragon.


    ¡¸I understand, I ept the challenge. Kuna, I¡¯ll leave the rest to you. Glorious, take a rest for now.¡¹


    I also used flight magic and flew away from Glorious.


    Pointing our swords towards each other, we headed straight to the mountain¡¯s peak.


    It was time for the second round.

 Chapter 103: Evil Gods Dispute

    <b>Chapter 103: Evil Gods¡¯ Dispute</b>


    BGM


    Meanwhile, on D*ckhead¡¯s side¡­


    <b>¡ôMember of Brown Bears Mercenary; Remus</b>


    I was loitering inside the forest along with Charis.


    We got separated from the other members of our mercenary troop.


    ¡¸Are you okay, Charis?¡¹


    I looked at Charis¡¯ left foot. The white cloth that was coiling around her thigh was dyed red by her blood. She had gotten the injury during our battle with the Red Hat Goblin and the four giant rhinoceros beetles.


    Normally, Charis with her beast attributes had an extremely high recovery power. Wounds of this level were no big deal to her as they could heal in a matter of hours. However, this time, blood just kept flowing out of her wound.


    It seems that the Red Hat Goblin¡¯s de wasced with some sort of poison, and most likely an extremely dangerous one at that since, even with her resistance to poison, it made her wound react like that.


    ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m okay. Your medicinal herb helped a lot, Remus.¡¹


    Charis replied calmly.


    Sure enough, she looked okay. But I absolutely couldn¡¯t let her over exert herself.


    ¡¸I¡¯m d that the medicinal herb that I brought along for safety measures was useful¡­¡¹


    Since I¡¯m really useless in battle, I had learnt more about medicinal nts and other duties to help the mercenary group.


    Charis had never needed medicinal nts until now since all her wounds would heal right away thanks to her healing power, thus the medicinal nts weren¡¯t that useful so far.


    Currently though, I¡¯m really grateful to the Goddess of Medicinal nts, Fanacea-sama, since the herbal knowledge she bestowed helped Charis heal her wound.


    ¡¸We¡¯re separated from everyone. I think we should¡­¡¹


    Charis said so while looking around.


    We had gotten separated from ourrades when we were ambushed by a group of monsters.


    I hoped that everyone was safe and sound. I mean, we really couldn¡¯t afford to go looking for everyone in our current state.


    ¡¸No, Charis. We have to go back to the basecamp immediately.¡¹


    The forest was filled with pink mist, which had limited our field of vision. Moreover, I felt that my mind was bing duller due to the sweet aroma wafting from mist. On top of that, Charis was injured¡ªwe really were in no position to continue.


    ¡¸But¡­¡¹


    ¡¸I think our leader will be alright. He¡¯s so powerful after all.¡¹


    Yes, our leader should be alright.


    The reason why our leader had gotten the ¡°Brown Bear¡± alias was simply because he was immensely powerful. He won¡¯t lose that easily.


    ¡¸Well, I have to apany you if you insist on keeping going. I mean, I can¡¯t just let you to go by yourself.¡¹


    I made sure to tell her my intentions properly.


    ¡¸I understand, Remus. You might die if we keep on going any further¡­ Okay, let¡¯s go back to our camp.¡¹


    I finally managed to convince Charis to step back.


    There was a saying that the battle god Thors-sama, or his daughter Amazona-sama, didn¡¯t have the word retreat in their dictionary, but I think that this philosophy is so f*cking wrong.


    The majority of warriors are always inclined to keep on moving forward, but being able to retreat was always an option and a wise choice if you were not in your best shape.


    Charis and our leader were the flexible type who knew when to advance and when to retreat. That¡¯s why they had survived this long.


    We were now heading toward the exit of the forest.


    ¡¸REMUS STOP!!!¡¹


    Suddenly, Charis stopped walking, her eyes shone like the eyes of a leopard.


    Seeing her reaction, I knew that there were monsters nearby.


    I readied my short sword again.


    Things might get really difficult since there was only the two of us.


    But, I didn¡¯t want to be a burden for Charis.


    ¡¸THERE!!¡¹


    Charis sprung from her position, cutting the figure hiding in the mist.


    The sound of metal shing against metals resounded in the surrounding area.


    ¡¸W-WAIT!!!¡¹


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    Charis was clearly bewildered by the voice that asked her to stop. The other party¡¯s voice was familiar.


    I sprung in front of Charis.


    When the other party got closer to us, his face was indeed familiar.


    ¡¸TORX?!!!¡¹


    The one who appeared before us was Torx, a fellow member of the Brown Bear mercenary group. He stood right in front of us, blocking Charis¡¯ axe with his sword.


    ¡¸Y-YEAH!! I¡¯M YOUR COMRADE, TORX-SAN YOU KNOW!!¡¹


    Torxughed as he said so.


    Hisugh, though, seemed different from his usual one.


    ¡¸SORRY TORX!! I ALMOST MISTOOK YOU FOR A GOBLIN!!¡¹


    Charis pulled back her axe while apologizing to Torx.


    ¡¸HOW CRUEL OF YOU, CHARIS-CHAN!! I¡¯M A HUMAN NO MATTER HOW YOU LOOK AT IT! HOW CAN YOU MISTAKE ME FOR A GOBLIN!!¡¹


    Torx spread his arms as if to let us see him. But, something felt amiss. Torx had never even once called Charis with the ¡°-Chan¡± suffix.


    Appearance wise, he looked like Torx, but it was as if the inside was reced with someone different.


    ¡¸Yeah, it seems you really are Torx. My bad Torx, I almost mistook you for a goblin due this mist.¡¹


    Charis apologized to Torx.


    ¡¸CHARIS-CHAN!! THANK GOODNESS YOU¡¯RE SAFE!!¡¹


    Suddenly, a shining figure descended from the sky.


    ¡¸Shirone-sama?!!¡¹


    The one who descended from the sky was Shirone-sama.


    ¡¸I came since I just happened to spot you two. Thank goodness you¡¯re safe.¡¹


    Shirone-sama was smiling kindly as she told us that.


    ¡¸This forest is getting more and more dangerous. The general has already ordered us to withdraw, so you have to withdraw immediately.¡¹


    Shirone-sama then pointed toward a direction of the forest. It seems she was pointing toward the direction of the basecamp.


    ¡¸Thank you. After this, please tell our leader¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, that Brown Bear uncle is safe and sound, he might have already retreated by now¡­ uhm?¡¹


    Shirone-sama¡¯s line of sight stopped at a certain point.


    She was looking at Torx.


    Torx averted his gaze after his eyes met Shirone-sama.


    He was sweating profusely.


    ¡¸That goblin-like face¡­ Where did I see it before?¡¹


    Shirone-sama was looking intently at Torx.


    Torx kept turning his face away from Shirone-sama. That¡¯s rude, you know?


    And, what did she mean by Torx having a goblin-like face?


    Far from looking like a goblin, Torx was in fact a good looking man.


    ¡¸Uhm, Shirone-sama. We were in the front lines when we entered this forest. You shouldn¡¯t have time for this, right?¡¹


    I asked, just in case.


    ¡¸I see¡­ But well, everything is under control!! Now you have to go back immediately. There are no monsters around this part so you¡¯ll be back to the basecamp just by walking straight to this direction.¡¹


    Shirone-sama flew into the sky again after she told us that.


    ¡¸Safe~¡¹


    Torx heaved a sigh of relief.


    What did he mean by ¡°safe¡±?


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Torx? Your face is pale.¡¹


    Charis asked with a worried look on her face.


    ¡¸HAHAHAHA! IT¡¯S NOTHING! LET¡¯S GO BACK IMMEDIATELY!!¡¹


    Torx started walking toward the direction pointed by Shirone.


    ¡¸Who in the world is that?¡¹


    Charis and I exchanged nces as we followed Torx.


    <b>¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki</b>


    ¡¸WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD GIVE RENA TO A BASTARD LIKE YOUUUUUUU¨D¨D¨D¨D!!!¡¹


    ¡¸SEE HOW I SEND YOU PACKING BACK TO YOUR HOME!!!¡¹


    ¡¸BRING IT ON YOU F*CKING B*STARD!!¡¹


    ¡¸RENA WILL SURELY WAKE UP AS LONG AS WE GET RID OF YOU!!¡¹


    ¡¸DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!¡¹


    ¡¸ORAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡¹


    The battle between Reiji and the Evil Gods unfolded high in the sky right above the sweet castle.


    The fight had turned into a melee; I couldn¡¯t provide any backup for Reiji with my long range magic.


    ¡¸Chiyuki-san. Given the choice, I would not be willing to enter that fight.¡¹


    Rino muttered with a troubled look on her face.


    ¡¸I feel the same way as you, Rino-san. We¡¯d get in trouble if we identally provoke them.¡¹


    The Evil Gods didn¡¯t seem to be interested in us.


    In the first ce, the reason why they picked a fight with Reiji was simply because they couldn¡¯t ept the fact that he was Rena¡¯s boyfriend.


    I mean, they said it themselves¡­ even though it wasn¡¯t true


    Reiji of course epted their challenge with Rena as the prize.


    It seems he had no intention to step down.


    ¡¸Chiyuki-sa~n. Rino-cha~n.¡¹


    Shirone came toward our direction.


    When I turned toward the direction from where her voice came, I saw Shirone and Nao flying toward us.


    Shirone with wings growing from her back, and Nao looking like a half-beast.


    They had gone to help the Freedom Fighters evacuate from the forest.


    ¡¸Thank you for your hard work. How was the situation?¡¹


    ¡¸The damage is huge. But, all surviving members have been evacuated.¡¹


    ¡¸Charis-chan and Remus-kun are safe too.¡¹


    ¡¸I see. Thank goodness.¡¹


    Remus and co were safe and sound.


    ¡¸By the way, what happened here, Chiyuki-san?¡¹


    ¡¸As you can see, Shirone-san, Reiji-kun can handle this.¡¹


    I looked at the direction of Reiji and the Evil Gods.


    Those Evil Gods outnumbered Reiji, but the one who dominated the fight was him.


    Reiji overwhelmed the Evil Gods all by himself. However, it wasn¡¯t because Reiji was far more powerful than them, it was mainly because the Evil Gods were not actually united. Rather, they actually tried to sabotage each other.


    Well, maybe because for them, the other Evil Gods were no different from Reiji.


    ¡¸RENA-CHAN IS MINEEE!!!¡¹


    ¡¸DREAM ON FATASS!! RENA IS MINE!!¡¹


    ¡¸THE HELL YOU¡¯RE TALKING ABOUT?! THE ONLY ONE SUITED FOR THE HEAVENLY BEAUTY IS ME!!!¡¹


    ¡¸IN YOUR DREAMS!!¡¹


    ¡¸LET¡¯S JUST KILL THIS POSER!!!¡¹


    The Evil Gods¡¯ voices resounded all the way to us.


    ¡¸The Evil Gods are starting to have an internal conflict amongst themselves, Chiyuki-san¡­¡¹


    Rino sported a baffled face that clearly said ¡°What in the world are they doing?¡±.


    Some of the Evil Gods started a fight amongst themselves, neglecting their main target, Reiji.


    ¡¸Really now¡­ It seems Reiji-kun is saved by their internal quarrel.¡¹


    But, upon a closer look, it had turned into an unsightly spectacle. A truly unsightly spectacle.


    Both Shirone and Nao were looking at the fights with apathetic looks on their faces.


    ¡¸THE ONE WHO WILL ¡ñ¡Á¡÷ WITH RENA IS ME!!¡¹


    ¡¸DREAM ON! THE ONE WHO WILL ©–¡õ¡Á WITH THOSE HUGE T¡øTS IS ME!!!!¡¹


    ¡¸WHAAAAAAAT!! THEN I¡¯LL ¡ó¡ö¡Á©–¡ñ WITH RENA-DONO!!!!!!!¡¹


    ¡¸YOU BEAST! THOSE T¡ðTS ARE MINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡¹


    ¡¸THE HELL YE TALKING ABOUT?!! RENA-CHAN¡¯S PERFECT T¡ðTS ARE MINEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!¡¹


    Those vulgar words, ones that shouldn¡¯t be said by Gods, resounded in the area.


    Their voices were uselessly loud.


    I could still hear their voices even after covering my ears.


    I somehow pitied Rena.


    Yeah, I was truly perplexed right now.


    ¡¸Hey, should I blow them away with my maximum explosion?¡¹


    ¡¸NOO!! I UNDERSTAND YOUR FEELINGS, BUT STOP CHIYUKI-SAN! REIJI-SENPAI IS THERE TOO!!¡¹


    Nao stopped me in a hurry.


    But that is exactly why I wanted to blow up Reiji as well, he was participating in such a vulgar verbal battle.


    ¡¸Good grief, what should we do now¡­¡¹


    I looked at the unsightly fight with apathy.

 Chapter 104.1: The Crystal Garden

    <b>¡ôPrincess of Hell; Polen</b>


    ¡¸MUSE-SAMA!! WHY ARE YOU ALLOWING THEM TO RIDE THE SHIP AGAIN?!!!¡¹


    The beauties were protesting to Muse, the Goddess of Poetry. They kept on asking why we were allowed again on Alphos-sama¡¯s ship.


    This time around, even master Kuroki¡¯s demon dragon, Glorious, was riding the ship with us, and, since Glorious had a huge body, the beauties had no choice but to stay in a corner on the ship. That¡¯s why they kept on grumbling non-stop.


    Of course, they wouldn¡¯t have made a big deal about it if it was Alphos-sama¡¯s holy dragon, Valjinias, who was on the deck instead. However, Valjinias was currently staging in his own room on the ship, which gave room to us and our dragon to board too.


    ¡¸Muse-sama~. Let¡¯s expel these girls.¡¹


    When one of the beauties said so, the other beauties nodded in agreement. These female warriors under Alphos-sama all readied their weapons, prepared to pounce us at any second.


    ¡¸Your Highness Pollen, what are you going to do if we have to fight them?¡¹


    Poh-chan asked me.


    Upon a closer look at her, she had already partially transformed into her beast form.


    Poh-chan had another form, and it was that of a giant bear. Looking at her, I recalled when she was just a child; she was an extremely adorable bear cub. Her mother, Eltena, would often bring her to the castle as my ymate.


    She was my first ymate. At first, all was fine, but then, Poh-chan kept on growing in size really quickly. At some point, she had grown so much that she could reach the ceiling of my room.


    It was, of course, wondrous to see how she was transforming into this huge bear cub that was almost as big as me. But, once she became a lot bigger than me, it became really hard to y with her; I felt like she would crush me at some point.


    Just when I thought we¡¯d have to part ways, the bear cub transformed into a little human girl.


    I was really shocked at the time. I mean, the bear cub transformed into this super adorable girl.


    But then, Eltina finally revealed to me that her race could gain another form once they became an adult.


    The figure of the transformed Poh-chan resembled that of Eltina.


    I was really jealous of her.


    I mean, if only I resembled my mother too.


    But, reality was cruel, I didn¡¯t resemble my mother.


    Wasn¡¯t this a little bit too odd?


    I mean, I should¡¯ve gotten a few of my mother¡¯s traits too, right?


    But, I guess nothing can be done about the matter. Let¡¯s just do my best like what master Kuroki said.


    ¡¸Calm down, bear. Kuroki¡¯s fight is about to begin.¡¹


    Shishou stopped Poh-chan.


    Shishou¡¯s eyes werepletely focused on master Kuroki.


    Alphos-sama¡¯s beauties were pointing their hostilities toward us and yet, Kuna-shishoupletely disregarded them.


    As if those beauties were not worthy of her attention.


    ¡¸But, Shishou. They look like they¡¯re ready to attack us so¡­¡¹


    The female warriors had already unsheathed their weapons.


    Some had alreadye toward us.


    ¡¸You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s make them shut their mouth for a little bit.¡¹


    Shishou held her scythe. As if to show the beauties that she wasn¡¯t a pushover either.


    A blood bath was about to take ce on the deck of the ship.


    ¡¸Please wait a minute!¡¹


    But then, Muse stood between them.


    ¡¸STOP!! PLEASE LOWER YOUR WEAPONS AT ONCE! ALPHOS NEVER ALLOWED A BATTLE ON HIS SHIP! WAIT TILL THE END OF THEIR FIGHT!! THAT¡¯S ALSO WHAT YOU¡¯RE WISHING FOR, RIGHT?!¡¹


    Muse asked while looking at us.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t really mind either way. I¡¯ll miss Kuroki¡¯s fight if you keep bothering us after all. Kuroki¡¯s fight is more important to Kuna after all.¡¹


    Kuna-shishou lowered her scythe.


    ¡¸Thank you very much, Witch. I feel the same way as you, watching Alphos¡¯ fight is more important to me.¡¹


    Both of them then looked at the fight between the knights.


    From the flying ship, we saw the two knights standing at the mountain top, sword in hand.


    The Holy Knight, Alphos-sama, who donned a snow white armor, was holding a blue holy sword that shone like starlight.


    The Dark Knight, Master Kuroki, on the other hand, was holding a pitch-ck demon sword with blood-red patterns on its de.


    Both sides were ready.


    ¡¸Master Kuroki¡­ Do your best.¡¹


    I watched them as I prayed for Master Kuroki.


    <b>¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki</b>


    ¡¸Well then, this will be our first fight, Dark Knight-kun. You¡¯re pretty strong, right?¡¹


    Alphos asked such a question.


    ¡¸But, that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case in my eyes. I mean, it¡¯s true that you beat that Hero of Light-kun, but it might just simply be because he is TOO WEAK.¡¹


    Alphos dered so with a smile on his face.


    ¡¸That¡¯s why I shall use this chance to confirm it myself.¡¹


    At one moment, Alphos¡¯ figure swayed for a second. In the next, he was already standing within my range, swinging his sword at me.


    I caught the blow with my demon sword.


    Fast.


    I was really surprised since he was at least as fast as Reiji, or even faster.


    ¡¸He, you stopped that one huh. Well, I guess you can at least do that much.¡¹


    Alphos spoke with aposed look on his face.


    ¡¸But, since you¡¯re slower than me. I guess that Hero of Light is really just TOO WEAK.¡¹


    Alphos rushed towards me once again.


    I stopped Alphos¡¯ sh for the second time. At our swords colliding, the sh felt light.


    As if I was shing a feather.


    Alphos disengaged his sword from mine, spun in mid-air as he circled behind me, and unleashed a sh from behind.


    I used my footwork to the fullest in order to retain my bnce and caught his sh with my sword.


    ¡¸He, you blocked this one too huh. It seems you¡¯re more powerful than any other opponent I¡¯ve fought so far. But still, can you keep up with me?¡¹


    Alphos let out a carefreeugh.


    Sure enough, he was fast, and his attacks were sharp.


    But, it didn¡¯t mean that I had no way to counter it.


    ¡¸Yeah, you¡¯re fast. Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s see how you handle this.¡¹

 Chapter 104.2: The Crystal Garden

    I unleashed ck me from my entire body.


    Now, no matter how fast he moved, his attack wouldn¡¯t be able to reach me from the wall of ck me stretching between us.


    ¡¸ck me? Sure enough, it¡¯s troublesome magic. But, it¡¯s not like it can stop me. Come, Queen of Snow, Elusa, and the Snow Maidens!¡¹


    Extremely cold air started blowing in all directions at Alphos¡¯ war cry. When the cold air stopped blowing, a beautiful woman d in a huge white dress stood behind Alphos. Floating around her were many other little cute girls in white dresses.


    They were the high-rank spirit of snow¡¶Snow Queen¡·and the mid-rank spirit of snow¡¶Snow Maidens¡·.


    I was honestly astonished by Alphos¡¯ magical power which enabled him to summon not only a mighty high-rank snow spirit, but mid-rank snow spirits as well.


    ¡¸THE HECK!! AND YOU SAY THIS IS ONE-ON-ONE?!¡¹


    Otherwise, was it really allowed to use spirit power in a one-on-one duel in this world?


    ¡¸My bad. But, I mean, aren¡¯t you the same as Runfeld? Using the ck me power which you received from the Demon King Modes. So, I¡¯m at least allowed to do this much.¡¹


    Alphos said so with a smile on his face.


    Surely, Runfeld got his ck me from Modes. At the time it was a huge event since Runfeld was the only one granted with the power of the ck me.


    But in my case, I don¡¯t ever remember receiving the ck me from Modes. I just somehow managed to use it aftering to this world.


    But then, Alphos probably didn¡¯t even realize that.


    The Snow Queen sang a beautiful song, while the Snow Maidens danced around her, apanying her tune.


    I felt the temperature in the vicinity rapidly dropping.


    ¡¸Sorry, but I have resistance against the cold. This kind of temperature is nothing for me.¡¹


    The moment I finished my remark, Alphos waved his left hand¡¯s index finger.


    ¡¸They¡¯re not here to attack you. NOW, BEHOLD!! MY MOST MAGNIFICENT MAGIC!!¡¹


    Alphos swung his sword like the conductor of an opera.


    The Snow Queen¡¯s singing voice became even louder than before while the Snow Maidens dancing became even more passionate and powerful. They suddenly left the Snow Queen¡¯s surroundings and started dancing everywhere


    Huge snow crystals appeared in the ces where the Snow Maidens passed.


    It was an extremely beautiful spectacle but that wasn¡¯t what I was paying attention to.


    It was the extreme cold in this ce.


    Numerous icicles rose from the ground, the ground beneath my feet froze.


    Thendscape had transformed in mere seconds.


    After the cold winds had settled down, our battlefield hadpletely transformed into a field of ice, blocked by glittering icicles.


    Shining ice flowers were blooming in this ice field, an aurora curtain hanging down on top of the field.


    The Snow Maidens were scattering huge snow crystals that shone like stars on the field.


    ¡¸W-WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!!¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t hide my shock upon seeing the scenery that had beenpletely transformed in mere seconds.


    ¡¸Beautiful right, my Crystal Garden? It¡¯s an ice type phantom space created by the Snow Queen and Snow Maidens. The effects of your ck me will be suppressed to a minimum in this space.¡¹


    Alphos spread his arms.


    Surely, it was an extremely beautiful space.


    The ice flowers and icicle trees were shining brilliantly in his garden.


    The scene of Snow Maidens chanting and dancing below the flickering aurora on top of the garden gave an even more fantastical feeling to the ce.


    I ended up being in awe of such a wonderful spectacle.


    Maybe this ce was some sort of magic barrier made by thebination of mid-rank and high-rank spirits.


    The range of the barrier made by Alphos was really vast, it spread to almost all of our surroundings, even his flying ship.


    ¡¸I see, a countermeasure against my ck me eh¡­¡¹


    I looked around at the beautiful, sparkling garden.


    ¡¸It¡¯s different from my original n, this magic is a magic that I devised to defeat the Demon King. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be used in this battle, but I guess I have no choice¡­ Or rather, this is an inescapable development after I failed to defeat you in the previous aerial battle. Fufufu, you should feel honored since you forced me to use the magic that I specially devised for the Demon King. ¡¹


    Alphos let out a self-deprecated smile as he spoke.


    The Demon King, Modes, could use the same ck me as me.


    It seems thisrge-scale magic was devised to counter ck me; to seal Modes¡¯ ultimate power.


    ¡¸To defeat the Demon King?¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t just ignore those remarks. After All, I¡¯m the Dark Knight whose job is to protect the Demon King.


    This was the first time I heard of Alphos, the God of Song and Art, wanting to defeat the Demon King.


    But, now that he said those words, I, the Dark Knight, had no choice but to defeat him.


    ¡¸Yes, that way, there will be no need for someone like the Hero of Light. Rena can just rely on me to beat the Demon King.¡¹


    Wow, what confidence.


    Not that I could allow it after all.


    ¡¸And yet, never once did she rely on me. I, as her big brother, can¡¯t help but be sad.¡¹


    Alphos shook his head with a sad look on his face.


    ¡¸But, Rena will definitely change her opinion if I defeat you. Once I do so, Rena will realize that I¡¯m the most reliable person for her.¡¹


    After saying so, Alphos came straight toward me.


    ¡¸What the?!!!!¡¹


    His speed was even faster than before.


    I raised my sword to catch his sh in a hurry.


    My stance broke due to the sheer force behind his attack.


    Alphos¡¯ attack didn¡¯t stop with the first strike, he followed his first strike with another one.


    He left a rainbow trail behind him; the trail produced shadow clones of himself.


    When I turned around, Alphos had alreadye toward me again.


    I stood still, waiting for Alphos¡¯ arrival.


    But, one of Alphos¡¯ shadow clones, who was d in a brilliant, aurora-like shining armor, had almost reached my neck.


    ¡¸GUH!!!¡¹


    I deflected the attack with my sword and used the force to spin my body in order to prevent my stance from crumbling since the attack of the clones came from all directions.


    Both his speed and strength were far more powerful than before.


    Maybe it was the effect of this barrier.


    ¡¸SHE DOESN¡¯T NEED THE LIKES OF THE HERO OF LIGHT-KUN OR YOU, DARK KNIGHT-KUN! NO ONE SHALL TOUCH RENA, THE HEAVENLY BEAUTY! HONESTLY SPEAKING, I¡¯M REALLY PISSED OFF KNOWING THAT A FILTHY THING LIKE YOU HAS BEEN CHOSEN BY HER!! ALL SHE NEEDS IS ME, HER ONII-CHAN!¡¹[TL: In case you misunderstood, Alphos is a siscon.]


    Alphos¡¯ attacks wereing at a high speed.


    I was forced to one-sidedly defend against such fast attacks. To make matters worse, he was attacking while shouting such lines.


    ¡¸YOU CAN¡¯T DEFEAT ME IF YOU JUST KEEP DEFENDING YOURSELF LIKE A TURTLE!! OR IS THAT ALL YOU¡¯VE GOT?!!¡¹


    Alphos could move freely in this garden while leaving behind a rainbow trail in his wake.


    It was almost impossible to catch his movement with the naked eyes.


    ¡¸WHY?!!!¡¹


    I somehow managed to unleash a thrust toward the iing Alphos.


    ¡¸WHY?!!¡¹


    He shouted again with an even louder voice than before.


    Alphos jumped up to dodge my thrust and thennded lightly on my sword de. I looked up at him, who was now standing on my sword


    He folded his arms as he looked down at me.


    ¡¸This is it I guess. How did you change Rena when you are such a weakling? Strange, did I overestimate you? Whatever, I guess ytime is over. Dark Knight-kun, you shall sleep forever in this garden.¡¹

 Chapter 105.1: Dark Knight vs Holy Knight

    <strong>¡ôDemon King; Modes</strong>


    ¡¸YOUR MAJESTY! BAD NEWS! GUNO¡¯S SQUAD ARE BEING OBSTRUCTED BY A POWERFUL BARRIER AND CAN¡¯T APPROACH HER HIGHNESS! HER HIGHNESS AS WELL CAN¡¯T SEEM TO CROSS THIS BARRIER! WORST OF ALL, THEY¡¯RE NOW ALSO FACING GODDESS RENA¡¯S FLYING SHIP ON TOP OF THE BARRIER!¡¹


    I received such a report from Zephyrus in my castle¡¯s audience chamber.


    After Kuroki went along with Polen to save granny, I ordered Guno and her team to follow them in case something unexpected happened.


    But, by the time Guno and her legion caught up to Kuroki and the others, they had already been trapped inside the barrier created by Alphos.


    The shocked Guno sent a report to the Demon King castle immediately, asking for reinforcements.


    ¡¸I see, please tell Lord Guno and the others to not be hostile toward Rena and those with her.¡¹


    I gave such an order to Zephyrus.


    Just in case she and her subordinates suddenly decided to charge towards Rena and herpanions.


    The Royal Knights wereposed of elite female Daemons after all. They were the female version of the Dark Knights who are under Runfeld¡¯smand.


    ¡¸Good grief! When ites to that girl, she always causes trouble for Your Majesty. Even after she finally left her room!!¡¹


    Mona spoke with a displeased look on her face.


    I heaved a sigh upon seeing Mona.


    Mona¡¯s rtionship with Polen had been strained for a long time. Polen had always hated her ugly appearance which resembles me. These of course were taboo words for Mona, who adored me. Thus, she gave an extremely harsh scolding to Polen who hated me.


    As a result, their rtionship got strained after that.


    Honestly speaking, this Modes should have been the mediator between the two. But, Polen had been locking herself in her room for as long as this Modes remembers, so I couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    What a joke for someone hailed as the Demon King, and the strongest being in this world.


    I couldn¡¯t even do anything for my adorable daughter¡­


    Thus, I was really happy when Kuroki managed to convince Polen toe out of her room.


    I ended up being indebted to Kuroki for this matter.


    The image reflected in the air of the audience chamber was the image of a beautiful crystal garden. The shining, blooming ice flowers and translucent frozen ground wereplemented by an aurora in the sky; the inside of the barrier had already been transformed into another fantastical world.


    The beautiful snow queen was singing with her beautiful voice, and the snow maidens were dancing in the air.


    Inside that garden, the Holy Knight d in snow white armor kept attacking the Dark Knight.


    The Dark Knight was forced to only defend due to the onught of attacks.


    This image was being reflected here through Polen¡¯s ne. I had given her this ne when she had decided to go hunt the Kraken, I couldn¡¯t stop worrying about her safety so that was the only thing I could do.


    Polen, of course, had no idea that her situation was being transmitted to our side from her ne. It seems the magic in the ne was still working properly even within the barrier.


    ¡¸To think that His Excellency would be cornered like this¡­ God Alphos, who¡¯s always fooling around doesn¡¯t seem to be that powerful, and yet¡­¡¹


    After sending orders to his subordinate, Zephyrus muttered so while looking at the reflection.


    Zaphyrus was the leader of the Royal Knights. He couldn¡¯t go with them and fight battles since his most important duty was to protect the Demon King castle.


    ¡¸Houuu, So even Lord Zephyrus doesn¡¯t know much about the White Noble Holy Knight; Alphos.¡¹


    Loughas brushed his long beard as he spoke to Zephyrus.


    The White Noble Holy Knight; Alphos.


    I did hear that all Alphos did in recent years was fool around, but he was once hailed as the strongest Holy Knight in the world and he was also Oudith¡¯s right-hand.


    After this Modes and the others left Elios, Oudith and the other Gods & Goddesses waged a war against the Heavenly Giant Race. They fought Titus and his people to gain supremacy of the sky.


    The Heavenly Giant race; Titus and his people, were simr to the Blue Water Giant, Okeas, and the Earth Giant, Gigantis, who were ancient races created by the God of Genesis. Their power rivaled that of the divine race.


    The Elios¡¯ troops were on the losing side, honestly, Elios might¡¯ve already been annihted if Alphos had failed to defeat the King of Heavenly Giants.


    Due to his unparalleled appearance and strength, he was hailed as the Heavenly Nobleman, and the God King¡¯s Sword.


    That was the man called Alphos.


    And his twin little sister, the Heavenly Beauty Rena, possessed the same excellence.


    ¡¸No way¡­ Does that mean His Excellency is going to lose? What¡¯s gonna happen to princess Polenna when that happens?¡¹


    Zephyrus asked with an anxious look.


    ¡¸Sure enough¡­ We can only imagine the worst treatment. Let¡¯s make a counter-measure to save Her Highness.¡¹


    It seems that even Loughas had expected that Kuroki would lose.


    But, they¡¯re greatly mistaken.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t be in such a hurry, Loughas. This Modes doesn¡¯t think that Kuroki will lose.¡¹


    Loughas and Zephyrus exchanged nces in confusion upon hearing my statement.


    ¡¸But, Your Majesty. His Excellency can¡¯t even do anything against Alphos¡¯ on¡ª?¡¹


    He said so while looking at the image.


    Surely, Kuroki seemed to be cornered.


    ¡¸Surely, he seems to be cornered. But, he has yet to lose. Rather, I get this feeling that Alphos is the one who is slowly being driven to a corner.¡¹


    If Alphos was the God King¡¯s Sword, Kuroki was the Demon King¡¯s Sword.


    Thus, Kuroki is going to win.


    Both Loughas and Zephyrus couldn¡¯t hide their shock upon hearing that.


    Mona didn¡¯t seem to be surprised by that.


    She might have felt the same way as me.


    ¡¸This Modes will believe in Kuroki. He¡¯ll bring Polen back. So Kuroki, show them. Show them the fact that you¡¯re Our Strongest Sword. Turn the tables and beat Alphos!!¡¹


    <strong>¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki</strong>


    ¡¸LUMINA METEOR SWORD!!!¡¹


    Alphos¡¯ shining shes were raining down incessantly like meteor swarms.


    ¡¸WOAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!¡¹


    I bent forward and escaped Alphos¡¯ shes in a posture that looked like I was crawling on the floor.


    From above, I might look like a cockroach.


    I could hearughtering from the beauties in the flying ship that Kuna was on.


    ¡¸What¡¯s that?! So unsightly!!¡¹


    ¡¸Kyahahaha! Indee~d! It¡¯s so unsightly~!!!¡¹


    ¡¸There¡¯s no need to worry about Alphos-sama after a~ll!!¡¹


    ¡¸Absolutely! That Dark Knight has to be taught a lesson and know his ce!!¡¹


    ¡¸Alphos-sama~! Finish off that unsightly bug already~!!!¡¹


    ¡¸Kyahahaha!!!¡¹


    The beauties seemed to be in a good mood seeing me trying to escape from Alphos. Yeah, they didn¡¯t stopughing after all.


    Alphos was closing in again, leaving an aurora-like trail in his wake.


    I parried his strike with my demon sword.


    ¡¸Ice Flower Heavenly Light Dance, 17th Verse.¡¹


    Alphos¡¯ figure suddenly split apart into clones, shing at me with dance-like movements.


    ¡¸WOAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! WOOPS! HEYA!!!¡¹


    I desperately swung my sword to parry his shes as I danced along with him.


    But, if Alphos¡¯ sword dance was an elegant waltz, mine was a mysterious dark dance. It was an absurd, makeshift dance that was created on the spot as a way to deal with Alphos¡¯ speed.


    The beauties who saw that dance from the flying ship wereughing non-stop.


    But, rather than feeling delighted, I¡­


    ¡¸Quite a stubborn one eh, Dark Knight-kun. No matter how you look at it, you¡¯re just a vermin in this beautiful garden. Vermins must always be exterminated.¡¹


    ¡¸GRHHHHHHHHH.¡¹


    I grit my teeth, annoyed by Alphos¡¯ remark.


    Surely, I can¡¯t deny the fact that Alphos¡¯ crystal garden was beautiful.


    I was the only abnormal color in this crystal garden.


    But calling me a vermin is overkill!! I demand a correction!!


    At least call me a caterpir dammit!! I was crying inside you know!!


    ¡¸Now, vermin!! Begone with this beautiful sword skill of mine!!!¡¹


    Alphos, who had no idea about how I felt inside, had already rushed toward me again.


    It seems my status was downgraded from Dark Knight-kun to vermin, but I didn¡¯t even have the leeway to retort.


    Alphos¡¯ shes came like an avnche.


    TOO FAST!!!


    I desperately swung my sword to parry his shes, ducked down and crawled on the ground to dodge, showing all kinds of unsightly stances.


    Even I couldn¡¯t retort to hisments since my resistance was indeed unsightly.


    The beauties¡¯ughs resounded in the barrier.


    But, I couldn¡¯t me them forughing.


    Alphos was really strong.


    This was the first time I encountered a more troublesome opponent than Reiji. He cornered me and forced me to use all kinds of unsightly poses to dodge his shes.


    What should I do now? Should I throw the towel?


    I desperately shook my head in denial.


    Like hell I could do that.


    Neither could I ept that.


    ¡¸MASTER KUROKI! BEAT HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM!!¡¹


    I mean, Polen has never stopped cheering for me since a while ago.


    I knew that she was crying.


    Thus, losing here wasn¡¯t even an option for me.


    Polen had always been staying in her room due to her appearance.


    Thus, I couldn¡¯t just throw the towel for her who did her best to leave her room.


    Yes, losing here wasn¡¯t even an option.


    My current figure might be unsightly, but¡­

 Chapter 105.2: Dark Knight vs Holy Knight

    Not that I¡¯m an amazing person to begin with, but still¡­


    Think about it.


    Wasn¡¯t it painful for her to always stay in her room?


    Even now, I still remember my first moment in this world. I had just arrived when Modes, standing in front of me, asked me to fight Reiji.


    What would have happened if I had rejected his request back then?


    Maybe I would still be running away from Reiji.


    That kind of life might have been more peaceful, and even suited me better. But, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to meet Kuna¡­ I¡¯m d that I decided to fight at that time.


    There was nothing wrong with avoiding the fight.


    I might lose if I fight, and only painful things await a loser, heck, I might even die.


    I¡¯d never lose if I just keep running away and hide where nobody can find me.


    But, doing that would remove the possibility of my victory too.


    Surely, I have to avoid fights that have no reason behind them, but running with my tail between my legs from a fight I can¡¯t avoid is even worse than a loss.


    Alphos¡¯ harem mightugh even louder if they see me escape this fight.


    If I had refused Alphos¡¯ challenge, we might have avoided this battle. But, it would¡¯ve been uncool.


    Thus, I decided to ept the challenge.


    I couldn¡¯t show my unsightly figure in front of Polen.


    ¡¸HOW PERSISTENT! JUST DIE ALREADY!!¡¹


    Alphos¡¯ sword came toward me again. It seems he was slightly impatient.


    ¡¸BE DEFEATE¨D¨D¨DED£¡£¡£¡£¡¡¹


    I parried Alphos blow which had long since lost its elegance.


    AS IF, I¡¯M GOING TO LO¨D¨D¨D¨DSE!!!!!!!!!!


    It might be impossible, but let¡¯s see how far I can endure his attacks.


    I was nowpletely absorbed in my defense mode.


    ¡ôPrincess of Hell; Polen


    Above the sky dyed in an aurora, the Holy Knight, Alphos-sama, and the Dark Knight, Master Kuroki, were fighting. We had a good vantage point from the ship we were on as we could see them fight below us.


    Looking at the situation, Master Kuroki was clearly being cornered.


    Master Kuroki had somehow managed to dodge or parry Alphos-sama¡¯s sword, but it was only a matter of time before he got defeated.


    ¡¸Look at tha~t, so unsightly~. Pupupu.¡¹


    ¡¸This is what happens when you fight Alphos-sama~. The likes of the Dark Knight should know their ce.¡¹


    ¡¸What a stupid man. Does he really think that he can defeat Alphos-sama?¡¹


    ¡¸What a miserable man. He looks just like a vermin in the garden. The exact opposite of Alphos-sama~.¡¹


    ¡¸Now that you said it, he does look like a vermin. Kyahahaha~.¡¹


    ¡¸Alphos-sama! Beat that vermin already!!¡¹


    ¡¸Kick his a*s, Alphos-sama!!!¡¹


    The beauties¡¯ughs became even merrier seeing Master Kuroki trying desperately to escape from Alphos-sama¡¯s shes.


    ¡¸Awawawa, Your Highness. His Excellency¡­ His Excellency is going to lose.¡¹


    Poh-chan who sat beside me spoke with an anxious voice.


    But, I was the most anxious one here.


    I couldn¡¯t even hold back my tears anymore.


    But, I couldn¡¯t do anything to save Master Kuroki.


    ¡¸MASTER KUROKI! BEAT HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM!!¡¹


    Thus I did the only thing I could do for him, which was to cheer for him.


    I don¡¯t know whether my cheering will reach Master Kuroki or not. But, that was the only thing I could do for him.


    Kuna-shishou, who sat by my side, had been looking at the fight in silence since a while ago.


    She had this grim look on her face.


    Even Glorious who was resting to heal his wounds was looking at the fight.


    ¡¸You people, tell me, how do you feel right now? How does it feel to see your Dark Knight lose?¡¹


    The beauties were approaching us with victorious smiles on their faces.


    They¡¯repletely looking down on us.


    I unintentionally red at them.


    ¡¸What¡¯s with that look, piggy?¡¹


    ¡¸Kya~. That piggy is ring at me~.Too bad for you though, Alphos-sama will definitely save us. We fear nothing~.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. Your turn wille after Alphos-sama beats that Dark Knight. That dragon over there isn¡¯t scary at all.¡¹


    ¡¸You pig should just growl like a pig. That Silver-Haired girl aside, an ugly pig like you won¡¯t be able to beat us.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. Take a look. The UN¡îSIGHT¡îLY figure of the Dark Knight who¡¯s protecting the piggy.¡¹


    ¡¸Piggy¡¯s knight isn¡¯t a big deal after all. Even though his face can¡¯t be seen due to the helmet, I¡¯m sure that he¡¯s as ugly as a sewer rat.¡¹


    ¡¸Yup, must be really ugly. He¡¯s from the ugly piggy¡¯s side after all.¡¹


    The beauties kept jeering at us.


    It was mortifying.


    Not only were they ndering me, they were even ndering Master Kuroki! Master Kuroki was by no means ugly.


    Surely, he wasn¡¯t as gaudy as Alphos. Maybe he wouldn¡¯t even stand out in a ce filled with handsome men and beauties like in Elios. But, that was only because he was less conspicuous. In terms of appearance, he wouldn¡¯t lose to any of them. He might look in at a nce, but you¡¯ll realize that he was actually a handsome man upon looking carefully.


    And most of all, he was also a gentleman who was really kind to someone like me.


    That¡¯s why Master Kuroki was the best man in my heart. He absolutely wouldn¡¯t lose to anyone.


    ¡¸UUUH¡­ Master Kuroki won¡¯t lose¡­ Absolutely¡¹


    I desperately tried to talk back to the beauties.


    ¡¸Hah, what¡¯s this pig talking about? There¡¯s no way that Dark Knight can win against Alphos-sama.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. Look at him swinging his sword in desperation yet, none of his sh hit Alphos-sama.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, don¡¯t waste your breath to cheer him on. The ugly Dark Knight can never defeat the handsome Holy Knight, Alphos.¡¹


    ¡¸Ri~ght. No matter how much effort the ugly guy puts in, it won¡¯t change the fact that he¡¯s ugly~¡¹


    ¡¸Resistance is futile, just die already.¡¹


    The beauties were jeering.


    I was really vexed since I couldn¡¯t say anything back to them.


    They kept jeering as much as they liked.


    Kuna-shishou should be vexed by this right?


    I looked toward Shishou.


    ¡¸£¿¡¹


    I was really shocked by what I saw.


    Shishou was smiling.


    Why did she smile even though master Kuroki was being cornered?


    ¡¸What a bunch of noisy bitches. Can you shut up for a little bit?¡¹


    Shishou revealed a beautiful smile as she spoke.


    She was sneering at the beauties.


    The beauties who noticed that something was wrong with Shishou¡¯s situation seemed to be puzzled too.


    ¡¸How can you still smile like that, Witch? Your Dark Knight is about to lose.¡¹


    Seeing the beauties¡¯ expression, Goddess Muse went toward us as she asked such a question.


    ¡¸Kuroki losing you say? What are you talking about, idiots? Kuroki has already grasped your man¡¯s skill. Look, Kuroki¡¯s sword has finally reached its target.¡¹


    Kuna-shishou replied while pointing toward Master Kuroki.


    ¡¸What kind of nonsense are you talki¡ª¡¹


    And then, when Muse and the beauties looked at the fight again.


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸Eh?!¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹


    The beauties couldn¡¯t hide their shock.


    Because they saw the figure of Master Kuroki with his sword raised, and in front of him was the figure of Alphos-sama, his back bent backwards.


    And the look on Alphos-sama¡¯s face was that of shock.


    The pure white helmet that was sent flying by Master Kuroki¡¯s sword drew a beautiful arc in the air and fell on the crystal floor.


    The beauties were starting to get restless.


    Because Master Kuroki¡¯s sh which couldn¡¯t reach Alphos-sama till a while ago had finally reached Alphos-sama.


    Seeing that situation, Shishou revealed a smile on her face.


    ¡¸That Alphos¡¯ skill isn¡¯t bad. He managed to corner Kuroki so far after all. At least he really is stronger than a certain d*ckhead. But, this is the end. From now on, it¡¯s Kuroki¡¯s turn.¡¹

 Chapter 106.1: The Strongest Swordsman

    <strong>BGM</strong>


    <strong>¡ôGoddess of Knowledge and Books; Totona</strong>


    The flying ship was heading toward Nargol. The sky was cloudless; clear and infinitely blue. As I stood on the ship¡¯s deck, enjoying the wind through my fluttering hair, I felt like things would have been even better if this was just a mere carefree journey.


    ¡¸Thank you for allowing me to board your flying ship, Ishtar-sama¡­¡¹


    I bowed my head, thanking the owner of the flying ship. I didn¡¯t own one myself so my only option was to request this favor from her.


    Honestly speaking, I never felt the need for one since I preferred my treasury to be filled with books. Naturally, it meant that I didn¡¯t have any flying vehicles to use at my own volition. I was grateful to her for offering me a ride on her ship.


    ¡¸It¡¯s not a big deal, Totona-chan. You¡¯re Faeri-chan¡¯s daughter after all.¡¹


    She let out a carefree smile as she spoke.


    Though the two Goddesses¡¯ followers were fighting each other, the Goddesses themselves were in fact on good terms, which was why I was allowed on her ship. However, it seemed as though she was worried about something.


    Currently, the Evil Gods who are pursuing Rena are heading to the northern area, the one closest to Nargol, to challenge the Hero of Light.


    I never really cared about Rena¡¯s Hero. But, it was a different story if Thors-niisan was amongst those Evil Gods. I get a headache every time I hear about this idiot¡¯s foolish actions.


    Thors-niisan had always been responsible for the defense of Elios¡ªhe wasn¡¯t allowed to leave Elios without permission. So, I was really surprised when I heard from Alphos that he had left his position; Alphos could have at least tried to stop him.


    Rena somehow got flustered when she heard the news and decided to head to the north immediately.


    As expected, she must be worried about her lover.


    ¡¸Nevertheless, I hope we won¡¯t be arriving toote. I mean, I don¡¯t mind even if the fight hasn¡¯t ended yet, but I can¡¯t help but get interested in Rena-chan¡¯s Hero of Light.¡¹


    Ishtar seemed to be enjoying this situation. It was as if she was going on a leisure trip.


    It seems that Rena¡¯s lover was her main interest nowadays, and she wanted to see him fight the Evil Gods. She also seemed to have another motive for heading north; she probably wanted to get to know the Hero better. It was the same old strategy she used to bait the men in this ship.


    There were thousands of crew members in this ship, and almost all of them were men. Everyone of them was good looking and had received a love invitation from her.


    That was a trivial matter though. The problem was¡­ why were all of them walking around almost naked?


    I mean, they wore nothing but a small apron around their waist. Thanks to that, I kept seeing a glimpse of THAT shaking around whenever they were moving.


    Well, the owner of the ship herself was also BARELY wearing clothes though. I mean, her attire hid nothing but the tips of her huge cleavage.


    I was the only one wearing multipleyers of clothing on this ship, and of course, I had no intention of taking them off too. I mean, like hell I would wear minimal clothing when she had those humongous pair of jugs.


    Mine would look miserable if everpared to hers.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Totona-chan? Are you worrying about your big brother? Don¡¯t worry about him, Alphos is on stand by nearby after all.¡¹


    I wasn¡¯t worrying about that matter.


    ¡¸Haah, sure enough¡­ It should be fine as long as Alphos is nearby, but still¡­¡¹


    I was throwing in an appropriate response. But, she had no idea at all what we were dealing with.


    Yes, everything SHOULD BE under control AS LONG AS Alphos was there.


    But, there was no way that blockhead brother of mine would ept Alphos¡¯ help. That¡¯s why I was worried about him.Which is the reason why I decided to go get him myself.


    Though Alphos looked unreliable on normal asions, he was really strong inbat. Despite always cking around, he was far more powerful than Thors-niisan. My big brother had always been doing his best to get recognition from our father, the God King. Yet, the result of his training was always a cruel defeat.


    It was truly regrettable since the factor of talent was involved in this regard. Those twins were truly gifted to the point of all of us being hateful.


    Maybe not even that Hero of Light, nor Kuroki, the Dark Knight, could beat Alphos.


    Thus, I ended up thinking about the worst oue of the current situation.


    The situation in which Kuroki had to be dispatched since the Evil Gods were fighting on the border of Nargol.


    When that happens, a fight might break out between Kuroki and Alphos. And the result might end with Kuroki¡¯s demise at the hands of Alphos.


    I didn¡¯t want that to happen. I didn¡¯t want Kuroki to die.


    I mean, I finally met my ideal man for the very first time in my life.


    That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want him to die.


    ¡¸Everything will be okay as long as he doesn¡¯t fight Alphos though¡­¡¹


    I muttered so in an extremely small voice.


    <strong>¡ôGoddess of Wisdom and Victory; Rena</strong>


    We couldn¡¯t get into the powerful barrier conjured by Alphos.


    Standing by near my flying ship were female daemons riding their wyverns. I happen to know the name of one of those female daemons, if I¡¯m not wrong, her name was Guno.


    ¡¸Rena-sama, how do you want to deal with those daemons?¡¹


    Nier, the Valkyrie was waiting for my order.


    ¡¸Leave them be, Nier. We shouldn¡¯t create more trouble in this situation.¡¹


    Those female daemons were no match to me. So there was no problem with leaving them to their own devices. Moreover, they weren¡¯t the biggest trouble out there.


    I mean, I would never have expected the Evil Gods to conspire to defeat Reiji. I was really surprised when I heard this information from Kuna.


    Good grief, what in the world were those idiot men doing? Couldn¡¯t they just go back to their rooms and worship me like usual?


    I mean, even that Thors ended up joining hands with those disgusting fes (Evil Gods).


    Good grief, they were a bunch of troublesome fellows.


    Alphos should have been able to stop them, but that big brother of mine was as unreliable as ever. It seems he decided to watch the humorous fight between Reiji and the Evil Gods.


    And yet, I never expected that he would do an even sillier deed. Just what in the hell was he thinking when he challenged Kuroki to a fight?


    Though I¡¯m worried about Reiji and the others, Kuroki¡¯s situation takes the utmost priority.


    Moreover, Totona was alsoing to this ce soon. Which reminds me that for some mysterious reason, our preference matched in most cases.


    That¡¯s why I should just leave the matter of Reiji and Thors to her.


    It was about the time for her to arrive.


    ¡¸But, as expected of Alphos-sama, Elios¡¯ strongest Holy Knight. To be able to create such a powerful barrier¡­ Now that Dark Knight is going to be defeated too.¡¹


    Nier spoke with a smile on her face.


    It seems she had no idea at all.


    I heaved a sigh.


    ¡¸That¡¯s impossible, Nier.¡¹


    Nier and the other Valkyries made puzzled looks on their faces upon hearing my remark.


    Even though he was always ying around, there was no doubt that Alphos was immensely powerful. The title of Elios¡¯ strongest Holy Knight might be an understatement, he might actually be the strongest God in all of Elios. That¡¯s why Nier and co thought that Alphos wouldn¡¯t be defeated.


    But I know.


    ¡¸The one who is going to lose is Alphos. There¡¯s no way Alphos can beat him.¡¹


    My Kuroki was undefeated.


    <b>¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki</b>


    <strong>BGM</strong>


    The sword that I swung upward caught Alphos¡¯ helmet, sending it away¡ªmy sword had finally reached him.


    Alphos, who had lost his helmet, was looking at me with shock written all over his face.


    ¡¸How surprising. That must be a fluke, right? Injuring me is i¡­ uhm?¡¹


    Alphos touched his cheek with his left hand.


    There was a thin red line on his cheek.


    It seems my sword had managed to graze it.


    ¡¸YOU! HOW DARE YOU LEAVE A SCRATCH ON MY FACE!!! UNFORGIVABLE!!!¡¹


    Alphos¡¯ expression transformed, he was definitely enraged now.


    He~h, what a drama queen. It was just a light graze though. The length was even less than one centimeter.


    Moreover, such a graze shouldn¡¯t be a big deal for the divine race, who could heal in an instant.


    There was no reason for him to be enraged by this trivial matter.


    The moment I thought so, I heard jeers and screamsing from the Alphos¡¯ flying ship.


    ¡¸HEY, DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID JUST NOW?! ALPHOS-SAMA¡¯S FACE IS THE TREASURE OF THIS WORLD!¡¹


    ¡¸HOW DARE YOU INJURE ALPHOS-SAMA¡¯S FACE!!!¡¹


    ¡¸YOU IDIO¨D¨D¨DOOT!!! JUST DIE ALREADY!!!¡¹


    ¡¸YEAH, JUST DIE ALREADY¨D¨D¨D!!¡¹


    The beauties were jeering toward me. Teir jeering and swearing was enough to cool the mood.


    This is why I don¡¯t want to fight a handsome dude!!!


    The women are going to resent me for beating them, or scorn me when I lose.


    ¡¸PLAYTIME IS OVER, DARK KNIGHT!!!¡¹


    Alphos¡¯ enraged face split into several clones. Each clone was approaching me at high speed.


    ¡¸HEYAAAH!!!¡¹


    Since their movement was limited to the same movement as the original, it was much easier for me, who figured out the trick, to deal with them.


    All I needed was to keep an eye on their movement, feel it in my being, and swing my sword.


    Left, right, front, and back.


    I parried every single strike of Alphos¡¯ clones and countered by using the momentum of the parry toward Alphos.


    Alphos retreated at high speed.


    ¡¸IMPOSSIBLE!!¡¹


    Alphos couldn¡¯t hide the shock on his face as he looked down.


    Blood was trailing down from his left-arm.


    ¡¸YOU CAN SEE ALL OF MY ATTACKS!!¡¹


    I shook my head upon hearing that.


    ¡¸Yes, most of the time it¡¯s impossible. But, I think anyone can do what I just did after crossing sword with you for a long period¡­¡¹


    Rather, how in the hell did I get cornered like that when the solution was pretty simple.


    I heaved a sigh,menting theck of talent in me.


    Alphos was rushing again. But, he didn¡¯t use his clones this time.


    I closed in right before he entered my range.


    ¡¸WHAT THE!!!¡¹


    Alphos took a defensive stance in a hurry upon seeing me suddenly appearing right in front of him. Though he managed to block my demon sword¡¯s sh, he lost in terms of strength.


    My attack sent him flying till he crashed into the crystal pirs.


    I headed toward him again, pursuing him.


    ¡¸D*MMIT?!¡¹


    Alphos rose up in a hurry and dodged my charge.


    ¡¸AS IF I¡¯M GOING TO GIVE YOU THE TIME TO ESCAPE!!!¡¹


    I kept chasing after Alphos.


    ¡¸IMPOSSIBLE!! HOW CAN YOU MOVE AS FAST AS ME!!¡¹


    It¡¯s not like I can move as fast as you.


    Moving as fast as Alphos in this barrier was impossible. However, I had the ability to grab his shadow, which allowed me to always be pulled by him.


    Now, he won¡¯t be able to escape from me.

 Chapter 106.2: The Strongest Swordsman

    <strong>BGM</strong>


    Our swords shed, the sound resounding around the garden, as we both moved at a high speed. Everywhere Alphos went, I¡¯d follow right behind him, keeping him at a close distance.


    ¡¸WHAT THE?!! BEHIND ME!!¡¹


    Since I knew that Alphos was faster than me, I had to be one step ahead to defeat him, so I decided to ambush him.


    Alphos turned around in a hurry, readying his defense.


    But, he didn¡¯t make it in time.


    In order to not destroy my stance, my muscles had to move fluidly. From my waist to my shoulders, from my shoulders to my arms, every muscle had to be in perfect sync as I put more strength into this single swing.


    Thus, it was as if I became one with my sword.


    With a swinging speed that surpassed Alphos¡¯ reaction speed, I swung my sword from the lower left to the upper right. And the feeling in my hands told me that my sh hadnded perfectly on Alphos.


    But, it was too shallow. Alphos¡¯ snow white armor was tough. It seems that not even this demon sword could easily tear it.


    I readied my defense in preparation for Alphos¡¯ counter.


    And yet, Alphos just stepped back with a pained look on his face.


    It seems he couldn¡¯t bear the pain.


    ¡¸No way, this me is¡­ But, it¡¯s not over yet.¡¹


    Alphos¡¯ wound closed up, the long gaping hole in his armor had also been repaired in a sh.


    ¡¸Same as Labrys, huh¡­¡¹


    I recalled my experience when fighting against Labrys. The same thing had happened back then, Labrys¡¯ wounds would also heal quickly after every attack.


    In short, this space was giving Alphos an advantage.


    While the damage on me would be umted, the damage on Alphos would disappear and be regenerated endlessly.


    ¡¸Since that¡¯s the case. I have no choice but to kill him in a single strike¡­¡¹


    Half-hearted attacks wouldn¡¯t be able to beat him.


    I had to beat him with a single, powerful strike.


    The situation didn¡¯t change at all, I was still in an unfavorable situation.


    But, I had no choice but to keep going.


    I readied my sword, ring at Alphos.


    <b>¡ôPrincess of Hell; Polen</b>


    <strong>BGM</strong>


    ¡¸OOOOOOOOH!! LOOK, YOUR HIGHNESS! HIS EXCELLENCY IS TURNING THE TABLES!!¡¹


    Poh-chan embraced me cheerfully as she spoke.


    The beauties on the other hand fell into panic.


    Even though Master Kuroki¡¯s sword had only managed to graze Alphos-sama¡¯s face a while ago, the situation turned around so quickly to the point that he overwhelmed Alphos-sama right now.


    ¡¸No way¡­ Alphos is being cornered. WHAT¡¯S HAPPENING HERE?!!!¡¹


    Muse had a dumbfounded look on her face.


    ¡¸Kukuku. Quite an interesting look you have there, Muse. But, it¡¯s not surprising. Kuroki just simply grasped Alphos¡¯ movement. There¡¯s no mystery behind it.¡¹


    Kuna-shishou spoke with a proud look on her face. Yeah, the proudest look she ever showed in fact.


    ¡¸LIES!! HOW CAN HE SEE THROUGH ALL OF ALPHOS¡¯ MOVEMENT IN SUCH A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME!!! IMPOSSIBLE!!¡¹


    Muse shook her head as she shouted.


    I also hardly believed it when I heard it from Kuna-shishou. I mean, Alphos-sama¡¯s movements were way too fast to be seen with normal eyes. Not even Poh-chan could see his shadow when he was moving at his fastest speed.


    And yet, Master Kuroki managed to grasp all of that in that short amount of time?


    ¡¸But Kuroki did that. Though I have to say that Kuroki did take a long time to grasp Alphos¡¯ movements. In normal situations, he can do it faster than this. Well, that must be proof of Alphos¡¯ skill. Let me praise him for that.¡¹


    Kuna-shishou was extremely delighted, showing us a dazzling smile.


    ¡¸No way, Alphos-sama is¡­¡¹


    ¡¸NO! I CAN¡¯T BEAR TO SEE ALPHOS-SAMA INJURED LIKE THAT!!¡¹


    ¡¸DON¡¯T LOSE, ALPHOS-SAMA¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D¨D!!!¡¹


    The sword of the Holy Knight and the sword of the Dark Knight shed countless times in the crystal garden at breakneck speed.


    It was really fast.


    Master Kuroki was actually moving as fast as Alphos.


    He wasn¡¯t able to move as fast as that a while ago.


    ¡¸NO WAY?!! HOW CAN HE OVERTAKE ALPHOS-SAMA?!!!¡¹


    ¡¸HOW CAN HE MOVE AS FAST AS ALPHOS?!!¡¹


    ¡¸WHAT¡¯S HAPPENING HERE?!!¡¹


    The beauties kept screaming non-stop.


    ¡¸HAHAHA!! IT¡¯S KUROKI AFTER ALL!! HE CAN MOVE AS FAST AS HIS OPPONENT ONCE HE HAS SEEN THROUGH THEIR MOVEMENTS!! YEAH, HE¡¯LL STICK AROUND LIKE A SHADOW!! NOW YOU KNOW THAT YOU CAN¡¯T DEFEAT KUROKI WITH SPEED, UGLY BITCHES!!!¡¹


    The beauties could only grind their teeth in frustration upon hearing that.


    ¡¸NOO¨D¨D¨D!!! ALPHOS-SAMA¨D¨D¨D!!!¡¹


    One of the beauties suddenly raised a scream¡ªAlphos-sama had just been sent flying by Master Kuroki.


    Master Kuroki didn¡¯t give Alphos-sama a chance to get back on his feet and kept pursuing him to beat him.


    Alphos-sama was now groveling on the floor, trying to somehow escape from Master Kuroki¡¯s onught.


    The way he moved was just like Master Kuroki a while ago.


    ¡¸HAHAHAHAHA! TAKE THAT!! U-G-L-Y W-O-M-E-N!! HOW DO YOU FEEL NOW!! NOW TELL ME WHAT YOU FEEL WHEN YOU SEE YOUR MAN ENDING UP IN SUCH AN UGLY STATE!!!¡¹


    Kuna-shishou wasughing like a maniac.


    It¡¯s revenge, huh. Okay, it¡¯s decided. I absolutely will not make an enemy out of Kuna-shishou.


    ¡¸IMPOSSIBLE, APHOS IS ELIOS¡¯ STRONGEST SWORDSMAN!! EVEN IF THEIR SPEED IS EQUAL! THERE¡¯S NO WAY HE WOULD LOSE IN A SWORD FIGHT!!!¡¹


    Muse was already on the verge of tears.


    ¡¸HAHAHAHA! IF YOUR ALPHOS IS ELIOS¡¯ STRONGEST, THEN KUROKI IS THE STRONGEST SWORDSMAN IN THE WORLD!! AS IF YOUR MAN CAN BEAT KUROKI IN A PROPER SWORD FIGHT! THAT¡¯S JUST HOW MUCH EFFORT KUROKI HAS PUT INTO HIS TRAINING!!¡¹


    Yup, Ipletely agree with Shishou¡¯s remark this time.


    After Master Kuroki would teach me swordsmanship early in the morning, he would always continue with his own personal training. That alone was enough to make me aware just how amazing Master Kuroki was. His skill was built out of long years of training, not a mere fluke.


    Thus, I had no doubt that Master Kuroki was indeed the strongest swordsman in this world.


    The sound of the Dark Knight striking the Holy Knight, resounded in the garden again. Master Kuroki¡¯s skills were overwhelming Alphos-sama. But, it still wasn¡¯t enough to beat Alphos-sama because he would always recover the moment he was wounded.


    Master Kuroki was still in a disadvantageous situation.


    Even I understood his predicament.


    But, I know that Master Kuroki can ovee this!!


    Alphos-sama¡¯s face warped in pain. He knew that he was slowly being cornered.


    Even now, the crying voices of the beauties were resounding in the barrier.


    ¡¸SNOW MAIDEN!!!¡¹


    ¡¸HAH?!! WHAT THE!!!¡¹


    As soon as Alphos-sama shouted, the Snow Maidens dancing in the air conjured ice spears, sending them at once toward Master Kuroki.


    Master Kuroki twisted his body to dodge the Snow Maidens¡¯ attacks.


    Alphos-sama used that brief moment to get away from Master Kuroki.


    ¡¸WAIT A MINUTE!! DIDN¡¯T YOU SAY THAT YOU WOULDN¡¯T USE SPIRITS TO ATTACK ME?!!!¡¹


    Master Kuroki protested.


    But Alphos-sama didn¡¯t say anything back.


    Alphos-sama, who had gotten away from Master Kuroki, flew in the air. He had an enraged look on his face.


    ¡¸Lies¡­ That gentle Alphos-sama is¡­¡¹


    ¡¸For Alphos-sama to make that kind of expression.¡¹


    ¡¸Somehow, it¡¯s scary¡­¡¹


    The beauties keptmenting from the side.


    I was scared too.


    I mean, I might pee my pants if he ever red at me with such a face.


    ¡¸To think that Alphos would make such an expression¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Humph, he finally lost his cool. This is the result of him underestimating Kuroki.¡¹


    Shishou and Muse muttered upon seeing the enraged look on Alphos-sama¡¯s face.


    ¡¸I UNDERESTIMATED YOU, DARK KNIGHT!!! TO THINK THAT I WOULD BE CORNERED TO THIS POINT!!¡¹


    Alphos-sama¡¯s bellows resounded in the barrier. He had already lost his previousposure.


    The Snow Maidens gathered around Alphos-sama. Different from before, they were now d in a bluish white armor, holding ice spears that shone in a pale blue light.


    They surrounded Alphos-sama as they readied their spears.


    Alphos-sama red at Master Kuroki.


    ¡¸DARK KNIGHT, PLAYTIME IS OVER!!! NOW I¡¯LL USE MY EVERYTHING TO DEFEAT YOU!!!¡¹ [TL: How many times did this guy say this line in the course of their battle.]

 Chapter 107.1: Dragons Awakening

    <strong>BGM</strong>


    <b>¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki</b>


    ¡¸HOW¡¯S THAT, DARK KNIGHT?!! VICTORY IS MINE AS LONG AS YOU CAN¡¯T GET CLOSE TO ME!!¡¹


    Alphos fired an arrow while shouting at me.


    ¡¸WOAAAAAH!!¡¹


    I dodged the arrow in a hurry, making it strike the floor instead. Once it lodged itself in the garden, the arrow exploded, sending a tremor to my feet.


    Just how much mana did he pour into this one shot?


    I¡¯m definitely done for if I get hit by one of these arrows.


    Alphos changed his tactic, he didn¡¯t charge from the front anymore, now he bombarded me with arrows from afar¡ªtruly a cunning tactic. This was the right tactic to choose considering he won¡¯t be fighting me close range, which is my strong suit.


    Now, I had no other choice but to somehow try to close the distance. This was easier said than done though as he was heavily protected by the Snow Maidens. They were all d in crystal & ice armors, flying around him and brandishing ice spears to keep me away.


    When I tried to eliminate them, Alphos would use his arrow to distract me.


    Yeah, I was in deep sh*t.


    After that superficial attack, Alphos and the Snow Maidens regrouped again.


    The only way to win this battle was to destroy this barrier. I might be able to do that if I awakened the Dragon¡¯s Power in me, but I couldn¡¯t control that power yet. Using that in this situation was a really dangerous bet.


    ¡¸TAKE THIS ARROW OF MINE, DARK KNIGHT!!!¡¹


    Alphos spouted such nonsense while firing his arrows from the air.


    Did he think I would stay still and let him kill me with that arrow?


    I ran around the Crystal Garden, dodging Alphos¡¯ arrows.


    ¡¸STOP RUNNING DARK KNIGHT!!¡¹


    ¡¸STAY STILL AND GET HIT BY THE ARROW!!¡¹


    ¡¸STAY STILL YOU STUPID JERK!¡¹


    ¡¸STAY STILL AND LET ALPHOS-SAMA WIN!¡¹


    Even the beauties were shouting like brainless women.


    LIKE HELL I WOULD LET MYSELF GET HIT BY THAT!!!


    ¡¸What?!!¡¹


    A giant ice wall suddenly appeared to block my path. I had no idea if this was done by the Snow Maidens or not. But, this barrier gave an advantage to Alphos. There was nothing strange about a wall appearing out of nowhere in this kind of situation, so I guess I was a bit too careless.


    ¡¸THIS IS THE END, DARK KNIGHT!!!¡¹


    Alphos fired his arrow as he spoke. I couldn¡¯t dodge this one.


    ¡¸GOD DAMMIT!!!!!!!!¡¹


    I loaded a lot of mana into my Demon Sword, and struck the arrow back to Alphos.


    ¡¸NO WAY, HE STRUCK BACK MY A¡ªRRGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!¡¹


    This time, Alphos was the one who raised a pained scream. The arrow that I struck back hit his left shoulder. This was the skill I created to counter long range attacks, and it made its debut in this ce. But, against my pessimism, it was surprisingly effective.


    Alphos, who got struck by his own arrow, fell down on the floor, writhing in pain.


    Seriously, just how much mana did he load into his arrows?


    Just thinking about the consequences of me getting hit by one of these arrows was enough to send chills down my spine.


    The beauties¡¯ screams resounded again from the flying ship. The arrow seemed to have inflicted a great deal of damage to Alphos. This blow should be enough to stop him from firing his arrows again.


    My posture had crumbled because I had struck back the fired arrow towards Alphos, but I bent forward at once and started closing in. In just a moment, I was already near Alphos, using the ground shrinking skill I had learned from Kyouka¡¯s maid, Kaya.


    However, suddenly, a powerful blizzard came in front of me, stopping me from getting any closer to Alphos.


    ¡¸WHAT THE?!! SNOW QUEEN!!¡¹


    The aurora-colored blizzard fired by the Snow Queen blocked my path. During that time, Alphos was already trying to get up.


    ¡¸AS IF I¡¯M GOING TO LET YOU!! DIMENSION SLASH!! SPLIT MINE ENEMY! SWALLOW FLIGHT BLADE!!¡¹


    It was a flying sh with plenty of magical power. This skill was short range, but it should be able to reach Alphos.


    The flying sh cut the storm and flew straight toward Alphos.


    ¡¸KUAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹


    Blood sprayed down from Alphos¡¯ right arm. But, that wound was too shallow to defeat Alphos.


    Alphos took even more distance from me as his blood kept dripping.


    ¡¸YOU¡¯VE DONE IT NOW, DARK KNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!¡¹


    Alphos red at me with an enraged look on his face. There was no trace left of the young noble expression he showed me in the beginning. His wounds do heal immediately, but that didn¡¯t mean that he couldn¡¯t feel the pain.


    His handsome, little white face was twisted in pain.


    ¡¸SINCE I CAN¡¯T BEAT YOU WITH A SWORD OR ARROWS!!! I SHALL BURY YOU IN THIS PLACE WITH MY MOST POWERFUL MAGIC!!!¡¹


    Alphos¡¯ body rose even higher in the air and shone with prismatic light.


    Or not, Alphos wasn¡¯t the only one who shone. The aurora of the barrier was also shining even brighter.


    The mirror-like surface of the ground of the garden was shining too as it reflected the aurora¡¯s light.


    ¡¸W-WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?!!!!!!!!!!¡¹


    The aurora started coiling around my limbs, freezing the parts of the armor it wastched to. I mean, this was supposed to be impossible since this armor was made and enchanted by God Heibos himself.


    Moreover, I felt an overwhelming amount of magical powering from the front as if trying to squash me to death.


    It was as if the space had shrunk.


    ¡¸TAKE THAT!! THIS IS THE ENTIRE MAGICAL POWER OF THE CRYSTAL GARDEN!!! THE POWER THAT CAN EVEN BREAK AND FREEZE YOUR SOUL!!! NOT EVEN SOMEONE WITH COLD RESISTANCE CAN SURVIVE FROM THIS GREAT MAGIC OF MINE!!¡¹


    Alphos cackled as he floated high in the air.


    The space had shrunk, and the aurora was converging with me at the center. It was as if I was fighting against the entire crystal garden.


    The ground beneath my feet had frozen and I had been shivering non stop since a while ago. As if both my flesh and soul were frozen at this very moment.


    The moment I received an attack to my soul, I knew that it stirred my dormant dragon power.


    Oh, cra*p.


    ¡¸NOW SLEEP FOREVER INSIDE THIS ETERNAL GLACIER, DARK KNIGHT!!!¡¹


    My body froze rapidly along with Alphos¡¯ugh.


    <strong>BGM</strong>


    <b>¡ôPrincess of Hell; Polen</b>


    The aurora that covered the sky had vanished, returning it to its original blue color. What stood right in front of me now was a giant pir of ice, or maybe an ice tower.


    The crystal garden conjured by Alphos-sama had vanished after it used up its entire magical power to seal Master Kuroki in that ice tower. Even the Snow Queen and the Snow Maidens look really exhausted and slowly vanished, returning to their realm.


    Amidst such a spectacle, Alphos-sama was the only one left.


    ¡¸HAHAHAHAHA!! I WON!! I PRAISE YOU FOR FORCING ME TO USE THIS MAGIC, DARK KNIGHT!!! BE PROUD AS YOU SLEEP IN THIS ICE PRISON FOR ETERNITY!!!¡¹


    Alphos-sama¡¯sughter resounded in the sky. Hearing that, the beauties startedughing along with him.


    ¡¸YAAAY!! YAAAY!! ALPHOS-SAMA WON!!!¡¹


    ¡¸YEAH!! THE ONE WITH THE LAST LAUGH IS ALPHOS-SAMA!!¡¹


    ¡¸YEAH!! UGLY THINGS SHOULD JUST BE DESTROYED!!!¡¹


    ¡¸ALPHOS-SAMA IS SO COOL¨D¨D¨D!!¡¹


    Unlike those beauties who felt ted, I was depressed instead.


    ¡¸Ah¡­ Your Highness¡­ His Excellency¡­ His Excellency is¡­¡¹


    Poh-chan got flustered.


    It was an obvious oue, I mean, I got flustered too.


    ¡¸AWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWAWA!! SHISHOU!! MASTER! MASTER KUROKI IS IN DANGER!!!¡¹


    I also spoke to Kuna-shishou with a flustered voice.


    And yet, Shishou was surprisingly calm about this situation.


    ¡¸Fufu, it seems Alphos is still the winner in the end, Witch. The Dark Knight has been frozen by Alphos¡¯ magic. You guys have lost.¡¹


    Muse said so to Shishou with a triumphant look on her face. Following behind her was the army of beauties who seemed like they couldn¡¯t wait for the chance to look down on us.


    They wore triumphant looks on their faces too, by the way.


    I¡¯m really vexed now.


    ¡¸Humph. Bunch of idiots, do you really think that you¡¯ve won already?¡¹


    And yet, Shishou said the most unexpected remark in this situation.


    ¡¸WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, WITCH!! ALPHOS¡¯ STRONGEST MAGIC NOT ONLY BREAKS THE FLESH, IT DESTROY ITS TARGET¡¯S SOUL TOO!! YOUR DARK KNIGHT HAS BEEN FROZEN FOR ETERNITY IN THAT ICE PRISON!!!¡¹


    Muse couldn¡¯t help but raise her voice as she spoke.


    And yet, Shishou just looked at Muse with aposed smile on her face.


    ¡¸Are you sure? Can¡¯t you hear that? The dragon roar that¡¯s echoing inside that crystal tower? Kuna¡¯s ears can hear it clearly though.¡¹


    The moment Shishou said so, Muse and the other beauties looked at the crystal tower in a hurry.


    ¡¸What¡¯s¡­ that¡­?¡¹


    One of them muttered.


    Thus, I also looked in that direction.


    The crystal tower had been shaking non-stop. And then, something akin to roar could be heard from within every time the tower vibrated.


    ¡¸I-IMPOSSIBLE! ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT HE¡¯S STILL ALIVE AFTER RECEIVING MY GREATEST MAGIC?!!¡¹


    Alphos-sama eximed with a shocked look on his face.


    Numerous cracks appeared on the surface of the crystal tower.


    And then, that very moment.


    ¡¸GROAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹


    The roar shook the atmosphere and destroyed the crystal tower to pieces, the very next moment, ck mes burst out from within.


    ¡¸I-IMPOSSIBLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!¡¹


    Alphos-sama, who was floating in the air, shouted with disbelief upon seeing the lump of ck me rising up from the broken crystal tower.


    When the ck me rose high in the air, it dyed the azure sky into ck.


    ¡¸WAIT A MINUTE, WHAT IN THE HELL IS THAT?!!¡¹


    The beauties screamed.


    A giant silhouette could be seen from within the ck me that covered the sky.


    It was the silhouette of a giant ck dragon.


    The giant dragon was so big that this flying ship looked so small inparison.


    When the ck dragon spread his wings, the ck me that was unleashed from his entire being dyed the sky in a jet-ck color. The flying ship shook greatly with each p of the ck dragon¡¯s wings. It felt like this ship was a tiny little human ship sailing in the greatest of storms.


    The beauties screamed to the top of their lungs as they held on to the railing on the deck of the ship.


    ¡¸THIS MONSTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!!!¡¹


    Alphos-sama shouted as he fired his arrow toward the giant dragon.


    But, the arrow got erased by the ck me even before it arrived at its target.


    The ck Dragon swung his forelimbs as if swatting a mere annoying bug.


    And that light swing was enough to send Alphos-sama flying.


    ¡¸GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!¡¹


    ¡¸ALPHOS!!!!¡¹


    Alphos-sama and Muse¡¯s pained screams resounded almost at the same time. Alphos-sama, who got blown away, then crashed right on the ground.


    ¡¸W-WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THAT DRAGON?! ANSWER ME, WITCH!!¡¹


    Muse asked while ring at Shishou.


    ¡¸What are you talking about? That¡¯s clearly Kuroki. This is the unleashed power of dozens of dragons who sleep inside Kuroki. This is also the first time for Kuna to see it unleashed like this. Kuroki doesn¡¯t want to use this power since he still can¡¯t control it, but to think that it¡¯s so powerful! HAHAHAHA! THIS IS AWESOME, KUROKI!!! ¡¹


    Shishou looked like she was really into the role this time¡ªthe role of the evil witch.


    ¡¸NOOOOOOOOOOOOO! ALPHOS-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹


    I looked outside upon hearing the beauties¡¯ screams; the Giant ck Dragon didn¡¯t stop with just nting Alphos-sama into the ground, he followed it with a stomp of his rear leg to where Alphos-sama fell.


    Alphos-sama tried to get away from that ce, but s, he failed.


    That stomp was so powerful that Alphos-sama¡¯s body bounced back in the air and got smacked to the ground once again by the Giant ck Dragon.


    It was as if the Giant ck Dragon was toying with Alphos-sama.


    The beauties raised a scream and cried upon seeing such a situation.


    ¡¸PLEASE STOP HIM, WITCH! YOU GUYS HAVE WON! PLEASE STOP ALREADY, ALPHOS WILL DIE!!¡¹[TL: Why didn¡¯t they stop Alphos from trying to kill Kuroki? These women¡¯s brains must be rotten already]


    Muse went as far as kneeling in front of Shishou.


    Yeah, I want to stop this too.


    Handsome men were the treasures of this world. I didn¡¯t want to see Alphos-sama die too.


    But, Shishou justughed mockingly as she looked down at Muse.


    ¡¸Hah, what kind of nonsense are you talking about? Why do you think that Kuna will go out of her way to save your useless man? YOU SHOULD START WORRYING ABOUT YOUR OWN SAFETY!!¡¹


    After saying so, Shishou stood from the sofa and kicked Muse right in her face.

 Chapter 107.2: Dragons Awakening

    <strong>BGM</strong>


    And then, she took out her scythe.


    ¡¸NOW PREPARE YOURSELVES, UGLY BI*TCHES! THE DESPAIRED LOOK ON YOUR FACES TRULY SUIT YOU BEST! AND THAT WILL BE THE LAST EXPRESSION YOU MAKE IN YOUR LIFE!!¡¹


    ¡¸WHA?!!!!¡¹


    Muse retreated in fear while the beauties all raised a shrill scream once they noticed that Shishou was prepared to kill them all. Some of them took out their weapons in panic.


    ¡¸W-WAIT A MINUTE, SHISHOU!! PLEASE REMEMBER THAT MASTER KUROKI TOLD YOU TO STAY QUIET UNTIL THE END!!¡¹


    I tried to stop Shishou in a hurry.


    ¡¸What are you talking about, Polen? The battle ended with Kuroki¡¯s victory. Even Muse herself admitted that fact.¡¹


    Ah? SHE WAS RIGHT!!


    Oh no, she cannot be stopped.


    Though I certainly hate those beauties with nasty personalities, it didn¡¯t mean that I wanted them dead.


    What should I do now? Someone tell me!


    With no one to stop Shishou, this ship would fill up with headless corpses in a few minutes.


    The beauties¡¯ faces were dyed with fear as Shishou approached them with her scythe.


    ¡¸Stop right there!!!¡¹


    Suddenly, someone¡¯s voice could be heard. And by the next moment, the owner of that voice appeared before us.


    The moment I saw that person, I was captivated, because the person before us was an extremely beautiful Goddess.


    Before we knew it, another flying ship had parked beside ours and the Goddess was looking at us from its deck.


    Long, blonde hair that looked like it was exuding a pale bright light, almost transparent, snow-white skin. Despite having such huge boobs that were very obvious even from her attire, her waist was really slim. The molding of her face was perfect, and a powerful light dwelled in her eyes.


    A moment was all I needed to understand that she had such an overwhelming presence. Even the other beauties¡¯ attention had moved towards the Goddess. She dominated the ship the moment she appeared.


    Who is she, I wonder?


    ¡¸¡­ Rena-sama.¡¹


    One of the beauties muttered.


    ¡¸IT¡¯S RENA-SAMA! RENA-SAMA HAS COME!!¡¹


    ¡¸W-WE¡¯RE SAVED, RENA-SAMA CAME TO SAVE US!!¡¹


    ¡¸RENA-SAMA! RENA-SAMA!!¡¹


    ¡¸RENA-SAMA HAS COME!! VICTORY IS OURS!!¡¹


    The beauties raised a cheer.


    Is this Rena, the Goddess of Wisdom and Victory? This is my first time seeing her.


    One of the three most beautiful Goddesses in the world, Alphos-sama¡¯s little sister. Sure enough, her beauty didn¡¯t betray the rumors.


    That Goddess then jumped to our ship.


    ¡¸WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE, RENA?! EVEN IF IT¡¯S YOU, DON¡¯T THINK THAT YOU CAN STOP ME!!!¡¹


    Shishou red at Rena as she spoke. For some reason, upon a closer look, I realized that Rena¡¯s and Shishou¡¯s faces resembled each other.


    ¡¸Sorry but, can you be quiet for a little bit, Kuna?¡¹


    Rena pointed her palm toward Shishou.


    That moment, Shishou suddenly fell on her knees.


    ¡¸Y¨C Kuna¡¯s body¡­ Can¡¯t¡­¡¹


    Thus, Rena stopped Shishou with ease.


    ¡¸Sealing your movements is childsy for me, the real one!! Now Kuna, be a good girl for a while please!!¡¹


    Rena spoke with a triumphant look on her face.


    Such an amazing Goddess. She sealed Shishou¡¯s movement in just a second.


    ¡¸RENA-SAMA!! THOSE DAEMONS ARE COMING!!¡¹


    Rena¡¯s valkyrie warned her master.


    When I looked back, I saw daemons riding wyvernsing in our direction.


    ¡¸Calm down, we can¡¯t afford to act recklessly in this situation, Nier. Just let themnd on the deck of the ship.¡¹


    The valkyries looked even more surprised upon hearing Rena¡¯s remark.


    That¡¯s a relief, she had no intention to turn this into an all out battle.


    ¡¸Your Highness¨D¨D YOUR HIGHNESS POLEN¨D¨D!!!¡¹


    The daemonsnded on the ship.


    ¡¸YOUR HIGHNESS, ARE YOU OKAY?!!!¡¹


    The female daemon, who stood as their leader, kneeled before me.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay Guno, they won¡¯t attack us as long as we don¡¯t attack them. Be a good girl for now.¡¹


    Rena said so as she red at the daemon.


    ¡¸How did you know my name? But, we also can¡¯t act recklessly with Her Highness here¡­¡¹


    The daemon seemed to be really surprised since Rena knew her name.


    ¡ª How did Rena know the daemon¡¯s name?


    ¡¸RENA! ALPHOS! ALPHOS IS¨C¡¹


    Muse was clinging onto Rena¡¯s toga. Alphos-sama had gotten blown away yet again, his body was fluttering in the air like foliage in the middle of a giant storm. Master Kuroki who had turned into that Giant ck Dragon was apparently toying with Alphos-sama.


    ¡¸I¡­ I never knew¡­ I never knew that the Dark Knight was hiding this kind of strength all along¡­¡¹


    Muse spoke as she cried.


    I¡¯m really surprised too. I mean, now that this power has been revealed, I understood the reason why Shishou had never done anything from the beginning of the duel. I mean, Master Kuroki could win so easily if he used this power from the very beginning.


    ¡¸It¡¯s because he has been suppressing that power all along, Muse¡­ He was worried about other people¡¯s safety. But, to think that it¡¯s this powerful. We have to stop him¡­ Good grief, Alphos and the trouble that he always causes in his wake.¡¹


    Rena heaved a sigh as she spoke.


    ¡¸What are you trying to do¡­ Rena. Even though Kuroki has finally unleashed his true power¡­ Are you nning to be a hindrance¡­¡¹


    Shishou spoke to Rena with a wry smile on her face.


    ¡¸Well sure, I also want to keep looking at him in his most powerful state. But, that wille with the area turning into and of death due to the sheer destruction he can do. That¡¯s the one thing I don¡¯t want to see, that¡¯s why we have to stop him.¡¹


    Rena was smiling as she looked at Master Kuroki.


    ¡¸NO RENA-SAMA! YOU MUSTN¡¯T GET ANY CLOSER TO THAT MONSTER! WE CAN¡¯T STOP IT! WE HAVE TO ESCAPE FROM THIS PLACE IMMEDIATELY!¡¹


    The valkyrie tried to stop Rena.


    Yes, that was too reckless indeed. His roar alone was enough to drive fear into my heart. Some of the beauties even fell to their rear due to the fear, some even fainting immediately.


    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, some of them were leaking from both ends. To be honest, I also peed my pants a little. That¡¯s why I knew that it was impossible to stop the current Master.


    ¡¸What are you talking about, Nier? I¡¯m the only one capable of stopping him! Alphos¡¯ North Wind can¡¯t do anything to him! The only one that can stop him is the sun, ME! Now watch me¡¹


    Rena jumped off the ship as she said so. She flew amidst the ck storm, and stood in front of Master Kuroki as if protecting Alphos-sama who just got sted to the ground.


    ¡¸STOP!! THAT¡¯S TOO RECKLESS!!¡¹


    The female daemons shouted.


    Rena¡¯s figure looked like a speck of dustpared to Master Kuroki, who had transformed into a giant dragon. Anyone who saw that thought that Rena was too reckless.


    But, at that very moment, Rena¡¯s body shone like the sun.


    Suddenly, the giant dragon stopped moving.


    It was truly an unbelieveable spectacle.


    ¡¸No way¡­ The dragon has¡­ calmed down¡­¡¹


    One of the beauties muttered.


    It was truly an unbelievable spectacle.


    Master Kuroki¡¯s movements became slower and slower as Rena¡¯s body shone brighter and brighter. The dragon¡¯s roar became smaller and smaller till it vanished altogether.


    ¡¸AAAAH!! THE DRAGON! THE DRAGON HAS CALMED DOWN!¡¹


    ¡¸Amazing¡­ Rena-sama has actually¡­ managed to appease that terrifying dragon¡­¡¹


    ¡¸JUST LIKE A SUN!! TRULY THE GODDESS OF LIGHT!!!¡¹


    ¡¸How majestic¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Such a beautiful light¡­ She braved the danger just to save Alphos-sama.¡¹


    ¡¸AAAH!! RENA-SAMA!! RENA-SAMA!!!¡¹


    The beauties were so moved by this spectacle, some even cried.


    Well yeah, she was amazing. She managed to appease Master Kuroki who turned into a giant dragon with her tiny body.


    Didn¡¯t she feel scared at all?


    ¡¸W-W-WHAT¡¯S THE MEANING OF THIS!? HOW CAN SHE APPEASE HIS EXCELLENCY?!!!¡¹


    Poh-chan shouted with shock.


    Yeah, I feel the same way as her. I mean, she actually managed to stop Master Kuroki¡¯s rampage.


    ¡¸There¡¯s nothing strange about this¡­ She just awakened another powerful instinct dwelling in Kuroki, an instinct that¡¯s different from the destructive impulse of the dragons¡­ It should be possible for Rena.¡¹


    Kuna-shishou spoke as she gasped for breath. It seems she could barely move her body.


    But, what is the other powerful instinct she¡¯s talking about?


    Poh-chan seemed to be as puzzled as me.


    ¡¸Nevertheless¡­ That Rena¡­ How dare you disturb Kuroki¡¯s most brilliant moment¡­¡¹


    Kuna-shishou seemed to be really vexed. But honestly, I¡¯m d that Rena managed to stop Master Kuroki. I mean, turning this entire region into a death zone was a bit over the top.


    The ck Dragon¡¯s body got wrapped by ck me, and shrunk down. The ck me that covered the sky had also converged back into Master Kuroki, restoring the azure blue sky. And when all the ck me had vanished, the one who remained under the azure sky was the Dark Knight and the Goddess of Light.


    Master Kuroki and Rena then descended to the ground. Right below them was the figure of the beaten up Alphos-sama.


    The defeated Holy Knight, and then the Dark Knight who looked down on him.


    That moment, no one doubted who was the victor.

 Chapter 108.1: The Arrival of the Beautiful Goddess

    <strong>BGM</strong>


    ¡ôPrincess of Hell; Polen


    ¡¸Well then¡­ Are you really okay with this result, Your Highness Polen?¡¹


    Master Kuroki, the Dark Knight, was asking me.


    ¡¸Yes. If possible, I want to save Alphos-sama too.¡¹


    I said so as I cast a nce to the side where Kuna-shishou stood, pouting.


    Shishou¡¯s limbs and lips had been sealed by Goddess Rena, making her unable to speak and move for a while. Goddess Rena must be an amazing and powerful Goddess since she was able to easily restrict Kuna-shishou as well as stop Master Kuroki from rampaging in his dragon form.


    Well, that¡¯s Alphos-sama¡¯s little sister for you.


    Rena went to heal Alphos-sama after asking Master Kuroki to spare his life. The other beauties stood alongside her as well, desperately using their healing magic on Alphos-sama.


    I think Alphos-sama will be fine.


    Handsome guys are treasures of the world after all. They have to be protected.


    Nevertheless, just one of Master Kuroki¡¯s blows alone was already so terrifying. As I looked around, I noticed that the ground around us waspletely destroyed due to the sheer power behind each of Master¡¯s Kuroki¡¯s blows. Alphos-sama¡¯s crashes because of these hits had created several holes in the ground.


    Currently, we were standing in the middle of a giant crater.


    Though Master Kuroki hadn¡¯t really used his most powerful attack in this battle, the damage was already on a catastrophic level. But naturally, Master Kuroki was also suffering from the bacsh of his power, I mean, he had been slouching forward and using his demon sword as a walking cane since a while ago.


    As expected, such incredible power must have quite a severe bacsh too.


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸ALPHOS-SAMA!!!¡¹¡¹¡¹


    Once again, the beauties were screaming loudly. Guessing from their delighted tone, Alphos-sama must have regained his consciousness.


    A few secondster, the beauties parted to the sides. Then, I saw Alphos-sama walking to our direction, propped up by the Goddess of Poem, Muse. Though he was smeared with mud and soil and could barely walk on his own, he was still as handsome as ever, his beauty a splendor that shined brighter than the sun itself.


    ¡¸It seems I¡¯ve lost¡­ Hahaha¡­ I used my all and still lost to you¡­¡¹


    Alphos-sama spoke with a self-depreciating voice as he looked at Master Kuroki.


    ¡¸Hey¡­ Can you let me see the face behind that helmet? I want to at least remember the face of the one who defeated me.¡¹


    Hearing that, Master Kuroki nodded and then unfasten his helmet.


    The beauties who saw Master Kuroki raised anothermotion. That was only natural since Master Kuroki had a well ordered face that wouldn¡¯t lose to the young gods of Elios.


    ¡¸No way¡­ He¡¯s¡­ So handsome¡­¡¹


    ¡¸How surprising. Weren¡¯t the Evil Gods¡¯rades supposed to be ugly?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, I expected his face to be as ugly as them¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, just imagining their ugly faces is enough to make me want to puke¡­¡¹


    ¡¸How weird. Why are you working as the Demon King¡¯s subordinate?¡¹


    The beauties were moring amongst themselves. Hearing that, I puffed my chest and looked at them with pride. Master Kuroki was Nargol¡¯s most precious treasure, someone we couldn¡¯t afford to lose.


    ¡¸So that¡¯s your face. I¡¯vemitted it to memory¡­¡¹


    Alphos-sama and Master Kuroki¡¯s line of sight ovepped. The spectacle of two handsome men looking at each other was truly picturesque. I really wanted to preserve this scene with image magic.


    ¡¸Alphos, to honor Her Highness Polen¡¯s wish, I shall overlook your transgression today! But, you have to apologize to Her Highness for insulting her!!¡¹


    Master Kuroki dered as he looked at Alphos-sama and the women around him. The beauties were frightened by his deration.


    Yup, they¡¯re still scared of Master Kuroki after all.


    A dragon roar had the same kind of effect as fear magic. People with low magic resistance would end up scared sh*tless for the rest of their life. Poh-chan behind me had also peed in her pants upon hearing Master Kuroki¡¯s dragon roar in his giant dragon form.


    ¡¸¡­ Sorry for saying bad things about you, PIGGY-SAN.¡¹


    ¡¸Please forgive me too, PIGGY-CHAN.¡¹


    ¡¸My deepest apologies. Upon a closer look, you¡¯re in fact an adorable PIGLET.¡¹


    ¡¸My deepest apologies for calling adorable children like you children of PIGS.¡¹


    ¡¸Sometime ago, I received an offering of a strong-looking male PIG from my believer. I¡¯ll give him to you.¡¹


    The beauties were apologizing to me.


    But, it felt like they were not apologizing at all¨D¨D¨D¨D!!!


    ¡­ They still called me a PIG.


    ¡¸I guess I owe you an apology too, Princess of Hell.¡¹


    Alphos-sama left Muse¡¯s side and walked toward us as he spoke.


    ¡¸Eh?!! Alphos-sama!! That¡¯s awesome!!¡¹


    At that moment, I unintentionally raised a delighted voice. A direct greeting from Alphos-sama was the dream of all girls in the entire world.


    Alphos-sama was smiling gently as he spoke. His smile was truly fascinating. Even if the beauties didn¡¯t apologize, this smile alone was enough for me.


    Alphos-sama kept his beautiful smile as he approached, kneeling when he arrived and grasping a hand.


    ¡¸My apologies. My girls have been saying such cruel remarks even though the other party is such an adorable girl. I never expected that there would be such an adorable girl like you in Hell. Shall we have a private meeting next time, just the two of us?¡¹


    And uttered those words as he kissed that hand.


    No one reacted since those series of movements were way too natural. The scene of Elios¡¯ knight kneeling in front of Nargol¡¯s princess was too rare. And then, Alphos-sama made a gentle smile as he stood up and left¡­ from in front of Kuna-shishou.


    EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE¨D¨D¨D¨D¨DH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


    I screamed deep inside.


    What¡¯s the meaning of this? I¡¯m the princess though¨D¨D¨D!!!


    Could it be that Alphos-sama didn¡¯t even notice my existence?!!!!


    So that means he was only looking at Kuna-shishou who stood beside me?!!!


    He didn¡¯t even see me from the very beginning. Everyone, including Kuna-shishou, was clearly dumbfounded when they saw him kissing the back of Kuna-shishou¡¯s hand.


    ¡¸Farewell Dark Knight! I shall repay this debt someday!!¡¹


    Thus, Alphos-sama and co left.


    That was such a splendid way to leave the stage.


    In the blink of an eye, Alphos-sama¡¯s ship had already left the ce.


    ¡¸That guy¡­ He didn¡¯t even realize Kuna¡¯s identity¡­¡¹


    A whileter, shishou who had finally snapped out of it, muttered while looking at the direction where Alphos-sama¡¯s ship vanished.


    But her eyes were as if she was looking at trash.


    ¡¸That bastard¡­ I would¡¯ve been able to stop him if I was in perfect condition¡­ Thatst movement was way too natural.¡¹


    Master Kuroki said so, seemingly having a hard time moving. Even master Kuroki was dumbfounded by Alphos-sama¡¯s action.


    ¡¸Thank you Ku¡­ I mean, Dark Knight. Thank you for sparing Alphos¡¯ life.¡¹


    Suddenly, I heard someone¡¯s voice thanking master Kuroki. There, I saw Rena and her valkyrie.


    They hadn¡¯t left with Alphos-sama.


    ¡¸It¡¯s nothing¡­ The one who spared his life isn¡¯t me, it¡¯s Her Highness.¡¹


    Master Kuroki replied without even looking at Rena.


    Rena revealed an enigmatic, yet charming smile upon seeing his reaction.


    ¡¸Fufufu. Well, it¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s just say that the case is closed. You have your own position after all. And, are you guys going to head towards the sweet castle? If so, then I shall go first.¡¹


    Rena and co left after she said so.


    Oh damn, right, I was currently in a hurry to save Datie and Grandma. I hope they¡¯re fine; how could I forget about such an important matter?


    ¡¸Your Highness, let¡¯s go, we can¡¯t waste more time.¡¹


    Master Kuroki said to me.


    I became anxious upon seeing his current situation.


    ¡¸Okay, Master Kuroki. But, are you okay? I mean¡­ You¡¯ve been in that posture since a while ago¡­¡¹


    Master Kuroki was standing in a strange posture for a while. It was as if he was having a hard time moving and had to use his sword as a walking cane.


    ¡¸Ah. I¡¯m fine, Your Highness. This is recoil from using that power. It turned out this way since a vast amount of draconic lifeforce was poured at once into my body due to that awakening¡­ I just have a hard time moving around, but it shouldn¡¯t be a big deal.¡¹


    Master Kuroki spoke with a reassuring smile. But, he seemed to be forcing himself.


    ¡¸He¡¯s right, Polen. Kuna will do something about Kuroki¡¯s conditionter. So don¡¯t worry about it.¡¹


    When shishou puffed her cheeks as she spoke, her bazongas shook as if showing off their might.


    ¡¸Yeah, Your Highness Polen. His Excellency will be okay since we will stay by his side too.¡¹


    ¡¸Wait a minute? What¡¯s the meaning of this, Guno? It¡¯s not your turn.¡¹

 Chapter 108.2: The Arrival of the Beautiful Goddess

    ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸EEE~H!! NO WA~Y!!¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹


    Shishou and the female daemons started to quarrel.


    It seems everyone didn¡¯t want me to worry about this matter.


    ¡¸WAIT, EVERYONE!! MASTER KUROKI WON¡¯T BE ABLE TO FIGHT ANYMORE IN HIS CURRENT STATE!! I¡¯LL BE THE VANGUARD TO SAVE MY DEAR GRANDMA!! PLEASE WATCH, MASTER KUROKI!! LET¡¯S GO, POH-CHAN!! FORM CHANGE!!!¡¹


    I retreated as I said so to Poh-chan.


    ¡¸Roger¡­ I shall help Your Highness since you¡¯ve made this resolution.¡¹


    Thus, Poh-chan transformed into her true figure, a giant bear. Master Kuroki had already fought bravely for me. I shouldn¡¯t push him more than this.


    Now it was my turn.


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    ¡¸HEED MY CALL AND COME FORTH! GREAT SERPENT OF EARTH WHO GNAWS THE CENTER OF THE WORLD AND ROTS EVERYTHING YOU TOUCH, N¨ªeh?ggr!!¡¹


    A witch with three frog heads appeared before us as we were trying to assist Reiji, and summoned a high rank spirit of earth. It seems she wanted to prevent us from assisting Reiji.


    The high rank spirit, N¨ªeh?ggr had the ability to rot everything in her way and make them perish, sending them to the depth of hell. And just like that, she turned the area around us into pandemonium.


    ¡¸RINO-SAN!!¡¹


    I called Rino in a hurry.


    ¡¸I KNOW, CHIYUKI-SAN! O STELLAR¡¯S SEA EAGLE OF WIND, WHO FLAPS HIS WINGS AT THE SUMMIT OF THE WORLD! HEED RINO¡¯S CALL AND COME FORTH! Hr?svelgr!¡¹


    Rino summoned the high rank spirit of wind, Hr?svelgr, to counter N¨ªeh?ggr. As soon as he appeared, Hr?svelgr created a wind shield that sealed N¨ªeh?ggr.


    That would reduce the environmental damage.


    Though the general had already sent an order to withdraw from the forest, some people might still be there. Now, with no one around them, they had to fend for themselves.


    After summoning Hr?svelgr, Rino chanted another aria. It was to counter the few hundred Toad Singer Princesses summoned by the Frog Witch. The power of the evil gods were enhanced by the chorus of the Frog Divas. As such, Rino was singing to counter the song of Frog Divas.


    Rino¡¯s beautiful voice and the Toad Singer Princesses¡¯ chorus resounded in the area.


    Nevertheless, the figure of Rino singing desperately as she controlled the high rank spirit was something that I wouldn¡¯t expect from the usually cheerful her.


    That¡¯s why I had to do my best too.


    ¡¸SEVENFOLD EXPLODING BULLET!!!¡¹


    ¡¸HUMPH!! CALAMITY LIGHTNING!!¡¹


    But, my exploding bullet got shot down so easily by the Frog Witch. I had detonated midway before even managing to reach my target.


    The Frog Witch has three heads. That might be the reason why she could use three different kinds of magic. The 1st head was to control N¨ªeh?ggr, the 2nd head was to fight me, and the 3rd head was to control the weather.


    Rain clouds gathered above our heads, enhancing the Witch & her Toadmen¡¯s magical power. The amount of her magical power was simply too vast. Even Rino-san and I couldn¡¯t defeat her when we fought together. Since that was the case, our only option was direct attacks.


    I looked at Nao and Shirone, whose forte was physical attack. They were both currently fighting against the God of Scorpionmen, Giltar. This God was the only one who came specifically to fight us girls instead of Reiji.


    Giltar had appeared before us in human form, however, now, he had transformed to a grotesque figure that had a pair of wings on his back, huge pincers that grew from his shoulders and reached the ground, another pair of arms and legs, and an exoskeleton-like red armor. He was fighting Nao & Shirone in this form.


    His four arms wielded bows and spears as his huge pincers fired wind cutters, his flexible tail was also moving like an elongated whip.


    He was powerful.


    Shirone-san was the second strongest after Reiji, and it had been a while since I saw Nao transform into her leopard form. Yet, Giltar could easily fend them off. I had never expected that there would be such a powerful opponent out there.


    Far from assisting Reiji, I couldn¡¯t even get close to the Frog Witch.


    We really are in a predicament this time.


    I looked at Reiji¡¯s side. He was fighting those Evil Gods by himself while we already had our hands full with just one Evil God. And yet, those Evil Gods kept receiving a beating from Reiji, half of them had already retired from the internal quarrel.


    Their number might have reduced but the remaining Evil Gods were the powerful ones. The number of weak evil gods that could be defeated in the beginning had decreased.


    Reiji crossed swords with the Evil God who wore a ck lion mask. This God was really skilled as he didn¡¯t get pushed back by Reiji. He swung his greatsword, which was engraved with a giant big dipper crest on its de, toward Reiji.


    Reiji sessfully parried the blow with his two swords without being blown away.


    And then, the shining Evil God, who got taken down by Reiji in the beginning, had entered the fray again. He turned out to be quite a formidable opponent. He could use light magic like Reiji, he was even also a double wielder. But, since he was on really bad terms with the ck lion, he wasn¡¯t that much of a threat.


    On the other hand, it was also harder to decide the victor since there were simply too many opponents; retreat might be the best option. But, the use of teleportation magic in this area had been sealed. We would have a hard time if we forced ourselves to retreat as well.


    I had to do something about this situation.


    ¡¸What?!!¡¹


    The moment I thought so, the Frog Witch, Heqat, suddenly shouted in shock.


    When I turned around, I saw a huge flying ship breaking through the rain clouds.


    ¡¸What is that?! That flying ship is so shy.¡¹


    shy was an understatement, that ship was simply painful to watch. It wasn¡¯t just me, everyone else had noticed the sudden appearance of the shy flying ship too.


    If Rena¡¯s flying ship was an elegant one, then that flying ship was a pompous one. Moreover, a figure of a woman stood on the bow of that flying ship. Even though looking away during battle was taboo, my eyes couldn¡¯t help but be drawn toward that woman.


    ¡¸Uwaa¡­ Amazing boobs¡­¡¹


    Rino¡¯s eyes were opened wide, locking on to the massive boobs of the woman. Yes, that woman¡¯s boobs were simply MASSIVE. One rank above huge. Rino, who was constantly worrying about her small breasts was looking at those MASSIVE pair of t*ts as if she wanted to eat them.


    Not to mention that the garment of that woman was almost non-existent too. Her attire was even smaller than a swimsuit and hid nothing but the pointy tips of her MASSIVE pair of t*ts and private area Not to mention that even the so called attire was made of thin material to the point that it was almost see through.


    She was a beauty whose long hair was decorated with lots of gems.


    ¡¸EVERYONE¡¯S BEAUTIFUL GODDESS, ISHTAR-CHAN, HAS ARRIVED¨D¨D¨D!!!¡¹


    The beauty spoke with a clear and transparent voice.


    All of us were really surprised by the sudden visit of the Goddess.

 Chapter 109.1: Scuffle of the Gods

    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    An extremely shy flying ship arrived right in front of us. On its bow stood a half naked Goddess with enormous boobs. Since she wore various essories all over her body, all iid with shiny gems, she was really sparkling.


    She was poison to the eyes, in various ways.


    ¡¸EVERYONE¡¯S BEAUTIFUL GODDESS, ISHTAR-CHAN HAS ARRIVED¨D¨D¨D!!!¡¹


    The Goddess waved her hand towards the Evil Gods and, with every wave, her humongous boobs swayed along.


    Yeah, it was an extremely tempting spectacle for men.


    AND DAMMIT, THEY WERE MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH BIGGER THAN MINE!!!


    The Evil Gods kept cheering every time that Goddess¡¯ boobs shook. Even though they were fighting for Rena a while ago¡­


    ¡¸Chiyuki-san¡­ Something AMAZING is visiting this ce.¡¹


    Rino spoke to me with a dumbfounded look on her face. Her hands were propping imaginary enormous boobs in front of her t chest.


    It¡¯s okay, I believe that you have the possibility to grow.


    Nevertheless, the name of the Goddess was unexpectedly familiar.


    ¡¸Sure is, Rino-chan. But, she did call herself Ishtar right¡­¡¹


    Goddess of Love and Beauty, Ishtar. She was the same as Rena, one of the pir Gods of Elios.


    Why did she suddenly appear in this kind of ce?


    The fight got interrupted due to her arrival though. Thanks to that we could take a breather. Reiji got away from the Evil Gods while Shirone and Nao regrouped with us.


    ¡¸If it isn¡¯t Ishtar? So you¡¯vee eh. Did youe for an inspection?¡¹


    ¡¸Correct, Heqat, and long time no see. I wish you had invited me to something as interesting as this.¡¹


    Ishtar spoke while looking at the Evil Gods.


    ¡¸Ishtar-sama, please don¡¯t treat this as something interesting!!¡¹


    Suddenly someone¡¯s protest came from Ishtar¡¯s ship, and no matter how you looked at it, this person was definitely a magician. The person had their face covered with a mask, which was a symbol of magicians. Magicians would usually wear painted masks that took the shape of an old man¡¯s face and would cover their head with a wide tri-corner hat.


    They were usually dressed like that to prevent people from knowing who they are, which is why I couldn¡¯t tell that person¡¯s gender. However, even though their voice and mask prevented me from knowing their gender, their gestures still indicated that they were rather young.


    Moreover, since that person is on Ishtar¡¯s ship, are they somehow rted to Elios?


    After seeing the masked magician arguing with the Goddess, Heqat the Frog Witch addressed them.


    ¡¸Hou, if it isn¡¯t Loughas¡¯ disciple? Did youe because you were worried about your big brother?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, and long time no see, Master Heqat. My apologies, but I have to bring my brother back. I mean, things are going to be troublesometer if my big brother causes another problem¡­¡¹


    ¡¸WAIT A MINUTE, WHAT DO YOU MEAN, MY LITTLE SISTER!!?¡¹


    The ck lion shouted at the magician.


    But, little sister eh. So this masked magician was a woman huh?


    ¡¸Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter. I was just amusing myself after all, ribbit ribbit. But, your big brother doesn¡¯t seem to want to stop yet.¡¹


    Witch Heqat spoke with an eerie smile.


    Nevertheless, I¡¯ve been thinking about this since a long time ago but, only now did I get proof that not all the Evil Gods of this world are the Demon King¡¯s subordinates.


    I mean, ording to the legend spread amongst humans, the Demon King was said to be the one to lead all of those Evil Gods. Did that mean that reality was different from the legend?


    Moreover, the magician from Elios did call one of those Evil Gods as her big brother.


    There was too much information mixed in my head.


    ¡¸THAT¡¯S RIGHT, DON¡¯T DISTURB MY BATTLE! AS IF I¡¯M GOING TO LET RENA BE SNATCHED BY THIS UPSTART!!¡¹


    The Evil Gods agreed in unison upon hearing the ck Lion say so. The masked magician, on the other hand, seemed to be at her wit¡¯s end upon hearing that.


    ¡¸Fufufu, isn¡¯t it interesting? Seeing men fight each others bravely for a woman makes me really excited.¡¹


    Different from the masked magician, Ishtar seemed to enjoy this situation. And then, her eyes locked on Reiji. It was the eyes of a predator who found her prey.


    ¡¸Are you the one they refer to as Rena-chan¡¯s hero?¡¹


    When Ishtar said so, Reiji replied with a nod.


    ¡¸Yeah. I¡¯m Rena¡¯s hero.¡¹


    ¡¸Oh my, you¡¯re as handsome as the rumors say, and strong on top of that too. They still can¡¯t beat you even when they fight you in a group. No wonder Rena-chan is madly in love with you.¡¹


    ¡¸GRHHHHHHHHH.¡¹


    The Evil Gods were clearly so vexed upon hearing that. Surely, despite the internal fight in their group, Reiji managed to single-handedly fight them all. I guess Reiji was just that powerful.


    ¡¸Fufufu, you¡¯re so wonderful. Want to have a little chat with this big sister once this fight is over? If you¡¯re willing to, we can have a chat over tea in my bedroom.¡¹


    ¡¸Haha, that¡¯s an interesting proposal.¡¹


    Reiji replied with a refreshing smile upon hearing Ishtar¡¯s question.


    Wait a minute, Reiji. What are you trying to pull here?


    ¡¸What¡¯s the meaning of this, Mama?! You still have father right?¡¹


    The God who got beaten first by Reiji suddenly came to Ishtar¡¯s side.


    Wait, MAMA?!! She¡¯s his MOTHER!!!


    ¡¸Oh my, so you came to this ce too, Hal-cha~n? Come to think of it, you did ask me so many questions after I showed you Rena-chan¡¯s picture~. Even though you were always sticking to me when you were a child. Mama is sad and lonely you kno~w.¡¹


    Ishtar spoke in a teasing manner to the God.


    ¡¸MAMA!!!¡¹


    ¡¸But well, mama understands your concern. At this rate, Rena-chan is going to be taken. That¡¯s why you¡¯re working together with everyone to crush her boyfriend. I personally don¡¯t hate that. Nevertheless, after seeing your condition, it seems the n isn¡¯t going as you expected.¡¹


    Ishtar showed a charming smile as she looked at Reiji.


    ¡¸Wait a minute, Ishtar!! The other people aside!! Stop grouping me together with THOSE GUYS!! I nned to kick his ass after he defeated the other guys!! Thus, I shall be the final winner!!¡¹


    The one who raised his voice was Giltar, who fought Shirone and co a while ago.


    Come to think of it, he was the only one who didn¡¯t fight Reiji like the other Evil Gods. But, that wasn¡¯t because he was weak, the real reason was to wait for Reiji to tire himself. The reason I could say that was because he could handle both Shirone and Nao at the same time without putting in much effort.


    The two of them returned to my side after they got away from Giltar.


    Upon returning, Nao¡¯s face changed back to that of a human.


    Seeing their state, I realized that Giltar was pulling his punches when he fought them. Thus, he was undoubtedly as powerful as the other Evil Gods.


    ¡¸Wait! I¡¯ve yet to lose! Get out of this ce, Giltar! I will fight that hero on my own!¡¹


    But, the ck Lion shouted so while pointing his sword toward Reiji.


    ¡¸Enough of this, Nii-san! Stop doing this kind of stupid thing and let¡¯s go back to Elios! Dear Mother is worrying about you!!¡¹


    ¡¸Sorry but nothing can stop me from thi¡ª GUH!!¡¹


    The ck Lion suddenly raised a pained scream.


    ¡¸You let your guard down, Thors. You forget that we¡¯re actually your enemies too. Now get out of this ce as you suffer from my poison.¡¹


    At that moment, I saw Giltar¡¯s poisonous tail moving like a whip and stabbing the ck Lion¡¯s back.


    ¡¸Giltar, you¡­ Bastard¡­¡¹


    The ck Lion who muttered so then fell on the ground as if he lost his strength.


    ¡¸Nii-san!!¡¹


    The masked magician jumped down from the ship in a hurry upon seeing the ck lion fall on his knees.


    ¡¸Now then, all of you can get out of my sight. You guys are just a bunch of mobs after all.¡¹


    ¡¸What! What¡¯s the meaning of this, Giltar?!¡¹


    ¡¸You f*cker, how dare you say that!!¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re just by yourself, GIltar!!¡¹


    ¡¸You think you have the right to trash talk just because you¡¯re a little bit stronger!!¡¹


    The Evil Gods-including Harsesh- got pissed off upon hearing Giltar regarding them as mobs.


    Well, their internal conflict was the best oue for us but we couldn¡¯t control them either.


    ¡¸THAT¡¯S ENOUGH!!! PLEASE STOP!!¡¹


    But then, a voice suddenly resounded in the area.


    When I turned around, I saw Rena¡¯s flying ship heading toward our direction.


    Rena stood on the starboard with an enraged look on her face.


    ¡¸OOO, RENA-CHA¨D¨D¨DN!!!¡¹


    ¡¸OOOH, RENA!! MAIDEN OF HEAVENLY BEAUTY!! HAVE YOU COME FOR THIS HARSESH!??¡¹


    ¡¸RENA-CHAN!!! RENA-CHAN!!¡¹


    ¡¸RENA-TAN, HEHEHE!!¡¹


    ¡¸OOH, IF IT ISN¡¯T MY DEAR PRINCESS RENA!! HAVE YOU COME TO SEE MY GALLANT FIGURE!!¡¹


    ¡¸RENA-CHAN!! PLEASE WAIT RIGHT THERE, I¡¯LL CRUSH THIS BAD GUY WHO DARED TO TRICK YOU!!¡¹


    The Evil Gods were scurrying amongst themselves. The uproar was even greater than when they saw Ishtaring. But, Rena just heaved a sigh as she saw them. It seems she also felt disgusted by them.


    I understand your feeling, bro.


    ¡¸Oh my? Have you just arrived now, Rena-chan? What took you so long to arrive~¡¹


    ¡¸That should be what I say, Ishtar-sama! And what¡¯s Totona doing here?!¡¹


    Rena looked around.


    ¡¸Hey, that should be my words, Rena! What are you doing here?! And what about Alphos?! Where is he now of all time?!¡¹


    When I looked at the direction of that voice, it came from the masked magician who pulled the ck Lion.


    The magician was hopping on Rena¡¯s ship. When I saw them facing each other, it was as if sparks were flying around them. It seems they were on bad terms. And one thing I noticed was her name, Totona should be the name of the Goddess of Knowledge.


    ¡¸That idiot Alphos got beaten ck and blue and had to go back to Elios for further treatment! Well, I do have some business in this ce too!!¡¹


    ¡¸EH?!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡¹


    The moment Rena spoke those words, everyone-except us-raised shocked voices.


    ¡¸WAIT A MINUTE, RENA-CHAN!! DID YOU JUST SAY THAT AL GOT BEATEN BLACK AND BLUE JUST NOW?!!!¡¹


    Ishtar asked Rena.


    ¡¸ISHTAR-SAMA!! ALPHOS-SAMA GOT BEATEN BLACK AND BLUE BY THE DARK KNIGHT WHO¡¯S HEADING THIS WAY! WE SHOULD LEAVE THIS PLACE TOO SINCE THAT SCARY DARK KNIGHT IS ON HIS WAY TO THIS PLACE!!¡¹


    Nier replied instead of Rena.


    This time, everyone including us got really surprised.


    Speaking of the Dark Knight, there was one figure that appeared immediately in my mind. And that figure was none other than Shirone¡¯s childhood friend, Kuroki.


    ¡¸WAIT A MINUTE, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?! THE DARK KNIGHT YOU¡¯RE TALKING ABOUT IS KUROKI RIGHT!??¡¹


    Hearing Nier¡¯s remark, Shirone went to Nier¡¯s side immediately.


    ¡¸THAT MAN IS AN EXTREMELY TERRIFYING MAN, SHIRONE!! EVEN ALPHOS-SAMA LOST TO HIM!! WE SIMPLY GOT OVERLOOKED BY HIM A WHILE AGO!! BUT I DON¡¯T THINK HE¡¯S KIND ENOUGH TO OVERLOOK US AGAIN THIS TIME!!WE SHOULD RETREAT NOW!¡¹


    Nier kept trying to convince us to retreat but, I don¡¯t think defeating Alphos is such a big deal. I mean, he didn¡¯t seem to be that powerful after all.


    But then, looking at everyone aside from our group¡¯s reaction, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case.


    ¡¸Lies¡­ Alphos, he¡­ lost¡­¡¹


    Totona retreated, shaking her head as she spoke.


    The Evil Gods were showing the same shocked reaction.


    ¡¸How surprising¡­ My archrival has lost¡­¡¹


    Giltar was also surprised.


    ¡¸No way, the most handsome guy after me was¡­ defeated.¡¹


    The Evil God, whose appearance resembled thebination of a pig and a wrinkled toad, actually had the gall to make such a shameless remark.


    ¡¸How can it be¡­ The most handsome guy after me has actually been defeated¡­ ¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. It sounds unbelievable. Our lifelong rival has actually been defeated. The fe whose appearance rivaled mine, with strength that surpassed mine has actually been defeated. It must be a lie.¡¹


    ¡¸We were so scared¡­¡¹


    The Evil Gods were quarreling again.


    Appearance-wise, Alphos was a hundred times better than them though. Rather, those guys are just in ugly. I had to do my best to swallow my retort to their remark.


    But from their conversation, it seems that our group was the only one who had no idea that Alphos was far more powerful than them.


    I mean, their shameless remarks aside, their face was serious.


    ¡¸Chiyuki, we have to evacuate!! We won¡¯t be able to fight him and those guys at the same time!!¡¹


    Reiji stepped back.


    Well, he was no match to the Dark Knight either. So it was only natural for him to choose the option to retreat.


    ¡¸Running away with a tail between your legs eh, hero?!!¡¹


    Giltar tried to provoke Reiji who tried to retreat.


    ¡¸THE DARK KNIGHT IS COMING! I CANNOT PLAY AROUND WITH YOU RIGHT NOW! LET¡¯S DECIDE THE VICTOR IN THE NEXT MATCH!!¡¹


    Reiji shouted.

 Chapter 109.2: Scuffle of the Gods

    ¡¸The Dark Knight who defeated Alphos, eh¡­ Sure enough, I am definitely unwilling to face such a terrifying opponent. Fine, let¡¯s postpone our match for the next time!!¡¹


    Thus, Giltar flew away from this ce. The other Evil Gods followed suit, they didn¡¯t think it was good to stay in this ce anymore. Naturally, they didn¡¯t forget to throw some parting words fit for their 3rd rate viin statuses. I was really surprised by their swift reaction just by hearing that the one who defeated Alphos wasing.


    ¡¸Dammit, Hero!! Don¡¯t think that you¡¯ve already won!!¡¹


    Harsesh was thest one to leave, leaving us behind in this ce.


    ¡¸WAIT, REIJI-KUN! THERE¡¯S NO NEED TO ESCAPE, IT¡¯S KUROKI!!¡¹


    Naturally, Shirone tried to stop us from retreating.


    ¡¸Shirone, even I would have never expected that man to be this dangerous¡­ We have to get away from here ASAP.¡¹


    Nier trembled non-stop as she spoke. What in the world had she seen in that battle?!


    ¡¸GAOOOOOO¨D¨D¨D¨D¨DOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!¡¹


    Suddenly, an adorable cry of a beast resounded in the entire area.


    ¡¸OH NO, HE¡¯S COMING!!!¡¹


    The moment Nier raised a cry, we looked at the direction of the roar. At that moment, we saw¡­ a giant TEDDY BEAR making its way through the forest toward our location.


    The head of the teddy tear, whose height was around ten meters tall, could be seen amongst the trees. Though it tried to be as threatening as a real bear, it looked like a giant teddy bear no matter how you looked at it.


    ¡¸WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THAT ADORABLE CREATURE!!!¡¹


    Now it was Rino¡¯s turn to raise a joyous voice. The teddy bear seemingly had a hard time going through the forest.


    Yeah, they couldn¡¯te so easily.


    ¡¸GAOOOOOO¨D¨D¨D¨D¨DOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!¡¹


    The giant teddy bear raised a roar. An extremely adorable roar with zero threat.


    ¡¸An adorable creature ising¡­¡¹


    Nao, who had transformed back to a human, muttered so.


    ¡¸Seriously, what is it¡­ It¡¯s so adorable.¡¹


    The teddy bear walked slowly toward our direction. Even the way it walked was so adorable.


    ¡¸CHIYUKI-SAN LOOK!! THERE¡¯S AN ADORABLE PINK PIG ON TOP OF THE BEAR¡¯S HEAD!!¡¹


    It¡¯s just as Rino had said, standing on top of the teddy bear was a hammer wielding pink pig.


    HOW FANCY!!!


    Or rather, what in the world are they?


    ¡¸WAIT RINO!! LOOK AT WHAT¡¯S FOLLOWING THEM!!¡¹


    Reiji was pointing at the Dark Knight on the ck dragon flying behind the teddy bear, they had obviouslye together.


    Flying around the ck dragon were the daemons riding on wyverns. No doubt about it, that was Shirone¡¯s childhood friend.


    ¡¸Reiji, rest assured. You can withdraw now.¡¹


    Reiji nodded when Rena said so.


    ¡¸Understood, everyone retreat.¡¹


    Reiji shrewdly hopped onto Rena¡¯s ship. We also followed in a hurry.


    ¡¸Wait, Reiji-kun. There¡¯s no need to escape from Kuroki.¡¹


    ¡¸THAT¡¯S RIGHT!! AN ADORABLE BEAR IS COMING FOR US!! WE HAVE TO GET TO KNOW IT!!¡¹


    Shirone and Rino opposed Reiji¡¯s decision.


    Well, honestly speaking, I wanted to see the teddy bear from up close too.


    ¡¸I agree, Rena-chan!! I¡¯m also interested in the Dark Knight who defeated Alphos!!¡¹


    For some reason, Ishtar had also boarded Rena¡¯s ship. I mean, why did you not board your own ship, you walking striptease.


    ¡¸Fufufu, the Dark Knight who defeated Alphos. I wonder what kind of man is he?¡¹


    Ishtar licked her lips as she spoke.


    Shirone¡¯s face changed the moment she saw Ishtar¡¯s face.


    ¡¸OKAY! TIME TO GO BACK! EVERYONE WITHDRAW!¡¹


    ¡¸Eh? Shirone-san? Why are you in such a hurry?¡¹


    Even Rino couldn¡¯t hide her shock upon seeing Shirone¡¯s sudden change of attitude.


    ¡¸RIGHT AWAY, SHIRONE!! NIER, PREPARE TO MOVE IMMEDIATELY!! TOTONA, YOU HOLD THE OTHER SIDE!!¡¹


    ¡¸Understood, Rena¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, what¡¯s the matter, Rena-chan?! And why did you nk me too, Totona-chan?!!¡¹


    Both Rena and Totona seized Ishtar¡¯s shoulders as if to prevent her from moving from that ce. Their coordination was perfect. Weren¡¯t they supposed to be on bad terms?


    Thus, Rena¡¯s ship and Ishtar¡¯s ship started to move away from the giant teddy bear.


    In this way, we withdrew from the battlefield.


    <strong>¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki</strong>


    We arrived terriblyte at the sweet castle. Reiji and co had withdrawn the moment I arrived. Thanks to that we didn¡¯t have to sh. Thus, everyone was safe and sound.


    Datie seemed to be really delighted.


    ¡¸DEAR GRANNY, YOU¡¯RE SAFE!!¡¹


    Polen was rushing toward Heqat.


    ¡¸Yeah, I¡¯m okay, ribbit ribbit. Never expected this crybaby toe to save this old granny though. All I did was have some fun with them. Never expected that I¡¯d be so grateful for this.¡¹


    Heqat brushed Polen¡¯s head as she praised her. She looked really happy. It seems that she was also worried about Polen, who always locked herself in her own room. Her face just now had shown a relieved smile, she had finally seen her granddaughter all grown up.


    ¡¸You have my gratitude. As expected of the strongest Dark Knight. I never expected you to be able to make my crybaby grow so much.¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s no big deal, Heqat-dono. I just gave her a simple push. The rest is Her Highness¡¯ own will.¡¹


    I replied humbly as it was a matter of fact. I mean, all I did was truly give her a few pushes and left her to decide on her own. It wouldn¡¯t have amounted to anything if I was the one who moved while Polen did nothing.


    ¡¸YOUR EXCELLENCY¨D¨D¨D¨D!! YOU CAME TO SAVE ME RIGHT ¨D¨D¨D¨D!!!¡¹


    Datie came closer, herrge build was honestly nauseating. I moved away and hid behind Kuna immediately. It might look miserable but what choice do I have?


    Kuna stood before Datie to stop her.


    ¡¸Datie¡­ Don¡¯t make Kuroki feel troubled.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes¡­¡¹


    When Kunamanded her, Datie retreated with a disappointed look on her face.


    I only felt a pang of guilt though.


    ¡¸Haha, it¡¯s good to see you safe Datie-dono. But, you should show your gratitude to Her Highness. Her Highness is the one who worried about you after all.¡¹


    I looked at Polen as I said so. Datie then headed toward Polen.


    ¡¸Thank you very much, Your Highness. About the art, the delivery of Elios¡¯ Handsome Gods Nak¨CMGHGHGHGH!!¡¹


    ¡¸WAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!¡¹


    Datie¡¯s mouth was blocked by Polen when she was about to thank her.


    What¡¯s the matter I wonder?


    I didn¡¯t know what she was about to say since her mouth got blocked by Polen.


    ¡¸What¡¯s matter, Your Highness?¡¹


    A voice could be heard from overhead. It came from Petina, who transformed into a giant bear.


    This was my first time seeing her transformed form, but no matter how I looked at it, her transformed form was clearly that of a plushie. I mean, I would have never expected her transformed form to be this adorable. I was holding back my desire to squeeze her into a hug and pet her.


    ¡¸Good grief, I guess some part of her will never change.¡¹


    Heqat shook her head upon seeing the interaction between Polen and Datie.


    ¡¸What actually happened? And those fes are¡­?¡¹


    Kuna was also dumbfounded.


    ¡¸Your Excellency. We¡¯ve already confirmed Heqat-sama¡¯s safety. Let¡¯s go back since His Majesty has been worrying non-stop.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, I understand, Lord Guno. And thank you foring this far as our reinforcement.¡¹


    ¡¸We¡¯re just fulfilling our duty.¡¹


    Despite what she said, Guno looked really delighted.


    The front of the sweet castle was as boisterous as usual. But well, since we achieved our goal, I guess we should go back to Nargol right now.


    At least, Polen should go back.


    <em>Modes must be really worried about her right now.</em>


    Was what I thought as I looked towards Nargol¡¯s direction.

 Chapter 110: The Goddess Wont Let You Go (Act 6 Epilogue)

    <b>¡ôMember of the Brown Bear Mercenary; Remus</b>


    On the way back to Velos Kingdom, the warriors started making camping preparations since the sun was now setting to the west. We were marching along with them as they returned to avoid any other mishaps.


    Our numbers had reduced at least by half. That¡¯s just how severe the damage of this mission was. Both Charis and I might have already died as well if not for Shirone-sama¡¯s timely rescue.


    We got lucky this time.


    Finally, we arrived at the base camp of our Brown Bear Mercenary corp.


    ¡¸We¡¯re back, leader.¡¹


    Upon entering the tent, I saw that almost all members of our mercenary corp were gathered inside.


    ¡¸Ah, thanks for the hard work, Remus. How was the situation?¡¹


    Before we returned to the base camp, I had gone to report the situation to general Portos. Originally, it was supposed to be our leader giving the report, but I had to take his ce since he was injured. General Portos would then summarize all the reports from the different groups and report it to the king of Velos Kingdom.


    ¡¸I have no idea, but I believe we¡¯ll still get the remuneration.¡¹


    In the end, we couldn¡¯t solve the crux of the strange phenomenon in the forest. To begin with, that phenomenon wasn¡¯t even the work of humans. I mean, not even the Hero of Light could solve the problem.


    But, as a result, the general stated that he now had a grasp on how dangerous the forest was. Thus, we are most likely going to get our remuneration.


    I told our leader about that.


    As Thors¡¯ warriors, clinging onto mary rewards wasn¡¯t regarded as a good thing. But then, we did need money to survive.


    We would be helpless in many situations without money.


    ¡¸WELL THEN, SINCE WE¡¯RE GOING TO GET MONEY FROM THIS MISSION, WE SHALL GO TO THE REPUBLIC OF ARIADYA AS WE PLANNED BEFORE!!¡¹


    The rest of our members erupted into loud cheers upon hearing our leader¡¯s deration.


    The Republic of Ariadya was a country located in the far west of the continent. Near it was a giantbyrinth where many powerful monsters resided. We, the Brown Bear Mercenary corps, nned to go there to challenge thatbyrinth. We had already nned to go there even before we took this mission.


    Or so at least on the surface.


    Our real goal was to see the biggest human country in this world rather than thebyrinth.


    It would also serve as a nice break after fighting for a long time.


    ¡¸The biggest country in the world, eh, I¡¯m looking forward to see it, Remus.¡¹


    Charis spoke happily.


    ¡¸Yeah, and since it¡¯s a big country, I might be able to find various books over there~¡¹


    I agreed with her.


    I suddenly recalled a matter rted to the Republic of Ariadya. I had received an introduction letter from the ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki-sama, who told me to rely on a woman named Regena.


    I mean, she wouldn¡¯t be so cruel as to throw us out on the street.


    ¡¸Kufufufufu. The biggest country in the world, eh, there are probably many beauties over there.¡¹


    Torx who stood beside me suddenly let out a creepyugh. His personality was clearly different from before. Maybe something strange had gone into his head back in the forest.


    Charis quickly hid herself behind me.


    It was rare seeing Charis scared of something. The most probable conclusion was that Charis, with her heightened instinct, could feel that something was wrong with Torx.


    Well, Torx¡¯s attitude towards me had mellowed a lotpared to before, which saved me from a whole lot of trouble. But, I still couldn¡¯t get rid of the difort I had about Torx¡¯s change of attitude.


    I mean, he made that creepy smile that he had never shown before as he thought about Ariadya.


    He wasn¡¯t such a pervert before the start of this mission.


    Charis and I looked silently at Torx.


    <b>¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki</b>


    One night had passed after the fight against the Evil Gods. But, we had yet to return to the Eld Kingdom.


    Two flying ships were flying side by side in the air. When I looked below the deck, I could see thick white clouds that looked like beautiful waves.


    It was really tranquil here.


    If it was a normal situation, the air would have been freezing and there would be ack of oxygen when flying at this height. But, the air in the ships still felt asfortable as before. There must be a special device for that installed in these ships.


    ¡¸Here you go, O Beautiful ck Haired Goddess, Chiyuki-sama.¡¹


    As I enjoyed the outside scenery, a half-naked angel approached me while carrying a beverage for me.


    ¡¸Wh? Ah. Thanks.¡¹


    He poured fruit liqueur into my cup after I thanked him.


    He might be an angel of love who serves under the Goddess of Love and Beauty, Ishtar.


    I hear that theye down to the human realm from time to time, hearing the humans wishes or blessing a couple¡¯s love.


    When many couples form, the human poption increases too, which indirectly contributes to humankind¡¯s development.


    After pouring the beverage for me, the angel of love left with a gentle smile on his face.


    I tried my best to avoid looking at him. I mean, he is literally just one step away from beingpletely naked. I could see THAT jiggling around, almost to the point that I could see iting outside of the mini apron.


    That¡¯s why I tried my best to avert my gaze from him. I only cast a nce from the edge of my field of view.


    Lined right in front of me were various kinds of delicious food, as a group of handsome boys, who had yet to hit puberty, sang a song for us in the background.


    All of them were brought by Ishtar into this ship.


    That¡¯s why the deck of Rena¡¯s flying ship had turned into a mini banquet hall right now.


    I heaved a sigh.


    ¡°What the hell are you doing?¡± Was what I really wanted to say right now.


    We were boarding Rena¡¯s flying ship and had yet to arrive to Eld Kingdom. We could actually return right away with teleportation magic, just like what the Goddess of Book and Knowledge, Totona, did a while ago; she was already back in Elios.


    There were so many things that I wanted to talk about with her but she left in a hurry along with her big brother, the God of Strength and Battle, Thors. How unfortunate.


    We wanted to go back immediately with teleportation magic too but, some stupid reason prevented us from doing that. It was mainly the fact that the Goddess of Love and Beauty, Ishtar, was unwilling to let go of Reiji.


    The two of them were sitting side by side on a sofa brought by Ishtar. She had actually boarded Rena¡¯s flying ship instead of her own and was now stuck like glue on Reiji. Around them, Ishtar¡¯s attendants were entertaining Reiji.


    That scene seemed to have annoyed Rena, resulting in her locking herself in her own room. She didn¡¯te out from her room even after one night had passed. I guess she was really pissed off.


    Well, I understand her feelings though. I mean, no woman would want to see the man they love being waited upon by other girls.


    Reiji, on the other hand, looked really delighted by Rena¡¯s attitude. Well it couldn¡¯t be helped, Rena was such a beauty after all. But of course, none of us or the valkyries in this ship were happy with Reiji¡¯s attitude.


    Maybe because she guessed our bad mood, Ishtar ordered her male attendants to entertain us. Rino was really delighted by that.


    But, the stimulus was a little bit too strong for me. I mean, I rarely interact with other men, Nier and co were also flustered. Aside from Nao who fell asleep due to exhaustion from using her beast transformation, Shirone looked down, she didn¡¯t even try to peek at the men.


    ¡¸Are you alright, Shirone-san?¡¹


    I looked at Shirone who was sitting down beside me. But, she didn¡¯t reply to my question. Wait a minute, wasn¡¯t her state rather unusual?


    ¡¸HEY, SHIRONE-SAN?!!!¡¹


    I tried to shake Shirone¡¯s body.


    ¡¸Eh¡­? What¡¯s the matter, Chiyuki-san?¡¹


    Shirone¡¯s face was really pale.


    ¡¸WAIT A MINUTE! WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU, SHIRONE-SAN?!¡¹


    ¡¸Eh? I¡¯m fi¡ª¡¹


    Maybe because he noticed the unusual situation, Reiji was also looking at Shirone.


    ¡¸What¡¯s matter, Shirone?! Your face is really pale you know!!!¡¹


    Reiji called out to Shirone at once.


    ¡¸Eh¡­? Ah¡­¡¹


    The moment she said so, Shirone fell forward.


    ¡¸SHIRONE-SAN! HANG IN THERE!!¡¹


    My voice resounded in the sky.


    <b>¡ôGoddess of Wisdom and Victory; Rena</b>


    ¡¸Thank you again for your timely rescue, Rena. To be honest, I wanted to tell you this in person, but as you can see, the girls won¡¯t leave me. That¡¯s why do forgive me for telling you this withmunication magic.¡¹


    ¡¸Ah? Is that so? I don¡¯t really mind though. I don¡¯t even care if you¡¯re not thanking me, Alphos.¡¹


    Alphos thanked me viamunication magic. He was being nursed back to health by the Goddess of Song, Muse, and the other women. I could hear the voices of many women in the background after all.


    ¡¸Nevertheless, I never expected you to save me. I might have lost the fight against the Dark Knight, but strangely enough, I feel refreshed instead.¡¹


    Alphos spoke with a really emotional voice.


    ¡¸Hah?¡¹


    What in the hell is this guy talking about? Surely, it did look like I protected him. But, I never risked my life to begin with.


    ¡¸See youter in Elios, Rena.¡¹


    Alphos cut hismunication after he bid his farewell. He seemed to misunderstand something but, whatever.


    It seems he thought that I came to save his sorry life. In fact, that was just his own misunderstanding. In the first ce, Kuroki was by no means a dangerous existence to me.


    I took a closer look at Kuroki¡¯s face as he slept quietly beside me. It was a calm sleeping face. As if his expression from a while ago was a lie.


    I secretly slipped away from my flying ship and came to this Sweet Castle. After tidying myself up and confirming that everyone but Kuroki and Kuna had returned to Nargol, I slipped into their master bedroom.


    By the time I had arrived, Kuroki had lost half of his sanity.


    Well, that was natural.


    It was the side effect of forcefully suppressing such terrifying power. Rather, it was truly praiseworthy that he could endure it for so long. He persevered for my sake. No doubt about it, he must have been in pain all this time.


    That¡¯s MY Kuroki for you.


    Kuna and I had somehow managed to appease Kuroki, who was rampaging in a half-frenzied state due to the bacsh of his own power. Honestly speaking, it was a really tough match, but I managed to persevere for Kuroki, who persevered for my sake as well.


    And then, after Kuroki vented all of his overflowing vigor, he passed out. A nce at his sleeping face was enough to convince everyone that he was by no means a dangerous existence.


    ¡¸Good grief. What in the hell is Alphos talking about? Kuroki will never be able to hurt me¡­¡¹


    I brushed Kuroki¡¯s cheek.


    Kuroki loves me.


    He should be crazily in love with me.


    That¡¯s why Kuroki would never be able to hurt me.


    The problem was, Kuroki couldn¡¯te to my side. Though I was fully aware that he couldn¡¯tpletely be mine, I honestly felt slightly disappointed.


    But wait, since he couldn¡¯te to my side, how about I make him kidnap me?


    That would be really interesting.


    But still, I was a Goddess of Elios. I couldn¡¯t just abandon my status. I had to show some resistance. And then, he would eventually overpower the weaker me, and kidnap me.


    I chuckled on my own upon imagining such a situation.


    Well then, time to go back, Nier would feel that something is off otherwise.


    I got up from the bed.


    ¡¸Going back already, Rena?¡¹


    When I turned around, I saw Kuna, who was sleeping on the other side of Kuroki, raising her upper-half while looking toward me.


    ¡¸Yeah, Nier will feel something is off if I don¡¯t go back now, she might even forcefully break into my room.¡¹


    Though I forbade everyone from entering my room, Nier might break into my room by force if she feels that something is off with my room being too quiet. And then, she would realize that I slipped out secretly from the ship. Things would be really troublesome if that happens.


    That¡¯s why I should return before it does.


    Returning now should be easier without the barrier that obstructs teleportation magic.


    ¡¸I see¡­ If that¡¯s the case, I have a request for you, Rena. That hero and his party are really troublesome. I don¡¯t care about the method, but you should rein them in properly to prevent them from doing something bothersome like this incident again.¡¹


    ¡¸I know how you feel, Kuna. But, Reiji and the others are strong. Restricting their actions isn¡¯t as easy as it seems.¡¹


    I pressed the palm of my hand to my forehead. Reiji and co¡¯s strength rivaled that of the Gods. It was tough controlling their actions.


    Kuna groaned upon hearing me.


    ¡¸But, that woman with long ck hair is dangerous. She is searching for a way to go back to their home world. We have to stop her at all cost.¡¹


    I nodded to her.


    Chiyuki was looking for a way to go back to their home world by herself. And Kuna felt that was dangerous.


    ¡¸Yeah. She might drag Kuroki along to return with her to their home world.¡¹


    And I definitely couldn¡¯t allow that to happen.


    That¡¯s why I definitely needed to prevent Chiyuki from finding a way to return to their home world.


    I looked at Kuroki¡¯s face. He showed an extremely innocent sleeping face. Yeah, his face resembled Kouki¡¯s when he slept like this.


    Kouki did resemble his father a lot.


    I left him behind with a nanny, but he wouldn¡¯t cry because I left him too long right?


    Yeah, I should go back immediately.


    I turned around slowly and caressed Kuroki¡¯s face.


    Kuroki, you¡¯ll stay in this world and live with me, FOREVER!!


    AND I ABSOLUTELY WON¡¯T LET YOU GO BACK TO YOUR HOME WORLD!!

 Chapter 111.1: The Ugly Demon Kings Child (Act 6 Epilogue II)

    <b>Chapter 111.1: The Ugly Demon King¡¯s Child (Act 6 Epilogue II)</b>


    <strong>¡ôSelkie Girl; Inura</strong>


    ¡¸And then, that honorable personage ced me on hisp before he gently brushed my hair.¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸KYAAAAAAAA!¡¹¡¹¡¹


    The women in the vige all raised a shrill voice.


    ¡¸My head felt all rosy when that gentleman caressed my head.¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸KYAA!! KYAA~! INURA IS SO LE~WD!¡¹¡¹¡¹


    The women then each ttered their leg non stop. Like me, they were all in their true seal form.


    ¡¸What are you doing, Inura?¡¹


    My big brother, Inul, arrived in the middle of my friends¡¯ and I¡¯s happy chat.


    ¡¸Ah, big brother Inul. I¡¯m telling them about that honorable personage we met.¡¹


    My big brother revealed a subtle expression on his face when I said so. Unlike me, he was really scared of that honorable personage. But, he honestly wasn¡¯t wrong in feeling that way. Even Nargolians felt fear when they faced that man. That¡¯s why big brother¡¯s attitude was normal.


    And yet, he was really kind toward me. I really wanted to meet him again.


    ¡¸I see¡­ Well, that matter aside, I will convey your wishes when I go out next time.¡¹


    My big brother said, trying to change the subject.


    ¡¸Where are you going next time?! That personage¡¯s ce?!!¡¹


    If that was the case, I really wish he¡¯d take me with him.


    ¡¸Well, it¡¯s a bit close, but no. Also, I can¡¯t take you with me; you¡¯ll be house-sitting.¡¹


    ¡¸Bu~h.¡¹


    My big brother spoke coldly as he rejected my request. Well, it can¡¯t be helped I guess. He might scold me if I insist. I have no choice but to bear with it for now. I¡¯ll be able to take human form soon anyway.


    Selkies could only transform when strong emotions were involved. If a Selkie didn¡¯t have the longing to transform, then they would stay in their seal form. In my case, I wanted to transform.


    Thus, I definitely will transform into human form. And then, I¡¯ll be able to reunite with that personage!


    Thus, I had to be an obedient child for now and house-sit properly.


    ¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki


    I went to the Demon King¡¯s Castle today. Polen had captured a Kraken for her father Modes, which made him deeply impressed. And so, he decided to hold a small banquet for her. Though I didn¡¯t like these banquets filled with liquor, since I didn¡¯t drink, I decided toe since Modes had invited me himself.


    ¡¸Fuh, I somehow came out of it safely.¡¹


    The bacsh of draconic power had somehow been suppressed. I ended up in a half-frenzy state due to this uncontroble power. What would have happened if it weren¡¯t for Rena appearing?


    It happened the moment Rena stood in front of me. An emotionpletely different from violence swelled up from within. Thanks to that emotion I had managed to keep my draconic power in check.


    It¡¯s vexing but I owed Rena for that.


    Nevertheless, the problem was what happenedter.


    After Polen and the others left the Sweet Castle, leaving me alone with Kuna, I almost lost my sanity. Though I couldn¡¯t remember the details of what happenedter, I might have done something really bad to Kuna.


    Currently, Kuna was sleeping peacefully in the Sweet Castle. I will apologize to her when I go backter. For some reason though, I vaguely remember that it wasn¡¯t just Kuna¡­ maybe Rena was with us too.


    Well that must be just my imagination. Such a thing was too good to be true after all.


    Yeah, it was definitely my own imagination, a fleeting wish. As if such a beauty would be willing to do that with me. That rosy night at Rox Kingdom must be an illusion too.


    It feels too realistic to be just a dream or an illusion though.


    Well, I should stop this wishful thinking.


    I shook my head to clear my mind.


    I shouldn¡¯t think about pervy things now.


    After entering the Demon King¡¯s Castle, the orc gatekeeper let me in, and a courtdy guided me along the way.


    The courtdy was called Ranka Empusa (Orchid Flower Female Mantis). She was amongst the most beautiful in the Empusa (female mantis) race.


    The Empusas¡¯ main duty was to act as receptionists for the nobles. They looked just like a beautiful woman at nce.


    But, any man who wanted to woo them would think twice before doing that as their true form was that of a giant mantis with bronze legs. Moreover, despite their slender figure, they were crazy strong. And since they were Archwitch Heqat¡¯s kin, their magic was really powerful, the average monster couldn¡¯t hold a candle against them.


    In the first ce, inviting an Empusa was equal to death because to them, all males who mate with them were food. The number of males they captured with their transformed arms and made love to passionately were more than just one. And then, they ate those males as they drowned into an ephemeral dream.


    The Ranka Empusa guided me toward the banquet hall. Many people had already gathered inside. I heard it was a small banquet and yet, all the top brass of the Demon King¡¯s Army had actually gathered in this ce.


    I thought it was just a short notice event, but turns out Modes was really happy.


    I expressed my gratitude to the courtdy and entered the banquet hall. Thereupon, the dark elf maid who spoke with a man with a goat head came toward my direction.


    ¡¸IF IT ISN¡¯T YOUR EXCELLENCY! YOU CAME AT THE RIGHT MOMENT!! PLEASE SAVE ME!!¡¹


    The dark elf maid said so and went to hide behind my back.


    Though I was wondering what she was talking about, I realized what she meant as soon as I saw the man with the goat head who spoke with her before.


    The Phantom Demon General, Vahmed.


    He was the same as Putina, the beast demon general, also one of the eight demon generals. Vahmed, who had a pair of crow-like wings on his back and a goat head, was Loughas, the prime minister¡¯s kin.


    It¡¯s just that different from Loughas, who was a literal lump of knowledge, Vahmed was a lump of worldly desire.


    He was used to being waited upon by beautiful female humans that he captured inside his mansion. Naturally, the beautiful dark elf was also amongst his targets.


    ¡¸If it isn¡¯t Your Excellency. Long time no see. I see that you¡¯re noting with your beautiful Silver-Haired wife. Truly regrettable. Her beauty is truly a sight for the sore eyes after all.¡¹


    Vahmed said so with a smile on his face.


    ¡¸Kuna can¡¯te today, General Vahmed. Rather, are you trying to make things hard for this girl?¡¹


    ¡¸No, not at all. She is just being shy. Nufufufu.¡¹


    Though I indirectly requested him to step back, Vahmed was unwilling to take a step back.


    Should I use my authority here?


    ¡¸General Vahmed!!¡¹


    Suddenly, someone called Vahmed from behind.


    When Vahmed turned hisrge build around, a courtdy had already stood behind him.


    ¡¸I-If it isn¡¯t Head Court Lady-dono!!¡¹


    Vahmed greeted the other party with a stuttering voice.


    The one who called Vahmed was Enshema.


    She, the Empusa lord and faithful disciple of Heqat, was the one who stood on the apex of the attendants and courtdies who worked in the Demon King¡¯s Castle. She had the highest position amongst the courtdies¡ªTHE courtdy of courtdies.


    In addition, properly speaking, her rank was still above the eight demon generals, below the prime minister, me, and the Demon King.


    Vahmed got flustered the moment Enshema made her appearance.


    ¡¸I¡¯m truly troubled, general Vahmed. That maid actually has another job waiting for her. But if you insist, I shall offer myself to be your P-A-R-T-N-E-R.¡¹


    The moment she said so, Enshema¡¯s arms transformed into extremely sharp sickles.


    She was hailed as the Witch of Nightmares, thus it was only natural for her to be powerful.


    Vahmed¡¯s face was drenched in cold sweat upon hearing such an offer.


    ¡¸NONONO!! I SHALL HUMBLY REFUSE SUCH A GENEROUS OFFER!! I SHALL GO NOW, I HAVE SOME BUSINESS TO ATTEND TO SOMEWHERE ELSE!!¡¹


    Vahmed shook his head in denial, and left in a hurry.


    ¡¸T-Thank you for the assistance, Enshema-sama.¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m only doing my duty, Your Excellency. You may return to your post.¡¹


    ¡¸Y-YES!¡¹


    The dark elf left in a hurry when Enshema red at her.


    I heard that Enshema was an extremely strictdy. The punishment to those who make a blunder was really harsh. The dark elf maid who moved to my mansion was the one who told me that.


    ¡¸Your Excellency must be troubled too. All of us, maids and courtdies in this castle are His Majesty¡¯s after all. One shouldn¡¯t touch us without permission.¡¹


    Enshema red at me as she spoke.


    ¡¸Eh, no, I¡¯m not doing anything at all¡­¡¹


    ¡¸And, Your Excellency. General Putina is looking for you. Please wait for a while here, I¡¯ll go and call the bear maid.¡¹


    Maybe because Enshema¡¯s race didn¡¯t have good ears, she misunderstood my situation too.


    The bear maid she was talking about was a werebear maid. She was Polen¡¯s personal maid. It seems one needed to be as strong as a werebear to be able to be Polen¡¯s maid.


    A whileter, a chubby werebear maid came toward me as a guide.


    ===


    TN: I¡¯ll take a break from 13-19 march 2023 for rehabilitation of my neck(due to wrong sleeping posture)


    ===

 Chapter 111.2: The Ugly Demon Kings Child (Act 6 Epilogue II)

    I wonder where she¡¯s taking me?


    After walking for a while, I arrived in front of a giant door; it was extremely well made.


    Was General Putina waiting for me behind that door?


    ¡¸I brought hi~m, princess Putina~.¡¹


    The werebear called out from outside with a carefree voice.


    The door opened.


    ¡¸Please stop calling me princess, aunty. I¡¯m already a full fledged general.¡¹


    Putina appeared from behind the door with puffed cheeks. To be honest, she was by no means intimidating. Rather, she was so adorable.


    ¡¸Oh my, my apologies. Well then, this aunty shall go~¡¹


    The werebeardy left as she answered. By the looks of it, she had no intention to change the way she called Putina.


    ¡¸Haah. Whatever¡­ Well, please enter, Your Excellency. Her Highness Polen has been waiting for you.¡¹


    Putina urged me to enter the room.


    ¡¸Eh? Her Highness? The one who called me isn¡¯t you, general Putina?¡¹


    Putina shook her head when I asked.


    ¡¸Nope. It¡¯s Her Highness. Please go inside, nishishishi.¡¹


    She was smiling meaningfully.


    What the hell did that mean?


    I entered the room. The room was huge, and from the furniture inside, it was obvious that someone lived in it.


    Wait, maybe this was Polen¡¯s room.


    Polen was a princess. Was it really okay for me to be in her room?


    But, by the time I realized that, it was already toote.


    ¡¸Eh? Your Highness?¡¹


    When I looked around, I couldn¡¯t find Polen¡¯s figure.


    ¡¸YOUR HIGHNESS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! HIS EXCELLENCY HAS ALREADY COME! THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO FEEL EMBARRASSED!¡¹


    The moment I heard Putina¡¯s shout, the window curtain shook.


    Was Polen hiding in there?


    ¡¸Are you there, Your Highness? Is something the matter?¡¹


    I called out toward the curtain.


    Thereupon, a girl came out from behind the curtain.


    She wasn¡¯t Polen.


    But an extremely beautiful girl.


    I ended up getting charmed by her appearance. I could see from her beautiful dress that she had a slender figure. Her skin was as white as snow with a tinge of red in them. I would have never expected to find a beautyparable to Kuna in Nargol aside from Queen Mona.


    Her big, sparkly eyes were looking up to me as if hoping for something.


    Who is she? This was the first time I had ever seen her.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ Master Kuroki?¡¹


    The girl called out to me with an anxious look on her face.


    How did she know my name?


    I took a closer look at the girl.


    The girl had a pair of horns growing from her head. And then, she wore some sort of choker.


    ¡¸C-COULD IT BE THAT YOU ARE HER HIGHNESS POLEN?! EH?! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH!!!!¡¹


    I ended up shouting in shock.


    ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s Polen, Master Kuroki.¡¹


    The girl nodded with slight embarrassment.


    ¡¸EH? BUT, IT¡¯S AS IF¡ª EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH?!!!!!!¡¹


    Against allmon sense, Polen who previously looked like an adorable, deformed mascot, transformed into a full fledged beauty. Both the size of her head and the length of her legs had changed too.


    IT MUST BE A MUTATION!! SERIOUSLY, JUST WHAT IN THE WORLD WAS HAPPENING HERE?!!


    ¡¸I just suddenly became like this when I woke up this morning, Master. Not even I know what¡¯s happening.¡¹


    Polen spoke with a troubled voice.


    ¡¸Maybe Your Highness¡¯ condition is simr to the race whose figure can change, the Selkies. This matter really came out of nowhere. It¡¯s hard to tell who you are without your usual odor.¡¹


    Putina nodded in agreement as she spoke.


    I see now, a race who had two forms such as the Selkies, who had a seal form and a human form, or werebears such as Putina, weren¡¯t that rare in this world.


    Since that was the case, Polen¡¯s transformation was a normal urrence.


    But, Polen was a divine being. Since she was the first case in her race, no one had ever noticed this fact.


    ¡¸Uhm, does his majesty know about this?¡¹


    ¡¸Nope, no one knows about this yet¡­ No one except for Poh-chan. In fact, the first person I wanted to show this transformation is you, Master.¡¹


    Polen looked at me, eyes full of expectation.


    ¡¸Me?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Master Kuroki. What do you think? Does this appearance suit me?¡¹


    I looked at Polen as she said so.


    I couldn¡¯t find anythingcking from her current appearance. Her visage resembled that of Mona, in short, she was a real beauty.


    ¡¸I can¡¯t find anything amiss from your current appearance. You¡¯re truly beautiful, Your highness.¡¹


    This was my true feeling. I never expected her to transform into such a beauty.


    ¡¸For real, beautiful? Not cute?!¡¹


    Polen drew near upon hearing my reply.


    ¡¸Yes, Your Highness. You¡¯re truly beautiful. Even I ended up getting charmed by your beauty for a moment.¡¹


    I brushed Pole¡¯s head as I replied so.


    Thereupon, she held her cheeks as she smiled happily.


    ¡¸Nyo¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Nyo?¡¹


    What¡¯s the matter? She suddenly started acting strange.


    ¡¸NYOHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! MASTER HAS! MASTER HAS TOLD ME HIMSELF THAT I¡¯M BEAUTIFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUL!!!¡¹


    Polen¡¯s tail was swinging vigorously from left to right.


    W-Will the room be okay if she rampaged inside?


    ¡¸U-Uhm, Your Highness?¡¹


    ¡¸UFUFUFUFUFU!!!¡¹


    Polen then looked at me.


    ¡¸Thank you, Master Kuroki!! Everything is thanks to your assistance!!!¡¹


    Polen seized my hands.


    STRONG! So her brute strength remains unchanged even after her transformation huh.


    But, wait a minute. What did I do for her?


    ¡¸OKAY! LET¡¯S GO SEE MY DEAR FATHER IN THIS FIGURE!! LET¡¯S GO, POH-CHAN!!¡¹


    Polen released my hands, and went to Putina to pick her up.


    Has she already recovered?


    Polen and Putina headed toward the entrance of the room.


    ¡¸AH, RIGHT!! I ALMOST FORGET ABOUT IT, MASTER!!¡¹


    Polen then turned around toward me right before she stepped out of her room.


    ¡¸I SHALL BECOME A BEAUTY THAT¡¯LL SURPASS SHISHOU! SO BE PREPARED FOR IT, MASTER! LATER!!¡¹


    Polen left the room, pulling Putina along with her as she said so.


    Be prepared? For what?


    I tilted my head in confusion.


    But well, I guess it was a good thing that Polen had finallye out willingly from her room.


    I¡¯m d that I contributed to that.


    Was what I thought as I saw the huge, opened gate of her room.


    <strong>¡ôPrincess of Hell; Polen</strong>


    I returned to my room after the end of the banquet.


    ¡¸I¡¯m back to my original appearance¡­¡¹


    I was looking at my own reflection. Reflected in there was the pig-like figure of mine.


    Even though Master had praised my beauty, my appearance went back to normal once I saw My Dear Father.


    Was it because I felt relieved when I saw My Dear Father?


    After that, I couldn¡¯t transform again no matter how much I wished for it. In the end, I was forced to attend the banquet in my usual ugly, pig-like figure.


    What a shame.


    I recalled my transformed figure.


    Honestly, I was speechless when I saw my own appearance for the first time. I was truly beautiful, just like My Dear Mother.


    And then, there was also the face that Master made when he saw my transformed figure.


    ¡¸Nyohahahaha!!¡¹


    I danced happily.


    ¡¸Huhum. Hoho~m. And then, I be a butterfly~?¡¹


    I was jumping happily around the room while humming such songs.


    ¡¸What are you doing, Your Highness?¡¹


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    Before I realized, Poh-chan had already stood by my side.


    ¡¸What kind of strange dance is that? Is that some sort of ceremony to curse someone?¡¹


    ¡¸Did you¡­ See it?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes.¡¹


    ¡¸HAU~!!!!!!!!!¡¹


    I ended up rolling in shame on the floor upon realizing that someone had seen such an embarrassing dance.


    ¡¸Geez. You should¡¯ve told me sooner that you¡¯re right there, Poh-cha~n.¡¹


    I tried to raise a protest to Poh-chan.


    ¡¸You¡¯re the one who told me toe since you want to tidy up the room, Your Highness.¡¹


    Ah, she was right.


    I did call Poh-chan, and thought that she woulde tomorrow.


    ¡¸You¡¯re right. Actually, I want to dispose of all the pictures I got from Datie. Will you help me to dispose of them, Poh-chan?¡¹


    ¡¸EH?!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡¹


    Poh-chan looked really surprised.


    ¡¸What¡¯s matter, Your Highness?! Why are you suddenly asking to dispose of your cherished treasures?!!¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Poh-chan. I¡¯ve changed. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t need those treasures anymore.¡¹


    Yes, I¡¯ve changed. The ugly daughter of the Demon King was no more.


    I will be a real beauty this time.


    Let¡¯s put more effort into transforming into a real beauty.


    I was really vexed when the beauties around Alphos-sama cursed me with their all.


    And then, I was really happy when Master Kuroki stood up for me.


    After seeing Master Kuroki¡¯s true strength, the feeling of wanting to change swelled up in me. That¡¯s why I disposed of everything but one picture.


    That picture was the first picture I looked at upon returning to my room.


    It was amongst the many pictures that I received from Datie. Yes, this was the only picture I wanted to keep.


    I thought so as I looked at the ornamented picture.


    It was a picture of the Dark Knight smiling kindly as he held his helmet under his arm.

 Chapter 112: Snake of Apophis

    <strong>¡ôDeath God; Zarxis</strong>


    After going through the transfer gate, the first thing I came across was a vast desert; it was as tasteless as usual. There was nothing special in this ce, there was only barren soil with red rocks and sand.


    It was also the same for the Gypseal desert area, which was near this Apophis desert, it was literally a barrennd infested with Lamias, Gorgons, and Basilisks. The only difference was that this desert was ruled by the Serpent Queen, Diadona.


    After walking for a while, a pce suddenly appeared right before me¡ªit was the Apophis¡¯ Pce.


    We had created the Apophis alliance to oppose those shitty Gods of Elios. The Serpent Queen Diadona should be hiding in this ce, which was concealed by a barrier.


    When I arrived at the pce, a Gorgon attendant, who had been waiting for me in front of the gate, acted as my guide. I followed him through the dark corridors, which were isted from the outside; no light touched them.


    But, this darkness wasn¡¯t a big deal for the Serpent Queen and her kin, their forteid in their perception. The Gorgon leading me advanced forward without any problem.


    Once we arrived at our destination, I entered the room. The room had beautiful ornaments on its big wall. It was a room befitting a queen. Queen Diadona, sitting on her throne, was looking at the direction of the huge window by her side, which showed the spacious hall.


    ¡¸You¡¯ve finally returned eh, Zarxis. Have you found your son?¡¹


    Diadona asked while still looking at the window.


    ¡¸Nope, I failed to find him. He might have been killed by someone.¡¹


    The God of Dream and Sleep, Zand, was my son. It had been a really long time since that unfilial son of mine contacted me. Thest time he contacted me, he had informed me that he had a really important piece of information he needed to share. But then, hismunications stopped. Maybe those shitty folks of Elios were aware of the importance of the information in his hands and disposed of him.


    Zand was a mere petty God, he was barely even qualified as a divine being. Alphos could literally insta kill Zand once he found him. Well, it was either Alphos or Thors. Thus, I assumed that he had already been killed by one of them.


    I took a breath.


    Though I didn¡¯t care about that useless Zand, the information he obtained was really valuable.


    ¡¸Did he betray us?¡¹


    Hearing that question, I smiled at Diadona.


    ¡¸That¡¯s impossible. Those overly proud Elios folks would never ept him as their ally, even if it¡¯s just for show.¡¹


    Those folks really hated us after all. They wouldn¡¯t even lie about allying themselves with any of us.


    ¡¸Sure enough. Does that mean someone killed him? Poor Zand.¡¹


    I shook my head upon hearing that.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t feel any pity for him. From the very beginning, I did not have that much expectation for him. Rather than talking about him, I¡¯m curious about what you¡¯ve been looking at since a while ago, Diadona.¡¹


    Never once did Diadona turn around to look at me during our conversation. She kept looking at the banquet hall below her window. Which reminds me, I¡¯ve been hearing some cheering from there since a while ago.


    What are they doing over there?


    I went to Diadona¡¯s side and looked at the scenery outside of the window.


    ¡¸What are they doing in there, Diadona?¡¹


    When I looked down at the banquet hall, I saw two men fighting in the middle of the hall. As for the cheering, it came from the spectators who surrounded them.


    One of the two men was Labrys. There was no way I could¡¯ve mistaken him for anyone else since he donned his signature ox head and six arms. The one fighting him, on the other hand, was a small human child wielding a long spear. Naturally, he wasn¡¯t just your average human child. His true figure waspletely different from the one he showed right now.


    His name was the Serpent Prince, Dahark. He was the son of the Serpent Queen Diadona.


    Labrys was swinging his double-edged giant ax as Dahark used his long spear, which had a length thrice his height.


    The onlookers cheered harder as these two fought.


    ¡¸It¡¯s a mock battle between Dahark and Labrys. It¡¯s a nice show, Zarxis. That Labrys is actually a pretty decent fighter, isn¡¯t he?¡¹


    Diadona spoke with a delighted voice.


    Yeah, she was right.


    Labrys was defending against Dahark¡¯s onught. Though Labrys also counterattacked in between, all of them got shot down by his opponent.


    ¡¸OIOI! WHAT¡¯S THE MATTER, LABRYS OLD MAN! I¡¯M JUST STARTING!¡¹


    ¡¸DAMN YOU SHITTY BRAT!!¡¹


    Labrys didn¡¯t just use an ax, his other arms wielded other weapons such as swords and spears. And yet, he still couldn¡¯t get close to Dahark.


    Nevertheless, he was still a splendid fighter.


    In fact, Labrys was one of the most powerful fighters gathered in this ce. It seems the reason Dahark had gotten this far against Labrys was because Labrys was still frustrated by his loss against Alphos.


    ¡¸ENOUGH!! BOTH OF YOU STOP AT ONCE!!¡¹


    Diadona stopped Dahark and Labrys.


    As expected, both sides might have really gone for the kill if the match kept going on.


    ¡¸Victory is mine, Labrys old man.¡¹


    Dahark spoke with a triumphant face.


    ¡¸HAH!! THE HELL YER TALKING ABOUT!! I¡¯M GOING EASY ON YOU SINCE IT¡¯S A MATCH!! NOT TO MENTION THAT I¡¯VE YET TO USE FLAME OF MOROK!!!¡¹


    Labrys replied while snorting.


    Sure enough, Labrys had yet to use his trump card, the me of Morok, but that fact aside, he wasn¡¯t someone who would go easy on his opponents.


    ¡¸Ah, you¡¯re right. Shall we duke it out for real next time? I don¡¯t mind if you use me of Morok next time.¡¹


    Seeing that Labrys couldn¡¯t ept his loss, Dahark provoked him with an irritated voice.


    ¡¸Humph!! Greenhorn!¡¹


    Both sides readied their weapons again.


    They might really try to kill each other this time.


    The people around them who were cheering until now suddenly stopped.


    ¡¸I SAID THAT¡¯S ENOUGH!!! YOU FOOLS!!!¡¹


    Diadona¡¯s angry voice tore that silence.


    When I looked to my side, Diadona¡¯s hair was already standing to its ends, her eyes shone with an ominous light.


    Even divine beings were scared of Diadona¡¯s evil eyes.


    Labrys and Dahark, who were exposed to Diadona¡¯s glint, stopped moving.


    ¡¸Labrys, you should vent your anger on a proper opponent. Remember the reason behind you losing your beloved house.¡¹


    Diadona stepped out from the window, floating in the air above the banquet hall as she spoke.


    ¡¸YEAH, I KNOW ALREADY! I SHALL SEND THAT HERO OF LIGHT INTO THE ABYSS OF DESPAIR!!¡¹


    Labrys turned around as he said so.


    ¡¸Dahark. The reason I gave you the poisonous spear, Pisar, isn¡¯t for this kind of quarrel. Remember, who is your true enemy?¡¹


    Diadona asked while looking at Dahark. The poisonous spear, Pisar, held in Dahark¡¯s hand, was originally Diadona¡¯s weapon. The reason why he, who was always seeking blood and battle to the point that his passion would melt the earth, was granted that spear, which was enclosed with eternal ice by Diadona, was so that he could use it to defeat those detestable folks in Elios.


    It was definitely not to be used lightly on a petty quarrel.


    ¡¸Yeah, I know that, Mother!! I will definitely shred Alphos¡¯ beautiful face to pieces one of these days!!¡¹


    Dahark said with a vexed look on his face.


    The atmosphere of the onlookers changed the moment they heard Dahark¡¯s remark. It was as if they were scared of something.


    The name of the white noble Holy Knight, Alphos, who was widely known as the God of Song and Art in Elios, was truly hated by the Gods who didn¡¯t belong to Elios. Many gods were jealous of his handsome face, which made the majority of the Goddesses in Elios fall in love with him.


    Yet, no matter how jealous they were, they couldn¡¯t do anything about it. That¡¯s because not only was Alphos gifted with a beautiful face, he was also extremely powerful. Many were fooled by his appearance only to find themselves getting kicked in the ass by him.


    Dahark was also one of the people who suffered a humiliating defeat in Alphos¡¯ hand.


    Though he managed to survive the predicament with his snake-like tenacity, I heard that he couldn¡¯t move freely for a while after that due to the injuries he received from the battle against Alphos. Ever since then, Dahark never neglected his training in order to defeat Alphos.


    ¡¸I WON¡¯T LOSE THIS TIME!! I WILL BECOME THE FIRST PERSON TO MAKE THAT UNDEFEATED ALPHOS SUFFER HIS FIRST DEFEAT!!¡¹


    Dahark shouted while raising Pisar the poisonous spear high in the air.


    ¡¸Unfortunately, that¡¯s impossible.¡¹


    A voice resounded from somewhere.


    ¡¸WHO¡¯S THERE?!! WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY IMPOSSIBLE?!!¡¹


    Dahark looked around to find the owner of that voice. He found him immediately.


    Or should I say that he showed himself.


    It was someone donned in a red exoskeleton and a poisonous red tail. A pair of giant pincers spread on his back like wings.


    The Red Scorpion God, Giltar.


    That was his name.


    He, along with his little sister, Bruhl, were the Gods revered by the scorpion folk, the Giltabruhl.


    Giltar should have been with the Frog Goddess, Heqat, fighting the Hero of Light.


    When did he return?


    ¡¸Ooh, it¡¯s Giltar eh. How did the Hero of Light¡¯s matter go? Is he as powerful as the rumors say?¡¹


    The look in Diadona¡¯s eyes sharpened.


    The Hero of Light was Goddess Rena¡¯s lover. In short, he was additionalbat power for Elios. It seems Diadona was also curious about that hero.


    ¡¸Quite strong. The rumors about his strength are true, leader.¡¹


    Giltar replied respectfully.


    His form was wless. As pretentious as always.


    ¡¸WAIT, GILTAR!!! WHAT ABOUT THE MATTER THAT YOU MENTIONED BEFORE?!!!¡¹


    Suddenly, Dahark interrupted the conversation as he pointed his spear toward Giltar.


    ¡¸It¡¯s exactly as I said, Youngster. It¡¯s already impossible for you to be the first person to defeat Alphos.¡¹


    Giltar spoke with a face as if it was something obvious.


    ¡¸YOU MEAN I CAN¡¯T WIN AGAINST ALPHOS?!!¡¹


    Giltar shook his head upon hearing that.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t mean that, kid. I said, you can¡¯t be the first person to defeat Alphos. That¡¯s because someone else has already beaten Alphos before you.¡¹


    ¡¸WHAT?!!¡¹


    Dahark couldn¡¯t hide his shock.


    And Dahark wasn¡¯t the only one who was taken by surprise upon hearing Giltar¡¯s remark. The people around them were equally surprised, because Alphos¡¯ name was synonymous to the word ¡°Undefeated¡± until now.


    There was even a rumor saying that he was stronger than even Oudith, the leader of Elios. Thus, they couldn¡¯t help but be shocked the moment they heard that Alphos was defeated.


    ¡¸WHO!! WHO¡¯S THE BASTARD WHO DEFEATED ALPHOS BEFORE ME?!! DAMMIT, I¡¯M SUPPOSED TO BE THE FIRST ONE TO DEFEAT HIM!!¡¹


    Dahark was shouting hysterically upon snapping back to reality.


    ¡¸The one who defeated Alphos is the Dark Knight, whose name is heard everywhere nowadays. He¡¯s the one who defeated Alphos, Dahark.¡¹


    I was even more surprised upon hearing Giltar¡¯s remark. The Dark Knight he was talking about must be the strongest Dark Knight employed by Modes. I met him once before. But, I couldn¡¯t see him as someone with that much power back then.


    Labrys had also mentioned the Dark Knight in one of his stories with a vexed look on his face. Just like the Hero of Light, the Dark Knight was Labrys¡¯ nemesis too.


    ¡¸DARK KNIGHT!! I DON¡¯T KNOW WHAT KIND OF A PERSON HE IS, BUT I¡¯LL MAKE HIM REGRET SNATCHING MY PREY!!!¡¹


    Dahark shouted again.


    It seems he was itching for a fight.


    ¡¸WAIT, DAHARK!! WE¡¯LL LEAVE THAT COWARD MODES FOR LAST!!¡¹


    But, Diadona stopped him immediately.


    ¡¸What are you talking about, Mother? You¡¯ve been nning to defeat the Demon King for a long time, right? Then let¡¯s just do it now.¡¹


    Dahark replied with a dissatisfied look on his face.


    ¡¸No. We have to postpone your fight with the Dark Knight forter. We mustn¡¯t provoke the side that doesn¡¯t belong to us or Elios.¡¹


    The look in Diadona¡¯s eyes sharpened even further. Dahark became obedient the moment he was red at by her evil eyes. Diadona wouldn¡¯t forgive anyone who disobeyed her, even if the said person was her own son. Dahark knew that side of his mother very well.


    ¡¸Guh!! I understand, Mother!! I¡¯ll leave the matter with the Dark Knight forter!!¡¹


    Dahark was dissatisfied but he agreed reluctantly since he couldn¡¯t go against his mother.


    ¡¸Good child.¡¹


    Diadona smiled upon seeing that.


    ¡¸But, Mother. I¡¯m allowed to fight the Dark Knight if hees to attack us, right?¡¹


    Though I don¡¯t think that the Dark Knight would raid our base, Dahark hadn¡¯t given up yet and was trying to create a loophole.


    ¡¸Yeah, you can fight him as much as you want if hees looking for trouble with us, Dahark.¡¹


    Dahark smiled happily upon hearing her confirmation.


    ¡¸d to hear that! The Dark Knight who defeated Alphos, eh? I wonder just what kind of a person is he?¡¹


    Dahark looked toward Nargol¡¯s direction as he muttered those words.

 Chapter 113.1: Poison of The Scorpion God

    <strong>Chapter 113.1: Poison of The Scorpion God</strong>


    <strong>¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki</strong>


    We returned to Eld Kingdom with Goddess Ishtar¡¯s flying ship.


    Reiji, Sahoko, Rino, Nao, Kyouka, Kaya, myself, Ishtar and one of Ishtar¡¯s attendants, were now gathered in Shirone¡¯s room in the Eld royal castle. Everyone was worrying over Shirone as she had suddenly copsed.


    ¡¸How¡¯s Shirone¡¯s condition, Goddess Ishtar?¡¹


    I asked the Goddess of Love and Beauty, Ishtar, one of the pir Gods of Elios. She ruled over love, dance, and good fortune as such, her believers were mostly dancers, harlots, gamblers, and thieves. She had, for some reason, followed us into Shirone¡¯s room.


    ¡¸Just call me Ishtar and I shall call you Chiyuki. Anyways, it seems to be the effect of Giltar¡¯s poison. Right, Pistis?¡¹


    Ishtar asked the youth beside her.


    At a nce, the youth look like a normal human. But, his true identity was that of a divine being who had been living as long as Ishtar.


    The young God¡¯s name was Pistis. He was the subordinate God of Goddess Ishtar, and was known as the God of Thievery who had six fingers on each of his limbs. Moreover, God Pistis had quite an amusing myth tied to him.


    A long time ago, Ishtar wanted a ne owned by the God of cksmith, Heibos. But, Heibos refused to give that ne to Ishtar.


    Pistis, who knew about that, stole the ne and gave it to Ishtar.


    Naturally, Heibos reported the case to the God King, Oudith.


    He asked Oudith to use his authority as the God King to return the ne to him, but Ishtar refused to return the ne. Ishtar¡¯s remark at that time was the following.


    ¡¸This beautiful ne will only show its true worth when worn by someone as beautiful as me. It¡¯s just a useless treasure if Heibos throws it into his treasure vault. Pistis did the right thing, I won¡¯t return the ne.¡¹


    After saying so, Ishtar returned to her own pce.


    Heibos and Oudith who heard that remark were astonished for a while.


    Due to that myth, Pistis¡¯ followers had a creed that thievery was allowed as long as it was done for Goddess Ishtar. Well, the general practice was offering a certain percentage of the stolen goods in the form of gold to Ishtar¡¯s temple. A minority thought it was also okay to steal from gambling houses to offer to the harlots in Ishtar¡¯s Temple.


    ¡¸No doubt about it, Ishtar-sama. This big sis seemed to have fought Giltar and didn¡¯t even realize that his poisoned tail grazed her skin.But, since it¡¯s Giltar¡¯s poison, she won¡¯t die.¡¹


    ¡¸REALLY?!¡¹


    Reiji brought his face closer to Pistis.


    His face was serious.


    Maybe he really was worried about Shirone. I mean, even though Ishtar was right there, he didn¡¯t even spare her a nce. Well naturally, even I might have ended up smacking him right in the face if he had dared to flirt with that BIG breasted Goddess when hisrades¡¯ life was in jeopardy.


    ¡¸Maybe, I can¡¯t be so sure. I mean, poison isn¡¯t my speciality.¡¹


    Pistis scratched his cheek as he replied with a troubled look on his face. Sahoko¡¯s healing also didn¡¯t work on Shirone. In short, her condition wouldn¡¯t improve unless she received special detoxification.


    Seeing our troubled faces, Ishtar showed a different expression, as if she realized something, and then called out to Pistis.


    ¡¸So, do you know a way to save her?¡¹


    ¡¸U~hm. I think we¡¯ll have to ask big sis Fanacea for this. I might know many things, but she is an expert in this field.¡¹


    ¡¸Since that¡¯s the case, please contact Fanacea!!¡¹


    ¡¸Calm down, Reiji. Fana-chan and Totona-chan are already preupied. I mean, Thors is suffering from Giltar¡¯s poison too. But, we can ask them to split the antidote.¡¹


    All of us heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing Ishtar¡¯s remark. Come to think of it, Thors the War God did participate in that fight too, he was poisoned due to Giltar¡¯s ambush.


    ¡¸By the way, are you sure we shouldn¡¯t let that person know?¡¹


    Kyouka said with a worried look on her face.


    ¡¸Who is that person you¡¯re referring to, Kyouka-san?¡¹


    Rino asked in puzzlement.


    I want to know too. Who was ¡°that person¡± she referred to?


    ¡¸I¡¯m talking about Kuroki-san of course. He¡¯ll be worried once he finds out that Shirone-san has copsed.¡¹


    We exchanged nces with each other upon hearing Kyouka¡¯s remark.


    Shirone¡¯s childhood friend, and the Dark Knight of Nargol, Kuroki.


    He seemed to really care about Shirone. That¡¯s why it might be better to inform him of this matter. But, he was on the Demon King¡¯s side right now. So the question was how to convey the current situation to him?


    ¡¸YOU MUSTN¡¯T, MILADY! THAT PERSON IS DANGEROUS! YOU MUSTN¡¯T GET CLOSE TO HIM!!¡¹


    Kaya suddenly interrupted Kyouka.


    ¡¸Dangerous? Kuroki-san? What do you mean, Kaya? He¡¯s a gentleman you know! It¡¯s not something that I can overlook even if it¡¯sing from you, Kaya!!¡¹


    Kyouka scolded Kaya.


    All of us were really surprised upon hearing Kyouka¡¯s remark, because Kyouka very rarely refuted Kaya. Not to mention that this was the first time I saw Kyouka make such an expression in front of Kaya.


    ¡¸Have you not realized it yet, Mdy? That person is hiding a beast in his body. You must not get close to him.¡¹


    ¡¸Beast? Are you sure? I mean, he¡¯s a gentleman no matter how you look at it though?¡¹


    ¡¸NOOO! ABSOLUTELY NOT!! MILADY!! HIS EYES WHEN LOOKING AT YOUR CHEST IS DEFINITELY THAT OF A RAVENOUS BEAST!! NO DOUBT ABOUT IT! YOU MUSTN¡¯T GET ANY CLOSER TO HIM!!¡¹


    Kaya said so as if scolding a child. Meanwhile, everyone else was really surprised as they heard the conversation between the two.


    ¡¸W-What happened to Kaya-san? She doesn¡¯t seems like the usual Kaya-san.¡¹


    Sahoko was staring in wonder at Kaya.


    ¡¸I¡¯m really surprised too. To think that the normally calm andposed Kaya-san would ever show this side of herself¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah Rino-chan. It¡¯s a shock.¡¹


    I agreed with them. The normally calm and collected Kaya rarely showed this side of her.


    ¡¸W-What¡¯s the matter, Kaya? It¡¯s as if you returned to the old you.¡¹


    Kyouka was also looking dumbfoundedly at Kaya as she asked this question.


    We had no idea about Kaya¡¯s past.


    It seems the old her waspletely different from the usual her that we saw, did that mean her current reaction closely resembled her past self?


    ¡¸YOU MUST AVOID HIM AT ALL COST!! MEN ARE FILTHY BEASTS!! REIJI-SAMA IS THE BEST EXAMPLE FOR THAT!! BUT, I CAN FEEL IT, THAT MAN IS EVEN MORE DANGEROUS!! YOU MUSTN¡¯T GET ANY CLOSER TO HIM AT ALL!!¡¹


    Kaya said so while looking at Sahoko.


    Sahoko¡¯s stomach had be bigger. Inside her was Reiji¡¯s child. Honestly I wanted to retort ¡°What in the world are you doing?¡± when we discovered her pregnancy, but Sahoko herself said that this was her own wish.


    Nevertheless, Kaya didn¡¯t show any particr reaction during that time. She only reacted this way when she imagined the same thing happening to Kyouka.


    Kyouka was equally confused by Kaya¡¯s outburst.


    And, what did she mean by ¡°Beast¡±?


    ording to Shirone, her childhood friend should be a good child. Or else, could it be that he just acted like that in front of Shirone, but was actually a violent man behind closed doors?


    ¡¸Kyouka. It¡¯s a different matter if she would never open her eyes again, but all Shirone needs right now is an antidote. There¡¯s no need to tell that guy. We shouldn¡¯t cause unnecessary worry.¡¹


    Reiji forced his way between the two and persuaded Kyouka.


    ¡¸I see¡­ Well I guess it can¡¯t be helped if My Dear Brother said so.¡¹


    It seems Kyouka had yet to understand Kaya¡¯s remark but she finally backed down upon hearing Reiji¡¯s persuasion.


    ¡¸Well that concludes this topic I guess. Ishtar, can I ask for the antidote?¡¹


    ¡¸Why of course, Chiyuki. I¡¯ll try to contact Fana-chan.¡¹


    Ishtar told me so with a charming smile on her face.


    <strong>¡ôGoddess of Knowledge and Book; Totona</strong>


    In the Queen of the Elios Gods Heavenly Pce, in her private room, my mother, sister, Rena, and I gathered together.


    ¡¸You¡¯ve finally gathered together, my dearest daughters.¡¹


    My mother, Faeria spoke as she looked at us.


    My sister and me aside, Rena was also raised by my mother. Thus, Rena regarded mother as her mother too.


    The Three Heavenly Sisters, that was what they called us.


    ¡¸Well, it¡¯s a matter concerning Thors. How¡¯s his current condition, Fana?¡¹

 Chapter 113.2: Poison of The Scorpion God

    <strong>Chapter 113.2: Poison of The Scorpion God</strong>


    ¡¸Yes, dear mother. There¡¯s nothing wrong with his condition except for the fact that he keeps sleeping. But, since he took the poison¡¯s full effect, I have no idea when he will wake up.¡¹


    Fana responded to mother, who had a sad look on her face.


    The poison of the Scorpion God, Giltar, wasn¡¯t considered to be among the most powerful poisons possessed by divine beings. Although any race weaker would¡¯ve died from Giltar¡¯s poison, divine beings were not as affected by it. Moreover, if a divine being had poison resistance, the most they would experience is just some slight numbness.


    But, those without poison resistance wouldn¡¯t be able to move at all, and my big brother was ambushed and had to take the full brunt of Giltar¡¯s poison. That was the reason why he had yet to wake up.


    ¡¸Fana. Where¡¯s the antidote? Why haven¡¯t you made one yet?¡¹


    ¡¸Dear mother, I don¡¯t have the main ingredient to finish the antidote for Giltar¡¯s poison. I can finish the antidote in a sh as long as I have that ingredient.¡¹


    My mother heaved a sigh upon hearing my sister¡¯s remark.


    ¡¸I see¡­ What¡¯s the ingredient you¡¯re missing now, Fana?¡¹


    ¡¸ording to my master¡¯s recipe, it¡¯s the p¡­ poison of the Scorpion God.¡¹


    My mother¡¯s eyebrows twitched the moment my big sister uttered those words. The one my big sister referred to as Master was the Archwitch Heqat, Modes¡¯ subordinate. My big sister¡¯s knowledge about medicine and medical treatment were all things she learned from the knowledge Heqat left behind. My big sister was Heqat¡¯s apprentice for a short while before she had left Elios to follow Modes.


    My mother wasn¡¯t pleased with my big sister¡¯s decision to take Heqat as her master.


    My mother hated Modes who bore resemnce and was also the inheritor of the power of the God of Destruction, Nargol.


    It was something that happened before she gave birth to me.


    My mother seemed to have seen the moment when Nargol ughtered my grandmother, the Mother Goddess Mina. Though her life was spared since she was hiding, by the time my father, Oudith, found her, my mother was already trembling in fear.


    Since then, my mother has been suffering from Nargolphobia.


    Thus, she also feared Modes who had the same power and appearance as his mother.


    Though some Elios Goddesses hate the Demon King for his ugly appearance, it was actually amongst the minority, most haters were ones who had gotten influenced by my mother, the number one woman in Elios.


    ¡¸Fanacea, the poison of the Scorpion God you¡¯re referring to, is that Giltar¡¯s poison?¡¹


    Rena asked.


    ¡¸No, Rena. It doesn¡¯t have to be Giltar, anyone with the same kind of poison as Giltar will do the job.¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡­ Is there someone out there with the same kind of poison as Giltar?¡¹


    Rena¡¯s question made all of us think for a while.


    And then, I recalled a certain name.


    ¡¸Bruhl. Giltar¡¯s little sister should be living in Gypseal too.¡¹


    Everyone¡¯s line of sight concentrated on me the moment I said so.


    ¡¸Is that true, Totona?¡¹


    My mother asked.


    ¡¸No doubt about it.¡¹


    Giltar¡¯s little sister, Bruhl, was living in Gypseal. She had a more docile personalitypared to her big brother.


    ¡¸ I see¡­ Giltar¡¯s little sister huh. I hate the idea of being indebted to anyone other than Elios¡¯ people but, we really have no other choice this time. Let¡¯s ask for her assistance.¡¹


    ¡¸But, Faeria-sama. That¡¯s also a problem. Our influence in Gypseal is zero. How do you intend to ask Bruhl to help us?¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re right, Rena. But, in the case of Gypseal, we can ask for Ishtar and Heibos¡¯ help, but I don¡¯t think Heibos is willing to help Thors. So we¡¯re left with no choice but to ask for Ishtar¡¯s help.¡¹


    My mother replied with a rxed voice.


    Will it really be that simple?


    I recalled the people who ruled Gypseal, they were not to be trifled with. They might ask us for something really outrageous in exchange for the poison.


    I rather thought that the Demon King¡¯s assistance was far more reliable than Ishtar¡¯s. But, it seems my mother had never considered such an opinion.


    Given the choice, she would prefer having an exchange with Gypseal rather than owing a debt of gratitude toward the Demon King.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, mother. Ishtar-sama said that she wanted the antidote too. Uhm¡­ I heard that the Hero of Light is the one who needs the antidote.¡¹


    My big sister spoke while looking apologetically at Rena.


    ¡¸The Hero of Light, are you talking about Reiji? Is there a reason for Reiji to need the antidote? And why is Ishtar-sama staying in Reiji¡¯s ce? What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡¹


    Rena asked so while tilting her head.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know either, Rena. I just heard from Ishtar that the female swordsman in the Hero of Light¡¯s party got poisoned too.¡¹


    ¡¸Female swordsman, you mean Shirone?!!¡¹


    Rena suddenly raised her voice.


    Was it just my imagination that she looked delighted for a moment?


    ¡¸Calm down, Rena. I know that you¡¯re worried about the Hero being by Ishtar¡¯s side, but you have to be patient for now.¡¹


    ¡¸My apologies, Faeria-sama.¡¹


    Rena bowed to mother.


    ¡¸Well, Fana. Ishtar contacted me, asking for your cooperation to get the Scorpion God¡¯s poison.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, dear mother.¡¹


    My sister said so and left the room.


    ¡¸Wait, Fanacea.¡¹


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Rena?¡¹


    ¡¸If you¡¯re going to meet Ishtar-sama, take me with you. I want to see Reiji and co¡¯s situation.¡¹


    Rena smiled as she spoke.


    Wait a minute, what did she mean?


    ¡¸S-Sure.¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you, Fanacea.¡¹


    Rena left the room after she said so.


    ¡¸Well then, let¡¯s wait for good news from Ishtar.¡¹


    It seems my dear mother thought that everything would be alright. But, I guess she was too naive in this regard. Should I try to ask my Master for this? I felt that this matter was too simple.


    Other than my big sister being the disciple of the Archwitch Heqat, I was the disciple of the Demon King¡¯s prime minister, Loughas.


    My teacher, the owner of the most brilliant mind in this world, might be able to find the best solution.


    Unlike my big sister, I¡¯m still in touch with my teacher.


    Not to mention that Kuroki was in Nargol too, I might be able to see him.


    Even though my big brother¡¯s condition was dreadful, all I was thinking about was how to meet Kuroki instead.


    ===


    THE NEW PROJECT:


    <strong>Journey of The Childhood Friend Who Got Betrayed by Sword Saint</strong>


    <strong>(~¡¯.¡¯)~Advance Chapter Avable in Fox18 too!~(¡®.¡¯~)</strong>


    <strong>(~¡¯.¡¯)~You Can Read The Advance Chapter by Clicking the Image Below and Be My Patron~(¡®.¡¯~)</strong>


    <strong>Bonus :</strong>

 Chapter 114.1: Toward Gypseal Region

    <b>Chapter 114.1: Toward Gypseal Region</b>


    <b>¡ôGoddess of Wisdom and Victory; Rena</b>


    I was currently leaving Elios to visit Eld Kingdom, the country that Reiji and co had created. As for the reason, it was simply because Ishtar was there.


    Eld Kingdom was located in the wends at the center of the Vandohl in. After the demon beast who ruled the region, Peluda, was exterminated, Eld was built on top of a cliff with a good water source.


    It seems that the poption was really small at first since it was onlyposed of the people who yearned for the Hero, but I heard that the country¡¯s poption had increased a lottely.


    Anyways, it seems there was a rumor about an irrigation project starting there, but by doing so, they would meet the opposition of the Toadmen and Lizardmen. But well, their resistance would be futile in front of Reiji¡¯s power. It would turn into one-sided ughter so that humans could expand their living ce.


    Not that I cared about such things.


    ¡¸The poison of the Scorpion God is needed, right Rena-chan?¡¹


    I, who was guided into the royal pce, was asked so by Ishtar-sama.


    ¡¸Yes, Ishtar-sama, only then can we make the antidote. In addition, Giltar¡¯s little sister, Bruhl, is living in Gypseal too. We might be able to get the poison from her.¡¹


    I nodded while replying to her.


    Upon a closer look, I noticed she was sticking really close to Reiji. It seems she was aiming for him. Well, after all, Reiji was as handsome as my twin brother Alphos. It was enough reason for her to try to court him.


    But then, Reiji had a lover, namely me (LMAO). Moreover, she doesn¡¯t seem to be serious either. Maybe she just wanted to tease me. Well, maybe I should act like an annoyed woman for now.


    I red lightly toward the two.


    ¡¸I see~. Understood, Rena-chan. By the way, can I ask you something?¡¹


    ¡¸Is something the matter?¡¹


    ¡¸I alone might not be enough to get the poison from Gypseal, can you grant me permission to take him with me?¡¹


    She sent a flirtatious nce toward Reiji as she spoke. Chiyuki and the others pouted upon seeing that. I was used to this scene since it was rather simr to what happened with Alphos on a daily basis.


    ¡¸Sure, feel free to take him with you.¡¹


    I acted like a pouting woman after I said so, and then turned around.


    Now I¡¯ve finished my job.


    I guess it was safe to go back to Elios now.


    I sent a nce toward Shirone who was lying in bed. There was no sign of her waking up anytime soon. I hope she never wakes up from this state, forever.


    <b>¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki</b>


    ¡¸Oh my~. She seems to be angry, Reiji-kun.¡¹


    I teased Reiji after Rena left the room.


    Goddess Ishtar was glued to Reiji¡¯s side. Sahoko was clearly in a bad mood upon seeing that.


    ¡¸Is that so? She doesn¡¯t seems to be that angry in my eyes.¡¹


    Rino shook her head.


    ¡¸Is that so? If Rino¡¯s saying that, then it must be true, but she might be a bit jealous though.¡¹


    Nao agreed with Rino as she sent a meaningful gaze toward Reiji.


    ¡¸Okay, enough with the teasing, everyone. We still have to do something about Shirone¡¯s situation.¡¹


    ¡¸Uh!! Yes!¡¹


    I was rendered speechless upon hearing such a sound argument. We really should prioritize Shirone¡¯s condition for now. We should be able to get our hands on the poison of the Scorpion God by using Ishtar¡¯s influence.


    ¡¸Are you done now? If that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s go, Reiji.¡¹


    ¡¸Okay. Understood, Ishtar. Let¡¯s find the antidote for Shirone. I¡¯ll meet you guys in Gypseal. Ah, everyone please wait for a moment.¡¹


    Everyone was disappointed upon seeing Reiji act that way.


    ¡¸Wait Reiji-kun!! I¡¯m going too!!¡¹


    ¡¸NAO TOO!!¡¹


    ¡¸RINO TOO!! RINO WANTS TO SAVE SHIRONE-SAN TOO!!¡¹


    Except for Kyouka and Kaya, who always stayed at home, and the pregnant Sahoko, Nao and Rino woulde with us.


    ¡¸Can we take them too, Ishtar?¡¹


    Ishtar seemed to be troubled when Reiji made such a request.


    ¡¸U~hm. I think it¡¯s not a good idea to bring too many people with us. But yeah, I can do something about it if it¡¯s just one person.¡¹


    She said so with an impish look on her face.


    Hearing that, we all exchanged looks between us.


    Who would go then?


    It would take a while for us to decide this matter.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll go, Ishtar.¡¹


    When I dered so, Rino and Nao couldn¡¯t help but back down, since they knew that I was the best candidate to go.


    ¡¸Sure enough, Chiyuki-san is qualified to go¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Can¡¯t be helped then¡­ Be careful, Chiyuki-san.¡¹


    ¡¸You too, please take care of this ce while we¡¯re away, Kaya-san.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. I¡¯ll leave the matter of finding Shirone-sama¡¯s antidote to you.¡¹


    Naturally.


    ¡¸Well then. Shall we head to Gypseal then?¡¹


    Ishtar said so as if enjoying the situation.


    <b>¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki</b>


    I came to the Demon King¡¯s Castle, heading towards Loughas¡¯ library.


    Though Elios¡¯ library had a bigger collection, since going to Elios took a lot of time and preparation, I chose to go to Loughas¡¯ library when I wasn¡¯t looking for something in particr.


    Entertainment was rare in Nargol. For that reason, reading was my sole enjoyment in this ce.


    I visited Loughas¡¯ room. When I entered his room, I found out that he had a rare visitor.


    ¡¸Goddess Totona. How rare to see you visiting this ce.¡¹


    The visitor was none other than the Goddess of Book and Knowledge, Totona. Totona and Loughas were already drinking tea in the room. I nodded to her.


    ¡¸Long time no see, Kuroki. You rarelye to visit our library nowadays.¡¹


    Totona returned my greeting, and sent aint at the same time.


    ¡¸My apologies for that, Totona. I can¡¯t go to your library since the security has be too tighttely.¡¹


    ¡¸Must be Rena¡¯s deed. She seems to hate you so much. She seems to be itching to prevent you from meeting me.¡¹


    Totona heaved a sigh.


    I tilted in puzzlement upon hearing such a remark. I mean, Rena didn¡¯t seem to hate me that much. In the first ce, I had no idea what she was thinking about.


    ¡¸Nevertheless, what are you doing here? I mean, it¡¯s rare to see you visiting this ce.¡¹


    I looked at Loughas, the owner of the room.


    ¡¸Totona is asking for my opinion, Kuroki-dono. She wanted to save her big brother who fell into aatos state due to the Scorpion God¡¯s poison.¡¹


    Loughas exined to me while smoking his pipe. The nice aroma from the pipe filled the room.


    Speaking of Totona¡¯s big brother, she must be referring to the God of Strength and Battle, Thors. Seriously, what the hell happened to him?


    ¡¸Sorry Totona, this Loughas is too weak to help you. The matter of making an antidote should be left to someone who is much better at making medicine such as Heqat-dono.¡¹


    ¡¸As I thought, it really is the case, eh¡­¡¹


    Totona hung her head down upon hearing that. Seeing her face, she must really want to save her big brother.


    ¡¸As expected, so I have no choice but to go to Gypseal, huh. Ishtar-sama and the Hero of light might be able to do something, but¡­ I feel just them wouldn¡¯t be enough.¡¹


    Totona seemed to be worrying about them.


    ¡¸Wait, the Hero of light? Why is he going to Gypseal too?¡¹


    ===


    THE NEW PROJECT:


    <strong>Journey of The Childhood Friend Who Got Betrayed by Sword Saint</strong>


    <strong>(~¡¯.¡¯)~Advance Chapter Avable in Fox18 too!~(¡®.¡¯~)</strong>


    <strong>(~¡¯.¡¯)~You Can Read The Advance Chapter by Clicking the Image Below and Be My Patron~(¡®.¡¯~)</strong>


    <strong>Bonus :</strong>

 Chapter 114.2: Toward Gypseal Region

    <b>Chapter 114.2: Toward Gypseal Region</b>


    ¡¸Ah right, I forgot that they¡¯re Kuroki¡¯s enemy. I¡¯m also worried about that matter. The truth is, one of theirrades also got poisoned. Thus, they¡¯re going to Gypseal too.¡¹


    ¡¸He~¡­ Eh¡­ Who got poisoned?¡¹


    Crap, I almost flipped right there.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know her name, but it¡¯s their swordswoman.¡¹


    That was enough for me to know who it was.


    It was Shirone.


    Did that mean that Shirone got poisoned too?


    ¡¸So, does that mean that Re¡­ I mean the Hero of Light and hisrades went to Gypseal to save theirrade?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, but I can¡¯t help but worry if it¡¯s just them and Ishtar-sama. That¡¯s why I¡¯m thinking of going too. Come to think of it, why don¡¯t you go with me too, Kuroki? I think it¡¯ll be safer that way.¡¹


    Totona suddenly suggested such a wonderful proposal.


    Yeah, it was a wonderful proposal, just when I needed a reason to go out.


    ¡¸You¡¯re right¡­ Well, it¡¯s also thanks to Totona that I can enjoy my time reading books in the library. Let me help you this time¡­ After I ask for His Majesty¡¯s permission.¡¹


    I mean, I am literally trying to save Nargol¡¯s enemy. That¡¯s why I need Modes¡¯ permission to leave Nargol this time. Moreover, I had to coax Kuna for her to allow me too.


    The problem was, what should I say to persuade her?


    ¡¸Hou¡­ So you¡¯ll take Kuroki with you. Since that¡¯s the case, this Loughas shall inform His Majesty.¡¹


    ¡¸Are you okay with this, Loughas-dono?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, I don¡¯t mind. And it¡¯s not because I want to save Thors. I just think that it¡¯ll be a good thing for you to meet the people of Gypseal.¡¹


    Loughas said so with a smile on his face.


    ¡¸I see, thank you very much. Loughas-dono.¡¹


    It¡¯s decided then.


    I¡¯ll go to Gypseal too.


    ¡ô<b>Demon King; Modes</b>


    I was having an audience with Loughas in the audience room in my castle.


    ¡¸Hou, Kuroki wants to go to Gypseal, huh? I don¡¯t really mind giving him permission, but to make the strongest Dark Knight go¡­ Are you doing this to protect your disciple, Loughas?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Your Majesty. That girl is really helpful when I need her after all.¡¹


    ¡¸Are you referring about her assisting your research about sorcery?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Your Majesty. The Magician Association built by Totona is really useful after all.¡¹


    Sorcery was a skill that was easier to use than magic.


    With the help of sorcery, those who couldn¡¯t use magic due to their birth could use it, and those who were blessed with talent to use magic could use it even more powerfully.


    And the one who created the foundation for that sorcery was none other than Loughas.


    ¡¸And just like that, those without talent to use magic be really passionate in their research about sorcery. And the human race trulyes up with many wonderful research records.¡¹


    Loughas spoke happily.


    He¡¯s the same as ever, his character would always change when he spoke about knowledge or sorcery.


    And Loughas taught everyone based on that.


    He was more passionate about the development of sorcery than his real job, not that it affected his duty.


    Thanks to his efforts, sorcery spread throughout the entire world, which in turn gave birth to many other forms of sorcery.


    His disciple, Totona, then appointed a human called Saria as her apostle, and taught her sorcery to spread it even further in this world and build the Magician Association as the knowledge hub of sorcery.


    Humans who mastered the basics of sorcery would then research sorcery on their own, and many would give birth to their own type of sorcery.


    And by Totona¡¯s order, all those variants were recorded and kept in the Magician Association.


    This is what humans believed, while, in fact, Totona was making other copies of the research and delivering the results to her teacher, Loughas.


    ¡¸I see¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Naturally, I have another reason to dispatch him. I want Kuroki-dono to see this world with his own eyes. And this trip to Gypseal is an attempt.¡¹


    ¡¸I see. So, is it really for Kuroki¡¯s sake?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. Not to mention that Kuroki-dono is one of the big shots of Nargol. Having him experience many things isn¡¯t a bad choice either.¡¹


    Loughas said so with a smile on his face.


    <b>¡ôThe Silver Witch; Kuna</b>


    The evening of the day Kuroki departed for Gypseal.


    I met Rena in my dream.


    ¡¸Good grief, Totona really overdid it this time¡­ Well, Thors has to be saved either way, but still, things have be rather annoying right now.¡¹


    I agreed with Rena.


    I was really annoyed the moment I found out that Kuroki wanted to save that b*tch, Shirone. Not to mention that he would go with Totona who was clearly gunning for him.


    But then, I still couldn¡¯t bring myself to stop Kuroki.


    ¡¸You won¡¯t go with him, Kuna?¡¹


    ¡¸Like hell I want to go there, Rena. I really hate that b*tch Shirone, why should I go save her?¡¹


    Thus, I had no choice but to hide my frustration while sending him off to Gypseal.


    ¡¸Well, considering your personality, that¡¯s only natural I guess. Well, there¡¯s nothing that can be done right now. I know that you¡¯re worried about him going with Totona, but rest assured, I think he will treat it as a simple errand, but still¡­¡¹


    Rena heaved a sigh.


    ¡¸A simple errand? That sounds different from Totona¡¯s story.¡¹


    I tilted my head in confusion.


    What Totona told Kuroki and what Ishatar told Rena seemed to be slightly different. Maybe this matter was moreplicated than what it looked like on the surface.


    When I told Rena about this.


    ¡¸Oh my, you think so? That seems off indeed. If that turns out to be correct¡­ Then I¡¯m afraid that Ishtar-sama is far too optimistic about this matter¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Oi, are they really going to be alright?¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know. Maybe I should follow them to Gypseal too, but that¡¯s no different from an unauthorized entrance to Gypseal.¡¹


    Rena said with an anxious look on her face.


    I heard that Gypseal was a rather specialnd.


    Just like Nargol, the Elios¡¯ gods couldn¡¯t freely enter Gypseal.


    Kuna couldn¡¯t help but be anxious too. I started to regret the fact that I didn¡¯t go with Kuroki out of jealousy.


    ¡¸I think Kuroki will be okay, but¡­¡¹


    As expected, should Kuna just go with Kuroki?


    Kuna thought so while looking at Rena.


    ===


    THE NEW PROJECT:


    <strong>Journey of The Childhood Friend Who Got Betrayed by Sword Saint</strong>


    <strong>(~¡¯.¡¯)~Advance Chapter Avable in Fox18 too!~(¡®.¡¯~)</strong>


    <strong>(~¡¯.¡¯)~You Can Read The Advance Chapter by Clicking the Image Below and Be My Patron~(¡®.¡¯~)</strong>


    <strong>Bonus :</strong>

 Chapter 115.1: Beastfolks Kingdom

    <b>Chapter 115.1: Beastfolk¡¯s Kingdom</b>


    <strong>¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki</strong>


    Sead Inlet interposed right in between three-continents: the west, south, and central continent.


    Thanks to that fact, the waves were rtively calm, it was also because of this that it was harder for rain to fall in this area, making it dryer. Especially the western part of the continent and the north of the southern part of the continent, since they wereposed mostly of desert.


    Sanukira desert, which is located in the northeast of the southern part of the continent, was where the Gypseal region was located. Isis Kingdom was a kingdom located in the estuary of Nyar river in the northern part of it. Its total poption was around 15,000 people.


    But, most of its citizens were by no means normal humans. Most of them were beastmen with cat, dog, sheep, bird, or other kinds of animal heads.


    The Gypseal region was the capital for all kinds of beastmen to live together, helping each other in peace. That fact was pretty much clear by seeing murals of numerous beastmen on the walls of Ishtar¡¯s temple.


    This was a rare spectacle, even for this world.


    Normally, many conflicts were bound to happen when many different races gathered in one ce. In fact, the beastmen outside of Gypseal often shed with other beastmen or humans. Yet, they coexist in Gypseal.


    That might be thanks to the ability of the Sphinx race, their kins, and all the Gods who reside in Gypseal. Gypseal has always been in peace thanks to them ruling over the beastmen.


    Reiji and I had just arrived at Isis kingdom. I was currently on the second floor of Ishtar¡¯s temple, and was looking at the scenery outside of one of the windows. I could see Nyar river flowing outside, and also the scorching heat.


    It felt like a lie that we were in Eld Kingdom just a few hours ago. We had moved immediately from the east of the middle part of the continent toward another continent. It was truly a convenient sort of magic.


    When I looked down, I saw many beastmen entering and leaving the temple.


    By the way, this wasn¡¯t my first time seeing beastmen. Though many of them lived in Gypseal, some of them had left this region. I even had a chance ofing across a caravan formed by beastmen who had left Gypseal in the past. The members of the caravan were a mix of various races such as dwarves, humans, and beastmen. They were living the life of a wanderer,ing from one ce to another one in a carriage.


    But, since beastmen were an existence that were excluded in the teachings of the Faeria and Oudith faiths, which excluded all other creatures except for the Elios kin, they would be targets of persecution once they left Gypseal.


    Nevertheless, the humans who lived in the outer city didn¡¯t persecute beastmen and were willing tomunicate with them. The members of the caravan could get funds from selling their craft, dance, song, or divination.


    The song about a love story between a human youth and catgirl of Gypseal was especially famous.


    But of course, some of them were stealing from the others by making the full use of their nimble hands. For them, they could steal from anyone who wasn¡¯t theirrade. That particr habit was one of the reasons behind their persecution.


    ¡¸There you are, Chiyuki.¡¹


    Reiji came to the second floor and called out to me.


    ¡¸Have you finished the preparation to go to Arnak, Reiji-kun?¡¹


    Arnak was thend where the Gods reside and which was located at the center of Gypseal. From this temple, we needed to follow the Nyar river up. I would be grateful if we could go there with teleportation magic but that magic was banned for security reasons.


    Thus, we could only teleport to Isis Kingdom and then to go to Arnak by normal means.


    It was really troublesome indeed.


    ¡¸Gypseal turned out to be an interesting ce.¡¹


    Said Reiji while looking at the scenery below.


    It had apletely different feelpared to the east of the center part of the continent, our base of operation.


    ¡¸Yes. This kind of scenery doesn¡¯t exist in other ces. Let¡¯se again to this ce with everyone once Shirone-san is cured.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, let¡¯s do that.¡¹


    We were gazing at the outside scenery.


    Suddenly, I felt someone¡¯s gaze on me.


    ¡¸Uhm, is something the matter, Reiji-kun?¡¹


    Reiji¡¯s gaze was fixed on me.


    ¡¸It looks good on you.¡¹


    ¡¸Ah, that¡­ Thank you.¡¹


    I replied curtly.


    Currently, I was wearing a Gypseal styled garment. It was a white sheath dress with various gems on its belt, which was made from gold and silver threads. Blue eye shade was applied on my upper eyelids and my lips were covered with a magenta coloured lipstick made from a native nt in Gypseal. There were also gold and silver ornaments on my limbs.


    It was an extremely elegant dress.


    I borrowed this dress from Ishtar. I really enjoyed the experience of wearing such exotic clothing.


    If I had to name the con of this dress, it was the fact that there was a slit that went from my feet till my hips, which was dangerously close to revealing my rear. It was a slightly embarrassing outfit. But, when I came to Gypseal, I stopped being embarrassed by this kind of exposure. It was too hot to care.


    As I was pondering about that, I realized that someone had followed Reiji to the second floor. The one who came was a cat folk who acted as Ishtar¡¯s attendant.


    Yes, I wasn¡¯t embarrassed since Ishtar, who wore an even more suggestive outfit than me, was there.


    ¡¸Here you are, you two are really getting along with each others eh?¡¹


    Ishtar spoke in a teasing manner.


    Ishtar wore Gypseal¡¯s traditional attire just like me. Her skin exposure was even more than me. Her humongous sized breasts were almost exposed for all to see, the slit on her attire went up to the point in which I could see her ass with just a light movement. And though her slit went up so high, I failed to see her underwear wire, she might bemando right now.


    She really was the embodiment of eroticism.


    Feeling embarrassed in front of this huge breasted Goddess, who was the literal embodiment of eroticism with this degree of skin exposure, was absurd.


    100% of men on the street would look at Ishtar for sure.


    Maybe only Goddess Rena could rival Goddess Ishtar in terms of charm, not to mention that the former was single.


    That¡¯s why I snorted coldly when Reiji praised my attire.


    ¡¸We finished the preparations. Let¡¯s go.¡¹


    Ishtar spoke with a charming smile on her face,pletely oblivious of my feelings.


    We followed Ishtar to descend from the second floor.


    And then we went to the harbor.


    ¡¸We¡¯re ready to depart, Goddess-sama.¡¹


    A cat folk, with a body wrapped in gorgeous attire, stood in front of a pnquin, bowing respectfully to Ishtar with her arms crossed in front of her ch*st. I couldn¡¯t help but think that this gesture was the ojigi version of this country.


    The name of this cat folk was Batshept. She was the Pharaoh (God¡¯s representative) of this Isis country. APharaoh was a position simr to a king. Nevertheless, the distance between king and God was surprisingly close.


    The Elios¡¯ Gods had a policy to not interfere with humans, Gypseal¡¯s Gods on the other hand seemed to interfere when they felt the need for it.


    We hopped on the pnquin prepared by Batshept. This felt kind of redundant since the distance between the harbor and the pce wasn¡¯t that far. Thus, using this pnquin felt like a waste of time.


    Could it be that there was a tradition in this country which stated that a God shouldn¡¯t walk in the same road as plebeians?


    Moreover, the security seemed to be extremely strict on top of that. There were many guards with heads of hounds, otherwise known as the Jackal.


    But, this wasn¡¯t our country. We could only follow its traditions.


    The pnquin started to move, carried by ves. Humans are a minority in Gypseal, the majority of the poption were beastmen. That¡¯s why a human¡¯s status was lower than a beastmen and some of them became ves.


    As someone who was born and raised with modern education in Japan, I felt some antipathy toward very. [TL: Yet many of your idols be s*x s*aves of big shots.]


    But, I don¡¯t think I could force my opinion here. Now I had to focus on saving Shirone, that¡¯s why I obediently got on the pnquin.


    The men with dark skin peculiar to this region carried the pnquin towards the road. The pnquin was huge, even with me, Reiji, Ishtar, Batshept, and two other attendants, there was still room for additional people.


    Ishtar was sitting right in front of us.


    I ended up seeing something that I shouldn¡¯t have seen since she crossed her legs.


    ¡¸What do you think about this kingdom, Reiji?¡¹


    Ishtar asked with a smile on her face.


    That was natural since just like the Holy Republic of Lenaria, Isis Kingdom was built for Ishtar. The reason why it wasn¡¯t named Ishtar¡¯s Kingdom was because the Goddess herself changed the kingdom¡¯s name. And Batshept had been managing this kingdom as Ishtar¡¯s representative.


    ¡¸It¡¯s a really interesting ce. I never expected to see so many beastmen from all kind of tribes in one ce.¡¹


    Reiji replied while looking at the scenery outside of the window. I could see from the gap between the thin curtains of the window that the citizens of Isis Kingdom were prostrating toward the pnquin. If this spectacle was normal, now I understand why a mere stroll had so many cumbersome procedures.


    ¡¸Sure enough, this is the first time I see so many different kinds of beastmen¡­¡¹


    I also looked outside of the window like Reiji.


    ¡¸Uhm, what¡¯s that?¡¹


    I saw something moving behind the people who prostrated toward the pnquin. The shadow¡¯s pace was the same as the pnquin. I felt something was amiss when I saw that.


    ¡¸Oh, you noticed that too huh, Chiyuki. They¡¯ve been aiming for us since a while ago.¡¹

 Chapter 115.2: Beastfolks Kingdom

    <b>Chapter 115.2: Beastfolk¡¯s Kingdom</b>


    It seems Reiji had long since noticed that.


    ¡¸Fufufu, aiming for me, huh. Interesting.¡¹


    Ishtar seemed to enjoy the situation despite being the target.


    ¡¸MY APOLOGIES, OUR GODDESS! WE NEVER EXPECTED THAT THERE WOULD BE SUCH AN IMPUDENT WHO WOULD DARE TO DO THAT!!¡¹


    Batshept prostrated to Ishtar immediately. Well, it wasn¡¯t her fault and she didn¡¯t have to go that far though.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. By the way, do you know anything about them?¡¹


    ¡¸No¡­ This is the first time we¡¯ve encountered such an incident. I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s someone brave enough to aim for our Goddess.¡¹


    Batshept was trembling pitifully since she never realized that there was such impudence in her kingdom.


    ¡¸Is that so? Here I thought you knew something about them since the security seems to be stricter than usual.¡¹


    It seems that I wasn¡¯t the only one who noticed the unusual strictness of security.


    ¡¸About that¡­ As ofte¡­ The Great Sphinx-sama sent an order for us to raise our vignce. That¡¯s why the security is three times more stricter than usual.¡¹


    It seems Batshept had no clue what was happening either.


    ¡¸Increase our vignce? Why? What happened?¡¹


    Ishtar asked in confusion.


    ¡¸Oh, whatever. We¡¯ll know once we catch those guys. They might know something.¡¹


    ¡¸AS YOU WISH! EVERYONE, CAPTURE THOSE INGRATES IMMEDIATELY!!¡¹


    Batshept ordered the guards in a hurry.


    ¡¸Too slow. They¡¯re way too slow.¡¹


    The moment Reiji muttered those words, the road in front of the pnquin exploded.


    The citizens raised a scream as the dogfolk and humans shouldering the pnquin lowered it to the ground and drew their swords.


    ¡¸What kind of smell is this?¡¹


    I smelled an extremely foul odor mixed with the smoke of the explosion.


    ¡¸That foul smell might be a countermeasure against the dogfolk.¡¹


    And just as Ishtar had expected, the dogfolk outside were the first to suffer from the smell. This whole incident was rather odd since no one in this country should¡¯ve known about our arrival. Yet, something like this had happened¡ªit felt like the opposing force was prepared.


    I invoked a magic spell which allowed me to see the assants hidden within the smoke. People who wore a ck attire from the top of their heads till their feet approached us, swords in hand.


    ¡¸Reiji-kun!! A¡ª¡¹


    Reiji had already disappeared before I managed to finish my words.


    ¡¸Chiyuki, Reiji already went outside.¡¹


    Fast. He left before I even noticed.


    I chased after Reiji¡¯s shadow with magic. He hadnded on top of the pnquin.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know who you are, but protecting beauties is my raison d¡¯¨ºtre. Now prepare yourself.¡¹


    Reiji unsheathed his sword of light.


    As pompous as usual.


    I was having a headache due to this guy¡¯s haphazard actions.


    ¡¸REIJI-KUN, THE ASSAILANTS ARE HUMANS!! DON¡¯T KILL THEM!!¡¹


    I sent that message to Reiji via telepathy; my presence detection had found out that our assants were all human. Thus, there was a high probability that someone was manipting them.


    ¡¸GOT IT, CHIYUKI!!¡¹


    Reiji replied with a shout.


    He then started moving at lightning speed and defeated all the assants in no time. It only took him less than ten seconds to subjugate them all.


    ¡¸Good job, Reiji-kun.¡¹


    Ishtar and I descended from the pnquin after Reiji defeated all the assants.


    ¡¸As expected of Reiji.¡¹


    Ishtar went down from the pnquin while saying so, did she really delight in being protected by Reiji?


    ¡¸It¡¯s no big deal. They¡¯re just a bunch of small fry after all.¡¹


    Reiji then looked behind us. When we turned around, someone was standing there.


    ¡¸G-God Pistis?!?¡¹


    Since when did he stand behind us? I never noticed his presence. In the first ce, Pistis wasn¡¯t supposed to be with us. Moreover, he slipped through my presence detection magic easily. He was probably a master at erasing his presence. In short, even without Reiji, he would have protected us from those assants.


    Not to mention that Ishtar was a Goddess, thus making her much more powerful than humans.


    In short, Ishtar was never in danger in the first ce.


    ¡¸Fufufu, surely. There wasn¡¯t even any danger to begin with. But, as expected of Rena-chan¡¯s hero, you actually managed to detect Pistis¡¯ presence.¡¹


    ¡¸Barely.¡¹


    Tha atmosphere was really pleasant despite the situation.


    But, this wasn¡¯t the time for that.


    ¡¸Uh, Ishtar. Sorry for disturbing this merry atmosphere, but I think we have to treat the injured guards and civilians¡­ We have to examine the assant too.¡¹


    Ishtar snapped out of it as if she just remembered this fact after hearing me. It seems she wasn¡¯t that interested in the assants.


    ¡¸Oh my, you¡¯re right. Batshept, treat those who are injured.¡¹


    ¡¸As you wish, O Great Goddess!! If there are still conscious people, bring them back to the pce!!¡¹


    Batshept ordered the dogfolk who had suffered from the smoke. Hearing Batshept¡¯s order, they all started to move immediately.


    ¡¸Well then, the assants are humans, but where did theye from? If they¡¯re being manipted, we have to save them¡­¡¹


    I looked at one of the assants. The assant wore a ck outfit that covered them from head to toe. I almost couldn¡¯t see their face. Then, I noticed a crest engraved on the hilt of their sword.


    ¡¸Is this the crest of the evil eye? Are they worshipers of the snake?!!¡¹


    I unintentionally raised my voice.


    ¡¸Oh, keen observation you got there, big sis. Indeed, they¡¯re followers of the snake.¡¹


    Pistisughed heartily as he spoke.


    It seems Pistis had already known their identity before me. The snake worshipers were the humans who worshiped the Serpent Queen, Diadona. I discovered the existence of this cult while I was looking for information about Diadona. ording to my research, the snake worshiper cult was an alias for an assassin organization, heretics whose creed was to offer as many human lives as possible to Serpent Queen.


    Though I had no idea how that kind of cult came to be, ording to the book, it might have been made by humans with Gorgon or Lamia¡¯s mother.


    Nevertheless, I had never expected that we would meet snake worshipers in this kind of situation.


    ¡¸Nevertheless, to think that Diadona¡¯s worshipers came to this kind of ce. Is this the reason behind the order to raise our vignce? What happened, Pistis?¡¹


    ¡¸No, Ishtar-sama. We didn¡¯t know the reason. But, we knew that something was going to happen. Nishishishi.¡¹


    Pistis¡¯s tail swayed non stop as heughed.


    ¡¸I see. I wonder what happened here as ofte? How interesting.¡¹


    Ishtar revealed a smile unbefitting of this situation.


    Why did I feel that her smile was simr to Reiji¡¯s smile?


    It seems she was simr to Reiji in terms of liking the fighting scene.


    Why? Why did I get the feeling that we were going to be involved in a troublesome matter?


    ===


    THE NEW PROJECT:


    <strong>Journey of The Childhood Friend Who Got Betrayed by Sword Saint</strong>


    <strong>(~¡¯.¡¯)~Advance Chapter Avable in Fox18 too!~(¡®.¡¯~)</strong>


    <strong>(~¡¯.¡¯)~You Can Read The Advance Chapter by Clicking the Image Below and Be My Patron~(¡®.¡¯~)</strong>


    <strong>Bonus :</strong>

 Chapter 116.1: Magicians of Gypseal

    <b>Chapter 116.1: Magicians of Gypseal</b>


    <b>¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki</b>


    I teleported to Gypseal along with Totona. We arrived at a dark room, the only light visible shining from the magic circle beneath our feet.


    The room was filled with sacred hieroglyphs. I could feel the hot air even from within this room. This country was definitely located in the desert. Magic was indeed a really convenient thing in this world. One could go from one ce to another in a few seconds.


    ¡¸Totona, are we really in Putaha Kingdom?¡¹


    I asked Totona.


    The God¡¯s residence in Gypseal resided in the golden capital, Arnak. Since an alert had been raised in the capital, we couldn¡¯t directly teleport to it. Thus, Totona decided to travel to Arnak from Putaha, a Kingdom where she had the freedom toe and go as she pleases.


    Putaha Kingdom was known as the Kingdom of Craftsmen, with a poption of around ten thousand people. The reason why it got such a nickname was simply because most citizens were dwarven craftsmen. Their Pharaoh (King) was also a dwarf.


    In the first ce, the reason why there were so many dwarves in this ce was because this kingdom was given to Heibos by the God king of Elios. In fact, the only Elios Gods famous in Gypseal were Heibos, Ishtar, andstly, Totona. The three were foreign Gods, but what was truly interesting was faiths attached to them.


    As for who was the most famous God here from Nargol, it was the Archwithch, Heqat. She was hailed as the Goddess of Medicine. There was even a country where only Toadmen resided, the country¡¯s name is Hekat and a grand temple was built for the Archwitch herself.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right Kuroki, we¡¯re currently in Putaha Kingdom. This ce has a branch of the Magician Association.¡¹


    Totona nodded as she exined.


    In addition to their craftsmanship, Putaha Kingdom was also famous for their Magician Association branch. Totona, the Goddess of Book and Knowledge, was also the Goddess of the magicians. Magius, the great sage who built the Magician Association in Saria, was her apostle.


    Now, 700 years after its establishment, Magius was still in his prime. I heard that he was still involved in the management of the Magician Association as their honorary president. 700 years after its establishment, the magicians who learnt everything they knew in Saria had spread all around the world, they kept in touch with each other, and made branches in various ces.


    And one of those branches of the Magician Association was located right in Putaha Kingdom of the Gypseal region.


    ¡¸I see. So this is where the famous Gypseal magicianse from.¡¹


    Totona looked slightly surprised when she heard my remark.


    ¡¸Hee, so Kuroki already knows about them eh.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Totona. I hear that Gypseal magicians are famous for their excellence.¡¹


    In fact, the Gypseal Magician Association was the second most famous ce for magicians after Saria. Reason being because there were only humans in the other Magician Association branches. But, things were slightly different here, in Gypseal¡¯s Magician Association, you could be an executive even if you weren¡¯t human. Moreover, since the influence from Faeria¡¯s and Oudith¡¯s faiths, which detest necromancy and dark magic, was basically nonexistent in this region, there were almost no restricted topics of magic. With less regtion and more opportunities, it was no wonder that research about magic in this region was more advanced than in other branches, which in turn gave birth to many excellent magicians.


    When one speaks of Gypseal Magicians, it was a moniker for excellent magicians.


    ¡¸Yes. The magicians of this ce are really famous. And the branch leader is also my disciple.¡¹


    Now it was my turn to be surprised when hearing her remark. To be able to receive direct tutoring from Totona, a Goddess, the branch leader of this ce must be a really great person.


    ¡¸Kuroki, it seems he hase to wee us. Let¡¯s greet him.¡¹


    Someone appeared from the entrance of the room. I couldn¡¯t hide my shock the moment I saw that person¡¯s appearance. The one who appeared was a man with the head of a scarab beetle. The insect man was holding a cane in his hand. Does that mean he was a magician?


    Kuna¡¯s subordinates were insectmen too, but I think they¡¯repletely different from this scarab beetle man before me.


    This was the first time I saw someone of this race.


    ¡¸Wee, My Great Teacher, Totona-sama.¡¹


    The insect man crossed his limbs (Arms?) in front of his chest and bowed.


    ¡¸Long time no see, Kepler. Kuroki, this is Kepler, he¡¯s a beetle man and also the branch leader of the Magician Association here. He¡¯s also a famous magician, otherwise known as the Golden Sage.¡¹


    ¡¸You overestimate me, Totona-sama. Honestly, I¡¯m still embarrassed to be called with such a title. A fledgeling junior like me isn¡¯t worthy of that title yet.¡¹


    Kepler the beetle man scratched his head with his arm, as if showing his embarrassment.


    ¡¸No, Kepler. Your magic research is really wonderful. You¡¯re already worthy of that title.¡¹


    Kepler¡¯s forearms moved swiftly, it seems he was really delighted hearing his master¡¯s praise. And then, Kepler looked at me.


    ¡¸By the way, Totona-sama. May I ask the name of this gentleman?¡¹


    ¡¸Eeh¡­ He¡¯s¡­¡¹


    When he asked that question, Totona looked at me with a bewildered look on her face. It seems she had trouble in disclosing my identity. Surely, it might be better to hide my identity knowing that Reiji was in this ce too.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay, Totona. I believe we can trust your disciple.¡¹


    But, the beetle man, Kepler, seemed to be someone worthy of my trust. Since that was the case, telling him the truth was much better than lying to him.


    He didn¡¯t seem to be the kind of man who would spread rumors.


    ¡¸Kepler, this is Kuroki, Nargol¡¯s strongest Dark Knight.¡¹


    Kepler was visibly surprised upon hearing Totona¡¯s introduction.


    ¡¸WHAT!! HE¡¯S THE GOD OF THE BLACK STORM WHO DROVE THE ENTIRE REPUBLIC OF ARIADYA TO THE BOTTOM OF DESPAIR?!! AND WHAT¡¯S EVEN MORE SURPRISING IS THE FACT THAT HE¡¯S WITH YOU, TOTONA-SAMA!!¡¹


    I had no idea how that happened. But it seemed that rumors about me had spread to Gypseal too. And not in a good way on top of that. I was curious and worried about what kind of stories were being told about me in this ce.


    ¡¸Well there were various reasons for that, Kepler. Anyhow, can you bring us to a quiet ce to calm down and to tell you the full story first?¡¹


    ¡¸We have a parlor room for that. We can talk in private without having to worry about someone eavesdropping in there.¡¹


    Kepler turned around and guided us toward the parlor room after he said so. We met people of various races along the way, hippopotamus folk, cat folk, and even humans.


    All of them opened the way and bowed to us the moment they saw us. It didn¡¯t seem to be directed toward Totona. Only Kepler knew about the arrival of Totona beforehand. In short, they were bowing toward Kepler.


    Looking at their attitude, I knew immediately that Kepler¡¯s poprity was the real deal in this ce.


    After arriving in the parlor room, Kepler gave instructions to the staff of the association to stop anyone from approaching the parlor room since he had a private matter to attend to.


    The parlor room of the association¡¯s branch was really vast. The floor was covered with a soft carpet. There were various ornaments along the wall, and soft cushions stuffed with the best feathers were prepared on the floor.


    It seems the Magician Association of Gypseal was really prosperous.


    The staff brought refreshments for us. They brought enough tea for two. Those teas were for Totona and me. Kepler didn¡¯t seem to drink tea.


    ¡¸Eh? This is coffee, right?¡¹


    I unintentionally let out such a remark when I saw the tea. It had a ck color and strong fragrance. It really looked like coffee.


    ¡¸Kuroki-sama, this bean tea is made from the seed of a red fruit called Nephentes. I don¡¯t drink it, but it¡¯s secretly consumed amongst the magicians due to its various medicinal effects and its ability to keep us awake. Please enjoy.¡¹


    Kepler exined while smiling merrily.


    ¡¸I see¡­ Then, I shall partake.¡¹


    I tried a sip of the bean tea. Compared to the coffee in my home world, the bean tea had a peculiar aroma unique to this world. But, this was definitely coffee. I never expected to be able to drink coffee in this world.


    ¡¸Kepler, I noticed that the aroma is even more fragrant than the bean tea that I drank before. What did you do?¡¹


    Totona tilted her head as she asked.


    ¡¸Oh, so you¡¯ve noticed it huh, Totona-sama? The truth is, we used the undigested seed from the excrements of the cat who ate the red fruit. It seems using those undigested seeds will enhance the aroma of the bean tea. Nevertheless, I never expected that the seed that I discovered during my meal is this fragrant after being processed.¡¹


    ¡¸I see, good discovery, Kepler. And it tastes good too.¡¹


    Totona and Kepler were smiling at each other.


    It seems they never thought too deeply about it since it was discovered by ident.


    ¡¸Well then, Kepler, let¡¯s go straight to the topic. I want to go to Arnak. Can you lend me one of Magician Association¡¯s ships to go there?¡¹


    Kepler shook his head upon hearing Totona¡¯s request.


    ¡¸About that, Totona-sama. This branch currently¡­ has no ships at all.¡¹


    ¡¸How did this happen? I remember that this branch had a lot of ships before. Can you exin the situation to me, Kepler?¡¹


    ¡¸Totona-sama, the truth is, there were repeated mysterious disappearances as ofte.¡¹


    ¡¸Mysterious disappearances?¡¹

 Chapter 116.2: Magicians of Gypseal

    <b>Chapter 116.2: Magicians of Gypseal</b>


    ¡¸Yes, many caravans go missing nowadays. Moreover, the amount of missing cases in the neighboring kingdom, Towlet, has also increased as ofte. I dispatched magicians from the association with our ships to investigate the case, but s¡­ the ship along with its passengers went MIA.¡¹


    Kepler shook his head as if he was in big trouble. He had reason to do so as even the people who were dispatched to investigate the missing people disappeared as well. They really couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Thus, the case must¡¯ve caused Kepler quite a headache.


    What really happened still remained a mystery.


    ¡¸Towlet Kingdom¡­ If my memory serves me right, there should be many hippopotamus folk over there.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Totona-sama. Moreover, the Sphinx seems to be quite busy too. Maybe, something that we don¡¯t know happened over there.¡¹


    Both Totona and I exchanged a nce.


    ¡¸Yes, you might find some clues if you go there. The problem is, we have no ship. At this rate, the only avable method is using flight magic.¡¹


    Well, that might be ourst choice. I myself had once flown from the Holy Republic of Lenaria all the way to Nargol in the past. That¡¯s why it shouldn¡¯t be impossible for us.


    ¡¸I really wish I hade with Glorious at a time like this though¡­¡¹


    The reason why I didn¡¯t bring Glorious was simply because he could easily be found by the Hero and the others; things were bound to get moreplicated once that happened. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t bring Glorious on this asion.


    ¡¸Kepler, are you sure that there really is no other option? This ce should be close to the hippogriffs living quarters, right?¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re mistaken, Totona-sama. It hippogriffs don¡¯t live near here.¡¹


    ¡¸Any other options then?¡¹


    ¡¸Let¡¯s see¡­ Oh! That reminds me, chimeras have been appearing quite frequently nowadays, but¡­ But, those chimeras are¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Chimeras?!!!¡¹


    I unintentionally voiced my surprise upon hearing Kepler¡¯s remark. Chimeras were demon beasts who took the appearance of abination of many animals: the tail of a snake, head of a dragon, goat, or lion, etc. Since they had such unique appearances, I wanted to see one of them at least once.


    Amongst the chimeras, some had dragon wings and could fly in the sky. We might be able to use them as vehicles if we could catch them.


    ¡¸Yes, chimeras. At first, we suspected that the chimeras might be the reason behind the missing cases, but upon further investigation, all evidence proved that it wasn¡¯t their doing, so we tried to further investigate the reason behind the missing cases.¡¹


    ¡¸Kepler-dono. Where can we find those chimeras?¡¹


    ¡¸Are you trying to capture a chimera? I advise you against it, they¡¯re too dangerous. Though not as much as higher ranking dragons, chimeras are still ferocious demon beasts.¡¹


    A high ranking dragon, eh¡­ It¡¯s not a big deal then. Moreover, I think we could capture a bunch after subjugating them.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Kepler. Kuroki is strong.¡¹


    Hearing Totona saying that, Kepler sent a sidelong nce toward me.


    ¡¸I see, if he really is as strong as rumored, then he might be able to do that¡­ I understand. I¡¯ll tell you where the chimeras frequently appear.¡¹


    It was decided then.


    Let¡¯s catch those chimeras.


    But, there was something that I had to do before departing.


    ¡¸By the way, Totona. We might meet the Hero of Light. Since things might get troublesome when that happens, I want to at least hide my identity¡­ Or at least, wear a mask.¡¹


    Totona was really surprised when I said so.


    ¡¸Why are you so restrained even though you¡¯re stronger than Rena¡¯s hero? But well, I love that pacifist part of you. Kepler, can you prepare something for Kuroki to hide his identity.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Totona-sama. As long as it¡¯s something that the association can prepare for you, you¡¯re free to use it. But, if you want to hide your identity more thoroughly, you might as well change your entire attire too. Many people in Gypseal have a good nose after all.¡¹


    Kepler gave us such advice. Sure enough, beastmen have good noses. Some of them might be familiar with the smell peculiar to the Nargol region.


    ¡¸I understand, Kepler-dono. Can I leave my current attire with you for the time being?¡¹


    My current attire was trousers and a shirt peculiar to Nargol. There shouldn¡¯t be any problem even if I don¡¯t take off my ring, which connects me to Kuna.


    ¡¸No problem. Then, please bring him some new clothes.¡¹


    Kepler called the staff of the association and ordered them to bring Kuroki a change of clothes. A few minutester, the staff brought a lot of¡­ cloth.


    I took one look at it and, no matter how much I looked at it, it just looked like a piece of white cloth.


    ¡¸Uhm, what is this, Kepler-dono?¡¹


    ¡¸I brought something that men in the association wear. Is it to your liking?¡¹


    Then I recalled something. Most men I met in this ce wore nothing but a single cloth. It seems that even the sorcerers didn¡¯t wear a thick robe like Totona, but a piece of cloth like the people outside. In short, they had nothing but that kind of clothing.


    Moreover, there was nothing like underwear here. Maybe wearing underwear wasn¡¯t a custom in this ce. Upon a closer look, the beastmen basically wore nothing on their body. Their naked bodies were as exposed as centaurs.


    Was this by any chance¡­ A custom in Gypseal?


    Now here¡¯s the main problem, what should I do?


    The women seem to wear one piece, but I honestly didn¡¯t want to wear women¡¯s attire. I guess I had no choice but to put arge piece of cloth over my head and make holes for my eyes.


    That should be enough to hide my face.


    ¡¸Well, thank you for your offer, Kepler-dono. I shall take this one then.¡¹


    I took a cloth, made holes for my eyes, and wore it above my head. I couldn¡¯t see it for myself, but my current appearance must be quite fantastic.


    ¡¸Kuroki, your current appearance is really amusing.¡¹


    Totona let out a chuckle as she spoke. But, I guess it really couldn¡¯t be helped. There might be another way for me to hide my face, but that would create unnecessary trouble. If that was the case, I would rather make do with this appearance.


    ¡¸Don¡¯tugh at me please. Come to think of it, what name should I use this time, Totona? I mean, using my real name will literally expose my identity.¡¹


    Even if I covered my face, my identity would be exposed if Totona called me by my real name. Thus, I had to use an alias.


    ¡¸You mean, an alias?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, do you have any rmendations for my alias?¡¹


    Totona pondered for a while when I asked.


    ¡¸Okay then, Kuroki. How does Medjed (The Destroyer) sound to you?¡¹


    Thus, starting today, my name would be Medjed.


    ===


    THE NEW PROJECT:


    <strong>Journey of The Childhood Friend Who Got Betrayed by Sword Saint</strong>


    <strong>(~¡¯.¡¯)~Advance Chapter Avable in Fox18 too!~(¡®.¡¯~)</strong>


    <strong>(~¡¯.¡¯)~You Can Read The Advance Chapter by Clicking the Image Below and Be My Patron~(¡®.¡¯~)</strong>


    <strong>Bonus :</strong>

 Chapter 117.1: Catch Those Chimeras

    <strong>Chapter 117.1: Catch Those Chimeras</strong>


    <strong>¡ôThe Destroyer, Kuroki</strong>


    Sanukira desert, which covered almost the entire area of the Gypseal region, had a temperature of 50 to 60 degrees during the day. For that reason, the citizens of Gypseal slept during the day when the temperature was high and started their activities in the evening.


    A while after we came out from the rampart of the Putaha kingdom, we were weed by the scenery of the endless sea of sand. The crimson-red evening sun was shining over the yellow sea, and the wind, mixed in with speckles of sand, blew lightly on my face.


    It was a scenery that never existed in Nargol. I felt rather emotional upon seeing it.


    After this, we were going to go to the ce where chimeras appeared frequently.


    The way to move into this ce was the problem.


    Back on Earth, the most famous way to cross the desert was by using camels as they were the only animal who could movefortably over a long distance in the desert.


    And yet, for some reason, I couldn¡¯t find any camels after arriving in Gypseal.


    Well, I had no idea whether camels existed in this world though. Even if they did exist, I doubt they¡¯d be used as the main transportation method for trade in Gypseal. Gypseal had the Nyar River basin flowing in its entire area, so the main transportation method was through riverboats.


    For the citizens of Gypseal, the desert wasn¡¯t a ce to walk in. Even traveling merchants had never opted to cross the desert, they only moved from city-state to city-state through the river


    Totona and I were currently riding a massive tank. This massive tank was pulled by golem horses made from orichalcum, and was lent to us by the king of Putaha Kingdom. The dwarf king readily lent this enchanted tank when Kepler asked him.


    Maybe because it was something made for nobles, it was huge in size, which made it morefortable for Totona and me to ride it together.


    The enchanted wheels made of orichalcum ran on the desert without a hitch.


    Nevertheless, since we borrowed this, we couldn¡¯t drive it too far away from the city. We promised the king to only use it until we arrived at the location where chimeras came out frequently. And once we caught the chimeras, we would go straight to Arnak.


    It was good for us that there was no problem in leaving the enchanted tank behind since it had an auto-return function.


    ¡¸Totona. Wait a second.¡¹


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Ku¡ª I mean, Medjed?¡¹


    Totona almost called me out by my real name before she corrected it in a hurry. Well, my current appearance was that of Medjed, covered in white cloth from head to toe. My identity might be discovered if she doesn¡¯t get used to my alias immediately.


    ¡¸Totona, why do you think those chimeras often appear around the oasis? I mean, they don¡¯t need that much water right?¡¹


    They had fire resistance since they could breathe fire from their mouth, thus having no problem with moving during the day. And chimeras with fire resistance rarely needed water.


    ¡¸Medjed, it¡¯s true that chimeras don¡¯t need water. But, their prey need water. That¡¯s why they gathered around the nearby oasis.¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡­¡¹


    I nodded upon hearing Totona¡¯s exnation.


    ¡¸Rather than that, Medjed. Why do you keep moving your hips restlessly since a while ago?¡¹


    Asked Totona as she controlled the tank.


    Controlling the enchanted horse was pretty easy. Even Totona, who was riding a tank for the first time, had no problem in controlling it.


    ¡¸Well, it¡¯s not a big deal, Totona. The string of my loincloth seems to be loosening, it feels like it¡¯s about to drop anytime soon.¡¹


    Since I wasn¡¯t offered any underwear, I had coiled a loincloth beneath the white cloth that I wore.


    To hide my smell from the Gypseal citizens who were sensitive to smell, I had to let go of the clothes I had brought from Nargol, take a bath, and use anise perfume on my body. Anise was a first-ss item that was used to erase odors when making mummies.


    Surely, it did erase my odor.


    But, the problem was the cloth I was wearing. Just in case, I had twined a white cloth around my waist to be a loincloth for when I have to turn around. But then, the string that held the loincloth got loosened. It was my mistake for not choosing my attire properly. Thus, I was racking my brain to find a solution.


    When I pressed it with my hand to prevent a slip, the motion of the tank worsened.


    ¡¸Can¡¯t be helped I guess, should I just take it off¡­¡¹


    After muttering so in a low voice, I unfastened the loincloth that was wrapped around my waist.


    With this, I wore nothing but this white cloth that covered my entire body. I felt like a sher wandering around in the middle of the night, but also felt an absolute sense of liberation.


    Why did I feel that way I wonder?


    I mean, it wasn¡¯t just my lower body, it felt like my heart was liberated too.


    Was this what they called mental growth?


    Felt like I was just unmasking all the trouble in my heart.


    ¡¸Fufufufufu.¡¹


    I felt really moved and ended up chuckling for no reason.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Medjed?¡¹


    Totona was looking in my direction, maybe she realized my mental growth.


    ¡¸N-NO! IT¡¯S NOTHING, TOTONA!!¡¹


    ¡¸Is that so?¡¹


    After trying to gloss over it with a forcedugh, Totona faced the front again.


    ¡°<em>Totona-cha~n. I¡¯m actually buck nake~d under this piece of clo~th.</em>¡± Was what I thought as I enjoyed the breeze on my waist.


    ¡­.


    ¡­¡­¡­


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­


    THE HE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~CK!! WHAT IN THE WORLD AM I THINKING ABOU~~~~~~~~~~~~T!! NO MATTER HOW MUCH I THINK ABOUT IT, I¡¯M JUST A PERVE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~RT!!


    I unintentionally screamed inside. I was actually so close to unleashing myself. Surely, there was this sense of absolute liberation, but I would be treated as a pervert once it was known that I was buck-naked under this piece of cloth. I would be hated by women for doing something like this.


    I¡¯ve been getting along with Totona and didn¡¯t want her to hate me, I enjoyed our conversations after all. And if I act thoughtlessly¡­


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    This wasn¡¯t the time to fool around like this.


    I felt something unusual in front of us.


    ¡¸TOTONA!! SOMEONE¡¯S COMING AT US FROM THE FRONT!!¡¹


    Totona nodded when I told her so, it seems she sensed the other party too.


    ¡¸It might be the chimeras.¡¹


    Totona raised the gear of the tank. There was still quite some distance between us. But, I could already see the figure of our assant at this distance.


    The ones being attacked were four women and a man with a goat head, and the ones who were attacking them were even smaller. There were dozens of them.


    I had no idea who the assants were since they wore sand-coloured cloaks.


    ¡¸Are those sand demons? So they¡¯re not chimeras. What should we do, Kuro¡ª I mean, Medjed?¡¹


    Totona asked after confirming the identity of the assant with farsight magic.


    I heard about sand demons before. Sand demons were descendants of the goblin who migrated to the desert a really long time ago, so they were part of the goblin race. In addition, they were just like the ghoul race, non-believers.


    Sand demons made a living by plundering the citizens of Gypseal. Naturally, the dogfolk who protected the public order in Gypseal had tried to exterminate the sand demons, but the sand demons were too tenacious and multiplied way too fast.


    The sand demons were riding on giant sand rats to attack the travelers. On the other hand, their target was walking on foot.


    Upon a closer look the man had fallen to the other side. He was the unlucky one who received the surprise attack. The ones who would somehow survive despite being on foot will probably be the women.


    It was easy to guess the sand demons¡¯ intentions.


    They¡¯re no different from goblins in this regard.


    ¡¸WE SAVE THEM OF COURSE!! IT¡¯S BETTER TO SAVE THE GYPSEAL CITIZENS AFTER ALL!!¡¹


    It was a show of goodwill to the gods of Gypseal. That¡¯s why we should save them.


    ¡¸I understand. Let¡¯s do as you say, Ku¡ª I mean, Medjed.¡¹


    Totona nodded.


    ¡¸I¡¯M GOING FIRST, TOTONA!!¡¹


    I jumped from the tank as I said so to Totona. I jumped with my all toward the assault scene.


    ¡¸WAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!¡¹


    Inded right in front of the sand demons.


    ¡¸WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!! A MONSTER?!!¡¹


    The man with the goat head fell on his rear the moment he saw my figure. The women by his side were equally surprised. And the baby embraced by another woman started to cry.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a monster¡± Was what I wanted to tell them, but I guess it could wait forter.


    ¡¸WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!! A MONSTER?!!¡¹


    The sand demons said the same thing as their target.


    Do I really look like a monster in this form?

 Chapter 117.2: Catch Those Chimeras

    <strong>Chapter 117.2: Catch Those Chimeras</strong>


    I felt like I looked really adorable when I checked in the mirror though.


    At least, Totona thought that my current get up was really adorable.


    ¡¸TAKE THIS, MONSTER!!!¡¹


    A sand demon threw his stone ax at me. I quickly covered my cloth with magic to protect it. The stone ax then made a loud nking sound as it struck my cloth, and fell to the sand.


    ¡¸LIES?! IT GOT REPELLED! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!!¡¹


    The young human girl shouted so.


    ¡¸DUNNO!! BUT IT DEFINITELY CAME TO SAVE OUR A*SES!! CAN¡¯T DENY THAT IT LOOKS RATHER BIZARRE THOUGH!!!¡¹


    It seems the travelers had finally noticed the awesomeness of this Medjed. But, it was still far too early to be surprised.


    I focused my magic power into my eyes. Amongst the dragons who resided in my body, one of them had the ability to fire beams from their eyes. That was the ability that I was about to use.


    ¡¸Finishing Strike! EYE BEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM!!¡¹


    ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!


    The beam fired from my eyes raised a cloud of dust as it headed toward the sand demons.


    ¡¸GYAAAAAAAAAAAA! RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!!!¡¹


    The sand demons turned tail and escaped.


    Well then, this should save those travelers.


    I turned towards the travelers as I thought so.


    ¡¸HIIII! PLEASE DON¡¯T EAT UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUS!!!¡¹


    A woman cried when her eyes met mine.


    Eh? What¡¯s with this reaction?


    The beastfolk with a goat head stepped forward and stood in front of the woman as if to protect her.


    Totona arrived during such a messed up situation.


    ¡¸Are you Putaha¡¯s magician?! Please save us from this strange monster!!!¡¹


    The traveler pleaded to Totona to save them.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay. His name is Medjed. He won¡¯t attack you guys.¡¹


    Totona said so as she stood beside me.


    The beastfolk with a goat head heaved a sigh upon seeing that.


    ¡¸Ooh!! So that strange monster is magician-dono¡¯s familiar huh!! Maan, thank you very much for saving me and my wives, you really saved our a*ses!!!¡¹


    The beastfolk man with a goat head and the women bowed to Totona. The women seemed to be the wives of the beastfolk with a goat head. Polygamy was allowed in Gypseal. That¡¯s why a man with more than one wife wasn¡¯t that rare in this ce.


    But, seeing that all of his wives were beautiful women, this beastfolk man with a goat head seemed to be quite popr. And the youngest among his wives was still a girl.


    I secretly cursed at the popr man before me.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about it. By the way, what are you doing in this ce?¡¹


    Totona¡¯s question was logical since this ce was far away from the highway.


    ¡¸I¡¯m a citizen of Knum Kingdom. Our child contracted a disease during our trip and now we¡¯re heading to the nearby Putaha Kingdom, looking for a magician who can treat her¡­ Turns out, taking a shortcut by straying from highway since we¡¯re in hurry is a mistake.¡¹


    The beastfolk with a goat head exined so while hanging his head down.


    The holynd of medical treatment in Gypseal was Heqat country. But, many magicians were also adept in medical knowledge. It was natural for people who lived far away from Heqet country toe to Putaha Kingdom.


    And, I did hear that many beastfolk with goat heads like this man live in Knum country. He must be one of those beastfolk.


    ¡¸That¡¯s unfortunate indeed. So, any other peopleing with you?¡¹


    ¡¸Nope, we brought a few human ves, but unfortunately¡­ They were killed by those sand demons.¡¹


    The goat beastfolk said while crying.


    ¡¸Excuse me, Magician-sama!! Please take a look at my child¡¯s condition!!!¡¹


    One of the goat beastfolk¡¯s wives showed the baby in her embrace to Totona. The baby had a goat head. The gender was male.


    He cried as if he was in pain.


    ¡¸He caught a fever. Please wait a little bit.¡¹


    Totona invoked her spell as she spoke.


    Thus, the crying baby calmed down.


    ¡¸This is just an emergency measure. You still have to bring him to Putaha to get proper medical treatment.¡¹


    ¡¸But, we lost both our donkey and horse. Anymore than this, my wives¡¯ feet¡­¡¹


    The goat-headed beastfolk said so with a troubled look on his face.


    ¡¸Since that¡¯s the case, then you can ride on this tank. It¡¯ll bring you to Putaha kingdom.¡¹


    The goat-headed beastfolk and his family looked really surprised upon hearing Totona¡¯s remark.


    ¡¸What about you then, Magician-sama?¡¹


    ¡¸We don¡¯t need this anymore.¡¹


    Totona then looked at me.


    I nodded. It seems Totona had already noticed THAT too.


    A huge shadow was approaching us due to the smell of blood. It¡¯s strength couldn¡¯t bepared to the sand demons we faced a while ago; it wouldn¡¯t even be aparison.


    I assumed that the one approaching us was a chimera.


    Since the other party came to us on its own, then we didn¡¯t have to use this tank anymore.


    ¡¸A chimera ising towards us as we speak. You have to get away now.¡¹


    The goat-headed beastfolk and his wives¡¯ face paled upon hearing Totona¡¯s remark.


    ¡¸A C-CHIMERA?! NO WAY! WE WON¡¯T BE ABLE TO ESCAPE FROM IT!!¡¹


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about us, you guys have to escape from this ce as soon as possible. Leave that chimera to us.¡¹


    ¡¸I see, Your Grace surely has your own n for driving this tank. I understand. Please be careful, Magician-sama. I¡¯ll never forget this favor.¡¹


    The goat-headed man and his family then boarded the tank and went away.


    There was no problem for everyone to get on the tank since the tank¡¯s size was really big.


    Soon enough, the giant shadow had finally entered our line of sight with the background of the setting sun. That shadownded right beside the in donkey. It had the head of a dragon, goat, and lion, and then the tail of a snake.


    No doubt about it, that was a chimera.


    Though chimeras couldn¡¯t be seen in the eastern part of the central continent, they could be found in the western and southern part of the continent.


    ording to the seafolk, it seems they were treated as sacred beasts who represent the seasons of the destroyed Hatti, but in most parts of the central continent, they were treated as fire-breathing demon beasts of disaster.


    That was also the case for Gypseal.


    The chimera was currently greedily devouring the meat of the dead donkey.


    It failed to detect our presence.


    The chimera was a giant demon beast. Though it was smallerpared to superior dragons such as Glorious, it was much bigger than both Totona and me, big enough to swallow us whole.


    I see, so this is a chimera.


    Well then, what should we do now?


    I recalled my first meeting with Glorious.


    Glorious had attached himself emotionally to me the moment he saw me. Things might be easier for us if the chimera reacts in the same way.


    I decided to approach the chimera, and it was then that it suddenly raised a roar.


    Its roar was filled with killing intent.


    It seems things wouldn¡¯t go as smoothly as I expected.


    ¡¸GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!¡¹


    The chimera breathed fire from its dragon head while its lion head raised a roar, the horn of its goat head fired lightning towards our direction.


    Though I¡¯ve built resistance toward both fire and thunder, the same couldn¡¯t be said for the cloth draped on me, it would burn to ashes and reveal my little DRAGON for everyone to see, so I used magic to protect myself.


    Its snake tail then attacked us like a whip.


    ¡¸GOD DAMMIT!!!!!!!!¡¹


    I dodged the snake tail andnded on the back of the chimera, and pressed it down.


    The chimera who got pinned down by me was rampaging wildly, trying to escape from me, but I wouldn¡¯t let it go.


    I sealed its tail whip with a ck thorn.


    ¡¸Keep it pinned down like that, Medjed!!¡¹


    Totona approached the chimera and ced her hand on its lion head.


    ¡¸DOMINATION!!¡¹


    Totona invoked domination magic. A veil of light spread from Totona¡¯s hand, covering the chimera¡¯s entire body.


    The chimera rampaged violently.


    ¡¸No way? Such strong resistance. Does it really hate to be dominated? What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡¹


    Totona seemed to be troubled.


    The chimera was still rampaging like before. So I invoked more ckthorns to keep it from rampaging.


    Totona then used more mana in her spell, and the chimera gradually calmed down, until it finally showed its belly.


    ¡¸Have you managed to dominate it, Totona?¡¹


    Totona nodded.


    ¡¸Yes. I just never expected it to resist that far.¡¹


    ¡¸I wonder, why did it seem to hate us so much?¡¹


    I mean, I couldn¡¯t help but be shocked to know that the chimera hated us so much.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know about that. Let me ask it with magic.¡¹


    There was magic that allowed us to speak with animals. Totona was about to use that magic.


    Totona used the magic and asked the chimera, and it answered with a groan.


    ¡¸Uhm, ooh, I see now. Okay, it seems this fe hates Kuro¡ª I mean, Medjed. It didn¡¯t notice it at first, but it felt disgusted the moment you approached it.¡¹


    I was really shocked upon hearing Totona¡¯s exnation.


    Why, though? I mean, even Glorious liked me so much.


    ¡¸I see now¡­ Is that why it¡¯s unwilling to carry me on its back?¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know. Let me ask.¡¹


    Totona asked the chimera again.


    ¡¸It¡¯s going to listen to mymand and carry you on its back despite its disgust.¡¹


    ¡¸Hee~¡¹


    I heaved a sigh, I wonder what made it hate me so much. Honestly, that was a mystery since the chimera itself said that it hated me for some reason.


    That matter aside, we secured a vehicle.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s go, Medjed. The next stop is Arnak.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes Totona.¡¹


    The chimera pped its wings as soon as we rode on its back, and then flew in the air.


    The sun had already set.


    The night sky in the desert was really beautiful with billions of stars filling it. I wonder, what were Reiji and the others doing now?


    Since they wanted to save Shirone, I had no intention to hinder their actions.


    Rather, I wanted to assist them.


    That was what I felt as we kept flying in the night toward Arnak.


    ===


    THE NEW PROJECT:


    <strong>Journey of The Childhood Friend Who Got Betrayed by Sword Saint</strong>(NETORARE)


    <strong>(~¡¯.¡¯)~Advance Chapter Avable in Fox18 too!~(¡®.¡¯~)</strong>


    <strong>(~¡¯.¡¯)~You Can Read The Advance Chapter by Clicking the Image Below and Be My Patron~(¡®.¡¯~)</strong>


    <strong>Bonus :</strong>

 Chapter 118.1: Sphinx of Gyptis

    <b>Chapter 118.1: Sphinx of Gyptis</b>


    <strong>¡ôForeign Magic Princess, Chiyuki</strong>


    After we boarded the ship from Isis Kingdom, we headed south toward the upstream of Nyar River, toward Gyptis Kingdom. The ship cruised at high speed due to the magic pedals, making us arrive at our destination in a single day. If, instead of the pedals, humans were the ones steering the ship, it would¡¯ve taken us five more days to arrive.


    Gyptis Kingdom was located on the border of Gypseal, on top of Nyar River¡¯s upstream; we were currently downstream of Nyar River. If we go further to the south, we would arrive at Arnak, the residence of Gypseal¡¯s Gods.


    But, people without authority couldn¡¯t go past Gyptis, and to prevent unauthorized people from entering, a checkpoint was set in Gyptis. We would go down from the ship in this ce, then go toward Arnak.


    Our ship was currently anchored in the port of Gyptis.


    I looked up at the sky. The night had already enveloped Gyptis, it was truly a beautiful starry night.


    The cool, refreshing wind gently caressed my cheek as if the hot wind during the day was a lie. The difference in temperature between day and night in the desert was so extreme.


    I looked at Gyptis City with farsight magic. As soon as I saw the buildings made of brick, I felt like the city had an exotic air to it.


    The sphinx statues that decorated the main street looked like they were watching over pedestrians. Various races were walking along the road. Cat-folk, Dog-folk. Beetle-folk, Scorpion-folk, Crocodile-folk, Hippo-folk.


    I even saw the figures of Satyrs, Minotaurs, and Centaurs, who had probably decided to reside in Gypseal.


    If it was in any other region, those three races wouldn¡¯t be able to walk side by side due to the bad rtionship between them. This kind of spectacle could only be seen in Gypseal.


    There were also humans and dwarves, who should be the kin of the Elios Gods.


    A human figure caught my attention. It was obvious that they were not from Gypseal.


    Seeing their attire, they seemed like someone who came from the western side of the central continent. And from the tiny, mallet amulet on them, I knew immediately that they were a merchant and follower of Kuveria, the God ofmerce, and Heibos, the God of treasure.


    With a permit, anyone could trade in Gypseal. So some merchants woulde to Gypseal for trade.


    The merchant was drinking ale in a bar.


    Gypseal¡¯s agriculture was prosperous thanks to the blessing of Nyar. As the number one region that produces the best quality wheat in the world, even a poor person in this region could afford to eat the best bread and drink ale every day.


    Gypseal¡¯s ale was really famous around the world. It was exported to various regions.


    But, they were far more famous for their gold craftsmanship. Thanks to the abundance of gold deposits in Gypseal, Arnak, the golden capital in the desert, was rumored to be made from gold dust. The golden essories I was wearing right now were also made by Gypseal¡¯s craftsmen.


    A bigpiszuli was inserted into a beautiful golden pedestal that must be worth a fortune.


    When I wore Gypseal¡¯s attire and golden essories, I did look like a princess from a foreign country. In fact, Goddess Ishtar¡¯s attendants called me magic princess, the shortened version of magician princess.


    ¡¸Ha~h. How long do we have to wait in this ship, Ishtar?¡¹


    I heaved a sigh and asked Ishtar. In fact, we were currently standing on the ship¡¯s deck, waiting in the blockade of the road toward Arnak.


    I had yet to be told about the detailed situation.


    When Ishtar asked for an exnation from the Pharaoh of Gyptis, the Pharaoh promised toe in person to give an exnation. But, the Pharaoh was taking too much time to arrive.


    Since it really couldn¡¯t be helped due to how busy the Pharaoh was, we had no choice but to wait while nibbling on the fish dish made from Nyar River¡¯s fish, and drinking Gypseal¡¯s special ale.


    The fish they used were kawahazes (river gobies), eel, carps, and a rather peculiar catfish.


    They were stewed with ingredients such as garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper which made an absolutely delicious treat.


    They even prepared pancakes topped with honey, and adorable dancers from the Cat-folk to entertain us on the deck.


    The maids who entertained us were working in shifts.


    Can we really enjoy all of this when Shirone¡¯s life was in danger?


    I felt like apologizing to Sahoko and the others who were waiting for us right now.


    ¡¸U~hm. I also have no idea what¡¯s going on, Chiyuki. Normally, we can go to Arnak immediately after being checked. What shall we do, Reiji~?¡¹


    OI!! STOP USING THIS CONFUSION AS A REASON TO PRESS YOUR BADONKER TO REIJI!!


    And Reiji. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT SAHOKO IS CURRENTLY PREGNANT WITH YOUR CHILD!!


    STOP LOOKING LIKE YOU¡¯RE ENJOYING THIS SITUATION!!


    Even though her appearance looked like a woman in her early twenties, one of the divine race¡¯s traits was perennial youth. Her true age was akin to our ancestors.


    Even if she acts like a childish big sister to me.


    Nevertheless, her erotic power was through the roof. She used that erotic power of hers to seduce all kinds of men and created many anecdotes. Some of them even told the story of herpeting with her own daughter Muse, the Goddess of song, for the affection of Alphos, the most handsome God.


    Good grief, she really was a flippant Goddess.


    ¡¸Ishtar-sama. The Pharaoh, Maat-sama has arrived.¡¹


    One of the maids, who was entertaining us, informed Ishtar about the arrival of the Pharaoh.


    Finally.


    I heard that Gyptis¡¯ Pharaoh was a sphinx.


    I couldn¡¯t help but feel curious since this would be the first time I meet someone from the sphinx tribe.


    ¡¸Finally, eh? Let her through.¡¹


    After hearing Ishtar¡¯s order, the attendant then left and brought back a woman.


    She was a sphinx, wasn¡¯t she?


    The Sphinx was a creature with the head of a human woman, the body of a lion, and wings on their back.


    Thus, I expected the Pharaoh to walk on four legs, but she was clearly walking on two legs. Her limbs were lion-like limbs though. And the part from which her wings grew was definitely that of a sphinx.


    Rather than a sphinx, calling her a winged lion girl would be more appropriate.


    ¡¸Long time no see, Goddess of Love, Ishtar-sama.¡¹


    The woman crossed her arms in front of her chest and bowed to Ishtar as she greeted her.


    ¡¸Long time no see, Maat. The reason we called you here is to hear about the current situation.¡¹


    Ishtar called the woman Maat.


    Then, this Maat must be the Pharaoh of Gyptis.


    I¡¯ve heard about her before.


    Maat, the Ruler of the Scales.


    As the Pharaoh of Gyptis, she also acted as a supervisor for the other Pharaohs in Gypseal. She was truly impartial when carrying out enforcement in ordance with thew decided by the Gods of Gypseal.


    There was a saying that people whose sin was heavier than Maat¡¯s feather would suffer from eternal torment.


    The reason why she was able to coexist with various races was due to her ability.


    ¡¸Understood, Ishtar-sama.¡¹


    Maat then came in front of Ishtar.


    Maat wore a golden circlet modeled after a falcon around her bob-cut hair and wore a graceful one-piece made from golden thread.


    Her cool and dignified appearance reminded me of a career woman and Kaya.


    ¡¸Well then, Maat. Do tell me why there¡¯s a blockade on Arnak¡¯s road?¡¹


    ¡¸I will do Ishtar-sama. But, aren¡¯t you supposed to introduce these honorable people over there first, Ishtar-sama? If possible I don¡¯t wish for this matter to be heard by your important guests, but¡­¡¹


    Maat looked at us.


    It seems she had yet to know about us.


    ¡¸He¡¯s Reiji, the Hero of Light. You¡¯ve heard the rumor about him too right, Maat? And beside him is hisrade, Chiyuki.¡¹


    Maat couldn¡¯t hide her shock upon hearing Ishtar¡¯s introduction.


    ¡¸Then, you¡¯re the one who kicked Harsesh-sama¡¯s a*s. The hero of Light, right?¡¹


    Maat asked with aplicated look on her face.


    Which reminds me, Reiji did kick Harsesh¡¯s a*ss, who was one of Gypseal¡¯s Gods of Light.


    Wait a minute, doesn¡¯t that mean he defeated her God? Would that make Reiji a heinous criminal here for doing that to her God?


    I looked at Reiji¡¯s profile.


    He seemed pretty nonchnt about it.


    Rather, he didn¡¯t seem to worry about that matter in the slightest.


    Seriously, what would happen if we end up failing to gather the necessary ingredients for the antidote?


    ¡¸Maat, a woman shouldn¡¯t interfere with the fight between men. Moreover, what¡¯s wrong with that? He might have a solution for the current situation, right?¡¹


    Maat pondered for a while after Ishtar¡¯s reminder.


    ¡¸Sure enough, the problem happening right now is beyond what I can handle. Moreover, his judgment regarding the matter with Harsesh-sama will be given either way once he arrives in Arnak. I understand, I shall borrow the Hero of Light¡¯s power to solve this problem.¡¹


    Maat nodded.


    And then exined the situation to us.


    ¡¸The reason why we sealed the road is that a few of Arnak¡¯s priests disappeared when they passed that road.¡¹


    ¡¸Arnak¡¯s priest? Do you mean, from the sphinx race?¡¹


    Maat nodded upon hearing Ishtar¡¯s question.


    ¡¸Yes. They most likely have been killed by someone or something.¡¹


    I was really surprised upon hearing Maat¡¯s remark.


    The Sphinx was a demon beast user in other regions, but here, in Gypseal, they¡¯re the God¡¯s kin and had always been regarded as a sacred existence who stood at the apex of the beastmen in Gypseal.


    In short, murdering a sphinx was one of the heaviest sins toward God.


    Not to mention that the sphinx¡¯s power rivaled that of an angel.


    Meaning that only someone with their level of power could kill them.


    ¡¸So you ced a blockade on the road since the situation is way too dangerous.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, currently, the road to Arnak is really dangerous. God of War, Isdes-sama, is still investigating the situation.¡¹


    Isdes was a dogfolk with the head of a jackal.

 Chapter 118.2: Sphinx of Gyptis

    <b>Chapter 118.2: Sphinx of Gyptis</b>


    He was famous as the God of Gar who protected the people of Gypseal.


    ¡¸Since that¡¯s the case, everything should be okay, Maat. MY Reiji is strong, you know. I don¡¯t know who¡¯s the culprit behind this incident, but Reiji can turn the tables on them for sure.¡¹


    Maat nodded upon hearing Ishtar nonchntly iming Reiji as her man.


    ¡¸Sure enough, it won¡¯t be a big deal if he really is as strong as the rumors say. We¡¯ll borrow the power of the one who crushed Labrys, the violent God.¡¹


    Maat spoke while bowing to us.


    Did this mean we could finally depart toward Arnak?


    I had no idea what was waiting for us, but we had no choice but to keep going.


    <strong>¡ôThe Destroyer, Medjed (Kuroki)</strong>


    I rode the chimera with Totona, flying beneath a sea of stars.


    I looked down from the chimera¡¯s back. I could see the illuminated Gyptis Kingdom at night beneath us.


    There were pyramids, the symbolic structure of Gypseal, around Gyptis Kingdom. Beside those pyramids was a giant statue of a sphinx.


    Pyramids were magic tools used all over Gypseal as barrier generators to protect the countries in Gypseal. The giant sphinx statue beside them was in fact a golem tasked with the job to protect the pyramids.


    The sphinx race was onlyposed of females. Yet, the sphinx golem had the face of a man and was wingless. I didn¡¯t understand why they came up with such a design, but it was truly interesting.


    ¡¸That¡¯s Gyptis Kingdom right, Totona?¡¹


    Totona, who was in front of me, nodded upon hearing my question.


    ¡¸Yes, that¡¯s Gyptis. The biggest country in Gypseal.¡¹


    As the biggest country of Gypseal, Gyptis also acted as a checkpoint before going to Arnak.


    It seems no one was allowed to go to Arnak unless they got permission from the Pharaoh of Gyptis, who was from the sphinx race.


    Since it was a regtion, Totona and I went to the royal pce immediately.


    We were weed by a hail of arrows once we approached the royal pce.


    ¡¸TOTONA, BE CAREFUL! THE ARROWS ARE COMING!!¡¹


    ¡¸I know, Medjed. It seems we caused a smallmotion due toing with a chimera.¡¹


    Contrary to the panicked me, Totona maintained herposure.


    No doubt about it, they must¡¯ve thought that the chimera was raiding Gyptis.


    We had to somehow tell them that we were not their enemy.


    ¡¸What should we do, Totona?¡¹


    ¡¸Let¡¯s not waste our time trying to give them an exnation and just break through it.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh?!¡¹


    Totona then told the chimera to raise its speed.


    The iing arrows burned to ashes by the chimera¡¯s me before they reached us.


    It was a reckless charge.


    I was really surprised to know that Totona had this side of her.


    The chimera flew above the royal pce and then descended into its garden.


    After wended in the garden of the royal pce, we were surrounded by dogfolk wielding spears and bows, all pointed at us.


    ¡¸STOP RIGHT THERE, BRAVE WARRIORS! I¡¯M THE GODDESS OF KNOWLEDGE, TOTONA! BRING ME YOUR PHARAOH, MAAT!!¡¹


    The moment Totona shouted, the dogfolk warriors exchanged nces.


    One of those warriors retreated, he might have gone to call the Pharaoh.


    Soon enough, they returned along with a girl with wings on her back.


    She had ck hair in a bob-cut and wore a golden circlet on her head modeled after a falcon, which reflected the starlight.


    The hair on her arms reminded me of the felines.


    Her lively gait and expression reminded me of a career woman.


    She was the Pharaoh of the sphinx race.


    She looked like a woman who was up to the task.


    ¡¸Long time no see, Totona-sama. I¡¯m really surprised to receive your visit right after Ishtar-sama¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Long time no see, Maat. I assumed that Ishtar-sama woulde to Gyptis as well.¡¹


    Totona descended from the chimera after she greeted Maat.


    I followed after her.


    ¡¸Yes, I just returned after sending her off from Gyptis.¡¹


    ¡¸I see, we might be able to catch up with her if we go now.¡¹


    My current goal was to act as reinforcement to Reiji and Co.


    I should be able to stay close to them as long as I use this identity.


    Maybe we should go after them to regroup as soon as possible.


    ¡¸Maat, are we allowed to go to Arnak?¡¹


    Totona tried to ask Maat to let us go to Arnak.


    ¡¸Please calm down, Totona-sama. The road to Arnak is currently filled with danger.¡¹


    ¡¸I already know about that. But, don¡¯t worry about that, Maat. My friend here is really strong.¡¹


    Totona gave a reassuring smile as she spoke.


    This was the first time I saw her making such an expression.


    ¡¸Sure enough, there¡¯s the Hero of Light with his rumored strength who will protect Totona-sama and the others. Had he been even slightly weak, I would have lost it¡­¡¹


    Maat nodded in agreement.


    For some reason, thest part of her sentence was akin to a whisper.


    ¡¸Since you already know about it, let us go to Arnak.¡¹


    ¡¸NO! NOT SO FAST! PLEASE WAIT FOR A WHILE, TOTONA-SAMA!!¡¹


    But, Maat stopped Totona who insisted on going.


    ¡¸What now, Maat?¡¹


    ¡¸Are you going to take THAT along with you?¡¹


    Maat¡¯s eyes became grim.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry about this child, it¡¯s under my domination spell.¡¹


    Totona replied while pointing at the chimera.


    ¡¸I¡¯m not talking about the chimera, Totona-sama. I mean, the thing behind you.¡¹


    Maat looked at me.


    ¡¸What kind of strange creature is that? It¡¯s way too suspicious!!¡¹


    ¡¸Eh?!¡¹


    She suddenly pointed her finger, shouting her suspicion.


    ¡¸That creature looks too suspicious! That¡¯s why even if it¡¯s you Totona-sama, I absolutely can¡¯t let that creature go to Arnak!!¡¹


    What should I do now? I mean, this attire looks really suspicious after all.


    Should I take it off?


    No, I¡¯mpletely naked underneath. Taking this cloth off would turn me from a ¡°Suspicious Creature¡± to a ¡°Pervert¡±.


    Though I could summon the Dark Knight armor to cover my naked body, doing so would instantly reveal my true identity.


    If possible, I want to hide the fact that the Dark Knight came to this region, at least until the problem is resolved.


    ¡¸He¡¯s Medjed, my bodyguard. Definitely not a suspicious person.¡¹


    Totona lied as easily as breathing.


    Thank you for covering for me.


    I made a gesture to tell the other party that I¡¯m not a suspicious person.


    But, my attempt only made Maat more suspicious of me.


    ¡¸What kind of suspicious dance is that? My apologies, but I have to make sure that he really isn¡¯t a dangerous person.¡¹


    Oh no!


    I had no idea about the beastmen¡¯s sensitivity, but any man walking stark naked under a piece of cloth would definitely bebeled as a pervert, beastmen or not.


    I almost backed out.


    ¡¸That movement is suspicious indeed. Is he trying to hide some sort of dangerous item?¡¹


    Maat walked closer to me.


    I started sweating cold sweat.


    ¡¸Comption of Naked Pictures of Elios¡¯ Handsome Youth, 13th Edition¡¹


    Totona suddenly whispered that mysterious line.


    Suddenly, Maat stopped on her track.


    ¡¸¡­ What¡­ Totona-sama?¡¹


    Maat asked Totona with a trembling voice, losing all the previous pressure.


    Why did it feel that way I wonder?


    She was sweating profusely.


    ¡¸Just something is hidden in your room. Something that you¡¯re secretly using tofort yourself before going to sleep.¡¹


    ¡¸WAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!¡¹


    Maat suddenly screamed loudly.


    Her dogfolk subordinates looked really surprised.


    Seriously, what in the world was happening here?


    ¡¸H-How did you?!!¡¹


    She moved so fast toward Totona and asked with a small voice.


    ¡¸Coz I heard from Nell that your type is a handsome, tall, and slender man.¡¹


    Totona spoke with a cool and collected voice.


    ¡¸Prince~ss. How did you know about tha~t? Please don¡¯t spread i~t.¡¹


    Maat cried.


    ¡¸You see, Totona-sama. Even with my status¡­ Talking like that in front of my subordinates is just¡­¡¹


    The heck. This seemingly strict career woman turned out to have such an unexpected side to her.


    Maat nced secretly at my direction.


    The dogfolk warriors¡¯ attention was gathered on us.


    ¡¸I won¡¯t say anything, you¡¯ll get thetest issues if you let us through.¡¹


    Totona whispered again.


    At that moment, I saw Maat¡¯s ears twitching.


    ¡¸Cough, I understand Totona-sama. Since you¡¯re willing to go that far, it should be safe.¡¹


    Maat coughed once and then regained her calm demeanor.


    ¡¸Thank you, Maat.¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s not a big deal. But, as expected of you, Totona-sama. To use my weakness in such a way¡­ I¡¯m looking forward to thetest issue.¡¹


    Thest part was said in an almost inaudible voice.


    Totona nodded upon hearing that.


    ¡¸Leave it to me, Maat. Well then, let¡¯s go Medjed.¡¹


    I nodded and then followed Totona.


    For some reason, I got this feeling that I had witnessed a backdoor deal.


    Yup, it was definitely a dirty backdoor deal!!


    Let¡¯s pretend that I never saw it.


    I rode on the chimera¡¯s back behind Totona again while making such a decision in my head.


    The chimera howled and flew to the sky.

 Chapter 119.1: Encounter With The SNAKE

    <b>Chapter 119.1: Encounter With The SNAKE</b>


    <strong>¡ôForeign Magic Princess, Chiyuki</strong>


    We boarded the small flying ship, departed from Gyptis, and headed toward Arnak. The flying ship was something we borrowed from Maat, the Pharaoh.


    Even though I said it was a small flying ship, it was because the target ofparison was the oversized flying ships belonging to Rena and Ishtar, which could literally cover a whole continent. In fact, this flying ship was big enough for us, Ishtar, and her attendants.


    But maybe due to its small size, it couldn¡¯t float too high in the air, just a little over one meter from the ground.


    The ship kept flying forward toward its destination. Time passed so quickly and the night hade, but the desert wasn¡¯t dark thanks to the starlight. Since the small flying ship had no roof, there was nothing to interrupt us from seeing the surrounding scenery.


    ¡¸It seems there¡¯s nothing to see right, Reiji-kun.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah Chiyuki. As if there¡¯s nothing at all.¡¹


    Reiji agreed with me.


    ording to Maat, the road to Arnak was riddled with danger, but as far as I could see, I couldn¡¯t see anyone in the desert.


    It seems Maat¡¯s worry was only needless anxiety.


    ¡¸I wonder about that¡­ I have a bad feeling about this¡­¡¹


    Suddenly, someone spoke from behind us. When I turned around, I found that the one who spoke was the young God with a monkey face, Pistis.


    Since when did he stand behind us?


    In the first ce, he shouldn¡¯t have boarded the ship back then.


    ¡¸What do you mean, Pistis? Please do exin.¡¹


    ¡¸U~hm. I can only say it¡¯s noisy, Ishtar-sama. And my instincts tell me that something dangerous is fast approaching.¡¹


    Pistis exined so to Ishtar. The monkey tail growing from Pistis¡¯s bottom hung down listlessly. Maybe, something wasing toward us. But, my detection magic didn¡¯t catch anything.


    What did he mean?


    ¡¸Something¡¯s approaching us, is it? Be confident in your crisis detection ability, which caused a huge headache even for Al. Everyone, pay attention to your surrounding!!¡¹


    The Al she was talking about must be the God of Song and Arts, Alphos who is also the big brother of the Goddess of Wisdom and Victory, Rena.


    ording to the myth, the monkey God Pistis was captured by Alphos. Pistis, who got cornered at that time, then pleaded to Ishtar who happened to be there by Alphos¡¯ side. After hearing Pistis¡¯ plea, Ishtar asked Alphos to release Pistis. Alphos, who couldn¡¯t refuse the request of the one who raised him, then released Pistis. Since then, Pistis became the subordinate God of Ishtar.


    Back to the present, the catfolk attendants drew their swords the moment Ishtar said so. Every single one of them was Ishtar¡¯s priest, they wielded a shamshir-like weapon. In this regard, they were no different from humans, needing a weapon.


    ¡¸EVERYONE BE CAREFUL!! SOMETHING IS COMING!!¡¹


    The sand in front of the ship exploded upward right after Reiji finished his warning. Something wasing toward us from the pir of sand. The one who came was a man, wielding a long spear.


    ¡¸Ishtar!! Come with me!!¡¹


    The man hoisted his spear, pointing toward Ishtar. Ishtar on the other hand just sat quietly.


    ¡¸In your dreams!!¡¹


    Reiji drew his sword as his body shot toward the man.


    The next moment, the sound of shing weapons, along with shockwaves, resonated, with them as the center.


    The catfolk attendants stopped the flying ship in a hurry


    .


    Two men came from the air,nding on the deck of the flying ship.


    ¡¸HEH! Not bad, despite your yboy-like face, you can actually block my great Poisonous Spear, Pisar!¡¹


    The man smirked happily as he pointed his spear at Reiji. He was a red-haired man with reddish brown skin. It was obvious from thepact muscle on his upper body that he was a trained warrior. At a nce, he looked like a normal human.


    But, I felt a powerful surge of magical power from his shining, golden eyes. His tongue was long and had a split end, just like a snake¡¯s tongue.


    ¡¸I won¡¯t lose to a cowardly bastard who uses sneak attacks on women!! If you want toe, juste from the front like a man!!¡¹


    Reiji readied his two swords, replying to the man with a daring smile on his face.


    ¡¸Yeah!! That actually works better for me!! Well then, here Ie!!¡¹


    The red-haired man unleashed a flurry of spear stabs like raging waves. Reiji parried those stabs with the two swords in his hand.


    ¡¸HEYAAAH!!!¡¹


    ¡¸WHAT THE?!!¡¹


    Reiji closed in the moment he saw the gap between the man¡¯s attacks and shed at the man.


    The man leaped back, opening some distance between him and Reiji, and then touched his chest.


    I could see a trail of blood from the gap in his hand.


    ¡¸Impossible!! Who the hell are you?! How can you inflict such an injury to this great me?!!!¡¹


    For some reason, the man looked delighted instead of angry.


    He might be a battle junkie.


    I realized that his eyes started shining. It might be some sort of evil eye ability.


    ¡¸You should introduce yourself before you ask for someone¡¯s name, right?¡¹


    Reiji asked the same while pointing his sword toward the man.


    ¡¸Indeed!! Name¡¯s Dahark!! The Serpent Prince!! Now it¡¯s your turn!!¡¹


    The attendants gasped the moment they heard the man¡¯s name. Is he by chance, a famous figure?


    ¡¸No way, the Snake Prince himself is the one who came. I never expected you to still be alive even though you were supposed to be killed by Alphos.¡¹


    ¡¸Is he your acquaintance, Pistis?¡¹


    I asked Pistis who stayed silent until now.


    ¡¸He¡¯s the son of the Serpent Queen, sis. The Serpent Prince, Dahark. The Serpent God rules thend of Apophis in the south of Gypseal.¡¹


    ¡¸What is the son of the Serpent Queen doing here?!¡¹


    The Serpent Queen was the enemy of Elios. Since we were summoned by Elios¡¯ Goddess, Rena, that made her our enemy too.


    The problem was, what was he doing here? This was the Gypseal region, not the Serpent Queen¡¯s territory.


    ¡¸How surprising. To think that the Serpent Prince himself infiltrated so far in this region.¡¹


    Pistis looked shocked and scared at the same time.


    It seems not even he predicted this kind of situation.


    ¡¸I¡¯m the Hero of Light, Reiji. Even though you introduced your name, I¡¯ve already forgotten about it.¡¹


    Dahark let out a grin when Reiji introduced himself.


    ¡¸So you¡¯re that Hero of Light huh? I¡¯ve heard about you. About how a weak ass like you got beaten senseless by the Dark Knight, but you¡¯vee to this ce eh.¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ Thanks for reminding me about that.¡¹


    Reiji actually faltered, maybe his defeat against the Dark Knight was a sore spot for him.


    ¡¸HERE I COME, HERO OF LIGHT!!¡¹


    Both men¡¯s weapons shed right at the next moment.


    I could barely follow the shes of their sword and spear which had gone beyond the realm of humans with my eyes. And yet, they seemed to be having fun fighting against each other.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll assist Reiji-kun.¡¹


    I raised my cane and pointed it at where those two fought.


    ¡¸You better stop now, Sis. He isn¡¯t so stupid to the point ofing by himself without prior nning. I have a bad feeling about this. Let¡¯s wait while taking Ishtar-sama to a safe ce.¡¹


    Pistis stopped me from assisting Reiji.


    ¡¸Lie?¡¹


    My magic didn¡¯t work like usual. Come to think of it, I also failed to detect Dahark¡¯s presence a while ago. It seems even Reiji couldn¡¯t detect his presence until he was very close to us. Did that mean that they had some sort of means to obstruct our senses?


    A chill ran down my spine.


    Obstructing magic means they obstructed my sensing abilities too. My current sensing abilities might be even weaker than the catfolk attendants.


    ¡¸THERE!!¡¹


    Pistis threw the empty cup on the deck of the flying ship.


    ===


    THE NEW PROJECT:


    Journey of The Childhood Friend Who Got Betrayed by Sword Saint


    <strong>The Protagonist of Isekaied Story With Cheat And Harem Has No Idea That All Of The Heroines Has Already Been Stolen By Me~Urgh, My Stomach Is Killing Me~</strong>


    <strong>(~¡¯.¡¯)~Advance Chapter Avable in Fox18 too!~(¡®.¡¯~)</strong>


    <strong>(~¡¯.¡¯)~You Can Read The Advance Chapter by Clicking the Image Below and Be My Patron~(¡®.¡¯~)</strong>

 Chapter 119.2: Encounter With The SNAKE

    <b>Chapter 119.2: Encounter With The SNAKE</b>


    ¡¸KYAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹


    Something came out from the sand along with that scream.


    The one who appeared was a woman with the lower body of a snake.


    It was a Lamia.


    Lamias were monsters with the lower body of a snake. Since they were the Serpent Queen, Diadona¡¯s kin, they¡¯re supposed to be quite powerful.


    And there wasn¡¯t just one of them.


    Everyone who hid themselves had finally revealed their figures.


    Every single one of them had the lower body of a snake, armed with either a spear or a bow.


    ¡¸Lamias? And some gorgons too. Oh no, the gorgons are about to use their evil eyes!!¡¹


    Among the women with the lower body of a snake, some even had numerous tiny snakes growing from their scalp as hair.


    Yup, those are definitely gorgons.


    Just like Lamiaa, gorgons had the lower body of a snake too, but they were actually an even more terrifying monster with countless tiny snakes as their hair. They had the evil eye of petrification and could literally transform anyone who they saw into stone. It didn¡¯t work on Ishtar and me who had powerful magic resistance, but the catfolk attendants would be in danger.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Chiyuki. Pistis, seal the gorgons¡¯ evil eyes!!¡¹


    ¡¸Leave it to me, Ishtar-sama.¡¹


    That moment, Pistis body transformed. He grew another pair of hairy arms.


    His figure resembled that of a monkey. This might be his true appearance. AMonkey god with four arms and six fingers. That was Pistis¡¯ true appearance.


    What kind of method would he use to seal the evil eyes?


    Despite being a member of the divine race, he was among the weak ones.


    Could it be that he is actually hiding some sort of terrifying final art.


    The moment I pondered about that, Pistis suddenly lowered his pants.


    His p*nisy bare in the wild.


    My train of thought froze the moment I saw that.


    ¡¸Hehehe, look at my mighty little Pistis, Gorgon si~s.¡¹


    Pistis suddenly charged toward the gorgons, with a naked lower half.


    Eh? What in the hell was happening here?


    It was such a jaw-dropping scene.


    ¡¸NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!¡¹


    ¡¸STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!!¡¹


    ¡¸HEEEELP!! I¡¯M ABOUT TO BE ASSAULTED BY A FLASHEEEEEEEER!¡¹


    ¡¸STOP SHOWING US THAT THIIIIIIIIIING!!¡¹


    But, the effect was imminent.


    The gorgons DID shut their eyes, unable to use their evil eyes.


    Come to think of it, there was a phallic charm to defend against evil eyes, meaning that the charm really worked against gorgons. [TL: Phallic charm=p*nis shaped souvenir]


    ¡¸Ufufufu. It seems this stimulus is too much for the gorgons who never held a man before thanks to their ability to turn creatures into stone.¡¹


    ¡¸Ah¡­ Yes¡­¡¹


    Ishtar¡¯s remark hit my sore spot.


    Phallic charm aside, in my opinion, it was just your usual sexual harassment.


    The gorgons were trying to escape since the harassment was simply too much for them. The Lamias who saw the gorgons current state were also bewildered. We sealed the evil eyes, but what¡¯s with this empty sense of victory¡­


    Rather, I suddenly had this urge to help the poor and harassed gorgons instead. I mean, we had this kind of joke-like battle even though Reiji and Dahark fought like some sort of shounen manga protagonists.


    The difference was too much.


    ¡¸You seem to be reallyposed, Chiyuki. Are you used to seeing that?¡¹


    ¡¸NO!!¡¹


    I denied loudly, feeling the blood rushing to my face due to embarrassment.


    I would never get used to seeing that.


    Well, by PURE coincidence, I did see Reiji naked a few times in the past. There was also the time when Reiji came out naked from the bath along with Nao. Naturally, I reminded them of their improper behavior, but they ignored it. That¡¯s why it wasn¡¯t just once or twice I caught him naked during our journey.


    BUT, there was no way I was going to get used to THAT.


    That¡¯s why my face flushed red when I saw Pistis.


    Ishtar looked at me with an amused look on her face. She clearly enjoyed this situation. But, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised by Pistis¡¯ humble size. I mean, if Reiji was a rocket size, Pistis was an adorable bullet size one. I nodded as Ipared their size in my mind.


    ¡¸Chiyuki, something is approaching in our direction!! Dodge it!!¡¹


    Ishtar suddenly warned me with a loud voice.


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    I, who was too engrossed in my own world, let out such a dumbfounded voice. By the time I noticed, it was already toote. Something came out from the sand right under our ship.


    It toppled the ship.


    Ishtar and the catfolk attendants were prepared and jumped off the ship without a hitch. But I, who reacted far toote, failed to jump off the ship in time. Suddenly, a giant hand came out from the sand, and caught me.


    ¡¸KYAAAAAAAAA!!¡¹


    I unintentionally let out a shriek.


    The grip was really strong. The owner of this hand brought me to their side. At that moment, I realized the identity of the owner of this hand. The owner of this hand was a giant, over six meters tall minotaur. His legs were reced with a snake¡¯s tail.


    ¡¸No way!! Gigates (Earthen Giant)?!!!¡¹


    Gigates (Earthen Giants) was a superior race of giantsparable to that of Titus (Heavenly Giant). Their unique characteristic of their legs, which turned into snake tails, made them easier to identify. And superior giants had power rivaling that of the divine race. I had never expected that I would fail to detect the iing enemy, a huge one on top of that.


    ¡¸A-Aaah¡­¡¹


    The Gigate gripped me strongly. I tried to resist by increasing my body¡¯s toughness with magic. But, even though the other party only used one hand, the Gigates¡¯s brutal strength wasn¡¯t just for show. I couldn¡¯t escape from his grip.


    Even if I called for help, Reiji had his hands full with fighting Dahark. Ishtar and co couldn¡¯te to save me since another Gigates showed up and stopped them from saving me.


    ¡¸Be obedient! Woman!!¡¹


    The Gigates readied his spear with his other hand.


    Oh no!! I¡¯m gonna get killed!!


    That moment, I felt death was fast approaching.


    Suddenly, something in white color rushed from the side and hit the Gigates¡¯ head with a flying kick. And just like that, the Gigates was sent flying, and let go of me.


    ¡¸KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡¹


    Someone caught me, who raised a shriek as I fell from the air.


    And then, the one who caught me dropped me on the ground as theynded. I looked up to see the identity of my lifesaver. That person was draped in white cloth to hide their identity. This strange looking person should be the one who saved me from Gigates, right?


    Their appearance was so strange that I normally wouldn¡¯t approach someone with this kind of appearance in a normal situation.


    Who was this person I wonder?


    Why did this person save me?


    The person who was covered in white cloth from head to toe looked down at me with a gentle look in their eyes. As if they said ¡°Are you okay?¡±.


    ¡¸WHO¡¯S THERE!!! WHO IN THE HELL ARE YOUUUUUUUUUUUU!!?¡¹


    The Gigates who got sent flying by the person in white cloth screamed.


    It seems they got pissed off after being sent flying with a kick. The Gigates unleashed wind from their entire body.


    The cloth of the one who saved me swayed along with the wind.


    When I strained my eyes to see through my savior¡¯s identity.


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    Under that white cloth, that person was stark naked.


    When that person¡¯s clothes swayed due to the wind, I saw SOMETHING dangling RIGHT in front of me.


    For a moment, I had no idea what it was.


    But a few secondster, I knew what it was.


    Something that was one size bigger than Reiji¡¯s, both in terms of length and girth, was swaying due to the wind right in front of me.


    No way¡­


    What kind of aberration was this?


    If Reiji was rocket sized, my savior¡¯s size was WMD sized. [TL: For your information, WMD is a weapon of mass destruction, otherwise known as a nuclear bomb.]


    The WMD sized monster that swayed with the wind grazed the tip of my nose.


    ¡¸KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! SNAKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!¡¹


    I raised another scream due to shock.


    TL: Smirk

 Chapter 120.1: Regrouping

    <b>Chapter 120.1: Regrouping</b>


    <b>¡ôThe Destroyer, Medjed (Kuroki)</b>


    Totona and I, riding on the flying chimera, saw Reiji and co from behind.


    ¡¸The fight has begun, Medjed.¡¹


    ¡¸Seems so, Totona.¡¹


    I nodded at Totona.


    As we were catching up to them, I had started to mull over whether we should regroup with Reiji and his group or not, when suddenly an explosion erupted from the sand and the fight began.


    Reiji fought the spear-wielding man who appeared out of nowhere. That man¡¯s skill with the spear was superb.


    ¡¸Totona, do you know the identity of that spear-wielding man?¡¹


    ¡¸He¡¯s the Serpent Prince, Dahark. I thought Alphos has killed him, but it seems he managed to survive¡­¡¹


    Totona couldn¡¯t hide her shock.


    The Serpent Queen was the enemy of Elios. The moment I heard Totona¡¯s answer, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder why her son would be in such a ce, outside of her territory.


    On the other side of Reiji¡¯s fight, women with the lower bodies of snakes appeared. They were gorgons andmias, the Serpent Queen¡¯s kin. They had probablye along with the Serpent Prince.


    Now, the only problem was if we should assist them or not. I mean, Reiji and co didn¡¯t seem to have a problem with this situation. I also noticed that Reiji had be more powerful than before. The spear wielding prince might be powerful, but the current Reiji was stronger than him.


    But, what about Reiji¡¯srade?


    ¡¸Ah?¡¹


    I unintentionally leaked out such a voice.


    Suddenly, a giant popped out from the sand below and caught one of Reiji¡¯srades. The one who had caught her was the representative of giants, Gigates (Earthen Giant).


    She was a familiar figure. If I¡¯m not mistaken, her name was Chiyuki.


    The Gigates¡¯ physical strength rivaled that of the divine race. That woman was in deep shit right now.


    ¡¸TOTONA, I¡¯M GOING FIRST TO SAVE THAT WOMAN!!¡¹


    I jumped off the chimera and flew at full speed toward the giant using my flying magic. Once I arrived near the giant, Inded a drop kick to his face, forcing him to release Chiyuki from his hand. My kick had sent the giant flying, so Chiyuki, who was abruptly released, let out a screech as she fell.


    I rushed and caught her in a princess carry mid-air thennded on the ground before letting her down.


    Chiyuki looked up at me with a dumbfounded look on her face. It seems she had no idea what had just happened. Come to think of it, this would be the third time I saved her life. There was a saying that something that happened twice would happen thrice.


    ¡¸WHO IN THE HELL ARE YOUUUUUUUUU???!!!¡¹


    A whileter, an angry shout resounded in the area. The angry shout came from the Gigates, who had managed to stand again after I sent him flying with a drop kick. A few secondster, wind started blowing from his body.


    The Gigates race was also skilled in magic. By the looks of it, the Gigates in front of them was going to use magic to raise his speed.


    The cloth which covered my body was swayed by the wind.


    I Had no choice but to fight I guess.


    ¡¸KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! SNAKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!¡¹


    Chiyuki raised a scream.


    I was startled and looked down at Chiyuki immediately.


    She was trembling, and her face was flushed red.


    What happened to her?


    ¡¸HOW DARE YOU KICK THE GREAT ME!!¡¹


    But, it seems I couldn¡¯t afford to worry about Chiyuki¡¯s state.


    The Gigates rushed toward me.


    ¡¸Heed My Call And Show Yourself, O Ashen Spirit! Form A Wall That Protects Me From Mine Enemy!! True Shadow Wall (Wall of True Shadow Spirit)!!¡¹


    Suddenly, Totona¡¯s voice resounded from overhead.


    ¡¸GEH?!!¡¹


    The Gigates who rushed toward me crashed against the shadow wall conjured by Totona and fell down. The magic that Totona used just now created apletely colorless and transparent wall. Someone without a high sense of perception wouldn¡¯t be able to notice the existence of that wall. Moreover, despite being transparent, the wall was really solid.


    The Gigates who rushed ahead failed to detect the wall and ended up crashing against it right on the face, and copsed as a result.


    I had seen Loughas use this magic before, it seems Totona could do the same.


    ¡¸Are you alright?¡¹


    Riding on the chimera, Totonanded with a book in her hand. The book in her hand was probably a grimoire.


    ¡¸Yeah¡­ Thank you for saving me, Goddess Totona¡­¡¹


    Chiyuki snapped back to reality and replied to Totona.


    A rosy color appeared on her cheeks. It seems she has a snake phobia since she ended up screaming so loudly. In fact, she seemed to be bashful and looked away from me. I wanted tofort her since I knew that everyone had something they were bad with, but I had no choice but to stay quiet for now since my identity might be blown off at once if I spoke to her.


    ¡¸P-Please do something about those Gigateses!!¡¹


    Chiyuki spoke with a shrill voice. There were five Gigateses left. No catfolk were caught yet since they were so agile, but it was only a matter of time unless I did something.


    ¡¸Medjed, please take care of the rest!!¡¹


    I nodded at Totona. I then kicked the ground and leapt toward the general direction of the Gigateses. Upon noticing me, the Gigateses brandished their clubs, I ducked, jumped again, and headbutted a Gigates who had yet to regain his stance right on his abdomen.


    ¡¸GEH?!!¡¹


    The Gigates¡¯ body floated in the air, I jumped again, and sent them flying with a kick toward another Gigates who chased after a catfolk. Those Gigateses collided with each other.


    Two down, three to go.


    The remaining three Gigateses looked at me with expressions as if they couldn¡¯t believe what they just saw. Meanwhile, the catfolk got away from the Gigateses and went toward Totona.


    This should be enough.


    The Gigateses lost their fighting spirit and retreated while carrying their unconsciousrades. As for themias and gorgons, they seemed to be running away from a monkey.


    The raid met a failure due to our interference. This should be the right moment to retreat¡­


    ¡¸Reiji-kun!!!¡¹


    Chiyuki headed toward Reiji¡¯s direction.


    Reiji was still in the middle of a battle against Dahark. He seemed to have the upper hand. But, another person had yet to show themselves.


    She didn¡¯t seem to notice that yet.


    I blocked Chiyuki¡¯s path with my arm, preventing her from going toward him. She seemed to be surprised, and then averted her gaze from mine. It seems she was still embarrassed about her loud cry from a while ago.


    ¡¸Hey, why aren¡¯t you letting me to go there?!!¡¹


    Chiyuki raised an objection, still averting her face from mine. But I really shouldn¡¯t let her go there.


    ¡¸O Ice Spear!!¡¹


    Suddenly, ice spears appeared out of nowhere, and rushed toward us. I knocked down those ice spears with my eye beams. Then I looked up to see the identity of the one who threw the ice spear at us.


    A woman donned in deep crimson attire stood right there. Her skin was abnormally white, and she had bright red hair which matched her attire. She was a Beauty.


    But that beauty was fake.


    I couldn¡¯t see her real appearance, but I just somehow realized that her appearance was a mere disguise.


    ¡¸WHAT?! THERE¡¯S ANOTHER ONE HIDING?!¡¹


    Chiyuki was really surprised to see the appearance of another hidden enemy. That was natural I guess. I mean, I also failed to detect her presence just a while ago. She might have the ability to hinder our perception.


    ¡¸Fufufu, too bad, I can¡¯t let you to disturb Daha-kun.¡¹


    The woman with deep crimson attireughed as she spoke. The pointed, de-like fangs peeked out from the tips of her lips. She was a woman who invited an uneasy feeling.


    ¡¸The reaper¡¯s daughter, Zaffrada. You¡¯vee to this ce too.¡¹


    Riding on the chimera¡¯s back, Totona stepped forward ahead of me.


    ===


    THE NEW PROJECT:


    Journey of The Childhood Friend Who Got Betrayed by Sword Saint


    <strong>The Protagonist of Isekaied Story With Cheat And Harem Has No Idea That All Of The Heroines Has Already Been Stolen By Me~Urgh, My Stomach Is Killing Me~</strong>


    <strong>(~¡¯.¡¯)~Advance Chapter Avable in Fox18 too!~(¡®.¡¯~)</strong>


    <strong>(~¡¯.¡¯)~You Can Read The Advance Chapter by Clicking the Image Below and Be My Patron~(¡®.¡¯~)</strong>

 Chapter 120.2: Regrouping

    <b>Chapter 120.2: Regrouping</b>


    ¡¸Fufufu. And you¡¯re Totona, I presume? The daughter of that filth who dares to im himself as the God King, Oudith. I wonder what your blood would taste like if I sucked you dry? But, I guess that won¡¯t happen today; we¡¯re retreating.¡¹


    Said Zafrada as red mist sprouted from her body.


    The red mist spread across a wide area at once, heading straight toward us while avoiding themias, gorgons, and giants. It was as if it was alive.


    ¡¸EVERYONE GET AWAY FROM THE MIST!!¡¹


    Everyone didn¡¯t wait for another second and tried to escape from the mist as soon as Totona warned them.


    The red mist moved as if it tried to protect Zafrada and herrades. It even attacked Reiji, thus stopping the fight between him and Dahark.


    ¡¸WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, ZAFRADA?! DON¡¯T DISTURB MY FIGHT!!!¡¹


    Dahark shouted at Zafrada.


    ¡¸I refuse, Daha-kun. Arnak¡¯s troops are heading to this ce. We have to leave right away.¡¹


    Dahark clicked his tongue the moment he heard the news.


    ¡¸TCH!! LET¡¯S SETTLE THIS FIGHT ANOTHER TIME, HERO OF LIGHT!! I¡¯LL KILL YOU IN OUR NEXT FIGHT!! LET¡¯S GO ZAFRADA!!¡¹


    ¡¸Okay, Daha-kun.¡¹


    More red mist sprouted from Zafrada¡¯s body, turning its color from bright red to blood red. And then the color became lighter and lighter till itpletely vanished a few secondster, leaving no one behind.


    They had escaped.


    ¡¸I think we¡¯re safe for now.¡¹


    Totona, who was riding on a chimera, descended beside me.


    I couldn¡¯t detect the presence of our enemy. But, we shouldn¡¯t let our guard down.


    Zafrada¡¯s presence had also vanished without trace.


    In case the other party could hide their presence, there was a possibility of them hiding somewhere nearby, waiting for us to let our guard down.


    ¡¸Fufufu, you came just in time, Totona-chan. I never expected the Serpent Prince Dahark and the Epidemic Goddess Zafrada to appear in person. Since there were Gigateses too, the situation would have be really dangerous were it not for your timely arrival.¡¹


    Someone came to Totona¡¯s side. It must be the person who traveled with Reiji and co.


    I turned around to see the owner of this voice.


    ¡¸¨D£­£­£­£­£­£­£­£­£­!!!!¡¹


    I unintentionally let out a muffled scream.


    EROTIC ONEE-SAN HAS APPEARED!!!!!!!


    Her humongous pair of t*ts, which might be even bigger than Rena¡¯s, looked like they were about to spill from her already minimal attire. Her butt was literally protruding out of the skirt, which had a long slit that went up till her waist. Wait a minute, was it just my imagination that she wasmando?


    ¡°THANK YOU FOR THE EYE CANDY!!!¡± were my thoughts as I mentally prostrated to her figure.


    Who in the world was this woman?


    ¡¸Please stop lying like that, Ishtar-sama. You should be strong enough to defeat some measly Gigateses.¡¹


    Totona red coldly at Ishtar.


    The Goddess of Love and Beauty, Ishtar.


    I had heard rumors about her, and it turns out, the rumors were true about her.


    ¡¸Well, I might¡¯ve been able to fend for myself. But I would have had my hands full and would¡¯ve been unable to save Chiyuki and the attendants, that¡¯s why you have my gratitude Totona-chan.¡¹


    Ishtar looked at us, throwing a wink at Totona.


    ¡¸By the way, Totona-chan. You brought something quite interesting this time as well. Can you tell me what is THAT? Is it another magical creature you created?¡¹


    Ishtar came to our side with an extremely curious look on her face.


    I unintentionally stepped back. That erotic beam is poisonous. Yeah, extremely poisonous.


    To be honest, I prefer Rena¡¯s kind of beauty more than this erotic, AV star-like onee-san. But, not even Rena could beat Ishtar in terms of sex appeal, thetter¡¯s sex appeal was simply through the roof.


    To be honest, I was weak to this kind of excessive eroticism, for a reason. I mean, her eroticism was something that should be enjoyed from afar.


    ¡¸Please get away from Medjed, Ishtar-sama.¡¹


    Totona came in between Ishtar and me.


    That was a close call.


    ¡¸Geez, you¡¯re such such a tease, Totona-chan. I¡¯m just curious, that¡¯s all.¡¹


    ¡¸Medjed is my escort. No more, no less. By the way, that¡¯s truly a risque attire. Who are you trying to seduce this time?¡¹


    Asked Totona to Ishtar, sounds like she was trying to change the subject.


    Yup, it went beyond risque, it was too erotic to the point that it became poisonous.


    ¡¸Fufufu, it¡¯s him of course.¡¹


    Ishtar sent a sidelong nce at Reiji.


    Reiji was speaking to Chiyuki. It seems he was confirming if she was safe.


    Nevertheless, Reiji had be the target of this beauty.


    Same as ever eh.


    ¡¸Good grief, he¡¯s Rena¡¯s lover, Ishtar-sama.¡¹


    Totona reminded Ishtar with a cold voice.


    ¡¸Oh my, Totona-chan. How can you say that when you¡¯re not in a rtionship yourself? I mean, all the good men already have a fine woman by their side. Or else, could it be that you¡¯re nning to choose someone from among the ugly Evil Gods? That¡¯ll be a no. If you find a good man, you should snatch him, even if the other party already has a lover.¡¹


    ¡¸!!!¡¹


    Totona staggered back when Ishtar told her so. It was as if she got zapped by lightning.


    ¡¸Fufufu, till how long are you going to lock yourself inside your library, Totona-chan? While it may be true that you hate to bepared with Rena-chan, it still must be hot for you to wear that thick robe in this kind of climate. Are you going to live in Rena-chan¡¯s shadow forever? It¡¯s such a waste seeing that you inherited Faeria¡¯s beauty.¡¹


    ¡¸Aaah¡­¡¹


    Totona was trembling non-stop. She seemed to be in trouble.


    After I came to that conclusion, I stepped out and stood in front of Totona. Even if the other party was a literal, walking AV model, I wouldn¡¯t forgive her for causing trouble to Totona.


    Totona was such a good girl after all.


    I red at Ishtar.


    ¡¸Oh my, I guess I went a little bit too far. My bad, Totona-chan. And please be at ease, escort-kun. I would never hurt Faeri¡¯s daughter.¡¹


    Ishtar leaned slightly forward as she apologized to me.


    The usual me would have stared daggers at her pair of giga-sized t*ts. But, I was currently an escort, and I shouldn¡¯t make Totona worry about me.


    What¡¯s happened to her?


    When I turned around to look at Totona, I saw her looking down while muttering something.


    It was as if she had made up her mind.


    ¡¸Goddess Totona.¡¹


    Suddenly, Reiji called from the side.


    When I looked in his direction, I saw himing towards us with Chiyuki. And, just like before, Chiyuki refused to look in our direction. She must be really scared of that huge snake, huh.


    ¡¸Thank you for saving Chiyuki, Goddess Totona.¡¹


    Reiji bowed to Totona.


    Naturally, he didn¡¯t forget his usual refreshing smile. And yet, Totona waspletely immersed in her own thoughts. Reiji waspletely out of her sight.


    Totona sometimes acted like this when she waspletely immersed in her book. Normally, I wouldn¡¯t disturb her when she was in this state. I mean, Totona looked like she was truly enjoying herself when she read books.


    But, she wasn¡¯t reading a book right now. I came to her side to remind her.


    I tapped her shoulder.


    ¡¸Eh? Ku¡­ I mean, Medjed? What¡¯s the matter?¡¹


    Totona almost called me by my real name. I guess she waspletely immersed in her own world.


    But, she snapped right away.


    Totona then noticed Reiji.


    ¡¸E-Eh¡­ Thank you for saving Chiyuki, Goddess Totona.¡¹


    Even Reiji was shaken by Totona¡¯s attitude.


    ¡¸Ah¡­ Are you the Hero of Light, Reiji? The one who saved yourrade isn¡¯t me. It¡¯s him, Medjed.¡¹


    Hearing that, Reiji looked at me. He was clearly suspicious of me.


    Act natural, don¡¯t let him realize your identity.


    I prayed desperately inside.


    ¡¸Ah, thanks for saving myrade.¡¹


    That was short. Completely differentpared to Totona¡¯s thanks.


    Well I didn¡¯t care, not that I wanted his gratitude in the first ce.


    And he didn¡¯t notice my identity on top of that.


    That¡¯s a relief.


    ¡¸T-THANK YOU FOR SAVING MY LIFE!¡¹


    Chiyuki, who stood behind Reiji, also gave me her gratitude.


    And again, she didn¡¯t look at me.


    But I felt relieved to see a beauty safe and sound.


    ¡¸Shall we go now? We can continue our conversation after we reach Arnak.¡¹


    Ishtar concluded our pleasantries.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ Ishtar-sama. Our ship broke due to the attack. We don¡¯t have a choice but to walk to Arnak.¡¹


    The attendant girl spoke timidly to Ishtar.


    She seemed to be Ishtar¡¯s attendant. She looked unwilling to see her master, a Goddess, walking in the desert.


    ¡¸No, it¡¯s alright. It seems someone came to wee us.¡¹


    Said Ishtar as she looked at the horizon.


    I followed her line of sight, looking in the same direction and saw the figures of dogfolk riding on chariots.


    There was also the figure of a birdman with a falcon head, armed to a T, flying above them.


    They looked like the Gypseal God army.


    With this, we would finally arrive at the golden capital, Arnak, the ce where Gypseal Gods reside.


    Was what I thought as I looked at the iing dogfolk.

 Chapter 121.1: The Princess of Cats And Queen Of Lions

    <strong>Chapter 121.1: The Princess of Cats And Queen Of Lions</strong>


    <strong>¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki</strong>


    Using my farsight magic, I could see lines of people and a charioting in our direction, raising clouds of dust from afar. It was probably the army of Arnak.


    Most of them were dogfolk.


    The birdman with the head of a falcon, who was flying high in the air, was gliding slowly to match the speed of the chariot.


    ¡¸There¡¯s a strange creature following the chariot.¡¹


    Reiji remarked. He was also straining his eyes beside me. It was just as he said, there was indeed a creature following the chariot. If I had to describe that creature, it looked like an alligator with a lion¡¯s mane. Its limbs weren¡¯t that of an alligator either, its fore feet were that of a lion, and its hind legs of a hippopotamus.


    It seemed to be slow at a nce, but no one should let their appearance deceive them since they could keep pace with the chariots.


    ¡¸The beast with an alligator head is an Ammit. Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t attack us.¡¹


    Totona, who stood behind us, gave us an exnation about the strange creature.


    ¡¸Is it the Ammit species that are rumored to be beasts who eat sinners?¡¹


    Totona nodded to answer my question.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right, ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki. But you¡¯re wrong about one thing. It isn¡¯t ¡°a rumor¡±, it¡¯s the truth.¡¹


    The Ammit was a demon beast with the head of an alligator, a mane and upper- body of a lion, and a lower-body of a hippopotamus. The meaning of their name was ¡¸Insatiable Devourer¡¹.


    I heard rumors about them greedily eating the souls of the one who were judged as sinners by trial. The souls of those being eaten would bepletely destroyed, never able to reincarnate again.


    ¡¸I see. Do you happen to know the one riding on that Ammit¡¯s head, Totona-chan?¡¹


    Reiji spoke to Totona with an overly familiar manner.


    ¡¸That¡¯s Nelfriti, Gypseal¡¯s princess and also Totona-chan¡¯s friend.¡¹


    Ishtar replied instead of Totona.


    ¡¸Gypseal¡¯s princess? Is she Harsesh¡¯s sister? And your daughter?¡¹


    ¡¸You¡¯re mistaken, ck-Haired Sage, Chiyuki. Nel is Harsesh¡¯s cousin. She isn¡¯t Ishtar-sama¡¯s daughter.¡¹


    Just as Totona replied to me¡­


    ¡¸TOTONYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!! I¡¯M GLAD YOU¡¯RE SAFEEEEEEEEEEE!!¡¹


    I heard a loud voice.


    The chariot was about to arrive in front of us. Then, the person who was on top of the Ammit appeared in full view as she rushed straight toward us.


    The Ammit from up close was huge. Its size might even rival Gustave-kun, that man-eating Nile crocodile. [TL: Gustave is the male-man-eating Nile crocodile.]


    She and the Ammit arrived and stopped right in front of us.


    ¡¸TOTONYAN!!!¡¹


    The small shadow jumped from the Ammit¡¯s back and dived right into Totona¡¯s embrace. She was probably the one called Nelfriti. She looked like a girl around 14~15 years old with white hair and tanned skin. The thing that made her different from humans was a pair of cat ears poking out of her white hair, and a white cat tailing out from her custom-made attire.


    And though she had a pair of wings on her back, seeing that she was riding on the back of the Ammit, I guess flying with her own wings wasn¡¯t her preference.


    The girl was wearing white flowy overalls with golden ornaments all over her body.


    Yup, her attire literally screamed ¡°I¡¯m a princess¡±.


    ¡¸Long time no see, Totonyan! I missed you!!¡¹


    ¡¸Long time no see, Nel. I missed you too.¡¹


    Ooh, Totona¡¯s t voice had finally shown some emotion.


    I got the feeling that I just witnessed a rare event.


    ¡¸OOH! YOU EVEN BROUGHT A STRANGE CREATURE WITH YOU, TOTONYAN!!¡¹


    Nel looked at the chimera who stood away from Totona.


    ¡¸This child¡¯s name is Kroa. I hope it can get along with your Am.¡¹


    Totona gently brushed the chimera¡¯s head called Kroa. Though the chimera was originally hostile toward Ammit who showed up out of nowhere, it finally stepped back after confirming that the other party wasn¡¯t their enemy.


    Nevertheless, Kroa was a girl¡¯s name.


    This chimera should be a male since it has a mane right?


    ¡¸Understood. Amnyan, get along with Kroanyan.¡¹


    Nel brushed Ammit¡¯s head.


    ¡¸Princess, and Totona-sama too.¡¹


    The dogfolk with a jackal¡¯s head, who was riding the chariot, had finally arrived and descended from it.


    ¡¸Do forgive meow, Isdes.¡¹


    Nel then separated herself from Totona and apologized.


    I once heard about the one called Isdes. Gypseal¡¯s ck hero of war with the head of a jackal.


    Dogfolks aside, I heard that he was also being revered by the warriors from the other tribes in Gypseal too.


    ¡¸Long time no see, Ishtar-sama, Totona-sama. Are you safe? I went out immediately after I received contact from Maat, my deepest apologies, seeing this situation, it seems I arrived far toote.¡¹


    Isdes bowed his head, apologizing to us.


    ¡¸It doesn¡¯t matter. The ship aside, all of us are safe and sound. And yes, long time no see Isdes. Nevertheless, I never expected that the snakes of Apophis themselves would appear, do you know what is happening here? Have they managed to destroy the pyramid barrier?¡¹


    ¡¸Guh!! About that!! I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t exin that matter in this kind of ce¡­¡¹


    Isdes replied so as he sent a nce at us.


    It seems to be an internal problem which he couldn¡¯t tell her in our presence.


    ¡¸Who are they, Ishtar-sama? Appearance wise, they look like people from Elios.¡¹


    ¡¸He¡¯s Reiji, the Hero of Light. You¡¯ve heard the rumors about him, right? And the one over there with the beautiful hair is hisrade, the ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki.¡¹


    Ishtar introduced Reiji and me to Isdes.


    ¡¸WHAT?! This person is that infamous¡­¡¹


    Isdes showed a ratherplicated look on his face.


    Seeing that look, I could guess that it was by no means a pleasant rumor.


    Well, that can¡¯t be helped I guess. Reiji did send one of them, Harsesh, flying with a magic bullet.


    Isdes might bare his fangs at Reiji if not for Ishtar¡¯s presence.


    And then, he looked at Totona.


    ¡¸And then, Totona-dono. Who¡¯s the person over there?¡¹


    Isdes looked at the person who stood behind Totona with a wary look on his face.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Isdes-dono. I used domination magic on this chimera. This child won¡¯t go on a rampage.¡¹


    Totona patted the chimera¡¯s head to show the other party that the chimera wasn¡¯t dangerous.


    ¡¸Ehm, my apologies, I¡¯m not referring to the chimera. I mean the weird being who¡¯s covered from head to toe by white cloth¡­¡¹


    Isdes looked at Medjed.


    He was clearly suspicious of Medjed.


    His reaction was natural.


    Medjed¡¯s appearance was really suspicious after all.


    Ishtar thought that Medjed might be some sort of magical creature, but I who saw his WMD could loudly voice out that Medjed was by no means a magical creature.


    ¡¸He¡¯s Medjed. Definitely not a weird creature.¡¹


    ¡¸I OBJEEEEEEEEECT!!¡¹


    I objected while pointing my finger at Medjed.


    At that moment, everyone¡¯s line of sight gathered on me.


    Oh cra*p!!


    I retorted reflexively.


    I mean, no matter how much Totona spoke for him, he was 120% a suspicious creature.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Chiyuki? I understand your feelings, but¡­ You seem to be bothered by something.¡¹


    Reiji looked at me with a shocked look on his face.


    ¡¸Uuuh¡­¡¹


    I snapped from my trance and cast my eyes down in shame.


    I mean, the figure of the WMD from a while ago was still so vivid in my head.


    That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look straight at Medjed.


    I mean, I do feel grateful to him for saving me, but it also made me wonder about his identity.


    ¡¸My apologies, Totona-sama. Sage-sama also voiced her objection. Since that¡¯s the case, may I check this creature? I just need to remove the white cloth.¡¹


    <strong>SFX</strong>


    Isdes approached Medjed.

 Chapter 121.2: The Princess of Cats And Queen Of Lions

    <strong>Chapter 121.2: The Princess of Cats And Queen Of Lions</strong>


    ¡¸¡¸YOU CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN¡¯T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡¹¡¹


    Both Totona and my screams ovepped.


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸Eh?!¡¹¡¹¡¹


    Everyone¡¯s line of sight gathered to me.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Chiyuki? I understand if Totona-chan wants to stop it, but why do you want to stop it too?¡¹


    Reiji asked in worry.


    Ishtar, Isdes, and Totona were also looking at me with a surprised look on their faces.


    ¡¸E~h¡­ I mean¡­ It¡¯s dangerous¡­ Seriously DANGEROUS!!!¡¹


    I mean, that WMD would literally get exposed if they took off his clothes.


    That¡¯s DANGEROUS!! SERIOUSLY DANGEROUS!!


    ¡¸Dangerous? Surely, I do feel that this creature is dangerous for some reason. As if¡­ No, it must be my imagination¡­¡¹


    No way, I never expected that Reiji would agree with me. Nevertheless, Reiji did say that it ¡¸Feels like a dangerous creature¡¹.


    Well, I never thought that he would have the ability to detect another person that had a p¡ð¡ð¡ðs bigger and longer than him.


    Could it be that all men had that kind of ability?


    Eh?!! What the hell am I thinking about?!?!


    ¡¸Stand on Nyeow ground, Isdes! This shady creature is Totonyan¡¯s attendant! Totonyan has already said that the creature is not suspicious!! Why are nyeow still doubting her.¡¹


    Nel raised her voice, covering for Medjed. But her statementcked any persuasive power since she herself said that Medjed was a shady creature.


    ¡¸But, my princess¡­¡¹


    Isdes was unwilling to step back.


    That moment, Ishtar stepped forward.


    ¡¸Hey, Isdes. There¡¯s no point in continuing this useless argument right? Let¡¯s head to Arnak right away. You should be aware that we¡¯ll be in danger if we keep staying in this ce right?¡¹


    ¡¸B-But, Ishtar-sama¡­ I cannot take the risk of bringing a dangerous creature into Arnak in this kind of situation¡­¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s why it¡¯s a useless argument. Moreover, we have Reiji on our side too. So that will reduce the risk. Otherwise, you simplyck confidence in your own ability.¡¹


    Isdes was at loss for words when Ishtar told him so.


    ¡¸I understand¡­ I guess I really have no choice.¡¹


    Totona heaved a sigh seeing Isdes agreeing reluctantly. Medjed¡¯s waist moved slightly. Could it be that he was also heaving a sigh of relief?


    But, his movements were way too suspicious.


    ¡¸Since that¡¯s the case, let¡¯s go.¡¹


    We tied our broken flying ship behind Isdes¡¯ chariot.


    Although it was called a chariot, it might be more appropriate to call it a huge carriage, and since it was pulled by seven metal golem horses, it had no problem with pulling our broken flying ship.


    ¡¸Since that¡¯s the case, Nel and the others will go ahead. Let¡¯s go, Totonyan.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Nel. Well then, see you again in Arnak, Ishtar-sama.¡¹


    Totona and Medjed rode on the back of the chimera again. Nel also went back and rode the Ammit. The Ammit seemed to be unable to fly, that¡¯s why she went bynd.


    The birdman flew to match her pace. It was probably following Isdes¡¯ orders. I mean, it did look quite nervous. That might be just how vignt they all were.


    We departed a while after them.


    The flying ship towed on the chariot started moving bit by bit.


    A whileter, we saw giant structures ahead of us.


    ¡¸Uwaa! The pyramid is shining in a golden color!!!¡¹


    I unintentionally leaked out such a voice.


    Since they¡¯re the cornerstone of Gypseal¡¯s defense system, I had seen several pyramids along the way, but this was my first time seeing a shining golden pyramid.


    Reiji who stood beside me was equally astonished.


    ¡¸That¡¯s the golden pyramid that protects Arnak. We will enter Arnak¡¯s territory once we pass it.¡¹


    Ishtar exined to us.


    ¡¸Amazing. There¡¯s even a golden sphinx too.¡¹


    Reiji was right, there was a giant sphinx statue right beside the golden pyramid.


    ¡¸That¡¯s the golem that protects the pyramid. Be careful, it¡¯ll attack any unauthorized people who dare to get close to the pyramid.¡¹


    ¡¸Uh¡­ What a shame. I want to see it up close.¡¹


    I felt dejected hearing Ishtar¡¯s warning.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Chiyuki. It just means that we need to get permission to see it up close.¡¹


    Reijiforted me.


    ¡¸Ah, you¡¯re right Reiji-kun. Ishtar, can you give me permission?¡¹


    ¡¸Sure. Enjoy the spectacle to your heart¡¯s content.¡¹


    Ishtarughed mischievously.


    After we passed the golden pyramid, the sand turned into a golden color too. It was a golden desert made of gold dust. It sparkled brightly, reflecting the morning sunlight.


    ¡¸Look, that¡¯s the golden capital, Arnak.¡¹


    The ce where Ishtar pointed her finger was a golden pce. The pce was simply gargantuan, human cities felt small inparison to it.


    The chariot army then opened the giant gate for us to pass through. What waited for us behind the gate was a paradise of greenery. Water flowing along the canals, flowers blooming in many ces. I was really surprised to see such a splendid garden inside the pce.


    We came down from the towed flying ship as the chariot stopped.


    ¡¸We¡¯ve been waiting for your arrival, Ishtar-sama. Her Majesty has been waiting for the news about you.¡¹


    A sphinx girl weed us. She was probably an Arnak courtdy. Right beside her was an even smaller flying ship than the one we were riding before.


    It was for us to ride.


    After everyone got on the flying ship, the ship, handled by Arnak¡¯s courtdy, drove into the innermost part of Arnak. Soon, we arrived right before a giant gate on the golden border. The ce of our audience might be right beyond this gate.


    The flying ship stopped.


    ¡¸Dear guests, you must proceed from this point on by foot.¡¹


    After we descended from the flying ship due to the urge from the courtdy, the gate finally opened up.


    Yup, the ce for our audience was located inside after all.


    Inside the spacious pce, Harsesh was standing in a slightly higher ce. He red at Reiji. And yet, Reiji was quite nonchnt about it.


    After entering even further, I discovered that Totona and Medjed had already been waiting for us. We stood beside them.


    When I looked around, I saw that the other audience members were beastmen or sphinxes. Maybe those beastmen were the divine beings of Gypseal. Those beast gods were looking at us with curious looks on their faces.


    ¡¸How dare you look around without a care in this pce!!¡¹


    Harsesh red at us from his position.


    Yup, he was pissed off after all.


    The situation might be more dangerous than I had expected.


    I looked at Ishtar who stood beside me. As Harsesh¡¯s mother, Ishtar might be able to appease her son¡¯s anger. And yet, Ishtar didn¡¯t even look at Harsesh.


    She looked at the one behind Harsesh.


    ¡¸Be quiet, Harsesh.¡¹


    The person behind Harsesh finally spoke. It turned out to be a woman lying on a long coach like Cleopatra.


    The moment the woman said so, Harsesh stepped aside.


    She was a white haired woman with tanned skin, ears and the tail of a beast, and a pair of wings growing from her back. She bore a resemnce to Nelfriti, who followed by her side. But, if Nelfriti was a cat, then this woman was a lioness. The sense of intimidation radiating from her entire being was no joke and her appearance reminded me of a queen.


    Maybe I¡¯ll have to call her the queen of lions.


    ¡¸But, honored auntie. These people are¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Are they your acquaintances, Harsesh? This should be their first timeing to this ce? Ah, which reminds me, you seem to have left Gypseal sometime ago, care to tell me the reason for that?¡¹


    The queen of lions red at Harsesh.


    ¡¸Eh? About that¡­ I just¡­ Wanted to take a stroll. There¡¯s no spe¡ª¡¹


    Harsesh replied with a flustered look on his face.


    Maybe the queen of lions had no idea that Harsesh went out to fight Reiji.


    ¡¸I see, you have yet to give up on chasing after that woman¡¯s butt, correct? It seems I misunderstood your obsession. Just think how many concubines you have in your pce. Not to mention that I¡¯m going to appoint Nelfriti as your legal wife in the future. Forget about that woman. That¡¯ll be part of your job.¡¹


    ¡¸Hahaha, I¡¯ll do my best, Honored Auntie.¡¹


    Harsesh replied with a forced smile on his face.


    Upon a closer look, Nel who stood slightly behind the queen had this subtle look on her face too. Maybe she wasn¡¯t too pleased with her engagement with Harsesh either.


    ¡¸It¡¯s good that you understand that. But due to your position in the government, I absolutely won¡¯t forgive you if you dare to sneak out of Gypseal again. It¡¯s reeducation once we¡¯re done with this problem.¡¹


    ¡¸HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!! MERCYYYYYYY! ANYTHING BUT THAT, HONORED AUNTIE!!!¡¹


    Harsesh screamed in fear hearing the queen¡¯sst remark and shrunk back again when the queen of lions red at him.


    I guess we really shouldn¡¯t make an enemy of Gypseal.


    And then, the queen of lions finally looked at us.


    ¡¸Well, long time no see, Ishtar. And you two must be the hero of light Reiji and the ck haired sage Chiyuki, I presume. I heard about you two from Totona who arrived before you. Wee to Arnak. My name is Sekhmetra. Remember that.¡¹


    The queen of lions, Sekhmetra, greeted us with a fearless smile on her face.

 Chapter 122.1: Arnak, The Golden Capital

    <b>Chapter 122.1: Arnak, The Golden Capital</b>


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    The Queen of Lions, Sekhmetra. The God of Light Harsesh¡¯s aunt and the God of Hades Ushas¡¯ little sister. She is the queen of every single existing sphinx as well as the true ruler of Gypseal.


    And, this true ruler of Arnak, the golden capital, was currently looking down at us from her throne. She sat there, wearing many golden ornaments iid with beautiful gems. The pressure I felt from her felt like abination of the presence of both a human and a lion.


    ¡¸Well then, it seems everyone is now present. It¡¯s time for you to tell me the reason for your visit.¡¹


    Sekhmetra raised her cane and pointed it toward us. The golden cane in her hand had its top carved in the shape of a lion¡¯s heart, the other end had two-pronged tips. This is what they called a Was scepter. [TN: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Was-sceptre]


    The name meant rule and power, it was the symbol of authority.


    ¡¸Sorry, Sekhmetra, this visit isn¡¯t for me or for any business I have. The only reason we¡¯re here is to meet Bruhl.¡¹


    Ishtar looked around at the Gods who sat in this room.


    ¡¸Uhm, what business do you have with my sworn friend, Bruhl? Bruhl, you may step forward.¡¹


    A woman then stepped forward as Sekhmetra gave her order. She looked like a normal human woman at a nce. However, just beneath her dress, one could see a long and thick scorpion tailing out of it. She was the Goddess revered by the Scorpion race of Selket Kingdom, Bruhl. Upon a closer look, her real form resembled that of Giltar.


    ¡¸What kind of business do you have with me?¡¹


    Bruhl stepped forward, looking at us with a dubious look on her face.


    ¡¸The truth is, Reiji¡¯srade and Thors got poisoned by your big brother. Fana says that she needs your poison to make an antidote. Can you lend us your poison?¡¹


    ¡¸That dumbass brother¡­ And you need my poison.¡¹


    Bruhl pondered for a while as she caressed her tail.


    ¡¸Please, Bruhl-san. I hear that you¡¯ve parted ways with your brother. That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t feel reserved on behalf of your brother. Will you share your poison with us?¡¹


    I asked Bruhl.


    ¡¸ck haired sage, Chiyuki is it? You¡¯re right that I parted ways with my brother. But I have no obligation to lend you my poison.¡¹


    Bruhl shook her head.


    ¡¸Please Bruhl, can you at least consider this matter first?¡¹


    Ishtar stepped forward, begging with upturned eyes. At the same time, the male beastman God raised a cheer. Unfortunately, though, Bruhl was a Goddess. That kind of move didn¡¯t work on her, her expression was unperturbed.


    ¡¸Please Bruhl! Myrade is in danger! Please save her!!¡¹


    Reiji looked at Bruhl with a serious look on his face.


    Wait a minute? Did her unperturbed face twitch for a moment just now?


    ¡¸Well, I¡¯m not a heartless person. I think we should leave the decision to our leader.¡¹


    Bruhl then looked at Sekhmetra as if she wanted to avoid Reiji¡¯s gaze.


    Bruhl might be attracted to Reiji¡¯s appearance.


    And since she said ¡°Leader¡± it means that the rtionship between Bruhl and Sekhmetra wasn¡¯t that of master and servant.


    Everyone in this ce looked at Sekhmetra.


    ¡¸I see you made a wise choice, Bruhl. Well, my decision is negative. It was the deed of her brother, and she¡¯s not acquainted with yourrade either. Zuto is also the one who hurt my big brother. I feel no obligation to help you.¡¹


    Sekhmetra spoke with a smile as she looked down at us, enjoying our predicament.


    Zuto was another name for Thors, the Elios God. Come to think of it, Thors was treated as an evil God in Gypseal. That¡¯s why Sekhmetra felt no obligation to save him. I had thought that it was a simple matter when Ishtar told me about this story but¡­


    That turned out to be our biggest stumbling block.


    ¡¸Please, Queen of Lions!! Please ept our request!!¡¹


    Reiji asked Sekhmetra with a serious face just like when he asked Bruhl. But, she didn¡¯t seem to be moved by his plea. Reiji might not be her type.


    ¡¸This is starting to get repetitive, Hero of Light. You¡¯re literally asking us to help you for free.¡¹


    Sekhmetra shook her head in disappointment. Her remark and smile held a profound meaning.


    ¡¸I see, in short, it¡¯ll be another story if we do something for you in return isn¡¯t it, Sekhmetra?¡¹


    ¡¸Fufufu, indeed, Ishtar. As expected of my rival. The truth is, Gypseal is currently facing a rather troublesome situation. That¡¯s why I want you guys to solve this problem for us.¡¹


    Sekhmetra pointed her Was cane to us again. She was grinning ear to ear. Maybe it was her n from the very beginning to ask us to solve this problem.


    ¡¸What kind of problem is it?¡¹


    Ishtar asked in confusion.


    ¡¸Well, you know about the pyramid that protects Gypseal, right?¡¹


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know¡­ Do you know anything about this, Chiyuki?¡¹


    Reiji looked at me.


    ¡¸I know, Reiji-kun. You¡¯re talking about the pyramid barrier that protects Gypseal right, Your Majesty?¡¹


    If my memory serves me right, there should be around a hundred or so pyramids of various sizes spread all across Gypseal. Those pyramids generate magical power and cover the entirety of Gypseal within a giant barrier. In short, all of Gypseal is akin to Labrys¡¯byrinth.


    The God of Gypseal has the advantage of fighting in their home ground when they fight here. And it¡¯s not a confined ce like thebyrinth; Gypseal might be the only ce in this world that is protected by that massive barrier.


    ¡¸As expected of the ck-haired sage, the alias isn¡¯t wasted on you. It¡¯s just as you say, the golden pyramid is made by my beloved Heibos. Isdes and Harsesh mass-produced my husband¡¯s creation andpleted a massive barrier that covered the entirety of Gypseal.¡¹


    Sekhmetra told us about the origin of the pyramid with a proud look on her face. Her husband was none other than the cksmith God of Elios, Heibos. In short, both siblings have a strong connection with Elios. It seems there¡¯s a huge temple for Heibos in the Putaha Kingdom of Gypseal, whose citizens are mostly dwarves.


    Sekhmetra must be really proud of the pyramid made by her own husband.


    ¡¸I see. So what happened to that pyramid?¡¹


    Sekhmetra¡¯s face clouded when Reiji asked that question. What happened to her?


    ¡¸The truth is, one of those pyramids¡­ Got snatched by the Snake of Apophis just recently.¡¹


    Ishtar raised a startled voice the moment she heard those words.


    ¡¸Hah, what do you mean, Sekhmetra? How can you allow such an important structure to be snatched just like that? What will be of the barrier?¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s exactly as I say, Ishtar. To be exact, the thing that got snatched is the inside of the pyramid and it turned into an area of Apophis. It began when those snakes became more and more activetely, resulting in Harsesh and Isdes talking about creating a new pyramid. Unfortunately, the new pyramid got snatched before it waspleted.¡¹


    Sekhmetra spoke while looking at Harsesh. Harsesh, who stood a little away from her, paled the moment the queen looked in his direction. He was probably the supervisor of the hijacked pyramid.


    ¡¸That guy used the magical power inside the pyramid that was only 90%plete to create a hole in Gypseal¡¯s barrier. That¡¯s why the strength of the barrier protecting Gypseal is weaker than usual. Thanks to that, those damned snakes are free to cause so many incidents in Gypseal, which is resulting in never-ending headaches for us.¡¹


    I see, so that was the reason why Dahark could appear in Gypseal.


    ¡¸That¡¯s why I want you guys to retrieve the hijacked pyramid for us. Or destroy it altogether if you judge that retrieving it is impossible. We can talk about the transaction with Bruhl after that.¡¹


    Sekhmetra then raised the Was scepter as she spoke thest half of her sentence.


    I see when we met Maat, the queen was already aware that we hade to ask her for something. Thus she came up with the n to force the job of retrieving the hijacked pyramid to us. And the reason Bruhl entrusted the decision to Sekhmetra was that she was fully aware of her superior¡¯s n.


    We were literally in the palm of their hands!!


    Their request was actually a really troublesome one on top of that. [TL: Serves you right!]


    In short, we ended up getting caught up in the conflict between Apophis and Gypseal.


    ¡¸I understand!! Leave it to us!!¡¹


    Reiji replied as if it was a natural choice.


    We had no choice, we had to ept this request to save Shirone.


    ===


    THE NEW PROJECT:


    <strong>Journey of The Childhood Friend Who Got Betrayed by Sword Saint</strong>


    The Protagonist of Isekaied Story With Cheat And Harem Has No Idea That All Of The Heroines Has Already Been Stolen By Me~Urgh, My Stomach Is Killing Me~


    <strong>(~¡¯.¡¯)~Advance Chapter Avable in Fox18 too!~(¡®.¡¯~)</strong>


    (~¡¯.¡¯)~You Can Read The Advance Chapter Bing My Patron~(¡®.¡¯~)

 Chapter 122.2: Arnak, The Golden Capital

    <b>Chapter 122.2: Arnak, The Golden Capital</b>


    ¡¸It can¡¯t be helped¡­ You¡¯re going to help us too, right Goddess Totona?¡¹


    I heaved a sigh and then looked at Totona.


    ¡¸Sure. I have a duty to save my big brother too.¡¹


    Totona then looked at Medjed who stood behind her.


    Medjed also gave a nod.


    It was as if he agreed too.


    It seems Medjed woulde along too.


    ¡¸Wait a meowment! Are you telling me that Totonyan is going too?!! Meow way, it¡¯s too dangerous!! That ce is su~per scary nya!¡¹


    Nel, who stood behind Sekhmetra, suddenly loudly objected. It seems she was worried about her best friend going to visit an extremely dangerous ce.


    Even in her myth, Totona wasn¡¯t described as suited forbat. I understood why Nel was worried about her.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Nel!! I have a strong ally! I can vouch for him!!¡¹


    Her voice resounded in the room. Even I couldn¡¯t help but be surprised to see her raise her voice like that. I mean, I never expected her to put so much trust in Reiji.


    ¡¸Thanks Totona-chan. I¡¯m honored to receive your trust.¡¹


    Reiji expressed his gratitude to Totona with his usual refreshing smile.


    And yet, for some strange reason, Totona looked puzzled instead.


    ¡¸Fufufu!! It¡¯s decided then! Well then, let¡¯s hold a banquet for you! Oi, bring the liquor! A lot of liquor and meat!!¡¹


    Sekhmetra¡¯s voice resounded in the room.


    <b>¡ôThe Destroyer, Medjed(Kuroki)</b>


    Both Totona and I followed Nel toward her room in Arnak.


    Around this time, people were preparing for the banquet in the main room. But, we decided not to participate in that banquet. We were going to hold another small banquet just for the three of us in Nel¡¯s room.


    ording to Totona, participating in the banquet in the main room would be too troublesome for me.


    Finally, we arrived in front of a door with a picture of a lot of adorable cats.


    Was this Nel¡¯s room?


    ¡¸Weeow back, princess.¡¹


    Wait a minute, where did that voicee from?


    When I lowered my line of sight, I saw two cats standing on their hind legs, right below the gate with small spears in their hands.


    They were probably the gatekeepers who guard Nel¡¯s room.


    Seeing them standing on their hind legs and talking like humans, they must be part of the catsith race.


    ording to the legend, cats originated from Gypseal. That¡¯s why it wasn¡¯t a big surprise to find catsith in thisnd.


    ¡¸I¡¯m homeow, everyone.¡¹


    The gatekeepers then opened the gate after Nel returned their greeting. It seems the cats were powerful enough to open the seemingly heavy gate with their own strength.


    ¡¸By the way, Totonyan. Are you sure about this? You¡¯ve heard how that serpent prince is bad nyeows, right?¡¹


    Nel asked anxiously after all of us entered the room.


    Princess Nelfriti was the daughter of god Heibos and the Lioness queen, Sekhmetra.


    It seems that Sekhmetra, who fell in love with Heibos at first sight, forced him to marry her on the spot.


    She wasn¡¯t just the Queen of Lions, but turns out she was a carnivorous woman too.


    And then, the reason why Totona and Nel became such good friends was due to an incident in which Nel, who was filled with curiosity back then, ended up straying in Elios when she visited her father.


    The one who found her and saved her by pure ident back then was none other than Totona, thus they became good friends.


    They get along really well with each other.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Nel. I¡¯m confident since I brought him with me for this asion.¡¹


    Totona then moved her gaze to me.


    I felt her full trust in me.


    That¡¯s why I had to protect her no matter what.


    This was for Shirone¡¯s sake too. I had a personal reason to fight.


    ¡¸Come to think of it, I have been wondering since a meowhile ago, what is this interesting creature?¡¹


    Nel pointed at me.


    Totona looked at me.


    It seems she was waiting for my permission before introducing me.


    Naturally, I nodded.


    Nel was someone that gained Totona¡¯s trust after all, it was only natural for me to trust Nel too.


    ¡¸His name is Kuroki. He hid his identity and called himself Medjed for this asion. He is also the Dark Knight of Nargol who defeated both Alphos and the Hero of Light.¡¹


    Totona puffed her chest lightly as she introduced me.


    Why did it feel like she was a bit proud?


    Nel stared dumbfoundedly at me.


    ¡¸Won against that super strong Alphos, I seow¡­ That¡¯s reassuring indeed.¡¹


    Nel nced at me.


    I felt my face heating up due to embarrassment upon receiving such a gaze.


    ¡¸Kuroki, it¡¯s safe to take off the cloth in this ce.¡¹


    I finally felt at ease after hearing Totona¡¯s remark.


    I couldn¡¯t even speak in front of Reiji and co. In that situation, the only way tomunicate with them was by shaking my body.


    In that situation, they only saw me moving my waist to the side.


    Moreover, it was rather suffocating and hard to move.


    Thus I decided to take off the cloth.


    ¡¸Ha~h, wearing this cloth is really suffocating. Thanks, Totona.¡¹


    I felt a sense of liberation the moment I took off the cloth.


    Eh? Why did Totona and Nel¡¯s gaze focus on my lower body?


    I lowered my line of sight.


    That moment, I realized that I just made the biggest blunder in my life.


    FUDGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! I FORGOT THAT I WAS WEARING NOTHING ON MY LOWER BODYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!


    But, it was toote, my lower body had already been exposed right in front of Nel and Totona.


    ¡¸Hoe~~. Even though I saw Har-kun¡¯s thingy too when we were still kids, this ispletely differenya~. This really is a splendid one, right Totonyan?¡¹


    After looking at my manhood with an extremely interested look on her face, Nel moved her line of sight to Totona, asking her that question.


    And yet, Totona didn¡¯t say anything back to her best friend.


    She kept looking at my manhood without even a twitch on her expressionless face.


    Thus, I snapped out and hurriedly hid my manhood.


    ¡¸Uhm, Totona, about this¡­¡¹


    I have to find a justification for this, otherwise she wouldbel me as a pervert.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Totonyan?¡¹


    Nel called Totona with a worried look on her face.


    Which reminds me, Totona¡¯s state was rather strange.


    The moment I thought so.


    Totona suddenly fell backwards.


    ¡¸Woah, watch out!!?¡¹


    I propped Totona in a hurry before she fell on the floor.


    It seems she fainted.


    Could it be that the shock from seeing my manhood was too much for her?


    ¡¸HANG IN THERE, TOTONYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!¡¹


    Nel¡¯s scream resounded in the room.

 Chapter 123.1: Banquet of The Beasts

    <b>Chapter 123.1: Banquet of The Beasts</b>


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    ¡¸A~h? The great Gypseal? It¡¯s the goldennd managed by the majestic lion? Its radiance shall illuminate the world forever?¡¹


    Adorable cat girls were dancing in the center of the hall. The golden ornaments on their attire created rhythmic sounds as they spun in ordance to the tune.


    The goat beastmen were ying the musical instruments and flute happily.


    ¡¸Well then everyone, you may enjoy the feast to your heart¡¯s content.¡¹


    The moment Sekhmetra, the queen, announced the start of the banquet and raised her ss of ale, the beastmen Gods all cheered. The sphinx courtdies, on the other hand, were busy giving directions to the catgirl maids; the dishes and liquor were being carried in one after another.


    Before me was a lot of liquor and meat dishes.


    The cook, baboon-like apeman, cut a whole roasted ox, and delivered it to the high ranking beast Gods first. The other dishes consisted of shoulder meat stew, bone rib pig cutlets covered in breadcrumbs and fried in vegetable oil, salted grilled mutton, venison roast, vegetable and chicken soup, chicken teriyaki with fish sauce, and many other dishes. They were all lined up on the table.


    ¡¸It¡¯s a truly sumptuous feast, Chiyuki.¡¹


    Even Reiji, who sat beside me, couldn¡¯t help but to exim in surprise.


    ¡¸Yeah¡­ you¡¯re right.¡¹


    I agreed with him, it was a sumptuous feast indeed.


    Which reminds me, this was the first time for us to participate in a divine race banquet. Though Rena held a banquet for us every once in a while in her temple, it wasn¡¯t as sumptuous as this.


    Nevertheless, they were by no means inferior in quality. They even prepared vegetables, but then, the ratiopared to the meat dishes were insignificant, maybe because the lion queen was the promoter of this banquet.


    The beast gods ate the meat dish with gusto, then washed the grease and meat juice in their mouths with liquor before moving onto another meat dish.


    They might develop gout if they eat meat like that everyday.[Gout: a disease in which defective metabolism of uric acid causes arthritis, especially in the smaller bones of the feet, deposition of chalkstones, and episodes of acute pain.]


    Not that I¡¯ve ever heard something like gout exist in this world though.


    Well I guess I had to enjoy the dishes too.


    When I tried the grilled beef with honey and fish sauce, I felt the warm taste spread inside my mouth.


    In this world, mutton was the widely avable meat while beef was rather rare.


    The reason being that oxes were mainly used for farming. The avable beef was from the old oxes that were already unable to work. Naturally, the beef taken from these kinds of oxes was tough, and not tasty at all. And yet, the beef I ate right now was so tender, and really delicious.


    Just as I had expected, the divine race used oxes that were raised to be eaten.


    I ended up eating the beef with gusto, feeling really satisfied with the dish.


    The other meat dishes might be equally delicious.


    I scanned at the variety of the meat dishes before me.


    Despite my initial worry, they didn¡¯t seem to serve human meat.


    I heard that they ate humans in the past.


    But, once upon a time in the past, queen Sekhmetra changed that particr policy after she drank the red ale made by a human, who was taught by her future husband back then, God Heibos. It seems she concluded that it was such a waste to eat the one who had the wisdom and creativity to create such a wonderful and tasty beverage.


    Ever since then Sekhmetra never ate any creature with enough intelligence to create something again.


    The same goes for the sphinxes, her kin.


    It seems the myth about being eaten by the sphinxes if you couldn¡¯t solve their puzzle originated from this story.


    ¡¸Fufufu, how about trying the liquor now?¡¹


    Suddenly, someone came to our side.


    ¡¸Bruhl-san?¡¹


    It¡¯s the Goddess of Scorpions, Bruhl.


    ¡¸Just call me Bruhl, and I¡¯ll call you Chiyuki. But still, have you seen Ishtar? She¡¯s supposed to be with you guys, right?¡¹


    ¡¸Ishtar went to the princess¡¯ pce.¡¹


    Just as Reiji had said, Ishtar seems to have been taken by Nel, Sekhmetra¡¯s daughter, right before the start of the banquet.


    For some unknown reason.


    ¡¸Princess Nel? How rare of her. But whatever. Allow me to greet you properly this time, Hero of Light Reiji and ck hHaired sage Chiyuki. My name is Bruhl. My apologies for my previous statement, I personally have no problems with giving you guys my poison, but, our leader who wanted to borrow your hand to take back the pyramid didn¡¯t allow me to do so. Please understand that she also has her own priorities as the queen of thisnd.¡¹


    And just as I had expected, Bruhl had already been aware of Sekhmetra¡¯s n.


    ¡¸It doesn¡¯t matter. It¡¯s not like we can just leave you guys in peril when you¡¯re facing such troubles too.¡¹


    ¡¸I see, then allow me to express my gratitude.¡¹


    Said Bruhl with a relieved look on her face.


    ¡¸Nevertheless, can you tell me more about the liquor in this ce? Honestly I¡¯m really troubled since there are too many different kinds. Which one should I start with?¡¹


    Reiji spoke to her while pointing at the line up of liquor before us.


    He was right, there was not only an abundance of food, they served a lot of liquor as well.


    Honestly it was confusing since there were too many of them.


    The queen of lions, Sekhmetra, seems to love liquor.


    I heard she went as far as importing all kinds of liquor from all over the world aside from the one made in Gypseal.


    By the way, most kinds of beverages are ale. In fact, even the catchphrase when entering a bar in this world was ¡°Toriaezu ale!¡±.


    But, as the central production of wheat, Gypseal had a rich variety of tasty ale.


    Thus, I wanted to try the other liquor.


    The ones I¡¯m most interested in right now are the palm based liquor, mead, and wine.


    ¡¸Of course, then allow me to tell you my preferences.¡¹


    After saying that, Bruhl said something to the catfolk attendants.


    The catfolk attendants left for a while and then returnedter with three crystal cups with pale golden liquid in them.


    ¡¸Hee, this is the first time I see this kind of liquor. Can you tell me about it?¡¹


    ¡¸This liquor is made from a mix of sweet and sour fruit juice, nectar reed, and a bit of water of life from wine. Since I loved it, I named it ¡°Scorpion¡±. Please try it first.¡¹


    Bruhl exined her favorite liquor to us.


    Nectar reed was another name for sugarcane in this world. Naturally since sugarcane existed, sugar also existed in this world. And what she meant by water of life was distilled liquor.


    Moreover, since this liquor was a literal mix, this might be the cocktail version of this world.


    Reiji and I epted the crystal cup and tried the cocktail.


    ¡¸Ah, it¡¯s so delicious.¡¹


    One sip of the liquor was enough for a gentle sweetness to spread slowly in my mouth, this was the kind of liquor that would be loved by women.


    ¡¸Yeah, this is delicious indeed, thanks for telling us about this delicious liquor, Bruhl.¡¹


    Bruhl¡¯s face flushed lightly after Reiji thanked her.


    Just as expected, she is weak against a good looking guy like Reiji.


    ¡¸Nevertheless, we¡¯re really d that you guys came to this ce. Honestly speaking, sending the God of War, Isdes, and the prince alone to fight is an extremely risky attempt.¡¹


    Bruhl looked at Reiji while holding the cup of cocktail in her hand.


    ¡¸Since the other male Gods aren¡¯t that much reliable either, your visit to thisnd is a blessing in disguise. Truly like a Hero. And a good looking man on top of that. Look, the Goddesses and attendants in this ce have been eyeing you since a while ago.¡¹


    Come to think of it, I did realize that the women in this ce had been looking at Reiji since a while ago.


    Just like Bruhl, it seems they were waiting for a chance to speak with Reiji.


    ¡¸I couldn¡¯t say this when we were in front of the prince a while ago, but, Ishtar seems to be aiming for you too.¡¹


    Bruhl added so while shaking her head.


    ¡¸Is something the matter with me, Bruhl-dono?¡¹


    Suddenly, someone called us from the side.


    Speak of the devil.


    The one who came was Harsesh.


    Following behind him was his kin, the falcon headed birdman and the sphinxes, his concubines.


    ¡¸Oh prince? Well, it¡¯s nothing.¡¹


    Bruhl was visibly flustered when Harsesh came to our ce.


    As expected, it seems the son couldn¡¯t just sit back and watch as his mother aimed for a man other than his father.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Your Highness?¡¹


    Reiji asked Harsesh with a teasing tone..


    ¡¸Hum, my business isn¡¯t with you. This Harsesh came for you.¡¹


    Harsesh stood in front of me as he spoke.


    ¡¸Eh? Me?¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯m truly delighted to be able to see you again, Princess.¡¹


    Harsesh smiled gently as he spoke to me.


    ¡¸N-Nay. I mean, calling me princess is a bit too¡­¡¹


    I felt my cheeks warm up upon hearing Harsesh calling me a princess.

 Chapter 123.2: Banquet of The Beasts

    <b>Chapter 123.2: Banquet of The Beasts</b>


    Though Harsesh¡¯s appearance was thebination of a human and a winged lion, he definitely looked much better than ordinary humans. Naturally, he had inherited his mother¡¯s good looks.


    I mean, my heart kept racing since he kept looking at me.


    ¡¸Fufu, you look different from when I saw you before. There¡¯s no more suitable name for you other than a beautiful princess.¡¹


    My current attire wasn¡¯t the usual robe, I was wearing the traditional Gypseal attire, which exposed a lot of skin. And since I had borrowed this attire from Ishtar, who loves wearing luxurious items, it naturally made me look like a dolled up princess.


    ¡¸Fuh, I haven¡¯t been able to take my eyes off of you the moment I saw you again. Well, will youe join this Harsesh?¡¹


    Harsesh brought his face closer.


    But, he got interrupted by Reiji¡¯s hand.


    ¡¸Prince, will you stop trying to seduce myrade? Look, there is another woman behind you, right?¡¹


    Reiji forcibly put himself between Harsesh and me as he pointed at the sphinx who stood behind Harsesh.


    ¡¸Get out of my way. This ck-haired girl is the Goddess of Knowledge. I want to properly wee her to Gypseal.¡¹


    ¡¸Too bad, that¡¯s impossible. Chiyuki is MY Goddess of Knowledge. I won¡¯t give her to you.¡¹


    Reiji replied back with a ferocious smile on his face.


    ¡¸I see, we¡¯re fated to fight, eh? Don¡¯t think that you¡¯ll have an easy time like before.¡¹


    ¡¸Hump, a loser wails.¡¹


    Reiji and Harsesh were ring at each other.


    Oh no, they¡¯re going to fight because of me.


    I looked at Sekhmetra.


    If it was just Reiji, then I alone would be enough to stop him, but Harsesh didn¡¯t seem like he would stop unless Sekhmetra told him to.


    Sekhmetra seemed to have noticed the situation too.


    That¡¯s a relief, please stop them.


    ¡¸Hou? A fight over the ck-Haired Sage, is it? Great! Harsesh!! I¡¯ll only stop you if things get really dangerous! Fight to your heart¡¯s content!!¡¹


    Dammit, don¡¯t pour oil into the fire, please!!


    Contrary to my plea, Sekhmetra fanned the fight instead.


    The people around were also stepping away from Reiji and Harsesh.


    ¡¸If our leader doesn¡¯t feel like stopping the fight, then neither can I. Well Chiyuki, let¡¯s get away from them for now.¡¹


    ¡¸Wait a minute, Bruhl?!¡¹


    I tried to pull Bruhl.


    Something really bad is going to happen!!


    ¡¸Oh my? What are you doing I wonder?¡¹


    Suddenly, Ishtar¡¯s voice resounded in the hall.


    It seems she finally returned.


    But, I doubt hering would change the situation, I mean, she even cheered during the fight between Reiji and the Evil gods after all.


    Me included, everyone in this hall was looking at Ishtar.


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸Eh?!¡¹¡¹¡¹


    Their shocked voices ovepped with each other. But, it wasn¡¯t due to Ishtar¡¯s appearance. They were surprised upon seeing the girl who followed Ishtar from behind.


    Ishtar grabbed the girl¡¯s hand and went toward Reiji and co¡¯s direction.


    Everyone¡¯s attention was focused on that girl.


    The reason was simply because of that girl¡¯s transcendent beauty. Even I, and the other women¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t look away from her. She wore Gypseal¡¯s traditional attireplete with the golden ornaments, there was a golden falcon hair ornament on her long, bluish-ck hair.


    She was short but had a nicely shaped figure surpassing that of the gravure model. Yes, surpassing even a gravure model, I mean, her breast size might be even bigger than mine. They were smaller than Ishtar¡¯s or Rena¡¯s but they definitely were fit to be called as beautifully shaped breasts.


    Since she wore clothes that exposed a lot of skin, her snow-white skin was shown to everyone. And just like Ishtar, her breasts seemed like they were about to spill from her rather skimpy attire.


    She had a small and well-ordered face, and Gypseal-style red eye shadow on her pair of big and beautiful eyes, which enhanced her beauty by several levels.


    Who in the world was this country-toppling beauty?


    Her face was blushing since a while ago, maybe because she wore such an embarrassing outfit.


    And yet, such an innocent gesture upped her charm instead of dampening it, it struck the heartstrings of everyone in this ce.


    ¡¸Uhm, Ishtar-sama!! Please don¡¯t pull my hand like that!!¡¹


    Her voice seemed familiar, the problem was I couldn¡¯t remember whose voice it was.


    ¡¸It¡¯s fine? You look good in it? It seems I interrupted something, but you won¡¯t mind me for this interruption, right? Here¡¯s a question, Can you guess who this gi~rl is?¡¹


    Ishtar pushed the back of the girl, asking the dumbfounded Reiji and Harsesh.


    ¡¸I-Ishtar-sama¡­ Stop¡­¡¹


    And yet, Ishtarpletely ignored the girl¡¯s protests.


    ¡¸Really cute right? I mean, I never expected her to change this much.¡¹


    ¡¸Stop it already, Ishtar-sama!! I¡¯ve had enough of this! I have to go now!! They¡¯re already waiting for me!!¡¹


    The beauty shook Ishtar¡¯s hand and ran quickly toward the exit.


    The princess, Nel, was already standing at the entrance.


    Maybe Nel was waiting for the beauty.


    In that way, the beauty left along with Nel.


    Even after the beauty had left, the people in the room were still dumbfounded by the sudden entrance of the beauty.


    And then, a few seconds after they left.


    ¡¸ISHTAR! WHO IN THE WORLD IS THAT BEAUTIFUL GIRL?!!¡¹


    ¡¸MOTHER!! WHO IS THAT BEAUTIFUL GIRL?!!¡¹


    Both Reiji and Harsesh drew in to Ishtar who still looked at the entrance.


    ¡¸Geez!! Totona-chan is such a shy girl!! Even though she was finally willing to wear rather revealing clothes!!¡¹


    Ishtar spoke with a regretful look on her face while looking at the door.


    Everyone couldn¡¯t hide their shock hearing her remark.


    That girl was¡­ Totona!?


    Normally, she was always wearing a thick robe and a wide hat. That¡¯s why I was really surprised to see such a drastic change simply by changing her attire.


    At this point, both Reiji and Harsesh had alreadypletely forgotten about me.


    Their quarrel had already stopped and yet, I felt rather annoyed instead.


    ¡ô<strong>A Pervert No Matter How You Look At It, But He At Least Wants to Maintain Gentlemanly Air Around Him, Kuroki</strong>


    ¡¸Nya~? The big Nya~r river? A golden river with a lot of fi~sh? Watching over us foreve~r?¡¹


    The adorable catsith kittens were dancing happily. The bell on their choker made a beautiful jingling sound as they danced. They were so adorable, but that wasn¡¯t the problem.


    Anyhow, I was currently sitting in a seiza position in front of Totona, waiting like a criminal awaiting his judgment.


    Totona ended up passing out after seeing THAT.


    I realized immediately that I had forgotten about the fact that I had taken off the clothes beneath the white cloth!! It¡¯s definitely not because I enjoyed the sense of liberation!! I tried to exin to her, that whether she consented or not was another matter though.


    Nel didn¡¯t seem to care about it. Is it because wild animals were basically naked?


    I mean, you might say that those adorable catsith who danced before us were all buck-naked.


    The tiny male catsith who danced before us basically exposed his b*lls right before us.


    ¡­ Why the heck am I starting topare myself to a cat now?


    I mean, being naked was bad.


    Thus, I stopped disguising myself as Medjed for now and a coiled cloth around my waist.


    ¡¸Is something the matter nyaa? Is there something that you¡¯re not pleased with nyaa.¡¹


    A catsith asked worriedly.


    ¡¸Eh, No!! There¡¯s nothing like that!! It¡¯s really adorable!!¡¹


    I replied in a hurry since the catsith seems to be really anxious.


    ¡¸Is that so? Will you drink liquor nya~?¡¹


    A cat sith offered a crystal cup with liquor in it.


    The name of the liquor was lion¡¯s milk, it was a high ball with a high percentage of alcohol. This liquor was made from date palm mixed with distilled grape, the aroma probably came from anise seeds. It had a transparent white color, but its color would change once mixed with water.


    It was called lion¡¯s milk mainly due to its milky white color after being mixed with water.


    This lion¡¯s milk was an aperitif provided with hors d¡¯oeuvres.


    That was the reason why there were so many hors d¡¯oeuvres lining up before me.


    Goat¡¯s cheese and lettuce.


    A dish resembling a cabbage roll, made from grape leaves, wrapped around minced meat.


    A humus-like dish topped with a lot of sesame seeds, salt, and pepper.


    A variety of small fishes fried in vegetable oil.


    But, I had yet to touch any of those dishes.


    ¡¸Thank you. But, I¡¯ll enjoy the dishester after Totona and princess Nel return.¡¹


    After she woke up, Totona discussed something with Nel and together, they left the room.


    It seems they wanted to change their clothes.


    In addition, they also told me to wait for them.


    Thus we arrived at the present with me waiting for Totona and Nel while being entertained by the cats.


    ¡¸Is that so nya~. How about reading the book for meow?¡¹


    ¡¸Eh? Do you have a book here?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Totona-sama loves books after all. She always leaves a book that she rmends to princess-samanya here.¡¹


    I see, that¡¯s intriguing. I wonder what kind of book she rmended to Nel?


    ¡¸Hee, so what kind of book is it?¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯ll bring the book, please wait for a minyaaow.¡¹


    After leaving for a while, the catsith brought back a book from the corner of the room.


    ¡¸This is ourtest most popr book.¡¹


    The catsith gave me the book, s I couldn¡¯t read it since it was written in Gypseal letters.


    Though thenguage barrier wasn¡¯t a big deal thanks to magic, letters were another matter.


    The book had the picture of a cat on its cover.


    This might be somesort of cat story.


    ¡¸What kind of book is this?¡¹


    I asked curiously.


    ¡¸This was the story of Puss in boots. Totonya-samanya collects the human stories she hears from the one called Kuroki.¡¹


    I spat the beverage in my mouth the moment I heard that.


    Come to think of it, I did tell Totona the story of Puss in Boots.


    Well, the reason why I became acquainted with Totona was due to ourmon interest in books.


    Totona was the librarian of Elios¡¯ library after Loughas left. Loughas gave me a letter of introduction when I told him that I wanted to know more about this world.


    That was how I met Totona.


    Even I couldn¡¯t help but recall how she had helped me a lot when I had juste to this world.


    In addition, since I had yet to master the letters back then, I often asked Totona about the content of the books with letters that I couldn¡¯t understand.


    I always had the feeling that I was annoying her back then.


    Even now I still feel guilty about it.


    But, despite seeming reluctant to teach this stupid me, I was really grateful since she still taught me properly when I asked her.


    And then, when it reached the point in which I didn¡¯t need her help to read anymore, I got this feeling that she opened up a bit to me.


    It was around that time I told her about Puss in Boots.


    The catsith didn¡¯t seem to realize that the ¡°Kuroki¡± they¡¯re talking about was me.


    I received the book from the catsith.


    I flipped through the book and arrived at the picture of the king of ogres dancing with Puss in Boots.


    I unintentionally let out a muffledugh.


    Totona had seemed really interested when the story had arrived at that part.


    And now, even though I finally managed to get along with her, she might hate me andbel me as a pervert for exposing my p*nis right in front of her.


    Thus, I nervously waited for Totona.


    ¡¸Thank you for waiting, Kuroki.¡¹


    It was Totona¡¯s voice.


    She was back.


    I raised my face and looked at the direction of her voice.


    At that moment, my brain was paralyzed.


    A girl whose beauty rivaled Kuna¡¯s and Rena¡¯s stood before me.

 Chapter 124.1: Totonas All-Out Attack

    <b>Chapter 124.1: Totona¡¯s All-Out Attack</b>


    <b>¡ôGoddess of Knowledge and Books; Totona</b>


    Honestly, I was quite surprised the first time I met Kuroki. He waspletely different from what I imagined. I had expected him to be a boorish man with the head of a wild boar, knowing nothing but fighting. It was why I had felt really anxious when my master told me that he wanted to send the Dark Knight to my library to read books.


    That¡¯s just how unpleasant the rumors surrounding the Dark Knight were in Elios.


    The Dark Knight, who had defeated the Hero of Light, had be the most hated person by the Goddesses of Elios. On the other hand, Rena¡¯s lover, the Hero of Light Reiji, was the hottest topic among them. He was a hottieparable to Alphos, the God of Song & Art


    In addition, he was also the owner of a mighty power, he could use the light cannon of heavenly might, which no one but Oudith could use until now.


    He was the kind of person that could make even a shut-in like me interested in him.


    Rena and I were raised together by Faeria, my birth mother.


    Rena had always been a beautiful girl since she was a kid, be it dancing, sewing, or singing, I could never beat her.


    Thus as someone from the same generation, I ended up bing a shut-in since I couldn¡¯t take it beingpared to Rena anymore.


    An existence that waspletely ipatible with me. That was Rena.


    As we grew older, many male Gods proposed to Rena, whose beauty had already bloomed to its peak.


    But then, Rena ended up ignoring all of them.


    That¡¯s why my curiosity was piqued, I wanted to see the man chosen by Rena. Thus, I tried to get a magic picture of him. In the end, I had to say that he was a handsome man, but definitely not my type.


    Well, at least I knew the reason why he became the hottest topic among the other Goddesses though.


    He was definitely a match for Rena, the one hailed as a heavenly beauty. If not for the fierce opposition of the male Gods, he might¡¯ve already been invited to join Elios.


    But, after that so-called Hero of Light got beaten ck and blue by the Dark Knight of Nargol, thement of the Goddesses reached all the way down to my library, those hysterical bitches.


    Those Goddesses kept worrying about the Hero of Light, cursing at the Dark Knight who defeated him. They even gossiped amongst themselves saying that his appearance beneath his helmet must be an extremely ugly one since he was the ally of that ugly Demon King.


    Well, I did agree with their remark about the Demon King being ugly, and though Loughas¡¯ case wasn¡¯t as bad as the Demon King, many other of the Demon King¡¯s allies were ugly in appearance.


    That¡¯s why it was normal for those Goddesses to assume that the Dark Knight had an extremely ugly face. It was also the reason why I couldn¡¯t hide my anxiety when I heard from my master that this same Dark Knight hade to my library.


    Though I felt grateful to him for defeating Rena¡¯s Hero of Light, I honestly didn¡¯t want to meet him.


    I mean, what should I do if he did something to me?


    But then, this library was originally owned by Loughas, I was nothing more than its librarian. Not to mention that I really can¡¯t refuse my master¡¯s request, the one I¡¯m indebted to, so I ended up agreeing.


    However, the moment I met Kuroki, I realized my worries and anxiety were needless. He was a calm and quiet person.


    ¡¸It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Goddess Totona-dono.¡¹


    I was truly bewildered when Kuroki said that to me while bowing politely. He didn¡¯t give the image of a strong and evil creature.


    Was this person truly the Dark Knight who defeated the Hero of Light?


    I waspletely shocked.


    And speaking of shock, his appearancepletely betrayed my expectations of the divine being who had allied himself with the Demon King.


    His appearance rivaled the male Gods of Elios.


    Or rather, he waspletely my type.


    I mean, his score in terms of appearance and personality was perfect for me, I could even double his score. And the best thing of all was the fact that he wasn¡¯t the kind of man who would get infatuated with Rena.


    No doubt about it, he was hostile toward Rena.


    My heartbeat rose a bit.


    But up until now, I was aplete novice in regard to rtionships with men.


    Well, it wasn¡¯t just limited to men.


    People rarelye to my library.


    Since this was the former residence of the Demon King back when he was still in Elios, people rarely came to this ce.


    The only one who came to this ce was my older sister, my mother, and Nel.


    Since I shut myself inside the library and rarely came out, I almost never socialized with other people.


    That¡¯s why it really couldn¡¯t be helped that others always told me that Icked expression.


    The reason why I always had an expressionless face was simply because I had no idea how to approach someone when I met them for the first time, thus ending up showing a cold and distant look on my face.


    But in Kuroki¡¯s case, I gradually spoke more and more with him about various books.


    It was truly a blissful moment that I had never felt before.


    It seems he loves books too, I was really enjoying my time listening to his stories of books I had never known before.


    But, our rtionship couldn¡¯t take another step forward beyond friendship since there was a silver-haired girl who came with him every once in a while.


    But well, that was a relief.


    I mean, I was really happy just to be able to share my love for books with Kuroki. Unless something happens, our rtionship will stay this way for a really long time.


    I might not have done anything if not for Ishtar-sama saying that strange thing.


    But, now that silver-haired girl wasn¡¯t by his side.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯ll use this chance and do my best.


    <b>¡ôKuroki, Whose Manhood Rivaled That of a Dragon</b>


    ¡¸Thank you for waiting, Kuroki.¡¹


    Totona, who had already changed her clothes, greeted me and then sat beside me.


    Honestly, I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off of Totona.


    The thin fabric of the Gypseal traditional attire revealed too much skin, the slit that reached all the way up the waist revealed Totona¡¯s captivating white and slender leg.


    I ABSOLUTELY HAD NO IDEA THAT SHE WAS SUCH A BOMBSHELL BABE ALL THIS TIME SINCE SHE ALWAYS WORE THICK ROBES!


    Totona¡¯s were quite big. They were smaller than Rena¡¯s and Ishtar¡¯s, but they were big enough to make my eyes dart toward them non-stop.


    But then, what¡¯s the meaning of this?


    Why is she suddenly wearing this kind of attire?


    But, I guess I really couldn¡¯t guess what she thought inside since the usual Totona had always been expressionless.


    Nevertheless, allow me to express my gratitude for her.


    Thank you!! Thank you very much!!


    The heck!! Why did I act like a peasant out of nowhere?!!


    It seems Totona¡¯s charm has made my brain go haywire.


    Okay, calm down now.


    I MEAN CALM DOWN PLEASE, MY BUDDY! IT¡¯S NOT YOUR TURN!!


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Kuroki?¡¹


    Totona asked curiously.


    Well, she was as expressionless as ever.


    And she literally leaned forward, bringing her pair of delicious-looking bombshells closer toward me.


    Oh crap!! ALERTALERTALERT!


    ¡¸Eeeh, is something the matter, Totona-san?¡¹


    I ended up using honorifics. I mean seriously, what was happening here?


    ¡¸Since Ishtar-sama said those words. I¡¯ve been asking myself, should I do my best too?¡¹


    Eh¡­ What in the world is she talking about?


    Then I noticed.


    The smell of liquor mixed in Totona¡¯s breath.


    ¡¸Totona, are you by any chance¡­ drunk?¡¹


    But, the one who replied was Nel who was already sitting beside me.


    ¡¸Totonyan drank a lot of lion¡¯s milk before entering this room. Now Totonyan is a little bit tipsy meow.¡¹


    Nel exined the gist of the situation to me.


    The heck!! What do you mean by ¡°A little bit tipsy¡±?!!


    I mean, this was my first time seeing Totona in this state.


    Lion¡¯s milk was a liquor made for offerings to the Gods. Meaning that even Gods would get drunk if they drink it.


    Though it was hard to see since she was as expressionless as ever, I did get this feeling that Totona was drunk right now.


    ¡¸It¡¯s a bit too hot here.¡¹


    Totona used the fabric of her attire to fan herself.


    My eyes automatically drew in toward her.


    ¡¸Is someowthing the matter, big brother? Your eyes are bloodshot meow?¡¹


    Nel, who sat beside me, asked curiously.


    No, please stop looking at me with such innocent eyes.


    ¡¸Kuroki-Must-Drink-A lot-Tonight¡¹


    Totona took a cup and poured lion¡¯s milk into it. It seems that cup was for me.


    Oh no!


    I forgot to tell her that I¡¯m not drinking liquor.


    I¡¯m not drinking liquor, but I want to drink liquor that doesn¡¯t make you drunk.


    Thanks to my blunder, I couldn¡¯t refuse her offer.


    I tried to think of a legit reason to refuse the liquor.


    At that moment, I noticed something happening in the corner of the room. It seems there was a quarrel.


    What was happening, I wonder?


    Totona and Nel, who noticed my reaction, ended up following my line of sight.


    ¡¸Is someowthing the matter? What are you doing meow?¡¹


    The cats in the corner of the room twitched hearing Nel calling out to them.


    Thus, an orange tabby cat came out as their representative.


    ¡¸My princess! Please, please save my brother meow!!¡¹


    And rushed toward Nel.


    But, the other cat caught him midway.


    ¡¸Is someowthing the matter?!! What¡¯s actually happening here meow?!! Exin to me-ow, Varon?!!¡¹


    Thereupon, a ck cat stepped forward, the only cat who wore a tunic among the other naked cats.


    The cat¡¯s name was Varon.


    ¡¸My deepest apologies for thismotion, my princess. I tried to stop this guy since you¡¯re still entertaining your guest, but¡­ Well, please take him out for now. We¡¯re embarrassing our princess in front of her guests you know.¡¹


    Varon ordered the other cats to bring the tabby cat out for now.


    It seems this ck cat was the leader of the catsith.


    I knew that they were different from the other cat.

 Chapter 124.2: Totonas All-Out Attack

    <b>Chapter 124.2: Totona¡¯s All-Out Attack</b>


    I mean, they didn¡¯t end their sentences with ¡°Meow¡±.


    ¡¸Wait! Let¡¯s hear his story first!!¡¹


    I stopped them in a hurry. I¡¯m even more curious about his situation now. I mean, I could use this to stall Totona from offering me liquor to drink.


    ¡¸But, honored guest¡­¡¹


    Varon was visibly troubled by my remark.


    ¡¸No, Kuroki is right, Varon. Let us hear his story first.¡¹


    Totona agreed with me.


    ¡¸Varon, Totonyan and Kuroki are really nice people. Just tell them about the purrowblem.¡¹


    Varon heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing Nel¡¯s remark.


    ¡¸I understand, my Princess. The truth is, the people we sent to scout the pyramid taken by the Snake of Apophis have yet to return, and one of them was this cat¡¯s brother.¡¹


    ¡¸Scouting? I didn¡¯t ever give such an order meaow!!¡¹


    ¡¸The one who gave the order is Harsesh-sama. Even I only found out about this matter just a while ago, My Princess¡­ It seems they were baited with the best huge silverfish you can find out there. In my opinion, the scouts have been caught by the Snake of Apophis.¡¹


    ¡¸NYAOWAY?!! A GIANT SILVERFISH?!!! WHAT A CLEVER BAIT!! HOW DARE YOU USE MY KIN, HAR-KUN!¡¹


    Nel seemed to be really pissed.


    By the way, the giant silverfish was the native fish of the Nyar river, which could grow until it reached the length of two meters.


    It was a proper giant among the freshwater fish. Its¡¯ meat was white, fleshy, and had no peculiar smell of freshwater fish.


    Though I had yet to know its taste, there was fried giant silverfish among the dishes before us. The reason why I know that despite never eating it before was simply because I saw the cats around us eyeing a certain dish with a greedy look in their eyes.


    But I guess it couldn¡¯t be helped, they¡¯re cats after all, albeit bipedal ones.


    I mean, the retort would be great if they were human.


    ¡¸Purrowease save my brother!!¡¹


    The tiger-striped cat pleaded to us.


    It seems this cat was a female one. She didn¡¯t have balls after all.


    ¡¸I understand, we will do our best to save your brother.¡¹


    Totona suddenly stood up and downed the lion milk that she offered me before.


    Lion milk was a high ball, definitely not for beginners. Drinking the undiluted one like what Totona did just now was definitely a no go.


    Did she get drunk already? I mean, I really couldn¡¯t tell the difference since she was as expressionless as ever but, is she alright?


    ¡¸We have no problem as long as we have Kuroki.¡¹


    ¡¸EH, WHY ME?!!¡¹


    I couldn¡¯t hide my shock when Totona suddenly referred to me like that.


    ¡¸It¡¯ll be alright, you can do it, Kuroki.¡¹


    Totona hugged my head as she told me so.


    Yes, hugged my head, she literally shoved my face onto her cleavage.


    ¡¸Wha! TOTONYAN?!¡¹


    My heartbeat increased by a notch since Totona¡¯s boobs had really good shape and size.


    ¡¸Rest assured, Kuroki is my hero. He will save yourrade.¡¹


    The cats raised their cheers upon hearing Totona¡¯s remark.


    It seems the tiger-striped cat wasn¡¯t the only one who was worried about hisrades.


    Sure enough, I had no problem with epting their request, but I had no confidence that I could save theirrade for sure.


    I mean, I don¡¯t even know their current situation.


    But, the cats ignored my bewilderment and started to dance as they sang a song.


    ¡¸OOH! THANK YOU TOTONYAN! AND YES, BIG BROTHER KUROKI IS DEFINITELY A STRONG MYAN!! TIME FOR A CELEBRATION, EVERYONE BRING IN MORE LIQUOR!!¡¹


    ¡¸RIGHT AWAY!! MYAI PRINCESS!!!¡¹


    Soon, the cats brought in more liquor.


    Stop!! I can¡¯t drink all of that!!


    ¡¸Kuroki. Drink.¡¹


    Totona offered me some liquor. Her breath heavily smelled of it.


    Damn it, she was already drunk!!


    Seriously, what are you doing, Totona-san?!!


    ¡¸Okay!! Nel will dance too meow!!¡¹


    After she eximed, Nel¡¯s white tail started to swirl around as she joined the group of dancers.


    I spat the liquor in my mouth the moment I saw THAT.


    Nel actually¡­ Didn¡¯t wear underwear. Her attire was also revealing a lot of skin, but honestly that wasn¡¯t a huge temptation since she gave off the air of an innocent and healthy girl.


    That¡¯s why the surprise attack just now was like a hook from the back.


    Beastfolk didn¡¯t wear underwear.


    The trend esctes the closer the person is simr to a beast. But if I had toment, I would say that it was best for Nel to wear underwear since her appearance was closer to that of a human.


    Nel¡¯s tail kept swirling around as she danced with the cats.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Kuroki? Do you not want to drink?¡¹


    Totona passed me a cup filled with some sort of beverage. Anyhow, the one thing I wanted the most right now was water to calm my mind.


    So I epted her offer.


    ¡¸Thanks Totona.¡¹


    I received the cup and drank the beverage.


    FUDGEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! THIS IS LIQUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!!!


    It seems I got careless due to the incident with Nel.


    And ended up drinking liquor by ident.


    ¡¸Try this one, Kuroki. It¡¯s Gypseal lettuce. It¡¯ll give you more energy.¡¹


    This time, Totona literally shoved the lettuce into my mouth. The white liquid from the Gypseal lettuce was a famous ingredient for a drug to enhance stamina.. And she literally shoved that kind of vegetable into my mouth.


    On the other hand, Totona was as expressionless as ever. But, obviously I felt something was wrong with my current condition. I mean, it felt as if I was about to lose myposure.


    What¡¯s happening here? I started to feel dizzy.


    It seems the lion¡¯s milk had already spread into my system. Even the dragons who slept in my body rampaged happily as if they got drunk too.


    AAH!! SERIOUSLY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING GUYS!!


    Nel and the cats were dancing happily.


    ¡¸Here you go Kuroki. A~hn.¡¹


    On my side, Totona kept feeding me with food and liquor¡­ With her usual expressionless face.


    Thus, the chaotic banquet went on.


    <strong>¡ôGoddess of Wisdom and Victory; Rena</strong>


    I headed toward Gypseal with my flying ship. We were currently passing by the central mountain range. I was in a hurry, but I knew very well that Gypseal was still far away.


    Unlike Totona and co, I had no dimension gate connected to Gypseal. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t go Gypseal in an instant. I might be able to get one if I asked Harsesh, but I knew asking him for a favor would bite me backter.


    ¡¸Our scout has returned, Rena-sama.¡¹


    Nier reported to me on top of the deck of my flying ship. The valkyrie that scouted the vicinity had only just returned.


    We advanced like usual while scouting the area to make sure that there were no Evil Gods around Elios. My valkyries and I should be able to deal with the weaker ones, but some of them were quite powerful.


    Thus, some Elios¡¯ Gods who had no confidence in their ability had never left their safe haven called Elios.


    ¡¸I see. So? How¡¯s the situation, Nier?¡¹


    ¡¸There are no problems, Rena-sama. There are no problems, the area is clear.¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡­ I guess Sulsha¡¯s information about many Evil Gods joining Apophis is true.¡¹


    Sulsha, the angel inspector and her subordinates were tasked with the duty of gathering information around the world.


    ording to her, many Evil Gods gathered under Apophis¡¯ banner.


    That might be the reason why they were gone from this area.


    ¡¸Yes, it¡¯s just as you expected, Rena-sama. Apophis is located in the south of Gypseal. So Ishtar-sama and Reiji and the others might be in danger.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh? My expectation?¡¹


    I don¡¯t think I had that kind of expectation though.


    ¡¸Eh? Aren¡¯t you going to Gypseal since you think that the situation is more dangerous than how it seems to be?¡¹


    Nier seemed to be quite surprised.


    ¡¸Ah¡­ Surely¡­ I did say that.¡¹


    I wasn¡¯t referring to Apophis though.


    The dangerous thing is somethingpletely different.


    I was referring to Totona when I said those words, I think the reason why Totona wasn¡¯t too bold was simply because she was quite an introverted person. But, I must not let my guard down.


    I¡¯ve got a bad feeling about this.


    Come to think of it, her mother and big sister did have an unexpected side to them. That¡¯s why she headed toward Gypseal against her mother and big sister¡¯s order to stay. But, Nier seems to have some sort of misunderstanding about Totona.


    ¡¸Well, that¡¯s enough Nier. Let¡¯s hurry up and increase the speed of the flying ship.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Rena-sama.¡¹


    The moment I said so, Nier ordered her subordinates to increase the speed of the flying ship.


    I already know Kuroki¡¯s position from Kuna¡¯s engagement ring. It seems he was currently in Arnak.


    We went full speed ahead in the sky toward Arnak.


    ===


    THE NEW PROJECT:


    <strong>Journey of The Childhood Friend Who Got Betrayed by Sword Saint</strong>


    The Protagonist of Isekaied Story With Cheat And Harem Has No Idea That All Of The Heroines Has Already Been Stolen By Me~Urgh, My Stomach Is Killing Me~


    <strong>(~¡¯.¡¯)~Advance Chapter Avable in Fox18 too!~(¡®.¡¯~)</strong>


    (~¡¯.¡¯)~You Can Read The Advance Chapter Bing My Patron~(¡®.¡¯~)

 Chapter 125.1: Cats In The Courtyard

    <strong>Chapter 125.1: Cats In The Courtyard</strong>


    ¡ô<strong>The Destroyer, Medjed(Kuroki)</strong>


    The next morning, I returned to my Medjed form.


    The sun has already risen high in the sky.


    I¡¯m currently in the courtyard of Arnak.


    The courtyard was really fast, and in spite of being located in the middle of the desert, there were a lot of flowers and water.


    The water lily blooming in the fountain was truly a feast for the eyes.


    The butterflies were dancing under the warm sunlight, adding a warm atmosphere.


    I was in the middle of my daily training in the midst of the warm sunlight.


    I wore my clothes since fighting in that way was much harder.


    Moreover, not to mention that my clothes might be flipped over duringbat.


    It wouldn¡¯t be a joke if my clothes suddenly overturned in the midst of battle, exposing my naked lower half.


    For now, I should be safe and no such incident happened yet during thebat.


    Well, it¡¯s not like my identity gonna be exposed with just that.


    To prevent such an embarrassing situation, I had to train myself to get used to the fighting style of myself being covered with cloth.


    I felt that my body was rather sluggish since there was still alcohol residue from the liquor that I drankst night in my body.


    Seeing that being tipsy alone was enough to dull my movement, it only meant that Icked training.


    Thus I forced my body to move even faster to speed up my metabolism and drive out the excess alcohol in my body.


    And though my head was still hurt from drinking too much liquorst night, I couldn¡¯t afford to neglect my daily workout.


    Moreover, this was also part of my discipline to prevent myself from cking off.


    I moved slowly on top of the stone pavement.


    I deliberately moved really slowly just toplete one move.


    I moved my leg to prevent myself from losing my bnce.


    Thereupon, Nel and the cat who watching on the side were trying to mimic my movement.


    My feet were cris-crossing really slowly.


    Naturally, Nel and the cat were also trying to copy that.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ Princess Nel. What are you doing?¡¹


    I could speak since Reiji and Co wasn¡¯t around, Nel and the cat are cocking their head so adorably the moment they heard my question.


    They had been following me around since I woke up and started my daily workout.


    I mean, I expected them to stay by Totona¡¯s side.


    And by the way, Totona was still sleeping in the room since she was clearly overdoing itst night.


    When I told her that I wouldn¡¯t train today to take care of her, Totona refused my offer.


    It seems she was too embarrassed and wouldn¡¯t let me see her face today.


    Though I really enjoyed her unexpected reaction, I decided to do my daily workout since she was really too embarrassed to see my face.


    Thus, Nel and co who followed me around ended up mimicking my movement.


    ¡¸U~hm, I tried to mimic Kuroki-oniinyan¡¯s movement since it looked like a dance. Is that a new kind of dance?¡¹


    Nel asked with a flustered look on her face.


    ¡¸Uhm, Princess Nel. Please call me Medjed when I¡¯m in this costume.¡¹


    ¡¸Myaow?! Oh purright. Meow apologies.¡¹


    Nel apologized as her tongue stuck out.


    Her gesture was honestly downright adorable.


    ¡¸Which reminds me, why are you wearing that, onii-nyan? Taking it off will make you feel better meaow.¡¹


    ¡¸Uhm, it¡¯s just as I told you before, I don¡¯t want to expose my identity. The hero of light and I are supposed to be enemies after all.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be really strong purrson, Onii-san? You don¡¯t have to hide your identity like this.¡¹


    Said Nelfriti.


    Despite her cat-like appearance, Nel was the daughter of the queen of lions.


    Did her mother teach her to be as fearless as a lion?


    Despite what she said, I really couldn¡¯t afford to expose my identity.


    If I expose my identity, Reiji might challenge me which results in the mess of the rescue n.


    Well, not that he would be able to defeat me if he was still the same as before.


    Thus, I need a different excuse for Nel.


    ¡¸Well, the truth is, I love this kind of outfit. It looks really adorable.¡¹


    I moved my waist as I told her a white lie.


    I might look like a pervert if someone saw me from the side.


    But, I really couldn¡¯t think of any other excuse.


    Naturally, Nel made a doubtful look on her face hearing my sorry of an excuse.


    ¡¸U~hm. Interesting but, it¡¯scking cuteness meow. Oh right, I got an idea!! Please wait a meownute!!¡¹


    Nell suddenly broke into a run after that.


    Leaving me and the cats behind.


    Just when I was wondering what should I do now, Nel returned.


    She held something in her hand.


    ¡¸I brought various things meow!! Try this, it looks good on you meow!!¡¹


    After saying so, Nel attached something to my head.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ This is¡­¡¹


    I looked at the thing held by Nel.


    It seems one of them had already attached to my head.


    ¡¸Myahahaha!! Now you look a bit more adorable.¡¹


    Nelughed delightfully.


    Though I had no idea what kind of thing she just attached to my head, I could pretty much guess it from her reaction.


    Though that item didn¡¯t change my appearance that much, my disguised self did be a bit cuter.


    ¡¸Surely, I might look a bit more pleasing this way. Thank you, Nel.¡¹


    ¡¸It¡¯s a relief to know that you are purreased by it. Now you can get along with everyone meow.¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸Meo~~~~w!!¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹


    The cats raised a purr upon hearing Nel¡¯s remark.


    How innocent.


    Before I noticed, Nel had been the first to eat, drink, dance, and then fell asleep.


    Maybe she had no idea about what Totona and I didst night.


    ¡¸By the way. How¡¯s the thing with Totonyanst night?¡¹


    I was really startled when she asked that question.


    How should I answer that question?


    ¡¸¡­ We really enjoyed your hospitality.¡¹


    Thus, I chose to go with a safe answer.


    It wasn¡¯t a lie after all.


    Honestly, my back was drenched in cold sweats right now. Not to mention that Kuna¡¯s face appeared in my mind, making me feel that I justmitted a capital crime.


    ¡¸That¡¯s great meow!! Everything went ording to Totonyan¡¯s n!! Well, my dear mother had also done the same back then with my father meow.¡¹


    Nel smiled innocently as she spoke.


    The beginning of the rtionship between the god of cksmith, Heibos, and the queen of the lion, Sekhmetra was right after thetter forced the former to marry her.


    God Heibos was the victim of a stray bullet fired by Nargol back when he was still young, as a result, his leg was impaired and his back became crooked, he became what you call as the ugliest Eliot¡¯s god.


    Different from Modes, Heibos hadpletely given up on women and locked himself in his own workshop to forge.


    But then, once upon a time, when god Heibos visited Gypseal which is rich with rare metals, Sekhmetra ended up falling in love with his ability and personality, she went all out and forced him to marry her, thus they became husband and wife.


    Well, she lived up to her name, the queen of the lion, a true ¡°Carnivore¡±.


    ¡¸Meowahahaha. If it¡¯s Onii-san whom Totonyan trusted so much, I¡¯ve no doubt that the pyramid will be taken back with ease.¡¹


    Nelughing.


    I still have no idea whether we could take back the pyramid or not.


    But, I had no choice but to do my best to answer Totona¡¯s expectations.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll do my best to answer Totona¡¯s expectations, Nel. Well, I have the promise with the catsith too after all.¡¹


    I¡¯m not lying.


    I¡¯ll do my best to fulfill that promise.


    ¡¸Thank you!! If Onii-san really did it, Nel will love you along with Totonyan!!¡¹


    Nel hugged me, rubbing her head on my chest as she spoke.


    Such an innocent girl.


    She made me feel at ease.


    Nel suddenly raised her face.


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    At that moment, my gaze met Nel¡¯s gaze.


    It was just for a split second but, I get this feeling that her gaze resembled a carnivore aiming for its prey.


    ¡¸Is someowthing the matter?¡¹


    ¡¸Eh¡­ No, it must be just my imagination.¡¹


    Yup, it must be my imagination.


    Nel smiled innocently again.


    ¡¸Meow!! Let¡¯s dance again, everyone!¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸¡¸Meo~~~~w!!¡¹¡¹¡¹¡¹


    The cats raised a purr at once.


    Welp, I guess I had to dance with them now.

 Chapter 125.2: Cats In The Courtyard

    <strong>Chapter 125.2: Cats In The Courtyard</strong>


    <strong>¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki</strong>


    My consciousness gradually returned from dreand. That was such a nice sleep.


    A mattress with beautiful embroidery wasid on an ebony couch, it was so soft andfortable. Moreover, the sun had already risen high up in the sky. I felt its warmth seeping through the window, the sunlight only covered by a thin piece of silk.


    The liquor I drankst night still lingered in my body, making me feel sluggish.


    The liquor rmended by the Goddess of Scorpions, Bruhl, was delicious and easy to drink, but I ended up getting drunk in the middle of the event since I kept drinking it without realizing how strong it was.


    By the time I woke up, I was already on this bed.


    The golden ornaments on my body that I had borrowed from Ishtar had already been taken off and ced on the desk beside the bed.


    Was Reiji the one who moved me to this bed?


    That was a bit problematic indeed.


    Well, maybe the one who moved me to this bed was a catfolk maid.


    As for Reiji, he probably continued to drink with Ishtar even after I passed out.


    What happened after that though?


    I guess I¡¯ll have to ask himter when I meet him.


    After getting up from the bed, I realized that some snacks and a water pitcher were ced on the bedside table. It seems they were prepared to help me with my hangover. The snacks were fruit, goat cheese, and vegetable sandwiches with freshly baked bread.


    Even though we were in Gypseal, it seems the diet here was the same.


    Since I had no appetite for a heavy meal, I took a fruit for now.


    As I took a bite of the fruit, its sweet nectar spread in my mouth.


    The texture resembled that of a fig.


    ¡¸U~hm!! Well then, let¡¯s take a stroll!!¡¹


    I stood up and stretched my arms after I ate the fruit.


    Let¡¯s try to find Reiji for now.


    I changed my clothes and left the room, walking along the corridor and passing by the catfolk maids along the way. Whenever that happened, they opened the way and nodded at me.


    It seems they were already busy since early morning.


    Was this what they meant as ¡°Being so busy to the point of willing to ept the helping hand of a cat¡± in this world?


    I arrived in a certain courtyard while pondering about such things.


    The courtyard was huge, the greenery stretched as far as I could see, and water flowed into the fountain. It was such a surreal spectacle that made me forget about this entire region being a desert.


    Okay, let¡¯s walk a bit more.


    And then, just when I entered the courtyard.


    ¡¸Geh!!¡¹


    I unintentionally raised a perplexed voice. What I could see in front of me was the figure of Medjed (the mysterious creature) and princess Nelfriti standing in the middle of the courtyard.


    Due to a certain incident, I always had a hard time dealing with Medjed.


    There were a lot of cats around Medjed¡¯s feet, they were dancing happily.


    What were they doing I wonder?


    Moreover, Totona wasn¡¯t anywhere to be seen. Well, she might be somewhere else, preupied by something. What was she doing right now I wonder? Was she hiding?


    Harsesh and the other male Gods who got captivated by her beauty were waiting for Totona to return to the banquetst night.


    Could it be that she hid herself since she was aware of that fact?


    ¡¸Oh my? Aren¡¯t you the hero of light¡¯srade meow? What was your nyame again?¡¹


    Princess Nelfriti looked at me upon noticing my presence.


    ¡¸It¡¯s Chiyuki, princess Nelfriti. May you tell me what¡¯s going on right now?¡¹


    I introduced myself as I had almost never spoken with princess Nel before this morning.


    Thus it couldn¡¯t be helped if she forgot my name.


    ¡¸It¡¯s just as you see, I¡¯m dancing with Meowdjed in this ce.¡¹


    After she said so, Medjed started to shake his hips.


    The WMD beneath his clothes might be shaking too right now.


    ¡­ The heck, what was I thinking about just now?


    Could it be that I was still drunk and couldn¡¯t think rationally?


    Okay, let¡¯s try not to look below.


    And the moment I looked up, I saw the things attached on Medjed¡¯s head.


    ¡¸Cat ears?¡¹


    Medjed with cat ears attached on top of his head looked different from yesterday.


    I ended up saying ¡°DA FUCK?!!!¡± inside.


    I mean, why cat ears of all things?


    Medjed kept dancing as usual.


    My head was in utter chaos seeing him dancing like that.


    ¡¸Is someowthing the matter?¡¹


    ¡¸E~h. Uhm¡­ excuse me¡­¡¹


    I WANTED TO F*CKING SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THIS WEIRD SITUATION RIGHT NOW!!


    But, I swallowed my words.


    Nelfriti was the princess of Gypseal. I definitely couldn¡¯t mess with her.


    ¡¸Ah? I see. I understand meow. You must want one of these.¡¹


    As I looked at Medjed¡¯s cat ears, Nelfriti suddenly attached the thing in her hand onto my head.


    ¡¸Eh, is this?¡¹


    I touched the thing attached to my head.


    Yes, it seems to be a hairband that is made to resemble cat ears.


    ¡¸Chiyuki is no longer envious of Medjed¡¯s cat ears nyaow, right? With this, you two are matching meow.¡¹


    Said Nelfriti.


    ¡­ I was envious of Medjed¡¯s cat ears indeed.


    But I have my own cat ears now.


    Fufufu, take a look Medjed, you¡¯re not the only one with cat ears.


    ¡¸HAH!! YOU ARE MISTAKE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~N!!!¡¹


    I, I was not envious of Medjed¡¯s adorable looking cat ears at all!!!!


    I continued retorting inside.


    I sat down with apletely perplexed look on my face.


    Dammit, I had too many retorts to the point that they were jammed in my throat.


    Nelfriti and the cats were tilting their heads in confusion seeing my one man show.


    ¡¸Why are you suddenly sitting like that, Chiyuki?¡¹


    ¡¸No¡­ It¡¯s nothing. Thank you for the cat ears.¡¹


    I somehow managed to get back on my feet.


    It was tiring.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter?!! I heard a loud scream just now!!¡¹


    Apparently, someone came running after hearing my scream.


    When I turned around, I saw Reiji¡¯s figure.


    Behind him were Ishtar, Bruhl, and the beastfolk maid led by the beautiful sphinx.


    Ishtar and co seemed to have been with Reiji till a while ago.


    He brought along a group of women with him again.


    ¡¸What¡¯s matter, Chiyu¡ª Eh, CAT EARS?!!!¡¹


    Reiji couldn¡¯t hide his shock upon looking at my cat ears.


    He even had this ¡°Seriously, what are you doing?¡± look on his face.


    ¡¸E~h, actually there¡¯s nothing at all.¡¹


    I coughed to clear my thoughts and replied so.


    Both Ishtar and Bruhl were smiling as they looked at me.


    ¡¸Fufufu, it looks surprisingly good on you, Chiyuki. It must have been put on by Nel I presume.¡¹


    ¡¸Nel-sama, I think you should stop attaching cat ears to everyone like this. Although I have to say that it matches Chiyuki very well, some people don¡¯t look good when wearing them.¡¹


    ¡¸I understand meow. But nyeow Medjed and Chiyuki can get along.¡¹


    Nelfriti spoke while puffing her chest.


    Wait, did that mean this princess had actually attached cat ears to EVERYONE?


    Reiji was looking around restless.


    ¡¸Princess Nel, where is Goddess Totona? I haven¡¯t seen her figure here.¡¹


    Seriously, are you actually waiting for Totona too?


    I retorted to Reiji in my mind.


    ¡¸After doing her best yesterday, Totonyan is currently resting in her room.¡¹


    Though I had no idea what she meant by ¡°Doing her best¡±, Totona wasn¡¯t here right now.


    Too bad for you, Reiji.


    Iughed at Reiji in my heart.


    ¡¸Reiji-kun, where did you go with Ishtar and Bruhl?¡¹


    I asked so, ring at Reiji.


    I¡¯m curious, where in the world was he with these two Goddesses until a while ago?


    Just curious, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m jealous of them.


    ¡¸Ah, we went into the golden pyramid.¡¹


    Said Reiji while looking at Ishtar and Bruhl.


    ¡¸Golden pyramid? Why did you go there?¡¹


    ¡¸To bind a pact with a high rank spirit of light, Chiyuki. Reiji is looking for a way to be stronger. After hearing that, Sekhmetra told him that a high rank spirit of light appeared in the golden pyramid. Since he¡¯s the holder of the power of light, he might be able to make a pact with that spirit.¡¹


    Ishtar exined in Reiji¡¯s ce.


    In this world, spirits were divided into earth, water, fire, wind, light, and darkness.


    One needs inborn talent in each attribute to be able to summon the respective spirit of that attribute.


    Even Rino, who could get along with many spirits, couldn¡¯t summon a high rank spirit of light.


    ¡¸Yeah, it¡¯s surprisingly easier than I thought, Chiyuki.¡¹


    Reiji shed his refreshing smile as he spoke.


    Properly speaking, Reiji couldn¡¯t summon the spirits of earth, water, fire, and wind.


    But, it seems he had the aptitude for summoning the high rank spirit of light.


    ¡¸NYAAA?! Not even Hal-kun can do that meow!!¡¹


    Nelfriti was equally surprised.


    Though both Harsesh and Reiji had the light attribute, the former doesn¡¯t seem to be capable of summoning a high rank spirit of light.


    I could imagine his anguished expression when he heard this news.


    Suddenly, the figure of Medjed who stood behind Nelfriti caught my attention.


    Medjed¡¯s eyes were¡­ Looking at Reiji.

 Chapter 126.1: Sandstorm

    <b>Chapter 126.1: Sandstorm</b>


    <strong>¡ôMedjed Equipped With Cat Ears, Kuroki</strong>


    We left Arnak the next day.


    Four flying ships left the Golden Capital.


    To strengthen their defense, restrictions were ced on the Gypseal sky for flying ships. But that restriction could be lifted as long as there was a permit from Sekhmetra, the Queen of Gypseal.


    Our destination was towards the snatched pyramid. The flying ships were flying atop the golden sands, heading toward the southeast.


    On paper, the one leading these flying ships was Harsesh, but in reality, Isdes was the one leading.


    In the first ce, Harsesh was not supposed to join this expedition and was supposed to stand by in Arnak. However, after requesting it from Sekhmetra, it seems he gained permission to join the expedition under one condition: to withdraw the moment things get out of hand.


    Harsesh was now proudly riding his huge, ornamented, golden ship with his mistresses. His flying ship was much bigger than Alphos¡¯ one.


    The four other flying ships that surrounded Harsesh¡¯s one from all sides were manned by falcon-headed birdmen, Harsesh¡¯s kin, to scout the area around the main ship.


    Totona and I were riding on the chimera right behind those flying ships.


    It was a sunny day, and the sunlight was strong.


    But it was no big deal as long as we used magic to protect ourselves.


    ¡¸Uhm, Totona, this distance is¡­¡¹


    I said so to Totona who sat behind me.


    Totona had gone back to her usual bulky robe again. But even that bulky robe was not enough to block the huge twin peaks hiding underneath as she glued herself to me.


    Oh cr*p, calm down, little me.


    I¡¯ll be in huge trouble if she doesn¡¯t let go of me.


    I turned around to Totona to remind her.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Kuroki? We¡¯re already in a husband-wife rtionship. So sticking closely like this is only natural.¡¹


    Despite what she said, Totona was as expressionless as ever.


    And yet, I got this feeling that she was enjoying my reaction.


    ¡¸Uhm, Totona. The current me is Medjed so¡­¡¹


    Yes, I am currently disguising myself as Medjed.


    Naturally, I wore a loincloth under my clothes this time around, to prevent the previous shing incident. With this, I wouldn¡¯t be mistaken as a sher who enjoyed the feeling of liberation, bing one with the world when I took off my clothes.


    Well since I wasn¡¯t a sher either, I made sure to wear my loincloth properly this time. I must not let a second incident happen.


    I reminded myself firmly.


    ¡¸It¡¯s okay. The Hero and hispanions are ahead of us, they won¡¯t be able to disturb us. They won¡¯t even be able to hear us.¡¹


    Well it was just as she said, Reiji and co were riding a flying ship ahead of us.


    Properly speaking, they wouldn¡¯t be able to hear our conversation.


    But knowing that my senses were enhanced to a terrifying degree aftering to this world, there was nothing wrong with being too cautious.


    ¡¸But Totona, we must be very careful¡­ Things will get really tense and chaotic if they ever discover my true identity.¡¹


    ¡¸I know. But then, this is the only chance for me to act like this.¡¹


    I felt Totona¡¯s forehead on my back as she spoke.


    I felt something warm touching my back.


    I¡¯ve been wondering, can we really afford to fly in this kind of situation?


    ¡¸GRRRRRRRRR¡¹


    But then, the chimera suddenly raised a purr.


    ¡¸Sorry, it seems the journey is taking quite some time.¡¹


    It seems this flying distance was a bit too much for the chimera.


    Yeah, the distance was really long after all.


    Maybe it was time to join the others in the flying ship.


    The flying ship provided to us was the smallest flying ship and was on the rear end of the formation.


    This was the flying ship prepared by Nel for us, all the crew were catsiths.


    The bow part of the ship was modeled after a super adorable, deformed cat.


    ¡¸Weeow back, Totonyan.¡¹


    Upon returning, Nel came out to greet us in person.


    Her butler, Varon, also came with her.


    Honestly, both Nel and Harsesh should¡¯ve stayed in Arnak. But, Sekhmetra permitted her to participate under the condition that she only acts as rear support and to evacuate once things get out of hand.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Nel? Things seems rather hectic here?¡¹


    It was just as Totona said. The catsiths who wore sailor coats seemed to be confused about something.


    ¡¸We have an emeowrgency!!! A sandstorm is ahead of us meow!!¡¹


    Nel was confused.


    ¡¸Sandstorm? Is this ship going to be alright?¡¹


    ¡¸I¡­ Have no idemeow. Varon said that this ship wouldn¡¯t be able to endure a sandstorm of this scale meaow.¡¹


    It seems we¡¯re in deep shit.


    ¡¸TOTONA-SAMA, WE HAVE TO RETURN!! LET¡¯S EVACUATE TO HARSESH-SAMA¡¯S SHIP AS WE ORIGINALLY PLANNED TO!!¡¹


    The ck cat, Varon, spoke as he came to us.


    Nel¡¯s flying ship was really small. It was so small to the point that Harsesh¡¯s ship could literally amodate all of it.


    The rear part of Harsesh¡¯s flying ship opened up, thus Nel¡¯s flying ship went into it.


    ¡¸OOOH! WELCOME TO MY SHIP, TOTONA!!¡¹


    Upon descending from Nel¡¯s ship, Harsesh weed us with open arms.


    It seems he was really delighted to wee Totona on his ship.


    No matter how you look at it, he was clearly trying to show his good side to Totona.


    Totona didn¡¯t disapprove of it but she didn¡¯t seem to understand either.


    I mean, he must¡¯ve seen Totona many times before when thetter visited Gypseal in the past.


    But then, what was Nel¡¯s impression about this situation?


    Even though they were engaged, she said nothing even after seeing Harsesh wooing another woman right before her very eyes.


    Or else, could it be that she was like a female lion, willing to share the male?


    Male lions are usually surrounded by several female lions.


    In addition, except for giving birth, the female lions usually work with each other, including breastfeeding.


    Could it be that sphinxes have the same tendencies?


    This reminds me of the fact that female sphinxes tend to want the same husband as their best friend.


    Nel was cuddling my side.


    Sometimes, a sphinx¡¯s skinship was quite intense.


    But then, there was nothing wrong with being hugged by an adorable cat. Rather, I weed it.


    ¡¸Yeah. Thanks, prince.¡¹


    And yet, Totona¡¯s reaction was subtle.


    She lowered her hat even further, wanting to escape from Harsesh¡¯s gaze.


    ¡¸Soon, you and Rena will stay by my side, forever.¡¹


    Harsesh suddenly smiled as he spoke.


    He had light brown skin. He had lion-like features on him with a pair of huge falcon wings on his back.


    But if I had to say, Harsesh¡¯s features were closer to that of a human, and since he was Ishtar¡¯s son, he was good looking too.


    I could say that he wasparable to Reiji and Alphos.


    ¡¸Enough with your joke, Prince Harsesh. Tell me about your countermeasure against this sandstorm.¡¹


    Totona ignored his rambling and asked with a cold, t voice instead.


    ¡¸No problem with that. That creepy hero will do something about this situation.¡¹


    ¡¸The Hero of Light?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. That b*stard seems to be itching to try his new power. ¡°Leave it to me¡± he said.¡¹


    Harsesh spoke without hiding the irritated look on his face.


    ¡¸I see¡­ The hero¡¯s new power.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah. But still, how about having afternoon tea with me, Totona?¡¹


    ¡¸Thank you for your kind invitation, Prince. Unfortunately though, I¡¯m curious about the hero¡¯s new power. He should be at the bow of the ship, I¡¯ll go meet him.¡¹


    Totona passed by without even waiting for Harsesh¡¯s reply.


    Though there was quite some distance between us and the bow of the ship, we arrived faster thanks to flight magic.


    ¡¸Wait, Totonyan!!¡¹


    Me, and Nel were following after Totona.


    ¡¸Wait, Totona!! You can¡¯t meet with that guy!! Absolutely not!! If you insist, I¡¯ll go with you too!!¡¹


    Harsesh was following Totona too.


    In the end, everyone went together.

 Chapter 126.2: Sandstorm

    <b>Chapter 126.2: Sandstorm</b>


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    I looked at the sandstorm with farsight magic.


    The earthen coloured smoke was whirling up to the sky.


    It was still far away but I couldn¡¯t help but gasp at its scale.


    ¡¸This is too big of a scale, Reiji-kun. Are you sure about this? I mean, you even bragged in front of prince Harsesh and the others.¡¹


    I called out to Reiji who stood on the bow of the ship, looking at the sandstorm.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Chiyuki. I won¡¯t say something that I can¡¯t do.¡¹


    Said Reiji with his back to us.


    But I knew that he had his usual daring smile on his face.


    ¡¸Well, I guess it means that we really can leave this matter to you. You¡¯re going to use the power of that high rank spirit right?¡¹


    ¡¸Exactly, Ishtar. I should be able to clear this sandstorm with their assistance.¡¹


    Ishtar wasughing delightfully upon hearing Reiji¡¯s reply.


    Honestly I was also curious about the power of the high rank spirit he got when I was asleep. I was also curious about the distance between the two, which seemed to be closer thanst night.


    Suddenly, I felt another presenceing toward us from inside the ship.


    It was Totona, Nel, Harsesh, and Medjed (Natural Enemy).


    ¡¸Yo, Totona. You¡¯reing too eh? Uhm?!!¡¹


    Reiji, smiling upon seeing Totona, showed a ratherplicated look on his face upon looking at Harsesh.


    Harsesh seemed to be in a bad mood.


    Maybe he actually didn¡¯t wish toe to this ce.


    All is well as long as it didn¡¯t turn into a quarrel though.


    ¡¸Oh my, how rare to see youe, Har-kun? Fufufu, you must be worried about Reiji. Good, it¡¯s really good. I¡¯m looking forward to yourpetition.¡¹


    Ishtar seemed to enjoy this situation.


    She was merciless even to her own son.


    Harsesh¡¯s mood seemed to be even moreplicated seeing his mother acting like that.


    ¡¸Humph!! I just want to see the situation of the sandstorm!!¡¹


    But Harsesh replied in a tsundere-like manner.


    ¡¸Calm down, prince. I¡¯ll project thetest situation with projection magic.¡¹


    Harsesh almost choked on his own words hearing Totona¡¯s remark.


    Totona took out a magic crystal and recited an aria.


    The image of yellow coloured smoke was raging inside the crystal.


    Yeah, the scale was huge after all.


    ¡¸Eh? Why can¡¯t I see the inside of the sandstorm?¡¹


    She pointed at the image in her crystal.


    There was a silhouette of something long and narrow inside the sandstorm.


    What the hell was that?


    ¡¸That might be a great sandworm. This sandstorm seems to be caused by it.¡¹


    ¡¸Great sandworm? That creature is the cause of this sandstorm? First time I see such a creature.¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed, ck Haired Sage. This is also the first time I see a great sandworm growing into this size.¡¹


    I had read about great sandworms before. They were giant insects who moved under the desert. Though not much was known about their ecology, even the smallest one could reach ten meters in length, I heard that the big ones could swallow a city.


    When they have a meal, they suck their prey along with the sand around them.


    When that happens, they would create a quicksand.


    That¡¯s why it wasmon knowledge in this region to get away as far as possible when the sand under your feet starts moving on its own, otherwise you would be dinner for the great sandworm.


    But, sandworms had another characteristic, namely the fact that they would spit the sand they swallowed once it reached a certain amount.


    When that happens, it would create a sandstorm.


    ¡¸A great sandworm of that ss will spew sand for three whole days. Hero of light, can you do something about it?¡¹


    Those remarks left another shock in me.


    Spewing sand for three days equaled three days of sandstorm.


    Totona was looking at Reiji.


    I couldn¡¯t read her expression since she was as expressionless as usual.


    ¡¸Yeah, leave it to me Totona. I¡¯ll try to do something about this situation.¡¹


    Reiji replied back with a ferocious smile on his face.


    ¡¸You better keep those words, Hero of Light!!! I¡¯m going to kill you if it turns out you¡¯re just all talk!!!¡¹


    ¡¸Wait a minute, prince Harsesh!!!¡¹


    I ended up raising my voice hearing Harsesh¡¯s remark.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Chiyuki!! Prince, this life of mine is yours if I fail to do something about this situation!!¡¹


    After saying that, Reiji looked into the direction of the ship.


    A whileter, I could see the massive cloud of dust even without the aid of magic.


    The cloud of dust became bigger and bigger as we came closer.


    At this rate, the sandstorm might swallow our ship.


    Everyone in this ce looked at Reiji.


    ¡¸O SHINING BEING! HEED MY CALL AND TAKE FLIGHT!! MASTER OF WING OF LIGHT, BENNU!!¡¹[TL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bennu]


    A huge, shining bird appeared above our ship following Reiji¡¯s cries.


    High-rank spirit of light, Bennu.


    And just as its name states, it was soaring above us while casting brilliant light, it was a sacred bird which was hailed as the Shining Being.


    ording to the legend, it was born while embracing the sun on the hill of the beginning.


    Sacred bird Bennu, who shone like a sun, pped its wings, creating a thin light membrane that protected our three ships.


    The unstoppable sandstorm assailed our ships.


    And yet, the light membrane protected our ships.


    Naturally, we also couldn¡¯t see anything around us due to the sandstorm.


    ¡¸BENNU!!¡¹


    Bennu pped its wings again upon hearing Reiji¡¯s words.


    The next moment, it conjured lightwaves that repelled the sandstorm.


    As the sandstorm vanished, the only thing that remained was a huge caterpir that looked like it was trying to scale heaven.


    That huge caterpir must be the one hailed as the great sandworm.


    Tons of sand spewed out from the tiny holes in its body..


    But that sand got blown away with every p of Bennu¡¯s wings.


    There were numerous moving tentacles around the area which looked like the mouth of the great sandworm.


    ¡¸Uwaa, that¡¯s gross!!¡¹


    I spouted my first impression almost spontaneously.


    That is just how revolting the figure of the great sandworm is.


    ¡¸SHINING WING OF RADIANT BLAZE! FIREEE!!¡¹


    Bennu pped its wings again to answer Reiji¡¯s cries.


    Bennu¡¯s wings shone even brighter than before.


    It covered our surroundings with brilliant light, even I could barely see the figure of the great sandworm.


    The great sandworm got swallowed by the wings of light, and then vanished without a trace.


    And once the light had vanished, the great sandworm¡¯s figure had already gone.


    ¡¸Thanks!! Bennu!!¡¹


    Bennu¡¯s figure vanished as Reiji said so.


    ¡¸YOU DID IT, REIJI!! YOU MASTERED THE WAY TO USE THE HIGH-RANK SPIRIT OF LIGHT!! AS EXPECTED OF THE MAN THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION!!¡¹


    Ishtar was really delighted.


    ¡¸IT¡¯S NOT YOUR POWER!! DON¡¯T FORGET THAT YOU ONLY MANAGED TO PULL SUCH A FEAT DUE TO BENNU¡¯S OVERWHELMING POWER!!¡¹


    Harsesh on the other hand seemed to be really annoyed by the result.


    Well he must feel really annoyed right now to see Reiji use the power of the high-rank spirit he failed to use.


    ¡¸What do you think of my power, Totona?¡¹


    Reiji asked that question to Totona,pletely ignoring Harsesh¡¯s presence.


    It was as if he expected something from her.


    ¡¸I see¡­ I¡¯ve seen your power, Rena¡¯s hero.¡¹


    I looked at Totona¡¯s expression as she spoke, and a question suddenly popped out in my mind.


    She normally never showed her expression that much.


    And yet, for some reason, I caught a glimpse of anxiety from her current expression.

 Chapter 127.1: Ruler of The Tomb

    <b>Chapter 127.1: Ruler of The Tomb</b>


    <b>¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki</b>


    Nabate Mountain was a rocky mountain located on the borders of Apophis and Gypseal. The rocky mountain wasn¡¯t very high and had several valleys that stretched from the eastern side to the western side.


    We would enter the Apophis territory once we crossed this mountain. The pyramid we were looking for was located right at the very end of Gypseal¡¯s border. The Serpent Queen, ruler of Apophis, had snatched it when it was still under construction. And this all happened because of a certain prince¡¯s idiotic impulses.


    The original people in charge of the construction progress were Harsesh and Isdes, with Harsesh being the person in charge of supervising the construction. ording to him, he had already put a wless defensive measure and yet, the enemy was able to bypass it.


    That¡¯s why it sounds like a tant poor excuse.


    Our flying ship descended on a huge valley of the rocky mountain.


    We wouldn¡¯t attack the pyramid right away. We pretty much knew that our enemy would be expecting our arrival, so a surprise attack would only make it easier for them to turn the tables against us.


    That¡¯s why we scrapped the surprise attack from our n.


    Since that was the case, the only way left for us was building a good strategy for our raid.


    We hid our flying ship and walked to the valley.


    ¡¸Is there a reason behind us descending into the valley? There seems to be nothing here.¡¹


    I asked the one thing that piqued my curiosity in our raid n.


    It seems both Ishtar and Reiji felt the same way as me.


    It was obvious once I saw their faces.


    By the way, I had no idea what was in Totona¡¯s mind since she was as expressionless as ever. Nelfriti didn¡¯t seem to be that interested in this matter, and Medjed¡¯s face was covered by a piece of cloth.


    ¡¸You¡¯re wrong in that regard, Chiyuki-dono. There is something in here.¡¹


    The one who replied was Isdes.


    ¡¸What¡¯s here then?¡¹


    ¡¸Humph!! You will naturally know once we arrive. Just follow us for now.¡¹


    Harsesh pouted as he replied to Reiji¡¯s question.


    Harsesh had been in a bad mood since a while ago.


    It seems he waspletely displeased by the fact that Reiji could summon the high rank spirit of light, Bennu.


    And then, after walking for a while.


    ¡¸UWAAA!¡¹


    My voice leaked out spontaneously.


    It happened a while after we walked into the valley. A structure made by carving the cliff vertically appeared before us.


    It was an extremely fine structure with a lot of ornaments.


    ¡¸This is Kazunel Pce. One of the locations the dwarves created as an anti-Apophis measure. Our operation will start from this ce.¡¹


    Isdes exined to us the structure.


    ¡°Hee~¡± That¡¯s what I thought when we were about to enter the pce.


    A lot of armed skeletons appeared from the ground. Skeletons could stay active in this ce since no sunlight entered the Pce.


    ¡¸What are these skeletons doing in this ce?¡¹


    Reiji unsheathed his sword as he spoke.


    ¡¸Hold on, these skeletons aren¡¯t enemies. O Nephthys!! Come out to greet us!!¡¹


    Right after Isdes shouted those words, people with bandages coiled around their bodies appeared from inside the building.


    Their figure looked like that of a human. But, they were not living creatures.


    They might be the undead¨Cmummies.


    The mummies went on their knees immediately with their hands crossed in front of their chest.


    It seems the skeleton were Isdes¡¯ subordinate too.


    I knew about mummies when I did some investigation about the pyramid.


    The mummies were the undead created by Isdes to act as the wardens of the pyramid.


    Their intelligence was about the same as vampires.


    One thing that distinguished them from vampires was the fact that they didn¡¯t need to suck blood like them.


    Since the pyramid was built in a rather dested ce, the mummies who had no need for supply were the best choice as wardens.


    Normally, they spent their time inside their casket, only waking up when they detected something unusual.


    Maybe because there were corpses called mummies inside the pyramid that people often mistook it as a tomb.


    And since the pyramid was made with gold, many tomb raiders were trying to steal it to get rich.


    Nevertheless, those invaders were put into eternal slumber by the mummies¡¯ greatest forte, the death curse.


    Even if some of them managed to escape due to their devil¡¯s luck, they had to wear a magic cloth for the rest of their lives even if they lived in a ce with sunlight.


    Reason being those survivors would be hunted down for the rest of their lives.


    ¡¸WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU, OUR GOD!!¡¹


    A hooded figure wearing the most gorgeous Nemes attire appeared from within the crowd of mummies.


    He¡¯s probably Nephthys.


    From his attire, it was fairly obvious that he was the mummy lord, a superior species of the mummies, maybe an existence that should be hailed as the tomb king.


    ¡¸Nephthys, how are preparations going?¡¹


    ¡¸Our God, we¡¯ve already put as many mummies as we can around the vicinity of the pyramid.¡¹


    The mummy lord, Nephthys, bowed as he replied to Isdes.


    Seeing that situation, I saw a strong bond between Isdes and Nephthys.


    Nephthys might be the creature that was created by Isdes.


    The God of War Isdes was the best swordsman in Gypseal. At the same time, he was an excellent necromancer. Strong warriors in Gypseal could gain immortality by bing mummies under Isdes.


    For that reason, Isdes was revered as the God who created mummies.


    In that regard, they¡¯re regarded as the valkyrie version of Gypseal.


    The majority of mummies were ex-humans who chose to be one for their own different reasons.


    Maybe it was simply because they faced some problems, or maybe they had some reservations, but non of the mummies were previously of the beast kin.


    ¡¸Well then great being. Please follow me.¡¹


    When Nephthys said so, the mummies stood up and split to the left and right, opening a path for their lord.


    Upon entering the Kazunel pce, we arrived in a vast hall.


    It seems the scale inside the pce was worlds apartpared with the entrance.


    ¡¸Nephthys, how¡¯s thetest situation inside the stolen pyramid?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes!! I shall show you the image.¡¹


    After Nephthys said so, the mummy sorcerer by his side recited a spell.


    The light from the dome-shaped ceiling projected an erged image.


    The screen reflected the image of a ck pyramid shrouded by ck fog.


    Since there were countless will-o-wisps flying around the ck pyramid beneath the night sky, it was possible even for someone without night vision ability to see the surroundings.


    Moreover, there were skeleton knights emitting a pale blue light, riding on ck horses around the pyramid.


    They were a superior race of undead called specter knights.


    These undead could use the mid-rank spirit of darkness, the nightmare horse, and were adept in both close range and long rangebat.


    I also saw other monsters such as wraith or ghosts.


    There were a lot of them.


    They might be on high alert.


    ¡¸How dare those bastard paint our prided pyramid ck!!¡¹


    Harsesh cursed annoyingly.


    So the pyramid¡¯s original color wasn¡¯t ck eh.


    On the other side of the pyramid, the crest of the evil eye, the symbol of the Serpent Queen Diadona, was painted in white.


    As if to tell the others that this pyramid was their property.


    ¡¸What¡¯s happening? The image seems to be disturbed?¡¹


    ¡¸My apologies, Our God. It seems the invocation of our magic got disturbed by a powerful wave of magical power.¡¹


    Nephthys was apologizing to Isdes.


    Maybe not even my magic could help stabilize the image.


    From the image, I felt a powerful wave of magical power from the pyramid.


    ¡¸Hey, don¡¯t you think that the size of the pyramid is bigger than usual?¡¹


    I voiced my impression after I saw the pyramid.


    Many pyramids that were built in Arnak and Gypseal were simply the copy of the golden pyramid made by God Heibos.


    Since the fundamental structure was the same, they should be pretty much simr to each other.


    And yet, the ck pyramid was obviously at least three times bigger than a normal pyramid.


    ¡¸You¡¯re right, ck Haired Sage. It seems they¡¯ve revised the n since they reeived full protection from Apophis. But then, the reason it got robbed from us is because thepletion got dyed.¡¹


    OH NO!!


    I almost retorted to Isdes¡¯ remark.


    ¡¸Those guys had never gone inside this far until now. We were very careless, and they used our carelessness to ambush us. The dwarves workers and Harsesh-sama retreated at once.¡¹


    Nephthys hung his head down.


    Nephthys might have been present during that time.


    Aren¡¯t they literally inviting Apophis of all people to raid the pyramid that has yet to be finished?


    They were too idiotic.


    For that very reason, there was an opening on the barrier surrounding Gypseal due to the existence of the ck pyramid.


    Both Harsesh and Isdes seemed to have gotten chewed up alive by Sekhmetra due to their blunder.

 Chapter 127.2: Ruler of The Tomb

    <b>Chapter 127.2: Ruler of The Tomb</b>


    ¡¸Idiot.¡¹


    Reiji voiced out the thought we all had but did not dare to speak.


    ¡¸YOU BASTARD!! HOW DARE YOU MOCK ME!!¡¹


    The prince with the short fuse got riled up.


    I really wish Reiji would be careful with his remarks since it could be a troublesome matterter on.


    Harsesh pointed his sword at Reiji. His was a one handed sword with a warped de, it was a generic sword in Gypseal called khopesh (Sickle sword).


    Its curved de had the might of an axe.


    ¡¸Calm down, prince. We should focus on retrieving the pyramid.¡¹


    Just as Harsesh was about to charge forward, Totona stopped him and entered in between the two of them.


    It was obvious that Harsesh wanted to show his good side to Totona.


    ¡¸You¡¯re right Totona¡­ Be thankful ¡°hero¡±, you were just saved by the skin of your neck.¡¹


    Harsesh returned his sword into its sheath.


    ¡¸Sure, feel free to interpret it in that way¡­¡¹


    Reiji seemed to be fed up with Harsesh too. He was definitely toozy to even mock Harsesh.


    ¡¸Isdes-dono, may I hear your n?¡¹


    Isdes nodded after hearing Totona¡¯s question.


    ¡¸Yes, Totona-dono. Our enemy outnumbers us, but they¡¯re mostly undead. They¡¯re weak to light magic. Reiji-dono, Harsesh-sama, I request that the both of you use light magic. In addition, since the mummies have resistance against light magic, they won¡¯t get annihted by Harsesh-sama and co¡¯s magic. That¡¯s why we¡¯re going to break-in from the front.¡¹


    So ording to Isdes¡¯ exnation, we were going to break-in from the front. But, it might be because there was no other choice.


    ¡¸What are we going to do about the captured people?¡¹


    When Totona asked this, Isdes tilted his head in puzzlement.


    ¡¸What do you mean, Totona-dono?¡¹


    ¡¸The culprits for therge scale disappearance case are most probably those Apophis folk. Some people might have fallen victim to them and been caught. Not to mention that some cat scouts are among them.¡¹


    We had also heard about the disappearance cases. The culprits might indeed be the Evil Gods of Apophis. Meaning that they might have hostages to use at their advantage.


    ¡¸We¡¯re going to abandon them. Our utmost priority is taking back the pyramid, or destroy it.¡¹


    Harsesh nodded hearing Isdes¡¯ remark.


    ¡¸Totona, those captives will only be a hindrance for us. We really have no other choice.¡¹


    Harsesh and Isdes¡¯ opinion was right.


    But, Totona didn¡¯t seem to ept that.


    ¡¸If possible, I want to save them.¡¹


    ¡¸But the problem is, we have no idea where they were taken as captives, or whether they¡¯re still alive or not.¡¹


    Totona shook her head hearing Isdes¡¯ remark.


    ¡¸It¡¯ll be alright. I can get in-depth information in my own way. Prepare the pyramid map for me.¡¹


    ¡¸Ha~h, I understand Totona-dono. Nephthys, bring me the interior map of the pyramid.¡¹


    ¡¸As you wish, Our God.¡¹


    After Nephthys nodded, one of his subordinates returned with a map.


    ¡¸Thanks.¡¹


    Totona took out a book after expressing her gratitude to Nephthys and co.


    It looked like a grimoire.


    ¡¸I summon thee O unique spirit. O book of wind and earth. Open.¡¹


    The grimoire started to float in the air.


    When the pages of the grimoire opened up in the air, the letters written inside of it started to shine.


    The shining letters flew out from the book and started to fly around Totona.


    ¡¸Tiny spirits who exist from nadir to the zenith of the world. Heed my call. Teach, teach, Ratatosk.¡¹


    Suddenly, a lot of tiny horned squirrels, casting a pale green green light, appeared to answer Totona¡¯s call.


    After those squirrels circled around Totona, they spread out immediately.


    The ones summoned by Totona were the tiny spirits, Ratatosk. They were hailed as the tellers of tales, known for their protruding teeth.


    They had no special attributes, yet, these tiny spirits could go into ces with the help of the spirit of wind and earth, and were expert at gathering information.


    They could infiltrate into barriers wlessly.


    However, those abilities came with restrictions. Namely the fact that the information retrieved by these spirits wasn¡¯t that urate. That¡¯s why the user had to master mind reading abilities.


    Even Rino had never summoned these spirits again since the information they gathered was way too inurate.


    On the other hand, they would be an extremely useful information provider if the user masters mind reading.


    ¡¸I understand. I will try to gather as much information as possible with these 42 ratatosk, but I think they might be imprisoned inside that pyramid.¡¹


    Totona pointed at the pyramid.


    ¡¸Hou, duamutef gate, eh. Those captives might be kept in there.¡¹


    Totona nodded.


    ¡¸Considering the fact that the information came from ratatosk, the information about their number might be a bit inurate.¡¹


    I almost raised my voice in awe since she did a really good job.


    I mean, she could actually gather so much information from the ratatosks.


    Though she did it with the aid of a grimoire, it was still amazing.


    ¡¸Good job, Totona-chan!! Now we only need to break into that pyramid and free those captives right?!!¡¹


    Reiji praised Totona.


    And yet, Totona¡¯s expression was as still as ever.


    I started to feel bad for Reiji since this might be the first time a woman treated him like this.


    ¡¸Not so fast, Reiji-dono. The matter of captives aside, we still have more pressing matters. ording to our information, the serpent queen might be waiting for us inside the pyramid. We have to do something about her.¡¹


    ¡¸That woman? No problem, leave her to me. Now let¡¯s go.¡¹


    Reiji spoke with an extremely confident tone.


    ¡¸WAIT A MINYUTEE!!¡¹


    Suddenly, Nel, who kept her silence until now, raised her voice for the first time.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Nel?¡¹


    ¡¸Totonyan. There¡¯s the smell of rats from that ce.¡¹


    The cats who came with Nel nodded at once.


    ¡¸What are you talking about, Nel? It¡¯s normal for rats to be there right?¡¹


    ¡¸Harsesh-sama is right, Young Lady. There¡¯s the smell of rats indeed, but this ce isn¡¯t Arnak, so it¡¯s possible for those rats to enter the pyramid.¡¹


    Both Harsesh and Isdes didn¡¯t seem to care about that fact.


    If my memory serves me right, the catsith and catfolk did have an innate ability called rat detector.


    That¡¯s why they were far keener when it came to ratspared to the other races.


    ¡¸No, wait a minute, that mummy over there, can youe forward?¡¹


    Reiji pointed at one particr mummy in the back.


    The mummy who got called by him came forward.


    ¡¸Tch!! We got found out, eh!! EVERYONE DO IT!¡¹


    The voice didn¡¯te from the mummy¡¯s mouth, it came from his abdomen.


    Suddenly, the mummy¡¯s abdomen burst apart, and a small shadow leapt out from within.


    ¡¸ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! A RATMAN?!?¡¹


    Yes, they were ratmen.


    And there were more of them.


    More ratmen came out from the belly of a few other mummies.


    ¡¸THOSE F*CKING CATS SAW THROUGH OUR DISGUISE!!¡¹


    Those ratmen closed in quickly toward the cats.


    ¡¸EVERYONE PREPARE FOR BATTLE!!¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸NYA~~~!!!¡¹¡¹¡¹


    All of the cats unsheathed their rapier at once.


    The ones who replied to Nel¡¯s call, the cats in boots, were the ones hailed as Nyanko Fencers (catsith swordsmen).


    Each of them was so adorable that I wanted to kidnap one of them and bring them with me back home for some fluffing.


    The Nyanko Fencers executed the ratmen in session with ease.


    As one would expect from the royal guards of the princess. We didn¡¯t have to make a move.


    ¡¸No way, they spied on us¡­¡¹


    Nephthys was the one who was shocked the most.


    The same goes for Isdes.


    ¡¸Maybe they have the ability to erase their presence till its utmost limit. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be able to infiltrate.¡¹


    Totona started her exnation.


    In fact, Isdes had already been aware about the existence of the rats inside this ce.


    But, he failed to notice that they were not normal rats.


    That made those rats even more troublesome.


    ¡¸Indeed, meaning that the information has probably leaked to our enemy. Now those guys will be waiting to ambush us.¡¹


    Reiji let out a daring smile as he spoke.


    Yeah, there was no point inunching a surprise attack anymore since they were already aware of our n.


    But then, we still had to take back the pyramid to save Shirone.


    And this was the risk I took for that.


    ===


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    THE NEW PROJECT:


    <strong>Journey of The Childhood Friend Who Got Betrayed by Sword Saint</strong>


    The Protagonist of Isekaied Story With Cheat And Harem Has No Idea That All Of The Heroines Has Already Been Stolen By Me~Urgh, My Stomach Is Killing Me~


    (~¡¯.¡¯)~You Can Read The Advance Chapter Bing My Patron~(¡®.¡¯~)

 Chapter 128.1: Shield of Cats

    <strong>Chapter 128.1: Shield of Cats</strong>


    <strong>¡ôNekomimi Medjed, Kuroki</strong>


    There was a huge ck cloud atop the ck pyramid, blocking the sunlight and creating eternal night.


    I¡ªin Medjed form¡ªapanied by Totona, cast my gaze down to look at the undead army below. This army had more than 40,000 troops, all lined up in the desert. I had no idea where those troops came from.


    I was curious¡­ Was it a stock they had or something, of dried up undead that they¡¯d just submerge in hot water to inte? I mean, almost all of the soldiers were mummies. If that was really the case, then I¡¯d really like to see it in real time.


    ¡­ Damn, now I have too much free time on my hands to think about such idiotic things.


    Let¡¯s reflect a little bit on that matter.


    The mummy soldiers were standing in line, armed with shields and spears.


    Their armament was really of poor quality.


    Weapons aside, none of those mummy soldiers wore armor on their body.


    They only wore clothes and helmets with a striped pattern.


    Well, the mummy king Nephthys did wear metal armor, but it looked more like a shy decoration rather than real armor.


    Maybe they felt no need to wear armor since mummies were the kind of undead that were strong against physical attacks.


    They could withstand a physical blow that would kill a normal living being.


    That might be the reason why they didn¡¯t wear any armor.


    ¡¸Something seems to be amiss here, don¡¯t you think so, Harsesh-sama? I can¡¯t see the figure of the Serpent Prince at all.¡¹


    Isdes, the God of War, spoke while looking at the enemy formation.


    The army of the enemy was standing in line in front of the ck pyramid.


    They were using an undead army too; not mummies though. Most of them were skeleton soldiers whose overall abilities were much weaker than mummies. Despite having the same number as us, they didn¡¯t have chariot units or a mummy infantry unit.


    Instead, their side had spectral knights, wraiths, or ghosts on which the mummies¡¯ physical attacks were ineffective.


    Though there was a light priest among the mummies¡ªthe kind of undead that could use light magic despite being undead¡ªwho could overpower wraiths and ghosts, they were hardly a match against spectral knights.


    But, our side had Reiji.


    He could easily obliterate any number of spectral knights.


    In short, our opponent¡¯s army wouldn¡¯t be a match against us without their serpent prince.


    But it didn¡¯t equal us having no problem.


    ¡¸That¡¯s simply because he happens to be absent right, Isdes? If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯ll be more convenient for us. Let¡¯s crush em!!¡¹


    The moment Harsesh said those words.


    Pale light appeared in the sky above the ck pyramid.


    The light above the ck pyramid then changed its form to a humanoid form.


    That person was a red-haired woman with abnormally white skin and¡­


    We had met a long time ago in the past.


    ¡¸That¡¯s the beloved daughter of the Death God!! The Goddess of gue and Decay, Zafrada!!¡¹


    Harsesh shouted.


    Yes, she was the Goddess of gue and decay, Zafrada.


    AKA the gue Goddess.


    Different from my world, the spread of diseases in this world involved some sort of ritual and magical power. That¡¯s why even if the name of a disease was the same as the one that I know, it was fundamentally a different kind of disease.


    In addition, the matter of a witch spreading diseases in this world wasn¡¯t a mere superstition, it was the truth.


    In fact, many gues ended once the witch who spread the said gue was killed. This kind of gue was created intentionally by someone¡¯s will, and Zafrada was the one who created ck death in this world.


    The diseases and gues that she unleashed into this world had killed many humans, the kin of the Elios¡¯ Gods.


    And the huge image of Zafrada was floating in the air.


    The Zafrada in the image then bowed elegantly.


    ¡¸Wee, O foolish beings of Gypseal. And my deepest gratitude for creating this pyramid for my dear fa-¡¹


    ¡¸LIGHT CANNON OF HEAVENLY MIGHT!!¡¹


    Reiji fired his strongest magic before Zafrada got the chance to finish her words. The light torrent fired toward the ck pyramid, sting the ck pyramid for a few seconds before vanishing.


    And yet, it couldn¡¯t even leave a crack on the surface of the ck pyramid. Maybe the ck pyramid¡¯s magic resistance was really high.


    ¡¸Wait right there Reiji-kun!!¡¹


    ¡¸What are you talking about, Chiyuki? No need to wait for her to finish her words, right?¡¹


    Chiyuki, who stood beside Reiji, snapped at him. Everyone in this ce was as shocked as her, myself included.


    ¡°As expected of Reiji-sanya~¡± That was what I felt this time around.


    ¡¸KUH!! IS THE HERO OF LIGHT BY ANY CHANCE SOMEONE INCAPABLE OF LISTENING TO OTHER PEOPLE?!!¡¹


    Zafrada, who received the attack before she finished her greeting, was equally surprised.


    ¡¸Oh whatever!! But can you still attack after you see this, I wonder?!! Come, my new kin!!¡¹


    After Zafrada uttered those words, many small creatures came out from the ck pyramid.


    ¡¸Are those ratmen?¡¹


    Just as Chiyuki had said, they were ratmen.


    But, these ratmen weren¡¯t too powerful. They wouldn¡¯t even be able to defeat the mummy army.


    However, my face twitched the moment those ratmen raised their shields¡ªmany creatures were tied up onto those ratmen¡¯s shields.


    ¡¸THOSE ARE THE CATS WHO WE SENT AS SCOUTS!!!¡¹


    Nel shouted in exasperation.


    The catsiths that were kidnapped were tied up onto the ratmen¡¯s shields.


    ¡¸Now stop where you are, Gypsealians. Or would you like to know what can happen to Princess Nelfriti¡¯s important cats? Think carefully, those cats whose vitality has been absorbed are too weak to even raise a finger right now. Thus we¡¯ve turned those useless cats into our shield.¡¹


    Zafrada¡¯s image wasughing maniacally.


    She even knew about Nel.


    It seems the information about us had been leaked from somewhere.


    ¡¸HUMPH!! DON¡¯T THINK THAT SOMETHING LIKE THAT CAN STOP US!! CHARGE!¡¹


    ¡¸STOP RIGHT THERE MEOW!!¡¹


    Nel hurriedly stopped Harsesh who was about to charge forward without a care in the world.


    ¡¸THE HELL YOU¡¯RE TALKING ABOUT, NEL! THOSE CATS WERE PREPARED FOR THIS OUTCOME TOO!! NO NEED TO HEAR THE DEMANDS OF THAT FILTHY GODDESS!!¡¹


    But, Harsesh paid no mind to Nel.


    ¡¸Wait right there, prince!! Are you going to abandon those cats?!!¡¹


    Reiji came forward to stop Harsesh too.


    The two were ring at each other.


    ¡¸Humph!! Do you think you can save them, then feel free to do so, hero of light!!¡¹


    ¡¸Dammit!! That¡¯s¡­¡¹


    Reiji was at a loss for words.


    It seems Reiji alsopletely had no idea about how to save the cats from this situation.


    ¡¸This makes it even more difficult for us to attack. But, why do I feel that they¡¯re trying to buy themselves some time?¡¹


    Chiyuki tilted her head in puzzlement.


    Surely, no matter how you look at it, they really did look like they were trying to stall us.


    It was even more obvious since she told us to not move from where we are.


    ¡¸YES!! IT JUST AS YOU SAY, BLACK HAIRED SAGE-DONO!! THEY MIGHT BE WAITING FOR THEIR REINFORCEMENT FROM THE LAND OF APOPHIS!! PRINCE, WE HAVE TO ATTACK THEM NOW!!¡¹


    Harsesh nodded hearing Isdes¡¯ remark.


    ¡¸There you go, Nel. Give it up, it¡¯s toote for them.¡¹


    ¡¸NONYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡¹


    Nel shouted as she unfolded her ws.


    Nel¡¯s ws were equal to her natural weapon, each one of them was as long as a dagger.


    At this rate, the party would split into two teams.


    ¡¸Hey Reiji, can you do something about this situation?¡¹


    ¡¸I¡¯ve been thinking about the best way to save them, Ishtar. Don¡¯t be too hasty, prince.¡¹


    ¡¸Humph!! Sure!! I¡¯ll be waiting for you!! There you go, Nel!! Now stop trying to shred me to pieces with your ws!!¡¹


    Harsesh agreed reluctantly as he tried to stop Nel from scratching his face with her ws.


    Man, our team sure is solid.


    Meanwhile, Zafrada¡¯s image wasughingcently seeing the discord in our team.


    ¡¸Medjed¡­¡¹


    Totona pulled my sleeve.


    Her eyes were begging me to do something about this situation.

 Chapter 128.2: Shield of Cats

    <strong>Chapter 128.2: Shield of Cats</strong>


    Well, I had naturally racked my brain toe up with another n. I had made a promise to the cats. So, the moment I came across the ratmen and knew they were with the enemy, I concocted a n.


    I touched the ring on my finger.


    This ring was paired with another ring worn by Kuna. It allowed us to detect each other¡¯s position, and also served as amunication tool.


    In short, it was kinda simr to a phone with GPS.


    I brought Totona to a rather secluded ce, away from Reiji and co. Just to be sure that they wouldn¡¯t hear our conversation.


    ¡¸Can you wait for a minute, Totona?¡¹


    That was what I told Totona after arriving at a secluded ce.


    ¡¸No, Kuroki. I really want to fulfill your request, but the current situation is a bit¡­¡¹


    Said Totona with a blushed face.


    EH?!! WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT, TOTONA-SAN?!!


    I retorted inside seeing her reaction.


    ¡¸Err¡­ I¡¯m not going to ask you to do some sexy stuff¡­¡¹


    And then, I started exining the details of my n to Totona.


    ¡¸I see, it¡¯s annoying to think that I have to rely on that girl¡¯s power, but we really have no other choice I guess.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. Now let¡¯s go back.¡¹


    When we got back, Nel and Harsesh were in the middle of a huge quarrel. It seems Reiji couldn¡¯t think of a solution either.


    ¡¸Stop right there, prince. I¡¯vee up with a good n.¡¹


    Everyone¡¯s line of sight instantly gathered on Totona.


    ¡¸TOTONYAN!!!¡¹


    ¡¸AS EXPECTED OF YOU, TOTONA-CHAN!!¡¹


    ¡¸OOH, AS EXPECTED OF THE WISE AND BEAUTIFUL TOTONA!!¡¹


    ¡¸Huff. As expected of Totona-chan. Her title as the Goddess of Knowledge isn¡¯t just for show.¡¹


    Nel, Ishtar, Harsesh, and Reiji sung praises to Totona.


    ¡¸It¡¯s still too soon to be optimistic but¡­ But well, I need your help in this n.¡¹


    Totona looked at the Nyanko fencers as she spoke.


    ¡¸We¡¯re willing to lend our hands to save ourpatriots.¡¹


    D¡¯Artagnyan, the leader of the Nyanko Fencers, who acts as Nel¡¯s bodyguard as well, gave his salute.


    ¡¸Thank you, D¡¯Artagnyan. Then pleasee closer, you too Medjed.¡¹


    I nodded in silence.


    I stepped forward a few seconds after D¡¯Artagnyan.


    Zafrada made a suspicious look on her face.


    ¡¸What are you trying to do?¡¹


    I kept dancing forward,pletely ignoring Zafrada.


    Looking at their figures doing strange dances from the side turned out to be really fun.


    Thus, I ended up enjoying the dance.


    Zafrada seemed to be unable to give any orders since the situation was too bizarre.


    After approaching the middle of the two forces.


    ¡¸What kind of madness is this!! Stop or I¡¯ll kill the hostages!!¡¹


    Zafrada snapped back when they arrived closer to the hostages.


    But, she was toote. The Nyanko fencers had already gained momentum.


    I secretly brought the ring on my finger to my lips.


    ¡¸I love you, Kuna. It¡¯s time to y the flute.¡¹


    I asked Kuna who had already been on stand-by on the other side of this ring.


    The flute maniptes ratmen.


    Kuna had gotten that flute when we had visited the Republic of Ariadya sometime ago. I had no idea how Kuna ended up getting that flute though. But, the very same flute became the key to break this deadlock.


    I contacted Kuna the moment I knew that we were going to fight the ratmen.


    And then, once I¡¯d say the keywords we agreed on beforehand, Kuna would y the flute.


    ¡¸Okay. I¡¯ll y the flute for my beloved Kuroki.¡¹


    I heard Kuna¡¯s delightful voice from the other side of the ring.


    That moment, the sound of the flute resounded from my ring.


    ¡¸O WIND!! SEND MY VOICE!!¡¹


    Totona cast a voice magnifying spell from behind me.


    The wind helped me spread the sound of the flute.


    The ratmen started dancing upon hearing the sound of that flute.


    ¡¸IMPOSSIBLE?!! HOW CAN THE SOUND OF MY LITTLE BROTHER¡¯S FLUTE COME FROM THERE?!!!¡¹


    Zaffrada couldn¡¯t surpress her shock.


    But, it was toote.


    The four Nyanko fencers hidden under Medjed¡¯s robe charged towards the ratmen.


    ¡¸NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹


    The Nyanko fencers drew their swords as they leapt in the air. The ratmen couldn¡¯t do anything due to the sound of the flute. Thus the Nyanko fencers sessfully saved the cats tied on the shield one after another.


    ¡¸NOW! CHARGEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!¡¹


    The mummy chariot squad led by Nephthys charged forward along with Harsesh¡¯s order. The chariot pulled by the undead horses ran past the skeletons, pulverizing the ones who stood before them.


    The specter knights fired beams from their eyes to prevent the Nyanko fencers from approaching.


    The birdfolk and dogfolk soldiers, along with Reiji and co, also joined the fray, sending their enemy flying one after another.


    ¡¸THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE!!¡¹


    Zaffrada¡¯s image vanished along with her scream.


    The rescued catsith hugged their peers. Having fulfilled my promise, I heaved a sigh of relief.


    ¡¸Thank you, Medjed. These children would have been sacrificed if not for your interference.¡¹


    Totona came and thanked me. Her usually expressionless face let out a rare smile.


    Her smile was dreamy, and so adorable.


    I felt like I could persevere in any situation just to see such a brilliant smile.


    ¡¸Thank you~ for saving themeow, onii~san!!¡¹


    Nel, who followed Totona from behind, hugged me and rubbed her face to mine.


    She was really happy.


    Though I was happy to receive their praise, honestly it felt like I did absolutely nothing, everything was just pure coincidence.


    We just happened to get our hands on a flute that could control ratmen, and it was also a mere coincidence that the ratmen were the ones who held the cat hostage.


    That¡¯s why I was really embarrassed when they gave me such sky-high praise.


    ¡¸As expected of Totona-chan. I don¡¯t know what would have happened if not for your brilliant n.¡¹


    Reiji and Chiyuki came to us.


    ¡¸Yeah, that was truly an amazing n. I never expected this n to work.¡¹


    ¡¸Fufu. As expected of Faeri¡¯s daughter.¡¹


    Chiyuki and Ishtar praised Totona too.


    It seems they were under the impression that it was Totona¡¯s n.


    ¡¸You¡¯re mi¡ª Eh, what¡¯s the matter Medjed?¡¹


    I tapped Totona¡¯s shoulder just as she was about to fix Reiji and co¡¯s misunderstanding.


    I shook my head, telling her that there was no need to tell them.


    Honestly it wasn¡¯t worth it.


    Since it was already as such, it might be better to let them regard this matter as Totona¡¯s achievement.


    ¡¸TOTONA! AS EXPECTED OF MY GODDESS OF KNOWLEDGE!! WE CRUSHED THEM THANKS TO YOUR PLAN!! NOW, LET ME HEAR ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR BRILLIANT PLANS!!¡¹


    Harsesh and Isdes came to us too after they crushed the army of the undead. They were under the impression that it was Totona¡¯s n too.


    ¡¸Prince, my n was nothing special. By the way, no one ising out from the pyramid¡­ We won¡¯t know if there¡¯s anyone in there unless we enter.¡¹


    Totona was right, aside from the ratmen, no one else came out from inside the pyramid.


    Since the remaining hostages were held inside the pyramid, we had no choice but to enter it.


    ¡¸I see, we have to enter huh. Isdes, let¡¯s go!!¡¹


    Harsesh ordered so but Isdes shook his head.


    ¡¸Please wait a minute!! It¡¯s dangerous!! Harsesh-sama, you have to stay in this ce! The same goes for Ishtar-sama and Nel-sama too!!¡¹


    Ishtar and Nel pouted hearing Isdes¡¯ remark.


    But, Isdes decided to ignore them.


    ¡¸Well then, may I leave this matter to you guys?¡¹


    Isdes then looked at Reiji and Totona.


    ¡¸No problem. I gave my promise to the Queen of Lions.¡¹


    ¡¸I understand, Isdes-dono. I¡¯ll fulfill my promise.¡¹


    Reiji and Totona nodded together.


    ¡¸Wait!! Isdes!! It¡¯s dangerous!! Totona should remain here!!¡¹


    ¡¸Right meow!! It¡¯s too dangerous for you, Totonyan!!¡¹


    Both Harsesh and Nel tried to prevent Totona from going into the pyramid.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Nel. I have a powerful friending with me.¡¹


    Totona caressed Nel¡¯s cheek to reassure her.


    ¡¸That¡¯s right, prince. Just wait here like a good child and leave Totona-chan to me.¡¹


    Reiji puffed his chest, thinking that Totona was talking about him.


    Harsesh looked really annoyed by Reiji¡¯s attitude.


    My gaze met with Totona¡¯s.


    And for some reason, I saw a tinge of pink on her cheeks.


    ===


    <strong>(~¡¯.¡¯)~Advance Chapter Avable in Fox18 too!~(¡®.¡¯~)</strong>


    ===


    THE NEW PROJECT:


    <strong>Journey of The Childhood Friend Who Got Betrayed by Sword Saint</strong>


    The Protagonist of Isekaied Story With Cheat And Harem Has No Idea That All Of The Heroines Has Already Been Stolen By Me~Urgh, My Stomach Is Killing Me~


    (~¡¯.¡¯)~You Can Read The Advance Chapter Bing My Patron~(¡®.¡¯~)

 Chapter 129.1: Battle In The Pyramid

    <strong>Chapter 129.1: Battle In The Pyramid</strong>


    <strong>¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki</strong>


    The ck sand danced in the dark, cloudy sky. Maybe the reason the sky was so dark was the ck sand itself.


    There was a crest of the evil eye painted in white on one side of the ck pyramid, it felt as if that eye was looking down on us.


    The vanguards of the mummy soldiers had already broken through as we entered the pyramid. The team included Reiji, myself, Medjed, Totona, and a few other mummy soldiers.


    We were heading straight toward the center of the pyramid, its heart as it was only possible to control the pyramid from there. Moreover, removing the keystone in the heart room would render the pyramid powerless.


    Once that happens, it would be possible to destroy the pyramid with magic. That¡¯s why whether it was to destroy or take it back, we had to enter the heart room.


    ¡¸Good luck, Reiji. I¡¯m waiting for good news. Be careful, Chiyuki.¡¹


    Ishtar added as she smiled sweetly at Reiji and me.


    And by the way, Isdes was able to force Ishtar and Nel to stay back and wait. As expected, he wouldn¡¯t allow important people to enter the dangerous pyramid, especially the Goddess, Princess, and Prince of Gypseal.


    ¡¸Be careful, Medjed, Totonyan.¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸Nyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!¡¹¡¹¡¹


    Both Totona and Medjed were being sent off by princess Nel and the cats. The cats were swinging their tails so adorably.


    I also wanted to be sent off by the cats.


    ¡¸Thank you Nel. We¡¯ll make sure to return safe and sound. Let¡¯s go, Hero of Light.¡¹


    Totona urged Reiji, thus we entered the pyramid. Once inside, we found ourselves in a dark corridor.


    ¡¸O light!!¡¹


    I summoned several light spheres. They floated around us, illuminating our surroundings.


    The corridor was built wide, thus we didn¡¯t feel trapped at all. Walking in front were three mummies, followed by Reiji, myself, Totona, and then Medjed.


    As Medjed walked behind me, I felt the area around my butt bing itchy. When I looked over from my shoulder, Nekomimi Medjed cocked his head.


    Not good.


    Let¡¯s ignore that for now.


    Now wasn¡¯t the time to worry about that.


    I walked forward while trying my best to ignore Medjed.


    Upon entering the passage, we saw a mountain of wrecked skeletons. They were probably skeletons who were defeated by our vanguard mummies.


    The deeper I went into the pyramid, the more I felt an unpleasant presence.


    ¡¸What is this I wonder? It feels as if something is waiting for us?¡¹


    ¡¸You felt it too, Chiyuki. This presence is the same as the one we encountered in Rox Kingdom.¡¹


    Reiji, who was walking in front of me, replied to my muttering.


    Now that he mentioned it, it did feel the same as back then.


    ¡¸Could it possibly be that masked evil God again? Then he¡¯s a dangerous foe. That ck cloud might being from him too.¡¹


    I recalled the incident in Rox Kingdom.


    That time was really dangerous.


    ¡¸Yeah, that guy might appear. But, we also have a way to cope with the ck cloud.¡¹


    I nodded hearing Reiji¡¯s remark.


    Now we wouldn¡¯t have a problem even if we touched the evil God Zarxis¡¯ ck cloud.


    As long as we deployed a barrier or created a wall of mana, we wouldn¡¯t lose our powers.


    In short, we had to kill him on sight.


    ¡¸Yeah, us currently won¡¯t have any problems fighting against the evil God Zarxis.¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed, Chiyuki.¡¹


    Both Reiji and Iughed together.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t let your guard down, Hero of Light. Zarxis might have lost his powers after getting defeated by the Demon King, but he¡¯s still one of the three great Evil Gods. We have no idea what he¡¯s trying to do.¡¹


    Totona, who heard our conversation, gave us a warning.


    ¡¸Three great Evil Gods? I¡¯ve never heard about them.¡¹


    ¡¸Do you really have no idea about this, ck haired sage? They were once the Gods who tried to destroy us along with the Demon King. I heard that many gods died due to Zarxis¡¯ power.¡¹


    Totona exined with a rather enigmatic look on her face.


    Did that mean that we were supposed to know about this matter?


    ¡¸Is that true, Totona-chan? Since you say three, does that mean there are still two others?¡¹


    Totona nodded at Reiji.


    ¡¸The other two are the Serpent Queen Diadona and the Wicked Beast Ferios. Don¡¯t you know about them?¡¹


    I shook my head as I walked.


    Speaking of Gods, until recently I only knew about the Gods of Elios.


    That¡¯s why I was really surprised when I heard about the Gods of Gypseal.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve heard about the Serpent Queen, but this is the first time I¡¯m hearing about the Wicked Beast. And from what you said just now, that Zarxis seems to be in a hostile rtionship with the Demon King, right?¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed. The Demon King Modes broke his rtionship with the Great Evil Gods Trio.¡¹


    Just as I had expected. I had been researching Zarxis after the incident in Rox Kingdom, but there weren¡¯t any details to find.


    Why did they have a falling out?


    ¡¸Internal discord, huh, so they really arerades of the Demon King. Chiyuki, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need to mull over this matter.¡¹


    Said Reiji as he looked at me, who was pondering about the matter.


    Surely, Reiji was right.


    Just looking at the atrocious appearance of the Demon King was enough to convince me that they wererades.


    Moreover, even the Demon King¡¯srades hated him. It wasn¡¯t strange for internal discord to ur.


    ¡¸Surely¡­ That Demon King seems like a lewd one. He seems like someone who¡¯d prioritize his lust over hisrades. Right?¡¹


    I looked at Totona, asking for her opinion.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ I can¡¯t deny that¡­¡¹


    And yet, Totona seemed to be troubled despite agreeing with me.


    Why though?


    Well, let¡¯s keep that question forter, we have more urgent matters right now.


    We kept walking ahead.


    The mummies who walked ahead of us suddenly stood still in their ce.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter? Did you find a trap ahead?¡¹


    Reiji asked suspiciously, seeing the mummies suddenly stopped.


    ¡¸No, hero-sama. We have been advancing forward while letting ourrades disarm the traps. But, we¡¯re about to enter Duamutef. Ourrades won¡¯t be able to pass from this point, so please be very careful.¡¹


    The mummy soldier who led us said so.


    Originally, this pyramid was something that was made by Gypseal. Some of the mummies were familiar with the traps inside. But, the passage from here to Duamutef¡¯s room was different from the route to the heart room, our destination.


    Since the mummies ahead of us were heading to the heart room, they couldn¡¯t pass the road ahead of them.


    For that reason, it seems there was some trap left.


    The hostage was kept in the Duamutef¡¯s room.


    If our priority was taking back the pyramid, we had to ignore them.


    But, in case we had to destroy the pyramid, we had to save them beforehand.


    Thus we went into the Duamutef¡¯s room.


    We arrived without a hitch since the trap had already been cleared.


    ¡¸Eh?!! What is this?!!¡¹


    I was really surprised upon seeing the inside of Duamutef¡¯s room. People of various tribes were locked in jails. Humans, sphinxes, ogres, centaurs, and beastmen of various tribes were locked in the room. There was an eerily glowing magic circle on the floor of the room.


    The glowing magic circle was connected to various pulsing chains which seemingly tortured the captives.


    The captives¡¯ bodies visibly became thinner and thinner.


    Some had already melted till there was no original form left from them, not even their tribe could be distinguished.


    ¡¸It absorbs life¡­¡¹


    Totona¡¯s face paled as she spoke.


    Even I had no idea what kind of thing would happen to those captive.


    But one thing was clear, their life force was being drained by the pyramid.


    ¡¸Mercy, My Queen¡­ We won¡¯t fail next time¡­ Mercyyy¡­¡¹


    Their pleas sounded really miserable. I couldn¡¯t hide my shock the moment I saw the owner of the voice. It was the gorgon who was about to capture us.


    They might be the people who ambushed us.


    The gorgon¡¯s body had withered and seemed to have lost its evil eye.


    ¡¸Impossible!! What are they doing to their ownrades?!!¡¹

 Chapter 129.2: Battle In The Pyramid

    <strong>Chapter 129.2: Battle In The Pyramid</strong>


    Reiji raised a cry.


    The gorgons were the Serpent Queen¡¯s kin. In short, our enemy¡¯srades. Yet those very same gorgons had been captured and were now getting their life force sucked dry.


    Upon a closer look, there weremias among them too.


    It seems those who failed to aplish their mission became this pyramid¡¯s source of power.


    ¡¸Let¡¯s save them, Reiji-kun!!¡¹


    ¡¸Naturally!!¡¹


    Of course, Reiji was kind to women.


    Reiji drew his sword and shed only at the chains to release the captives.


    ¡¸Hurry up!! Take the other survivors and get out of this ce!!¡¹


    Reiji entered the room and carried the survivingmias, gorgons, and sphinxes out of the room in a hurry.


    ¡°Why are you only saving the women!! ¡± Was what I thought, but let¡¯s save that forter.


    Totona, Medjed, the mummies, and I entered the room and saved the other captives too. Though I felt my life force getting sucked out of me, it wasn¡¯t a big deal since it only happened for a short period.


    We carried out the ones who were on the verge of death first.


    ¡¸It seems they¡¯re the only survivors¡­¡¹


    Most of the captives had already died.


    Only a few of them managed to survive this long.


    ¡¸What shall we do about these people, sage-dono?¡¹


    One of the mummies asked for my opinion.


    We couldn¡¯t take the captured people with us.


    And we couldn¡¯t leave them in this ce either.


    Their weakened and weathered bodies needed some relief.


    ¡¸Call some reinforcements and bring them outside to a safe ce. We will continue on our own. Is that okay with you, Reiji-kun?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, no problem.¡¹


    We parted with the mummies here.


    From here on, it was just Reiji and me along with Totona and Medjed, just the four of us.


    We returned to the main road and continued to the heart room.


    ¡¸The Hapy room is right before us. We have to pass that room to go to the heart room.¡¹


    Totona started her exnation.


    And just as Totona had said, we arrived in a spacious room a whileter.


    ¡¸You¡¯ve finally arrived, Hero. I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡¹


    Someone called out to Reiji, it turned out someone had already been waiting for us in the Hapy room.


    It was a red-haired man who wielded a long spear.


    ¡¸Serpent Prince Dahark!!¡¹


    I unintentionally called out to him.


    Standing right by his side was the Goddess of gue and Decay, Zafrada. And, lined up behind her was a collection of good-looking men.


    Just from their atmosphere, I guessed they weren¡¯t human.


    They might be vampires.


    Under their feet were the wreckage of mummies.


    Some of those mummies had already melted.


    It seems they had already killed all the mummies who went ahead of us.


    It¡¯s not like the mummies were weak, Dahark was just simply beyond their league.


    ¡¸It¡¯s a duel, Hero of Light!! Zafrada, make sure that those women behind him don¡¯t disturb our duel!!¡¹


    ¡¸Okay, Zar-kun.¡¹


    Dahark pointed his spear at Reiji followed by Zafrada revealing a charming smile at us.


    ¡¸Sure, I shall turn the tables against you.¡¹


    Reiji readied the two swords in his hands.


    Both Reiji and Dahark walked slowly to the center of the room.


    ¡¸Humph!! Our previous battle got interrupted by an unexpected visitor, but we can fight as much as we want in this room!! You shall be the nourishment of my Poisonous Spear, Pisar!!¡¹


    Dahark lunged his spear as he spoke.


    Fast!!


    My eyes couldn¡¯t follow his speed.


    And yet, Reiji seemed to be able to follow that speed.


    He twisted his body to dodge the spear. Yet, the spear tip still grazed his shoulder armor.


    ¡¸What?!!¡¹


    Reiji couldn¡¯t hide his shock.


    ck smoke started rising from the spear tip that grazed Reiji.


    His armor started melting.


    ¡¸The de of this Poisonous Spear, Pisar, can rot anything with a simple touch!! Not even adamant can be spared from Pisar¡¯s power!!¡¹


    Dahark lunged his spear as he spoke.


    Reiji blocked the spear with the sword in his right hand.


    The sword in Reiji¡¯s right hand, iomh Sis, was made from adamant, but the new sword in his left hand was made from orichalcum. Meaning that the sword in his left hand couldn¡¯t be used to block Pisar.


    Reiji would have a hard time disying his forte in this kind of situation.


    Nevertheless, Reiji still blocked the blow with one of his swords.


    ¡¸We have to do something to assist him.¡¹


    I looked at their battle while wondering how to interrupt it.


    ¡¸Indeed. But that woman won¡¯t let us do that.¡¹


    Totona was looking at Zafrada.


    Zafrada was locked onto us without letting her guard down. Once we make our move, she will make her move too.


    I noticed that there was a sweet aroma wafting in the air from a while ago.


    Upon a closer look, I saw a lot of ck rose petals suspended in the air.


    The aroma came from the petals.


    The smell of this flower might contain poison.


    Just in case, we already prepared antidotes before entering the pyramid. But it doesn¡¯t mean that we were absolutely safe either.


    ¡¸You ain¡¯t bad! Now I¡¯m all fired up!! Take this, Yacross!!¡¹


    Dahark plucked a few of his hairs and threw them at Reiji.


    Each of his hairs transformed into winged snakes in the air. The head of those snakes resembled that of speartips. Yes, it was as if those snakes were snake spears.


    The Yacrosses attacked Reiji from midair.


    As expected, many spears in addition to Dahark¡¯s spear slowly cornered Reiji.


    I had to do something.


    Thus, I leapt forward.


    But, Medjed stepped in front of me, blocking my path with his hand.


    Medjed shook his head as he looked at me.


    It was as if he told me that it was still okay.


    ¡¸Bow to all the beasts!! Come from the me of the sun!! Holy dog of light, Failinis!!¡¹


    Reiji summoned a mid-rank spirit of light while dodging the onught of Yacrosses and Dahark.


    And then, a glowing dog appeared from Reiji¡¯s body.


    The spirit that he summoned, the Holy Dog of Light, Failinis, knocked down the Yacrosses in a sh.


    Now Reiji could focus on Dahark¡¯s attack.


    ¡¸You¡¯re the best, Hero of Light!! How about this! Snakehead of Musmahhu!!¡¹


    The moment he screamed snakeheads grew from his shoulders.


    Then the snake heads attacked Reiji along with his spear.


    ¡¸Woah!! What a nice sleight of hand you got there, Serpent Prince!!¡¹


    Reiji wasughing upon seeing his opponent¡¯s trick.


    I¡¯ve been wondering since a while ago but he might have a few screws loose in his head.


    That was the side that I never saw despite having been with him for a long time.


    It was as if he didn¡¯t like to lose at all.


    Wait, could it be that Medjed had realized that Reiji was this kind of person all along?


    That might be the reason behind him stopping me.


    Thus, the fight between Reiji and Dahark continued on.


    The match reached a stalemate, and it looked like it would stay that way for a while.


    ¡¸Here Ie!! Sundering sh!!¡¹


    Reiji used the momentary gap to swing his sword at the speed of light.


    ¡¸IMPOSSIBLE!!¡¹


    iomh Sis and the orichalcum sword shed Dahark¡¯s body.


    Those shes sent Dahark¡¯s body tumbling backward.


    He won the fight.


    Now, there was only Zafrada left.


    ¡¸The Serpent Prince has already died. Are you still going to fight us?¡¹


    Reiji pointed his sword at Zafrada as he spoke with a triumphant face.


    ¡¸You really are stronger than Daha-kun. But, do you really think that you have already won against him?¡¹


    ¡¸What the?¡¹


    Reiji tilted his head for a moment upon hearing Zafrada¡¯s remark.


    ¡¸You let your guard down, Hero of Light! Ouroboros Regeneration!!¡¹


    Dahark¡¯s body rose along with her cries. Something unbelievable then happened, the shing wound on Dahark¡¯s body was restored immediately.


    Dahark brandished his spear again.


    Reiji, who was looking at Zafrada, hadpletely let his guard down.


    ¡¸DIE, HERO OF LI¡ª¡¹


    But, Dahark¡¯s spear failed to reach Reiji.


    It was because he was blown away by some force.


    Dahark who got blown away to the wall groaned.


    Now it was Zaffrada¡¯s turn to show a disbelieving look on her face.


    When I looked at Reiji, Medjed had already stood beside him.


    It seems he had closed in the moment Dahark was about to backstab Reiji, and sent the former flying with his kick.


    ¡¸WHO IN THE HELL IS THIS STRANGE CREATURE?!!¡¹


    Dahark stood up using his spear and then rushed at Medjed.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t forget about me, Serpent Prince!!¡¹


    This time, Reiji attacked Dahark from the side.


    Reiji¡¯s iomh Ais cut Dahark¡¯s body.


    Dahark fell again.


    Reiji didn¡¯t go after him.


    He might be raising his vignce against Dahark¡¯s recovery.


    ¡¸DAMMIT ALL!!¡¹


    Dahark groaned while vomiting blood.


    It seems he couldn¡¯t recover like before.


    Maybe he couldn¡¯t use that ability multiple times.


    ¡¸Daha-kun! Evil Blood Mist!!¡¹


    Red blood-like mist then burst forth from Zafrada¡¯s body.


    Seeing that mist, both Reiji and Medjed retreated.


    The red mist covered Dahark and when the mist had vanished, his figure had vanished from that ce.


    Naturally, Zafrada¡¯s figure had also vanished.


    ¡¸Too bad, we failed to kill him.¡¹


    Reiji looked at Medjed as he spoke.


    It was as if he was looking at his opponent.


    ¡¸Totona-chan, who in the world is this guy?¡¹


    Yup, I¡¯m also curious about his identity.


    Medjed¡¯s movements from a while ago were by no means normal.


    Though I wanted to thank him for saving Reiji, I was also curious about his identity.


    ¡¸No, I can¡¯t tell you about his identity. We should continue. The heart room is right before us.¡¹


    Totona refused to tell us and looked at the room ahead of us instead.


    It seems she was unwilling to reveal Medjed¡¯s identity to us.


    Seeing Totona¡¯s refusal, Reiji didn¡¯t press her again.


    And despite my worries, I had no choice but to continue walking forward.


    Thus, I looked at the passage leading up to the heart room.


    ===


    <strong>(~¡¯.¡¯)~Advance Chapter Avable in Fox18 too!~(¡®.¡¯~)</strong>


    ===


    THE NEW PROJECT:


    <strong>Journey of The Childhood Friend Who Got Betrayed by Sword Saint</strong>


    The Protagonist of Isekaied Story With Cheat And Harem Has No Idea That All Of The Heroines Has Already Been Stolen By Me~Urgh, My Stomach Is Killing Me~


    (~¡¯.¡¯)~You Can Read The Advance Chapter Bing My Patron~(¡®.¡¯~)

 Chapter 130.1: Resurrection of The Reaper

    <strong>Chapter 130.1: Resurrection of The Reaper</strong>


    <strong>¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki</strong>


    Upon leaving the Hapy room, we were looking right at the heart room.


    ¡¸What in the world is this?!! An unbelievable amount of mana is flowing in?!!¡¹


    I was surprised.


    When I climbed the stairs toward the heart room, I felt the stream of powerful mana.


    ¡¸Agreed, Chiyuki. That¡¯s some powerful mana¡­ Our enemy seems to be doing something behind this door, right Totona-chan? Do you happen to know what¡¯s our enemy doing in this room?¡¹


    Totona shook her head upon hearing Reiji¡¯s question.


    ¡¸I don¡¯t know. s, I got a bad feeling about it.¡¹


    Said Totona as she grabbed Medjed¡¯s clothes.


    Totona seems to be anxious about whatever that happening in the room before us.


    ¡¸Ergo, we have to go in.¡¹


    Thus, we entered the room.


    After going up a little bit, we finally arrived at a small room around twice as big as the Hapy room.


    This might be the heart room.


    There were several people gathered in the center of this room.


    ¡¸Serpent Prince. And who stood in the center is?¡¹


    As if it was natural, the Serpent Prince and co whom we met in the Hapy room also in this room.


    Moreover, I saw a few more people I never met before.


    s, the one person I¡¯m most worrying about was the man in priest garb sitting cross-legged in the center of them.


    His face was covered with a mask that resembled a spider.


    I¡¯ve met him before in the basement of the Rox kingdom. He also appeared in the sky above thebyrinth along with the Serpent Queen.


    ¡¸Yeah, Reiji-kun. The man wearing a mask is the Reaper, Zarxis.¡¹


    I red at the Reaper.


    ¡¸Humph. Took you long enough, Hero party. s, you¡¯re a bit toote. The resurrection of my flesh has beenpleted.¡¹


    Said Zarxis with augh.


    ¡¸Resurrection of the flesh? Is that the reason why you sacrificed all those people you kidnapped?¡¹


    Zarxis nodded to answer Totona¡¯s question.


    ¡¸Correct. Descendant of that abominable Mina. The pyramid we took from that stupid prince is truly useful. It actually can amplify the life force of the sacrifice to this extent. s, it seems to be useless now since we worked it out beyond its capacity.¡¹


    Said Zarxis while looking in a certain direction.


    In the direction he looking at was something like a sarcophagus.


    That glowing sarcophagus sent power to the magic circle where Zarxis sitting.


    s, there were some cracks along the surface of that sarcophagus.


    Maybe that¡¯s where we¡¯re supposed to insert the keystone.


    ¡¸So that means this pyramid is already useless for you¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Exactly. Hero¡¯s woman.¡¹


    Said Zarxis as he stood up and took off his spider mask.


    I was at a loss for words upon seeing the face behind that mask.


    The left half of his face was the face of a handsome man, while the right half of his face was that of an ugly monster.


    The left half of his face was only handsome, which was less conspicuous than the ugly right half.


    ¡¸I see¡­ Sorry for saying this but, that resurrected body of yours will be destroyed again. Better not running with your tail between your leg.¡¹


    Reiji pointing his iomh Sis at Zarxis.


    ¡¸Rest assured, Hero of Light. I won¡¯t escape. Rather, aren¡¯t you guys the ones who should be thinking about how to escape from me? Now, behold!!¡¹


    An image appeared along with Zarxis¡¯ shout.


    The image showed us the situation outside of the pyramid.


    ¡¸SERPENT QUEEN ARMY!! AND SO MANY OF THEM!!¡¹


    I screamed upon seeing the situation reflected in the image.


    Numerous grotesque people led by the Serpent Queen were facing off against Harsesh and Co.


    ¡¸That Diadona!! Quite fast eh!! Now it¡¯s your turn to think about how to escape!!¡¹


    Said Zarxis with augh.


    We were in a pinch.


    Cold sweats running on my back.


    ¡¸Well then! Now this pyramid has fulfilled its¡¯ role! Veig, destroy this pyramid! Now it¡¯s time for you folk to escape!¡¹


    After Zarxis let out a shout, a huge man d in armor came out.


    Ha had red eyes and a canine peeking out from his mouth.


    A vampire, no doubt about it.


    That vampire then destroyed the sarcophagus.


    Zarxis and co¡¯s figure vanished along with the destruction of the sarcophagus.


    ¡¸The magical power is running out of control?!! The pyramid is going to be destroyed!!¡¹


    Totona warned us.


    ¡¸Reiji-kun!!!¡¹


    ¡¸I know Chiyuki!!¡¹


    Reiji fired a light cannon and opened a hole in the wall of the pyramid.


    We didn¡¯t waste any time to jump outside.


    It took only a moment for us whoe out from the pyramid.


    At that moment, the pyramid exploded with a loud explosion.


    ¡¸REIJI!!¡¹


    ¡¸TOTONAN!! MEDJED!!!¡¹


    Ishtar and Nel ran to us the moment wended on the ground of the Gypseal¡¯s camp.


    ¡¸Reiji is safe and sound. That¡¯s a relief.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah Ishtar. But, we have yet to out of the hot water.¡¹


    Reiji spoke while looking at the Serpent Queen.


    There were a lot of them.


    All of them might be an evil god. Labrys and Giltar were also among them.


    Our side on the other hand had only mummies.


    Not to mention that the power of Serpent Queen Diadona and the Reaper Zarxis who regained his power was still a mystery.


    On the other hand, there was also Labrys who was a literal incarnation of violence, and Giltar who could suppress both Shirone and Nao.


    Those two evil gods alone were enough to suppress our group.


    ¡¸Ishtar-sama, it seems they use magic that disturbs teleportation. We cannot escape with magic.¡¹


    Pistis suddenly appeared with such a report.


    This monkey god always appeared out of nowhere.


    ¡¸Yes Pistis. Escaping is difficult. Do you have any ns, Har-kun?¡¹


    Ishtar turned around and then asked her son.


    ¡¸We must not escape, Mother!! We cannot escape with tail between our leg in front of them!!¡¹


    Harsesh had spoken those un-Harsesh-like remarks.


    It seems he has some bones.


    But, the situation was a bit bad.


    Since the pyramid had been destroyed, the first thing he should do in this unfavorable situation was to retreat.


    ¡¸Harsesh-sama!! We have to escape from this ce!! This situation is too dangerous for us!!¡¹


    I agree with Isdes¡¯ idea.


    ¡¸The heck you are talking about, Isdes!? Those guys won¡¯t let us to escape that easily!!¡¹


    Said Harsesh as he red at Diadona and co.


    ¡¸Listen to me, Harsesh!! Just give us Ishtar and Totona! Do that and we will let you go!!¡¹


    Diadona called out to Harsesh.


    Diadona was the enemy of Elios¡¯ gods s, she seems to be unwilling to make an enemy of Gypseal.


    Thus, she only asks Harsesh to give two of Elios¡¯ gods to them.


    ¡¸Like hell I will give my mother to you!!¡¹


    And just as expected, Harsesh refused to betray his mother.


    Even though he could abandon the cats, he wasn¡¯t so heartless to the point of abandoning his mother.


    ¡¸I see!! Then I have to send your head as a gift for Sekhmetra!! Gentlemen of Apophis! Kill those Gypseal guys too!!¡¹


    The moment Diadona said so, the evil gods looked at us.


    ¡¸REIJI!!¡¹


    Ishtar then looked at Reiji.


    ¡¸Leave it to me, Ishtar! I shall protect Elios¡¯ gods!! Come forth, Bennu!!¡¹

 Chapter 130.2: Resurrection of The Reaper

    <strong>Chapter 130.2: Resurrection of The Reaper</strong>


    TL: Henshin!


    Reiji readied his sword in his hands and summoned the high-rank spirit of light.


    A shining bird appeared like a sun from within the sky that was covered by dark clouds.


    ¡¸Shining Wing of Radiant ze!!¡¹


    Bennu pped its wings the moment Reiji said so.


    Its wings of light grew bigger and rained down upon the Evil Gods.


    The scream of the Evil Gods could be heard from here.


    Even if this move couldn¡¯t defeat them like it did on the great sandworm, it could stun them.


    ¡¸AND NOW FOR THE COUP DE GRACE!!¡¹


    Reiji¡¯s body shot forward to the Evil Gods who got stunned by Bennu¡¯s attack.


    He brandished both his swords to the Evil Gods.


    ¡¸IMPOSSIBLE!!¡¹


    ¡¸SUCH POWER!!¡¹


    ¡¸LIKE HELL WE CAN DEFEAT THAT!!¡¹


    The Evil Gods escaped in a hurry as Reiji loomed toward them.


    Diadona and co aside, even Harsesh and co were really surprised seeing Reiji¡¯s power.


    ¡¸THE HECK?!! THOSE GUYS ARE NO MATCH AT ALL AGAINST THE HERO!!¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed, Harsesh-sama. I also did not expect the Hero of Light to be this powerful. Maybe his strength is on par with Alphos.¡¹


    Ishtarughed happily hearing Harsesh and Isdes¡¯ conversation.


    ¡¸As expected. In this situation, Reiji alone might be able to solve our predicament.¡¹


    I agreed with Ishtar.


    I hope that was the case.


    ¡¸WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!! OUR ENEMY IS ALONE!!¡¹


    Diadona shouted at the other Evil Gods.


    She was brimming with anger.


    ¡¸HERO!! YOUR OPPONENT IS ME!!¡¹


    Labrys raised a scream as he swung his giant, twin-headed ax.


    ¡¸Whoopsie!!!¡¹


    s, Reiji easily dodged that attack.


    ¡¸You think that kind of attack can hit me!! LIGHT BLAST!!¡¹


    Reiji¡¯s sh-like sh assaulted Labrys.


    ¡¸GUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! DAMMIT!!!!¡¹


    Despite being stronger than Reiji in terms of physical strength, Reiji¡¯s speed was much faster than Labrys.


    And since we¡¯re not inside thebyrinth, Reiji¡¯s advantage was even more imminent when fighting in the open field.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter Labrys?!! Is that all you¡¯ve got?!!¡¹


    Reiji let out a daring smile as he spoke.


    ¡¸If you¡¯re really asking to die, I shall kill you with the me of moroch!!¡¹


    ¡¸Not so fast!!! LIGHT WINGS SUNDERING HEAVEN!!¡¹


    Reiji lowered his stance and then sprung toward Labrys like a spring.


    ¡¸GUWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡¹


    The pitiful Labrys got blown away before he could even use his me of moroch.


    Sounds of cheers rose from the mummies, birdfolk and dogfolk upon seeing Reiji¡¯s strike.


    ¡¸Who¡¯s next?!! Is that all you¡¯ve got?!!¡¹


    The moment Reiji pointed his sword to Diadona, Bennu, who was flying in the sky, pped its wings.


    The other Evil Gods were overwhelmed by Reiji¡¯s fighting spirit.


    That moment.


    Suddenly, a sonorousugh resounded in the ce.


    ¡¸AHAHAHAHA! EVEN THAT LABRYS IS NO MATCH FOR YOU HUH! NOT BAD, HERO OF LIGHT!! THEN I, ZARXIS, SHALL BECOME YOUR OPPONENT!!¡¹


    The man wearing a priest vestment came out next.


    ¡¸ZARXIS, ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THIS?!!¡¹


    ¡¸Leave it to me, Diadona. This hero is just the right target to test my regained power!!¡¹


    Zarxis, whose half face looked even more sinister as heughed, took off his vestment.


    And then, a pair of giant, bat-like wings grew from his back.


    He was also holding a bolt-like sword in one hand before I knew it.


    Zarxis pointed his sword at Reiji.


    ¡¸You? Using me to test your power? Aren¡¯t you just wasting your hard won life? BENNU!!¡¹


    Bennu¡¯s body shone even brighter as it reacted to Reiji.


    ¡¸Humph!It seems you really can use the superior spirit of light!! s, it¡¯s still no match for me!! Behold, the power that I gained from the ck pyramid!! O the embodiment of Apophis (Darkness Serpent) and Skoll (Darkness Wolf)! The Personification of Rah (Rahu Star) of Navagraha (Nine Heavenly Body)!! Light Eater; Eclipse!!¡¹


    The moment Zarxis finished his aria, thick fog suddenly covered the clear blue sky.


    The thick fog stretched long like a snake.


    When it reached its head, the mouth opened like a wolf¡¯s maw.


    It looked like a giant dragon of darkness.


    ¡¸HAHAHAHAHA!! Hero!! This is the superior spirit of darkness, Light Eater; Eclipse!! It won¡¯t lose against your superior spirit of light!!¡¹


    Zarxisughed loudly as he dered so.


    Eclipse who manifested in the sky opened its giant maw.


    And then, Bennu¡¯s glow weakened bit by bit.


    ording to the legend, Eclipse was the natural enemy of the spirit of light. Meaning that its appearance would act as a fetter for Bennu.


    ¡¸Now then hero, you can¡¯t use Bennu¡¯s power anymore!! NOW DIE!! Thousand Never Eater Bullet (Thousand Ghoul Strike)!!¡¹


    As soon as Zarxis finished his aria, thousands of ghoul bullets around the size of a ser ball appeared in the sky, heading toward Reiji.


    ¡¸Dammit!! Thousand Light Bullet!!¡¹


    Reiji fired light bullets to counter Zarxis¡¯ Never Eater bullets.


    Though the ghoul bullets were trying to dodge the light bullets, they pursued them and crushed them.


    ¡¸Not bad, hero!!¡¹


    Despite having all his ghoul bullets being shot down, Zarxis didn¡¯t seem to lose hisposure.


    ¡¸Now it¡¯s my turn!!¡¹


    Reiji raised his iomh Sis, pointing it at Zarxis.


    For some reason, it seems like Reiji¡¯s movement was duller than before.


    Maybe that was the reason why Zarxis could parry Reiji¡¯s sword with ease.


    ¡¸Is this all you got, hero?¡¹


    ¡¸WHAT!!?¡¹


    Seeing his iomh Sis being stopped with ease, Reiji used his orichalcum sword to attack next.


    But, Zarxis also caught that attack pretty easily with the wings on his back.


    And despite using his wings to receive the sh of orichalcum¡¯s sword, Zarxis¡¯ wings were unscathed.


    His wings must be really tough.


    Reiji got knocked back by Zarxis¡¯ sword.


    ¡¸What¡¯s happening here?!! Reiji-kun¡¯s attack just now seemedckluster!!¡¹


    I got flustered.


    At this rate, Reiji would lose.


    ¡¸It might be the power of Eclipse. That superior spirit of darkness not only eats light, but it also weakens its target. In fact, our powers might have weakened too.¡¹


    Totona gave her usual exnation.


    Come to think of it, my breath did quicken.


    My stamina might be dwindling bit by bit.


    When I was looking around, I saw that the birdfolk, dogfolk, and the mummies had already copsed from exhaustion.


    So our power really was getting sucked out.


    Harsesh and Isdes seemed to be fine but theirbat power was less than usual.


    ¡¸Wait a minute!! This means all of us are in danger!!¡¹


    The tables had turned on us.


    When I looked at the battle again, I saw Reiji being pushed back by Zarxis.


    ¡¸GUWAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡¹


    Reiji¡¯s body sted on the sand after being sent flying by Zarxis¡¯ attack.


    He tried to prop himself up, but his condition seemed to be more serious.


    ¡¸No way!! Reiji got defeated!! Do you have a n to get out of this situation, Totona-chan?!!¡¹


    Ishtar asked Totona in a hurry.


    But, I think that not even Totona could turn the tides of the battle.


    ¡¸Humph, that¡¯s all you got after that big talk huh!! Giltar!! It¡¯s your turn!! Finish him off!!¡¹


    The moment Zarxis said so, Giltar came out from the crowd.


    ¡¸HAHAHAHA!! Thank you!! Now the Hero of Light¡¯s head is mine!! me yourself for stealing the heavenly beauty from me, Hero of Light!!¡¹


    Giltar pointed the giant pincers that came from his back at Reiji.


    Oh no, at this rate, Reiji would die.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, Ishtar-sama. I have a strong ally on my side.¡¹


    Totona muttered while pointing in Reiji¡¯s direction.


    ¡¸Eh? Medjed?¡¹


    Or to be exact, at Medjed who stood between Reiji and Giltar.


    Wait, since when did he move over there?


    I mean, even I failed to notice the moment he moved over there.


    ¡¸Who in the hell is this funny looking guy?!!¡¹


    Giltar was caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the intruder.


    And he wasn¡¯t the only one who was surprised.


    Both Zarxis and Diadona had also failed to catch the moment when Medjed moved to that ce.


    ¡¸It¡¯s you right?!! THE BASTARD WHO DARED TO HURT SHIRONE!!!¡¹


    Medjed roared in anger.


    This was the first time I heard Medjed¡¯s voice. And it was a familiar voice on top of that.


    Suddenly, Medjed¡¯s body was wrapped in ck me.


    That ck me then vanished.


    Leaving behind a figure d in jet-ck armor.


    ¡¸Y-YOU MUST BE KIDDING ME?!!!¡¹


    I only realized this fact now.


    The identity of Medjed, and the owner of that WMD size.


    ¡¸No way?!!! THE DARK KNIGHT?!!!¡¹


    Zarxis roared.


    Everyone¡¯s attention waspletely focused on Medjed.


    Everyone was looking silently at the aloof figure of the Dark Knight.

 Chapter 131.1: Goddess of Victorys Arrival

    <strong>Chapter 131.1: Goddess of Victory¡¯s Arrival</strong>


    <strong>¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki</strong>


    The Evil Gods raised a ruckus the moment I changed from Medjed to the Dark Knight.


    No one came to attack me, my appearance seemed to have beenpletely out of their prediction.


    ¡¸SO IT¡¯S YOU?!!¡¹


    Reiji groaned as he looked at me.


    It seems he also had no idea that I was masquerading myself as Medjed.


    I took a breath.


    Originally, I had no intention to reveal my identity.


    I nned to stay behind as support till the end.


    I didn¡¯t care even if Shirone thought that Reiji was the one who saved her.


    I didn¡¯t care even if my role was hidden behind Reiji¡¯s dazzling light and yet¡­


    Reiji got defeated.


    He obviously couldn¡¯t fight anymore.


    Though we managed to destroy the pyramid, I doubt these Evil Gods would let us off.


    Thus, I was left with no choice but to take a stand and show myself.


    I scrapped my disguise as Medjed and returned to my Dark Knight form, my real identity.


    ¡¸You¡¯re the Dark Knight who defeated Alphos, huh? Do you have any business with me?¡¹


    The Scorpion God, Giltar, who stood before me, asked with a gloomy face.


    It seems Giltar had no idea about my rtionship with Shirone.


    That might be the reason why he was wondering why I was hostile toward him.


    ¡¸I do have some business with you. But I don¡¯t have the obligation to tell you about that.¡¹


    I replied with a cold piercing voice.


    ¡¸Humph. I have no idea what makes you so pissed off, but I shall turn the tables. I hear that you defeated Alphos, I don¡¯t believe that bull sh*t, and now I will reveal the truth.¡¹


    Giltar readied the weapon in his hands.


    Giltar had four legs and four arms. The huge pair of pincers on his back acted like some sort of wings. His long scorpion tail was growing from the base of his spine and his tough, crimson shell acted like armor.


    If he was crawling in that position, he would look like an actual giant scorpion.


    The Scorpion man, that was this God, Giltar¡¯s alias.


    ¡¸DIE BY THE POISON IN MY TAIL, DARK KNIGHT!! DEATH THORN BEWITCHING POISON WHIP BARRAGE!!¡¹


    Giltar¡¯s scorpion tail stretched till it became many times longer and struck like a whip at me.


    I moved my feet to prevent my stance from crumbling, dodging the iing whip with the least amount of movement.


    ¡¸HOHOU!! SO THIS ISN¡¯T ENOUGH TO DEFEAT YOU EH?!! BUT, I¡¯M NOT DONE YET!! TAKE THIS, TWIN STRONG PINCER DECAPITATION SLASH!!!¡¹


    The two giant pincers on Giltar¡¯s back unleashed a wind cutter.


    Since the wind cutter might hit Reiji behind me if I dodged it, I spun my hand and repelled those wind cutters.


    ¡¸STILL NOT ENOUGH HUH?!! THEN HOW ABOUT THIS!!!!¡¹


    Giltar brandished each weapon in his hands while shouting with an irritated voice.


    But, I had seen enough, it¡¯s time to go on offense.


    Relying only on my footwork, I slipped in between his sword and spear strike, closing in the distance in a sh.


    ¡¸?!!¡¹


    Giltar¡¯s face, which looked like a mix between an insect and a human face, lookedpletely dumbfounded.


    It seems he had never expected that I could close in the distance so effortlessly.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll make you suffer a lot¡­¡¹


    I unleashed the toughest power in me, that of the sleeping earth dragon my body contained.


    The power of this dragon, whose body was covered in gem-like scales, was truly terrifying.


    It should be strong enough to smash Giltar¡¯s exoskeleton.


    I felt the muscles on my arms swell up the moment I invoked this power.


    I lowered my stance the moment I felt the dragon¡¯s power was invoked, spun my waist and unleashed a full-powered body blow.


    ¡¸GUEH!!¡¹


    My body blow nailed right into Giltar¡¯s body, making him vomit the contents of his stomach.


    Green-colored body fluids came out from the cracks of his crimson-colored exoskeleton that got caved in by me.


    ¡¸Yuck¡­¡¹


    My left fist then unleashed an uppercut on Giltar¡¯s lower jaw.


    ¡¸!!¡¹


    Giltar couldn¡¯t even groan in pain as my left punch crushed his lower jaw.


    My uppercut made Giltar¡¯s body spin in the air a few times before falling back to the ground. When his body rebounded on the ground, I stepped on his pincers and crushed them.


    ¡¸ZOU VASHTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHRD!!¡¹


    Giltar shouted with his broken jaw.


    My right hand moved quickly, catching the tail that wasing to stab my back.


    ¡¸Is this the poisonous tail that hurt Shirone? It seems you don¡¯t even know the basics of sneak attacks.¡¹


    I grabbed his tail with both hands as I dissed him scornfully.


    ¡¸ZOU VASHTARD! VAT ARE ZOU?!! ZTOPH!! HNOOOOO!!¡¹


    Giltar pleaded with me the moment he realized what I was trying to do.


    s, I ignored him.


    I tore his tail from the root.


    ¡¸HIGYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA~~~~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! VRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHL!!!¡¹


    Giltar started calling for his little sister.


    He cried like a moron.


    I kicked his stomach, sending him back toward the other Evil Gods.


    None of them were willing to catch Giltar¡¯s body, they simply let him fall to the ground.


    The Evil Gods looked at Giltar and me with unbelievable looks on their faces.


    ¡¸Are you kidding me!! He defeated that Giltar so easily!!¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah!! Damn, this guy is bad news!! He easily ruined that condescending jerk Giltar!!¡¹


    ¡¸Giltar who says that he won¡¯t fight us because we¡¯re weak¡­ was actually beaten ck and blue.¡¹


    ¡¸Giltar who keeps shamefully insisting that he is the second most handsome man after Alphos was actually beaten ck and blue.¡¹


    ¡¸There actually exists such a guy who can beat that detestable Giltar, who attacks his ownrades just because they identally bumped into him.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, Giltar is terrifyingly strong. Giltar who would chop someone¡¯s body just because they spoke to his woman, has actually been crippled so easily¡­¡¹


    Could it be that the other Evil Gods actually hated Giltar too?


    That one fact popped up in my mind.


    But I shook my head since this wasn¡¯t the time to think about that.


    Both Zarxis and Diadona had only been looking at my fight with Giltar since a while ago, it seems they had no intention to fight themselves.


    I picked up Reiji by the cuff of his neck, ignored his protest and brought him back to Totona and co.


    ¡¸REIJI-KUN!! ARE YOU OKAY?!!¡¹


    Chiyuki rushed toward Reiji as soon as I threw him on the ground.


    ¡¸I¡¯m okay. More than that¡­¡¹


    Reiji red at me.


    Maybe he was unwilling to be saved by me.


    I understood his feelings though.


    ¡¸This tail should be enough to save Shirone.¡¹


    I ginored Reiji¡¯s re and gave the tail to Chiyuki.


    ¡¸You¡­ Could it be?¡¹


    Chiyuki looked like she wanted to say something about meing only to save Shirone.


    But I kept my silence.


    I originally wanted to stay behind the scenes. That¡¯s why this should be enough.


    ¡¸What¡¯s the matter, Kuroki? You seemed to have been really angry back there?¡¹


    Totona asked me anxiously.


    ¡¸Just something trivial, Totona. Sorry for making you worry about me.¡¹


    I nodded to Totona.


    ¡¸Reiji, how are you feeling?¡¹


    Ishtar had alsoe to check on Reiji.


    ¡¸Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll recover with a bit of rest.¡¹


    Reiji spoke with a sour tone.


    Maybe his recovery wasn¡¯t as minor as he made it seem.


    Even if his wounds had already been healed, his magical power wouldn¡¯t return that easily.


    Maybe I should¡¯ve revealed my identity a bit faster to prevent his exhaustion.


    If I had done that, I¡¯m sure that¡­ No, it was toote to mull over this matter. I don¡¯t think the situation would have gotten better just because I revealed myself a bit faster.


    I of all people should know about that the best.


    All I could do now was to do my best to get us out of this pinch.


    I don¡¯t know what will happen from this point on, but let¡¯s do my best for now.


    ¡¸I see, then please take a break for now. You should use this chance to rest and recover your strength. We should let him fight during that time¡­¡¹


    ===


    <strong>(~¡¯.¡¯)~Advance Chapter Avable in Fox18 too!~(¡®.¡¯~)</strong>


    ===


    THE NEW PROJECT:


    <strong>Journey of The Childhood Friend Who Got Betrayed by Sword Saint</strong>


    The Protagonist of Isekaied Story With Cheat And Harem Has No Idea That All Of The Heroines Has Already Been Stolen By Me~Urgh, My Stomach Is Killing Me~


    (~¡¯.¡¯)~You Can Read <strong>MORE AND CHEAPER</strong> The Advance Chapter Bing My Patron~(¡®.¡¯~)

 Chapter 131.2: Goddess of Victorys Arrival

    <strong>Chapter 131.2: Goddess of Victory¡¯s Arrival</strong>


    Maybe because Ishtar understood the situation, she said those words to Reiji and then looked at me.


    Her face revealed a really meaningful smile.


    ¡¸Nevertheless, how sly of you Totona-chan. You should¡¯ve introduced him to me.¡¹


    ¡¸I refuse.¡¹


    Totona replied immediately.


    ¡¸Humph. Fine then, I¡¯ll ask him directly.¡¹


    Ishtar pouted.


    ¡¸My apologies, but I don¡¯t think we¡¯re in a situation where we can afford to fool around. The Serpent Queen is ring at us.¡¹


    I also refused promptly, not sparing as much as a nce at Ishtar.


    It would be a disaster if those boobs came at me when we¡¯re still in the middle of battle.


    I wouldn¡¯t be able to fight properly in a slouching position.


    Though I felt sorry for Ishtar¡¯s disappointment, I really couldn¡¯t afford to let my guard down in front of the Serpent Queen.


    I looked at the Serpent Queen.


    ¡¸You have business with Giltar, eh?!! Are you satisfied now, Dark Knight?!! If so, then tell me, what are you doing here?!! Why are you siding with those Elios Goddesses?!! We¡¯re not even hostile towards the Demon King!! ¡¹


    Diadona shouted at me.


    It seems she knew why I didn¡¯t make my move until the very end.


    That was the only silver lining in this situation.


    ¡¸Serpent Queen!! I also have no intention to make an enemy out of you!! You already achieved your goal, so I advise you to leave right now!!¡¹


    I replied back to the Serpent Queen.


    The pyramid was already gone, and we got the scorpion poison too.


    There was no reason to continue this futile battle.


    ¡¸Humph!! You think we¡¯re going to retreat that easily!! Dark Knight, if you want to retreat, leave behind those Elios Goddesses!!¡¹


    I shook my head to express my answer to the Serpent Queen.


    I couldn¡¯t ept her demand.


    ¡¸Sorry but I can¡¯t do that!! I can¡¯t leave Totona behind, Serpent Queen!!¡¹


    The moment I said that, the Serpent Queen revealed an extremely enraged look on her face..


    ¡¸SO YOU¡¯RE THE SAME, HUH?!! YOU¡¯RE JUST LIKE THAT MODES B*STARD?!! TRULY REGRETTABLE, DARK KNIGHT!!!¡¹


    Emotions dwelled in the Serpent Queen¡¯s eyes.


    That must be her traumatic past.


    Something simr must¡¯ve happened in the past when Modes betrayed them.


    ¡¸Humph!! I told you, right Diadona?!! You can¡¯t expect anything from that cowardly Modes¡¯ subordinate!! We should use this chance to kill him!!¡¹


    Said Zarxis as he spread his bat-like wings, unleashing a storm of miasma at the same time.


    Weak creatures would die as soon as they were exposed to this miasma.


    The thickness of the miasma had only increased since Bennu¡¯s power was suppressed by Eclipse.


    Since Eclipse had the same darkness attribute as me, it didn¡¯t affect me like Reiji. Nevertheless, miniscule parts of my power were being absorbed by Eclipse.


    I had to buy some time until Reiji recovered. But the same thing would also happen to our opponents. Dahark and Labrys might recover as time goes on.


    Zarxis and the Serpent Queen were powerful on their own, and they had many Evil Gods on their side.


    On our side, we had Totona, Chiyuki, Ishtar, Nel, Harsesh, and Isdes; properly speaking, our overall strength was below them.


    But then, the situation turned into a stalemate since the Evil Gods didn¡¯t rush at us.


    ¡¸So? What are we going to do now? None of them seem to want to fight you after they witnessed how easily you defeated Giltar. But, you alone won¡¯t be able to cope with the spirit of darkness, Diadona, and Zarxis all together.¡¹


    Ishtar told me the main reason why the Evil Gods didn¡¯te to attack us.


    It seems the Evil Gods¡¯ fighting spirit wasn¡¯t that high.


    Since that was the case, we could turn the tables.


    ¡¸I will do something about that spirit of darkness. Can you hold on during that time?¡¹


    ¡¸That¡¯s a bit of a stretch. I can do something if it¡¯s just either Zarxis or Diadona, but I can¡¯t do anything if both of theme at the same time. They¡¯re just too strong.¡¹


    Totona also nodded in agreement.


    ¡¸Yeah, that¡¯s too much for us. The other Evil Gods will make their move too once they figure out that they have the advantage. If this situation happens, the prince and co¡¯s strength alone will be far from enough to stop them.¡¹


    Said Totona while looking at Harsesh.


    Meaning that although he was a bit stronger than each Evil God on their own, they still had the superior number.


    ¡¸Understood¡­ But we¡¯re not in a pinch either. Rena seems to be nearby, she¡¯s about to arrive anytime soon. We will have the chance to turn the tables once she arrives.¡¹


    In fact, Rena was really about to arrive.


    I could feel that from her fragrance.


    It was a feat that was only possible for me.


    The defensive ability of Rena, who was hailed as the Goddess of Shields, was the strongest among the divine race.


    And also the most suitable ability to buy time in this kind of situation.


    ¡¸HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT RENA IS NEARBY?!!¡¹


    Reiji asked with a loud voice.


    Totona also looked at me with a curious gaze.


    Totona aside, how in the hell did Reiji fail to realize such an obvious fact?


    Rather, I had no idea why I could feel hering. I could just smell a really nice scent.


    ¡¸Can you by any chance detect enemies like Nao-chan?¡¹


    Chiyuki tilted her head in puzzlement.


    I don¡¯t think so, but my gut tells me that I would be in a lot of trouble if I say no.


    ¡¸Yes. She¡¯s almost here. I hope she can arrive a bit faster¡­¡¹


    I looked at Zarxis and co.


    C¡¯mon,e here quickly.


    Hurry up, otherwise we¡¯re going to be screwed for real.


    I prayed.


    Please hurry up, Rena!!


    Well, it¡¯s not like she would hear my prayer.


    Maybe I had to buy some more time until she arrived.


    ¡¸I¡¯M COMIIIING!!!¡¹


    Suddenly, something came from the sky toward our direction, andnded right behind me.


    When I turned around, I saw that Rena had already arrived.


    She was armed to the teeth with her spear and shield.


    Her hair was slightly dishelved though.


    It seems she flew at full speed.


    What¡¯s the meaning of this?


    ¡¸Rena¡­ You came for me?¡¹


    ¡¸OOOH!! MY GODDESS OF VICTORY!! YOU MUST¡¯VE COME FOR THIS HARSESH!!¡¹


    Both Reiji and Harsesh spoke with deeply moved voices.


    s, both of them weren¡¯t the only ones moved to tears by Rena¡¯s arrival. The birdfolk and dogfolk warriors, who had copsed from exhaustion, also raised a cheer.


    Diadona and co¡¯s side on the other hand were caughtpletely off guard by Rena¡¯s sudden arrival.


    Especially the Evil Gods, they obviously became restless upon seeing her arrival.


    ¡¸Fufufu. Rena-chan is a woman too. You must¡¯vee in hurry since you felt that Reiji¡¯s life is in danger.¡¹


    Ishtar spoke with a meaningful smile on her face.


    ¡¸Is that so, Rena? You would¡¯ve never done something like this before.¡¹


    ¡¸How lucky of you Reiji~. There¡¯s such a beautiful Goddess head over heels for you.¡¹


    Totona shook her head with disbelief.


    Chiyuki on the other hand had aplicated look on her face.


    ¡¸Good grief. Forcing me toe in hurry like this¡­¡¹


    At that moment, Rena red angrily at me.


    Eh, why me?


    Did she actually hear my prayer?


    That can¡¯t be true right?


    Oh crap, I became conceited for a moment.


    ¡¸DAMMIT ALL! FIRST THE DARK KNIGHT!! THEN EVEN RENA CAME TOO! YOU LOT CALM DOWN!! ZARXIS, USE ECLIPSE TO KILL THEM!!¡¹


    ¡¸Roger that, Diadona!! GO ECLIPSE!!¡¹


    Eclipse raised a roar along with Zarxis¡¯ order.


    But the Goddess of Victory hade.


    Now was the best time to turn the tables.

 Chapter 132.1: He Who Devours The Light Eater

    <b>Chapter 132.1: He Who Devours The Light Eater</b>


    BGM: Into The Darkness


    <strong>¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki</strong>


    Both Gypseal and Apophis troops were standing in front of each other in the desert, shrouded by dark clouds.


    Cheers rose from Gypseal¡¯s side, especially from Prince Harsesh. It was all because the Goddess of Victory, Rena, hade.


    Even some of the Evil Gods from the other side raised a cheer. That¡¯s how popr Rena was.


    The man Rena chooses to love would keep winning in life forever. That was a rumor spread among the male Gods, who were all of course trying their best to make her their own.


    Hering here gave us a chance to turn the tables.


    Just what I expect from the Goddess of Victory.


    ¡¸HOW DARE YOU APPEAR BEFORE ME, RENA!! THE GRANDDAUGHTER OF THAT B*TCH MINA WHO SEDUCED OUR FATHER!! THE DAUGHTER OF MELFINA WHO TRICKED MODES!! WHO ARE YOU GOING TO SEDUCE THIS TIME?!!¡¹


    Diadona shouted with an enraged look on her face.


    From Diadona¡¯s perspective, Rena¡¯s bloodline seemed to be the most detestable one. And even though she didn¡¯t look at me, the wrath contained within her eyes sent a chill down my spine.


    ¡¸Seduce? What are you talking about?¡¹


    I felt Rena¡¯s line of sight from my side.


    Did she just look at me?


    Nevertheless, Rena was just as amazing as usual. She waspletely unperturbed even after looking straight into Diadona¡¯s eyes while protecting us from the evil eyes with her shield. She was also quite nonchnt on top of that.


    Her dignified eyes kept looking forward no matter what appeared before her. That might be part of her charm.


    ¡¸Sorry Rena that you had toe to this ce.¡¹


    Reiji apologized to Rena. He seemed to be quite vexed by this situation.


    ¡¸Save your apology forter, Reiji!! Just focus on your recovery for now! Ishtar-sama, Totona!! I¡¯ll intercept their attacks!! Assist me!! O shining shield of light, be a wall that protects us!!¡¹


    Rena shouted as she raised her shield,, several giant magic shields appeared afterwards.


    Rena¡¯s shield was an enchanted shield made from the toughest adamant, it had the ability to raise the effect of Rena¡¯s defensive magic.


    ¡¸Okay, Rena-chan!!¡¹


    ¡¸Can¡¯t be helped I guess.¡¹


    Both Ishtar and Totona supplied their magical power to Rena.


    Theposite magic shields became even tougher due to thebination of the three Goddesses¡¯ power, even if one was destroyed, another magic shield would rece it.


    This should be enough to buy us some time.


    ¡¸RENAAAAAA!! YOU FILTHY B*TCHHHHH!!¡¹


    That Serpent Queen Diadona shouted angrily.


    That was natural, none of her attacks could reach us after all.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll say this just once, these shields won¡¯t hold out for too long. Think of a countermeasure during that time.¡¹


    Though Rena spoke with a rather nonchnt voice, the content was rather distressful.


    Totona and Ishtar had the same opinion too.


    Well, they were creating these huge defensive magic shields after all, it was only natural for their magical power to notst for too long.


    Thus, I had to quickly think of a n to turn the tables.


    A wave of darkness sweeped at us from Eclipse, who flew in the sky. Anyone who received that wave of darkness would lose their strength.


    Though the wave corroded Rena¡¯s magic shield too, that shield had been enchanted by Rena, making it many times stronger than normal magic shields.


    I wanted to withdraw but the other party wouldn¡¯t let us off that easily.


    We¡¯re in a real pinch right now.


    ¡¸Do you have a n, Kuroki?¡¹


    Totona asked anxiously.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll take Eclipse and make him my own.¡¹


    I looked up to the sky.


    Eclipse, the superior spirit of darkness, hadn¡¯t exhibited his full potential since he used part of his power to suppress Bennu, who was summoned by Reiji.


    But, that was only a matter of time.


    Eclipse, the one who hailed as the light eater was the natural enemy of the spirit of light. Even the light of the superior spirit Bennu was slowly being devoured by him.


    It was only a matter of time before Bennu waspletely devoured by Eclipse.


    When that happens, Eclipse would use his full power to attack us.


    ¡¸Are you trying to snatch the spirit under the enemy¡¯s control? That¡¯s almost impossible you know?¡¹


    Rena looked at me.


    Naturally, I knew that it was a tough challenge.


    This was something that I learnt from Loughas¡¯ lesson about spirit maniption.


    One needs a special power to be able to use the spirits.


    And I didn¡¯t seem to have that kind of talent since I couldn¡¯t even use the power of a weak, low rank spirit.


    And yet, here I am, trying to get the power of a superior spirit.


    It was nothing but a suicidal act.


    I couldn¡¯t even use my draconic power.


    I had to confront the spirit on my own.


    And the one dominated by the enemy nheless.


    The odds were stacked against me.


    But, I had to seed no matter what.


    ¡¸Rena, Kuroki can do it. Kuroki is strong. Trust him.¡¹


    Said Totona while assisting Rena with magic.


    Totona had a strong sense of trust in me.


    I was really happy that she trusted me so much. And yet, for some reason, I felt some sort of a ck aura from Rena the moment she heard Totona¡¯s remark.


    ¡¸Fufufu. I never said that I didn¡¯t trust him though¡­ And Totona, from the way you speak, it seems you get along really well with him. What happened during the time you were together, I wonder?¡¹


    Said Rena with a smile on her face.


    But, I knew that she was pissed off.


    ¡¸There¡¯s no need for me to answer that. Me getting along with Kuroki has nothing to do with you Rena.¡¹


    Totona tantly ignored Rena¡¯s question.


    Rena¡¯s expression right at this moment was something that I had never seen before.


    I quickly turned around from Rena.


    The rage of a beauty was enough to send a chill running down my spine.


    ¡¸YOU! ARE! WRONG! TOTONA!!! IT-HAS-SOMETHING-TO-DO-WITH-MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!¡¹


    Rena spoke with a strongly emphasized voice.


    Crap. We¡¯re done for if Rena and Totona start a quarrel now.


    And yet, I instinctively realized that trying to stop them was akin to pouring gasoline into a huge me.


    I mean, the reason for their quarrel was obviously¡­ Me.


    ¡¸Calm down, Rena-san! I know that you¡¯re annoyed since the Dark Knight who defeated your beloved Reiji is getting along with Totona-chan!! Focus on our defense for now!!¡¹


    But then, Ishtar stopped the quarrel between Rena and Totona.


    ¡¸Urgh!! If even Ishtar-sama says something like that, I guess I can¡¯t deny that!! I understand!! Let¡¯s save our quarrel forter, Totona!!¡¹


    From Rena¡¯s tone, I knew that she was pissed off right now.


    And for some reason, my stomach was hurting.


    I knew that I was in for huge trouble once this battle was over.


    Well, if we could win against our enemies, that is.


    I looked up at Eclipse.


    Let¡¯s focus on Eclipse for now.


    ¡¸I¡¯ll enter Eclipse!! Make a hole in the shield for me!!¡¹


    ¡¸Roger that!!¡¹


    I invoked flight magic.


    I flew out of the shield from the hole created by Rena, straight toward Eclipse.


    ¡¸WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU¡¯RE DOING, DARK KNIGHT?!! ARE YOU INSANE?!!¡¹


    Zarxis roared.


    I knew this was a suicidal attempt. But I had to do this.


    I looked at the weakened Bennu.


    Bennu, the superior spirit of light, was summoned by Reiji.


    Reiji has a superior spirit of light.


    Maybe he tried to get another weapon to defeat me.


    Meaning that Reiji is now even stronger than before.


    I might be outstripped as the strongest by him.


    That fact alone scared me so much.


    Since that was the case, I had to do my best to be even stronger too.


    I got my current happiness, and Kuna because I had won.


    I¡¯m really afraid that not just Kuna, but everyone, would stop looking at me if I lost.


    No one would love a loser. The weak are the prey for the strong.


    And the loser would lose everything.


    That was the miserable ending that happened to me before.


    Thus I refuse to end like that again, ever.


    I refuse to lose my adorable Kuna!!


    That¡¯s why I had to get Eclipse.


    I have to make that superior spirit mine!!


    If Reiji could do it, then there is no reason for me to fail to do the same!!

 Chapter 132.2: He Who Devours The Light Eater

    <b>Chapter 132.2: He Who Devours The Light Eater</b>


    This isn¡¯t about Eclipse, Gypseal, or Shirone.


    This is for me!! ME AND ME ALONE!!


    So that I won¡¯t be defeated!!


    I felt the ck me in my heart gushing out and covering my body.


    ¡¸ECLIPSE!! I SHALL DEVOUR YOU!!¡¹


    I had to make contact with Eclipse¡¯s core with mind magic, which wasn¡¯t my forte.


    And just like that, I was being swallowed by Eclipse.


    Entering the dark space.


    I felt that Eclipse¡¯s power was slowly eating away at my mental strength.


    I WON¡¯T LOSE!!! I WILL DEVOUR YOU!!


    I gritted my teeth, enduring the pressure.


    I!! I!! I WON¡¯T LOSE!!!


    ¡ô<strong>Goddess of Knowledge and Books; Totona</strong>


    BGM


    Eclipse, who swallowed Kuroki in his Dark Knight form, transformed into a giant dragon right before us.


    ¡¸HE¡¯S BEING SWALLOWED TOTONA-CHAN!!¡¹


    Ishtar-sama called out in panic.


    The one who was in panic wasn¡¯t just Ishtar-sama.


    The ck haired sage, Chiyuki, prince Harsesh, and the God of War Isdes were also losing their cool.


    The same goes for Nel and the cats who stood beside me.


    The Hero of Light had also tried to do something while yelling in anger.


    Rena was the only one who kept herposure. Not that I knew what she really felt inside though.


    ¡¸GAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! WHAT AN IDIOT!! HE ACTUALLY CHARGED INTO ECLIPSE ON HIS OWN!!!¡¹


    Zarxis the reaper was sneering at Kuroki.


    Serpent queen Diadona was also making a fool of him.


    The Evil Gods were also the same.


    But, only I knew that their joy was fleeting.


    Kuroki would return for sure.


    I believe that he can do it.


    ¡¸HAHAHAHA!! THE DARK KNIGHT HAS COMITTED SUICIDE!! THE HERO OF LIGHT WILL FALL EVEN WITHOUT A FIGHT!!! IT¡¯S YOUR LOSS!! REGRET THE FACT THAT YOU¡¯RE CROSSING PATH WITH US, ELIOS¡¯ GODDESS!!¡¹


    The eyes of the Serpent Queen were glowing with an ominous color.


    She wouldn¡¯t let us go.


    But still, did she really think that we needed to escape?


    ¡¸SERPENT QUEEN!! DON¡¯T LUMP THE DARK KNIGHT TOGETHER WITH THE LIKES OF RENA¡¯S HERO OF LIGHT!! DIFFERENT FROM THE HERO OF LIGHT, THE DARK KNIGHT WILL RETURN!! HE¡¯S FAR STRONGER THAN RENA¡¯S BELOVED MAN!!¡¹


    I heard the Hero of Light groan when he heard my exmation.


    Sorry but you can only me yourself for being Rena¡¯s beloved man.


    At least suffer a bit more.


    ¡¸Fufufu. How rare of you for doing this, Totona? You, who always secluded yourself in the gloomy library because of your fear toward me, is actually doing this, are you trying to pick a fight with me?¡¹


    Rena looked at me. Her face was smiling, but I knew that deep inside, she was so pissed off.


    ¡¸I¡¯m not picking a fight with you. I¡¯m just stating an undeniable FACT, different from your beloved loser, Kuroki won.¡¹


    I¡¯m stating the truth without even looking at Rena.


    My Kuroki will win for sure.


    He was much stronger than Rena¡¯s hero.


    When we met for the first time, I realized that Kuroki had the same kind of vibe as me.


    And I was convinced when I listened to his past.


    He was the one who got overshadowed by the light.


    He avoided light despite envying the light.


    That was themon point between Kuroki and me.


    But, there was a huge difference between us.


    In contrast with me who secluded myself in fear of a light called Rena, Kuroki put a lot of effort into defeating the light called Reiji.


    I was always hidden as the shadow of Rena.


    Rena was a perfect woman who could do anything since she was born.


    Rena had always excelled me in everything ever since we were children.


    Since we were raised like siblings, the two of us had always be targets ofparison.


    Nevertheless, I wouldn¡¯t be this worried if I could get along with Rena.


    But, Rena was a really malicious woman.


    She knew how to act like a perfect, innocent, good andpletely adorable child in front of my mother and the other gods but she was really mean when no one was around.


    The reason why I secluded myself wasn¡¯t just to escape from Rena.


    I mean, no matter how much I think about it, I was no match for Rena.


    Thus I read books in a dark corner of the library,pletely immersed in my own world.


    But, Kuroki was different.


    Even knowing that he couldn¡¯t win, he didn¡¯t run away from the fight.


    He kept polishing himself and finally defeated that shiny Alphos.


    He defeated Alphos in a duel.


    Kuroki¡¯s brilliance dazzled this gloomy me.


    The shining darkness was a literal personification of Kuroki.


    Kuroki won¡¯t lose!!


    ¡¸Beloved loser? What are you talking about, I wonde~r, Totona? My beloved man will never lose you know!!!¡¹


    Strangely enough, Rena emphasized that fact.


    s, now I didn¡¯t even care a single bit about that remark.


    ¡¸Humph! Don¡¯t be presumptuous, you abominable goddesses!! Bennu already lost his power! And Eclipse can easily destroy your flimsy barrier with his full strength!! Zarxis, what are you waiting for? Kill Bennu!!¡¹


    Diadona shouted with an enraged look on her face.


    Surely, Eclipse could destroy our barrier if he used his full power.


    Thebination of Zarxis and Diadona¡¯s power could surely destroy our barrier.


    But, it would never happen.


    ¡¸I know that, Diadona!! But, Eclipse suddenly refuses to listen to me, it¡¯s been happening for a while!! Why?!!¡¹


    Zarxis shouted in panic.


    Eclipse above our head moved haphazardly.


    But, it looked like he was in pain.


    Eclipse suddenly opened his mouth and blew a ck me to the sky.


    The ck me covered the sky.


    ¡¸He vomited ck me!! What¡¯s the meaning of this?!!¡¹


    When one of the Evil Gods shouted, the other Evil Gods looked restless.


    Everyone had pretty much realized that Eclipse¡¯s condition was rather strange.


    ¡¸There¡¯s someone inside the ck me!!¡¹


    Another evil god pointed at the figure inside the ck me.


    Inside the ck me was the figure of the Dark Knight d in jet ck armor.


    Naturally, it was none other than Kuroki.


    Kuroki got spat out from Eclipse and flew in the air with his entire body d in the ck me.


    He looked like the sole ruler of this dark sky.


    ¡¸WHAT?!! ECLIPSE DIDN¡¯T SWALLOW HIM?!! HOW CAN IT BE!! E-ECLIPSE!! SWALLOW THE DARK KNIGHT AGAIN!!¡¹


    Zarxis roared.


    But, Eclipse ignored Zarxis.


    Instead, he flew around Kuroki as if to protect him.


    ¡¸IMPOSSIBLE?!! HE SNATCHED THE CONTROL OF ECLIPSE?!!¡¹


    Diadona also shouted with an unbelievable look on her face.


    Almost everyone in this ce was as equally dumbfounded as her.


    Not even a light eater could swallow him.


    ===


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 Chapter 133.1: Phantom of The Past

    Chapter 133.1: Phantom of The Past


    ¡ô<strong>Japanese Youth, Kuroki</strong>


    ¡¸KUROKI~! WAKE U~P!!¡¹


    Someone suddenly barged into my room and woke me up.


    The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was the ceiling of my room.


    It was the ceiling of my room back in Japan.


    I moved my head to the side¡­


    And saw the figure of my childhood friend, Shirone, looking down at me angrily.


    ¡¸Uuh, what now? Today is a holiday, right? Let me sleep a while longer.¡¹


    Shirone shook her head when she heard my protest.


    ¡¸No! You made a promise to go shopping with me today, right? THAT has already woken up before you!¡¹


    Said Shirone while pointing at my lower-half.


    I looked down at my lower-half and realized that the little me had peeked out from the hole of my trunk, fully woken up as if to say "Good Morning".


    ¡¸WAH!! STOP LOOKING, SHIRONE!!!¡¹


    I covered my crotch in a hurry.


    Shirone was by no means perturbed by such a sight.


    ¡¸I''ve seen it so many times to the point that I¡¯ve gotten used to it. Rather, wake up already!¡¹


    I had no choice but to grumble and wake up after all of this.


    Shirone had been entering my room at her own convenience every once in a while like this.


    And yet, never once did I get the chance to enter Shirone''s room.


    That was unfair right?


    That was what I wanted to say, but it¡¯s not like she would heed myint.


    I changed my clothes.


    ¡¸By the way, where are we going today, Shirone?¡¹


    I tried to ask Shirone while changing my clothes.


    Hearing that, Shirone wore a dumbfounded look on her face.


    ¡¸What are you talking about, Kuroki? Did you forget that we''re going to buy swimsuits today? We''re going to go shopping just the two of us.¡¹


    And then cocked her head as she replied so.


    ¡¸Eh, is that so? Aren''t you going to Reiji''s vi?¡¹


    ¡¸Who''s Reiji? I don''t know someone with that name? Could it be that you forgot your promise with me because you already have other ns?¡¹


    Said Shirone with a sad look on her face.


    ¡¸I''m nning to go to the mountain for training. Well, I don¡¯t have any ns for now.¡¹


    Since Shirone would usually hang out with Reiji, I spent my summer holiday in the mountains training my swordcraft.


    And then, I was nning to take a part-time job after finishing my training.


    Though we did n to buy swimsuits together, I had no ns to y with Shirone.


    That was the truth.


    ¡¸The heck, that sounds like a boring n alright!? Come and y with me, Kuroki. In the first ce, why are you going for training? Why do you want to be strong? You should stay as you are.¡¹


    Shirone smiled worriedly as she told me so.


    I heaved a sigh upon seeing that.


    The first part about this was real, but it slowly distorted before turning into apletely unrealistic situation.


    There was no such thing as people who would ept me unconditionally.


    Shirone wasn''t such a convenient woman.


    Maybe that''s just how much I wished for Shirone to be like that.


    ¡¸Yeah, I''m going for training. I''ll keep bing stronger and stronger. I also won''t stop improving my appearance.¡¹


    I shook my head.


    The ck me in me hadn''t vanished.


    That''s why I replied as such.


    ¡¸Why? Why do you keep pushing yourself even though it''s painful? You should stop.¡¹


    Said Shirone as she revealed an enchanting smile.


    ¡¸You''re mistaken. Not making an effort and not doing my best is even harder for me.¡¹


    I replied to the fake Shirone in front of me.


    Maybe because life itself was a battle for me, someone telling me to stop improving myself was equal with telling me to die.


    The one who made me realize that was none other than the real Shirone herself.


    I used to resent Shirone for that.


    But then, I realized that it was an unjust resentment.


    A beauty like Shirone was not suited for my mediocre self.


    I trained and yet, I was unwilling to put more effort into it.


    I studied and yet, I wasn''t all out with that.


    I should''ve persevered more, more than I had ever had.


    If only I had done that, the end might not have been as bad.


    I truly regretted my ownziness back then.


    But, I couldn''t turn back time. Thus I could only do my best so that I wouldn''t regret it in the future.


    That''s why I wouldn''t stop.


    ¡¸Geez, why are you making such a scary face? Hehehe, the truth is, I''m nning to buy an extremely lewd swimsuit today, Kuroki. And I''ll wear itter for you!¡¹


    Said Shirone as she clung to my hand.


    EXTREMELY LEWD SWIMSUIT?! DAMMIT, THAT''S CHEATING!!


    Just the thought of that made me want to stay in this dream a while longer.


    Dammit, they even understand my weakness.


    ¡¸What are you doing, Kuroki?¡¹


    The voice wasing from behind me.


    When I turned around, Rena stood right behind me.


    She had this dumbfounded look on her face.


    Maybe because our heart was connected by some sort of thread of fate.


    She appeared nonchntly in my heart.


    ¡¸Did youe to wake me up, Rena?¡¹


    ¡¸What else then, Kuroki? I know that you can handle this trivial illusion, but are you really going to vanish just for a piece of swimsuit?¡¹


    I shook my head upon hearing that.


    ¡¸I won''t, nor do I have the intention to do so.¡¹


    I brought my left hand to my lips.


    Though I couldn''t see the ring coiling around it, I could feel its existence.


    I could also feel Kuna wearing the other pair.


    She existed for me, that''s why I couldn''t just vanish, for her sake.


    As long as this feeling exists, the ck me in my heart won''t vanish.


    I turned around and looked at Shirone''s face.


    That Shirone didn''t say anything.


    Her eyes were devoid of light. Her gentle smile was an empty smile.


    This Shirone was created from my memories of her, a convenient illusion for me.


    I had a dream the moment I leapt into Eclipse''s mind.


    Eclipse was a spirit that snatched power.


    And they tried to snatch the power of my heart.


    But, that power was insignificant before the me in my heart.


    ¡¸Thene out quickly. If it¡¯s just a lewd attire, I''ll do it for you as much as you want.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh, seriously?!¡¹


    "I mean, seriously!" That was what I thought as I turned around to see Rena.


    But, Rena had already gone from there.


    ¡¸Then I''ve to go back quickly.¡¹


    It seems I really was no match for the Goddess of Victory-sama.


    Moreover, I felt a simr passion from my ring.


    Well, I would be ashamed of myself if I got defeated by this paltry illusion!


    The moment I felt that way, the ck me in my heart burned even brighter than before.


    The Shirone before me, and the scenery around us got distorted by the heat.


    Its true form was the heavy darkness that was trying to swallow me.


    But I won''t lose.


    I sharpened my mind.


    Zarxis couldn''tpletely subjugate Eclipse.


    ¡¸I-WON''T-LOSE! HERE I COME, ECLIPSE!¡¹


    I held strongly to my heart, trying to reach my peak.


    When the ck me had finally consumed the illusion, what I saw was a spider thread in Eclipse''s heart.


    I swung my demon sword of venous blood to cut the thread.


    With this, Zarxis would lose his control over Eclipse.


    All that was left was subduing Eclipse.


    My ck me spread even further, painting Eclipse'' darkness with mine.


    I could hear Eclipse''s roar.


    It felt like a ck torrent was rushing into my body.


    When I opened my eyes again, I was already floating high in the air on top of the desert.


    With Eclipse flying around me.


    I shut my eyes and felt the connection between Eclipse and me.


    That was exhausting but it was worth the effort to get Eclipse.


    Numerous lines of sight gathered before me.


    When I looked at Rena, Totona, and the others, I saw that they were still protected by a barrier.


    When I looked at Rena, she had this exhausted look on her face.


    That was only natural since she used a mind dive on top of erecting barriers to protect our allies.


    She was exhausted and yet, that didn''t affect her beauty at all, she really was a wonderful woman.


    When I looked at Totona, her usual deadpan face was gone, she was smiling delightfully along with Nel.


    After confirming everyone''s safety, Inded right in between Gypseal''s group and the Serpent Queen''s group.


    Totona was looking at Zarxis and Diadona.


    Zarxis was looking at me with apletely dumbfounded face.


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 Chapter 134.1: Premonition in the Barren Wasteland

    Chapter 134.1: Premonition in the Barren Wastnd


    <b>Dark Knight; Kuroki</b>


    Diadona and co retreated right before us.


    And yet, it didn''t feel like we had won at all.


    Rather, it felt like if the fight had indeed started, we wouldnt be able to foresee what would happen. Especially when it came to the Serpent Queen, I had a really bad feeling from the cup that she summoned.


    I mean seriously, what in the hell was that?


    Well, let''s save that question forter.


    At least we managed to avoid an unnecessary fight with the Serpent Queen.


    Then I turned around, facing Rena and Totona.


    A flying ship came down from the sky.


    It was Rena''s flying ship. It had finally arrived.


    I also saw Reiji walk by himself towards us.


    I noticed that he had been watching me since I revealed my identity.


    That''s why I knew that he would do this.


    Let''s fight, Dark Knight!


    Reiji readied his two swords, ring as he spoke.


    Wait a minute, Hero of Light!


    Wait, Reiji-kun!


    Both Chiyuki and Totona came in a hurry as soon as Reiji dered his challenge.


    Nevertheless, Rena stopped both of them.


    What''s the meaning of this, Rena?!


    Don''t stop me! He''s Shirone-san''s childhood friend! I must stop them from killing each other!


    Both of them shouted at Rena.


    It seems they were quite enraged to see Rena block their way.


    Calm down please, it''ll be alright. No one is going to get injured. Let''s just see their fight with a cool head.


    She spoke with a clear and serene voice that everyone could hear.


    Rena''s line of sight met mine, Reiji who stood behind Rena hadn''t noticed that line of sight.


    It seems she saw through everything.


    Honestly I hate doing this.


    I mean, please stop having weird expectations from me.


    The people from Gypseal and the Lion Queen, Sekhmetra, who felt sort of a sign from Reiji and I, chose to stay on the sidelines and watch quietly.


    I have no reason to fight though


    I replied so while raising my demon sword.


    Yes, I had no intention of backing off the challenge from Reiji.


    This was our fight.


    Eclipse and Bennu were circling above our heads.


    But in my case, I still couldn''t perfectly control Eclipse.


    I couldn''t use Eclipse to attack.


    But the same could be said for Bennu.


    Bennu was in an extremely weakened state right now.


    Meaning that we couldn''t use our spirits.


    Thus, our fight would be a fight with pure skill.


    I see, sorry for the trouble, but I just feel that we have to fight here.


    Said Reiji with his usual daring smile.


    But I noticed that his smile was different from his usual smile.


    I mean, what did he mean?


    Was he by any chance scared of me?


    No, that''s impossible Especially for Reiji.


    Here Ie.


    Reiji was closing in on me.


    His leap was akin to a light arrow.


    If I stay still, Reiji would move.


    Reiji''s movement was within my expectation.


    He attacked with both of his swords.


    I parried the first sword with my sword and used the recoil to parry his second sword.


    Reiji, whose sword strikes got parried, spun around without losing his stance and used the spinning momentum to unleash another strike.


    This sh had more edge than before.


    Nevertheless, it wouldn''t work since I knew this attack woulde from the very beginning.


    I could easily deal with something like this.


    I parried all of Reiji''s attacks that came like a torrent of waves with my sword.


    And then, I parried Reiji''s right sh.


    The moment I did so, Reiji spun andnded behind me.


    When he did so, I spun my sword to my back without even turning around to block Reiji''s back attack.


    And just like that, I used my right leg as an axis and spun my waist and shoulder, flicking off Reiji.


    What the!


    Unable to cope with my blow, Reiji''s body spun a few times in the air beforending on the sand again.


    His physical ability and reflexes were as high as usual.


    Without a moment of dy, Reiji unleashed another attack with both of his swords.


    His movements were like that of a dance.


    Rena''s valkyrie, Ishtars catfolk chambein, the sphinxes who came with Sekhmetra, everyone raised a cheer.


    "I''m so damn jealous!" That was what I wanted to say.


    Moreover, the battle against Alphos from a while ago was even more horrible than now.


    The women from back then seem to still hate me even now.


    Damn, this is why I hate fighting against a handsome dude.


    My sword shed with Reiji''s again.


    Numerous shes followed after that. And then, Reiji suddenly leapt back.


    He was about to use his magic.


    Did he give up on trying to defeat me with a sword?


    LIGHT BULLET!


    Dozens of light bullets appeared around Reiji, and fired at me.


    DARK BULLET!


    I could counter the magic with my sword but I decided to use magic too.


    I created bullets from dark energy, matching his numbers, and made them sh against the light bullets.


    The bullets shed in mid-air.


    The collision between light and dark energy created a storm of magical power around us.


    Eh?


    I let out a startled voice.


    Thats because Reiji had plunged himself through the area of collision between light and darkness bullets and rushed straight toward me.


    It seems he rushed the moment he fired the light bullet.


    That was truly a bold tactic.


    A single mistake would cause him to be injured by his own light bullet.


    GOTCHA! LIGHT BLAST!


    His sword was traveling at the speed of light.


    But, such a crude surprise attack wouldn''t be able to reach me.


    Even if I had no idea what he was trying to do, I knew that he was trying to do something.


    PHANTOM MIRAGE!


    I cast shadow magic, walking as if swaying.


    The phantom stepped forward before me.


    It slipped through all of Reiji''s lightspeed sword attacks and arrived behind Reiji.


    Reiji had no idea what just happened since he was befuddled by the shadow passing him.


    After waiting for Reiji to turn around, I swung my sword at him.


    And just as I had expected, Reiji managed to catch the blow in the nick of time with both of his swords, getting blown away.


    Reiji, who got sent flying, braced his leg on the sand as the residual force of my blow sent him backward, leaving two long trails on the sand.


    He didn''t fall from that blow eh?


    Maybe I went too easy on him.


    I readied my sword again.


    But, Reiji didn''te to me again.


    Are you done?


    Yeah, that''s all


    After a momentary silence, Reiji shook his head as he returned his sword back into its sheath.


    Only then did I heave a sigh of relief.


    It seems he was satisfied with the result of our short shes.


    Bennu, who was flying above us, had also vanished. Maybe he was sent back to the spirit world.


    Meaning that it was safe for me to send Eclipse back too.


    The people around us looked dumbfoundedly in silence.


    TOTONA, I''VE FULFILLED MY PROMISE! I''LL RETURN IMMEDIATELY!


    I looked at Totona and told her so.


    My role in this mission, and trip to Gypseal had ended.


    There was no need to stay in this ce any longer.


    It''s time to return to Kuna''s side.


    Totona made a sad face when I told her so.


    But, the wise Totona should''ve understood my reason.


    I used return magic to return to Kuna''s side.


    Since we were currently outside of Gypseal''s barrier, the return magic should work fine.


    The space warped for a moment and then the next moment, I had already arrived inside the king''s private room of the sweet castle.


    Kuna, who was already sitting in the bed, greeted me upon seeing my return.


    She looked really delighted.


    Since Kuna was happy, I also felt happy in turn.


    I''m home, Kuna.


    Wee back Kuroki.


    I fell into the bed after I took off my armor.


    I was so exhausted.


    The process of taming Eclipse took most of my stamina.


    Since my affinity with the spirit was already bad to begin with, I forced him to surrender with brute force.


    And doing so drained most of my stamina.


    Sorry Kuna. Let me sleep a bit


    I understand, Kuroki. Come, Kuna will give you ap pillow.


    Kuna gave me ap pillow.


    Thus I ced my head on herp, and closed my eyes.


    Just like that, I felt my consciousness descend into afortable darkness called sleep.


    ===


    <b>ck Haired Sage; Chiyuki</b>


    Reiji returned to us after he fought that person, the Dark Knight.


    What''s the meaning of this, Reiji-kun?! He came to save Shirone-san you know!


    Come to think of it, for what reason did hee to Gypseal?


    It should be to save Shirone.


    And just a while ago, Rena formed a united front with him to save us.


    Even the fact that he helped Totona wasn''t strange.


    Since Totona wanted to save her big brother, the reason why they were working together was simply for mutual benefit.


    s, I had no idea who had asked who to form an alliance.


    Nevertheless, that was a trivial matter.


    Thanks to him we managed to get the scorpion god''s poison. Shirone-san could be saved with this.


    While it might be true that we had no reason to work with him, there was no need to fight him immediately.


    Sorry Chiyuki. But, this is a fight I can''t afford to back down from.


    Said Reiji as he let out a smile.


    What in the world with that meaningful smile?


    Are you by chance troubled about something, Reiji?


    Rena also came to greet Reiji.


    Totona was standing beside her with a vexed look on her face.


    Looking at the situation until now, she was obviously on bad terms with Rena.


    Maybe she didn''t want to be together with Rena.


    Yeah, sorry for making you worry about me, Rena.


    Reiji apologized to Rena.


    Rena came in a hurry since she was worrying about Reiji.


    Properly speaking, she didn''t trust his ability.


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 Chapter 134.2: Premonition in the Barren Wasteland

    Chapter 134.2: Premonition in the Barren Wastnd


    Hero of Light, and Rena!


    When I turned around, Sekhmetra had already arrived nearby.


    Harsesh and Nel also followed her.


    Unlike their usual merry attitude, they looked really docile right now.


    Both of them seemed to realize that this was one of the times when Sekhmetra got serious.


    It''s nice to meet you, Queen of the Lions.


    Rena greeted Sekhmetra.


    You really are as beautiful as the rumors say, no wonder Harsesh becamepletely entranced by you. Isn''t she even more beautiful than you, Ishtar?


    The air around Ishtar changed the moment Sekhmetra said so.


    Though she wasughing, her eyes were not.


    Oh my, may I ask what do you mean, Sekhmetra?


    It felt like sparks flew between those two.


    It was really obvious at a nce that Ishtar was unwilling to hand over the "Most Beautiful" title to anyone.


    I looked at the frightened Harsesh and Nel and offered my silent condolences to them.


    You''re wrong, Queen of Lions. I really am no match for Ishtar-sama''s beauty.


    Rena entered in between to act as the mediator between them.


    Ishtar''s menacing air calmed down when Rena entered as a mediator.


    I see. How modest of you, Rena. Well, let''s just say that you''re right. Now, Totona. I never expected that the strange person you brought with you is the Dark Knight in disguise. Nel, do you know about this?


    I''m sorry Dear mother.


    Nel lowered her head while apologizing.


    My apologies for keeping his identity a secret, Sekhmetra-sama. I''m the one who asked Nel to keep his identity a secret.


    Totona came forward and spoke for Nel.


    Honestly I was deceived by her too.


    I mean, who would have thought that person would disguise himself in such a funny attire?


    Humph, it''s no big deal, so both of you don''t have to worry about it. Not to mention I got the chance to see something really interesting in the end Such a monster has actually be Modes'' subordinate.


    Said Sekhmetra as sheughed merrily.


    Is that Dark Knight really such a monster? Looking at the fight from a while ago, he is obviously being overwhelmed by the hero''s attacks except for hisst blow.


    The catfolk attendants and the sphinxes nodded along with Harsesh''s remark.


    It did look like the Dark Knight was only defending against Reiji''s onught.


    But, I noticed that something was amiss.


    THIS IDIOT!


    Sekhmetra hit Harsesh''s head with a headchop.


    But why, aunty?


    Said Harsesh as he touched his head while looking at Sekhmetra with teary eyes.


    Where were you looking?! In the battle just now, the Dark Knight wasn''t just defending one-sidedly against the Hero of Light! Listen, four times! FOUR TIMES! Right, Hero?!


    Said Sekhmetra as she looked at Reiji.


    You''re wrong, Queen of Lions. It was five times.


    Five?! So it''s five huh! I missed one.


    Sekhmetra looked even more exasperated upon hearing Reiji''s answer.


    What did they mean by four and five?


    Reiji-kun. What''s that about four and five times?


    Reiji made a ratherplicated face when I asked that question.


    It''s the number of times Reiji couldve been cut down during that battle just now. By the way, I could only see three.


    Ishtar replied to my question instead of Reiji.


    When I looked at Reiji for confirmation, he didn''t deny it either. In short, Ishtar was right on the money.


    Honestly that was a shock.


    In short, are you telling me that the Dark Knight was pulling his punches during that battle? Is that true, Reiji-kun?


    Yeah, it''s just as Ishtar said. That guy went easy on me. He can kill me anytime he feels like it.


    Said Reiji frustatingly.


    I couldn''t really understand though.


    Understand now, Harsesh. You should at least train your little eyes. I''ll retrain you once we''re back.


    NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!


    Harsesh raised a scream.


    Well then, everyone. Shall we go back? And Ishtar, your group might have failed to take back the pyramid but you managed to destroy it. Will you join our banquet to celebrate your sess?


    Naturally. What about you, Rena-chan, Totona-chan, and Reiji?


    Rena shook her head.


    I have to go back to Elios immediately to finish the antidote. And the matter of Zarxis'' revival has to be reported immediately. Youe too, Totona. I have a lot of things I want to ask youter.


    Rena''s face darkened a bit as she spoke the second half of her sentence.


    I have nothing to tell you. But, I agree that we have to make the antidote as soon as possible. Chiyuki, let us handle the scorpion tail.


    Totona didn''t even flinch in front of Rena''s re.


    She asked me to hand over the tail without even looking at Rena.


    I entrusted the scorpion tail to her.


    Uhm Please share the antidote with us.


    No problem. I''ll give your portion to Rena after it is done, you can get it from her. Well then, Sekhmetra-sama, I''ll return. Nel, let''s y againter.


    Yeah,e to visit our ce again, Totona.


    See meow, Totonyan.


    Totona''s figure vanished with teleportation magic.


    I still had a lot of things I wanted to talk about with her.


    Somehow, I got the feeling that we can get along with each other.


    Well, I''ll be back too. Later, Reiji. Adieu, Queen of Lions.


    Yeah, please send my best regards to my husband. Things will get hectic now that Zarxis has revived.


    Rena didn''t say anything back to that.


    The Serpent Queen Diadona and the Reaper Zarxis seem to be the enemy of Elios.


    Properly speaking, things might get more hectic for Rena and co. Naturally, the same goes for us who were affiliated with her.


    Thus, Rena left along with her battle maiden.


    What shall we do now, Reiji-kun?


    Let''s go back too, Chiyuki. Everyone must be worrying about us. And I realized during this battle that I need more training.


    Reiji replied seriously when I asked him that question.


    It was a good thing that he became serious for once, but knowing the person he was trying to defeat created another headache for me.


    Still, Reiji putting in some effort was a good thing.


    I then remember the matter about Zarxis.


    That evil God was dangerous.


    I already felt that even during our first meeting in the underground tunnel of Rox Kingdom.


    Thus I wanted Reiji to be stronger.


    I felt something had changed.


    Just thinking about what was going to change alone was enough to send a shiver running down my spine.


    I really didn''t want to stay in this ce and risk the chance of meeting him again.


    Reiji was right, we should leave this ce as soon as possible.


    Everyone seemed to feel the same way.


    Thus, we bid our farewell to Gypseal.


    I looked at the windy desert for thest time as I pondered about such things.


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 Chapter 135.1: The Thought Within The Dream (Epilogue of Act 7 1)

    Chapter 135.1: The Thought Within The Dream (Epilogue of Act 7 1)


    <strong>Shirone''s Dream</strong>


    I entered Kuroki''s room without even bothering to knock on the door.


    Eh? Still fast asleep?


    I pondered as I entered his room.


    And just as I had expected, he was still sleeping.


    It was already eight in the morning.


    Even if today was a holiday, wasn''t he sleeping a bit too much?


    Not to mention that he rarely overslept like this.


    In fact, Kuroki had an extremely regted lifestyle.


    That''s why he often woke up in the morning even during the holidays.


    And yet, that diligent person had actually overslept today.


    I was curious about what made him oversleep, but let''s wake him up first.


    I approached his bed.


    Maybe because it was summer, Kuroki only wore a shirt and trunks.


    His thin nket was flipped up, exposing his toned and well defined muscles.


    It seems hes been training again.


    He still couldn''t ept his defeat against Reiji-kun.


    Well, I felt the same way after all.


    Even though I used to be stronger in the past


    No matter what I did, I had always been better than Kuroki.


    I remember the old days when I used to make Kuroki cry after beating him in the sword, sprinting, tree climbing, and other things.


    But if I had a match against the current Kuroki, I would lose for sure.


    That''s why I always felt bitter about it.


    I felt lonely now that the old, crybaby Kuroki had gone.


    Good grief, you left me in a sh


    Some part of me couldn''t ept Kuroki''s growth.


    The Kuroki I knew had always been the small, crybaby Kuroki.


    Then I looked at Kuroki''s lower-half.


    Kuroki''s big thingy peeked out from his trunk since the trunk wasn''t big enough.


    Especially this one ce, it didn''t have to grow at all. When it grew too big, it wasn''t cute at all.


    I pondered about this matter.


    Well, time to wake him up.


    KUROKI, WAKE UP!!!


    I shook Kuroki''s shoulder to wake him up.


    And yet, he didn''t show any sign of waking up.


    He promised to apany me to go shopping.


    We were going to buy the swimsuit that I was going to use at Reiji-kun''s vi.


    Chiyuki-san and Kyouka-san, the two beauties woulde too.


    That''s why I wanted to buy a swimsuit that wouldn''t embarrass me.


    KUROKI, WAKE UP ALREADY! YOU PROMISED TO HELP ME BUY A SWIMSUIT, I''LL EVEN WEAR IT IN FRONT OF YOU IF YOU WAKE UP NOW!


    The moment I said so, Kuroki''s lower-half twitched.


    And then, his eyes suddenly opened wide.


    MORNING, SHIRONE! I heard you saying that you''re going to wear the swimsuit you buy today in front of me, is that true?


    It was almost like a reflex.


    Yup, it was still the same old Kuroki.


    That part of him was still the same as before.


    LIKE HELL I''M GOING TO DO THAT! GOOD GRIEF! NOW WAKE UP!


    I heaved a sigh.


    Good grief, originally, I wanted to show him my figure when wearing a swimsuit, but I changed my mind after seeing Kuroki get overly excited.


    Kuroki then got down from the bed.


    He will wake up once he wakes up right?


    Eh? Wake up?


    There, my line of sight caught something.


    I got this feeling as if it was Kuroki who should wake up, not me.


    I heard voices calling me out from afar.


    This voice was Chiyuki-san''s voice.


    The others were Reiji-kun, Sahoko-san, Rino-chan, Nao-chan, Kyouka-san, and Kaya-san, all of them calling out my name.


    Aaah, that''s right


    I had to wake up.


    My consciousness gradually cleared up.


    The first thing I saw when I woke up was a white ceiling.


    It wasn''t my room in Japan.


    It was my room in another world.


    Chiyuki-san, who sat beside me, was looking at me with a worried face.


    SHIRONE-SAN! THANK GOODNESS YOU WOKE UP!


    Said Chiyuki as she looked at me with moist eyes.


    Is something wrong, Chiyuki-san?


    Chiyuki-san made a dumbfounded face the moment she heard that question.


    How could you ask if something is wrong Shirone-san?! You were poisoned by the Scorpion God and have been in aatose state until now! Everyone has been worrying about you!


    Those remarks left another shock in me.


    Come to think of it, I don''t remember what happened after we left the sweet castle.


    Yeah, Shirone. Weve been worrying about you non-stop since you did not get cured even after we used water magic on you. Well, at least you''ve woken up now.


    Reiji-kun said with a relieved look on his face.


    The others made the same kind of face.


    It seems I''ve made everyone worry about me.


    There was a specific antidote we had to get. Reiji-sama and Chiyuki-sama had to go through quite a dangerous adventure in Gypseal to get that antidote.


    Added Kaya-san.


    It seems I was really indebted to those two this time around.


    I see. Thank you Reiji-kun, Chiyuki-san.


    Reiji-kun seemed to be troubled by something when I thanked them.


    Rino-chan on the other hand was grinning ear to ear.


    Fufufu, you know, Shirone-san. The one who obtained the antidote is actually none other than your childhood friend.


    Said Rino-chan happily.


    I tilted in puzzlement upon hearing such a remark.


    Childhood friend? You mean, Kuroki?


    Wait a minute, what did she mean?


    Did that mean that Chiyuki-san and Reiji-kun weren''t the ones who got the antidote?


    Shirone-san, the truth is


    Nao-chan then exined the detailed situation.


    I have no idea where he heard about me being poisoned, but Kuroki seemed to have made his own move to get the antidote.


    In the end, he fought the Scorpion God who poisoned me, pulled his tail, and tore it off.


    I see. So Kuroki did it for me


    The very fact that Kuroki tried to save me warmed my heart.


    That''s a relief right, Shirone-san?


    Asked Sahoko-sanwhose huge stomach was prominentwith teary eyes.


    Sahoko-san was truly happy for me.


    Well, I feel happy indeed.


    Thank you, Sahoko-san.


    Kuroki did his best to save me.


    Yeah, Kuroki was kind after all.


    Too bad that Kuroki wasn''t here.


    Look, Kaya. I''m right about Kuroki-san being a gentleman. He''s not a beast like how you described him. He''s definitely someone I want to recruit to this ce.


    Kyouka-san nodded in agreement with me.


    I had no idea what she meant by "Beast" but I agreed with her about weing Kuroki to our group.


    Mdy, he dis save Shirone-sama. BUT, that person is definitely a dangerous beast inside. I''m against this.


    Said Kaya-san as she emphasized her opposition.


    This was quite a rare thing.


    I wonder what happened during my sleep?


    Kaya-san. I have to agree that Kuroki is a bit pervy, but he''s definitely not a dangerous person. You think so too right, Chiyuki-san?


    I asked so while looking at Chiyuki-san.


    Kuroki did his best to save me after all. And Chiyuki-san, who saw him first hand, would definitely agree with me.


    And yet, I saw Chiyuki-san sweating like a waterfall instead.


    Eeer, yeah, that beast might be dangerous. Especially with that WMD


    Chiyuki-san agreed with Kaya-san with an extremely troubled look on her face.


    Everyone was really surprised upon hearing that.


    I mean, her remark felt like a bolt out of the blue.


    She was the one who agreed to ept Kuroki before, after all.


    And yet, why did she change her vote now?


    What''s the matter, Chiyuki-san? You had agreed to let Kuroki join our group before, right? Why are you changing your opinion now? And what do you mean by WMD?


    I stood up and asked Chiyuki-san.


    And yet, Chiyuki-san replied to my answer with an awkward face instead.


    It''s nothing If I have to say The stimulus will definitely be over the top for me if hees to our group


    What do you mean?! Tell me Chiyuki-san! What happened to you?!


    I asked her as both of my hands pressed on her shoulders.


    And yet, Chiyuki-san kept avoiding my gaze without replying to my question.


    ===


    <b>Goddess of Knowledge and Book; Totona</b>


    Wee, my dear daughters.


    Faeria, our mother was smiling at us.


    Both Rena and I were sitting in front of our mother in the Heavenly Pce.


    There were various sweets and tea lined up in front of us.


    The desserts were sweet since they were made with a lot of cherries.


    It matched very well with the rose tea that gave out a really nice fragrance.


    Did something happen that made you call both of us today, Faeria-sama?


    Asked Rena elegantly as she smiled at mother.


    Sure enough, I wonder what made her call out to us today?


    I mean, my mother''s familiar just suddenly came to call me when I was spending my time in the library like usual.


    They just told me that my mother was calling for me.


    Since it would be troublesome if I ignored her call, I came to meet her, albeit unwillingly.


    And just when I had arrived at the Heavenly Pce, I met with Rena who had also just arrived.


    And I was really surprised by that unexpected meeting.


    I had never expected that Rena would be called along with me.


    Totona, Rena, I received news from Fana that Thors has woken up. It''s thanks to you two that he woke up. The reason I called you today is to express my gratitude to you two.


    Said my mother with a smile on her face.


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 Chapter 135.2: The Thought Within The Dream (Epilogue of Act 7 1)

    Chapter 135.2: The Thought Within The Dream (Epilogue of Act 7 1)


    I see, it really is a relief to see bg brother wake up.


    I heaved a sigh of relief.


    As expected of my big sister.


    My big sister Panacea was the goddess of medicinal nts and medicine.


    Though her skill was still a far cry from Archwitch Heqat, she was quite skilled enough to be treated as an expert by the other''s standards.


    She could create an antidote as long as she had the ingredient.


    This is only possible due to yourbination effort. That''s why thanks for the hard work.


    Said my mother as she bowed lightly at both of us.


    It seems she had no idea that I was borrowing Kuroki''s power, a Nargolian, to achieve this result.


    And Rena didn''t seem to tell our mother about that matter either.


    I wonder what she was trying to do.


    Well since Rena had also used the Dark Knight to save her hero of light, she had no say in this matter either.


    Maybe that was the reason why Rena didn''t tell her mother about that matter.


    No, Faeria-sama. I just helped a little bit in the end. I''m not involved in most of this matter.


    Said Rena, humbling herself.


    She put up the good girl''s act in front of her mother.


    No, Rena. Aren''t you rushing ahead since you''ve been worrying about Totona? It seems the rumor about the strained rtionship between you two isn''t true. Honestly, I''m really d to hear that.


    Mother was relieved as she spoke.


    Though both Rena and I are at loggerheads, we wouldn''t show that in front of Mother.


    That''s why Mother had never known about the real rtionship between Rena and me.


    You two are sisters. I hope you two can help each other in difficult situations.


    Said my mother while looking at Rena and me before she drank her tea.


    I unintentionally peeked at Rena.


    Rena had thisplicated look on her face. Maybe I also had the same kind of look right now.


    Honestly, we couldn''t help but feel awkward when she called us sister.


    Fufufu, well both of you have been together for a long time after all. I won''t be surprised if it turns out that both of you like the same man.


    Said mother joyfully while nibbling on the sweets.


    I almost jumped out of my seat and shouted "THAT CAN''T BE TRUE!" at my mother.


    I didn''t have a good impression of the hero of light at all.


    Well, I couldn''t refute the fact that he was handsome though.


    But for me, Kuroki was simply my type.


    Rather, I''mpletely in love with Kuroki.


    Not to mention that Kuroki won against Rena''s lover.


    The man who I love defeated the man whom Rena loves.


    It was something worth celebrating.


    Though I feel bad since it sounds like I''m using Kuroki to beat the cra*p of Rena''s lover, I didn''t lie about my love for him.


    He might think of me as a wicked woman if I told him about this.


    Honestly, now I couldn''t help but feel that I might be a scheming woman like Rena.


    I touched my abdomen as I pondered about such a matter.


    I felt my uterus warm up whenever I thought about Kuroki.


    I remember our wild night back in Gypseal.


    When I sent a sidelong nce at Rena, she did the same as me.


    Though she had this suspicious look on her face.


    <b>ck Haired Sage; Chiyuki</b>


    After somehow managing to escape from Shirone-san''s questioning, I was currently inside the library.


    I mean, like hell I could tell her that I saw her childhood friend''s WMD.


    That''s why let''s hide in this ce for now.


    In addition, I need to sort out the information that I managed to gather during our journey.


    I kept the information that I copied from the document in Gypseal in my purse.


    I heaved a long sigh upon reading that.


    What''s with the long face, Chiyuki-san?


    WOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH?!


    I almost jumped up from my chair when I heard someone suddenly ask me from behind.


    When I turned around, Nao had already been standing behind me.


    Nao-san, since when did you stand behind me?


    I''ve been arriving since a while ago though. So, is something the matter that makes you heave a sigh like that?


    Asked Nao as she peeped at the document in my hand.


    Ah, this you see, this is various documents that I gathered during my stay in Gypseal since I feel that we''recking the information. And yet, the more I read it, the more confused I became. That''s why I heaved a sigh.


    Something you''re about?


    Yes. Take this matter about GYpseal for example. I tried to look at it since there''s no reference to it in the Holy Republic of Lenaria.


    When I examined Holy Republic Lenaria to research its'' myth, I found absolutely nothing about Gypseal in it.


    Thus I gathered the document from Gypseal.


    So, how''s the result?


    I got even more confused than before. In Gypseal''s myth, this world is created by the pair of sibling gods, Ushas and Sekhmetra. Not to mention that there''s no record about Demon King Modes, Rena, or God King Oudith at all in there.


    Nao looked really surprised when I told her that.


    That sounds like a contradiction. If I''m not mistaken, the myth around this ce is the world created by the Elios gods right? What''s the meaning of this?


    That''s what I want to know. I tried to ask Ishtar about this matter and yet, she told me that she''s the one who created this world. Sounds like her usual teasing though.


    I was at my wit''s end when I recalled my conversation with Ishtar.


    In her case, she might simply didn''t care about the past.


    Not to mention that Ishtar had another moniker, the Goddess of Falsehood.


    As long as it was interesting, she didn''t care about the past.


    How about we try to get Rino-chan to join too when you speak with Ishtar again? She might be able to detect Ishtar''s lie.


    I shook my head upon hearing that proposal.


    I did consider such an option but, even Rino-san can''t do anything if the other party uses falsehood magic. I''m quite sure that Ishtar is more than capable of pulling off such a feat.


    Amongst Ishtar''s believers were people who were granted falsehood after all.


    Thus, it was only natural for her to be able to use that magic herself.


    Using falsehood magic would enable her to bypass lie detection.


    Rino could detect Ishtar''s lies if her magical power surpassed thetter, unfortunately, Ishtar''s magical power outstripped Rino by an overwhelming margin.


    Thus, Rino''s lie detection was useless against Ishtar.


    It makes you puzzled in which truth you have to believe eh?


    Agreed


    It was as Nao just said.


    Basically every side just making themselves look more superior than the other.


    It was like novel about conflicting testimony.


    It was a tough case since the testimony from both sides contradicting each others.


    Not to mention that this is the one that I carefully selected from others myth.


    Well, things ended up like this in the end.


    Both nao and I heaved a sigh.


    Yup. Well, there''s something I still don''t understand though.


    Said Nao as she touched her chin as if pondering about something.


    Thing that you don''t understand? Like what?


    Was there really something that she don''t understand?


    What do you mean by WMD? Shirone-san asked me to ask you this question a while ago.


    I almost slipped from my chair when I heard the most unexpected question.


    <b></b>


    <b>Goddess of Wisdom and Victory; Rena</b>


    I returned from the Heavenly Pce to my room.


    In the end, I hadn''t informed Faeria-sama about Kuroki and Totona''s rtionship.


    I mean, the situation back then ended up look like I used Kuroki to save Reiji.


    Moreover, I had no intention to approve Kuroki and Totona rtionship.


    Thus, I didn''t say anything to Faeria-sama.


    Not to mention that timid Totona could do something so audicious either. That was the reason why I didn''t do anything.


    So I told myself.


    Ma~!


    Upon entering my room, Kouki tottered to me immediately and then clung to my leg.


    Wee back, Rena-sama. It seems he know that you''reing back.


    Valkyrie Denobora who taking care of Kouki greeted me upon my return.


    Kouki had grown so big.


    It reached the point in which he couldn''t be raised in my pce anymore.


    I wanted to keep Kouki''s existence as a secret as much as possible.


    Though I feels bad for Kouki for doing this, I had to give him into custody somewhere.


    Problem being where should I give him into the custody?


    His father, Kuroki''s ce? That''s a big no! Kouki might ended up bing the Dark Knight instead.


    So where?


    I guess that ce is the only choice.


    The human country made by Reiji and Chiyuki, Eld.


    Let''s give Kouki into the custody of my temple which built in there.


    Kouki who inherit my blood was really powerful after all. That''s why he would stand out in a normal human country.


    But, he wouldn''t stand out if he was ced near Reiji and co who was abnormally powerful.


    I embraced Kouki as I thought about such thing.


    Kouki look really happy when I did so.


    You have to be patient Kouki, you''re a strong child after all. Be a splendid knight to protect mama.


    I smiled to Kouki as I told him so.


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 Chapter 136: Thoughts Inside of The Darkness (Act 7 Epilogue 2)

    Chapter 136: Thoughts Inside of The Darkness (Act 7 Epilogue 2)


    <b>Death God; Zarxis</b>


    I felt something approaching as I was meditating inside the darkness.


    Diadona, eh? What happened to Dahark and Giltar?


    Diadona was supposed to be looking at the injured Giltar and Dahark.


    Considering our battle in the near future, it would be for the best to have as much power as possible for the war.


    Those two still had a long way to go and were rather inexperienced, but we still needed their strength.


    That''s why Diadona was looking after them.


    There''s no problem with Dahark except the fact that he feels bitter about not being able to fight the Dark Knight. The problem is Giltar. Though his tail has recovered, the same can''t be said with his heart, the Dark Knight smashed his heart to pieces that day, Giltar can''t be relied on as a potential for war again.


    I see I want to have as many allies as possible, but it''s truly an unfortunate situation.


    Giltar was quite a powerful evil god.


    That''s why it really was a huge blow to lose him.


    Sure enough. And, speaking of potential for war, how''s your new body, Zarxis? Can I rely on your power?


    Asked Diadona.


    Not yet. I have yet to return to my prime. But, just give me some time and I''ll be back to my peak.


    I see, I''ll be waiting for that moment, Zarxis.


    Iughed along with Diadona.


    The darkness ising.


    ===


    <b>Demon King; Modes</b>


    I received a report inside the darkness.


    I see. Zarxis regained his original power, huh.


    The altar room in which I enshrined my deceased mother was dark without a speck of light since my mother hated bright ces.


    I received a report from Loughas in front of that altar.


    I felt an ominous premonition when I heard the contents of the report, it told me that an unpleasant fe had regained his power.


    I don''t think he''s foolish enough to think about taking revenge on Your Majesty but, just to be sure, I''ll collect more information about Zarxis.


    Loughas bowed as he reported this matter in the altar room.


    The one who incapacitated Zarxis in the past was me, Modes.


    We fought, and I literally crushed him.


    s, Zarxis didn''t die despite losing his power.


    Now that he regained his power, he must be thinking about taking revenge on me.


    There''s a possibility of him targeting this Modes, and the other fes who betrayed mother


    But Your Majesty, the world will be destroyed if he does that. Personally, I know that following Your Majesty that day was the correct choice.


    I see Thank you, Loughas.


    Loughas was trying to make me feel better.


    Still, we have no idea what the people who follow Diadona and co are trying to do. As for Diadona and Zarxis, it must be something along the lines of the world''s destruction.


    Destruction? Those who follow Diadona don''t seem to realize that. Poor fes.


    Safe for a few sharp ones, probably most of the Gods who joined Diadona''s faction were tricked by her.


    She probably used some sort of bait to lure them into her faction.


    Well, those fes were the kind of people who moved based on their lust after all.


    And then, it reminded me of Mona again.


    Will Diadona allow Mona''s existence?


    I don''t think she would allow Mona''s existence


    Given the choice, I really wouldnt choose to fight her, but


    I muttered while looking at the altar.


    The darkness ising.


    <b>Dancer, Sienna</b>


    An extremely ugly man was hanging on a rope inside a dark room.


    Fufufu, Goz. I never expected that we would meet again in this ce.


    Standing in front of that man was Regena-san whoughed eerily with a whip in her hands.


    The rope binding the man''s body in a turtle shell-like pattern.


    The man whose mouth was gagged was moaning painfully.


    His name was Goz.


    Though he was quite powerful, he was still far from Regena-san, a Melusine (Dragon Woman) who instantly overpowered him and captured him.


    This Goz person seemed to be an old acquaintance of Regena-san.


    But looking at Regena-san''s face, I guess it wasn''t a good rtionship.


    What happened between them I wonder?


    From Regena-san''s expression, it seems to be something that was better left unsaid.


    This ce was the basement of Regena-san''s mansion in the Republic of Ariadya.


    The only thing that illuminated the dark room was the light from the small candle, the light illuminated the figure of a beautiful woman and an ugly man.


    This spectacle sounded like an impossible situation.


    Too bad, Goz. There''s a magic mark left in your body. Don''t expect that you can escape from us. Honestly, I''m quite surprised that Master asked me to capture you when you came to this ce.


    Said Regena-san as sheshed her whip at Goz''s body.


    U~HM!


    Goz raised a shriek.


    U~hm, Regena-san?


    Unable to endure it anymore, I called Regena-san.


    I mean, the current Regena-san was scary.


    Is something the matter, Sienna-san?


    Asked Regena-san as she looked at me.


    Her eyes, it was the eyes of an insane person.


    No, it''s nothing.


    I ended up swallowing the thing that I wanted to say since she was so scary!


    Thus, Regena-san looked at Goz again.


    Fufufu, Goz. Since I was asked to spare your life, I won''t kill you. But, I''ll make you taste hell on earth until you get sent back to Nargol. I learnt from Sienna-san the way to torture you without having to kill you after all. Right, Sienna-san?


    I nodded upon hearing Regena-san''s question.


    Yeah, he won''t die Maybe.


    In the first ce, I was the one who taught Regena-san all about torture after all.


    The truth is, I received an order from Kuna-sama to gather all the teaching material of pleasure techniques taught to Ishtar''s priest.


    And for some reason, a material about torture was mixed in among them.


    At first the letter was blurry and so hard to read but, looking at the illustration, I had a rough guess that it was something rted to torture.


    Regena asked me to teach her how to inflict pain without having to kill Goz.


    Is it really okay to send this material to Kuna-sama without any confirmation first?


    That was what I felt.


    Fufufu, is it painful, Goz? Too bad, we''re far from over.


    Regena then took the candle.


    The candle was something that I took out from the warehouse of Ishtars temple along with the rope and whip.


    The items seem to be made from special materials which could inflict pain without hurting the target.


    There won''t be a scalding wound since this candle melts at a low temperature. But, youll still feel the pain.


    After taking the candle, Regena lit it up and dripped the wax on Goz''s body.


    Goz twisted his body, groaning in pain.


    And yet, why did Goz look as if he enjoyed it so much?


    I mean, his ugly face clearly looked delighted.


    His already ugly face became even uglier than before to the point that I couldn''t bear to see it anymore.


    Hahahaha!


    Regena-san brandished her whip while dripping the wax on Goz.


    Goz raised a pained scream with an entranced face.


    What was this feeling I wonder? It felt as if he just opened a door to a new world.


    The darkness ising.


    <b>Dark Knight; Kuroki</b>


    Kuroki, Shirone seems to have woken up.


    I received such a report from Kuna in the sweet castle.


    Kuna got that information from Rena.


    Thus, she told me about the current condition of Shirone.


    I see Thanks, Kuna.


    I only gave such a short reply. I tried to suppress my delight in front of her.


    Still, I was really d that Shirone was safe.


    It was enough for me to know that she was alright. There was no need to visit her ce.


    By the way, Kuroki. You know right?.


    Kuna looked up to me, eyes filled with expectation.


    Of course I know, My Dear. Well then, there you go, Mdy.


    I took Kuna''s hand as I guided her to sit in the chair.


    Today, I would be Kuna''s butler for the entire day. In short, I had to follow her orders for the entire day.


    That was my punishment for making Kuna feel so lonely.


    Naturally, she didn''t order me to do this either.


    It was a role y. Kuna was the princess, and I was her butler.


    And yet, I still had no idea what a butler was supposed to do. Could I really y this role?


    Uhm, it''s not bitter.


    Said Kuna with a delighted look on her face.


    I felt relieved upon seeing that look on her.


    I was just happy that she appreciated my crude work.


    I once again felt grateful for having something really important.


    Well then, my princess. Heres the Nepenthes tea.


    I brewed the prepared tea.


    Nepenthes was something that I bought from Gypseal.


    Its fragrance filled the room.


    Kuroki, sit by my side.


    Eh? Are you sure?


    I don''t think a butler was allowed to do this.


    I don''t mind, Kuroki. Kuna herself wished for it.


    Said Kuna as she smiled at me.


    But then, I guess I had no choice but to follow her order.


    After sitting in my chair, Kuna wasted no time to sit on myp.


    Kuna?


    Yup, it''s no big deal even without a butler. Let''s have some tea together, Kuroki.


    Said Kuna as she leaned her head on my chest.


    I could feel her soft and plump butt.


    They were soft and really bouncy.


    Jack O Lantern. Make tea for Kuroki too.


    Right away, Kuna-sama!!


    Upon receiving Kuna''s order, a few flying kabochi with will-o-wisp inside them replied to her.


    Kabochi was a native fruit from Nargol which resembled the pumpkins on earth.


    They were sweet and delicious even by simply boiling or grilling them, but they were also the ingredients for sweets.


    In addition, these kabochis had spiritual power too, they could hold a life sealed within in the form of will-o-wisp.


    And they could be made into jack onterns by giving them the scarecrow form.


    This jack ontern was the new power that Kuna learned from Heqat.


    Moreover, Kuna gave him doll attire and turned him into her attendant.


    Still, whenever I saw jack onterns in the sweet castle, the first thing that came into my mind was a horror house.


    The jack ontern then started making tea while floating in the air.


    Then, another jack ontern came with sweets made from kabochi.


    Kuroki. A~n.


    Kuna opened her mouth.


    There you go, Kuna.


    I took the kabochi sweets and then fed them to Kuna.


    Uhm, it''s delicious, Kuroki.


    Said Kuna with a delighted smile on her face.


    Seeing that smile, I couldn''t help but smile too.


    I felt something warm burst forth from my chest.


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 Chapter 137.1: The Great Sage

    Chapter 137.1: The Great Sage


    <strong>Act 8: Death Capital of Phantom</strong>


    <strong>Wandering Knight, Renber</strong>


    Most of thend of Vandohl was a spacious in.


    Since it was an open field, goblins who hated bright ces rarely lived in this ce.


    But, even though the only ones who couldnt live there were goblins, it didn''t change the fact that it was also an unsuitable ce for humans to live in.


    The ce that faced Azimid bay was inhabited by lizardmen and toadmen, as for the other side, it was inhabited by tribes such as centaurs, wolfmen, or other fanged kins.


    They were the tribes that were hostile to humans. That''s why those who lived in Vandohl couldn''t live in peace.


    The ce where Nimyu and I were heading to was none other than Vandohl.


    We were about to arrive at our destination.


    There were so many peopleing and going along the road, all of them walking along this road for various reasons. And every single one of them was walking toward a certain direction.


    I squinted my eyes to look at our destination from atop the hill.


    Our destination was the country built by the hero, Reiji-sama, Eld.


    Is that the country built by hero-sama and co? Looks like a really nice ce.


    I unintentionally muttered such praise. Everything was good, except for the location.


    Though they founded a country, the best ce to build it would have been a hill, the most suitable ce forplete defense.


    Most countries here were built onrge hills. Then, a rampart was added around the border to strengthen the country''s defense.


    My birthce, Rox Kingdom, was also a country built with that concept.


    Recently, many citizens built their homes below the cliff, but from the very beginning, atop a cliff wasn''t the only ce for humans to live.


    And yet, Eld was built on top of a in. The only ce built on top of the hill seemed to be the pce where the hero-sama lived.


    Moreover, the pce was small. That pce wouldn''t be enough to house the citizens during an emergency situation.


    In short, this ce had poor defense.


    Moreover, they didn''t seem to have the intention to build a rampart.


    This ce would be an easy target for a flock of goblins if it werent for the fact that it was a in filled with sunlight.


    Yet, it was still quite a dangerous ce.


    That or the hero-sama and co had already prepared another defensive measure.


    If that was the case, it must be a thorough n.


    Still, knowing their amazing power, this ce must be safe even without a rampart.


    That safety factor alone might be what drives many people to go to Eld.


    The country seems to have many citizens but it''s still shabby. Renber, are you sure that this is the country built by the hero who Rena-sama loves?


    Asked Nimyu with a frown on her face.


    Nimyu was a naiad of the water elf species.


    We met along the way by coincidence and have been traveling together ever since then.


    I felt so lucky to be able to travel together with a beauty like her, albeit maybe, just temporarily.


    And the beauty of the elven race was famous for their eternal youth.


    I think the country hasn''t stabilized yet.


    I replied to her.


    I could see that the citizens houses were still a mish-mash of clutter even from here.


    It seems the maintenance of the road was quite dyed too.


    If my source of information was correct, this state was natural since it hadn''t been that long since the founding of Eld country.


    Oh whatever. Let''s go. I have to report to the Princess.


    Said Nimyu as she pulled my arm.


    Her light blue hair was swaying along with the wind.


    She was a citizen of an elf country which was located deep in the forest at the bottom of the sacred Elios mountain.


    The reason why she came out from the forest seems to be to survey the hero-sama''s country.


    ording to her, the high-elf princess she works for seems to be curious about the country made by the hero-sama.


    That''s why she was dispatched as the princess'' scout.


    It seems she only came to see the general situation and wouldn''te to meet hero-sama and co.


    Well, that was exactly the reason why I apanied her.


    Honestly speaking, I didn''t want to meet them either.


    Ah, wait, Nimyu!


    I stopped.


    Nimyu turned around with a curious face as if to ask why I stopped.


    Is something the matter, Renber?


    Maybe it''s better if you hide your face. The public order seems to be quite bad after all.


    I was in charge of the public order before, so I knew at a nce that the public order here was still quite bad. It was already obvious even by looking from afar.


    Don''t worry about that, Renber. I won''t lose to the likes of humans.


    Said Nimyu as she touched the handle of the sword hung on her waist.


    Yeah, I knew that Nimyu was strong. She could use water magic, and her swordcraft was far stronger than mine.


    Still, we should at least try to avoid trouble.


    There was also the fact that Nimyu was looking down on humans, who of course had a shorter lifespan.


    Her impression on human women was even more severe, she said that they''re just poor creatures who would wither immediately.


    This side of her had caused a lot of trouble.


    It had only been a while since we traveled together and yet, I''ve seen her causing a scene for the same reason quite a few times.


    Still, I had no idea why Nimyu was still traveling with me.


    In the first ce, she didn''t seem to look down on me.


    That''s why I got even more confused.


    Nimyu clung to my left arm and forced me to walk along.


    I heaved a sigh and left with no choice but to match my pace with hers.


    ===


    <strong>ck Haired Sage; Chiyuki</strong>


    More than thirty days had passed since Shirone-san woke up from hera.


    Though Shirone-san wanted to go to his ce right after waking up, we fortunately managed to stop her for now. Thats because the Silver Witch by his side seemed to regard us as enemies.


    Moreover, there was split opinion about him in our group.


    Reiji aside, Kaya seemed to regard him as an enemy of her parents.


    The reason seems to be rted to Kyouka who yearned for him.


    Kaya seems to be unable to ept that.


    In short, it sounds like a petty reason.


    Still, Kaya was the one who stayed by Kyouka''s side for the longest.


    Thus, she might exclude just everyone else.


    Kaya seemed to be worried about what a man could do, while also trying to make Kyouka understand how to deal with a man.


    Well, Kaya''s feelings seem to be quiteplicated.


    Kaya''s rejection of him had only been strengthened by Sahoko, who still held a grudge against him for almost killing Reiji back then.


    I also voted my ballot against himing, albeit for apletely different reason.


    Thus, we postponed the matter of taking him to our side.


    I mean, how would I face him if seeing him again would always remind me of his WMD?


    Moreover, with the increasing number of citizens in our country, we had no choice but to focus on this matter for now.


    In addition, there was also the matter of Zarxis that had been weighing on my mind, but it seemed that not even Rena could detect histest movements, thus we had no choice but to wait.


    As a result, days passed with us never taking a step out of Eld to stabilize the internal situation of our kingdom.


    I met a certain guest in the parlor room on a certain day.


    It''s been a while, ck Haired Sage, Chiyuki-dono.


    Said the old man who stood before me.


    No matter how you look at it, the old man''s attire defined him as a sorcerer.


    A ck robe a hat with arge brim, and a long white beard.


    Anyone who saw him would recognize him as a sorcerer.


    Well, that was right. Not to mention that he was the sorcerer among sorcerers.


    Long time no see great sage, master Magius. Wee to Eld.


    I bowed lightly at him.


    The great sage Magius.


    That was the name of this old man.


    He was the honorary chairman of the Magicians Association, the moderator of the wise mens assembly and the decision maker.


    The representative of the Magicians Association was the chairman, who was appointed in the wise mens assembly. Yet, this man''s words held more weight than the appointed chairman.


    In short, he was the actual representative of the Magicians Association.


    This was my second time meeting this Great Sage.


    He requested to see the kingdom that we built.


    The reason is to see what kind of people lived in the kingdom built by the hero.


    Since he was my guest, only I could wee him in this parlor room.


    This is our second meeting, Chiyuki-dono. The first time is when I awarded you with the sage title, right?


    Said Magius whilebing his long, white beard.


    Yes. Thank you very much for your rmendation.


    I expressed my gratitude to him, the one who rmended for me to receive the title of sage.


    Sage was a title for someone with an abundance of knowledge, it was also the greatest title for sorcerers who belonged to the Magicians Association.


    Still, the one who received the sage title had the duty and privilege to attend the wise mens assembly and had to contribute to the development of the Magician Association.


    When we had juste to this world, I joined the branch of the Magicians Association in the Holy Republic of Lenaria to learn more about this world and was awarded the title of sage a while after that.


    Though I was confused at first, I knewter that it was due to the rmendation of a Great Sage.


    I tried to ask for the reason since I don''t remember making any particr contribution but then I was told that my transcendental amount of magical power was the reason.


    I had no idea whether he was telling the truth though.


    Still, there was no disadvantage in having such a title.


    Spare me the gratitude, Chiyuki-dono. That matter aside, I find that this kingdom, Eld, is a really interesting one. On top of making a kingdom in a ce with poor defense, are you still nning to expand this kingdom?


    Asked Magius as he looked at me.


    It seems this old man had seen through my intentions.


    That''s right. The reason we built it on a even in is to make it easier to expand the size of the kingdom.


    In this world, there must be a lot of considerations when someone wants to build a kingdom.


    The first and most important thing was the defense.


    In this world that was overflowing with monsters, the top of the hill, which made defense easier, was the best choice to build a kingdom.


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 Chapter 137.2: The Great Sage

    Chapter 137.2: The Great Sage


    Naturally, the surrounding area must be taken into consideration too.


    That was the reason why most people chose the plot ofnd that was easy to defend when they built a country.


    If theyck manpower, they use a thick rampart to stop the monsters from attacking the country.


    But since a ce that was easy to defend was rarely avable, the same went for humans living spaces.


    This was also the reason why a country''s expansion rarely happened.


    But, we''re strong. We had no problems defending the country even in ces deemed unsuitable for humans to live in.


    Thus, we choose a ce with convenient ess to roads to build our kingdom.


    That''s truly a bold decision indeed. The part that youck will be supplemented by the hero''s power. As expected of the Herald of Golden Dawn. A feat that only hero-dono and co could aplish. I''m really d that I came to visit this time. I guess your kingdom will develop rapidly.


    Said Magius with a smile on his face.


    Herald of the Golden Dawn, that was one of Reiji''s monikers.


    In the legend, the golden era for humanity was the era before the Demon King unleashed the monsters into the world.


    And Reiji was hailed as the savior who would restore the golden era of humanity.


    s, I couldn''t smile upon hearing that.


    No, there''s no such thing. The truth is, we''re trying to do some remation in one part of marsnd to turn it into agriculturend, but we ended up provoking the ire of the lizardmen who live there.


    Eld was built on thend that we got for our achievement in exterminating the demon beast Peluda, who used to rule the marsnd.


    The marsnd''s location happened to be near the territory ruled by Peluda.


    Thus, we decided to reim that marsnd and turn it into an agricultural area.


    But, our action incited the wrath of the lizardmen in Vandohl.


    That marsnd turned out to be a holy ce for the blue-scaled lizardmen in Vandohl.


    We thought it shouldn''t be a big deal if we used only part of it, but we underestimated the lizardmen''s faith.


    I see. Such problems happen quite often.


    Yes, as much as we don''t want to ept it, it happens quite often.


    Humans weren''t the only intellectual creatures in this world.


    There were many other intellectual creatures with different ecologies than humans.


    When a human tries to change the environment to the one most suited to them, they will meet resistance.


    When they clear the forest to make cultivatednds, the one living in the forest would resist.


    When they try to reim the marsnd, the one who lives there would be their enemy.


    And the humans called them monsters.


    Though we also called them monsters until just a while ago, I decided to change my train of thought a bit and look from another perspective.


    But, you might meet an even greater resistance this time. The lizardmen who live in this area worship Azimid after all. If something goes wrong, Azimid, or their dragon subordinate mighte out to wreak havoc. And many people might die if the battle bes arge-scale battle


    Said Magius as he frowned.


    The lizardmen of thisnd might offer a sacrifice to ask for the assistance of the Blue Dragon Azimid.


    Azimid was the name of the dragon who had been living for a really long time, they were the dragon closest to the Sea Dragon King of Blue Scale.


    We might be able to defeat Azimid. But, we might only be able to barely hold our ground against the Dragon King who is said to have powersparable to god.


    Not to mention that each high-lizardman and dragon were much stronger than humans.


    We might suffer a huge amount of damage if both Azimid and his dragon minionse.


    Yes, there are such possibilities. In this situation, I honestly have no idea when the golden dawn wille.


    I see, that''s a difficult situation indeed.


    Said Magius as hebed his beard, nodding in satisfaction.


    Master Magius. I have a question I''ve been wanting to ask, may you answer it?


    I tried to change the topic.


    Hou. What might it be? I''ll do the best within my ability to answer your question.


    Thank you, Master Magius. Here''s my question. Did the golden dawn in the myth exist?


    Magius'' eyes opened wide upon hearing my question.


    What makes you think so, Chiyuki-dono? The priest of Oudith-sama might call you a heretic if they hear you asking me that question.


    Said Magius with a worried look on his face.


    Indeed. If the priest of Oudith, who believed in that myth, heard me ask this question, they might send a witch hunter to hunt me down.


    But, I wanted to know the answer to this question no matter what.


    I thought of this question just recently. I mean, thisnd was ruled by humans before the demon king unleashed monsters into thisnd, there are too many odd parts in this myth. The humans of the past don''t seem to think about regaining the golden era.


    In the first ce, the part about the Demon King unleashing the monsters itself was already suspicious enough.


    Take the lizardmen for example.


    The priest of Oudith included the lizardmen in the list of monsters.


    And yet, the lizardmen themselves weren''t worshiping the Demon King.


    The one they worshiped was the dragon.


    Thus, it became inconsistent with the part about the Demon King unleashing the monsters.


    Even when I was researching the literature just to be sure, I found records that the lizardmen had already been living in thisnd far before humans.


    Not to mention that the golden age of humanity itself was already suspicious enough.


    Could it be that humans never actually ruled this world?


    If they really used to rule this world, there should be some ruin left from their golden age and yet, there was nothing like that.


    Not even a trace of the destruction could be found if such ruins did exist.


    In short, there were way too many suspicious parts in that myth.


    And my suspicion went even further up after my visit to Gypseal.


    Even the beastmen in there seem to have been living in that ce long before the humans there.


    I told Magius the result of the research so far.


    I see Well, that''s a sound argument.


    Muttered Magius as he nodded with a satisfied smile.


    I cocked my head upon seeing him acting like that.


    He was someone hailed as the great sage of humankind after all. There was no way someone like him wouldn''t notice something that I, who just came into this world a few years ago, had noticed?


    Have you ever had the same doubts about this matter, master Magius?


    Magius shook his head to answer my question.


    I also never thought that something like the golden age had ever existed. In the first ce, that myth only appeared sometime around 400 years ago. Such a myth has never existed before that, Chiyuki-dono.


    Eh?!


    The information he revealed to me was too mind-blowing.


    Magius continued on without caring about my reaction.


    I don''t know who created that myth. But I can say for sure that it''s not Oudith-sama''s religion or Rena-sama''s religion. They just helped to propagate that myth since it''s more convenient to them. That''s why it isn''t bizarre for their great priest to acknowledge that myth officially. And the result is as you can see, everyone in this era does not doubt this myth.


    What a surprising fact.


    I heard that the great sage Magius had been living for 800 years. Not to mention that he was also the founder of the Magicians Association.


    That''s why the fact that he knew about the event from 400 years ago wasn''t a big deal.


    Still, I had never expected that the myth about the golden age had never existed 400 years ago.


    And if that wasn''t spread by the religious organization, it means that Rena and the other gods had nothing to do with this matter.


    Rena herself had never told me about the golden age.


    So that''s the case Are you not going to spread the truth, master Magius?


    Why should I do that, Chiyuki-dono? That myth gives everyone hope for living.


    Said Magius as he looked at me whilebing his long beard.


    Yeah, that would be a good story for everyone.


    In the first ce, without the myth about the golden age, humans were nothing more than an invaders who cameter.


    There was no way they would be willing to give some space to the monsters if I told them that they wereters.


    That''s


    I was at a loss for words.


    You can''t express it with your words. Hero-sama is fighting to regain the golden age. Let''s just leave it as it is. Let the humans living in this ce praise Hero-dono.


    Magius concluded the matter for me.


    In the first ce, this kingdom was built after we exterminated Peluda.


    Many humans celebrated the founding of our kingdom since ording to their understanding, they just reimed something that had belonged to them before.


    We weren''t too happy that the people were praising us.


    But now that I understand the real situation, I wasn''t too pleased with their praise.


    That moment.


    Someone knocked on the door of the parlor room.


    CHIYUKI-SAMA, WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY! THERE''S A DRAGON! A BLUE DRAGON HEADING TOWARD THIS PLACE! PLEASE COME QUICKLY WITH REIJI-SAMA!


    The owner of that voice was the maid who worked under Kaya.


    And yes, it was truly an emergency situation.


    Since she said it was a blue dragon, the one who came might be Azimid.


    Understood! I''ll be right there! My apologies for the inconvenience, master Magius. We seem to have an emergency at hand, may I leave you for a while?


    Go, Chiyuki-dono. Azimid seems to being to attack this kingdom. In my personal opinion, it will be for the best if you do not kill them. But of course, that''spletely dependent on Hero-dono.


    I knew what Magius was trying to say.


    Killing Azimid would make us the enemy of the Dragon King. That was something that I wanted to avoid at all cost.


    I understand, master Magius. We will try to drive them out of this ce.


    I left the room as I spoke.


    There were so many things to think about.


    But, I had no time to think about it now.


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 Chapter 138.1: Gods of Nargol

    Chapter 138.1: Gods of Nargol


    <strong>Dark Knight; Kuroki</strong>


    I walked along the corridor of the Demon Kings castle, led by a courtdy from the Empusa race.


    The corridor was huge, enough for a giant to walk in.


    Maybe this corridor was made while taking into consideration giant-sized creatures.


    Anyhow, Modes did have some friends whose height surpassed ten meters.


    That might be the real reason why the corridor was made so big.


    Finally, we arrived in front of a huge gate.


    That gate was also made in ordance with a giant''s size.


    Come in, Your Excellency. His Majesty is waiting inside.


    The Empusa courtdy opened the gate and bowed at me while showing the way to go in.


    Naturally, on the other side of the door was also an extremely spacious hall, possibly the biggest room in the Demon Kings castle.


    The hall was really bright thanks to the multi-coloured gems inside.


    I walked into that spacious hall.


    Wee, Kuroki. Now everyone is finally present.


    Demon King Modes greeted me as soon as I entered the hall.


    Other than Modes, there was the leader of the Chivalric Order of Dark Knights Runfeld, the cksmith God Heibos, the Archwitch Heqat, and prime minister Loughas.


    There were other grotesque-looking people too.


    Those grotesque-looking people were of a divine race. They were the Gods of Nargol who allied themselves with Demon King Modes.


    The meeting of the Gods was about to begin.


    That''s why there was only the divine race in this hall, or those with a power that rivaled that of the divine race.


    That''s why Heibos who affiliated himself with both Nargol and Elios was also attending this meeting.


    Runfeld wasn''t a member of the divine race but he had powerparable to that of the divine race.


    And these people were members of the divine race but they were more considered as Modes''rades.


    Except for Loughas, everyone wasn''t Modes'' subordinate.


    That''s why Modes couldn''t order them either.


    Heqat was a prime example of that. Being his nanny, Modes could never bring himself to order Heqat.


    Modes was only the leader of the alliance, he had no control over them, the only thing he could do was call them for a meeting.


    This seems to be the same case as Elios, Oudith only led Elios but he had no full authority over it.


    Long time no see~, master Kuroki!


    A short timeter, Polen, the princess of Nargol, rushed at me as soon as she entered the hall.


    It seems she has yet to master her transformation ability.


    Long time no see, Your Highness. Are you going to attend the meeting too?


    Yes, master. Dear Father said that it''s about the time for me to attend the meeting, he also said that I cane as the representative of Dear Mother.


    Come to think of it, I didn''t see Mona''s figure in this hall.


    It seems she didn''t attend this meeting.


    Well, I think I could understand the reason though.


    Polen was looking around restlessly as if looking for someone who might be hiding around me.


    Master, is Kuna-shishou not going to attend this meeting?


    Asked Polen while cocking her head.


    Yeah, Kuna won''te.


    Kuna was also considered a part of the divine race who belonged to Nargol.


    Meaning that she could attend this meeting too.


    But, maybe because she didn''t feel like it, she chose to stay in the sweet castle.


    I see. Too bad. It''s been quite a while since Ive seen her after all.


    Said Polen with a rather dejected voice.


    For some reason, Polen held Kuna in high regard. s, Kuna didnt seem to care about that.


    Not that I could tell Polen about that fact.


    While I was talking to Polen, a giant figure suddenly cast a shadow upon me.


    When I looked up, there was a figure of a giant merman over six meters tall.


    That merman was fat and his belly was protruding.


    The merman wasughing while looking down at us.


    This is our second meeting, Dark Knight. Do you remember me? I''m Draugon.


    The Sea God Draugon.


    That was the name of the giant merman before me. And yes, this was our second meeting.


    He was one of Modes'' friends.


    Draugon was looking at us while scratching his stomach.


    He didnt live in Nargol, he lived in the Saird inlet, in the far west.


    It seems he came all the way to Nargol to attend the meeting.


    And then, Draugon also started looking around as if trying to find someone hiding nearby.


    What''s wrong I wonder?


    Yes, long time no see Draugon-dono. Is something the matter? Why are you looking around too?


    Well, I was just wondering where the beauty that alwayses with you is.


    I see, so the real reason he came to greet me was to see Kuna.


    A~h. I see Kuna can''te this time.


    Hearing that, Draugon looked up while covering his face with his hand.


    Kuha~! I see! Too bad then! Mona isn''t attending the meeting too! There''s not enough flowers here!


    Said Draugon with a dejected voice.


    Polen was ring at him from the side.


    I''m surprised to see that most male Gods were also making the same dejected face as Draugon.


    In fact, these male Gods were the main reason why Kuna didn''t want to attend the meeting. The same reason might be applied to Mona.


    But of course, not that I could tell them about this matter.


    That''s a rude statement, Draugon-sama. If you''re talking about flowers, there''s Heqat-sama and me.


    The Empusa courtdy interrupted us upon hearing our conversation.


    The Empusa empress, otherwise known as Enshema, was none other than this chief courtdy, who was also the subordinate of the Archwitch Heqat.


    Though she wasn''t exactly a member of the divine race, she attended the meeting with the same reason as Runfeld.


    Eh? Ah, you''re right. My bad,dy Enshema.


    Draugon''s attitude suddenly turned 180.


    No matter how I looked at it, he was clearly glossing over it.


    Though Enshema did appear to be a beautiful woman, I heard that her real form was that of a bronze legged, giant female praying mantis.


    I had yet to see her real appearance, but I guess it was truly terrifying.


    Despite calling herself a flower, her thorns contained extremely deadly poison.


    But still, most Gods here were male.


    To begin with, the Goddesses who affiliated themselves with Modes were already small in number.


    In fact, Gypseal''s side had a lot more Goddesses than Nargol.


    Well that matter aside, the only women who attended this meeting were Polen, Heqat, and Enshema.


    There was also the Goddess of the valley, Mumy, the daughter of the Goddess of Mountains and the God of Trolls.


    Mumy was the Goddess who was revered by the trolls, she was called the greendy due to the moss that covered her body.


    She was truly a gentledy, and many of her troll subordinates were gentle by nature.


    Well, not that I care about it though.


    Enshema turned around as she spoke as if she wasn''t interested in the first ce.


    Seeing her attitude, I guess she only wanted to tease Draugon and wasn''t really angry about his statement.


    ording to Polen, Enshema seems to like pretty boys.


    Which then reminded me that Draugon, who looked like a middle aged man with a beer-belly was definitely not her type.


    That matter aside, I guess everyone has alreadye. Let''s start the meeting. Is that fine with you, Your Excellency, Your Highness?


    Polen and I nodded at Enshema.


    Since the Gods who participated in the meeting were of various sizes, there was no particr seat arrangement.


    That''s why they either sat on the floor or stood where they were.


    I stood along with Polen.


    Well then, it seems everyone has arrived. Now let''s start the meeting. Today''s agenda is the topic that everyone is already aware of, the matter of Zarxis who regained his power. Enshema, tell everyone about thetest information known about Zarxis.


    The other Gods gasped when they heard their leader, Modes'' statement.


    I guess that''s just how infamous Zarxis was in the past.


    Enshema stepped forward.


    Yes Your Majesty. That reaper is currently in the Ruvania region. Maybe he''s going to return to Modegal, his own capital. What should we do about him?


    Enshema looked around as she spoke.


    Some of the Gods had their own personal residence.


    For example, Labrys with hisbyrinth city Labyrinthos, Sekhmetra with her golden city Arnak.


    And ording to what I heard, the city of death, Modegal, was Zarxis'' residence.


    It seems that he deliberately didn''t go back to his capital after he survived, he only returned after he regained his power back.


    Ruvania? That region was originally ruled by Zarxis. Nothing strange about him going back there.


    Said Loughas whilebing his beard.


    To be honest, I''ve never heard about the Ruvania region. Maybe I should do some research about that ceter.


    The possibility is quite high indeed. So, what are we going to do?


    Said Modes while pondering by himself.


    Zarxis and Modes were mortal enemies.


    In the first ce, the reason why Zarxis lost his power was because he lost in a fight against Modes.


    Now that he regained his power, he might try to get his revenge on Modes.


    s, since his whereabouts was already known, it means that we could ambush him.


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 Chapter 138.2: Gods of Nargol

    Chapter 138.2: Gods of Nargol


    I don''t think we need to do that. Their first target will definitely be Elios. Zarxis isn''t an idiot, he knows that he can''t target this ce. That''s why his first target will definitely be Elios. It''d be even better if both of them destroyed each other. RibbitRibbitRibbit.


    Heqat replied with augh.


    Heqat didn''t have a good impression of Elios.


    Thus, she really didn''t care about what would happen to Elios.


    s, that would put Heibos in danger.


    Heibos. Though aunty says their aim is Elios, what about Elios'' side? Have they prepared countermeasures?


    Modes asked Heibos with a worried face.


    Oudith has already made his move. Though he doesn''t tell me anything about it, he might already be aware of the fact that Zarxis is in Ruvania. The Holy Knight has been making quite a ruckus after all. Well, it''s not like they can just invade that miasma-fillednd. It''s way too dangerous.


    Said Heibos whilebing his beard.


    I see, that makes sense. Thatnd is like Zarxis home ground after all. No normal person can survive in thatnd. But, that''s why we can''t just leave him to his own devices.


    Said Modes while pondering by himself.


    What was he pondering about I wonder?


    What shall we do? Ribbit? And what are you worrying about, boya?


    Aunty, Zarxis and Diadona are definitely up to no good. I''m really worried about what they''re trying to do.


    Said Modes with an extremely serious face.


    Then don''t worry about it. Ribbitribbit. Zarxis'' freezing power is powerless before your ck me. The same goes for Diadona''s ability. Ribbitribbit. Not to mention that you have that Dark Knight over there, you have nothing to worry.


    Contrary to Modes serious attitude, Heqat seemed to be pretty optimistic about the situation.


    Zarxis'' freezing power didn''t work against the holder of the ck me.


    So that was the reason why I could move like usual back in Rox Kingdom.


    In short, I''m like a nemesis for Zarxis.


    Aunty, what if I say that their aim is to revive mother?


    Ribbit?!


    Heqat got startled the moment she heard Modes'' remark.


    She wasn''t the only one.


    Every God who attended the meeting started to make a ruckus too.


    This time, Modes didn''t even try to stop them.


    Boya Do you really think that they''re trying to revive, that Personage?


    Asked Heqat with greasy sweat overflowing from her frog face.


    Heqat, Draugon, and the other Gods were showing simr frightened faces.


    Seeing their reaction, I realized that the problem was clearly not on the same level as the matter of Zarxis regaining his power.


    That''s right, aunty. Zarxis managed to regain his power through a method unknown to us. Doesn''t that open the possibilities of a method for reviving the dead, Loughas?


    Said Modes as he looked at Loughas.


    Surely, it''s not like such a method is impossible. The method is just unknown to me. And possibilities aside, I think both Zarxis and Diadona will surelye up with a method to revive the dead.


    Replied Loughas while shaking his head.


    His face was also filled with anxiety.


    That''s definitely one huge problem. Ribbit. And a problem that we have to confirm immediately. Will someone volunteer to go to Modegal to investigate the situation? Ribbitribbit.


    Asked Heqat as she looked around.


    And yet, everyone was averting their gaze.


    Draugon did so while whistling unnaturally.


    Heqat-dono. That''s an unreasonable request. Thatnd is filled with Zarxis freezing power. The only one who who can resist his power is the holder of ck me among us.


    One of the Gods stepped forward as he spoke.


    He was the God with the lower body of a horse, the Wise God of Wind, Sagittarius.


    Sagittarius was the youngest of the four sibling Gods revered by the centaurs.


    And the one thing that made him different from his lustful and violent siblings was the fact that he was the most rational one.


    Though he normally lived in the Kisonia in, just like Draugon, he came all the way to Nargol to attend the meeting of the alliance.


    In addition, Sagittarius was a gifted martial artist, and his skill with the bow was said to beparable with Alphos.


    Safittarius is right, aunty. Trespassing directly into thatnd is a suicidal act. We should observe the situation from the outside first. Then discuss what to do next with everyone.


    But that might be toote when we do that, ribbit.


    Said Heqat while heaving a sigh.


    Please wait a minute, Heqat-sama! I''ll go! I''m also a holder of ck me so I can definitely fight that re


    The one who stepped forward was Runfeld.


    No! You can''t, Runfeld-dono!


    But, Modes stopped him before he finished his sentence.


    Zarxis is strong. Even if you can neutralize his freezing power, you''re no match for him.


    Runfeld had no choice but to grit his teeth as he epted that harsh reality.


    That''s right, Runfeld. You''re strong. But, Zarxis is simply out of your league. That''s why you absolutely cannot go since you''re definitely going to die. s, how about that Dark Knight over there I wonder? Ribbitribbit.


    Said Heqat as she pointed her gaze at me.


    Honestly I knew what she wanted to say at this point.


    In short, she wanted me to go instead. The reason was because I''m also a holder of ck me, and I''m strong enough to fight against Zarxis even in his full power.


    U~hm Shall I go to investigate that ce?


    Heqat revealed acent smile when I said so.


    Modes on the other hand was clearly worrying about me.


    Kuroki. If I have to name someone who can win against Zarxis in his home ground aside from this Modes, that person is definitely you. But, it doesn''t mean that you''re free of danger. Though I''m curious about what they''re trying to do, I do not wish you to push yourself.


    But, Modes still said those words while shaking his head.


    Looking at Modes and the other Gods in this ce, I realized that they were serious about the fact that we couldn''t leave Zarxis to his own devices.


    Let''s think a bit more.


    I felt something really dangerous when I was confronting that Reaper.


    It felt as if he was the antithesis of life itself.


    Thus I''ve been wondering what Zarxis was thinking about back then.


    That''s why I wanted to see the situation for now.


    The reason being I was also someone who lived in this world.


    Maybe Heqat was right, I was the most suitable person for this mission.


    But still, I''ve to go. I''ll withdraw the moment I feel like the situation will get out of hand.


    I made it clear.


    And then, my line of sight intersected with Modes.


    It stayed like that for a while.


    I see, be careful, Kuroki.


    Modes heaved a sigh as if he gave up.


    It seems he had no choice but to ept that this was indeed the best choice.


    I nodded upon hearing Modes'' remark.


    Well then, let''s see what Kuna is going to say now.


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 Chapter 139: Demon Warrior

    Chapter 139: Demon Warrior


    <b>Goddess of Wisdom and Victory; Rena</b>


    I returned from Eld to my own pce in Elios.


    The reason I went to Eld wasn''t to meet Reiji and co, rather it was to entrust Kouki to my temple over there.


    Kouki of course kept crying when I left him in their custody, but he was a strong child. That''s why he knew that he couldn''t keep crying.


    Not to mention that I could meet him anytime I wanted to.


    That''s why there was no problem at all.


    Where have you been, Rena?


    Suddenly, I heard someone''s voice.


    When I turned around, I saw my big brother, Alphos, had already stood behind me.


    He was fully armed with his knight armor, something that I had rarely seen these days.


    It''s none of your business. Rather, it''s rare to see you wearing your armor nowadays. What are you going to do?


    There was only one reason I could think of for this frivolous brother of mine to wear his Holy Knight armor today.


    I knew but decided to ask him.


    Zarxis has revived. That''s why I''ll go to investigate the nortnd. The other Holy Knights have already gone first.


    I frowned upon hearing that.


    To the north? Are you going to Modegal?


    Zarxis'' stronghold, Modegal, was located in the north of Elios.


    Since thatnd was filled with miasma, it was an extremely dangerousnd for us.


    Well, we won''t step into his territory of course. The miasma seems to have be even thicker than before now that its master returned.


    At least, he wasn''t stupid enough to step into thatnd.


    Wise choice. Zarxis'' power gets enhanced in thatnd after all. Maybe only the Demon King Modes can win against Zarxis in thatnd.


    Agreed. That''s why we have no choice but to observe the situation from the outside. Oh right, how about letting your Hero of Light-kun slip into thatnd? If it''s him, he should be able to see the situation inside right?


    Ha~h, what are you talking about, Alphos? They''re way too conspicuous. Well, Nao might be able to infiltrate into thatnd, but herrades won''t allow her to do that. Not to mention that Reiji is simply a bad match against Zarxis. He''ll only get himself killed if they fight.


    Alphos wanted me to use Reiji and his party as disposable pawns.


    But considering the aftermath, that was by no means a good n.


    That''s why I didn''t tell Chiyuki about this matter.


    Moreover, their current main job was to protect Kouki.


    I see. Hero-kun is no match for Zarxis, huh. I guess we can''t do anything about tha Wait a minute What about him?


    Alphos suddenly paused as if recalling something.


    Him? Who are you talking about?


    The Dark Knight of course. What if it''s him? He defeated me, right?


    The Dark Knight.


    Well, there was no need to ask him who he was talking about.


    What if it was Kuroki who infiltrated thatnd?


    Kuroki might be able to fight on par against Zarxis even in Modegal.


    But still, it didn''t change the fact that fighting in the capital of death was dangerous.


    That''s why I had no idea what would happen.


    Like hell I know about that.


    I turned around and spoke angrily at Alphos.


    Alphos'' remark crossed my mind as I walked.


    I couldn''t help but feel anxious about what would happen if Kuroki went to Modegal.


    Maybe I wouldn''t be able to save him when he was in danger.


    But, what if I entrusted that matter to that girl?


    If it was that girl, who caught the son of the reaper, she might be a better choice to save Kuroki if he ever fell into a dangerous situation in Modegal.


    If Kuroki really went to Modegal, she might be the best choice to apany him.


    That was what I thought.


    ===


    <b>Faithful Apprentice Knight of Oudith</b>


    The Blue Forest spread in the nothernnd near the border with Nargol.


    Before, an ogre witch who ate anyone who was stranded in the forest was said to be living in the center of this forest.


    But, that ogre witch had already gone.


    She was gone and reced with a beautiful silver-haired witch.


    The silver witch turned the blue forest into an even more terrifying ce.


    Now, the monsters that only appeared in Nargol were also wandering in the forest.


    The ogre witch alone had already made the forest into a terrifying ce, s, the silver witch turned the already terrifying ce into a literal hellish ce.


    In fact, the people surrounding us, who were headed toward the center of the forest, were donned in heavy armor.


    Every single one of them was wearing armor of a different color.


    But, there was amon point among them, namely the thorns protruding from their armor.


    These people were none other than the Evil Warriors who I had only heard about in legends.


    Despite wearing such heavy armor, their movement was fast and nimble.


    Myrades, the warrior priests, were defeated one after another.


    Foolish humans. Treat this as our warning for you people. We will show no mercy next time.


    Said one of the Evil Warriors as he pointed his sword toward me.


    Just a nce of red glowing eyes between the gap of the visor of his helmet had sent me into the depth of despair.


    Am I going to die in this ce?


    Death wasn''t supposed to be this scary.


    Fighting for God King-sama was an honor for us.


    That was what I thought when I became a warrior priest.


    And yet, I was trembling like a newborn fawn when I stood before death itself.


    We were on the second expedition toward the center of the blue forest.


    The first expedition was sponsored by the Velos Kingdom s, ever since the failure of the 1st expedition, the Velos Kingdom decided to wash their hands from this matter.


    That change of policy angered the priests of Oudith-sama in Velos kingdom.


    ording to them, there was a danger that the monsters from the Blue Forest would leave the forest and wreak havoc in the countries of this region, thus they decided to dispatch their warrior priests.


    They sent everyone, including apprentice warriors like me.


    And then, we defeated the bug monsters and advanced into the deep part of the forest.


    The moment we stepped into the deep part of the forest, we were suddenly surrounded by a group of Evil Warriors.


    They warned us that our lives would be forfeit if we advanced any further.


    Naturally, none of myrades gave a sh*t about their warning, which resulted in a battle between the two sides.


    And I saw myrades being ughtered like pigs in front of me.


    The sword used by the Evil Warriors was glowing red after sucking the blood of myrades.


    It was as if the sword was delighted.


    WARRIORS! DO NOT FALTER! GOD KING-SAMA''S DIVINE PROTECTION IS WITH US!


    The priest-sama, who wielded a giant mace, encouraged us.


    It was a warrior priest, Old-sama. Ourmander.


    Even after he passed the age of fifty, he still yed an active role as a warrior.


    We regripped our weapons upon hearing Old-sama''s encouragement.


    But, we were still too scared to fight right now.


    The only one who charged bravely was Old-sama.


    Old-sama who received the divine protection of angel-sama could fight on par against the Evil Warriors.


    Not bad! This Ward shall be your opponent!


    Suddenly, the Evil Warrior who fought Old-sama backed down, and another Evil Warrior with dark crimson armor and riding a horse came out from the depth of the forest.


    The Evil Warrior called Ward seemed to be stronger than the other Evil Warriors.


    His mount was also by no means a normal horse.


    His horse was way bigger than normal horses and had fangs that shouldn''t exist in normal horses.


    That might be the demonic horse mentioned in legends.


    The Evil Warrior called Ward got down from his horse and then pointed his sword toward Old-sama.


    Though I couldn''t see his face since his head was covered with a helmet, I got this feeling that he was smiling beneath that helmet.


    Old-sama clenched his teeth in rage upon seeing this situation.


    DON''T LOOK DOWN ON ME, YOU DEMONFOLK! TAKE THIS HAMMER OF JUDGMENT!


    When Old-sama raised his mace, the mace shone brightly.


    This was the power of his divine protection.


    The mace that gained the holy attribute could even smash that heavy armor.


    Can this mace defeat that Evil Warrior?


    I regained a bit of my courage amidst this despair.


    Old-sama rushed toward his opponent while shouting the name of God King-sama.


    His movement was fast.


    FOOL!


    But, Ward parried the blow so easily as he sneered at Old-sama.


    What the?


    And then, when Old-sama still had no idea what had just happened,


    Ward''s sword had already pierced Old-sama.


    Seeing that, the rest of myrades despaired even more than before.


    Old-sama spat blood from his mouth and fell on the ground.


    Well then, I''ve taken care of yourmander. Still, feel like trying?


    After saying that, Ward pointed his sword toward us.


    Myrades and I were trembling in fear.


    We were still dazed by the sight of how easily he defeated that Old-sama.


    What shall we do with these survivors, Ward-sama? They seem to be losing their fighting spirit.


    Leave them be, there''s no worth in killing people who lost their fighting spirit. Not that they''re stupid enough to enter any further either. Spare anyone who didn''t go any further.


    Said Ward as he climbed back on the back of his demonic horse.


    We were powerless before the Evil Warriors who seemingly came from the bottom of hell.


    They were too terrifying.


    Though they spared my life, my heart wasn''t at ease.


    They existed to spread fear in this world.


    Well then, gentlemen ofAdorable Kuna-sama''s Fan Club. Let''s go back to our princess.


    <em>"Eh? What did he say just now?"</em> When I was wondering about that, those Evil Warriors had already left that ce.


    ===


    <b> Silver Witch; Kuna</b>


    Throne Room of The Sweet Castle.


    Tibel, the dark fairy, suddenly appeared inside out of nowhere.


    Tibel had a simr ability to Bushkey the butterfly, she could move between spaces easily.


    That''s why doors were meaningless before her.


    Kuna-sama~. Ward and co have returne~d.


    Tibel reported happily.


    I see, let them in.


    After I said so, the insect warrior opened the door.


    Then warriors d in heavy armor entered the room.


    They were the Evil Warriors led by Ward.


    Ward and co walked until they arrived before the throne Kuna sat in, and kneeled in deep reverence at once.


    We''ve expelled the intruders, Kuna-sama.


    I see, thanks for the hard work.


    Ward and Co looked really delighted when I praised them.


    Ward and Co were originally the human warriors who worshiped the Demon King.


    And the daemons rewarded the people who worshiped and fought for the Demon King. One of those rewards was the evil armor.


    It was an enchanted armor that struck fear in anyone who saw it and became the standard armor for the evil armor.


    The armor might look heavy but, since it elevated the physical ability of its wearer, the weight wasn''t a big deal.


    Maybe because it was inconvenient if there were only insect warriors in the sweet castle, the daemons sent them to Kuna as a gift.


    At first, Kuna thought they were spies.


    But, Ward and co''s loyalty was the real deal.


    Though I had no idea where their loyalty came from, it was a fact that they''re handy.


    Well then, Ward. Kuna has to leave the castle after this. Make sure you protect this castle during Kuna''s absence.


    HAH!


    After saying so, I stood up from my throne and headed toward the private room of the lord of the sweet castle along with Tibel.


    Kuroki contacted me just a while ago.


    It seems he had to infiltrate into thend ruled by the reaper.


    If that was the case, Kuna would be useful to him. That''s why Kuna will go with him.


    Clown,e out.


    The next moment, someone with the figure of a clown appeared from the shadows.


    As you wish, Kuna-sama~


    Clown replied to Kuna''s call with his usual creepy voice.


    But, Kuna was toozy to punch his face.


    And Tibel.


    Ye~s. Kuna-sama~


    When I called her name, Tibel replied while fluttering in the air.


    Let''s go. I''ll make full use of your ability on this asion.


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 Chapter 140.1: Vampire Count

    Chapter 140.1: Vampire Count


    <strong>Dark Knight; Kuroki</strong>


    The flying ship was gliding forward in the sky, the scenery below it a sea of clouds.


    Hou, it''s faster than I expected, Kuroki. We''re about to arrive in Ruvania.


    Said Kuna happily while looking at the advancing ship.


    Surely, the ship was fast. It only took a short time after our departure from Nargol for us to arrive in the vicinity of Ruvania.


    Ruvania was the region where the death capital, Modegal, the stronghold of Zarxis, was located.


    Due to the miasma being released from Modegal, the region had transformed into a barren one unfit for living creatures.


    Ruvania was located in the northern side of the central continent, since it was always snowing over there no crops could be harvested, too.


    Moreover, any creature that died in Modegal could easily be an undead, and since the sunlight was also pretty weak, the region hence became the most suitable ce for Zarxis'' kin.


    That was the kind of ce we were heading to right now.


    Yeah Kuna. Never expected us to have a ride.


    The flying ship we were using was given to us by Modes.


    It was probably a gift for heading toward the death capital of Modegal.


    Though it was a small onepared to Nagulfal, Modes'' gigantic royal flying battleship, it was still pretty big considering the fact that Glorious could ride on it too.


    In short, it was about the same size as Alphos'' flying ship.


    Well then since we''re about to arrive at Ruvania, what''s your n, Dark Knight? Gerogerogero.


    Asked Heqat who rode the flying ship with us.


    The one who had pushed for me to go to Ruvania was Heqat. But, it seemed that from the very beginning she had the intention to assist me, hence hering along to Ruvania.


    Let''s get the flying ship as close to Ruvania as we can. I''ll go on my own to Modegal from there.


    This was a mission to infiltrate the enemy territory.


    Our presence would be noticed immediately if we went into Ruvania with this flying ship. The same would go if many people entered the region at the same time.


    Thus the only option was infiltrating on my own.


    This was the safest option considering the fact that I was also strong enough to stand on my own ground against Zarxis.


    You can''t, Kuroki. It''s too dangerous for you to go on your own. Kuna will go with you.


    Kuna rejected my n.


    Sorry Kuna. You stand out too much. That''s why I can''t take you with me. I want you to stand by here unless theres an emergency.


    Kuna was too ill suited for infiltration.


    Heqat also agreed with my opinion in this regard. Though she could resist the miasma just like me, she stood out too much.


    Thus she could only stay here.


    But, in that way, she could also act immediately in case we got into an emergency situation.


    Both Heqat and Kuna would definitely be able to work together.


    If you say so Then you have to at least take them with you, Kuroki.


    Said Kuna as she looked at Clown and Tibel.


    Eh? Why though?


    I asked in confusion.


    Clown, who was a puppet, aside, it was too dangerous for Tibel.


    You can use Clown as a scapegoat in case something happens. And Tibel is really suited for an infiltration mission. Shed be a great help to you, Kuroki.


    Eh? But


    I tried to refuse since Tibel would be put into a dangerous situation if she joined this mission.


    s, Heqa stepped forward before I could finish my words.


    Take them with you, Dark Knight. They''ll be useful, and you don''t want to make the silver girl worry about you, right? Gerogerogero.


    Said Heqat as sheughed eerily.


    It seems she was hinting something to me.


    I understand, Heqat-dono.


    Since this was a suggestion that came from the archwitch whose intellect wasparable to that of Loughas, I guess she had a reason for making that suggestion.


    I couldn''t help but abide by her since she told me not to make Kuna worry about me.


    Your Excellency, weve arrived.


    During my conversation with Kuna and co, Guno and the others, who were riding the wyvern to scout the surrounding area, returned to give us a report.


    The female knights of the daemon race had also tagged along in this mission.


    Originally, I had nned to be the only one to go on this mission, of course taking Glorious. But then, Modes said it was too reckless, thus resulting in a crowd of people following after me.


    And, since I didn''t take Kuna with me back when I went to Gypseal, she of course had to tag along this time. Tibel the dark fairy and Clown the puppet, who came with her, would be the ones to infiltrate with me.


    Since there were all of these people, the deck of the ship was really busy.


    Thank you for the hard work, Guno-dono. Do you want a hot drink to warm you up?


    As I asked, Guno''s face frowned.


    Uhm, Your Excellency. I saw angels appearing around Ruvania. At this rate, we will be discovered.


    Angels?


    This reminded me that the Gods of Elios also knew that Zarxis had already returned to Modegal.


    I recalled Heibos'' remark about this matter.


    <i>Maybe they''re already standing by near Ruvania.</i>


    But, they''re not the problem.


    I felt a hostile intent from above our flying ship.


    It seems they had tailed Guno and co.


    HAAAAAAAAAA!


    Suddenly, someone came down from above.


    I took out my demon sword and leapt upward to "Wee" that person.


    CLANG!


    Swords shed in midair.


    That moment, I confirmed the identity of the person who came from above.


    He was a fire-like, red haired angel whose head was covered with a helmet just like me.


    The red-haired angel leapt upward as if flipped by my sword, then spun in the air as he took some distance from me.


    As for me, Inded safely by Kuna''s side.


    We meet again, Dark Knight! Ivee to take the debt of that time!


    The red-haired angel bellowed as mes spurted from his body.


    Have we met before?


    I mean, I seriously had no idea who in the world was the angel that stood before me.


    This should be the first time I meet him.


    You don''t remember! We''re the Holy Knights who fought you when you returned after raiding Rena-sama''s temple.


    Said the red-haired angel, annoyed by the fact that I hadpletely forgotten about his existence.


    He might be referring to the temple of Rena in the Holy Republic of Lenaria. Which reminds me that I did fight the Holy Knight''s corps on the way back from there.


    And the red-haired angel before me must be one of them.


    Upon a closer look, I saw Holy Knights riding on a number of pegasus behind the Angel in front of us, who was among them.


    This was an awkward situation.


    My name is Atar! The right-hand man of the White Noble Holy Knight, Alphos-sama, and also the vice chief of the Chivalric order of Holy Knights! Dark Knight, fight me!


    The Angel called Atar shouted loudly.


    Still, I didn''t really want to fight in this situation.


    I mean, not when our mutual enemy, Zarxis, was right in front of us.


    Fighting in front of a dangerous enemy was the most stupid thing to do.


    And the Angel before me should''vee to investigate Zarxis, too.


    He didn''t originallye to fight me.


    And yet, it seems he was brimming with fighting spirit the moment he saw me.


    I heaved a sigh.


    Wait a minute! Atar!


    Someone finally caught up to Atar in the nick of time to stop thetter.


    This was my second meeting with the guy who rode on that white dragon.


    Don''t stop me, Alphos-sama!


    Replied Atar without turning around.


    Alphos hade to this region, too.


    Well, that might be natural since this guy seems to be the only one who could fight Zarxis among the Gods of Elios.


    You can''t win against him, Atar! He''s someone who can fight on par with me inside the crystal garden! Are you still going to challenge him after knowing that?


    Atar looked really surprised, it seems he never expected such a remark toe from Alphos.


    On par? Muttered Kuna with a displeased look on her face upon hearing such a tant lieing from Alphos.


    Seriously? How can there be someone who can fight on par against Alphos-sama in his crystal garden? I can''t believe it, he must have cheated.


    Atar seemed to have lost his fighting spirit.


    That''s a relief.


    With this, we avoided a quarrel with the Angels.


    And Alphos was obviously noting to pick a fight with me, too.


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    <strong></strong>

 Chapter 140.2: Vampire Count

    Chapter 140.2: Vampire Count


    Since that was the case, I could focus on Zarxis.


    It''s the truth, Atar. And don''t forget that our priority is Zarxis. Pull back, we have no time to pick a quarrel with them.


    Yes, I understand, Alphos-sama. But, let me at least show him this.


    Said Atar as he took his hair.


    And what appeared beneath his hair was a bald head.


    Eh? That was a wig?!


    Honestly I was really surprised to see that Atar''s ming red hair was A wig.


    s, I still had no idea why he showed me that.


    His bald head was reflecting the sunlight.


    Fufufu. Surprised eh, Dark Knight! Do you know why this happened? Well, there''s a saying in the Hero of Lights original world that one has to shave their hair to reflect on their failure! I do this to show my determination to defeat you! Remember that!


    Said Atar with a proud smile on his face.


    Well, honestly that really made me trip.


    Well then, nice to see you again, Dark Knight. It seems Zarxis has be a thorn in your side, too. So how about we have a temporary armistice until we solve the situation?


    Alphos-sama!


    Atar raised an objection when Alphos proposed an armistice.


    But, Alphos simply dismissed Atar''s objection.


    Zarxis is dangerous, Atar. Letting the Dark Knight fight Zarxis is the best option.


    Alphos dered so with a smile on his face.


    Did he want to crush both Zarxis and me?


    But, his armistice proposal was reasonable to consider since that would mean that we didn''t have to fight Alphos and co during this period.


    Understood, I''ll ept that temporary armistice proposal during the period of the mission. That should be enough.


    Yeah, that''s enough Dark Knight. Just ept this Atar, this is an order.


    Guh. I understand, Alphos-sama.


    Despite his dissatisfaction, Atar had no choice but to ept the armistice.


    Well then, let''s go.


    After that, Alphos, Atar, and the Angels retreated.


    Anyhow, this is much better than getting involved in a useless fight against them. RibbitRibbitRibbit.


    Indeed, Heqat-dono.


    I agreed with Heqat.


    My apologies, Your Excellency. It seems they managed to tail me.


    Guno offered her apologies after Alphos and co left.


    Don''t worry about it, followed or not, it was just a matter of time before wed bump into those Angels.


    I told Guno to raise her face after replying.


    Though there''s unexpectedly a hot-headed fe, too.


    Muttered Kuna as she looked at Atar''s shiny bald head.


    ====


    <strong>Youth, Jusio</strong>


    We ran inside the forest.


    Sis, my feet hurt.


    My feet hurt since we had been running for a while.


    I raised aint and yet, my big sister, Ange ignored it.


    You mustn''t stop, Jushio! They''ll catch up to us if we dont run faster!


    Said my big sister as she yanked my arm and forced me to run with her.


    The country we lived in was built near Ruvania, the capital of death.


    The army of death hade out from Ruvania and came toward our country.


    We were outnumbered and the adults of our country were helpless before them.


    Thus, everyone decided to abandon the country.


    s, the army of death caught up to us in no time, resulting in us scattering all over the ce.


    Among them, my big sister and I were escaping with just the two of us.


    We were a family of two after all.


    I didn''t know anything about my parents. By the time I was aware of my surroundings, there was only my big sister by my side.


    Life was tough, s, my big sister had always been kind to me.


    Both of us did our best to live our lives.


    Ah!


    My feet tripped on something and I fell.


    It was really painful.


    I couldn''t move anymore.


    Jusio, hang in there!


    Said my big sister as she kneeled by my side.


    When I raised my face, I saw my big sister''s worried face.


    Then I realized that my big sister was just as exhausted as me.


    Sorry, sis I can''t run anymore.


    I raised a cry as I apologized to my big sister.


    No Jusio! Please stand up!


    I saw that my big sister was also crying.


    Her voice trembled, she barely managed to suppress her cries.


    Oh my? Are you done with this game of tag?


    Suddenly, I heard a voiceing from the side.


    When I turned toward the direction of the voice, I saw a woman d in a blood-like crimson dress.


    She was an extremely beautiful woman with pale white skin. It was as if she was a phantom.


    There should have been no one else beside us a moment ago.


    How did she manage to get this close?


    Keke! They''re such delicious looking children, princess Zaffrada. Even if it just one of their fingers, please share it with me.


    Another voice resounded from another direction. This one was closer, from the ground to be exact.


    I almost screamed when I looked at the direction of the second voice.


    Because I saw a giant mouse standing over there.


    Nevertheless, that mouse had a human-like face.


    The mouse let out a revolting smile on their face.


    My body started to tremble when I saw that.


    We were being tailed by this monster rat. And the woman in the red dress might not actually be a human either.


    U~hm, I''m not so sure about that, what do you think, Bragg?


    When the woman called Zaffrada opened her mouth, I ended up catching a glimpse of THAT.


    A sense of fear and dread welled up in my chest when I saw countless sharp fangs in her mouth.


    JUSIO RUN!


    My big sister forced me to stand on my feet.


    But I fell immediately since I really couldn''t walk anymore.


    Sorry, sis. I can''t walk anymore Leave me and run first.


    Jusio


    My big sister tried desperately.


    Too bad, you can''t escape anymore.


    Said Zaffrada as she inched closer toward her.


    Please, please overlook this child


    My big sis begged with tears in her eyes.


    Hearing that, Zaffrada raised augh.


    Oh my, aren''t you quite adorable ?


    Said Zaffrada as she looked at my face.


    What shall we do, my princess?


    Fufufu, he''s quite a bargain. This boy has piqued my interest. Alright, I''ll save the boy, as for you, you''re no good.


    Eh?


    My big sister let out a shocked voice.


    My sister''s body suddenly rose up in the air and was grabbed by Zaffrada.


    Fufufu, I''ll drink your blood.


    Zaffrada opened her mouth.


    The slit of her mouth went all the way up until the base of her ears, showing the countless sharp fangs in her mouth.


    Those fangs then pierced through my sister''s neck.


    Everything happened so fast.


    My sister''s body dried up at an incredibly fast pace right before me.


    Aaa Sis.


    I couldn''t do anything but watch her as she died in front of me.


    ====


    <strong>Vampire Count, Jusio</strong>


    I woke up inside my coffin.


    Dozens of years had passed since the memory I had dreamed; of before I became a vampire.


    And no matter how long time psed, the event of that day still became the biggest knot in my heart.


    I woke up from my coffin.


    My vicinity was dark.


    A long time ago, I was scared of dark ces. I was so scared to the point that I couldn''t sleep in the dark without holding my big sister''s hand.


    But, that wasn''t a problem anymore after I became the kin of death.


    My coffin was located in the upper floor of the castle in a windowless room.


    The ghost attendants were moring around in the castle when I, the lord of the castle, woke up.


    The ghosts could do some chores such as cleaning even without a physical body since they had abilities simr to magic.


    I heard that the ghosts who went mad became poltergeists.


    After changing into the clothes prepared by the ghost attendant, I began my walk inside the castle.


    I''ve been waiting for you to wake up you know. Jusio Or maybe, Milord.


    Bragg, who became my subordinate, spoke with an abusivenguage.


    Is something the matter, Bragg?


    Don''t give me that "Is something the matter!"! You''ve been summoned to Modegal to celebrate the revival of the Great King of Death! Make your preparations immediately!


    Just as Bragg had said, I had to go back to Modegal.


    Otherwise, we might end up getting the ire of our princess.


    Good grief, how can someone who cameter like you be a lord!


    Bragg voiced his displeasure.


    Just like me, Bragg was a former human, too.


    He, who wanted immortality, sold his family andrades to God and gained immortality in return.


    s, it wasn''t the kind of immortality that he wished.


    He didn''t be a vampire, he became a filthy human-faced rat instead.


    I, on the other hand, became a vampire count and was entrusted with a county (territory) of my own.


    I was in charge of raising human livestock in Sanshos, one of the territories in Ruvania.


    In short, I was the ruler and the manager of those humans.


    Bragg didn''t hide his dissatisfaction at the fact that I, who hadeter than him, had ended up bing a noble.


    s, it''s not like I could do anything about that either.


    Bragg, may I assume that you''re dissatisfied with Mdy''s decision?


    Bragg groaned in frustration upon hearing that.


    Guh! I didn''t mean it that way!


    I see, then all is well.


    Well then, time to go back to Modegal.


    I prepared for the journey in a hurry.


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 Chapter 141: Forest of Lament

    Chapter 141: Forest of Lament


    <strong>Dark Knight; Kuroki</strong>


    After parting ways with Kuna and the others, I entered Ruvania.


    There was a barrier that could detect intruders erected around Ruvania.


    Though it was possible to slip through the barrier unnoticed with Kuna''s butterfly, such a method wouldn''t work for a great number of people.


    Thus, we could only send the minimum number of people.


    In addition, there was magic ced inside the barrier that sealed teleportation magic, thus making it harder for the intruder to escape with it.


    On this asion, I was apanied by Tibel, the dark fairy, and Clown, the doll with a soul.


    We hurriedly headed toward the capital of death, Modegal, the residence of Zarxis.


    We were using thend route since it would be much easier for the other party to find us if we fly instead.


    Thus, running onnd was the fastest way to reach Modegal.


    Fortunately, Ruvania was much smaller than Gypseal.


    At this rate, I might reach Modegal in a bit.


    The road I was running on still had some snow piled up.


    Ruvania''snd was located near the sea of ice in the northern part of the continent.


    It wasn''t a big deal since the current season was the season of wind, s, things would be very difficult if this was the season of snow.


    In addition, the pile of snow was thicker ind, close to the mountains, than in the area around the shoreline.


    That''s why even during the season of wind, the season after the one of snow, it wasn''t rare for some pile of snow to remain ind.


    Are you alright, Tibel?


    I asked Tibel who hid in my pocket.


    The dark fairy usually lived in the lush green forest that was rich in vitality.


    And Ruvania was and filled with dark miasma, the opposite of vitality. Should I tell Tibel to leave since thisnd was obviously too much for her?


    I-I''m okay, Kuroki-sama~. I can resist the miasma as long as I''m near Kuroki-sama who has a lot of vitality.


    Said Tibel cheerfully.


    What did she mean by she was alright by my side?


    But, I guess I had nothing to say as long as she was happy.


    Maste~r, I can at least handle thi~s. Let''s try to find living humans fi~rst. There should be living creatures around this ce~. The area ahead of us is pretty dangerous after a~ll.


    Exined Clown with his usual eerieugh.


    Surely, I did see human settlements every now and then along the way.


    I was really surprised to see that there were humans in thend ruled by the Reaper.


    Indeed, never expected to see humans living in thisnd.


    They''re livestock. They''re raised for the nobles of de~ath


    Eh, is that so?


    That was a surprise.


    Honestly, I hesitated at this point whether to save them or not.


    s, we were currently on an infiltration mission, I couldn''t afford to save them and risk failing this mission.


    Living in Ruvania was tough, thisnd''s environment was not suitable for living creatures either.


    In the north of Ruvania was Aremania, thend directly facing the sea; there were a few human kingdoms in thatnd.


    ording to Clown''s exnation, the ce we passed by was a vige called Sanshos, its feudal lord was a vampire.


    His exnation was down to the details.


    Seriously, just how in the world did this Clown know all of that information?


    Not to mention that his magical power was really high for a mere doll.


    He was by no means your average doll.


    Who in the world was capable of making this kind of doll?


    The first person that came to my mind was Heqat.


    An archwitch like Heqat should be able to make a doll with her own will.


    Did that mean she gave this doll to Kuna, her disciple?


    Let''s try to ask her after I return from this mission.


    Well then, ahead is the Forest of Lament. We will be alright since I''m with you guys, but just in case, Tibel-kun, prepare a concealment spell.


    Humph. Already did that ages ago, Clown.


    Said Tibel as she stuck her tongue out toward Clown.


    Tibel the dark fairy could use teleportation magic when residing in a sealed space, like Kuna''s butterfly, she was also using her concealment spell on us.


    In regard to her residing in a sealed space, it was only required for teleportation magic.


    The one thing that left me puzzled though was the reason behind Clown''s confidence, why did he know that it was alright since he was with us?


    As I was pondering about such a thing while running, the forest that gave me a chill just from one nce finally entered our sight.


    The trees of the forest had no leaves, they were bizarrely twisted, dead trees.


    Definitely not the kind of forest you want to enter.


    Behold, the Forest of Lament, nihihihihi. Don''t let your guard down, otherwise, the trees in that forest will snatch your so~ul.


    Clown exined with an eerieugh.


    Tibel, who hid in my pocket, looked really displeased.


    I knew why she felt that way though.


    Couldn''t Heqat at least make him have a slightly decent personality?


    I really wished for her to do that right now.


    s, no use in crying over spilled milk, we had to go through this forest.


    The Forest of Lament was made of twisted trees without any leaves on their branches. Yet, the branches seemed to be growing very well, twining each other upward in aplex pattern, making the forest darker than the outside.


    The death capital Modegal was somewhere inside this forest. I had no choice but to go through this forest since I used thend route.


    This forest is creepy~


    Tibel shuddered upon seeing the forest.


    I agree with her, this forest was creepy.


    Eerie voices echoed inside the forest from time to time.


    It might be the sound of the wind as it passed through the gaps between the branches, which also produced a groaning-like voice.


    Maybe this echo was the reason behind the name of this forest.


    Honestly, I wanted to leave this eerie forest as soon as possible.


    Ooops! No go~od. The forest will attack you if you leave my side, maste~r. Kekeke.


    Said Clown when I tried to increase my walking pace.


    What do you mean by the forest will attack me?


    Literally, maste~r.


    Honestly, I had yet to understand fully.


    I looked at the trees again.


    Those trees were simply creepy. There were various bumps on the trunk of those trees.


    Some of those bumps even look like human faces.


    Eh?!


    I unintentionally raised my voice.


    Thats because one of the bumps which resembled a human face suddenly moved on its own.


    Its eyes moved, and then it opened its mouth.


    I approached that bump.


    No doubt about it, it was a human face.


    Its eyes were vacant and it sometimes raised a loud voice.


    In short, the groaning voices I had heard since a while ago weren''t the sound of the wind.


    What In the world is this?


    Fufufu, master. These are mere shadows of those whose souls got sucked up by these tre~es.


    What do you mean by mere shadows?


    This forest doesn''t allow any living creature to get in. Someone who gets close to the forest will get their soul sucked out of their body. Take a look, master. That must be his body. Hyahahaha.


    Clown was pointing at the corpse of a human that had gotten entwined by the branches of the trees.


    The corpse had already been dried up.


    Since it was armed, it seems like the corpse was a warrior when he was still alive.


    ording to Clown''s exnation, everyone who wasn''t the kin of death would be attacked by the trees if they tried to enter the forest.


    Looking at his armament, it seems to be someone from the north of Aremenia. Is he by any chance An idiot who tried to kill the kin of death? How can hee nonchntly when the road looks way too easy?


    Said Clown while poking at the skin of the dried-up corpse.


    Something about his remark caught my attention.


    The road, looks too easy?


    Yes. If they really feel like it, they can make Ruvania inessible to humans. And yet, they don''t do tha~t.


    Sure enough, he was right.


    Someone like Zarxis should be able to erect a barrier to prevent normal humans from entering.


    And yet, he didn''t do that.


    Upon a closer look, I saw a few corpses of human warriors every now and then.


    Those corpses might be the corpses of the people who tried to hunt down the kin of death.


    What''s the reason for doing that?


    To torment Elios'' kin, of course, ~~, Nihahahaha.


    For that? Is there a way to save their soul?


    There is. Burning the trees should be able to free the captured souls. But we will be noticed if we do that now, so let''s not invite trouble to our direction.


    Yeah, Clown was absolutely right.


    Zarxis would definitely find out about us if we burn this forest.


    Understood. Let''s do as you say.


    Thank you. It''s good to know that you understand the situatio~n.


    Said Clown as he slowly lowered the corpse from the tree.


    The tree let go of the corpse so easily as if they had no interest in the corpse anymore.


    The clown then took the corpse''s hand and danced in joy.


    O great hero of Aremania


    We will go to defeat the king of death


    Surpass the army of dea~th


    Heading towards the Forest of Lament


    The warrior is aiming for the capital of death


    Yet he got tripped by the tree branches


    What happenster is just as you imagined


    The branch twined around his body


    Turning the warrior into a part of the forest


    Why did Ie to this forest


    The warriorments everyday


    Thementing voice matched the voice of Clown.


    I knew that Tibel was trembling.


    It wasn''t the kind of song that I wanted to hear.


    Stop it, Clown. Let''s just walk forward. We''re about to arrive at the capital of death right?


    Ye~s. I understand. Well then Warrior-kun, let''s get going.


    Clown gentlyid down the corpse of the warrior on the trunk of the tree where his face was.


    I felt something unpleasant from this Clown.


    Yet at the same time, he was our helper.


    That''s why I had no choice but to pretend that I didn''t see his action just now.


    Let''s pass this forest quickly.


    Thus, we headed toward Modegal.


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 Chapter 142: Death Capital, Modegal

    Chapter 142: Death Capital, Modegal


    <b>Death God; Zarxis</b>


    Finally back to Modegal


    I looked at the scenery outside from the top floor of the temple that was located in the centre of Modegal.


    The Capital of Death, Modegal, was this Zarxis base.


    But, this capital of death had partially copsed. The reason for that was my fight against the Demon King Modes a long time ago.


    Naturally, Modegal could reconstruct itself.


    And yet, this capital, which had an automatic reconstruction ability, had yet to return to its former glory.


    That''s just how terrifying the man called Modes was.


    But, with the power I gained in thest thousands of years, Modegal''s recovery had finally started kicking into high gear.


    The real problem came after this.


    I took out a gem from my pocket.


    The soul orb.


    One of the four treasures left behind by Mother just like the Chaos Grail owned by Diadona.


    There were only two left, the Demon Sword of Venomous Blood and The Heavenly Royal Scepter.


    We would get these two sooner orter.


    I turned my line of sight from the outside scenery.


    And looked at the altar that had just been reconstructed.


    ording to the original n, we were supposed to use the ck pyramid, but well it''s not like it was the only n anyway. Modegal is now functioning too.


    I ced the soul orb on the altar.


    Then, the blood-like red patterns on the altar started to throb as if it were part of a living being.


    The souls sucked by the Forest of Lament were sent to Modegal and poured into the soul orb. And, as if reacting to that, the soul orb''s glow would get even brighter.


    This is enough. Time to go back down I guess.


    I went back to the throne room located under the altar room.


    Over there, the vampire attendant and my daughter, Zaffrada, were already waiting for me.


    Wee back, Dear Father.


    Zaffrada sent her greeting as she bowed her head.


    Zaffrada, tell me about the situation around this region.


    I had tasked my daughter to gather information.


    The reason was the annoying flies that had been buzzing around Ruvania as ofte.


    Alphos and his army of angels haven''t entered yet. Shall we attack them?


    No, let them be as long as they''re outside. Theyre just waiting for us toe out.


    I see And another matter concerns me. A flying ship from Nargol has alsoe in our direction. It seems to be led by the aforementioned Dark Knight.


    What, the Dark Knight?


    This information came as a shock.


    I hadn''t expected that the Dark Knight woulde, too.


    No, considering what happened back in Gypseal, I guess it was only natural for him toe.


    He had always been a thorn in our side.


    What''s your order, Dear Father?


    Leave him be. He''s far more troublesome than Alphos, we''re going to be screwed for sure if we make a wrong move against him.


    I understand.


    Zaffrada bowed her head in understanding.


    Then, I saw a new face among the vampires who stood behind her.


    Who''s that person? I''ve never seen him before.


    Zaffrada looked so delighted when I asked her about this new one.


    Fufufu, Dear Father, This one is the one who yed the angel that I mentioned before, Jusio. Jusio, you maye forward.


    Yes, My Lady.


    The vampire called Jusio then took a step forward.


    The angel yer, Jusio.


    I had heard of that name before.


    He was the human child who Zaffrada had picked and raised. She trained him as a knight and then turned him into a vampire when he reached adulthood.


    Maybe because he was already really talented to begin with, Jusio, who turned into a strong knight, managed to y an angel.


    Jusio, I''ve heard about you before. The former sheep of Faeria turned around and bit its shepherd. Wonderful, truly admirable.


    I unintentionally revealed a smile upon hearing his achievement.


    To be bitten back by her former kin, there was nothing more amusing than that.


    An appropriate end for Mina''s kin.


    I''m honored to receive such praise.


    Jusio kneeled on one knee as he bowed his head.


    I walked until I arrived before Jusio.


    Jusio, as someone who was born as the kin of that disgusting Mina, you have prospered in death by drinking the blood of your former brethren. And you shall continue to do so until you perish. For that is your atonement for our great mother.


    HAH!


    Jusio bowed even deeper.


    This wasn''t benevolence.


    His crime had to be washed by blood.


    ===


    <b>Dark Knight; Kuroki</b>


    Is this the death capital, Modegal?


    Upon leaving the Forest of Lament, we arrived before the capital, which was shrouded in mist.


    It was a white capital.


    Maybe it was something like a phantom since the capital was hidden inside the white mist.


    Naturally, the mist wasn''t your ordinary mist either.


    I caught a glimpse of a skeleton every once in a while inside the mist.


    This mist seems to be an aggregate of the ghosts.


    That mist might have attacked me had I note with Clown.


    Ye~s. This is Modega~l.


    Clown replied while dansing in the air.


    It looks like an eerie ce~


    Said Tibel from inside my pocket.


    Yup, it did look like an eerie ce.


    Bones of various creatures were embedded into the rampart''s wall.


    Or rather, that rampart might be in fact made of bones.


    Fufufuu~. Correct. Modegal is made from a pile of corpses.


    As I thought.


    Exined Clown as if he guessed my inner thoughts from my expression.


    This Clown even knew such details.


    But, now wasn''t the time to be surprised.


    What are we going to do, Master? Shall we attack them? Or retreat?


    I shook my head to answer Clown''s inquiry.


    No, since we''vee this far, we have to go there. Clown-kun, is there a gap that we can use to infiltrate into this ce?


    It''s the same everywhere. Modegal was destroyed a few hundred years ago~. I have no idea how much of it returned to its original state in thest few hundred years. If it''s already back to normal, we''re going to be discovered no matter what route we choose, if it isn''t, we won''t be discovered no matter which route we choose.


    I see


    It seems not even Clown knew of the current situation in the ce ahead of us.


    But, we have to go forward.


    Thus, I looked up at Modegal.


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 Chapter 143.1: Feast of Death

    Chapter 143.1: Feast of Death


    <b>¡ôVampire Count, Jusio</b>


    ¡¸I offer blood to the greatest of the great rulers of death


    I offer innards to the greatest of the great rulers of death


    I beheaded Mina''s children and washed the soil with their blood.


    I made a symbol of the children of death with those heads.


    Skinned them, and turned their bones into ornaments.


    Let thement of Mina''s children resound in this world.¡¹


    I heard the singing of the songstress''s ghost.


    While the songstress''s ghost sang her song, the skeletons were drumming their bones.The vampires danced to match the drumming rhythm.


    The vampires were also the kin of death.


    We had gathered in Modegal to celebrate the return of the great ruler of death.


    I walked into the za once the banquet began.


    I passed by a zombie clown when I walked forward.


    When I looked to the right, a newbie zombie girl, who ced her head on a te, was pouring blood into the noble''s cup.


    On the left was a ghost with a terrifying face that was going on patrol.


    When I looked at the table, there was a captured angel that had gotten skewered and its meat cut up.


    The feast of death had only just begun.


    ¡¸Jusio-dono.¡¹


    Suddenly, someone called out to me.


    When I turned to the direction of the voice, there was a blond-haired handsome youth with blue eyes surrounded by a few women with vivid clothing.


    Appearancewise, the youth looked like someone in his early teens with pale white skin.


    But, I knew that figure was nothing but a disguise.


    ¡¸Long time no see, prince Zasha.¡¹


    I bowed respectfully at the youth who called out to me.


    His name was the Ruby Prince, Zasha.


    He was the younger brother of mydy.


    ¡¸Yeah, long time no see. I''m really happy to be able to meet you, Angel yer-kun.¡¹


    Prince Zasha smiled meaningfully as he spoke.


    ¡¸You jest, Your Highness. I barely managed to defeat the angel.¡¹


    I was really troubled when I got called an Angel yer.


    The reason was simply because I won by some pure chance.


    ¡¸Don''t be so humble, Jusio-dono. You may puff your chest with pride, as expected of my older sister''s favourite.¡¹


    When Prince Zashaughed, the women around himughed along.


    I could see fangs peeking out from the lips of those women.


    Maybe those women were his kin, and they mighte from noble birth.


    They might be the mistresses of Prince Zasha.


    ¡¸My apologies, Prince Zasha. It seems I have to go back to Mdy''s ce since she called for me.¡¹


    ¡¸I see, too bad then. See youter, Jusio-dono.¡¹


    Said Prince Zasha as he left.


    After seeing him off, I returned to Mdy''s ce.


    I had to go back in a hurry, she had suddenly called me a while ago.


    My soul was connected to Mdy¡¯s after she turned me into a vampire.


    Though she wouldn''t call me in a normal situation, she would only call me, no matter how far I am, in case of an emergency.


    Mdy was supposed to be in the throne room where we had an audience a while ago.


    She had already entered the za after leaving the throne room.


    She was surrounded by many people.


    They were her aides, the vampire knights.


    Mdy''s aides wereposed of strong people with neat appearances.


    And seeing their appearances, it seems there was a problem.


    What was happening?


    ¡¸There you are, Jusio.¡¹


    Mdy looked at my direction upon noticing me.


    ¡¸Have you called for me, Mdy? Is there a problem?¡¹


    I kneeled before Mdy and bowed respectfully to her.


    ¡¸Indeed, Jusio. It seems a stray bird got in.¡¹


    Said Mdy with a meaningful smile on her face.


    ¡¸Stray bird?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Jusio. A stray bird. Well, it should be taken care of in a while. Zalbut, exin to the people in this ce.¡¹


    <b></b>


    A man d in a priest''s garment stepped forward as Mdy spoke.


    The face of the person d in that vestment couldn''t be seen clearly since they wore a veil to cover their face.


    But I could see one big eye behind that veil.


    This one-eyed personage was Zalbuth-sama, the one hailed as the high priest of flies and maggots.


    Among the children of the great ruler of death, he was next after Mdy.


    The reason why he was called the high priest of flies and maggots was simply because there was a huge number of flies around him that followed the strong, putrid smell of corpses emanating from him.


    Mdy, who liked beautiful people, couldn''t get along with this personage in normal situations.


    And since this personage made their way toe to this ce, something must''ve happened.


    ¡¸Well then, allow this humble priest to rece my big sister to exin the situation. Let''s get to the point, we have an uninvited guest in Modegal. That intruder seems to be hiding their appearance with some sort of means, but they won''t be able to deceive Father''s eyes. And we¡¯ve been ordered to catch that person. That''s why I want you to catch that intruder.¡¹


    The people in the venue raised a cheer upon hearing Priest-sama''s exnation.


    ¡¸Well then, it''s just as you''ve heard. Let''s make that ignorant fool regret evering uninvited into our capital. Capture them alive since the other party doesn''t seem to know that we''re already aware of their presence. Well, it''s no big deal even if you kill them.¡¹


    Mdy ordered us with a sadistic smile on her face.


    It seems she was thinking about how to torture the intruder in case we caught them alive.


    ¡¸Well then, this humble priest''s adorable flies have been searching for the intruder. You guys start moving too.¡¹


    ===


    <b>¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki</b>


    The capital of death, Modegal had always been enveloped by a thick fog made from countless ghosts.


    The capital was around the size of the Holy Republic of Lenaria, which I had visited before.


    I was walking warily inside that fog.


    I was currently in my dark knight form in order to be able to enterbat at a moment¡¯s notice.


    This ce was the enemy''s home ground after all.


    I could hear the singing voice of the ghosts from the other side of the fog.


    It was even apanied by the skeletons and zombies that were dancing around before me.


    Even the wraith with a stern face seems to enjoy it very much.


    It was as if Modegal was in the middle of a carnival.


    ¡¸Kuroki-sama¡­ It''s scary¡­ We have to get out of here immediately¡­¡¹


    Tibel, the dark fairy who hid in my pocket, trembled in fear.


    That was only natural, the miasma in this ce was so thick.


    Even Tibel might''ve already died had it not been for the protection of my magical power.


    It wasn''t just the paved road, I could literally see the bones of various creatures strewn everywhere as far as I could see.


    That''s why I heard the creaking sound around me.


    Even the buildings in this city were made of bones.


    I noticed that the skulls of various creatures that had be its pirs were looking at me.


    Glowing blue stones protruded from the ces devoid of bones.


    I noticed that something like a soul came out and in of those stones.


    This was truly the country of death.


    ¡¸Sorry, Tibel. I don''t mind letting you wait outside if you''re really scared,¡¹


    ¡¸Auu. But I can''t. I won''t be able to hold on in this ce without Kuroki-sama''s protection.¡¹


    Said Tibel with a voice that was on the verge of crying.


    Was she okay?


    ¡¸Me aside, what about you, Kuroki-sama? Do you feel anything.¡¹


    Asked Tibel as she looked at my hand.


    I held an incense burner for ghost avoidance in my hand.


    A nice fragrance came out from this incense burner that contained kiffi.


    The magical fragrance of kiffi protected my body from evil spirits.


    If you burn kiffi when you''re going to be captured by the undead, the fragrance of the kiffi will drive away the undead.


    None of the undead in this ce would notice me as long as I had this incense burner.


    ¡¸I''m okay, maybe. This item is specially made by the archwitch for this mission after all.¡¹


    This kiffi was something that Hecate prepared specially for this mission.


    Hecate wasn''t just a master of herbs, she couldpound aromatics with magical effects too.


    There were various kinds of aromatics with magical effects, such as the one that heals wounds, or the one that induces sleep.


    That''s why people who couldpound such aromas were highly valued.


    They were either called apothecaries or perfumers.


    Tibel and I walked inside Modegal.


    Zombies were holding candles lit with will-o''-wisp and were roaming around, yet none of them noticed my presence.


    ¡¸This one passed too¡­ But we don''t know for how long.¡¹


    I then recalled Clown''s remark.


    He said that he had to take another route since he was Kuna''s subordinate.


    I had no idea what he was trying to do but I knew that it was something important.


    Not to mention that no one discovered us so far.


    A fly passed by above me.


    They didn''t get close either since the incense burner was also an insecticide.


    If my guess was right, these flies were probably used by the high priest of flies and maggots.


    I tried to recall the information about Zarxis'' children which I had read before this mission.


    The high priest of flies and maggots was the god who ruled over the gue and decay like Zaffrada, the princess of fresh blood.


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 Chapter 143.2: Feast of Death

    Chapter 143.2: Feast of Death


    Those who worship this god believed that became nursery for those maggot.


    And spread the divine love to more people.


    But, that favourable action considered as an evil deed by human society.


    I looked at the undead around me, most of them were former human.


    Maybe they''re aiming for Elios kin.


    The elves and dwarves might be within their scope too s, since most of them was human, their number were in minority.


    ¡¸Kuroki-sama. Vampire ising.¡¹


    Tibel warned me with low voice.


    Tibel''s detection skill was much higher than me. She could feel something beyond her line of sight.My incense burner couldn''t deceive vampire''s eyes.


    Thus, I quickly hid myself in the shadow of the building.


    ¡¸So what shall we do then? Shall we catch one of the vampire to extract information¡­ Rather than walking aimlessly?¡¹


    We were only walking around Modegal so far.


    We couldn''t get any information at all.


    Properly speaking, we should head to the building in the centre to get more information.


    But, that ce seems to be the most dangerous ce in Modegal.


    My presence might be got detected even with this incense burner.


    That''s why I wanted to catch one vampire to extract information from them.


    ¡¸Don''t do tha~t, Kuroki-sama~. That''s suicida~l, just leave the matter of gathering information to Clo~wn.¡¹


    Tibel looked like she was about to cry.


    Why did she said it was dangerous? It seems there was other intruder aside from us.


    Clown had notified us before after seeing the movement of the flies.


    So I wanted to ask him, how did he knew about the movement of the flies?


    But, trying to get that information from Clown made me really tired. That''s why I stopped asking.


    In addition, it seems the movement of that said intruder wasn''t known. That''s why we decided to see the situation as we approached the building in the centre.


    For that reason Tibel and I stuck in this ce, having to watch this eerie festival.


    ¡¸I know, Tibel. I''m just want to know about this situation.¡¹


    Tibel heaved a sigh upon hearing that.


    And a vampire wouldn''t be able to provide any information either unless they''re aide.


    Waiting for Clown was really tiresome.


    He seems to be moving around to investigate the situation.


    And I had no idea what he was trying to find either aside from the intruder.


    The moment I thought so.


    ¡¸Kuroki-sama~. It seems there''s amotion over the~re.¡¹


    Tibel informed me about the situation around us.


    Which remind me that Modegal''s state seems to be pretty strange since a while ago.


    The fog that covered this city started moving like living creature.


    I spread my perception.


    If there was amotion, I should be able to sense it.


    And I found out the source ofmotion immediately.


    It was an aerialbat.


    I culd only peep at the situation from the shadow of the building.


    I barely caught a glimpse of the fight through the moving fog of ghost.


    A person with wings of light on their back was fighting against vampire knight and spectre knight.


    ¡¸Is that an, angel?¡¹


    A person with that kind of wings on their back was definitely that of an angel.


    They might be the subordinate of Alphos.


    There were four of them. Three male angels and one female angel.


    Against them were more than forty vampire knight and spectre knight.


    Though the undead side had superior number, the angels weren''t pushover either.


    The angel race was divided into lower rank and upper rank, both excelled in healing magic and light magic.


    They''re bad match for the undeads who were weak against healing magic and light magic.


    Properly speaking, the angel side shouldn''t have any problem dealing with this many undead.


    s, the spectre knight and the vampire knight had the upper hand.


    It seems the reason why the angel had a hard time was simply because the blessing of their homeground.


    ¡¸This is a true predicament¡­ Those angel is done for if the childrens of the death joining the fray too.¡¹


    Zarxis'' childrens should be more powerful than the angel.


    That''s why they had to beat the undead as fast as possible and ran from this ce.


    s, it seems to be impossible for them.


    The spectre knight and vampire knight used clever formation to prevent the angel from getting away.


    One of the vampire knight was obviously far more skilled than the rest.


    The vampire knigth with white bat wings nullified the light magic used by the angel.


    That person might be able to deal with those angels by himself.


    The reason why the angels had a hard time was definitely that white-winged vampire knight.


    ¡¸Tibel, I''ll assist those angels.¡¹


    I took out my demon sword after I said so.


    Tibel was really bbersted upon hearing my remark.


    ¡¸No~. Just ignore those ange~ls.¡¹


    I shook my head upon hearing that.


    ¡¸No, they came out from the building in the centre. Meaning that they already know Zarxis'' n. It''s true that they''re not our ally but, they''ll be able to bring back important news if they can get out of this ce. Sorry Tibel, you''ve to leave my side for the time being. You should be able to hide yourself with your ability even without using the incense burner.¡¹


    The angels were hostile toward Nargol.


    s, Zarxis wasmon enemy for both Nargol and Elios.


    That''s why I should assist them for now.


    I put off the fire of the incense burner.


    Tibel equally disliked the smell of the incense burner like bug. That''s why this incense burner was useless.


    But, fairy was really good at hiding themselves.


    They could even block the miasma with their own magical power. She should be able to survive for a while.


    ¡¸No~. It''s too dangerou~s. Kuna-sama going to scold mete~r.¡¹


    Tibel tried stop me.


    But, the angels were running out of time.


    I left Tibel behind and leapt to the sky.


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 Chapter 144.1: Riot Above The Death Capital

    Chapter 144.1: Riot Above The Death Capital


    <strong>¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki</strong>


    I leaped up and parried the sword of the vampire knight that was being swung down at the angels.


    ¡¸Dark Knight?!¡¹


    The female angel shouted in shock.


    ¡¸I''ll distract them for a while. Use that time to escape from this ce.¡¹


    I unleashed my ck me at the specter knights as soon as I said so.


    This should be enough to buy time for those angels.


    ¡¸How can it be?! That cowardly and brute Dark Knight ising to save us!¡¹


    The one who called me a brute was the female angel.¡¸How could it be?! Isn''t he supposed to be a lowly b*stard?¡¹


    ¡¸I don''t know why he saved us but, it''s just as Alphos-sama had said. What does he want by doing this?¡¹


    ¡¸This must be one of his cowardly ns! But, we have to get away from this ce, now!¡¹


    The angels proceeded to leave.


    They seemed to have a hard time epting the fact that I just saved their asses.


    Damn you, Alphos!!


    Though I cursed at Alphos for defaming me, I focused on the matter before me right now.


    My opponent wasn''t just the specter knights and the vampire knights.


    I could beat those kinds of foes in a second.


    The white vampire might pose more threat than the others, but he is still no match for me.


    ¡¸All of you, step back. Dark Knight. I shall be your opponent.¡¹


    Coming up from below was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed handsome youth.


    I had read about this youth beforehand.


    the Ruby prince, Zasha.


    Though he appeared like a handsome youth, his real appearance was that of a giant, leech-like vampire.


    Though he wasn''t that powerful, he had a lot of stamina, destroying him was a chore.


    s, since his weakness was fire, I was the worst opponent for him.


    Zasha''s mantle fluttered along with the wind as he rose up in the air.


    ¡¸Zasha-sama! He''s too dangerous! That dark knight can use the ck me! He might be that infamous Dark Knight!¡¹


    Zasha couldn''t hide his shock upon hearing that information from the white vampire.


    ¡¸Eh?! Is that so, Jusio-dono? If that''s the case¡­¡¹


    Zasha was about to leave as he spoke.


    ¡¸Same as ever eh, Zasha! To think that you''re volunteering yourself as vanguard!¡¹


    A woman d in crimson attire came closer to this ce.


    Princess of Fresh Blood, Zaffrada.


    Hailed as the strongest among the children of death.


    Her true form was that of a giant vampire bat, and she was the God revered by the vampires.


    ¡¸Eh? Uhm¡­ Big sis.¡¹


    Zasha seemed to be quite bewildered by his sister''s appearance.


    ¡¸This lowly priest tips my hat for you, Zasha-kun. Now fight to your heart''s content.¡¹


    A one-eyed giant d in vestment came riding on a ck cloud.


    The cloud was made from the gathering of countless flies that spread a foul stench in the air.


    That guy might be the high priest of flies and maggots, Zalbuth.


    I heard that he was an adept user of talisman arts and necromancy.


    He was more troublesome than Zasha.


    The two neers looked at Zasha and I.


    They seemed to be quite confident.


    But that was only natural since we''re above Modegal, the home ground of the kin of death.


    I, on the other hand, was in a disadvantageous situation.


    The kin of death around us were also growing in number. I''m slowly running out of time.


    Let''s escape from this ce after those angels manage to get away from this ce.


    ¡¸Dammit, you must be kidding me, Big Brother! Since that''s the case, Evil Red Mist!¡¹


    And then, Zasha vomited red mist from his mouth.


    ¡¸You think that kind of thing will work on me!¡¹


    I erased the red mist with my ck me and closed in toward Zasha.


    Then, I swung down my demon sword.


    ¡¸UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!¡¹


    Zasha tried to escape but I was faster than him.


    ¡¸What the?¡¹


    And then, just when my sword was about to cut down Zasha.


    Several talismans appeared between Zasha and I. My demon sword easily sliced both the talisman and Zasha s, its power was greatly reduced due to the talisman.


    And then, I turned around and dodged the shockwave fired by Zaffrada.


    ¡¸GUWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!¡¹


    Zasha, who got shed, fell down.


    s, now wasn''t the time to worry about Zasha.


    I had to do something about the two before me.


    Zaffrada and Zalbuth.


    Even though their names were rather simr, I wouldn''t mistake them for sure.


    ¡¸To be able to slice this humble priest¡¯s talisman as if it''s a piece of paper¡­ You''re strong. Then, how about this! Fast Bind!¡¹


    The moment Zalbuth shouted, I was surrounded by shining talismans.


    Those talismans unleashed electric sparks that bound my body.


    These talismans were probably arranged around Zasha during our conversation.


    Thus, he used Zasha as the bait to lure me into this formation.


    He was quite a cunning fe despite being a priest.


    ¡¸Good job, Zalbuth! Now go!¡¹


    Dozens of vampire knights rushed at once to stab me with their sword along with Zaffrada''s order.


    s, these talismans weren''t enough to bind my movement.


    In the first ce, a talisman''s nature was closer to that of enchantment magic in which one wrote sorcery letters on specially prepared paper beforehand and was easy to activate.


    Since it bypassed the step of gathering magical power and chanting an aria, it was faster to activate than normal magic s, it was less powerful.


    Crushing flimsy binding spells like this was a piece of cake.


    ¡¸HAAAAAAAAAAA!¡¹


    I broke the binding with brute force and cut down the iing vampire knights.


    And then used the residual force of my sh to hit back the magic fired by Zaffrada to her.


    ¡¸KYAAAAAAAAAA!¡¹


    ¡¸PRINCESS!¡¹


    Unable to react in time, Zaffrada''s left arm was blown off by her own magic.


    Zaffrada was caught by the white vampire knight just before she fell on the ground.


    Maybe because it was a powerful magic, Zaffrada''s magic instantly eliminated a few specter knights behind her.


    Nevertheless, the movement of that white vampire knight was really good.


    He was the quickest one to catch his master before she fell after all.


    ¡¸No way¡­ Such power¡­¡¹


    Zalbuth groaned in frustration.


    The sword held by the vampire knight was stuck on his body.


    When I cut the vampire knight''s arm, I made it fly toward the direction of Zalbuth.


    He didn''t seem to die even when the sword lodged in his stomach. What in the world is hiding inside that vestment?


    ¡¸GUUUUU! HOW DARE YOU! DAMMIT! DAMMIIIIIIIIIIIIT!¡¹


    Zaffrada, who lost her left arm, sent a hateful gaze toward my direction.


    All the vampire knights that got shed by me had already turned into ashes.


    She tried to kill me along with her vampire knights.


    Too bad I was the one she fought of all people.


    Thus she ended up losing most of her vampire knights along with her left arm.


    That must be a huge emotional blow for her.


    Thus, her face transformed, it was no longer ady''s face.


    Long fangs grew from her split mouth. The eyes on her face grew in number until there were seven of them.


    Giant bat wings grew from her back.


    She finally revealed her true form.


    s, the wounded Zaffrada didn''t charge toward me. She could only re at me from afar.


    The same goes for Zalbuth.


    Thus, the situation reached a stalemate in which both parties only red at each other.


    Now then, I guess I''ve bought enough time for the angels, this was the time to retreat.


    And just when I was about to step back.


    A strong hostile intent came from above.


    Detecting an enemy was simr to detecting danger. Both abilities reacted in simr ways, telling me that a formidable enemy was locking on to me.


    When I looked at the direction where the powerful hostile intent came from, I saw the shadow of someone heading toward this ce.


    Pale bluish-white skin as if there was no pigment, the lower-half of a spider and the upper half of a bat.


    There was a huge mouth around his stomach.


    Their twelve eyes were locking onto me.


    ¡¸Never expected that you wille in person, Dark Knight.¡¹


    ¡¸Zarxis¡­¡¹


    Now I wouldn''t be able to escape from this ce anymore.


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    <strong></strong>

 Chapter 144.2: Riot Above The Death Capital

    Chapter 144.2: Riot Above The Death Capital


    I felt cold sweat running down my back.


    I''ve never felt this kind of danger up until now.


    Then I recalled Heqat and Clown''s remark.


    Fighting against Zarxis in this region after he regained his full strength was suicidal.


    They told me that I should avoid a fight against him in this region but showing my back to him was just as dangerous.


    Zarxis wielded a curved sword in his right hand.


    The sword''s de extended as if to cover the distance between us and approached me.


    I blocked the iing sh with my demon sword.


    ¡¸Heavy!¡¹Though it was a whip-like sword, the impact felt like a blunt weapon.


    My stance crumbled a bit.


    ¡¸Hou, you can receive it head on huh, Dark Knight. But, don''t think that you can defeat this Zarxis in this Modegal. Your power has already been weakened.¡¹


    I noticed that fact the moment he said so.


    Which reminds me that I did feel a bit cold.


    And that coldness dulled my movement.


    Since when did I wonder? Did it start when I attacked Zasha?


    I didn''t feel like this in my previous confrontation against Zarxis in Rox Kingdom, or when facing the Superior Spirit of Darkness, Eclipse.


    ¡¸O Dragons! Lend me your power!¡¹


    I tried to borrow the power of the dragon the moment I felt the crisis.


    At that moment, I felt warmth return to my body. But, the Dragons reaction was slower than usual.


    I don''t think this was simply caused by Zarxis'' power.


    I mean, even when I tried to summon the spirit of darkness, they refused toe to this region.


    In short, I was put in an extremely disadvantageous situation.


    ¡¸You use the power of the dragon huh, Dark Knight. But, it''s futile. Listen carefully, you can hear it, right? The voice filled with malice in Modegal.¡¹


    I strained my ears to listen carefully.


    Thereupon, I noticed the bone-chilling voice.


    ¡¸¡­ Hate¡­ Hate¡­ I hate that woman¡­. It''s that girl''s fault¡­ Destroy¡­ Destroy everything.¡¹


    It was a really faint voice.


    And yet, it was a sorrowful and terrifying voice which felt like it would freeze my soul.


    ¡¸What¡­ Is this?¡¹


    That''s one heck of a scary voice!


    When I strained my ears again, I heard the same voice speaking directly in my brain.


    ¡¸How''s that, Dark Knight!? Do you understand the power of our great mother! My mother''s grudge is sealed in thisnd! And I''ll use you to unseal it! Not even Modes can defeat me in thisnd!¡¹


    Zarxis sneered at me.


    At that moment, I noticed the ck shadow that was coiling on my body.


    Though that shadow was formless, they were heavy, and they were weighing on my body.


    The dragon in my body raised sorrowful cries.


    ¡¸¡­ Hate¡­ Hate¡­ I hate that thieving cat¡­ How dare you to look down on me just because you''re a bit more¡­ BEAUTIFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUL!!¡¹


    And I kept hearing that voice even if I didn''t want to.


    Damn! This is way too scary! The voice of a she-devil kept resounding in my head!!


    That voice forced the Dragons to retreat.


    ¡¸Now die, Dark Knight! Take this sword of sin!¡¹


    Zarxis brandished his curved sword.


    The sword''s de extended like a whip again and rushed toward me.


    ¡¸Kuh!¡¹


    I blocked the blow with my demon sword. This sh was heavier than the previous attack.


    But, the reason was simply because I got weakened.


    Zarxis kept brandishing his sword time and time again. I barely managed to block each blow.


    I would be a sitting duck if I kept flying in the air, thus I lowered my altitude as I blocked the iing sword of sin


    ¡¸Hou! Trying to escape huh? How about this!? TRUE SPIRIT DECAYING WOUND BLUE FLASH!¡¹


    The huge mouth on Zarxis'' abdomen opened up and fired a darkish blue ray toward me.


    And when I tried to dodge that attack.


    I felt something catch my feet.


    Modegal was a city made from countless bones. A boney hand stretched out from there and caught my feet.


    ¡¸Kuh! Dammit!¡¹


    I pushed the ck me and the demon sword before me to defend against that blue ray.


    s, I failed to block the blue ray and it burned my jet-ck armor.


    When I looked around, the bone street was rotting and melting.


    Though my armor protected me somehow, I felt as if my power was drained entirely.


    ¡¸Hou! You even survived my strongest attack huh! I guess I really have to borrow my mother''s power! O GREAT MOTHER OF DARKNESS, RELEASE THY GRUDGE, BECOME THE SHADOW OF DEATH!¡¹


    The moment Zarxis finished his aria.


    The shadow coiling around me entered from the gap of my armor.


    ¡ªOh cra*p! I''m screwed!


    I shouted in panic inside.


    I tried to invoke the dragon''s power till it''s maximum limit and yet, the dragons were actually trembling in fear.


    It seems I''m really screwed this time, I had never expected Nargol''s power to be this terrifying.


    Nargol''s freezing power attacked both my body and mind.


    Right now, it felt as if my body was torn apart.


    ¡¸AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! I''M NOT GOING TO LOSE!¡¹


    I clenched my teeth to endure the pain and invoked the dragon''s power. I tried my best to resist the shadow of death.


    s, the binding of the shadow of death was so powerful to the point that I fell on my knees.


    ¡¸Hou, you managed to resist it, eh? But, this is the e¡ªH?¡¹


    Zarxis suddenly raised a confused voice.


    I also raised my face upon hearing his puzzled voice.


    I saw Clown standing before me there, who should''ve been doing something else.


    There was a blue gem in Clown''s hand. The gem was floating in the air as it glowed in a pale blue light.


    ¡¸Ufufufufu. The n went without a hitch since Master attracted their attention.¡¹


    Clown wasughing happily.


    The gem absorbed the ck shadow that was coiling around my body.


    Thanks to that my body could move easier than before.


    ¡¸You?! How did you possess the Soul Orb?!¡¹


    Zarxis asked with disbelief on his face.


    ¡¸Ahahahahaha. You let your guard down. Kyahahahahaha. We~ll then! Everyone~ it''s party time~! Let the carnival sta~rt!¡¹


    Clownughed as he raised his face to the sky.


    The moment he spoke, countless people d in various colorful attire appeared around us.


    The dancers were appearing in the air. Clowns jumping around freely as if thend was made of trampolines. The musicians yed their instruments.


    It was as if a festival appeared out of nowhere.


    I would¡¯ve wanted to enjoy the carnival if everyone''s face wasn''t that of skeletons.


    Since a lot of clowns suddenly appeared around us, even Zarxis was confused.


    ¡¸Kuroki-sama.¡¹


    When I turned to the side, Tibel was already sitting on my shoulder.


    ¡¸Tibel¡­ Are you alright?¡¹


    ¡¸Ye~s. Their attention waspletely focused on you, Kuroki-sama¡­ That''s why I could escape from them without a hitch. Rather, we have to escape from this ce as soon as possible.¡¹


    Kuna''s butterfly had already been dancing around Tibel.


    It seems both Kuna and Tibel could use the butterfly.


    Even if it was harder to activate long distance teleportation in this ce due to the space seal, short distance teleportation should be possible.


    We might be able to get away from this ce if we use that.


    ¡¸Please¡­ Tibel¡­ It seems I, can''t move¡­¡¹


    It seems I underestimated the effect of the shadow of death, my current condition was so bad that I could barely lift my finger.


    ¡¸Ye~s. Leave it to me~.¡¹


    Right after that, the butterflies covered my body.


    ¡¸Well then! Everyone!£¡


    Dance! Dance!


    Let''s fill Modegal with flowers tonight!


    Dance if you''re a rat! Dance even if you''re a skeleton!


    Let''s begin the carniva~l!¡¹


    Thus, Tibel and I escaped from Modegal with the singing of Clown as the BGM.


    ===


    BGM:


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 Chapter 145: Escape

    Chapter 145: Escape


    <strong>¡ôDeath God; Zarxis</strong>


    ¡¸What? How could you let both of them escape?!¡¹


    ¡¸My deepest apologies! Master!¡¹


    Veig, the vampire lord, bowed his head in apology when I raised my voice at him.


    The battle with the Dark Knight got interrupted by the Clown that appeared out of nowhere.


    I was just one step away from cornering the Dark Knight and yet, he ended up escaping in the nick of time.


    Even the Clown who assisted his escape managed to get away, too.


    Currently, the specter knights were in the middle of searching for them.


    But, Veig then came with a report telling me they had escaped.Thus, I ended up losing my temper after hearing his report.


    Then I looked at the altar.


    The soul orb that should have been there was gone.


    It was stolen by the Clown who let the Dark Knight escape.


    ¡¸How dare he snatch Zarxis'' treasure¡­¡¹


    That Clown actually managed to slip through this temple¡¯s defense system and steal the soul orb.


    The Dark Knight was bait all along. That Clown had been waiting for me to leave this temple to fight the Dark Knight to steal the soul orb.


    Still, my kin aside, an outsider shouldn''t be able to get into this temple unnoticed with all the defensive measures set.


    Just who in the world is that Clown?


    But, now wasn''t the time to think about that.


    ¡¸FIND THEM, GENERAL VEIG! PREPARE THE SPECTER SHIP! CATCH THAT CLOWN NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES!¡¹


    ¡¸Yes! And My Lord, what shall we do about the Dark Knight? He didn''t seem to escape with the Clown.¡¹


    I racked my brain upon hearing that question.


    The Dark Knight should be greatly weakened due to the effect of the shadow of death. The evidence was obvious since he chose to escape. I couldn''t just leave him to his own devices. He had to be killed.


    But, if I catch him alive, he might be a negotiation tool for the soul orb.


    ¡¸Leave the pursuit of the Dark Knight to Zaffrada and the others! Catch him alive if possible! It should be possible now that the guy''s strength has weakened!¡¹


    ¡¸Understood!¡¹


    Veig then called out to his vampire attendant who he brought with him. And ordered her to go.


    ¡¸Now go!¡¹


    Just when I was about to leave, the attendant called out to me.


    ¡¸Wait a minute! My Lord! There''s a possibility that the Dark Knight will take off his armor to escape unnoticed! Do you happen to know what he looks like?¡¹


    I almost killed the attendant on the spot for her discourtesy.


    I mean, how in the world did she get confused about such a simple thing?


    ¡¸PIG! HE MUST LOOK LIKE A PIG INSIDE! HE''S THE COMRADE OF THAT MODES! JUST CATCH PIG-LIKE GUYS!¡¹


    ===


    <strong>¡ôVampire Count, Jusio</strong>


    ¡¸Catching the Dark Knight. I understand. Tell Dear Father that I''ll definitely catch that guy.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes Mdy.¡¹


    The vampire attendant bowed respectfully after she replied and then left.


    She was the messenger who was sent to give Mdy her orders to catch the Dark Knight.


    ¡¸Catching the Dark Knight? Dear Father is really such a ve driver. What do you think, Jusio?¡¹


    Her voice came from behind the thin curtain.


    Meaning that she was behind this curtain.


    Mdy was in the middle of bathing.


    She was bathing to heal the wound she got from fighting the Dark Knight.


    The bathroom in Mdy''s mansion in Modegal was spacious, and the vampire attendants were gathering around her bathtub.


    The pink illumination inside the room brought about a dangerous air.


    The smell of perfume that filled the entire room erased the smell of death.


    I kneeled before the thin curtain, waiting for Mdy to finish her bath.


    ¡¸That guy is injured. This might be our best chance to catch him.¡¹


    I replied to Mdy.


    It wasn''t a lie.


    It was possible, but I could see that we would have a hard time catching even the injured Dark Knight since he was just that strong.


    ¡¸He''s definitely injured. But it sounds like a hassle. My wound hasn''t healed even after I killed all the girls that I gathered.¡¹


    Mdy spoke dissatisfiedly while raising her left hand.


    The left arm that got blown off due to the Dark Knight''s attack had returned to normal. s, it wasn''tpletely restored yet.


    The corpses of female humans were scattered around her.


    Mdy was soaking herself in the blood of human girls.


    Otherwise known as a bloodbath, in the literal sense.


    That was the bath that Mdy referred to.


    Mdy could regenerate herself by sucking the life force of other creatures.


    Though the other kin of death had the same powers, hers were on a whole other level.


    Mdy kept captured human girls in her custody, especially the ones with strong magical power, for this reason. She would then suck their blood when she was injured. Their blood was a literal lump of life force. She filled her bathtub with their blood and sucked their life force as she immersed herself in it.


    When I looked around, I guessed from the number of corpses on the ground that she had crushed all of the captured girls.


    It seems the time she would order me to capture another batch of girls was just around the corner.


    The problem was the number of girls I had to catch.


    I looked at the head of the girl that rolled around nearby. Her face was disfigured.


    Mdy loves to disfigure a beauty''s face as they get cornered and driven to the depth of despair. Maybe this girl was tortured till just before she died.


    Maybe the reason why I felt a prickling pain in my stout heart was because I had to go through the trouble of collecting another batch of girls.


    It seems this prickling pain was unique to me since when I consulted the other vampires, I heard that none of them felt this way.


    But as Mdy¡¯s faithful servant, I had to follow her orders.


    And Mdy was pretty much the same as me.


    ¡¸But, Mdy. I don''t think you have to follow your honoured Father''s o¡ª¡¹


    ¡¸I know what you want to say, Jusio. I''ll move as soon as I heal up. Ha~ah, If only the Dark Knight was a handsome man¡­ But I guess I can''t expect much from that ugly Demon King''srade.¡¹


    The Demon King Modes was famous for being ugly and surrounded by hisrades.


    That''s why Mdy wasn''t so keen on following that order.


    ¡¸I have to gather my knights too now that many of them have fallen. And I can hardly find a strong man with a handsome face¡­ You need to find me more than girls now.¡¹


    ¡¸Shall I attack the settlement in the northernnd then?¡¹


    The northernnd wasn''t ruled by the kin of death.


    I might be able to find a suitable human knight amongst them.


    ¡¸No, not now Jusio. We have to prioritize finding the Dark Knight for now. And while you''re at it, do you happen to know my little brother¡¯s condition?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. He¡¯s already on the move to find the Dark Knight. You''re thest one, Mdy.¡¹


    ¡¸I see. Then I have to make my move too I guess.¡¹


    I felt Mdy standing up from behind the thin curtain.


    And then the thin curtain opened up.


    When I raised my face, I saw Mdy standing before me, naked.


    Her attendant wiped her body and brought her a change of clothes.


    Fresh, red blood was trickling down from her white skin.


    She had a voluptuous and beautiful body. My heart throbbed as I sniffed the sweet smell of blood.


    I might lose my self-control due to the smell of the blood if I stay in this ce any longer.


    ¡¸Mdy, I want to send the warriors who just returned a while ago. We should add more personnel since we have no idea about the current location of the Dark Knight.¡¹


    I stood up as I spoke to her.


    I wanted to return to my territory, Sanshos.


    ¡¸Wait, Jusio.¡¹


    But, she stopped me.


    I got mesmerized by her voice.


    ¡¸What''s the matter, Mdy?¡¹


    I turned around as I felt Mdy''s presence closing in on me.


    ¡¸Turn around and get on your knees, Jusio. Your heart hasn''t fallen even after you received my kiss. I guess I have to re-educate you. Don''t worry, I''ll send someone to take care of your territory while you''re away.¡¹


    My heart rustled the moment I heard her words.


    s, I couldn''t refuse her.


    ¡¸Yes Mdy.¡¹


    I turned around to face Mdy and kneeled before her.


    ¡¸Now lick it, Jusio.¡¹


    When I raised my face,


    I saw Mdy looking down at me with a sadistic smile on her face.


    ===


    <strong>¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki</strong>


    Though some time had psed since I barely escaped from Modegal, I couldn''t escape too far from there.


    I was still wandering around Ruvania along with Tibel, the dark fairy.


    Clown didn''t go with us since he wanted to distract our enemy from us.


    My legs felt heavy.


    I was aware that Nargol''s shadow of death was eating away my body and mind. Even the dragons were trembling in fear before Nargol''s power. That''s why they were paralyzed and as a result, I couldn''t unleash their power.


    I had never expected that Nargol was such a terrifying existence. Now I understand why Nargol''s Gods feared her so much.


    ¡¸Are you okay, Kuroki-sama~? Shall we take a break?¡¹


    Asked Tibel, the dark fairy, with a worried look on her face.


    ¡¸Don''t worry, Tibel. Our top priority is to escape as far as possible. We finally managed to escape from that Forest of Lament after all. I have no idea how long the incense will work. That''s why we should get as far away as possible.¡¹


    I could feel the specter knights approaching our direction.


    We''ll be fine as long as we have this incense burner s, we will be discovered once they find us.


    Moreover, we couldn''t fool the eyes of the worshippers of the death god and vampires.


    Tibel had an invisibility spell, s, the spell would drain her mana if she used it to hide something much bigger than herself. That''s why we couldn''t use it for too long.


    ¡¸Bu~t, Kuroki-sama''s face is clearly as pale as a sheet. That''s why we should rest somewhere for the time being.¡¹


    Tibel spoke with a worried face.


    Seeing her worrying, I felt bad for endangering her due to my reckless act of saving the angels, which in turn got me in this situation.


    Thus, I ended up making Tibel worried about me.


    Tibel was right.


    My legs felt so heavy. Maybe it was time to stop and rest somewhere.


    ¡¸Sorry, Tibel. I ended up making you worry about me¡­¡¹


    ¡¸Ye~sh. I''m worried about you, Kuroki-sama~. That''s why please stop acting recklessly like that again.¡¹


    Tibel puffed her cheeks as she replied to me when I expressed my apology to her.


    Honestly, her appearance was so adorable and warmed my heart.


    ¡¸My bad. Let''s take a break, Tibel. Is there a ce to sleep nearby?¡¹


    ¡¸Let¡¯s see~.¡¹


    Tibel shut her eyes.


    The dark fairy had an extremely keen sense of danger.


    That ability was called the fairy whisper, it helped them avoid dangerous ces by following that voice.


    This ability was one of the reasons why we managed to avoid our pursuers so far.


    ¡¸That direction sounds go~od. There''s a nice smell of flowers from there.¡¹


    Tibel pointed in a certain direction.


    ¡¸I understand. Let''s go to that direction, Tibel.¡¹


    Thus I walked toward the direction Tibel pointed at.


    The moment I said so, I recalled the human vige I saw along the way.


    It should be a ce called Sanshos. Maybe I could rest in that ce.


    I followed Tibel while pondering about such a thing.


    ===


    TN: Racist chapter LMAO


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 Chapter 146: Country of Promised Eternal Youth

    Chapter 146: Country of Promised Eternal Youth


    <strong>¡ôSansho Vige Girl, Wendy</strong>


    My mother was telling me a bedtime story, the story of a boy who was guided by a little fairy to a country of eternal youth.


    If such a country existed, I¡¯d like to go there.


    Why did I see this dream I wonder?


    Maybe because I remembered my big sis Nana who got taken away.


    I didn''t want to be an adult.


    Because scary people wouldn''t take me away if I stayed a kid.


    I opened my eyes.


    I looked at the outside scenery from my window.It was the same gloomy sky.


    I had never seen the blue sky again ever since I was brought into Sanshos vige.


    In this region, the sky remained dark even during the day and became even darker during the night.


    The cold wind blowing from the northern sea hit the mountain and brought snow to this vige.


    s, those weren''t the biggest problems we had on our hands.


    I rose from my bed.


    My little brothers, who slept in the same room as me, were still sleeping. I should wake them up.


    Without big sis Nana, I, as the eldest one, had to be their mother figure.


    s, there was something I had to do before waking them up.


    I changed my clothes and went outside to make some preparations.


    ¡¸Big sis Wendy¡­¡¹


    Michal, who slept in the same bed as me, suddenly called out to me.


    Michal was 4 years old. He was a spoiled boy who always liked to sleep in the same bed as me.


    s, it was about time for him to learn how to sleep by himself.


    I was 12 years old this year.


    The time for them to take me away was just around the corner.


    ¡¸Sorry Michal. I''m going to the usual ce, so please go back to sleep.¡¹


    I soothed Michal.


    He was a boy, after all, he had to learn how to stand on his own.


    Michal sulked a bit s, he still agreed, that''s just his usual sulking.


    I left and went to a certain ce.


    It was a dpidated and deserted house.


    There was a secret flower garden in this ce.


    Since thisnd was filled with miasma, beautiful flowers hardly grew in thisnd.


    s, this ce was the only exception, flowers only grew in this ce.


    It seems someone was growing flowers in this ce years before I was brought to thisnd.


    Currently, I am the only one taking care of this flower field.


    The one who took care of the flower field before me was big sis Nana.


    ording to her, these flowers had a strong resistance against miasma, that is why they didn''t need special care to grow in this ce.


    s, it was something like a daily routine for me to go see this flower field every morning.


    I went into the deserted house.


    The roof had already been broken, the same went for the floor, revealing the soil beneath it.


    Small, purple flowers were blooming on that barren ground.


    Looking at these flowers became one of my hobbies.


    I wanted to be stronger like these flowers.


    At that moment, I noticed that something was amiss.


    ¡¸W-Who''s there?¡¹


    I noticed that someone else had entered this house.


    Upon a closer look, I saw someone lying down on the floor.


    Are they one of the scary adults?


    But, that person didn''t give the same air as those scary adults.


    When I approached the sleeping person, I discovered that the person was a man.


    It was a face that I had never seen before, different from the face of those scary adults.


    And then, I moved my gaze from his face.


    The reason was that something was moving right above his chest.


    At first, I mistook it for some beautiful cloth. s, that didn''t seem to be the case since it moved on its own.


    Since I was curious about the man''s identity, I sat beside him, gazing at the thing on his chest.


    It was a tiny human with butterfly wings on her back.


    Her azure-colored butterfly wings that glowed in the darkness looked really beautiful.


    The thing that I mistook as beautiful clothes turned out to be wings.


    ¡¸Eh, wait a minute? Is she a fairy?¡¹


    She did look like a fairy, the tiny human that was mentioned in the bedtime story.


    The fairy was sleepingfortably on the human''s chest.


    Yeah, no doubt about it, she was a fairy.


    My heart raced upon realizing that fact.


    Why was there a fairy in this ce?


    I was filled withplex emotions.


    It was something that I had never felt ever since I was brought to thisnd.


    Then I looked at the man.


    He was a handsome, ck-haired man. Upon a closer look, I realized that he rivaled even the ruler of this vige in terms of appearance.


    Maybe because of his exhaustion, the man was sleeping soundly like a corpse.


    Who''s this man I wonder?


    He didn''t seem to be an adult from this vige.


    Maybe he wasn''t a friend of the adults of this vige either. I mean, if he was their friend, he wouldn''t sleep in this ce.


    This man was clearly led by this fairy to this ce from outside of this vige.


    That must be how he ended up drifting in this vige.


    It must be the beginning of some sort of tale.


    If possible, I wanted him to take me into that tale too.


    Thus my hand reached out to the man.


    ¡¸U~hn.¡¹


    Then the fairy let out a groan.


    As I looked at her, the fairy woke up while rubbing her eyes.


    And then, her gaze met mine.


    ¡¸NO WAY, A HUMAN?! H-HOW COULD I FAIL TO DETECT HER PRESENCE?! KUROKI-SAMA! PLEASE WAKE UP, KUROKI-SAMA! WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY!¡¹


    The fairy looked at me in panic.


    And started to rouse the man.


    I also got flustered upon realizing that.


    At this rate, we were going to be found out. I had to hide them from the adults.


    I noticed that fact immediately.


    That''s why I had to calm her down.


    ¡¸Wait! Calm down, please! I won''t do anything to you!¡¹


    The fairy looked at me with suspicion the moment I said so.


    ¡¸Hu~mph! Humans who say those words can''t be trusted at a~ll! I''ll kill you right here with magic!¡¹


    Said the fairy as she pointed her hands at me.


    ¡¸Wait, Tibel¡­¡¹


    When I looked at the direction where that voice came from, I saw that the man had already woken up.


    The man propped himself a bit as he shook his head.


    ¡¸Please don''t force yourself Kuroki-sama~, you didn¡¯t get enough rest ye~t.¡¹


    The fairy spoke with worry.


    It seems the man was in bad condition.


    His face was pale.


    But, it seems he was fully conscious.


    He looked at both me and the fairy with a gentle look in his eyes.


    ¡¸Don''t worry, Tibel. She''s not a bad girl. I mean, you couldn''t detect her presence until she was this close.¡¹


    Said the man as he patted the fairy''s head.


    The fairy called Tibel seemed to be more anxious.


    ¡¸But, Kuroki-sama¡­¡¹


    ¡¸I believe in your power, that''s why I know that she''s not dangerous.¡¹


    And then, he looked at me.


    ¡¸Sorry for entering your flower garden without permission¡­¡¹


    The man apologized to me.


    I shook my head in a hurry.


    ¡¸Uhm, I don''t mind really.¡¹


    I''m sure that big sis and the others would give the same answer as me in this situation.


    ¡¸I see, thank you. If possible, I want you to overlook me just this once, but¡­¡¹


    The man called Kuroki sent a pleading gaze at me.


    ¡¸Yes! Don''t worry about it! I won''t tell any soul about you!¡¹


    I nodded vigorously.


    Both the man and the fairy looked as if they didn''t expect this kind of reply.


    ¡¸Uhm, my name is Wendy! Feel free to use this ce until you recover!¡¹


    ===


    <strong>¡ôGoddess of Wisdom and Victory; Rena</strong>


    Land of Aremania.


    It was located in the north of Ruvania, the region under the control of Zarxis.


    Alphos and co were currently standing by in the sky of that region.


    I came from Elios and boarded Alphos'' flying ship.


    ¡¸Wee, Rena-sama.¡¹


    The one who weed me was Alphos'' attendant, Heasis.


    The person who looked like a woman at a nce s, the person was a genuine man.


    ¡¸I came to see the situation, how''s Alphos doing?¡¹


    Heasis made a troubled face when I asked that question.


    ¡¸Alphos-sama is¡­¡¹


    I heaved a sigh upon seeing Heasis'' expression.


    ¡¸So it''s just the usual thing. I''ll get in then.¡¹


    I entered the flying ship.


    Upon entering Alphos'' room, I saw him sitting half-naked in bed.


    It seems he quickly wore some clothes after hearing that I came.


    An unknown woman was sleeping beside him. She might be a woman he picked up from somewhere.


    And from the scattered clothes on the floor, she might be a princess from somewhere.


    ¡¸Heya, Rena. Have youe by yourself since you''re worried about me?¡¹


    Alphos spoke lightly.


    Surely, I was worried.


    But the one I was worried about wasn''t Alphos.


    ¡¸Yeah, I''m worried. I heard that the angels that you dispatched to Modegal have returned. How''s the situation?¡¹


    Alphos touched his chin, pondering for a while when I asked that question.


    ¡¸Yeah, they returned. Everyone was safe and sound. But, something about their report is bothering me. They say that they were saved by the Dark Knight when they were about to escape. And for some reason, no one chased after them. Which makes things even more suspicious.¡¹


    I almost lost my cool the moment I heard that.


    You''re such an idiot, Kuroki. You should¡¯ve just abandoned Alphos'' subordinates.


    I came to this ce because I thought that this might happen.


    I knew from Kuna that Kuroki was injured in that fight.


    That''s why I had to save him.


    That''s why I should force Alphos to move.


    ¡¸Wait, no pursuers? Meaning that Zarxis didn''t send anyone to chase after the angels. If that''s the case, the Dark Knight might have gotten more important information than us. That might be the reason why Zarxis focused on finding the Dark Knight. Alphos.¡¹


    Maybe he''ll make his move If I say this, maybe not.


    My brother, Alphos, was a whimsical person.


    ¡¸I''ll move, of course, Rena. In addition to infiltrating Modegal, we have many insiders in Ruvania. I''m aware of the gist of the situation.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh? Is that so?¡¹


    That was a surprise.


    ¡¸At least trust me a bit, Rena. It''s not like I''m always fooling around.¡¹


    My bad. I thought that all you did was y around. My bad, Alphos.


    Alphos then exined the situation.


    The angels that infiltrated weren¡¯t the most important spies, the truly important ones were therge number of human spies.


    Though some people might die, the information would be passed on as long as they were notpletely annihted.


    ¡¸I see. Does that mean you managed to get precious information?¡¹


    ¡¸That''s a bit of a tricky situation. Some of our spies got caught by Zalbuth and became his spies instead.¡¹


    I knew about the church of maggots that worshiped Zalbuth.


    This church was quite notorious among humans.


    The reason was that the one they worshiped was akin to a walking disaster who spread the gue wherever he went.


    The gue caused many people to die, and their rotten corpses would be a nursery for maggots.


    Most people who were infected by the gue died. However, the rare survivors of the gue would be new believers and spread the gue even further.


    Some of Alphos'' subordinates became their victims.


    ¡¸Hm~¡­ So, did they manage to get important information?¡¹


    ¡¸No, that''s not what I''m talking about, Rena. I mean, now that the Dark Knight is injured, it means that no one is caring for the Silver Girl. This is my chance.¡¹


    ¡¸EH?! IT CAN''T BE, ALPHOS?! ARE YOU BY CHANCE?!¡¹


    Could it be that he was going to kill the weakened Kuroki?


    If that''s the case, I had to stop him at all costs.


    ¡¸Indeed. If the Dark Knight dies, I shallfort her. Now let''s go visit the Silver Princess.¡¹


    I almost tripped on my feet upon hearing Alphos''st remark.


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 Chapter 147.1: Sanshos Village

    Chapter 147.1: Sanshos Vige


    <strong>¡ôSansho Vige Girl, Wendy</strong>


    The adults brought breakfast when the morning came. All of them had their faces covered with a white cloth that had small openings at the eyes.


    Never once have I seen their faces sinceing to this ce.


    But I knew one thing, I definitely didn''t want to see their faces.


    ¡¸Wendy, gather everyone. We''re going to have a more sumptuous feast than usual.¡¹


    The adults brought more food than usual today.


    They even brought sweets that had never been avable before.


    The kids cheered loudly upon seeing that.


    Lily, whose age was a bit younger than me, was the only one who didn''t cheer.¡¸Wendy¡­ Why are they bringing more food than usual? Big sis Nana is gone and yet¡­¡¹


    Lily was quite anxious.


    Because the only time we got more food was when someone was going to leave the house.


    When big sis Nana left, we had also gotten more food.


    ¡¸I''m just as clueless as you, Lily. But please take care of the rest once I''m gone, okay?¡¹


    I requested from Lily as I desperately suppressed my trembling voice.


    ¡¸Wendy¡­¡¹


    Hearing that, Lily almost couldn''t hold back her tears.


    ¡¸It''s O¡ªOuch!¡¹


    Suddenly, my ear was pulled when I was about to say "It''s alright".


    ¡¸What''s the matter, Wendy?¡¹


    Lily cocked her head as she looked at me.


    ¡¸Uhm, it''s nothing, don''t worry about it. Rather, Lily. Help me distribute the food to the kids since I have to go check on something.¡¹


    I left after I said so.


    I could feel Lily''s gaze from behind.


    But, I really couldn''t tell her anything.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Tibel-chan?¡¹


    I whispered under my breath after finding a suitable hiding ce.


    A tiny girl with butterfly wings on her back was floating before me.


    She was Tibel-chan, the fairy.


    She was also the one who pulled my ear before. Meaning that she must have something to tell me.


    I met her just this morning.


    She could make herself invisible with magic.


    s, people with unique traits or people with high magical powers could still see through her magic.


    And it seems I belonged to the former.


    ¡¸Human! Prepare a meal for Kuroki-sama~. I''ll make you suffer with my magic if you dare to disobey me~.¡¹


    Said Tibel-chan as she pointed at me.


    But honestly, far from being scary, her gestures just made her look even more adorable instead.


    That''s why she looked even more charming despite threatening me.


    And Kuroki-san was a really kind person, too. That''s why I''m sure that despite her high-handed attitude, Tibel-chan was in fact a kind girl.


    ¡¸Okay, Tibel-chan. I''ll bring the foodter to Kuroki-san''s ce. Anything you want, Tibel-chan?¡¹


    ¡¸Those delicious looking swee~ts¡¹


    Tibel-chanughed merrily upon recalling the sweets among the dishes.


    Her sweet smile looked really adorable.


    ¡¸Okay Tibel-chan. I''ll bring the foodter.¡¹


    ¡¸I''ll be waiting, human.¡¹


    Thus I returned to the dining room.


    My mood improved a bit after talking to Tibel-chan.


    ===


    <strong>¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki</strong>


    I ate the meal that Wendy brought in the dpidated house where the flowers grew.


    Turnip, beans and onion soup with assorted bread. She also came with baked treats filled with sweet fruit.


    This region had already turned into a barren wastnd due to its miasma.


    It was literally impossible to grow crops in this region. But, the meal was unexpectedly wonderful.


    ¡¸It''s really deliciou~s, Kuroki-sama. Not bad for a huma~n.¡¹


    Said Tibel as she munched on the baked sweets.


    After being familiar with the living conditions of humans in this world, I knew that baked sweets like this shouldn''t havee that easily in a vige of this size.


    Especially ones that could satisfy Tibel''s pte.


    The children of this vige had been living a good life.


    ¡¸Hey, Tibel, are Wendy and her siblings just living among other children only?¡¹


    ¡¸U~hm. If I''m not wrong, that female human said that the house she lives in is a house for stray children.¡¹


    Said Tibel while cocking her head.


    Tibel might not be able to tell apart a human adult from a human child.


    But ording to her, no one bigger than Wendy was living in her house.


    Wendy seems to be filling the role of a mother in the house of stray children.


    That was strange considering that there were actual adults in this vige.


    And then I recalled that Wendy was muttering something about not wanting to be an adult.


    ¡¸Haah, so this is that kind of vige¡­¡¹


    I heaved a sigh and looked up to the sky.


    Maybe, the children of Sansho vige were domesticated for the vampires.


    Wendy might be fed to the vampires once she bes an adult.


    That might be the reason why she didn''t want to be an adult.


    This kind of settlement wasn''t a rarity in this monster-infested world.


    I''ve already seen goblins make ves of humans, humans living in the ogre territory in the western part of the central continent had also been raised like domesticated animals.


    In the first ce, humans had also made goblins their ves at some point. That''s why I didn''t think that it was wrong if the situation got flipped around.


    That was a normal situation in this world.


    Still, it didn''t mean that I didn''t feel anything when I saw Wendy¡¯s situation.


    If I had another appearance other than what I have now, humans might have regarded me as an enemy immediately after seeing me.


    This conflicting situation has always been a huge headache for me.


    The main reason was that I got summoned by the demon king''s side. Reiji and co, who got summoned to fight for the human side, might have had no such worries.


    That''s why I had the policy to return the favor of a one-night lodging and a meal regardless of the race.


    In that way, I would have a valid reason to save the other party.


    ¡¸Hey, Tibel. What''s your impression when you see the humans bigger than Wendy in this vige?¡¹


    ording to what I heard from Tibel, the adults of this vige might be the vampires¡¯ subordinates.


    Otherwise, Wendy wouldn''t fill in the mother role for those younger than her.


    In addition, the adults who hid their faces also didn''t live with the children.


    No matter how I think about it, they were suspicious.


    ¡¸They covered their faces~. They didn''t seem to be that stro~ng. They can''t even see me~.¡¹


    ¡¸I see.¡¹


    Tibel could use invisible magic.


    The only ones who could see through her spell were those with high magical power or those with a special ability.


    And since none of the adults could see Tibel, it meant that their magical power wasn''t that high.


    ¡¸Well, Tibel''s magic seems to be more than enough to handle the~m.¡¹


    Said Tibel happily as she pped her wings.


    In fact, Tibel was much stronger than a normal human.


    Though her stamina and physical strength were much weaker than humans, her magical power was many times higher than humans.


    To begin with, the fairies'' adorable appearance was a horror for humans.


    Not to mention that they could use powerful wind magic and mind magic, their magic was more powerful than the dryad and Napaia.


    They could easily kill humans by making them go round and round in the same ce, forever.


    In short, don''t judge them by their adorable appearance.


    And Tibel was considerably powerful among the fairies.


    Not to mention that Tibel regarded the human race as inferior creatures.


    That''s why I was quite anxious when Tibel kept following Wendy.


    But, Wendy seemed to be normal when she brought food for us.


    For now, I felt relieved since no strange magic was used on Wendy.


    ¡¸But Tibel. Don''t let your guard down. Be very careful since some of those adults might have special powers.¡¹


    ¡¸Understo~od.¡¹


    Tibel replied cheerfully. Her sense of danger was really powerful. That''s why she might not be in danger.


    In that case, the only one she had to worry about was the vampire, who was also the lord of this vige.


    This vampire seemed to be living in the castle near this vige.


    Surely, even I could see that castle from this dpidated house.


    I looked outside from the dpidated house.


    It was an eerie castle built on top of a small hill. Its appearance kinda of reminded me of castles from horror movies.


    ¡¸Eh? What''s that?¡¹


    And when I looked at the castle of the lord from the window.


    I saw a huge flying ship closing in on the castle of the lord.


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 Chapter 147.2: Sanshos Village

    Chapter 147.2: Sanshos Vige


    That flying ship seemed to be surrounded by mist, making it harder to see it clearly.


    I felt a ghost presence from that flying ship.


    When I strained my eyes, I could finally see numerous ghosts surrounding the flying ship.


    It was the very definition of the ghost sky ship.


    ¡¸Kuroki-sama~. That thing is so scary~¡­ And dangerou~s.¡¹


    Tibel''s voice trembled.


    I agree with her.


    There might be a formidable enemy aboard that ship.


    I looked carefully at the ghost skyship.===


    <strong>¡ôVampire Count, Jusio</strong>


    I returned to my castle with Mdy''s ghost skyship.


    Apanying Mdy was lord Zasha, myself, the maids, and the knights.


    ¡¸It''s been a while since I came to this castle, Jusio. The humans raised in your vige taste really good. You¡¯re doing a good job.¡¹


    Mdy sat in the seat of honor, the seat of the owner of the castle, and praised me.


    This vige was one of the ces where humans were cultivated.


    After raising the kidnapped children, who were too young to be sucked for their blood, I presented them to Mdy after they reached the appropriate age.


    Though many children died when their blood was sucked, some of them were fortunate enough to survive and turn into vampires, or maids.


    It was my job to take care of this vige.


    Were the few flowers in that dpidated house still blooming?


    Let''s visit that ceter.


    ¡¸No, Mdy. It¡¯s because the people dispatched by lord Zasha are excellent. It''s not my power.¡¹


    I looked at lord Zasha who stood beside Mdy.


    The people sent by lord Zasha were excellent, they were useful in raising the children.


    Thanks to them I didn''t need to do anything.


    ¡¸Yes. Then I ought to give you praise too, Zasha. Moreover, the arm that you prepared for me is a perfect fit.¡¹


    Mdy raised her left arm, looking at it as she praised lord Zasha.


    ¡¸It''s my honor to be able to do at least this much, big sis. Feel free to use the left arm of the demon beast as you see fit.¡¹


    Replied lord Zasha as he bowed to Mdy.


    That moment, a vampire maid entered the audience room.


    ¡¸My apologies for the disturbance, Mdy. The vigers and Bragg-dono wish to have an audience with Mdy.¡¹


    Bragg, the ratman, led the soldiers of this castle to find the escaped Dark Knight.


    Naturally, that meant lowering the protection of this territory s, the defense of this territory was thick to begin with.


    So even if Bragg brought some of the soldiers, it was only equal to a tiny hole in the defense force of this territory.


    And there was very low possibility for someone to use that chink to infiltrate this territory.


    That''s why I''m sure that the Dark Knight wouldn''t be able to enter this territory.


    ¡¸Sure. Let them in.¡¹


    After Mdy gave her permission, a ratman, and people, whose faces were covered with a white hood and veil, came in.


    Maybe Bragg returned in a hurry upon hearing that Mdy hade to this vige.


    He looked slightly exhausted.


    And following after him were the vigers dispatched by lord Zasha.


    It seems the reason they came was to give their greeting to lord Zasha.


    Just to be safe, I ordered them to give a feast to the children since Mdy was visiting this vige.


    It was so that she could suck as much blood as possible.


    Coz if Mdy wanted to suck some blood, we had to present the children in the best possible condition.


    ¡¸Long time no see, Zaffrada-sama! Your Loyal servant, Bragg has returned to greet you!¡¹


    Bragg, who stood in the lead of the formation, bowed 90 degrees as he stood on his hind leg.


    ¡¸Yeah, long time no see, Bragg. I heard that you''ve been looking for the Dark Knight, have you found that person?¡¹


    Bragg nodded his head upon hearing Mdy''s question.


    ¡¸Reporting, Mdy! We caught fifteen suspicious people who infiltrated this territory! Since everyone has pig-like appearances, I''m sure that we will find the Dark Knight among them!¡¹


    Bragg reported happily.


    And then he looked at Mdy as if expecting something.


    Bragg had always wanted to be a vampire.


    That was the reason why he was willing to do anything.


    To begin with, Bragg was a former human, it was a mystery how he ended up as a ratman.


    ¡¸I see. It seems you''ve been working really hard, Bragg. In that case, do your best to capture more men with pig-like faces. If you find the Dark Knight among them, I''ll give you an appropriate reward.¡¹


    ¡¸Y-YE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SH!¡¹


    Bragg prostrated and then left the audience room.


    After he left, only the white hooded vigers were left.


    ¡¸Well then, you lot are the people who were trained by Zasha, right?¡¹


    ¡¸Indeed, big sister. You lot, take off your hoods and show your faces to big sister.¡¹


    After that, the vigers took off their hoods at once.


    Their faces were filled with patches.


    Every single one of them was a human who underwent remodeling from lord Zasha.


    Different from the undead, the remodeled humans couldn''t produce miasma and could survive with just in water.


    For this reason, the children didn''t get sick and the maintenance cost was kept at a minimum.


    This also spared us the trouble of them breeding themselves.


    ¡¸O honored child of the Great Reaper. This Daring represents everyone to greet the great one.¡¹


    Daring, the remodeled human, spoke as he bowed his head.


    Daring was the priest of the religion that worshiped the Great Ruler of Death.


    Thus, lord Zasha turned him into a remodeled human as a token of appreciation. Now he was an influential chief of this vige.


    The other vigers also bowed down after Daring.


    Though there were other remodeled humans, the ones gathered here were the only ones with proper intelligence.


    The other remodeled humans were robbed of their intelligence and turned into mindless working puppets.


    ¡¸I see, they''re the remodeled humans made by your own hands right, Zasha? Appearance aside, they''re no different from a normal human. s, did you add something else?¡¹


    ¡¸My apologies, big bister. I''ve not added any special features to them. But, I did make other types of remodeled humans exclusive forbat. Shall we go see them?¡¹


    Lord Zasha spoke cheerfully.


    It seems he wanted his sister to see his creations.


    But, Mdy didn''t seem to have any interest in that.


    ¡¸My bad Zasha. Let''s save that for the next time.¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ I see.¡¹


    Lord Zasha was obviously dejected.


    ¡¸This matter aside, our current focus is the Dark Knight. It''ll be a good thing if the person who chopped off my left arm is among the people caught by Bragg. Still, we have to look for him again if it turns out he wasn''t among them. I''ll stay in this area for the time being. Zasha, you also have to move like Zalbuth. And then, bring all the people you captured to this ce.¡¹


    ¡¸Understood, big bister.¡¹


    Zasha left the room after he said that.


    ¡¸Well now, let''s see the captured people. Honestly, I want to tear him up to pieces with my new left arm, but I have to spare him for now since My Dear Father ordered me not to kill him.¡¹


    Mdy revealed a ferocious smile as she spoke.


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 Chapter 148: Holy Knight VS Reape

    Chapter 148: Holy Knight VS Reape


    <b>¡ôSilver Witch; Kuna</b>


    Outside thend of Ruvania, Kuna''s skyship was wandering outside the barrier.


    Compared to the Ruvania region which was always covered in clouds, the sky here was bright.


    s, the same couldn''t be said about Kuna''s heart.


    ¡¸Does that mean that Kuroki met with danger?¡¹


    I listened to Clown¡¯s report, who had returned.


    His body was in tatters.


    His doll''s body was covered in cracks, and his attire waspletely torn everywhere.


    It seems he barely managed to escape from Zarxis and the others.And he brought with him information about Kuroki getting into a dangerous situation.


    I had to help him.


    ¡¸Ye~s. Kuna-sama~. And here~.¡¹


    Clown took out a gem from his body.


    ¡¸RIBBIT?! IF IT ISN''T THE SOUL ORB!¡¹


    Heqat eximed in shock as she tried to take the gem.


    s, Kuna took the orb first before Heqat took it.


    ¡¸Kuna won''t give this to you, Heqat. This orb is mine.¡¹


    This looked like some sort of gem. But, Kuna knew that it was something really important.


    If that was the case, Kuna wouldn''t give this orb that easily.


    When Kuna hid the orb behind her back, Heqat could only look at Kuna in frustration.


    ¡¸Ribbit¡­ It can''t be helped¡­ But Zarxis mighte if we stay in this ce. Let''s use teleportation first.¡¹


    Said Heqat as she started to return to Nargol with teleportation magic.


    s, Kuna couldn''t do that.


    ¡¸NO! KUNA REFUSES TO ABANDON KUROKI AND RETURN TO NARGOL!¡¹


    Heqat''s six eyes opened wide upon hearing Kuna''s remark.


    ¡¸RIBBIT! DON''T SPEW NONSENSE, SILVER! ZARXIS WHO REGAINED HIS POWERS IS MUCH MORE POWERFUL THAN YOU! AND EVENTUALLY HE¡¯LL TAKE BACK THE SOUL ORB!¡¹


    ¡¸HEQAT! ARE YOU PLANNING TO ABANDON KUROKI?!¡¹


    Just when Kuna shouted at her.


    The sky suddenly got dyed in grey.


    The female daemon was rather confused upon seeing that situation.


    ¡¸KUNA-SAMA! WHAT IS THIS!?¡¹


    The female daemon, Guno, asked Kuna, s Kuna also had no idea about this situation.


    ¡¸RIBBIT!? OH NO, THIS IS A SEAL OF TELEPORTATION!! THAT GUY IS COMING!¡¹


    Heqat eximed in shock.


    Freezing wind swept the sky ship from the direction of Ruvania.


    ¡¸WAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT! GIVE ME MY SOUL ORB BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!¡¹


    Something with giant bat wings and mouth shouted as it came toward Kuna and co''s direction.


    Behind that something was a huge skyship.


    The skyship enveloped by ghosts should be called a ghost skyship.


    ¡¸RIBBIT!! THAT''S ZARXIS! HE CAME FASTER THAN I EXPECTED!¡¹


    Maybe she was referring to that thing with giant bat wings.


    The freezing wind that swept this ship came from Zarxis.


    Unable to withstand the freezing wind, Guno and co fell to their knees.


    ¡¸OH NO!¡¹


    Kuna quickly deployed a nineyered barrier.


    The next moment, something flew from Zarxis and punched through five of Kuna''s barriers at once.


    The thing that flew from Zarxis was none other than his own arm, which then returned to its owner.


    To be exact, it got elongated and turned into a screw-shaped sword.


    There was still some distance between us s, the distance steadily got closer.


    I red at Zarxis.


    Strong.


    Definitely stronger than Kuna.


    So Kuna didn''t waste any second to deploy the magic shield again.


    Though Kuna had somehow managed to block his attack, she couldn''t keep doing that.


    ¡¸FULL SPEED AHEAD TO NORTH DIRECTION!¡¹


    Thus Kuna ordered Guno and co to move immediately.


    Thereupon, Heqat lost her cool.


    ¡¸RIBBIT! WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO, SILVER?! ZARXIS¡¯ GOING TO OVERTAKE US FIRST! YOU CAN''T BEAT HIM! RIBBIT RIBBIT!¡¹


    s, I ignored her.


    In the first ce, no one here could win against Zarxis.


    As my magic barrier wasn''t deployed fast enough, part of the skyship got pulverized.


    ¡¸Shut up, Heqat! Kuna knows that! HURRY UP, RAISE THE SPEED!¡¹


    Thus, the skyship raised its cruising speed toward the north.


    ¡¸What are you thinking about, ribbit! Oh well, it can''t be helped right, O evil mist!¡¹


    Heqat was grumbling at first and then used magic.


    She released a magic mist between us and Zarxis.


    I noticed that Zarxis'' sword weakened a lot.


    ¡¸GUNO! TAKE GLORIOUS OUT! WE HAVE TO BUY TIME EVEN IF IT''S JUST A SECOND!¡¹


    s, even a great dragon-like Glorious would have a hard time against Zarxis.


    But, we still had to earn some time.


    And then head toward the north.


    Glorious came out from the deck and fired his exploding breath.


    The breath attack that could annihte daemons and angels wasn''t effective against Zarxis.


    Yet, it could weaken the freezing wind.


    Thanks to that, the daemons regained their power and went to assist Kuna and co.


    It seems we will make it in time.


    Kuna was no match against Zarxis.


    That''s why it was only natural for Kuna to dump this problem on that man.


    If Kuna and co are no match for Zarxis, will that man be a match?


    Zarxis was slowly closing in on us.


    His relentless attacks didn''t leave any leeway for us.


    My barrier couldn''t catch up with one of his attacks, which caused partial destruction on the rear side of the ship.


    ¡¸That was a close call, Silver! What are you really trying to do?! We won''t be able to hold on for too long!¡¹


    Heqat shouted at Kuna.


    Yeah, we''re in a really bad situation.


    But if my guess was correct, we were about to reach our destination.


    ¡¸I PRAISE YOU FOR MANAGING TO ESCAPE THIS FAR BUT, THIS IS THE END! TRUE SPIRIT RO¡ªWUT!?¡¹


    When thergemouth in Zarxis'' abdomen opened wide.


    An arrow suddenly flew straight toward Zarxis.


    Zarxis quickly used his screw sword to defend against that arrow.


    It seems he barely made it in time.


    Kuna turned around toward the direction that the ship was heading to and saw a man riding on a white dragon.


    A lot of angels were flying around him.


    ¡¸Are you okay, Princess?¡¹


    Asked the man riding on the white dragon.


    ¡¸Ribbit, Alphos?¡¹


    How many times now I wonder?


    Heqat received another shock for who knows how many times.


    Alphos and the angels observed Kuna.


    That''s why they knew Kuna and co''s position.


    But, Kuna had no idea about their position.


    The reason Kuna knew about their position was thanks to the information from Rena.


    ¡¸Alphos! Save Kuna! Saving a beauty is your raison d''¨ºtre right?!¡¹


    When Kuna said so, Alphos revealed augh.


    ¡¸Naturally, dear Princess! Leave it to me!¡¹


    Said Alphos as he readied his bow.


    He was already d in his holy knight armor.


    Personality aside, Kuna knew that he could at least keep Zarxis at bay.


    That''s why Kuna dumped Zarxis for this guy.


    ¡¸WHY ARE YOU SAVING THEM, ALPHOS-SAMA?!¡¹


    Said the female angel beside Alphos.


    ¡¸Though I don''t know much about the details, the Dark Knight did save your lives, right? Don''t you think that I''ll look more like a bad guy if he saves you but I don''t do the same in return?¡¹


    Alphos replied at her while firing his arrow.


    Thanks to Alphos'' arrow, Zarxis couldn''t attack us.


    Our ship then passed by the side of the angels.


    Maybe because of Alphos'' action, they didn''t stop us.


    ¡¸Don''t expect a thank you from me, Alphos! You saved us at your own convenience after all!¡¹


    I shouted at Alphos.


    It was only natural for him to save Kuna.


    That''s why Kuna had no reason to thank him.


    ¡¸Sure! Princess! Leave Zarxis to me! Let''s go Valjinias! Time to kill some harmful insects!¡¹


    The moment Alphos said so, the white dragon Valjinias roared as if to follow that, the angels had also taken a battle formation.


    ¡¸DON''T UNDERESTIMATE ME, SHI*TTY BRAT!¡¹


    Zarxis roared in anger.


    Thus began the battle between the Reaper and the Holy Knight.


    s, that was a trivial matter to Kuna, nor did she care about it.


    The n was to let Alphos fight Zarxis while Kuna used that chance to go looking for Kuroki.


    That''s why wait for me, Kuroki!


    ===


    <b>¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki</b>


    Some time had psed since I came to this vige.


    There was amotion outside of the vige.


    It seems they brought another captured human who infiltrated this vige.


    Strangely enough, none of them was killed. They just got captured.


    Maybe I should go save themter.


    ording to Tibel, part of the adults in this vige seemed to go to the castle of the lord of this vige to take care of those captured people.


    That was the reason why the security around the children got loosenedtely.


    Thanks to that Wendy could visit this dpidated house more frequently.


    She came frequently to listen to my story.


    It was already past the time she was supposed toe and yet, she had yet to visit me.


    ¡¸Kuroki-sama~.Bad ne~ws.¡¹


    Suddenly, Tibel returned while raising a shriek.


    She should be apanied by Wendy.


    ¡¸What''s the matter, Tibel? Why did you note with Wendy?¡¹


    Wendy cooperated with Tibel to investigate this vige.


    They usuallye back together.


    ¡¸Kuroki-sama~. That human ve got kidnappe~d.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh!? Wendy got what?!¡¹


    The human ve was the nickname Tibel gave to Wendy.


    Though I felt bad for treating Wendy like a servant, now wasn''t the time to worry about such a thing.


    I mean, what did she mean by "kidnapped¡±?


    Why did she get kidnapped?


    I''ve got a bad feeling about this.


    ¡¸What do you mean? Does that mean that Wendy is in danger?¡¹


    If that was the case, I had to go save her.


    ¡¸No Kuroki-sama~. What happened to that ve is a trivial matter~. The problem is, we won''t be able to secure fo~od.¡¹


    I almost scratched my head upon hearing Tibel''s remark.


    Tibel was more worried about food than Wendy''s safety.


    ¡¸¡­ Yeah. That''s bad news indeed. By the way, Tibel. Do you know where they took Wendy to?¡¹


    I stood on my feet as I asked that question.


    ¡¸Yes Kuroki-sama~. They brought her along with the other small humans to the castle~.¡¹


    ¡¸Other small humans?¡¹


    ¡¸Ye~s. They brought everyone~. And since the big humans don''t eat, we won''t get food from now o~n.¡¹


    The small humans might be referring to the children of the house of lost children.


    And they brought everyone on top of that.


    And the big humans referred to the adults who covered their faces with a white veil.


    It seems those adults didn''t eat for some reason.


    I suspect that they''re not ordinary humans. That fact was clear from the way they hid their faces.


    The veil was probably used to hide their hideous appearances to not scare the children.


    That didn''t seem to be an act out of good intentions.


    ¡¸Maybe we have to move in a hurry¡­¡¹


    I looked at the castle from the window.


    The castle was as eerie as ever. It was definitely the nest of the undead.


    Still, I had to go.


    ¡¸Move? You mean, saving that ve~? Noo~. Stop Kuroki-sama~. You have yet to recove~r.¡¹


    Said Tibel as she flew around in panic.


    Yeah, it''s just as she said.


    My body had yet to fully recover.


    But if I had given up with just this, I wouldn''t have even bothered to challenge Reiji in the first ce.


    It seems I really overexerted myself after that fight.


    I mean, I won that fight and got Kuna as a reward.


    It felt as if I was drunk in the sense of victory ever since then.


    Had I not met this stumbling block, I might have rushed forward to my own demise.


    Abandoning Wendy in this situation was the correct answer.


    s, I knew that if I backed away here, I wouldn''t be able to fight again in the future.


    ¡¸Sorry Tibel. I cannot afford to back down on this one. I will do my best to not overexert myself. I promise.¡¹


    ¡¸Uu~h. I see~. Oka~y. I''lle with you~.¡¹


    Thus, Tibel decided to tag along with me.


    ¡¸Thanks, Tibel. Let''s go.¡¹


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 Chapter 149.1: The Captured People

    Chapter 149.1: The Captured People


    <strong>¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki</strong>


    ¡¸What do you think, Tibel?¡¹


    ¡¸U~hm. It still feels o~ff.¡¹


    Tibel had a strange look on her face.


    What I was wearing now were the clothes used by the adults of this vige.


    I tried to somehow go incognito by covering myself with a white hood and only showing my eyes.


    It was a naive tactic, s, this was the only avable tactic given my condition.


    That''s why it was important to consider the next step carefully.


    This attire was brought here by Wendy.It was something I prepared just in case after hearing about the adults of this vige.


    ¡¸Let''s go, Tibel.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Kuroki-sama.¡¹


    Tibel snuck into my attire after she said those words.


    Undead creatures had the ability to feel the presence of living creatures.


    That''s why we couldn''t fool them with Tibel''s invisible magic.


    Such an attempt might make them discover my whereabouts.


    That was the reason why this disguise was a better choice.


    We didn''t leave the dpidated house in the evening.


    I mean, the guards kept patrolling the lord castle regardless of the time.


    I walked along Sanshos vige. Honestly it felt more like a deserted vige.


    Were they actually hiding?


    Well, I kept walking while pondering about such things.


    A vast field spread before me upon leaving the vige.


    I saw a person standing in the middle of the field. It seems they were doing farm work.


    Maybe these crops were raised to feed the children in the vige.


    ¡¸Doesn''t seem to be an undead. I hope they won''t notice me¡­¡¹


    The undead couldn''t do farm work. The reason was simply because all undead would naturally release miasma from their body. Normal nts would wither when they were exposed to miasma.


    Moreover, the meals in this vige were pretty normal. That''s why I knew that they grow their own vegetables and crops.


    I didn¡¯t know much about the people who did the farmwork. I wanted to save them if they were people who got kidnapped to this region to forcefully do it, but I would be in deep shit if they turned out to be followers of Zarxis. That''s why I had to ignore them for now.


    I walked along the road between the fields.


    The people who did the farmwork didn''t even take a nce at me and kept doing their job.


    Am I really invisible to them?


    I looked at the people who did the farmwork while pondering about that question.


    Every single one of them was tall and hid their face with the same white cloth.


    And then, I noticed.


    ¡¸They''re not normal humans!¡¹


    Though their face was hidden beneath the white cloth, their arm was bare. I could see patched work around their arms.


    Even their movements looked fishy as if they had no will of their own.


    They might even ignore me even if I take off my hood right now.


    Thus, I passed through the patched men working in the field.


    No one cared about me even when I passed right beside them.


    They''re like robots.


    ¡¸Could it be that they''re some sort of remodeled humans? Tibel, do all the adults in this vige have the same kind of feeling?¡¹


    Tibel, who hid herself inside my hood, cocked her head when she heard my question.


    ¡¸Dunno~. But, they seem to have more sense of self.¡¹


    Tibel replied ording to her understanding.


    It seems the ones who made contact with Wendy and co were different adults.


    The ones without a sense of self were left to do farm work. Or maybe, they were remodeled exclusively for farmwork.


    That was the reason why they didn''t feel anything even when I passed by their side.


    I kept walking forward.


    Getting closer and closer toward the castle of the lord.


    Skeleton gatekeepers were standing by the front of the gate.


    ¡¸Can we¡­ Fool those skeletons?¡¹


    I mean, we''ve entered the range where those skeletons should be able to feel our presence.


    And yet, the skeleton didn''t react at all.


    Maybe I could go.


    ¡¸We should be able to go from this direction, Kuroki-sama.¡¹


    Tibel stopped me when I tried to walk to the gate.


    ¡¸I see, I understand.¡¹


    Tibel''s keen sense of danger was really useful at times like these.


    So we were actually looking for the safest ce using her keen intuition.


    I followed the direction that Tibel pointed at.


    I went from the main gate of the lord''s castle to the side of the castle.


    And then, I discovered logs lined up over there.


    ¡¸Logs? I see now! We''re going to use this eh!¡¹


    It seems we can somehow use the logs.


    I nodded in agreement seeing the logs.


    ¡¸What are you talking about, Kuroki-sama? We haven''t arrived ye~t.¡¹


    Tibel went past the logs, ignoring my monologue.


    Ri~ght! It''s impossible in my current situation after all¡­


    I mean, where would we go with these logs?


    Thus I also passed the logs and followed Tibel.


    ¡¸Eh? What''s that?¡¹


    A whileter, I saw a man with a white hood walking.


    He didn''t see us since his back was facing us.


    The man with the white hood kept walking in the same direction as me.


    ¡¸Kuroki-sama. That''s one of the human serva~nts. What is he doing in this ce I wonde~r?¡¹


    Tibel whispered to me.


    ¡¸I see, let''s catch him.¡¹


    He was alone after all.


    No one was around. Nor did anyone see us.


    I haven¡¯t recovered yet, but I guess I could do something by myself.


    I closed in at once behind the man.


    ¡¸What is it?¡¹


    The man was about to turn around when he noticed my presence.


    s, it was toote.


    I twisted his left-arm before he turned around.


    ¡¸Don''t move!¡¹


    Despite being severely weakened, I''m still much more powerful than the average human.


    The man tried to resist s, he couldn''t free himself from me.


    I twisted his arm even further. It must be quite painful.


    But, something was amiss.


    ¡¸An enemy?¡¹


    The man spoke as if he couldn''t feel pain.


    Despite twisting his arm even further up, he didn''t even flinch.


    I was the one who was surprised instead.


    The man didn''t notice my shock and calmly drew his sword with his right hand.


    ¡¸I said don''t mo¡ª WHAT!?¡¹


    I let go of the man in a hurry.


    The next moment, the sword pierced the man''s back.


    The man stabbed himself with his own sword.


    ¡¸Stabbing himself with his own sword¡­¡¹


    The man looked at us.


    And then, he opened his mouth wide.


    ¡¸OH CR*P!¡¹


    I sprung to him at once. My body still felt heavy, but I was still faster than him.


    I dodged the man''s sword, grabbed his mouth, and mmed his face on the ground.


    ¡¸This guy! Stop resisting!¡¹


    Tibel used her magic when the man tried to turn.


    Thus, the man stopped resisting.


    ¡¸Eh? You must be kidding me right? It''s working?¡¹


    I almost couldn''t believe my eyes seeing how easily her spell worked.


    The man then passed out, still with his own sword stabbed into his che*st.


    His eyes were suspicious. Yeah, it was the eyes of someone under the influence of magic.


    ¡¸It seems to be worki~ng. But something is amiss. This spell had never worked this easily on humans before~¡¹


    Tibel was just as puzzled as me.


    ¡¸Tibel, can you order this man to stand up?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes Kuroki-sama. Hey, wake up~¡¹


    The man stood up when Tibel ordered so.


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 Chapter 149.2: The Captured People

    Chapter 149.2: The Captured People


    ¡¸Let him stand like that. I want to examine him for a while.¡¹


    ¡¸Ka~y. Here you go~, stand up and stay sti~ll.¡¹


    ¡¸Thanks, Tibel.¡¹


    Then I took the hood off the man who stayed still.


    What came out from beneath the hood was a patched-up face.


    I pulled out the sword from his chest and examined his wound.


    And I saw that not a drop of blood came out from his wound.


    ¡¸I don''t even know what this is¡­¡¹


    It seems this man was a former human. And then, did he by chance get remodeled?s, I couldn''t waste my time trying to understand that matter right now.


    I mean, my previous question had yet to be answered.


    ¡¸Tibel, can you ask this man to continue to go to the ce he was going to a while ago?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Kuroki-sama. Hey you, guide us to where you were going to just no~w.¡¹


    The man nodded, turned around and walked.


    A whileter, we arrived at the other entrance on the back of the castle.


    ¡¸There''s another entrance huh.¡¹


    In addition, this ce was deserted. I had no idea why no one was guarding this ce but I set that question aside and moved forward.


    Upon entering, I saw stairs toward the underground.


    We walked with that man leading us.


    The ce was bright thanks to the candles that were furnished along the wall.


    Meaning that the undead weren''t the only ones living in this castle.


    Reason being the undead didn''t need light to see their surroundings.


    After descending the stairs for a while, we arrived in front of a gate.


    ¡¸Tibel, tell the man to stop in front of the gate.¡¹


    ¡¸Okay. Stop.¡¹


    I walked ahead of the man who stood still and examined the door.


    Suddenly, I heard some voices from inside.


    I used my object perception. It should allow me to perceive what¡¯s happening on the other side of the gate from the small gap.


    Thus, I saw five humanoids moving in the spacious room.


    They didn''t seem like undead. Their presence was more like that of living humans.


    I tried to use the skill that I learned just recently, undead perception, but it turns out there were no undead in there.


    ¡¸There are people in there. Maybe hisrades. Tibel, can you control a few people at the same time?¡¹


    ¡¸U~hm. It might be tough. But, it might be possible if I put them to slee~p.¡¹


    ¡¸Put them to sleep huh, I see, it seems they''re weak against mind magic. Let''s go, Tibel. Let him go in first.¡¹


    Considering the previous example, mind magic was the best choice to be used on them.


    On the other hand, mind magic didn''t work against the undead.


    In addition, I could use sleeping magic too.


    If I work with Tibel, we should be able to take care of five opponents at once.


    ¡¸Okay, Kuroki-sama. Well, go inside.¡¹


    Tibel told the man to go inside.


    When he entered the room, the people with the white hoods inside the room looked at us.


    I knew from their eyes that they had souls in there. It was different from the people who did the farmwork.


    ¡¸What''s the matter? Why do you have a hole in your chest? Wait? Who are the people behind you?¡¹


    One of the men with hoods asked while looking at us.


    Found out eh?


    Well, since I hadn''t expected that my shady disguise would work, I expected this situation.


    ¡¸Tibel!¡¹


    ¡¸Yes!¡¹


    Tibel leapt from my pocket.


    After confirming that our disguise had failed us, I gave the signal to Tibel to use sleeping magic.


    ¡¸Ugh¡­.!¡¹


    The man fell asleep.


    ¡¸Enemy?¡¹


    The other white hooded people besides the copsed one rushed at us with big hammers in their hands.


    Though the hammers looked heavy, the men wielded them so effortlessly with one hand.


    Maybe they''re actually stronger than normal humans.


    s, that was within my margin of error.


    I dodged the hammering at me and put the other party to sleep with sleeping magic.


    Finally, I put the rest to sleep as they tried to escape from the room.


    Their strength might be strong s, they''re less agile than normal humans.


    Even I could overtake them in my current condition.


    ¡¸I''m done, how about you, Tibel?¡¹


    When I looked in Tibel''s direction, I saw people with white hoods already copsed beneath her feet.


    Yup, no problem on her side too.


    No one came because they heard noise just now too.


    ¡¸It seems we''re safe.¡¹


    I surveyed the room.


    There were another two doors aside from where we came from.


    One of the doors was the one that the hooded man was heading to.


    Maybe it was heading to the next area.


    If that was the case, what about the other door?


    When I looked at the other door, I heard a faint human voice from inside.


    When I used material perception, I detected several humanoid presences from inside.


    Are they by chance therades of the white hooded people?


    But if that was the case, they should''ve joined theirrades from before.


    ¡¸Tibel. Can you ask the people we caught what kind of people are behind this door?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Kuroki-sama.¡¹


    I asked Tibel to ask the man we caught first.


    ¡¸There are prisoners inside that room.¡¹


    ¡¸Prisoners? Wendy and co?¡¹


    But, the presence didn''t seem like the presence of the children.


    They felt more like the presence of adults.


    ¡¸Kuroki-sama~. I feel an ominous presence from insi~de.¡¹


    ¡¸Ominous presence? Does that mean they''re dangerous?¡¹


    Tibel shook her head when I asked her.


    ¡¸I don''t know. But somehow, I don''t want to go inside~¡¹


    She looked really scared.


    This was the first time Tibel made that kind of face.


    It seems the people inside weren''t enemies, but what kind of people were inside to make her that scared?


    Maybe something unpredictable was waiting for us.


    ¡¸I understand. Watch this ce Tibel, I''ll go inside.¡¹


    I told Tibel to wait while taking off my hood and went inside.


    If they''re not enemies, it should be alright to let her wait here.


    I took off my hood to tell the people inside that I''m not their enemy. Better than hiding my face.


    I opened the door.


    When I turned on the light in the room.


    ¡¸WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THIS!?¡¹


    I unintentionally raised my voice.


    An unexpected spectacle spread out before me.


    In that room, a group of fat men were tied with rope, naked.


    It was a parade of ass and chest hair.


    The room was really sultry and smelled like sweaty old men.


    I reflexively pinched my nose and mouth.


    ¡¸Who''s there¡­ It seem you''re not theirrade, did youe to save us?¡¹


    One of the men tied inside asked so while looking at me.


    He was a fearless and macho man.


    He would look dignified had it not been for his legs being tied up into a "V" letter.


    There were so many things that I wanted to ask.


    ¡¸This is truly a strange situation¡­¡¹


    What kind of sin have Imitted to stumble into a room filled with naked old men?


    I wanted to cry dammit.


    <strong>¡ôCaptured Wendy</strong>


    We were brought to the castle of the lord.


    The ce we were brought to was a tall castle on the hill.


    I could see the silhouette of the mountain from the window.


    We were brought into the cage in the middle of the room.


    Though the window was only a few steps away, I couldn''t reach it.


    We couldn''t escape.


    ¡¸Big sis Wendy, what¡¯s going to happen to us?¡¹


    Michal asked anxiously while looking at us.


    I wanted to reassure him but that was impossible.


    I felt really anxious for some reason.


    Everyone who was brought along with me had the same anxious face.


    ¡¸Michal. You''re troubling Wendy.¡¹


    Lily chided Michal.


    Lily had pretty much given up on this situation.


    Lily was smart enough to understand what would happen to us after this.


    Naturally, I also knew what was going to happen to us.


    The reason we were raised until now was to feed the vampire.


    But, I hadn''t expected them to bring all of us at once.


    ¡¸Tibel-chan¡­ Kuroki-san¡­¡¹


    I was pondering about their fate.


    I wanted to at least bid them goodbye.


    In that case, I wanted to at least go to heaven while having a good dream.


    Tibel-chan was really beautiful. She had azure-colored butterfly wings and snow-white skin.


    Her wings released particles of light whenever she pped them. It felt like I could also fly if I was with her.


    I looked at the sky from the cage.


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 Chapter 150: Hanging Below Me

    Chapter 150: Hanging Below Me


    <b>¡ôVampire Count, Jusio</b>


    I was flying from the lord''s castle to the Ghost Sky Ship.


    The sky was dark since it was covered by thick clouds.


    A fierce battlemenced at a slightly separate ce from the ship.


    It was a battle between the worshipers of the church of Maggots against the human warriors from the north.


    Human warriors infiltrating thisnd was something that always happened.


    The pawn of the Gods of Elios came in order to purify thisnd.


    Though the worshipers of the church of maggots had an overwhelming number on their side, the human warriors always pushed them back with sheer ability.


    In the first ce, the brains of the warriors of the church of maggots had already been eaten by maggots, thus reducing their thinking capabilities.All they could do was fight bravely without the fear of death.


    They fought while fat and bby maggots dangled out from their rotten bodies.


    They could still fight like ferocious beasts even after their guts spilled out of their abdomen.


    In the first ce, they were a nursery for the maggots.


    Though they''re not zombies, you could say that they''re something close to that.


    Humans who got controlled by maggots couldn''t die, they would fight forever for the sake of the Ruler of Death.


    And once they truly died or their bodiespletely copsed, the maggots would find a new host.


    As for what bes of their soul, no one knows the answer.


    s, there might be no repose for those who were born as humans, creatures who bear the sin just by being born in this world.


    ¡¸What are you looking at, Jusio?¡¹


    Mdy spoke to me.


    ¡¸Nothing, I¡¯m just trying to find a pig-like man in the nearby battlefield.¡¹


    When I told her so, Mdy sent a casual nce in the direction I was looking at.


    After looking for a while, Mdy scowled.


    ¡¸Yeah. It''s boring. I can''t find a good man either.¡¹


    Mdy heaved a sigh as she had lost a lot of her vampire knight aides in the previous battle against the Dark Knight.


    Her first criterion for vampire knights was that they be strong and handsome.


    That was the reason why she had a hard time replenishing the lost vampire knights.


    ¡¸I tried to go out to look for the Dark Knight and yet, now I''m bored. Not to mention that the angels have also infiltrated into our airspace. Jusio, prepare for battle.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes Mdy.¡¹


    We were currently heading to the airspace that got infiltrated by the angels.


    Zalbuth-sama had alreadye to deal with them s, we got dispatched too after Zalbuth-sama got outnumbered by the angels.


    We arrived at the battle a short whileter.


    Over there, we saw the battle between the vampire knights and specter knights against the valkyries.


    Valkyries are female angels who serve Goddess Rena.


    The angels used light magic, a fatal weakness for the undead.


    That was the reason why the valkyries got the upper hand against the specter knights and the vampire knights.


    ¡¸Look like they got kicked in the a*s, Jusio.¡¹


    Mdy looked at the battle from the deck as she spoke with a pouting tone.


    ¡¸That seems to be the case, Mdy. But I guess we can turn the tide of the battle.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, I have high expectations for you, Jusio. Not to mention that you have resistance against light magic after all.¡¹


    Mdy smiled at me.


    That''s right, I had resistance toward light magic while being an undead.


    Though I don''t know the details, it seems to have something to do with my blood.


    Maybe my ancestor was an angel.


    Angels couldn''t be undead due to this trait.


    But ording to Mdy, the humans who inherited their blood could be vampires and gain resistance to light magic.


    ¡¸I''m heading out, Mdy.¡¹


    I jumped off the deck and spread my wings.


    I also drew my sword while flying in the air.


    Even without light magic, angels were inherently more powerful than vampires.


    Fighting them from the front was suicidal.


    But, they had the habit of using light magic first when they fought against the undead.


    Properly speaking, that wasn''t a mistake s, it was a huge mistake against me.


    They made a mistake the moment they fired their light magic at me.


    The valkyrie spotted meing toward them.


    Now,e at me!


    I readied my guard.


    ¡¸It''s the Princess of Fresh Blood! Everyone RETREAT!¡¹


    s, against my expectation, the leader of the valkyries ordered her subordinates to retreat.


    They escaped quickly, preventing us from chasing after them.


    Thus, I had no choice but to return to the ship.


    ¡¸Harassment, is it? It seems they''re toying with us.¡¹


    Said Mdy in frustation.


    The angels ¨C including the valkyries ¨C frequently infiltrate thisnd, and then would retreat again.


    Maybe she hates such harassment.


    Surely, we couldn''t y along with such a ploy.


    At that moment.


    Someone contacted me withmunication magic.


    ¡¸What''s the matter, Jusio?¡¹


    Asked Mdy.


    ¡¸We have an emergency, Mdy. Those pig-faced men we caught have escaped.¡¹


    <b>¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki</b>


    I released the fat men in the underground prison.


    I pulled the rope since the men exposed their a*sholes.


    ¡¸BUHIII!¡¹


    Body aside, they somehow raised a strange voice.


    Please stop raising strange voices!


    The undead were loitering around the castle.


    I imagined a gruesome sight but, could it be that this was the same?


    s, I patiently saved everyone.


    ¡¸I''m saved. My name is Frutin. I''m a servant of the God King-sama.¡¹


    The man whose leg formed the "V" alphabet a while ago introduced himself.


    Since he said that he served the God King, he must be the priest of Oudith.


    He looked quite dignified when he wore his attire.


    ¡¸I see Fru¡ª Frutin-dono. I''m just a passing warrior. Please forgive me for being unable to tell you my name.¡¹


    I replied without telling him about my name.


    There was no special reason for doing that but, just in case.


    ¡¸I see, you''re the rumored warrior guided by a fairy¡­ You must have special circumstances. I can''t ask the details but still, thanks a lot.¡¹


    Frutin thanked me while looking at Tibel.


    Tibel looked back at the man with a suspicious gaze.


    Seeing her pinching her nose, the smell must be too unbearable for her.


    She didn''t say anything.


    Was this what she meant by "Unpleasant Presence"?


    Well, even I couldn''t help but agree with her though¡­


    Man, I couldn''t help but marvel again at the awesomeness of fairies.


    ¡¸Thank you, fairy tamer. I''m Mardas, a warrior from the north.¡¹


    Said a man whose body was covered up in thick haim


    Maybe, the freedom fighter lost his confidence.


    The men who got freed by me also thanked me.


    There were 47 prisoners.


    And for some reason, all of them were fat.


    ¡¸By the way, can you tell us for what reason you got caught?¡¹


    When I asked, the men looked at each other.


    It seems they also had no idea why they got captured.


    ¡¸We also have no idea why. ording to them, the Ruler of Death ordered them to catch fat men.¡¹


    Frutin exined the situation.


    Frutin came to purify Ruvania. It seems he was the war priest of Oudith.


    He along with hisrades got beaten up by the army led by the vampires and were brought back to this castle.


    His otherrades who weren''t fat were killed.


    Mardas also gave the same exnation.


    It seems that only fat men were spared.


    There was no other exnation other than it being the order of the Ruler of Death.


    This Ruler of Death must be referring to Zarxis. Why did he order his subordinates to only catch fat men?


    It was so confusing.


    And why were the fat men they caught tied buck naked like that?


    That moment, a loud rm resounded in my mind.


    ¡¸No way¡­ Zarxis has such a hobby¡­¡¹


    His type was a chubby person!


    And men on top of that!


    That realization sent a chill running down my spine.


    In a certain sense, it was an even more frightening fate than death.


    ¡¸What''s the matter? Why are you making a face as if you want to puke?¡¹


    Asked Mardas while looking anxiously at me.


    And then, I ended up imagining it.


    Zarxis leaning on the hairy man.


    It was a horror in a certain sense.


    ¡¸No, it''s nothing. Now that I¡¯ve saved everyone, I''ll go.¡¹


    I looked up to the sky, trying to distract myself from that disgusting spectacle.


    Wendy and co weren''t here either.


    In that case, she might be upstairs.


    ¡¸It seems you have some sort of goal. Let me help you.¡¹


    Frutin offered his assistance.


    What should I do now that things have be even moreplicated than before?


    But I knew that I might need some assistance to let Wendy and the children escape.


    ¡¸I understand. Let''s cooperate.¡¹

 Chapter 151: The Freed Prisoner

    Chapter 151: The Freed Prisoner


    <b>¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki</b>


    ¡¸The castle seems to have be quite noisy, Fairy Tamer-dono.¡¹


    Said Frutin as he looked at me.


    Since I didn''t tell him my name, he ended up calling me the fairy tamer.


    The undead started to make a ruckus once they discovered that the prisoners had escaped.


    They might be in hot pursuit right now.


    ¡¸It''ll be for the best if we manage to escape but¡­¡¹


    I replied without looking at Frutin.


    Frutin, Mardas and three other prisoners had escaped from the castle.I asked them to act as decoys to buy me time to save Wendy and the others.


    Naturally, I exined the real situation to them. They readily agreed to take on the role once I told them the truth.


    They told me that they came to thisnd fully prepared to die anyway, thus they readily agreed to take such a role while leaving some damage to the undead.


    I prayed for their safety from my heart.


    In the end, no one but Zarxis knew of the real matter of these fat men.


    Thus I really prayed for their safety from the bottom of my heart.


    Before long, the noise had settled down.


    It seems the number of undead in the castle had thinned down.


    ¡¸Yes. Let''s go, shall we?¡¹


    I nodded to him.


    From the white hooded personnel, I knew that the vampires were currently absent from the castle.


    Now was the best time to move.


    ¡¸Yeah. Frutin-dono¡­¡¹


    I replied while turning my back at Frutin.


    We were currently masquerading as the white hoods.


    Frutin and co were pretending to be those who werete in escaping.


    In short, they were tied, buck naked. They might not be tied up in "V" letters anymore but, looking at naked men didn''t make me feel any better either.


    That was the reason why I spoke to him while averting my gaze like this.


    Tibel didn''t say anything and just made a fed up look on her face.


    Upon a closer look, she pinched her nose too. It seems she really hated those men.


    I quietly apologized to Tibel in my heart.


    Though there were other people with white hoods around us, they were under Tibel''s control.


    And we had confirmed that there was no undead around.


    The other white hoods and us who didn''t chase after the escaping prisoners stayed in the castle.


    It was more logical for the undead to go after the escapees rather than the slow moving modified humans.


    The white hoods that returned nodded to confirm the situation.


    Yup, all the undead had left the castle.


    Frutin wore his attire and armed himself.


    The prisoners¡¯ armament was kept by the white hoods.


    He instantly exuded a sense of dignity once he wore his attire.


    It was as if his previous embarrassing naked posture was a lie.


    ¡¸Let''s go, boss.¡¹


    Mardas spoke with a grin on his face.


    He held an ax, naked.


    Looking at his beast tattoo, it seems he was the berserker of Thors.


    The berserkers never wore armor. Rather, they were proud of the fact that they fought without any protective equipment.


    It was as if they said that only cowards fight with armor.


    Some of them even fight buck naked.


    Mardas and the other three seemed to belong to that naked faction.


    It seems Mardas and hisrades were caught together.


    I saw the naked as*ses of three fat old men.


    Though I respect their creed, I didn''t want to see it myself if possible.


    s, I couldn''t tell them that.


    I mean, they were volunteering themselves as bait to buy me some time.


    It seems they nned to sacrifice themselves, too.


    Though I thanked them for that, this felt like some sort of punishment game for some reason.


    Frutin led Mardas and co, and I also followed them.


    The reason why Frutin was appointed as the leader was due to his ability to sense the undead.


    We climbed a long staircase.


    The men were climbing in front of me. s, they seemed to have a hard time due to their weight.


    Not to mention that I ended up seeing something dangling between their legs.


    Dammit, gimme a break from this punishment game already¡­


    The moment I retorted so in my mind, Frutin suddenly stopped in his ce.


    ¡¸What''s the ma¡ª?¡¹


    Frutin suddenly raised his index finger to his lips before I finished my sentence.


    It was the hand signal for "Be quiet".


    There was a door at the end of the staircase.


    It seems we had arrived on the 1st floor.


    Due to Frutin''s hand signal, I realized that there were undead before us.


    ¡¸Fairy Tamer-dono, we will rampage here to lure the enemy. Use that chance to proceed ahead. Do you agree with me, Mardas-dono?¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, let''s go. Ketsuno. Anaga. Moro.¡¹[TN: Ketsu no Ana Ga Moro-> trante it yourself.]


    Mardas and hisrades nodded together.


    I got this feeling that I shouldn''tbine those three names.


    ¡¸Yes.¡¹


    ¡¸Leave it to us.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, this is an opportunity for men like us.¡¹


    Spare me from thest one please¡­


    ¡¸I understand. Be careful¡­¡¹


    The menughed when I said so. These were the faces of people prepared to face their death.


    Those were the faces of true men.


    Frutin enchanted Mardas and co''s weapons.


    It was light magic to allow them to fight ghosts with ethereal form.


    ¡¸Here Ie.¡¹


    ¡¸OOH!¡¹


    Frutin and co rushed at once with weapons in hand.


    I looked at theirst stand from the gap of the door.


    ¡¸DIEDIEDIE! ALL THE KIN OF THE RULER OF DEATH SHALL DIE!! THIS IS THE HAMMER OF JUSTICE!¡¹


    The tip of Frutin''s bat-like mace shone.


    As I thought, Frutin seems to be blessed by either an angel or god.


    Frutin along with Mardas and co defeated one undead after another, the way they fought was befitting of veteran brave warriors.


    Then I suddenly found stairs on the side.


    The undead wereing out from that ce.


    A whileter, no undead came from that staircase anymore.


    It seems all the undead had already been taken care of.


    I guess they didn''t need my assistance.


    ¡¸Okay! Let''s go Tibel!¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Kuroki-sama! We can finally say goodbye to those oily huma~ns.¡¹


    Tibel replied happily.


    Wow, she must''ve hated them so much.


    I left the door, moving carefully along the wall toward the staircase.


    I ended up being chased by specters along the way, s Mardas took care of them for me.


    ¡¸Thanks.¡¹


    I thanked Mardas and ran forward.


    I felt no enemy presence ahead of us.


    Where are Wendy and the others I wonder?


    ording to the information from the white hoods, they seem to be kept on the upper floor.


    I kept moving forward until I arrived at the ce where the white hoods stood.


    Wendy and co must''ve been kept inside the innermost room guarded by that man.


    ¡¸Uhm, what''s the matter?¡¹


    ¡¸Sleep.¡¹


    The white hood fell asleep immediately once I used sleep magic on him.


    And when I entered the room behind that man, I arrived in a spacious room.


    The room had a high ceiling and its floor was covered with a beautiful carpet.


    There was something like a birdcage hanging from the ceiling.


    ¡¸Who are you?¡¹


    The white hoods inside the room looked in my direction at once.


    There are three of them.


    It was no big deal for us.


    Tibel and I used magic at the same time and put them to sleep.


    And then, when all of them fell asleep, a loud voice resounded from the birdcage.


    ¡¸Tibel-chan! Kuroki-san!¡¹


    When I looked up, I saw Wendy calling out to us from the birdcage.


    ¡¸Wait a minute, we''re going to save you immediately.¡¹


    I looked around the room and found a lever.


    The birdcage starteding down when I moved the lever.


    Once the birdcagended on the floor, Wendy and the children looked at me.


    Their eyes were shining brightly as they looked at us.


    The birdcage itself didn''t seem to be that sturdy.


    If that was the case, destroying it was a simple matter.


    When I tore thettice of the birdcage, Wendy and the children ran up to me.


    ¡¸Thank you Kuroki-san! And Tibel-chan too! Thank you for saving us!¡¹


    Wendy jumped at Tibel.


    ¡¸H-Hey, let go off me!¡¹


    Tibel tried her best to get away from Wendy.


    The children ran up to Tibel.


    ¡¸Cool! It''s a real fairy!¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah! She''s real!¡¹


    ¡¸Her wings are so beautiful! Hey, can I touch your wings?!¡¹


    ¡¸Big sis Wendy is telling the truth.¡¹


    The children were frolicking around Tibel immediately. Tibel sure was popr.


    And since glowing dust fell from her beautiful azure wings every time she pped there, it made her even more conspicuous.


    She would attract attention very naturally just by appearing.


    Tibel wasn''t very happy about that though.


    ¡¸Hey! Get away from me little humans!¡¹


    Tibel flew backward to escape from the children.


    The children looked rather dejected in seeing that.


    s, they knew that they couldn''t force Tibel since thetter hated it.


    ¡¸It''s not like I want to save you kids, boss wanted to save you!¡¹


    Said Tibel with a pouting look on her face.


    Surely, Tibel didn''t feel like she wanted to save Wendy.


    She just goes along with my choices.


    s, that seems to be a trivial matter for Wendy.


    ¡¸But you still came to save us. Thanks, Tibel-chan¡­¡¹


    Tibel started to cry as she thanked Tibel.


    Even I couldn''t help but be touched by her innocence.


    What a beautiful scene. It felt as if the suffering of having to see the a*sses of those old men from before was a big fat lie.


    ¡¸Well then, Wendy. Let''s get out of here, shall we?¡¹


    ¡¸"Hup". Yes¡­ Everyone, let''s escape from this ce! Lily, gather everyone.¡¹


    ¡¸Okay Wendy. Thank you, Old man.¡¹


    ¡¸O-¡­ Old ma¡ª¡¹


    I was quite shocked when the girl named Lily called me an old man.


    Well, I might look like an old man for kids of her age though.


    s, I didn''t really care about it.


    ¡¸Well then everyone, follow m¡ª¡¹


    At that moment, I felt someone''s presence approaching this room.


    ¡¸Fairy Tamer-dono! Are you alright?!¡¹


    The one who came was Frutin and co. Mardas and his buddies were alsoing with him.


    It seems there weren''t too many undead left here.


    Maybe they followed me after they defeated all the undead they could see.


    But they came at the right moment.


    ¡¸You came at the right moment, Frutin-dono. Please escort these children to escape from this ce.¡¹


    Frutinughed when I told him so.


    ¡¸I see, they were the children who got kidnapped by the vampire huh. Leave it to me. What about you, Mardas?¡¹


    ¡¸Count me in.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, I love kids.¡¹


    ¡¸Hehehe, worry not. We will escort them to a safe ce.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, leave it to uncle.¡¹


    Said the old men with refreshing smiles on their faces.


    Still, I felt something bad would happen if kids and old men walked side by side.


    If this was Japan, I would call the police for sure.


    ¡¸Well then, let''s go¡­¡¹


    The moment I said so. Tibel suddenly pped her wings.


    ¡¸Bad ne~ws! Strong presence ising this way!¡¹


    And then, the next moment.


    Something huge crashed into the room.


    ¡¸KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!¡¹


    ¡¸What''s the matter.¡¹


    The kids and the old men seemed to be paralyzed in fear.


    I looked at the new guest when the dust had settled down.


    It was the bow of a sky ship.


    ¡¸Fufufufu¡­ It seems they arrived at thest moment. Bring those children to a safe ce, they''re innocent.¡¹


    Someone stood on the bow of the ship.


    A chill ran down my spine as soon as I saw her.


    It was a woman d in a red dress.


    Her pupils were bright red, and the left one was much bigger. One of her arms turned into a talon.


    ¡¸Zaffrada¡­¡¹


    The daughter of the reaper, the Goddess of gue and Decay, Zaffrada.


    Dammit, I didn''t make it in time.


    I felt cold sweat flowing down my back.


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 Chapter 152: Silver Wind

    Chapter 152: Silver Wind


    <strong>¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki</strong>


    The ghost skyship was floating outside while its bow was entering the room from the window.


    The woman d in a red dress, stood on the bow of the ship, then descended from the ship.


    The Princess of Fresh Blood, Zaffrada. Daughter of Zarxis the Reaper, and the Goddess revered by the vampires.


    Zaffrada was smiling happily.


    ¡¸Kuroki-sama¡­ That woman is bad news for the current you¡­ Let''s abandon the humans and run from this ce¡­¡¹


    Tibel whispered into my ears.


    s, I shook my head.


    Frutin and co were stronger than your average human.s, Zaffrada could tear them to pieces in less than a second.


    ¡¸I can''t do that, Tibel. Leave this to me.¡¹


    ¡¸No¡­ That''s too dangerous¡­¡¹


    It¡¯s just as Tibel had said, this choice was too reckless.


    s, I was the best one to fight her even in my current condition.


    ¡¸Don''t worry, Tibel. I don''t feel like dying. I''m just trying to buy time for us¡­ That''s why you should retreat.¡¹


    I gently touched the ring on my ring finger.


    We could win this fight. But I need to buy time for that to happen.


    As for how to do that, I had yet toe up with a clear solution.


    ¡¸Uuh¡­ I understand.¡¹


    Thus, Tibel had no choice but to follow my orders and retreated, albeit reluctantly.


    ¡¸Frutin-dono! Leave this ce to me! You take the children and get out of this ce!¡¹


    I spoke to Frutin without averting my line of sight from Zaffrada.


    ¡¸What are you talking about, Fairy Tamer-dono! I''m the one who sho¡ª¡¹


    ¡¸STOP IT! YOU GUYS WON''T BE ABLE TO STOP HER!¡¹


    I shouted at Frutin, Mardas and co who wanted to stay behind instead.


    Maybe because he felt something from my remark, Frutin and co then retreated.


    ¡¸I understand, Fairy Tamer-dono! We will escort the children to a safe ce! Godspeed to you! Mardas-dono, let''s go!¡¹


    ¡¸I understand, Master! I''ll lend you my a*ss once we''re back safely,d!¡¹


    ¡¸Me too!¡¹


    ¡¸Count me in!¡¹


    ¡¸Don''t forget about me!¡¹


    Honestly, their parting remark was more terrifying than Zaffrada''s.


    I mean, who asked for your a*sses? I''m not asking for that.


    ¡¸Later! Tibel-chan!¡¹


    Said Wendy, sobbing as she said her goodbyes to Tibel.


    ¡¸Just go already! We won''t be able to meet you again if you die!¡¹


    Tibel replied curtly.


    ¡¸Okay! I''ll survive for sure! I''ll survive and meet you againter, Tibel-chan!¡¹


    Thus, Wendy and co also left this ce.


    ¡¸Good grief. They should go quickly since Kuroki-sama is willingly buying time for them.¡¹


    She added those words in the end whileughing at them.


    It seems Tibel got really pissed off. It seems she didn''t think that my stalling time for humans was a good thing.


    I''ll apologize to herter.


    ¡¸Humph. Do you really think that I''ll allow them to escape? Chase them.¡¹


    Zaffrada ordered the 5 vampires to go after Frutin and co.


    The Vampires were powerful undead.


    Even with light magic, Frutin would have a hard time against them.


    That''s why I had to stop them here.


    I prepared myself and took a breath.


    ¡¸Stop!¡¹


    I kneaded my magical power and roared loudly.


    The movement of the vampires who avoided me and went after Frutin and co stopped at once.


    Dragon Howling.


    That was the name of the skill I used a while ago.


    Dragon Howling was a howling-type magic. It was a magic that induced fear to those who heard it.


    And if it was used by a Dragon Lord-ss being, it could even freeze the soul of the undead.


    And my dragon howling was a Dragon Lord-ss howling.


    That was the reason why I could stop the vampires in their tracks.


    s, this effect only applied if the opponent was far weaker than me.


    It wouldn''t work against someone like Zaffrada.


    ¡¸To think that you can stop my aides. I don''t know who you are but, not bad. Now show me your face.¡¹


    Said Zaffrada as she looked at me.


    Her sticky gaze was coiling around me.


    And then, it vanished a whileter.


    ¡¸U~hm. You''re quite handsome, but a bit in. Not bad, but not to my liking either. It''ll be a good thing if you''re as handsome as the hero of light but, you can''t be a knight.¡¹


    Zaffrada muttered dejectedly.


    I was holding back from retorting "Sorry for having a in face".


    Though I didn''t want to be her knight, her remark stung.


    Well, I wanted to reject her offer right before her face.


    I mean, Kuna was much more adorable than Zaffrada, by quanti-zillion miles.


    ¡¸But since you''re strong, I''ll give you the honor to be my servant. Properly speaking, a dull man like you has no qualification to stay by my side.¡¹


    Zaffrada came toward me.


    This was my one and only chance.


    I sharpened my senses to its limit.


    Zaffrada had yet to realize my true identity. She was still under the impression that I was a normal human.


    That was my only chance to beat her.


    ¡¸Wait a minute, My Lady. This person isn''t normal. No normal human can stop vampires like us. We can''t get close to him too carelessly.¡¹


    But then, the vampire knight beside Zaffrada suddenly interrupted my n.


    If my memories served me right, he was quite a skilled vampire knight.


    Though my howling was working on him, he could still move.


    He was clearly a cut above the rest.


    ¡¸You''re right, Jusio. He might be a human with special powers like you. s, he''s still a human. It doesn''t really matter no matter how strange is he.¡¹


    Zaffrada waved her hand while I was wondering what she was talking about.


    It seems she had no intention to listen to the advice of the knight called Jusio.


    ¡¸How about I bring him to you then, My Dear Sister?¡¹


    A small shadow then jumped out from the ghost skyship.


    The Nobleman of Death, Zasha.


    ¡¸What are you trying to pull here, Zasha?¡¹


    ¡¸I want to test my magnum opus. Come out, Headless!¡¹


    Three gigantic humanoids came out from the ghost skyship along with Zasha''s call.


    Their upper body was naked, and filled with patches like those white hoods.


    s, there was one huge difference between the two.


    The three who appeared before me had no head, physically.


    Though I ended up wondering how they moved without a brain, I then remembered that I met something like this before.


    Namely, the duhan.


    They could still move even without their heads.


    I had no idea how they did that but, they must have the same principle.


    ¡¸Well then, you seem to have a special attack that affects the mind but, will it work against them?¡¹


    Zasha spoke happily.


    Surely, my dragon howling might not work against these headlesses.


    ¡¸GO, HEADLESSES!¡¹


    The headlesses rushed at me upon hearing Zasha''s order.


    Their movements were really fast considering the fact that their body was full of patches their bodies were filled with patches.


    s, this alone wasn''t enough to catch me.


    I slipped past the arms of those headlesses.


    I tried to buy time without defeating them.


    ¡¸WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? CATCH HIM NOW!¡¹


    Zasha scolded the headless.


    The three headlesses then moved around to surround me.


    ¡¸Not so fast.¡¹


    I matched the timing of moving with the headless who came from the front.


    And just like that, the headless who came from the front collided with the other two behind me.


    ¡¸WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? DO IT QUICKLY! MY DEAR SISTER IS WATCHING!¡¹


    At this point, Zasha had already lost his patience.


    The three headlesses were standing sluggishly.


    I guess I still had some leeway if my opponent was only at this level.


    ¡¸Enough.¡¹


    s, things wouldn''t go as I wished.


    The three headlesses before me were torn to pieces along with Zaffrada''s voice.


    When I turned around, Zaffrada had already been walking toward me.


    She touched her lips with her left ws as she looked at me.


    ¡¸Zasha, since those junks created by you seems to be useless, I rather make them disappear altogether.¡¹


    Said Zaffrada to Zasha who slumped down behind her.


    ¡¸Good grief, this won''t happen if only you do as I say to catch him gently.¡¹


    Said Zaffrada as she spread her arms.


    I put myself on guard upon seeing that.


    The current me wouldn''t be able to beat her in frontalbat. That''s why I had to aim for an opening.


    My opponent might be a woman s, I couldn''t let my guard down.


    The reason was that Zarxis and co, the kin of death wanted to destroy this world.


    Even if I didn''t hate them or had a grudge against them, I had to fight them to prevent the world''s destruction.


    Zaffrada came closer and closer. I had to take her down first and think about the aftermathter.


    Just a bit more.


    ¡¸What''s the matter? Are you not going to escape from me?¡¹


    It was only natural for her to ask this question since the person who was running about till just a while ago suddenly stayed in this ce without running away.


    Now.


    ¡¸HAAAAAAAAAAA!¡¹


    I roared as I summoned the Demon Sword of Venous Blood and shed at Zaffrada.


    Gotcha!


    The moment I thought I had seeded.


    ¡¸MILADY!¡¹


    Someone got in the way.


    It was that skilled vampire knight.


    My demon sword cut through the vampire knight who got in the way instead of my real target.


    Since he used his body to protect Zaffrada, I failed to cut him down along with Zaffrada in my weakened state.


    My demon sword had only managed to graze Zaffrada.


    Zaffrada quickly retreated upon realizing the situation.


    ¡¸That sword? I never expected that you were the Dark Knight¡­¡¹


    Zaffrada looked at me without even batting an eye toward the vampire knight who protected her.


    On the other hand, the vampire knight just muttered ¡¸Big¡­ Sister¡­¡¹as he looked at the ceiling.


    I had no idea what he was talking about. But, he was at the end of his life.


    This might sound weird but, may your soul rest in peace.


    Now back to the present. My failed attempt resulted in Zaffrada raising her vignce toward me.


    Now she wouldn''t let her guard down anymore.


    Now that it came to this situation, I had no choice but to go all out. Thus, I summoned my armor and transformed into my alter ego, the Dark Knight.


    ¡¸Zasha, call Zalbuth. And whoever is avable. We found the Dark Knight.¡¹


    After Zaffrada said so, a pair of giant bat wings came from her back.


    It seems she¡¯s finally going all out.


    I felt cold sweat running down my spine.


    ¡¸Dark Knight, be my servant. Working for me is much better than that ugly demon king right?¡¹


    Her questions kinda remind me of Rena''s offer from a long time ago.


    In her case, Rena offered me to be her knight instead of a servant.


    ¡¸Sorry but I refuse. A more beautifuldy gave me the same offer before.¡¹


    I bowed politely while refusing Zaffrada''s offer.


    I mean, I had refused the offer from Rena, a woman whose beauty outranked Zaffrada¡¯s by many dimensions, not to mention that the former offered better conditions and clearly cared about her subordinates.


    Only deranged people would take Zaffrada''s offer.


    ¡¸I see, then I''ll show you hell on earth. I''ve called for reinforcements, don''t think you can escape.¡¹


    Though I refused her offer politely, Zaffrada seems to be pissed off for some reason. She pointed her ws toward me.


    But, it was already toote.


    It seems I managed to buy enough time.


    ¡¸Too bad though, I''m going to escape. My reinforcement has arrived first!¡¹


    The moment I said so.


    The ghost skyship behind Zaffrada exploded.


    The explosion had also sent Zasha, who had already been riding on the deck of the ship, tumbling down on the floor.


    Then a jet-ck dragon rammed their body at the ghost sky ship.


    ¡¸LIES!? A DRAGON!? WHAT''S HAPPENING HERE?!?¡¹


    Zaffrada shouted.


    The said dragon was Glorious. They hade to save me.


    And then, a small shadow jumped to the window from Glorious'' back.


    The figure with silver hair was moving freely in the air.


    The figure looked like a silver wind at a nce.


    The figure spun once in the air, and thennded before me.


    ¡¸I CAME TO SAVE YOU, KUROKI!¡¹


    Kuna appeared with a smile on her face as she looked at me.


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 Chapter 153.1: Silver Princess VS Fresh Blood Princess

    Chapter 153.1: Silver Princess VS Fresh Blood Princess


    <strong>¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki</strong>


    ¡¸I CAME TO SAVE YOU, KUROKI!¡¹


    Appearing before me like a hero was my adorable Kuna.


    ¡¸Thanks Kuna. You came just in time.¡¹


    ¡¸Of course! I don''t want a world without Kuroki! That''s why I''ll go through zing fire or even the stormiest of seas toe to your side!¡¹


    The same went for me. I couldn''t imagine a world without Kuna. She was the moonlight princess who shone over my darkness. That''s why I didn''t want to lose her.


    ¡¸Kuna-sama~. Tibel has already done her be~st.¡¹


    At that same exact moment, Tibel flew over and hugged Kuna.


    ¡¸Yes, you did a good job, Tibel.¡¹Tibelughed happily when Kuna praised her.


    But, we were currently racing against time, we had to get out of this ce as soon as possible.


    Zaffrada was looking angrily at Kuna.


    ¡¸Who the hell are you? I won''t hand over that man.¡¹


    Zaffrada roared angrily.


    The way she looked at Kuna was really dangerous.


    ¡¸SHUT UP, UGLY B*TCH! KUROKI IS MINE! YOUR MADE UP FACE MIGHT LOOK GOOD NOW, BUT YOU CAN''T HIDE YOUR REAL FUGLY FACE TO ME!¡¹


    The moment Kuna said the "F" word, Zaffrada''s face instantly became flushed red as her body transformed.


    Her mouth split until her ears and sharp fangs were protruding from there.


    Three long tongues came out from within. There were leeches attached to every single one of those tongues.


    The number of her eyes rose to seven, and they were glowing red.


    A pair of giant bat wings sprouted from her back.


    Those wings released miasma as they pped in the air.


    The timid Tibel hid behind Kuna''s back immediately.


    ¡¸I''M NOT UGLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! LITTLE GIRL! HOW DARE YOU LOOK DOWN ON ME JUST BECAUSE YOU LOOK A BIT MORE BEAUTIFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUL! CRUSH! CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH!CRUSH! I''M GONNA CRUSH YOUR FACE UNTIL IT BECOMES UNRECOGNIZABLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!¡¹


    Zaffrada roared as she brandished her ws at Kuna.


    Woah, she snapped.


    I guess she really hates it when someone calls her ugly.


    Her angered face was so scary to the point that I flinched back upon seeing it.


    But, Kuna didn''t flinch at all.


    ¡¸HUMPH! I''M JUST TELLING YOU THE TRUTH! AN UGLY B*TCH LIKE YOU IS NO MATCH FOR KUNA! I''LL SHOW YOU HOW I¡¯LL BEAT YOU IN YOUR OWN GAME! BUT, REST ASSURED, SINCE KUNA IS A GOOD GIRL, SHE WON''T AIM FOR YOUR FACE! DEFINITELY DON''T WANT TO MAKE YOU EVEN UGLIER THAN YOU ALREADY ARE!¡¹


    Said Kuna while pointing her scythe at Zaffrada.


    Facing the enraged Zaffrada, Kuna acted so calmly.


    ¡¸YOU BI*IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITCH!¡¹


    Zaffrada rushed even faster toward us.


    ¡¸Oops, wait a minute! Got to move Kuroki out of this ce, Bushkey butterflies!¡¹


    Kuna summoned the butterflies to escape from Zaffrada.


    I got teleported on top of the sky ship.


    It seems the ship had already arrived within the vicinity of the castle.


    ¡¸YOUR EXCELLENCY! THANK GOODNESS YOU''RE SAFE!¡¹


    The female daemons, Guno and co instantly surrounded me.


    Glorious also came toward us.


    ¡¸Yeah, albeit barely. Sorry for making you worry about me, Glorious, Guno-dono.¡¹


    I spoke while brushing Glorious'' nose.


    Thereupon, Glorious purred happily.


    ¡¸It seems you went through a pretty nasty experience just a while ago. RibbitRibbitRibbit.¡¹


    Heqat walked from behind Guno and co.


    It seems she guessed my condition with a single nce.


    ¡¸Heqat! Kuroki''s condition is strange! You should be able to cure him!¡¹


    Said Kuna as she approached Heqat.


    ¡¸I know already¡­ Leave him to me, so give me that Soul Orb. We can use that to drive away the shadow of Nargol-sama.¡¹


    After Heqat said so, Kuna took out the Soul Orb from her clea*vage and gave it to the former.


    ¡¸Now then Heqat, cure Kuroki. We will do something to stall our enemy.¡¹


    Said Kuna as she turned around.


    Her line of sight was pointed at Zaffrada.


    It seems she flew out from the castle.


    She was surrounded by ghosts and vampire knights.


    ¡¸WAIT RIGHT THERE SHI*TTY GIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRL!¡¹


    Her seven eyes were glowing in an ominous red color.


    ¡¸Let''s go. Wait for me, Kuroki.¡¹


    Said Kuna as she looked at me from over her shoulder.


    ¡¸Don''t overexert yourself, Kuna. I also don''t want a world without Kuna.¡¹


    ¡¸Okay, Kuroki! Worry not, this shield will protect me!¡¹


    Said Kuna as she raised her left arm.


    On her left arm was an enchanted buckler around 50 cm in diameter. It wasn''t the type that she held in her hand, it was the type that was strapped on her arm.


    This enchanted shield was the weakened version of Rena''s shield, that''s why its defensive power was quite formidable.


    I hope that shield will protect Kuna.


    ¡¸Let''s go! Glorious! Guno! Let''s punish the bastards who dare to bully Kuroki!¡¹


    The moment Kuna said so, Glorious roared, Guno and the others also yelled toward Zaffrada and co.


    ¡¸Well then, now it''s my turn to cure you. RibbitRibbitRibbit. Though I never expected that Zarxis would have the soul of Nargol-sama. Well, your condition should improve as long as I return the shadow to its master.¡¹


    Heqat spoke with a slightly sad look on her face.


    It seems she was also mourning Nargol as the mother of Modes.


    The God of Destruction, Nargol, spread terror to the entire world a long time ago.


    Her power was so immense that it bound the soul of the dragon in me.


    s, I wouldn''t allow something like this to happen for the second time. I might have lost this time but, I''ll conquer this wall no matter what.


    ¡¸Now then, sit and close your eyes. I''ll start removing the shadows from your body.¡¹


    I followed Heqat''s advice and sat cross-legged.


    I felt power from the Soul Orb.


    I looked at Kuna''s back for thest time before I shut my eyes.


    Wait for me, Kuna. I''ll be right there.


    And focused my mind as I thought so.


    ===


    <strong>¡ôVampire Count, Jusio</strong>


    ¡¸¡­ Wake up, Jusio.¡¹


    I heard the voice of my dearest person.


    It was the voice of my big sister which I had long since forgotten.


    Why did I hear her voice now of all times?


    I should''ve vanished as the Dark Knight cut me down.


    So this might be an illusion which I saw at the end of my life.


    ¡¸No, Jusio. You haven''t died yet. I''m protecting you after all.¡¹


    Big sister''s voice brought me back to reality.


    I opened my eyes.


    Thus I saw my big sister standing before me. She still had the same figure as thest time I saw her.


    Big sister''s figure was transparent. Maybe she became a ghost.


    Why? Why did she appear before me now of all times?


    We should have been able to meet far earlier if she had be a ghost.


    ¡¸Big sister¡­ Why¡­¡¹


    ¡¸You finally can see me, Jusio. I''ve always been by your side though¡­¡¹


    Said big sister as she was about to cry.


    Big sister had always been by my side all this time. So how could I only see her now?


    At that moment, I finally noticed. The red thing that bound my heart had vanished.


    Now I couldn''t feel anything toward Zaffrada anymore.


    Had the curse vanished since I was about to disappear?


    Was that curse the reason why I couldn''t see the ghost of my big sister all this time?


    And the reason why I could finally see my big sister was because that curse had already gone.


    ¡¸Finally, I''m free¡­ Maybe I also have be a ghostlike my big sister. I don''t want to disappear, not when I can finally see you again¡­¡¹


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 Chapter 153.2: Silver Princess VS Fresh Blood Princess

    Chapter 153.2: Silver Princess VS Fresh Blood Princess


    Even the way I referred to myself changed from I (Watashi) to I (Boku) ever since I reunited with my big sister (her ghost).


    I never heard of a vampire bing a ghost after losing their flesh.


    When a vampire was destroyed, he or she simply vanished.


    I was sure that I was done for and that I was going to vanish. But, since I managed to meet my big sister atst, I didn''t want to vanish.


    ¡¸Don''t worry Jusio. You''re not going to vanish. Big sister will protect you.¡¹


    I felt something warm flowing from my big sister.


    And my body healed with that.


    I saw the figure of my big sister swaying, she tried to save me with her power.


    ¡¸No. You''ll disappear if you do that.¡¹But, my big sister shook her head.


    ¡¸It''s okay. Just like how you''re not a normal vampire, I''m also not a normal ghost, that''s why it''ll be alright.¡¹


    Said big sister with a reassuring smile on her face.


    The moment I saw that smile, I knew that she had been forcing herself.


    s, I did recover due to her power.


    At this rate, she might disappear for sure.


    ¡¸Fuh, that''s enough¡­¡¹


    Big sister made a relieved face, though herplexion looked pale.


    I also felt relieved. I almost thought that big sister was gonna disappear for sure.


    ¡¸Well then, what shall we do now? I don''t care about the ce as long as we can be together.¡¹


    I shook my head hearing my big sister''s words.


    Big sister was too optimistic.


    ¡¸We can''t do that. Those people will go after us for sure¡­ We won''t be safe wherever we go.¡¹


    Maybe we couldn''t even escape since the kin of death was everywhere.


    On the other hand, I couldn''t go back to Zaffrada''s ce either.


    My chest hurt so much upon recalling how many children I had offered for sacrifice under Zaffrada''s orders.


    Those children then had their blood sucked dry during a feast of blood by the kin of death. I had no qualifications to see those children again.


    That was the reason why I had to go somewhere.


    But I couldn''t go to Elios'' side either. They hate the undead like they¡¯re their parent''s enemies.


    I told my big sister about this matter.


    ¡¸I see, then there''s only one ce to go¡­¡¹


    ¡¸That makes sense¡­¡¹


    Big sister and I thought the same thing.


    We raised our heads. Over there, we saw the battle between the Silver-Haired Girl and Zaffrada.


    ===


    <strong>¡ôSilver Witch; Kuna</strong>


    I fought against Zaffrada in the air.


    Guno and the others were riding on their wyverns, fighting against the army of death.


    Though ghosts and vampires belonged to the strongest ss of undead, they were no match for daemons.


    Moreover, since Heqat''s kin, Empusa''s female knights, had also participated, I could leave the small fry to them.


    Zasha, the reaper¡¯s chi8ld, had a hard time against Glorious, the greater dragon. The current line up was enough to stop the kin of death.


    That''s why Kuna had to stop the red woman before her.


    The Princess of Fresh Blood, Zaffrada.


    She was the strongest among the reaper¡¯s children.


    I had no idea how powerful she was s, I knew that she wasn''t as strong as Kuroki.


    ¡¸LARVAE! COME FORTH! LAMENT AND CRY!¡¹


    Thousands ofrvae gathered together while roaring along with Zaffrada, then quickly became a few hundred legions.


    The cries of the legions enhanced the effect of her necromancy.


    That''s why I stopped it right away.


    ¡¸COME FORTH GOLDEN LIGHT ARMORED BUG! SHINE FORTH!¡¹


    Kuna summoned a few hundred scarabs that shone in a golden light.


    The golden scarabs moved their limbs and created several spheres of light.


    The spheres of light were only as big as fists s, it was plenty enough to weaken the effect of necromancy.


    ¡¸IMPUDENT! THOSE MEASLY BUGS WILL GET BLOWN AWAY BY ME! BLACK DEATH WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIND!!¡¹


    Zaffrada''s bat wings pped and unleashed a ck wind.


    The power of the wind was really strong, even the golden light armored bugs that could withstand necromancy wouldn''t be able to withstand that wind.


    ¡¸NINE FOLD MAGIC SHIELD!¡¹


    I unleashed a nine fold magic shield to stop the wind.


    ¡¸BARELY MAKING IT OUT HUH! HOW ABOUT THIS! RED GATE!¡¹


    Red light shot out from Zaffrada''s red eyes.


    The red light broke one of the magic shields and came at Kuna.


    ¡¸What?! How can you destroy the magic shield easily?!¡¹


    I raised my left arm in a hurry, barely managing to deflect the red light.


    A strong impact hit my left arm.


    My stance crumbled due to the unexpectedly strong impact.


    ¡¸I AM NOT DONE YET!¡¹


    Zaffrada opened red gates in session. I couldn''t block that unless I used a four fold magic shield.


    That''s why more and more golden light armored bugs were dying.


    The cries of the legions only strengthened Zaffrada even further.


    ¡¸THIS IS THE END!¡¹


    Zaffrada loaded more miasma into her ws and rushed at me.


    ¡¸O Bushkey Butterfly!¡¹


    I wasted no time to summon my butterfly and escaped with teleportation.


    As much as I hated this, I had to agree that this woman was really powerful. I had no choice but to keep my distance from her.


    ¡¸COME FORTH! BLAST BUG!¡¹


    I threw several insects with live coal on their body the moment Zaffrada closed in on me.


    They might be just as big as a human index finger, but their explosive force was to be reckoned with when they were gathered together.


    The st bugs exploded when Zaffrada''s ws swiped at them.


    Naturally, I knew that this was far from enough to defeat her.


    ¡¸HEED KUNA''S CALL! GOLDEN BEETLE WARRIOR!¡¹


    Kuna summoned a few insect warriors whose size was around the same or bigger than Kuna.


    Kuna had to raise the number of the shield.


    Zaffrada then came out from within the explosion, unscathed of course.


    ¡¸DON''T THINK YOU CAN DEFEAT ME JUST BY RAISING THE NUMBER OF INSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECTS!¡¹


    Zaffrada wasughing maniacally.


    The golden beetle warriors were the strongest among the insect warriors, s, I had no idea for how long they could stop Zaffrada.


    ¡¸EVIL BLOOD MIST!¡¹


    Red mist spread from within Zaffrada''s body.


    Three golden beetle warriors in the front formation melted at once when they were exposed to the mist.


    ¡¸IMPOSSIBLE! SHE KILLED MY GOLDEN BEETLE WARRIORS THAT EASILY?!¡¹


    I was really surprised.


    I had not expected that she was this powerful.


    Zaffrada was smiling ear to ear while licking her lips with her long tongue.


    ¡¸That''s the face I want to see. But don''t think that you can even cryter.¡¹


    ¡¸Humph! Those are my words!¡¹


    Kuna could still fight. Kuna still had her trump card.


    ¡¸Tree of Gems, Fly to The Flower of Gems, Iris Jade Jewel Beetle! Heed Kuna''s Call!¡¹


    I summoned the jewel beetle with iridescent brilliance within the jade green light.


    They were the strongest insect in Kuna''s arsenal,parable with the dream butterfly.


    The iris jade jewel beetle had toughnessparable to that of gems, added with the magic shield that Kuna had deployed beforehand, it would be enough.


    ¡¸Eei! I''ve had enough of these bugs that keeping out one after another! Take my strongest attack!¡¹


    Zaffrada''s body emitted a red light.


    It was an even more ominous and intense light than before. s, Kuna managed to withstand that attack.


    ¡¸HERE I COME! LITTLE GIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRL!¡¹


    Zaffrada rushed at me.


    Seeing that, Kuna raised her shield and scythe.


    ¡¸ZAFFRADA!¡¹


    A momentter, when Zaffrada had almost arrived right before Kuna.


    Something struck Zaffrada from the side.


    It was the sword-wielding vampire.


    The vampire suddenly stabbed Zaffrada''s nk with his sword.


    ¡¸Impossible? Jusio? You''re not, dead?¡¹


    Zaffrada looked at the vampire with an unbelievable look on her face.


    There was no way Kuna would let go of such an opening!


    ¡¸GO IRIS JADE JEWEL BEETLE! GOLDEN BEETLE WARRIORS!¡¹


    Kuna sent the remaining golden beetle warriors protected by the iris jade jewel beetle to attack Zaffrada.


    Beingpletely taken off guard, the golden beetle warriors¡¯ swords hit Zaffrada''s body.


    ¡¸THIS, DAMN BUUUUUUUUUUUUG!¡¹


    Zaffrada''s roar knocked the vampire and the golden beetle warriors back.


    ¡¸BUSHKEY BUTTERFLY! SCATTER SCALES OF DREAM TO MY SCYTHE!¡¹


    The bushkey butterfly then perched on the de of my scythe and scattered its scales.


    Maybe because she instinctively felt the danger, Zaffrada retreated as soon as she roared.


    s, Kuna wouldn''t let her escape.


    ¡¸You can''t escape, Zaffrada! Dream Dimension sh!¡¹


    It was a flying sh skill that targeted enemies from afar, which was only possible due to the power of the dream butterfly.


    ¡¸GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!¡¹


    The next moment, Zaffrada wailed in pain.


    Though Kuna failed to inflict a fatal wound, she managed to inflict a deep enough wound to Zaffrada.


    Kuna only needed to finish her off now.


    Zaffrada retreated to make her escape.


    She spread her bat wings and escaped at full speed.


    ¡¸Bushkey butterfly! Send Kuna to Za¡ª What?¡¹


    The moment Kuna summoned the bushkey butterfly to teleport Kuna to Zaffrada''s ce.


    Zaffrada''s body was suddenly covered in something white.


    ¡¸RED LIGHT REBELLION TALISMAN!¡¹


    Shining red papers flew at Kuna along with Zaffrada''s roar.


    It was a talisman.


    Kuna teleported herself away immediately with the bushkey butterfly.


    Then she looked at the direction where the talisman came from.


    Over there, she saw a man d in a priest''s robe riding on a ck cloud.


    Upon a closer look, Kuna realized that the ck cloud was a gathering of countless flies. And the priest actually stood up on top of them.


    Looking at the face of the priest, part of his face was covered with a big eye.


    Though this was the first time Kuna met this man, this man might be the high priest of flies and maggots, Zalbuth.


    The one who single-handedly raised the army of the Reaper was none other than this man called Zalbuth. Reinforcements hade, huh.


    ¡¸Are you okay, big sister? I''ll heal you in no time.¡¹


    A talisman then pasted itself on Zaffrada''s wound as she arrived beside Zalbuth.


    ¡¸Kuh, you''re just in time, Zalbuth¡­ I''ll take a rest for a bit. I''ll leave the rest to you.¡¹


    ¡¸Leave it to me, big sister.¡¹


    When Zaffrada stepped back, Zalbuth pointed his bishop cane toward Kuna.


    This might be a tricky situation.


    Kuna had used a lot of her magical power in her fight against Zaffrada.


    ording to the information we had, though Zalbuth was weak in closebat, his magical power rivaled that of Zaffrada.


    s, Kuna could still fight.


    ¡¸You seem to be in trouble. RibbitRibbitRibbit.¡¹


    Kuna turned around upon hearing that voice.


    Before she realized it, Heqat, who was riding on a cloud, had already stood beside Kuna.


    ¡¸Heqat? What about Kuroki?¡¹


    ¡¸I''ve taken the necessary measures. We only need to wait for him to recover on his own. That''s why you should go back for now. You''re quite exhausted, right? Leave this guy to this old hag. RibbitRibbitRibbit.¡¹


    Said Heqat as sheughed.


    ¡¸I see, I''ll leave this ce to you, Heqat. It''s a situation in which we have no idea when Zarxis wille, so Kuna will take a rest for a bit.¡¹


    Kuna told her so as she retreated.


    Heqat was also bad at closebat s, her magical power could put even that Demon King to shame.


    That''s why let''s see the true power of this archwitch.


    Kuna could hear the singing voices of the Singer Princess and Toadman, which were probably summoned by Heqat.


    Thus began a fiery battle of magic under the sky.


    <strong></strong>

 Chapter 154.1: Archwitch of Wetland VS High Priest of Fly And Maggot

    Chapter 154.1: Archwitch of Wend VS High Priest of Fly And Maggot


    TN: Kind reminder, don''t read this chapter when you''re eating! ===


    <strong>¡ôSilver Witch; Kuna</strong>


    Kuna returned to the skyship after the battle against Zaffrada.


    Glorious and Guno had also returned to the ship.


    Since the enemy had also retreated, a temporary armistice formed.


    ¡¸Grrrrrr.¡¹


    Glorious looked worriedly at Kuroki who sat while meditating.


    The same goes for Kuna.


    But, Kuna believes. She believes that Kuroki won''t be defeated by something like this.¡¸Kuna-sama. Are you sure we should take them with us?¡¹


    Asked Guno while looking at the ghost girl and the vampire youth.


    I have no idea why the vampire who was supposed to be Zaffrada''s kin ended up backstabbing her.


    Maybe he was just feigning his loyalty all along to betray her at thest minute. That was the only situation I could think of for the time being.


    ¡¸It''s fine. Let''s see the situation for a while. He doesn''t seems to be lying either.¡¹


    Though Kuna had no idea whether her ability to detect lies would work on non-living beings, Kuna felt they didn''t seem to lie.


    That''s why let''s watch the situation for the time being.


    ¡¸Thank you for trusting us¡­¡¹


    The ghost girl expressed her gratitude.


    Her name was supposed to be Ange. s, it''s not like Kuna trusted her.


    Kuna nned to kill her once she detected any sign of betrayal.


    ¡¸It''s no big deal. We have another urgent matter to attend to right now.¡¹


    Said Kuna as she looked at the sky above.


    Two people above fought in the air, riding on the cloud.


    One of them was a three-headed witch d in a robe.


    The other was a one-headed priest d in priest vestment.


    They were Heqat and Zalbuth respectively.


    Both of them were powerful sorcerers.


    Now, the battle of magic was about to begin.


    ¡¸I never expected that the famous Great Mother of Witches-dono woulde forward on her own. s, that''s no reason for me to cut corners.¡¹


    ¡¸So you think that you can defeat this old hag huh, Son of Reaper? RibbitRibbitRibbit¡¹


    Zalbuth and Heqat exchanged such pleasantries with a light smile on their faces.


    From Kuna''s perspective, Heqat had the advantage.


    Heqat was weak in frontalbat. She would be defeated for sure if her opponent was Kuroki, the Hero of Light, or Alphos.


    s, I heard that Zalbuth was just as bad as Heqat in closebat.


    In terms of battle of spells, Heqat was one of the best among the gods.


    Though Kuna heard that Zalbuth was also adept in magic, maybe he wasn''t a match against Heqat.


    In the first ce, frogs were the natural predator of flies.


    But looking at Zalbuth''s expression, it seems he had no intention of losing.


    ¡¸You won''t know until you try! Here Ie! Fly Cloud Storm!¡¹


    The cloud he rode on spread out.


    The cloud he rode on was made from a clump of flies.


    ording to Clown, those flies ate the flesh of living creatures and then bred to increase their number infinitely.


    Their weakness was fire s, fire attribute''s magic wasn''t Heqat''s forte.


    How would she deal with this?


    ¡¸RibbitRibbit. So ites to this. Then this is my answer. Devil''s Face Scab¡¹


    At that moment, a tiny frog''s head came out from Heqat''s face and grew bigger.


    Finally, the head became twelve in number.


    The devil''s face scab was one of a kind of disease. Its symptom was various heads of living creatures growing from one body part of its victim, which then grew up by absorbing the nutrients in the victim''s body and eventually led to the death of the victim.


    The name also varied depending on the face, if it was a human face, it got called human''s face scab, Wolf''s face scab if it was a wolf, frog''s face scab if it was a frog, and numerous other names.


    The way to treat it was by making those face scabs drink the drug made from the bulb of braided hat lilies.


    s, adept sorcerers or witches used this disease as part of their powers instead.


    By creating multiple heads, it would allow the user to use more spells, orplicated magic.


    And Heqat could use this disease with a flip of her hand.


    It was an extremely powerful magic s, since it made Kuna look ugly, Kuna didn''t try to learn that magic.


    Heqat whose head had grown to twelve looked really ominous.


    Heqat then opened her mouth and swallowed the flies one after another.


    It only took her a few seconds to swallow every single one of the flies in the cloud.


    ¡¸As expected of the famous witch. My adorable flies are no match for you.¡¹


    ¡¸Humph, this is just child¡¯s y. You''re nning something else, right? RibbitRibbitRibbit.¡¹


    ¡¸Correct, my goal isn''t to defeat you! Witch-dono! Open eight gates! Gate of Opening, Gate of Rest, Gate of Life, Gate of Pain, Gate of Limit, Gate of View, Gate of Death, Gate of Wonder!¡¹


    When Zalbuth shouted, eight talismans suddenly appeared around Heqat.


    ¡¸Ribbit? Are you using the cloud of flies as bait for you to unleash your talisman?¡¹


    ¡¸Correct, Witch-dono! I call this Formation of Mysterious Ster Gate! You''re going to be trapped in a mysterious space forever once all eight gates are open!¡¹


    The talisman was glowing with ominous light before it got absorbed into Heqat''s body.


    The moment the light receded, Heqat''s body was already gone.


    ¡¸Kukuku, I won. Now it''s your turn right, Silver-dono?¡¹


    Zalbuth looked at Kuna.


    ¡¸Wait, Zalbuth! That woman is my prey!¡¹


    ¡¸Hang on, big sister! You''re still injured!¡¹


    Both Zasha and Zaffrada moved together.


    Zaffrada had a talisman pasted on her wound. She was in no condition to fight.


    ¡¸Zasha is right, big sister. Please step back until you recover. Leave them to me. Are you ready, Silver-dono?¡¹


    Zalbuth readied himself.


    s, Kuna didn''t feel like fighting.


    ¡¸Too bad, Kuna can''t fight. In the first ce, do you really think that you have won? That witch is still Kuna''s master after all. She won''t fall that easily with that kind of paltry trick. Take a look.¡¹


    Kuna told him so while pointing at where Heqat vanished.


    A cloud spread out from that ce.


    ¡¸What the?!¡¹


    Zalbuth couldn''t hide his shock.


    The cloud literally exploded in all directions at once.


    ¡¸GUWAAAA!¡¹


    ¡¸KYAAAAAAAAAA!¡¹


    Both Zaffrada and Zalbuth got blown away by that explosion.


    A momentter, Heqat appeared from the ce where the cloud exploded.


    ¡¸Too bad, such a method doesn''t work on me. To begin with, talisman art is something that originates from Rugas. This old hag already knows the way to counter such a trick. RibbitRibbitRibbit.¡¹


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 Chapter 154.2: Archwitch of Wetland VS High Priest of Fly And Maggot

    Chapter 154.2: Archwitch of Wend VS High Priest of Fly And Maggot


    Heqat took out a talisman from her robe.


    Zalbuth retreated upon seeing that.


    Maybe he realized that he couldn''t defeat Heqat with his talisman arts.


    ¡¸Now it''s my turn. RibbitRibbitRibbit. Come forth! Great Kettle!¡¹


    A huge kettle then appeared in the air.


    It was a magic tool called the great kettle of the witch.


    All of Heqat''s disciples had their own great kettle.


    That great kettle had multiple functions ranging from concocting medicine to poison among many other things.


    Almost all potions that existed in this world were in fact created by Heqat.The great kettle of the witch''s great-mother was a huge ck kettle.


    Heqat then used her twisted cane to stir the content of that great kettle.


    ¡¸Sti~r Sti~r Stir, Sti~r Sti~r Stir. Stirring round and round till its color bes brighter, shi~ne shine~. RibbitRibbitRibbit.¡¹


    Heqat stirred the kettle while chanting the aria.


    Sti~r Sti~r Stir was the word of power used by witches when they stirred their great kettle.


    All witches used the same aria. Even Kuna chanted "Sti~r Sti~r Stir" when she made potions using her great kettle.


    Brilliant light shot forth from inside the great kettle when Heqat stirred her kettle.


    Kuna felt a strong magical power from within.


    ¡¸Ugh! What a terrifying magical power!¡¹


    Zalbuth stepped back as he felt the magical power emanating from the great kettle.


    ¡¸Now take this! Seven Light of Sce!¡¹


    Seven colored lights shot out from the great kettle and headed to Zalbuth and co.


    ¡¸Guuuuh! What the! Hundred Talisman Formation!¡¹


    Zalbuth unleashed his talisman to protect himself.


    s, the light swept the army of the dead outside the protection area of the talisman.


    The kin of death let out their death throes as they bathed in that light.


    The seven lights of sce that were unleashed by Heqat was by nature, a healing magic. s, that healing magic was deadly poison for the kin of death.


    Upon a closer look, the high-ranking undead such as specters and vampires were erased so easily by that light, so it must be quite powerful.


    When the light receded, there were only a few kin of death left including the children of the reaper.


    ¡¸Gigigigi. I never expected that my priest vestment would be in such a tattered state.¡¹


    Said Zalbuth as he touched his vestment with his hand that turned into that of an insect.


    Zalbuth, who took the most damage from the light, already had turned into half of a giant fly.


    The limbs of the fly were jutting out from the priest''s vestment, his head turned into that of a round, one-eyed fly.


    ¡¸Oh my? Did you survive? Well, it''s not attack magic to begin with. RibbitRibbitRibbit. How about another round?¡¹


    Said Heqat as sheughed.


    Zalbuth could still fight. But Heqat was powerful. It was clear from this confrontation that Heqat would alwayse out victorious.


    ¡¸Naturally, Witch-dono. I just need to buy a bit more time to win.¡¹


    ¡¸What do you mean, Ribbit?¡¹


    Zalbuth''s fly mouth shook as heughed.


    ¡¸Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. It''s just as I say, Witch-dono. Just a bit more before he arrives. You know what I mean right?¡¹


    The moment Zalbuth said so.


    Rena''s warning echoed in Kuna''s head.


    ¡¸OH NO! HEQAT! THAT GUY IS COMING! WE HAVE TO LEAVE THIS PLACE!¡¹


    I clenched my teeth in frustration.


    And cursed at Alphos in my heart.


    That useless guy couldn''t even buy enough time for us.


    ¡¸Not so fast. I won''t let you escape.¡¹


    Cloud-like flies came out from Zalbuth''s body.


    ¡¸This guy is bad news. Not even this old hag can defeat Zarxis. Ribbit Ribbit Ribbit.¡¹


    Heqat headed toward us immediately.


    We had to move the skyship again. s, it didn''t seem that Zalbuth would allow us to do so.


    Though we could defeat him if we fought him, the other party''s main goal was to detain us in this ce.


    In short, we couldn''t escape from Zarxis.


    ¡¸GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!¡¹


    Glorious groaned as he raised his head. Different from when he was with Kuroki, his groan this time was filled with killing intent.


    When looking in the direction where Glorious was looking, I saw Zarxis, whose lower body turned into that of a spider with giant bat wings on his back, rushing at us.


    Did hee already?


    That was too fast.


    ¡¸You cannot escape! Return the Soul Orb!¡¹


    Zarxis'' angry shout resounded in the room.


    I deployed the magic shield in a hurry.


    The next moment, a tremendous impact hit my shield.


    It came from Zarxis'' screw sword.


    That attack obliterated all of my magic shields. His power surpassed Zaffrada''s red shield.


    I deployed another magic shield.


    No matter what kind of attack he would use, Kuna was ready to deploy a magic shield like there was no tomorrow.


    I was prepared for that.


    ¡¸Humph! How persistent! How about this! Come Forth GREAT SERPENT OF EARTH WHO GNAWS THE CENTER OF THE WORLD AND ROTS EVERYTHING YOU TOUCH, N¨ªeh?ggr! Answer my call!!¡¹


    Zarxis summoned the superior spirit of the earth, N¨ªeh?ggr.


    A giant snake then appeared from the ground.


    Though I saw this spirit before when Heqat summoned them, this one was clearly bigger in size.


    ¡¸Thisnd gives a huge advantage to Zarxis. N¨ªeh?ggr has also be much stronger by absorbing miasma in thisnd. Ribbit Ribbit Ribbit. We have to think of a good n to face both Zarxis and N¨ªeh?ggr.¡¹


    Heqat spoke about something that I realized too.


    I knew that we were cornered right now.


    N¨ªeh?ggr raised their sickle-like neck while releasing miasma.


    I had to attack both the superior spirit and Zarxis.


    Heqat had to distract Zalbuth during that time.


    I need Glorious along with Guno and co''s cooperation for defense.


    The moment I thought so.


    Suddenly, I felt a wave of warm magical power.


    ¡¸Grrrrrr.¡¹


    Glorious roared again. There was no hostility in his roar this time.


    Glorious seemed to have noticed that fact too.


    ¡¸Why are you suddenlyughing like that? Ribbit Ribbit Ribbit.¡¹


    Heqat didn''t seem to notice it.


    She cocked her head when she saw Kuna smiling on her own.


    ¡¸Have you not realized it, Heqat? Well, I guess we managed to buy time too.¡¹


    ¡¸RIBBIT!?¡¹


    Heqat couldn''t hide her shock.


    She then looked in a certain direction.


    ¡¸Ribbit!? Has he already recovered? What kind of power is this?!¡¹


    Heqat shook her head as if she couldn''t believe it.


    But, Kuna believed it.


    Naturally, the same goes for Glorious.


    The ck me that rose to the heavens unfolded before us.


    ¡¸O the embodiment of Apophis (Darkness Serpent) and Skoll (Darkness Wolf)! The Personification of Rah (Rahu Star) of Navagraha (Nine Heavenly Body)!! Light Eater; Eclipse!!¡¹


    His lovely voice resounded in Kuna''s ears.


    A ck Dragon appeared from within the ck me and rushed toward N¨ªeh?ggr.


    Eclipse, the superior spirit of darkness, pinned down N¨ªeh?ggr, the superior spirit of the earth.


    ¡¸Kuh! Eclipse!? How can it be!? You should be weakened due to the shadow of mother, right!? Have you already recovered!?¡¹


    Zarxis was shouting in frustration.


    Everyone was looking up to the sky.


    The ck me spread in the gray-colored sky.


    And the figure of the Dark Knight stood in the middle of those ck mes.


    ¡¸Zarxis! This is a continuation of the battle at the Death Capital!¡¹


    The recovered Kuroki then pointed his demon sword of venous blood at Zarxis.


    The battle between the Reaper and the Dark Knight was about to begin.


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 Chapter 155: Super Magic Phantom Giant God Modegal

    Chapter 155: Super Magic Phantom Giant God Modegal


    <b>¡ôGoddess of Wisdom and Victory; Rena</b>


    I went to Alphos'' location with the sky ship.


    The battle had ended.


    I couldn''t see any of Zarxis'' death kin.


    The angels were flying around, maybe they were looking for their remnants.


    I looked around from the deck of the sky ship to see where Alphos was.


    Then I found him standing on the deck of his sky ship.


    I brought my ship closer to his and then leapt into his ship.


    ¡¸Yo Rena. You finally decided toe?¡¹Alphos greeted me with a smile on his face, still in his Holy Knight attire.


    Well, that was only natural I guess. My subordinate Valkyrie, who I ced on Alphos'' side, informed me that the battle had ended.


    ¡¸It seems Zarxis is really strong, his child was also quite troublesome.¡¹


    I had seen it in a video and now knew that Zarxis, who regained his power, was really powerful.


    Even Alphos might have lost if he fought Zarxis till the end.


    s, such a thing didn''t happen.


    Zarxis suddenly went after Kuna and entrusted Alphos to his kin.


    Alphos, who got disturbed by the child of the reaper, couldn''t go after Zarxis.


    ¡¸Yeah, he''s too tenacious.¡¹


    Alphos looked to his side, I followed his line of sight.


    He was looking at a mountain-like carcass of a giant centipede.


    The Devilish Poisonous Prince, Zagero.


    Though his intelligence and magical power was quite low, I heard that he was among the strongest of the children of the reaper in terms of physical strength and defense.


    Though he was weaker than Alphos, it took quite a while for Alphos to defeat Zagero due to thetter''s tenacious vitality.


    Even after he died, the carcass of Zagero released poison that contaminated the soil.


    It might be really difficult to purify thend.


    What a troublesome guy.


    ¡¸Well then, he wanted to go after her but it might be toote. She seemed to have snatched something important from the Reaper s¡­ It''s enough as long as she''s safe.¡¹


    Said Alphos while looking at Ruvania''snd.


    I also looked in the same direction as him.


    I could see the situation over there from Kuna''s eyes.


    The fight between Kuroki against Zarxis was about to begin.


    Zarxis was strong s, I didn''t have to worry about Kuroki.


    The reason? Because my knight was just that powerful.


    He wouldn''t be defeated by the likes of the Reaper.


    I looked up to the sky as I thought so.


    <b>¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki</b>


    I fought against Zarxis in the air.


    Zarxis''s figure was that of a giant bat with the lower-half of a spider, there were nine eyes on his face.


    It was the same grotesque figure as he had shown back then above the death capital.


    But, this ce wasn''t the death capital. It wouldn''t be the same as back then.


    ¡¸No way, you recovered from the shadow of mother¡­¡¹


    Zarxis spewed something pale from his mouth.


    A face appeared from that something pale.


    It was an evil spirit called Larva.


    Arva was a mere shadow of someone¡¯s form with only their strong grudge left behind. Zarxis kept those Larvas in his belly to be usedter.


    I could hear a grieving voice from the mouth of his abdomen. As if inside Zarxis'' belly was the purgatory itself.


    ¡¸Unfortunately, I can''t waste my time anymore.¡¹


    Nor could I afford to do that, not when Kuna and co were fighting nearby.


    That''s why I had to exert myself more than usual.


    In the first ce, I couldn''t expect to always fight in perfect condition.


    Even if I''m on the verge of death, I have to fight when pushes to shove.


    There were still some remains of the shadow of Nargol in my body.


    s, Kuna and co had bought me enough time to rest.


    That''s why I would do something about the rest.


    Zarxis'' red eyes looked at me.


    It seems he was so pissed off to the point of wanting to tear me limb from limb.


    ¡¸Humph! BEGONE FROM THIS WORLD! COME FORTH THOUSAND NEVER EATER BLADE!¡¹


    Numerous spheres appeared around Zarxis, facing toward us.


    Openings filled with mouths appeared on the surface of those spheres, inside those mouths was seemingly evesting darkness.


    The weak point of the soul of those ghouls was light.


    s, I couldn''t use light attribute magic.


    Thus I had to use another method to cope with it.


    ¡¸O DRAGONS! LEND ME YOUR POWER! DRAGON ENERGY, ACTIVATE! DRAGONIC WAVE!¡¹


    I activated the power of the dragons and unleashed a powerful wave.


    Hungry souls were an amalgamation of negative life force, that''s why a powerful wave filled with life force would erase them.


    ¡¸HOW ABOUT THIS! DARK KNIGHT! OMNI-DIRECTIONAL PURGATORY SWORD!¡¹


    Zarxis''s screw sword grew longer and attacked from all directions like a whip.


    The Galient Sword was a flexible sword that could stretch and shrink.


    Since it was a weapon that could be used both as a sword and a whip, escaping from it was a bone breaking job, yet the target would be tortured to death if they stayed at one ce.


    But, that only applied if the opponent had a weaker weapon, my demon sword was stronger.


    This sword, the Blood Sword (Demon Sword of Venous Blood) was the personification of Modes'' ck me.


    It was a weapon tempered by Nargol, the Goddess of Destruction herself, making it the ultimate weapon in this world.


    The crimson red pattern on the sword''s de started to glow, and wriggled around as it took in ck me.


    ¡¸PIERCING RED LIGHT-DARK FLAME SWORD!¡¹


    When I swung my sword, the ck me that was contained within the red light stretched from the sword''s de and annihted the omni-directional attack.


    I closed in the distance right at that very moment.


    ¡¸NOT SO FAST! DARK KNIGHT!¡¹


    Zarxis'' Galient sword shrunk back and its tip pointed at me.


    When our swords shed, the one who got pushed back was Zarxis.


    But, I couldn''t use this chance to go after him.


    Reason being Zarxis'' spider legs pointed at me.


    Those sharp looking spider legs look like a reaper''s scythe to me.


    He deftly used his own legs to attack me.


    But, that was it, the only thing that increased was the number of weapons, and I could take them down with ease.


    I parried the leg that came from the right, and cut down the one from the left.


    I raised my demon sword overhead to block the galient sword that came from above, flicked it off, and continued in one smooth rotation to block the two legs that came from below and pushed at him.


    ¡¸KUUH! WHAT A MONSTER! MY KINS! KEEP HIM BUSY!¡¹


    Zarxis shouted angrily and red at me while regenerating his left leg that got cut down by me.


    Why, though?


    My body felt so light. It felt as if the shadow of Nargol that suppressed me before had also given its power to me.


    The army of reapers rushed at me.


    Did he try to buy time to adjust his stance?


    Though no amount of specters or vampires could stop me, they did buy the time that Zarxis needed to get away from me.


    Since I judged that it was too dangerous to keep chasing him, I returned to Kuna and co''s ce.


    ¡¸Awesome! You''ve be even stronger than before, Kuroki!¡¹


    Kuna rushed at me with a delighted face.


    Yeah, I certainly became even stronger than before. It felt as if the lethargic feeling until a while ago had never happened.


    ¡¸Are you by chance, taking in the shadow of Nargol-sama, RibbitRibbitRibbit? Such an unreasonable man. No wonder you recovered faster than my estimation.¡¹


    Heqat shook her head in bewilderment as she came to us.


    She didn''t even try to hide her shock.


    ¡¸I think he''ll go all out after this, can you help me, Heqat-dono?¡¹


    Zaffrada and co were already gathered around Zarxis.


    They were prepared for an all-out war.


    If that was the case, we had to do the same.


    Glorious roared, Guno and co were also riding their wyverns, prepared for another round of fighting.


    ¡¸Sure am, RibbitRibbitRibbit. I don''t think we¡¯ll lose after you make aeback.¡¹


    Replied Heqat while giving a signal to her kin.


    Seeing her signal, the Empusa warriors and toadmen shaman had also prepared for another round of battle.


    ¡¸Kuroki, Kuna and Tibel will fight with you too.¡¹


    ¡¸Roge~r. Kuna-sama.¡¹


    Kuna and Tibel also joined in.


    These two were more suited for elegant tea time than battle.


    s, they were reliable allies thanks to their support magic.


    ¡¸Yeah. I''m relying on you, Kuna.¡¹


    Kuna looked really delighted when I told her so while patting her head.


    ¡¸YOUR EXCELLENCY! SOMETHING STRANGE IS HAPPENING ON THE REAPER''S SIDE!¡¹


    Guno shouted in panic.


    When I looked at Zarxis and co, I saw that there was an outbreak of mist-like things around them.


    That mist-like thing was something that I had seen before. It was the amalgamation of ghosts that covered the Death Capital.


    ¡¸Oh my, this one is bad ne~ws. He summoned Modegal.¡¹


    A clown whose body was in tatters appeared whileughing.


    ¡¸Clown, what do you mean by summoning Modegal?¡¹


    Kuna asked instead of me.


    ¡¸Listen, Kuna-sama. The ruler of death can summon the death capital anywhere in thisnd of Ruvania. It used a lot of magical power though. Kyahahaha.¡¹


    Clown exined to us.


    Upon a closer look, I saw Zaffrada and co transferring their magical power to Zarxis. It seems he gathered the magical power of his kin and children.


    ¡¸That seems to be the case, Clown. Ribbit. I''ve never expected this kind of situation too¡­¡¹


    I could see something behind the phantom mist.


    It was the death capital of Modegal that I had seen before. I had never expected that he could summon an entire capital.


    ¡¸BEHOLD! DARK KNIGHT! BUT, THIS IS JUST THE APPETIZER! BEHOLD, THE TRUE POWER OF MODEGAL!¡¹


    Zarxis''ugh resounded.


    Modegal''s form transformed along with thatugh.


    The structure of the death capital transformed into a humanoid form, it gained human-like limbs.


    There were feelers growing out from its body.


    And then, Modegal transformed into a giant whose height pierced the sky.


    ¡¸No way¡­¡¹


    I was speechless due to shock.


    I mean, the city before me literally transformed into a giant undead.


    ¡¸HOW''S THAT, DARK KNIGHT!? THIS IS THE SUPER MAGIC PHANTOM GIANT GOD MODEGAL! IT''LL TRAMPLE YOU TO DEATH!¡¹


    Zarxis sneered at me.


    The giant covered in phantom mist stood before our skyboat.


    I felt cold sweat running down my back.


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 Chapter 156.1: Black Rose Garden

    Chapter 156.1: ck Rose Garden


    <strong>¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki</strong>


    A giant undead made of countless corpses was right before us.


    The sky ship we rode on looked like a mere dot before this humongous undead.


    One hit from that creature would destroy this sky ship for sure.


    ¡¸How about this, Dark Knight? Behold, the true power of Modegal!¡¹


    Eximed Zarxis with augh.


    Sure enough, I felt an extremely powerful miasma from it.


    Every time it took a step, Modegal''s body fluid spilled on the ground, containing within it miasma.


    Every time it moved, the countless human faces on its surface moaned in pain.It was as if hell itself was moving.


    ¡¸TAKE THIS! MODEGAL''S THOUSAND STRIKE ¨C ACID WATER SPLASH!¡¹


    A lot of body fluid sprayed from Modegal along with Zarxis'' shout, each in the form of a water sphere with a poisonous color.


    ¡¸NINE FOLD MAGIC SHIELD!¡¹


    Kuna deployed her magic shield immediately.


    Maybe because the liquid had magic properties in it, it dissolved the magic shield upon the touch.


    Kuna didn''t let her guard down and enhanced her magic shield again.


    ¡¸Hou! Not bad! How About this! THOUSAND WHIP FEELERS OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION!¡¹


    Countless feelers came out from Modegal, rushing at once toward us.


    Kuna already had her hands full dealing with the powerful acid.


    That''s why I had to take care of this one.


    ¡¸WHAT?!!¡¹


    I flew outside and covered the sky ship with a ck me.


    The sphere of acid water went through my ck me, grazed my Dark Knight armor and even went through the gap of my armor, burning my skin.


    It was painful, but I grit my teeth to endure it.


    ¡¸THOUSAND BLADES OF BLACK FLAME!¡¹


    The des made from ck me stretched from my sword and sliced all the iing tentacles.


    And then, I held my sword overhead, pulled it backpletely for a swing of maximum range, gathered my ck me, and swung it down.


    ¡¸DECAPITATION OF DARKNESS DIVINE BLADE!¡¹


    The ck me stretched and cut Modegal. It was thebination of a sh and ck explosion. (TN: Maybe reference for "Desperado ster" from Hiro Mashima''s Rave Master.)


    But, it only made Modegal sway a little, it wasn¡¯t enough to defeat it.


    I returned to the deck of the ship.


    Though I couldn''t defeat it, the water spheres stoppeding.


    We used that chance to take some distance from it.


    The army of reapers might go after us but, at least we had a moment of respite.


    ¡¸Are you okay, Kuroki?!¡¹


    Kuna and the others rushed at me.


    She asked worriedly. Well, I did get injured but it wasn''t a big deal.


    ¡¸It''s okay. My wound aside, have we managed to give it some damage?¡¹


    I looked up at Modegal.


    And saw an unbelievable sight. Modegal''s wound recovered.


    ¡¸ It''s a futile atte~mpt. Modegal can recover as long as there''s miasma in this~nd.¡¹


    Clown spoke happily as if enjoying this situation.


    But, why did he seem to enjoy this situation?


    Oh forget it, that might be his character.


    ¡¸CORRECT! THOUGH NOT MANY KNOW, YOU''RE NOT BAD FOR KNOWING THAT! MODEGAL IS INVINCIBLE! NOW DIE! TRUE SPIRIT OF DECAYING WOUND BLUE FLASH!¡¹


    A huge mouth formed at the headless top part of Modegal¡¯s humanoid form.


    Modegal then opened its giant mouth. Inside, I saw countlessrvae just like the inside of Zarxis'' mouth on his abdomen.


    ¡¸WATCH OUT! DARK FLAME WALL!¡¹


    ¡¸NINE FOLD MAGIC SHIELD!¡¹


    ¡¸RIBBIT! RAINBOW PROTECTION!¡¹


    Heqat, Kuna, and I deployed our respective defensive magic at the same time.


    Right in the next moment, a torrent ofrvae spurted from Modegal''s giant mouth.


    ¡¸Kuh! That''s!¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!¡¹¡¹


    ¡¸RIBBIT!¡¹


    Kuna and and the others raised a scream.


    The defensive magic wasn''t strong enough.


    A strong attack hit our sky ship, blowing it away as it was.


    ¡¸GLORIOUS!¡¹


    I held on to Kuna and jumped on Glorious¡¯ back.


    Then we went ahead of the sky ship''s course.


    ¡¸What the!¡¹


    I raised my hands and held the sky ship along with Glorious.


    Thanks to that we managed to slow down the fall to the ground, preventing a crash.


    ¡¸That''s a close call¡­ Dark Knight. This is a difficult situation.¡¹


    Heqat descended from the ship with an unsteady gait.


    Even the witch lost herposure in this situation.


    Then the sky ship descended to the ground and wouldn''t rise again, it wouldn''t float, maybe it broke.


    ¡¸FIX IT UP QUICKLY!¡¹


    I shouted at everyone in the ship.


    The people on board the ship should be able to do the bare minimum of maintenance.


    We had to fix the ship as fast as possible.


    ¡¸WE MUSTN''T YOUR EXCELLENCY! LET''S LEAVE THE SHIP HERE! YOU SHOULD ESCAPE WITH YOUR DRAGON AND WE WILL FOLLOW YOU WITH OUR WYVERNS!¡¹


    Guno came to my side and told me the situation.


    Surely, that was the best option. Heqat and the others could ride on Glorious'' back.


    s, not everyone could escape.


    ¡¸No. We must not do that¡­¡¹


    I shook my head.


    I couldn''t do anything about that.


    And I knew that Modegal was inching closer as I was thinking about it.


    ¡¸RibbitRibbitRibbit. What shall we do, Dark Knight? Trying to fight that thing is a fool''s errand. This attack only came from Modegal, but the next attack mighte along with Zarxis and his kin¡¯s attacks, too.¡¹


    Heqat was absolutely right.


    Zarxis and his minions were only watching during the previous attack but they might participate in the next attack.


    Moreover, the Reaper¡¯s kin have started to gather in this ce.


    By then, even if we try to escape with Glorious, it might be close to impossible.


    But, we''re not done yet.


    ¡¸It''s okay, Heqat. I''ll use that.¡¹


    ¡¸Ribbit? That?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. I still have an ace in the hole. Right, Kuna? Let''s use that.¡¹


    Kuna nodded in agreement.


    ¡¸No problem, Kuroki. But, it''s still iplete. And it uses a lot of magical power you know?¡¹


    ¡¸That''s enough, Kuna. Let''s use that. It''s time to use that.¡¹


    I took out the soul orb as I spoke.


    There was a vast amount of magical power inside this orb. That should be enough to allow me to use that technique.


    ¡¸RIBBITRIBBIT. What are you going to do with that soul orb, Dark Knight?¡¹


    ¡¸I''ll use the magic that I developed with Kuna, Heqat-dono. Can I ask for your assistance?¡¹


    I asked Heqat.


    I felt it during the battle against Alphos. There was another method to be stronger.


    Then, I did some research with Kuna.


    It should be usable right now.


    It had yet to reach the stage ofpletion s, we should be able to somehow use it using the soul orb.


    ¡¸Ribbit? I don''t know what you''re trying to pull here but, leave it to me.¡¹


    Now all the cards were lined up in my hand.


    I had no idea whether this was going to work or not. But it was better than nothing.


    =====


    <strong>¡ôDeath God; Zarxis</strong>


    We were chasing after the Dark Knight and co with Modegal who transformed into a giant God.


    I gathered my kin in this ce.


    They might be no match for the Dark Knight s, they could at least stop him.


    ¡¸Dear Father, I have a request.¡¹


    Zaffrada descended from the ghost sky ship and came to my side.


    ¡¸What''s the matter, Zaffrada?¡¹


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 Chapter 156.2: Black Rose Garden

    Chapter 156.2: ck Rose Garden


    BGM: Malevolent Shrine


    ===


    ¡¸If we defeat the Dark Knight, can you give me his corpse? If things go ording to my n, I might be able to turn him into my kin.¡¹


    Zaffrada wasughing maniacally.


    I don''t think it was possible to turn that Dark Knight into Zaffrada''s kin.


    But it might be possible if he was in the form of a corpse.


    ¡¸If that''s the case, can I have that silver haired girl, father? If possible, alive. I want her as my wife.¡¹


    When Zasha made his request after Zaffrada, she red at him.


    ¡¸Zasha. You''re not picky when ites to women right? That bi*tch shall be a seedbed for Zalbuth''s maggots.¡¹¡¸But big sister¡­ I think it''s such a waste to let that beauty be a seedbed for big brother Zalbuth''s maggots, rather¡­¡¹


    He got flustered when Zaffrada red at him.


    They might be my children, but what in the world were they talking about?


    They were just like those idiot male gods who joined Diadona''s faction.


    Diadona gave them a promise that she would give them the Goddesses as those male Gods'' ves on the day Elios was destroyed.


    They were such idiots. There was no way Diadona would spare those goddesses who inheritd Mina''s blood.


    As for that silver-haired girl, I had no idea who she was, but she wasn''t an Elios Goddess.


    If that was the case, I didn''t really care about her as long as she wasn''t a descendant of Mina. Because in the end, everyone is going to die.


    Except for my kin of course.


    ¡¸Sure. That girl is yours.¡¹


    ¡¸Really! Yaay!¡¹


    ¡¸Dear father!¡¹


    Zasha''s delight aside, Zaffrada was really pissed off.


    But, the Dark Knight was still alive and kicking, we should focus on winning this fight first.


    ¡¸Humph, such a girl is just a trivial matterpared to the Dark Knight. Rather, it''s time to attack.¡¹


    Their skyship crashed to the ground after being struck by the super maximum magic, true spirit decaying wound blue sh, from Modegal.


    I thought they would try to escape with the dragon s, it seems they had no intention to escape.


    Yeah, they didn''t escape with their tails between their legs.


    Not that they could do that since I already summoned my kin in this region.


    I looked at Modegal.


    Though it needs a vast amount of magical power to move, I could still hold on a while longer.


    It could move far more easily if I still had the soul orb with me but, whatever. It would return to me immediately anyway.


    The vanguard, Zalbuth, stopped in his tracks suddenly.


    What happened?


    ¡¸What''s the matter? Why are you stopping?¡¹


    Zalbuth kept looking in front of him.


    There, right before us, was the silver-haired girl and the Dark Knight, riding on a dragon.


    They were surrounded by female daemons riding on wyverns.


    It seems they decided to attack us.


    Ridiculous, theirst ditch effort to turn the tables would be crushed by Modegal.


    ¡¸GO MODEGAL! CRUSH THEM!¡¹


    Modegal advanced.


    But just when it was about to walk again, its footsteps came to a halt.


    ¡¸What''s the matter? Why are you stopping now, Modegal?!¡¹


    Modegal tried to walk forward s, it seemed its feet were tripping on something.


    ¡¸FATHER!? THERE ARE THORNY SHRUBS ON MODEGAL''S FEET!?¡¹


    I looked at Modegal''s feet when Zaffrada told me so.


    Over there, I saw thorny shrubs of ck roses growing as they coiled around Modegal''s feet.


    ¡¸IMPOSSIBLE!? WHY AREN''T THEY WITHERING!? NO FLOWER CAN SURVIVE WHEN TOUCHED BY MODEGAL!¡¹


    Modegal was an evil existence.


    If a weak creature touched it, it would rot and die. And yet, the ck rose that coiled around Modegal''s feet didn''t wither.


    Rather, it kept growing further and further as more of them sprouted from the ground.


    Upon a closer look, there was a woman figure inside those flowers.


    ¡¸IT''S ALRAUNE! ZARXIS! MODEGAL BECAME FOOD FOR HER, WHO GROWS BY ABSORBING MIASMA!¡¹


    The Dark Knight answered my doubt with a loud voice.


    He held the soul orb in his hand.


    The soul orb was glowing as it released magical power.


    ¡¸ARE YOU SCREWING WITH ME!? LIKE HELL THE LIKES OF ALRAUNE CAN STOP MODEGAL!? WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER, DARK KNIGHT!?¡¹


    Alraune, born from the blood of a God that got executed in the past, grew through absorbing miasma.


    s, there was no way a mere flower could defeat Modegal. She might be able to absorb miasma but the density of miasma in this region would kill her instead.


    ¡¸Have you not realized, Zarxis!? You have already stepped into the barrier Kuna and I made!¡¹


    ¡¸WHAT!?¡¹


    Sure enough, when I looked around, I felt a disturbing presence.


    Did the magic barrier also cause that?


    But, this region was my turf, here I''m the victor. He shouldn''t be able to get the magical power needed to make a magic barrier.


    That moment, I noticed.


    ¡¸YOU, NO WAY?!? THE MAGICAL POWER OF THE SOUL ORB?!?¡¹


    ¡¸Correct, Zarxis! I created this magic after finding myself trapped in a magic barrier created by Alphos in the past! But this is just an iplete version made in a hurry with the soul orb!¡¹


    When the Dark Knight said so, ck roses started growing from the ground except for the ce under Modegal''s feet.


    A sweet aroma filled the entire air.


    A few secondster, the ce around me turned into a flower garden.


    Alraune was singing in that flower garden, beetle warriors, flocks of fairies, empusas, and toadmen were dancing in this ce.


    Everyone was dancing with vigorous movements. It seems the flower garden had the effect of invigorating the insects.


    My kin on the other hand weakened a lot.


    I had never expected that he had this kind of trump card.


    ¡¸Sorry Zarxis but, let Modegal sleep in this ck Rose Garden!¡¹


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 Chapter 157: The Dark Knight vs Zarxis

    Chapter 157: The Dark Knight vs Zarxis


    <b>¡ôSilver Witch; Kuna</b>


    I was flying in the air on Glorious¡¯ back with Kuroki as the ck Rose Garden spread beneath us.


    The giant ck Rose Garden was filled with many Alraunes.


    The Alraune are a species that grows by absorbing miasma, but once they ran out of miasma, their source of nourishment, they would seek nourishment by killing other living creatures.


    But, it wasn''t a problem in our case because there was a literal giant lump of miasma right before them.


    The ck roses were coiling around Modegal''s feet, absorbing its miasma.


    ¡¸MY KIN! DESTROY THOSE BLACK ROSES!¡¹


    Zarxis screamed to his followers. Well, that was a given since miasma was also like a source of nourishment for the undead.


    The army of the Reaper moved immediately to eliminate the ck roses, following Zarxis'' order.Naturally, Heqat along with Guno and her squadron wouldn''t allow that.


    We were outnumbered.


    But this barrier gave us an advantage. We wouldn''t lose even against a greater number of enemies inside this barrier.


    ¡¸Kuna, are you ready?¡¹


    Kuroki turned around and looked at Kuna.


    Kuroki was going to fight Zarxis.


    That''s why Kuna had to get away from him. Zarxis'' children were also below us. Despite our advantageous situation, it didn''t change the fact that they were dangerous elements.


    That''s what Kuna had to fight them.


    ¡¸Of course Kuroki! Fight to your heart¡¯s content! Kuna will take care of the army of the Reaper below!¡¹


    Kuna replied so as she jumped down from Glorious.


    Kuna jumped down to Modegal''s body, heading toward the specter knights who tried to cut the Alraune.


    ¡¸VANISH! FILTHY CORPSES!¡¹


    Kuna yed a few specter knights with her scythe.


    They were no match for Kuna.


    The real problem was the children of the Reaper.


    That bat woman Zaffrada and the fly-headed Zalbuth were fighting against Heqat.


    Both were wounded. The reason Heqat could fight by herself against them was because the ck Rose Garden had amplified her magical power.


    Thus I went looking for the other child of the Reaper. There should be another one left.


    ¡¸By the way, why are you standing behind Kuna?¡¹


    A toadman warrior approached Kuna from behind.


    Honestly, it was so suspicious, and I knew the reason for that.


    Suddenly, numerous feelers broke out from the Toadman''s abdomen.


    There was a mouth at the tip of each feeler and they were rushing at Kuna.


    ¡¸NO WAY, HOW DID YOU FIND OUT?!¡¹


    I already knew that the toadman had been controlled by the enemy. That''s why it was easy to deal with it.


    I spun my scythe, cutting down the feelers and beheading the toadman.


    The headless toadman retreated, trying to get away from Kuna.


    ¡¸As expected. I want you even more now.¡¹


    Someone then came out from the passage where the toadman had lost his head.


    The nobleman of death, Zasha.


    His figure was that of a human child.


    But, Kuna could see through such a facade.


    His real figure was that of a giant leech.


    ¡¸Anyone would doubt it when someone suddenly approaches them from behind. It isn''t even a trick.¡¹


    Zasha revealed a repulsive-lookingugh.


    The way he looked at Kuna was really repulsive.


    ¡¸Fufufu, your beauty makes me want to touch your cheek.¡¹


    I sneered upon hearing his remark.


    ¡¸Are you an idiot or what? Kuroki is the only one allowed to touch Kuna. You think someone like you has the qualification to touch me? Dream on, ugly leech. Well, it''s not like a weakling who can''t even beat Zaffrada can touch me.¡¹


    Among the children of the Reaper, Zasha was nothingpared to Zaffrada and Zalbuth; he wasn''t too powerful.


    This small fry couldn''t defeat Kuna.


    And yet, he looked tooposed for a weakling.


    ¡¸Are you sure about that? I kept my best war weapon in Modegal! I couldn¡¯t take them out during the fight against the Dark Knight but now it''s their chance to shine! Come forth! DOOM VERMIN LORD!¡¹


    A giant rhinoceros beetle came out from inside Modegal''s body along with Zasha''s shout.


    Its huge jaw was clicking menacingly at Kuna.


    ¡¸I''m an insect user just like you. We''re a match made in heaven. So how about having an insect battle against me?¡¹


    Zasha made such a disgusting remark.


    ¡¸I have no reason to y along with you. But, since you want an insect battle against me, I''ll give you one! COME FORTH, RAINBOW STAG BEETLE!¡¹


    A giant rainbow stag beetle appeared along with Kuna''s summon.


    This insect was among the strongest in Kuna''s possession, its body shone with an iridescent color.


    They wouldn''t lose against such an ugly insect!


    Zasha summoned more insects. They looked so disgusting since the ones he summoned resembled wood bugs or centipedes.


    s, Kuna summoned her insects too.


    Kuna felt that the battle in the sky was still ongoing.


    The battle between Kuroki and Zarxis had only just begun.


    s, there was no way Kuna''s beloved Kuroki would lose against the likes of Zarxis!


    ¡¸GO DOOM VERMIN LORD!¡¹


    The beetle moved along with Zasha''s voice.


    ¡¸SMASH THAT UGLY FACE FOR ME, RAINBOW STAG BEETLE!¡¹


    Kuna alsounched her attack.


    ===


    <b>¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki</b>


    I fought against Zarxis on top of Modegal''s head.


    Modegal''s giant feelers were dancing around Zarxis.


    The feelers had mouths on their tips filled with razor-sharp fangs, and thement ofrvae could be heard from inside.


    I was riding on Glorious'' back, maneuvering around between the iing feelers.


    The feelers were trying to catch Glorious.


    When the feelers opened their mouths, they spewed blue shes.


    ¡¸GLORIOUS!¡¹


    Upon hearing my signal, Glorious fired his exploding me breath to erase the blue sh.


    As a great dragon, Glorious wouldn''t be defeated that easily.


    He fired exploding me breaths one after another, blowing the feelers away.


    ¡¸HOW ABOUT THIS, DARK KNIGHT!! O LARVAE, GATHER ON MY SWORD!¡¹


    The blue spirits gathered, winding around Zarxis'' sword of sin.


    Though it looked like a blue me at nce, its actual form was that of souls.


    Human faces appeared from the sword of blue me that was swung at me.


    I covered my sword with ck me and swung my sword from the opposite direction.


    Two mes shed in the air.


    ¡¸UWAA!¡¹


    Both of us got thrown back.


    Zarxis'' strength was terrifying. Maybe he was receiving a buff from Modegal.


    Thervae that were fired by Modegal were sucked into Zarxis'' body.


    ¡¸DARK KNIGHT, DIE!¡¹


    Zarxis swung his sword again and again.


    Every single one of his shes was so powerful that I was forced to parry each of them.


    s, that strength was obviously drained bit-by-bit.


    The reason was that Modegal''s miasma was being sucked by the ck roses, thus reducing the power that could be given to Zarxis.


    I on the other hand got stronger and stronger from the magical power released by the ck roses that reached their matured state after sucking miasma.


    Thus, I slowly gained the upper hand in this battle.


    ¡¸GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH! WHY?! WHY CAN''T I FILL THIS WORLD WITH DEATH?!¡¹


    Zarxis screamed with a mortified face.


    Hearing that, I felt a pang of guilt in my heart for Zarxis.


    Zarxis was born as an existence that spread death. He must be really frustrated for being unable to do his mission.


    ¡¸Zarxis. It would¡¯ve been for the best if you had changed just like Modes, s¡­¡¹


    I muttered so.


    Modes had the power of destruction. ording to Nargol, he was born to destroy this world.


    s, he made his own decision and decided to betray Nargol, his own mother.


    Speaking of what Modes felt back then, he might have felt reallyplicated inside.


    s, I wouldn''t let Zarxis fill this world with death. Despite not being a local of this world, I came to like this world.


    I had no grudge toward Zarxis, but I had to stop him.


    ¡¸HERE I COME, ZARXIS! O DRAGONS, LEND ME YOUR POWER!¡¹


    The dragons in my body roared.


    I felt my body getting filled with vitality as my magical power rose.


    I readied my demon sword.


    ¡¸WATCH THIS DARK KNIGHT! LEND ME ALL YOUR POWER, MODEGAL!¡¹


    Zarxis'' body was then sucked into Modegal''s mouth.


    Modegal''s mouth then opened up, swallowing Zarxis inside.


    Zarxis'' face then appeared inside Modegal''s giant mouth.


    Thervae then formed a single face.


    Modegal opened its huge mouth, trying to swallow me.


    ¡¸GLORIOUS!¡¹


    Glorious pped his wings upon hearing my voice.


    Modegal came closer.


    ¡¸HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!¡¹


    I brandished my demon sword to the side as strong as I could.


    The ck me d in a red glow from the sword''s de then increased in size.


    ¡¸DARK KNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!¡¹


    Zarxis shouted.


    Modegal who lost the source of its power was no match for me.


    Modegal''s body was cut right in half at the midsection.


    Its upper body got blown away, and its lower body crumbled on its knees.


    Gwuno and her team cheered when they saw that.


    What was left from Modegal was a body that was covered in ck roses.


    The remaining kin of the Reaper rushed toward the upper body that got blown away.


    I couldn''t blow it to smithereens. The remaining body of Modegal was trying to escape.


    ¡¸DARK KNIGHT! I PROMISE THAT I''LL STRANGLE YOU TO DEATH SOMEDAY!¡¹


    Zarxis cursed at me when he came out from Modegal''s body, his kin were also ring at me.


    Zaffrada, Zalbuth and Zasha were also in a good condition. And just like Zarxis, they were ring at me too.


    Modegal''s body then got shrouded by thick mist, and vanished.


    The ck Rose Garden was still an iplete magic barrier. Thus they could escape as long as the barrier was destroyed.


    I descended along with Glorious.


    Kuna had already been waiting for me below. There was a corpse of a huge insect beside her.


    It might have been taken down by Kuna.


    ¡¸KUROKI!¡¹


    Kuna rushed at once and hugged me as soon as I stepped on the ground.


    I spread my arms, caught Kuna and patted her head.


    ¡¸As expected of Kuroki! Not even the Reaper can defeat you!¡¹


    Kuna rubbed her head on my chest.


    Behind Kuna was Heqat who followed after her.


    ¡¸Though we got the upper hand, we failed to defeat them. RibbitRibbitRibbit.¡¹


    I nodded to her.


    Both Zarxis and the children of the Reaper went all out in the end. Thus, making it harder to kill them.


    Gwuno had alsoe to us. [TL: Guno will be changed to Gwuno from this point on after the author revealed the correct spelling in englishst week along with Gwuno''s AI illustration.]


    ¡¸Your Excellency, the Reaper has escaped. What shall we do?¡¹


    Zarxis had left. Though we might be able to chase him, the ck Rose Garden couldn''t be brought with us.


    And fighting outside the area of the ck Rose Garden in Ruvania was a suicidal mission.


    ¡¸Yup¡­ I don''t think I can fight anymore. Let''s go back to Nargol. Let''s fix our skyboat for now. How''s its'' condition?¡¹


    I asked while looking at our fallen skyboat.


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 Chapter 158: Under The Blue Sky(Act 8 Epilogue)

    Chapter 158: Under The Blue Sky(Act 8 Epilogue)


    <b>¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki</b>


    Voices of praise resounded around Reiji.


    He drove away the dragonewt and Blue Dragon Azimid who hade to attack us.


    The people were showering him with praise for managing to reim the wends.


    They were in apletely festive mood.


    Many humans could survive with the increased amount of farnd.


    s, that farnd was gained by snatching it from the natives in this wend.


    There were no demi-humans such as lizardmen back on Earth.


    That''s why this matter was never a problem. s, many species went extinct along with the development of the human race back on Earth.That was the reason why I heaved a sigh.


    ¡¸What''s the matter, Chiyuki-san? Are you worrying about something?¡¹


    Before I knew it, Nao had already been standing by my side, looking at my face.


    Her big, cat-like eyes were staring curiously at me.


    ¡¸It''s nothing, Nao-san. I¡¯m just worried about what we did.¡¹


    I said so while shaking my head.


    The people in front of me were dancing happily as they formed a human ring. And Reiji stood in the center of that ring.


    Reiji was the hero. Even if some humans hated him, many more humans praised him for saving people.


    I then recalled what the Great Sage Magius had told me before.


    Maybe I should change my perception that seemed to be normal for this world until now.


    ¡¸Chiyuki-san¡­ A cat doesn''t care about what a mouse feels.¡¹


    ¡¸Eh?¡¹


    Nao suddenly muttered those words to me.


    I unintentionally looked at Nao.


    But, Nao had already averted her gaze by that time.


    She was smiling merrily as she looked at the festival.


    ¡¸Well then! This Nao-san¡¯s going to dance too!¡¹


    Nao ran toward Reiji and co.


    It only took her a second to arrive by Reiji''s side and dance with Rino.


    ¡¸Nao-san¡­ You¡­¡¹


    I looked at Nao with a bewildered look on my face.


    Which reminds me that I didn''t really know about Nao''s past.


    Nao herself had never told us about her own situation.


    What did she do before she met us I wonder?


    I got curious. s, she just avoided that question with a smile on her face whenever I asked her.


    ¡¸A cat doesn''t care about what a mouse feels huh¡­¡¹


    Even the Great Sage said something simr to me before.


    At least, we fought for humankind. That was obvious after seeing the delighted figure of the humans before me.


    There was no doubt about that.


    That was what I felt.


    ===


    <b>¡ôDemon King; Modes</b>


    ¡¸I never expected you to manage to snatch the soul orb¡­¡¹


    I was really dumbfounded.


    The gem that I got from Kuroki was undoubtedly the soul orb.


    Though I knew that Zarxis kept this orb with him, I had never expected that Kuroki would manage to snatch it.


    ¡¸Yes. This is undoubtedly the soul orb, Your Majesty. And then, inside that soul orb is¡­¡¹


    Rugas frowned.


    I knew what he wanted to say.


    ¡¸Yeah. I can feel my mother''s shadow from this orb¡­¡¹


    I sensed an extremely terrifying yet familiar presence from within the orb.


    It wasn''t something that I could forget even if I wanted to.


    And then, this terrifying presence stirred something in my mind. It was my impulse for destruction.


    My mother''s power was sleeping in my body. It was stimted by a mere graze from her shadow.


    ¡¸Zarxis might be trying to do something with that orb¡­ What do you think he''s trying to do, Your Majesty?¡¹


    Asked Rugas.


    s, there was only one thing I could do.


    ¡¸Seal it¡­ Rugas. We mustn''t let this orb see the light of day.¡¹


    I entrusted the orb to Rugas as I spoke to him.


    ¡¸I understand, Your Majesty.¡¹


    Rugas then left the audience room.


    ¡¸By the way Rugas, what about Kuroki? Why didn''t I see him today?¡¹


    Kuroki went somewhere else after he gave me the soul orb.


    What was happening to him I wonder?


    ¡¸I also have no idea. It seems he''s heading to Aremania which is located in the north of Ruvania.¡¹


    ¡¸I see. Aremania huh¡­¡¹


    Aremania was located in the neighborhood of Ruvania. Kuroki seems to be in that region right now.


    It seems Kuroki had touched Mother¡¯s shadow.


    I had been wondering, what did he think of that shadow?


    I couldn''t help but wonder about such a thing.


    ===


    <b>¡ôVampire Knight, Jusio</b>


    ¡¸Hee, so this is our new house huh? Quite an interesting ce we got there eh, Jusio?¡¹


    Said big sis Ange as she flew and looked around curiously.


    Surely, it was exactly as she had said. This was the first time I saw a castle made of sweets.


    We walked along the corridor made from baked sweets.


    Currently, my sister and I were under the custody of the Dark Knight, the owner of this ce.


    The way they treated us was really favorable. And we were allowed to leave if there were no enemies around.


    Not being destroyed alone was already a much better result.


    I mean, I thought he wouldn''t believe me since I was the kin of the Reaper.


    ¡¸Big sis. I think we shouldn''t get too excited. We''re neers after all.¡¹


    I started using I(boku) again whenever I was in front of my big sister.


    Well, there might be no helping it in this regard.


    ¡¸I know, Jusio. The ck Excellency is a kind person, but his wife is unforgiving¡­ We must be very careful and not mess around in our new ce.¡¹


    Big sister''s body was trembling in fear.


    When my big sister¡¯s ghost body trembled, the space around her creaked.


    It was just like a poltergeist phenomenon.


    Surely, the Silver-Haireddy was relentless. She wouldn''t hesitate to crush us if we try to betray them.


    s, I could finally settle down with my big sister.


    It wasn''t a good thing for the neers to be noisy.


    ¡¸WAIT! NEWCOMERS!¡¹


    Suddenly, I heard someone''s voice calling out to us.


    When I turned around, I saw warrior-like people d in thorny red armor.


    Maybe they called us because we were noisy.


    ¡¸Uhm, is something the matter?¡¹


    I asked timidly.


    ¡¸Rx. I just want to give you something to wee you, neer.¡¹


    One of the warriors then gave me a piece of paper after he spoke.


    ¡¸This is?¡¹


    ¡¸Read carefully. You can give me your answerter.¡¹


    The warrior left after that.


    ¡¸What did he give you, Jusio?¡¹


    Big sister peeked at the piece of paper.


    Written in the paper was ¡¸Application form for the Trampled Down By the Adorable Kuna-sama Corps¡¹.


    ===


    <b>¡ôLittle Girl, Wendy</b>


    Brunea Kingdom was located far north of Sanshos vige.


    Currently, I am in the custody of the Faeria temple in this country.


    Myrades from the Sanshos vige were also adopted one after another.


    Thanks to the introduction of the warriors whose lives were saved by Kuroki-san, we weren''t out in the cold.


    I was really grateful for Kuroki-san for doing this for me.


    After this, everyone would part ways and walk on their own path.


    I came to the shrine to pray to Faeria-sama.


    Goddess of Marriage and Childbirth, Faeria-sama was a God who protected children. I prayed that she would protect the small children.


    ¡¸Coming to pray again today, Wendy?¡¹


    Someone suddenly called out to me.


    Upon turning around, the other party turned out to be the High Priest Ponomel-sama.


    Ponomel-sama was the wife of High Priest Frutin-sama from Odis temple right beside this Faeria temple.


    I was adopted by the Frutin-Ponomel couple.


    The childless couple adopted me. I would be a priest who serves Faeria-sama in the future.


    ¡¸Yes. I''m praying to Faeria-sama.¡¹


    I nodded and replied to her.


    ¡¸I see. May Goddess Faeria-sama''s blessing be with us forever. You have to pray properly.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. Stepmother-sama.¡¹


    ¡¸Wendy,e to my room after you''re done with your prayer. There''s something I want to ask.¡¹


    Ponomel-sama left after she said so.


    I kept praying for a while after that.


    I was kneeling before the statue of Faeria-sama.


    ¡¸You''re quite lively I see.¡¹


    A voice could be heard from overhead.


    That was a really memorable voice. How did I feel that way even though we couldn''t say farewell to each other due to the situation back then?


    When I raised my face, a fairy with beautiful butterfly-like wings was flying above me.


    ¡¸TIBEL-CHAN!¡¹


    I ended up raising my voice.


    Why was Tibel-chan in this ce?


    ¡¸Humph! I just came to see your condition!¡¹


    Tibel-chan''s wings fluttered.


    Then, a scale dropped toward me.


    ¡¸This is?¡¹


    When I was wondering why the scale fell, I realized that the spectacle around me was different.


    ¡¸This is the Fairy''s Blessing! Be grateful for that!¡¹


    Tears spilled from my eyes.


    I was really happy that she came especially for me.


    ¡¸Thank you Tibel-chan. Why are you willing to go this far for me?¡¹


    ¡¸Humph! That''s only natural. Though it was just for a while, we were together and received much help from you, I will naturally feel anxious if I can''t at least repay this debt of gratitude!¡¹


    Said Tibel-chan as she puffed her cheeks.


    But, I was really happy since she was worrying about me.


    ¡¸Well then, see ya! Tibel has to leave since she has seen your condition! Human! Don''t go crying to me if you''re unhappy!¡¹


    Tibel-chan then left from the window after she said those parting words.


    I ran to the window and raised my face.


    Though the sky of Brunea Kingdom had always been gloomy and covered by clouds, the sky was bright blue today.


    Tibel-chan''s figure had vanished into the blue sky.


    The color of the sky matched really well with the fairy.


    ¡¸Thank you Tibel-chan¡­ I''ll be happy.¡¹


    I raised my face as I made such a promise.


    ===


    <b>¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki</b>


    Aremania region was located in the north of Ruvania.


    It wasn''t a wealthy region since it had Ruvania''s region which was filled with miasma as its neighbor.


    The people who live in that region were barely scraping by.


    Brunea Kingdom was a country in the Aremania region.


    It had a poption of 8,000 people, a huge poption in ordance with this region''s standard.


    Kuna, Glorious, and I were visiting a ce in the neighborhood of Brunea Kingdom.


    ¡¸I''m ba~ck.¡¹


    Tibel who went to Brunea Kingdom had finally returned.


    ¡¸Thanks for the hard work, Tibel.¡¹


    I thanked Tibel who had just returned.


    ¡¸This is not a big dea~l, Kuroki-sama.¡¹


    Tibel flew toward Kuna''s shoulder.


    ¡¸Kuroki, why are you taking the trouble ofing to this kind of ce?¡¹


    Kuna asked with a displeased tone.


    Kuna might not be interested in thisnd.


    But, I had to thank her foring with me.


    ¡¸Sorry, Kuna. I just want to make sure of something.¡¹


    The thing I was worrying about was Wendy and co.


    I came to see their current condition.


    s, my worries ended up as absurd ones.


    Frutin, who I saved from the vampire castle back then, turned out to be a big shot in this country.


    Thanks to his influence, none of the children ended up out in the cold.


    Wendy was also adopted into a new family.


    I heaved a sigh of relief upon knowing that.


    I looked up.


    I blew the clouds with Glorious'' power.


    Thanks to that, the blue sky was visible.


    I felt that a sunny day like this would serve as a good sign for this gloomy region.


    ¡¸Shall we go back to Nargol, Kuna?¡¹


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 Chapter 159.1: Nobles of Eld

    Chapter 159.1: Nobles of Eld


    <strong>Act 9: Forest of Fairy</strong>


    <b>¡ôElven Princess, Luthien</b>


    The Ceryneia carriage that carried us was moving forward steadily under the blue sky.


    The vehicle pulled by a Ceryneia deer with a golden horn was running along the road, it didn''t take us the usual 10 days to arrive at our destination.


    When I looked at the spectacle outside of the window that was devoid of trees, I could see the faraway scenery without having to use magic.


    Different from the forest where we lived, this ce was known as a prairie.


    Looking at the spectacle devoid of trees reminded me of the fact that we were far from the forest.


    ¡¸I can see it already Luthien-sama, that''s definitely the hero''s country, Eld.¡¹


    Tess, who was leaning forward from the window, told me that our destination was already within eyesight.Tess was a dryad (tree elf) who had decided to serve me just recently.


    She was a young elf who had yet to live for 100 years.


    Before she served me, she lived in the forest near a human kingdom.


    I brought her along with me since she was more knowledgeable about the human countries.


    And my decision proved to be correct since she knew the details about humans, which helped us a lot during this journey.


    ¡¸Ooh, let me see. I want to see it too~.¡¹


    The one who was leaning outside the window following Tess was Piara, a Napaia (wind elf).


    They were just like kids.


    s, it didn''t change the fact that Piara was the oldest among us, and she had given birth twice.


    Due to her free spirited and mischievous nature, she often went incognito to the human countries.


    That''s why just like Tess, I took her along with me on this journey.


    ¡¸Piara-dono, Tess. You''re in front of Her Highness.¡¹


    Seeing Tess and Piara merry, Aure reminded them with a frown on her face.


    Aure was my escort, and she was an Aureiad.


    We were raised together as sisters, she was something like a childhood friend to me. I also took her along with me in this journey.


    And just like other Aureiad, she also excelled in the bow, she alone repelled the group of lowly, vulgar goblins who attacked us along the way.


    ¡¸It''s no big deal Aure, there''s no one else in this ce. Let''s raise our pace, shall we? I can''t wait to see the ce of the hero recognized by that Rena-sama.¡¹


    I told her so.


    In the first ce, the main reason I came to the humans¡¯ abode was to see the said hero.


    Some of the elven race were actually working in the Heavenly Pce of Elios.


    I was one of those elves.


    And then due to me being an Arseid on top of a high-elf, I was working beside that beautiful Rena-sama.


    Rena-sama, I had always been yearning for that beautiful and dignified beauty.


    Thus, I couldn''t help but to get curious about the man who she fell for.


    Rena-sama had raised numerous heroes until now and yet, she never fell in love with any of them.


    That''s why it couldn''t be helped that the hero she fell for became the source of gossip in the Heavenly City.


    That''s why I came all the way from Arseidia, the capital of Eternal Youth, to this ce, to meet him.


    ¡¸Which reminds me, what about Nimyu-san? She went ahead to scout the situation, right?¡¹


    Tess asked Piara who sat beside her.


    Nimyu was a Naiad (water elf), she went ahead with her fellow traveler to scout the ce.


    The n was to regroup at Eld, but she and her fellow traveler had already left due to circumstances.


    ¡¸That''s right, Tess-chan. And speaking of Nimyu, she went ahead of us with her man, he might be drenched by now right? Hihihihi.¡¹


    Said Piara with lewd smile on her face.


    I heaved a sigh when I heard that remark.


    Nimyu had already told me with her bird familiar that she and her man had already left Eld.


    Since she had found her man, she decided to follow him.


    Since she only carried her mission, and didn''t serve me officially, I had nothing to say about it.


    Still, I couldn''t help but get irritated knowing that she prioritized her man over me.


    Not that I could say anything about that either, that was our elven race¡¯s nature after all.


    An elf became really helpless once they really fell in love with someone. That might be what happened to Nimyu.


    ¡¸Piara-dono, that expression is too vulgar¡­ Well, I also can''t help but wonder what Nimyu is doing right now.¡¹


    Aure heaved a sigh.


    Just like me, Aure hadn''t found her man either.


    She seems to be quite envious of Nimyu.


    Though I''m not as envious as her, I also started to worry about this matter. What does it feel like to love someone?


    Would I be a helpless woman too if I ever fell in love with someone?


    I kept pondering about that.


    The Ceryneia carriage that carried us was moving forward steadily under the blue sky.


    Toward the country of the hero Reiji, Eld.


    ===


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    We were staying in the multi-purpose building that was built right next to Eld''s royal pce.


    It was a huge, two-story rectangle building that resembled gymnasiums in Japan.


    Though it was supposed to be an amusement center, due to some reasons, it became a ce for conferences.


    The participants of the conference were I, Chiyuki, Reiji, Kyouka, Kaya, the nobles, and the citizens¡¯ representatives.


    As for the reason why we used a multi-purpose building as the conference room, it was simply because the old conference room was too small to amodate all the nobles and citizen representatives, which kept growing along with the number of immigrants.


    The nobles of Eld gathered before me.


    Most of them were men in their thirties and all of them wore gorgeous attires.


    They wore long robes of x dyed with an expensive dye. Some people wore clothes without any motifs, some added beautiful paisley motifs drawn on them.


    Moreover, they wore various essories made from precious metals on top of their clothes.


    Ornaments such as agate,piszuli, carnelia, and jade dazzled everyone who saw it.


    Though it was pretty normal for nobles, some pretentious nobles deliberately wore uselessly decorated clothes for a show off during the meeting.


    Though the image of nobles in mangas and web novels was those from the privileged ss who squeezed their people dry, that didn''t apply to the nobles in this world, at least most of them.


    Most of the nobles in this world were hereditary by the patriarch line or close rtives.


    They had the obligation to look after the people under their care. The so-called Noblesse Oblige, in a real sense.


    In exchange, those people under the nobles¡¯ care had the obligation to pledge their allegiance to their noble.


    In short, being noble wasn''t just an existence that exploited people.


    Also, ns wereposed mostly of blood rtives but there was a rare case in which they also epted non-blood rtives.


    When non-blood rtives entered the n, they would exchange cups of liquor with the noble, forming a boss and henchmen rtionship. Naturally, the noble was the boss.


    The first time I heard that, the first thing that came into my mind was "YAKUZA".


    And then it was proven to be correct. A different n was sometimes called family since they were actual rtives.


    And the reason why we gathered those nobles who were equivalent to yakuza bosses was to hear their opinion.


    Eld was a country managed by our despotism. We could manage it just fine even without listening to their opinion.


    However, considering the efficiency of the management, getting the cooperation of the nobles would make things easier for us in the long run.


    They''re the bosses of the organizations called ns after all. They could fill the parts that we could miss.


    And since we needed their cooperation, we gathered them together to hear their opinion.


    The reason why we used a multi-purpose building and not the existing meeting room was because we also called the patriarchs of the small and young ns who barely fit as nobles. Thanks to that, I had a hard time remembering each and every single one of their names.


    Though the meeting had no particr name to it, I guess we could call it a "Senate" or "House of Lords" sooner orter.


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 Chapter 159.2: Nobles of Eld

    Chapter 159.2: Nobles of Eld


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Chiyuki-sama? Are we going to increase our cultivatednds again? The likes of lizardmen are no match against the power of Hero-sama.¡¹


    The noble of Big Land spoke to me.


    He was 60 years old and originally a noble from the Holy Republic of Lenaria.


    When he heard that we were creating the country of Eld, he gave up his position as the patriarch of a noble family of the Holy Republic of Lenaria to his son and came to our country with a small part of his family.


    By the way, Big Land was his nickname. This nickname came from the fact that he managed so manynds back in the Holy Republic of Lenaria.


    The development of most cultivatednds in Eld was in his hands. Most of the ox needed to cultivate the field was provided by him.


    ¡¸I''ve said it before. Big Land-Dono. We''re already self-sufficient, and currently we have no urge to reim the wends. Our current focus is to maintain the city without increasing the number of cultivatednds.¡¹


    I said so while shaking my head.


    In fact, I wanted to increase the number of cultivatednds for emergency situations. But, I didn''t want to disturb the lizardmen, who lived at the waterfront, more than we already have by increasing the number of cultivatednds. That''s why there was no n to increase them.But, there was a reason why we couldn''t continue doing that too.


    ording to the faith of the Goddess of War Rena and the God King Odis, increasing the living space of humankind and subjugating monsters was the right thing to do.


    Big Land was the priest of Gena, Goddess of Agriculture, but he also worshiped Rena.


    From his perspective, the lizardmen were also monsters. I couldn''t tell him that the only reason I didn''t want to increase the number of cultivatednds was because I didn''t want to fight the monsters.


    Big Land would surely frown if I said those words to him.


    Well that was only natural since he didn''t have to be scared of the lizardmen thanks to Reiji''s power. And his privilege and status would get a huge boost along with the increased cultivatednds.


    That was the reason why he wanted to increase the cultivatednds.


    ¡¸Big Land-dono. Chiyuki-sama is right. I do think that we have to stop the expansion of the cultivatednds for now and focus more on the maintenance of the city.¡¹


    The Noble of River-Side rebuked Big Land.


    He was the noble who was profitting from the water transportation business. His River-Side nickname came from that fact.


    Unlike Big Land, River Side didn''t want to increase the number of cultivatednds more than what we already had.


    The reason was simply because his water transportation business kept getting raided by monsters who live in the water, such as lizardmen.


    Ships that stopped for no reason, cargo that would rot out of nowhere. Though the cause was unknown, it seems that it was the work of lizardmen.


    Though we left it alone since it was just trivial harassment, River-Side, who received such harassment for no reason, was the one who suffered the most.


    ¡¸Big Land. Are you dissatisfied with Chiyuki''s judgment?¡¹


    Reiji then asked Big Land.


    Big Land was at a loss for words upon hearing Reiji''s question. In the first ce, Reiji''s power was necessary for reiming thend.


    Reiji followed through with my n.


    Despite what had happened, Reiji took my opinion seriously and easily persuaded Big Land to give up.


    ¡¸That''s absolutely correct, Big Land-dono. Now is the time to manage the city. Thend remation for cultivatednds should be stopped for the time being.¡¹


    The Noble of Trees also voiced his opinion.


    He was called the Noble of Trees since he handled the matter of wooden construction and timber.


    It would benefit him a lot if we move our focus to city maintenance now.


    Thus, it was only natural for him to agree with the n to maintain the city and suspend thend remation.


    Big Land had no choice but to agree silently with the Nobles of Tree and River-Side.


    ¡¸Chiyuki-sama. If your next n is to maintain the city, then I think that we''re the most suitable people for the job.¡¹


    ¡¸Inner Mountain-dono.¡¹


    A woman spoke up.


    The woman who spoke to me was by no means a noble.


    She was the representative of the Dwarf Women''s Association.


    Since dwarves were a race that wasposed solely of men, they took another race as their wife. And most of their wives were human.


    And though dwarves were excellent craftsmen, they sucked at politics.


    Thus, their wives formed the so-called Dwarf Women''s Association to back their husbands. In short, the dwarven race was guaranteed to be hen-pecked husbands once they got married.


    In this case, Inner Mountain, the chief¡¯s wife, was attending the meeting.


    Most of the dwarves gave their wives nicknames that revolved around the word "Mountain" such as "Great Mountain" or "Revolving Mountain".


    They weren''t nobles but no one could file aint even if the representative of the dwarves who live in Eld attended this meeting.


    Dwarves were rich, that was the reason why it wasn''t strange, even some of the nobles who attended this meeting borrowed money from some dwarves.


    Not to mention that the tools made by them were of high quality. Even the believers of Thos'' faith, which were mostlyposed of muscle brains, didn''t want to make enemies out of the dwarves.


    And we were also the same, we didn''t want to turn them into our enemy.


    Reason being we had to trade with the dwarves too.


    Us aside, no human owned a mine.


    And if we wanted to issue a currency, we had to import gold and silver from the dwarves, too.


    Though it was still possible to issue a currency with paper money instead of precious metal, it was nothing more than useless paper if there was no trust.


    Even if we wanted to use the gold standard system, it was literally impossible since we did not have enough gold.


    Though our blood or hair that carried traces of our magical power might be valuable in the market, this was thest of thest methods.


    And if possible, I didn''t want to crush foreign currency by issuing our own currency incorrectly.


    That was the reason why our country used the Renal currency which was issued by the Holy Republic of Lenaria.


    Naturally, I still wanted our country to grow big enough to issue our own currency.


    ¡¸Thank you very much Inner Mountain-dono, we will do our best to cooperate.¡¹


    I expressed my gratitude to Inner Mountain.


    After that, the nobles'' opinions continued on.


    The hearing revolved around the current development of Eld and our future ns. Naturally, they didn''t forget to make sure that they got profit from this.


    But well, that goes without saying. I mean, the nobles were cooperating with us exactly for that profit.


    The problem was the aftermath.


    It just happened to be a good coincidence that the nobles¡¯ interests and Eld''s development were aligned, but there was a possibility that their interests might be hindering the future development of Eld.


    Moreover, the disparity between poor, rich, and noble would only widen.


    And it was our job to think about that.


    I nced at Kyouka and Kaya.


    Kyouka was looking at the nobles with a bored face. When Reiji and I were absent, Kyouka would attend the meeting in our ce.


    But the one who really made the decisions was in fact Kaya.


    Being able to give calm judgment made her more suitable as a politician than me.


    Moreover, she might''ve alreadye up with a n to restrain those nobles in her head.


    The meeting continued on.


    And I heard the opinions of the nobles.


    ====


    ¡ôIt''s Chiyuki again


    ¡¸Ha~h. So tire~d.¡¹


    After the meeting ended, I stretched my body as I walked along the corridor of Eld''s pce.


    By the time the meeting had ended, it was already the evening. I wanted to plop into my pillow once I got back to my room.


    ¡¸You''re overexerting yourself, Chiyuki. You should rx a bit.¡¹


    Said Reiji who walked by my side. Sure enough, I overexerted myself a bit today.


    I mean, the reason we created Eld was so that we could take it easy.


    And yet, we ended up with more troublesome matters instead.


    ¡¸Reiji-sama is right, Chiyuki-sama. Properly speaking, all we have to do is to reap the profits after we throw the bait to the nobles. You''re overly worrying about the citizens of Eld.¡¹


    The way Kaya spoke honestly scared me.


    For Kaya, Kyouka and us were her top priority while the citizens and nobles of Eld were below that.


    She tried to bnce between the development of Eld and our profit.


    ¡¸Indeed, but that''s a bit¡­¡¹


    Reiji was smiling wryly when I told him so while Kaya looked troubled.


    Though I feel bad for those who worry about me, I ended up carrying the burden.


    I remember when Reiji saved me in the past when I overworked myself.


    When I was feeling nostalgic about that, Kyouka who was walking in front of me suddenly stopped in her tracks.


    ¡¸That seems to be Rino-san and Nao-san. Why are theying I wonder?¡¹


    I looked at the passage ahead of us.


    Sure enough, it was Rino and Nao. Why do they seem to be in a hurry?


    They never weed us back before.


    ¡¸Thank you for the hard work.¡¹


    ¡¸Good job.¡¹


    Rino and Nao consoled us after they arrived in front of us.


    ¡¸Is something the matter? I mean, it''s rare strange to see you twoing to wee us back like this.¡¹


    ¡¸Chiyuki-san, there''s a rare guest visiting to meet Reiji-san.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, that''s why we came to call you.¡¹


    Rino and Nao spoke in turn as they nodded.


    Thought it was okay now as the meeting just finished.


    If it was done wrongly, Reiji might slip out from the meeting.


    Did that mean the guest was more important than the meeting?


    ¡¸What kind of person wants to meet me?¡¹


    Asked Reiji, tilting his head in puzzlement.


    Surely, even if the other party wasn''t asking to meet Reiji, I couldn''t help but feel curious about their identity.


    ¡¸It''s the elves, Reiji-san.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. And the kind of elves that we have never seen before. Shirone-san is keeping thempany right now, that''s why we came to call you since things might get out of hand.¡¹


    Both of them looked at each other and nodded before they said so.


    ¡¸The elves want to meet me? Why though?¡¹


    Reiji was tilting his head in confusion.


    Yeah, honestly I''m also curious about that.


    The elves never came to meet us before. I hope this won''t turn into a troublesome matter.


    Thus we returned to the pce in a hurry.


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 Chapter 160.1: Visitor From The Forest

    Chapter 160.1: Visitor From The Forest


    <strong>¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki</strong>


    I walked along the corridor made of lebkuchen in the Sweet Castle and arrived before the gate made of Icicles.


    The Lampas (Dark Elf) and female Daemon stationed in front of the gate bowed when they saw me.


    The name of the female Daemon was Gwuno. Modes appointed her as my subordinate.


    ¡¸Gwuno-dono, how''s his current condition?¡¹


    ¡¸Though he was raging around until a while ago, my subordinate has already put him to sleep with magic.¡¹


    When I asked, Gwuno replied while looking at Lampas beside her.


    Lampas could use mind magic just like the Dryad.


    It seems he was put to sleep with that magic.¡¸Thanks. I''m going to check his condition.¡¹


    I approached the gate as I spoke and opened it to go in.


    Upon entering the room, I saw one man, or maybe an animal, tied up in the middle of the room.


    The man''s head hadpletely transformed into that of a wolf.


    Daigan.


    That was the man''s name.


    The werewolf who pledged his allegiance to me.


    But due to a certain reason, he was currently under house arrest.


    ¡¸Why don''t you kill him, Kuroki? That will make things easier right?¡¹


    Kuna who stood beside me said something really dangerous.


    Kuna probably didn¡¯t care at all regardless of how I handled it. She looked at Daigan with a bored look on her face.


    ¡¸We can''t do that, Kuna. Daigan isn''t in his right mind now, and it¡¯s not even his fault. That''s why we can''t kill him.¡¹


    I shook my head as I replied to her.


    Daigan became like this just recently.


    The rtives of fanged creatures such as werewolves or wolfmen were the kin of the wicked beast, Ferion.


    And that Ferion was currently sealed in a certain ce.


    That was the reason why the power of the rtives of fanged creatures weakened and they lost their excessive ferociousness.


    Most of them were currently living quiet lives.


    Some of them became subordinates of other more powerful races.


    That was the reason why Daigan was working for the ogre before.


    But, there was a time when these fanged races regained their original ferociousness.


    And that was when the seal of Ferion weakened.


    Ferion''s seal weakens once every seven years. And this year happened to be that moment.


    I heard about this matter before from Modes.


    Thus, I flew in a hurry to the Kingdom of Algore to temporarily retrieve Daigan before he caused big trouble.


    Thus, I managed to prevent Daigan from rampaging around in Algore.


    ¡¸Can we restore his sanity?¡¹


    The Lampas shook her head when I asked her.


    ¡¸It''s impossible, Your Excellency. Rampaging and the thirst for blood are their natural instinct. The only way to calm him down is using mind magic.¡¹


    ¡¸Maniption with mind magic huh¡­ I don''t want to use that method if possible.¡¹


    I didn''t want to use methods such as mind control.


    Living like a manipted puppet was the same as death.


    Thus I had to think of another method to restore his sanity.


    ¡¸He should be back to normal if Ferion''s seal is restored, Your Excellency. Meaning that he should be okay if we leave him alone for some time right?¡¹


    Gwuno suggested another option to me.


    Sure enough. We should just wait until the moment of the weakening of the seal passes and he should regain his sanity.


    Thus, Daigan should regain his sanity if we left him on his own.


    s, I shook my head.


    ¡¸Surely, that''s another option but¡­ Something troublesome happened over there. Just to be sure, I guess I need to check the situation over there on my own.¡¹


    ¡¸¡­ I see.¡¹


    In fact, I just received an intel saying that the subordinate of the Serpent Queen was found in the vicinity of the ce where Ferion was sealed.


    The ce where Ferion was sealed was kept a secret. And that secret had apparently leaked to our enemy.


    The ce where Ferion was sealed was right at the bottom of Elios mountain.


    The elf kingdom and dwarf colonies were located near the seal.


    When Ferion with its ferocious power woke up from its slumber, the dwarf colonies would be in great danger.


    Thus, the God of dwarves, Heibos spoke to Modes.


    I was also worried about Heibos and the dwarves¡¯ safety during this period. That was the reason I decided to see the situation.


    Modes had also granted permission for my dispatch when I told him about my worries.


    ¡¸That''s why Gwuno-dono. I''ll leave with Kuna. Did you prepare, Kuna?¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, Kuroki. Everything is prepared. Wood, you''ll be in charge while Kuna isn''t here.¡¹


    Said Kuna as she looked behind.


    Behind us were a few men led by a man d in red armor kneeling at us.


    They were following Kuna and walked behind us.


    The name of the man in red armor was Wood. He was originally a worshiper of the Demon King.


    And then, he received an evil armor thus bing an evil warrior.


    ¡¸Leave it to me, Kuna-sama. I''ll protect this castle at all costs. Gufufufu. Well then Jusio-dono, let''s contact ourrades from the "Stepped by the Adorable Kuna-sama" group. Let''s protect this ce while Kuna-sama is away.¡¹


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ Group? When did I¡ª- Oh forget it, I understand, Wood-dono.¡¹


    Thus, Wood and co left the ce followed by the bewildered Jusio.


    I looked at their backs as they left.


    Honestly I was speechless upon hearing their conversation.


    Could they at least do something about the name of the group?


    As for Kuna, she didn''t seem to care about the name of the group and left it as it was.


    ¡¸Take care of this ce during our absence, Gwuno-dono¡­¡¹


    As someone who belonged to the Demon King''s camp, Elios was my enemy.


    That was the reason why we couldn''t bring too many people, which was why Gwuno and co were left behind.


    Kuna and I could hide ourselves to sneak into Elios and none of the angels would find us.


    And since we would be guided by the dwarves, there should be no problem in this regard.


    ¡¸Leave it to me, Your Excellency.¡¹


    Gwuno replied as she bowed her head.


    Amidst such anxiety, Kuna and I left the Sweet Castle behind.


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 Chapter 160.2: Visitor From The Forest

    Chapter 160.2: Visitor From The Forest


    ===


    <strong>¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki</strong>


    We were gathered in the audience chamber at the Pce of Eld.


    Four elves were in front of us.


    The elven race wasposed of only women, eternally young women on top of that. All of them were beautiful and the four elves before us were undoubtedly beautiful.


    I looked at them curiously.


    One of them acted as the representative and stood in front of the three others.


    The elf standing on the left side behind the representative looked like a dryad, otherwise known as a wood elf, they had the biggest poption among the elven race.


    They lived in tree houses and were infamous for kidnapping the men who caught their eyes to turn them into their husbands.The elf in the middle who brought a bow and sword was an aureiad, otherwise known as a mountain elf or a bow elf, they were natural born warriors.


    They usually left their home forest and becamerades with good looking warriors, and then returned to their forest after nurturing their love with the good looking warrior they chose.


    The petite elf on the left looked like a napaia. They were known as valley elves or wind elves and looked like girls between the ages of 12 and 13 years old ¨C in human terms ¨C regardless of their age.


    That''s why she might be the oldest one among the four.


    They usually like to dance in circles in a windy and open ce such as a prairie, and they¡¯re famous for kidnapping the man who gets attracted by their dance.


    After the chosen man spends some years in the napaia''s vige, they send him back to his original ce with his memories of the time he spent in the vige erased.


    Thus, leaving the manpletely surprised upon realizing that so many years had passed in the blink of an eye without knowing the true reason.


    Lastly, the representative might be an arseid, otherwise known as a high-elf or a light elf, they were the counterparts of the dark elves.


    Her elegance dwarfed the other elves.


    In fact, even her standing figure was radiating elegance.


    This was also the first time we ever saw an arseid. That was the reason why our attention was focused on her.


    Normally, they prefer to stay in their kingdom, deep in the forest, and nevere out.


    Was there a reason why she went out of her kingdom to visit this ce?


    ¡¸Wee to our country, Your HIghness Luthien.¡¹


    Reiji stepped forward and greeted her elegantly, the three elves behind her cheered at once.


    The napaia looked the happiest among them.


    ¡¸Chiyuki-san¡­ I get this feeling that their reaction is differentpared to when I weed them though¡­¡¹


    Said Shirone while puffing her cheeks.


    Shirone was the one who weed the elves before us.


    ording to her, they didn''t seem to be that enthusiastic back then, they didn''t even try to hide their bored faces.


    I knew that feeling, sister.


    ¡¸Well, that¡¯s just how the elven race is¡­¡¹


    I heaved a sigh as I replied to her.


    In most cases, the majority of elves were fond of handsome men.


    The elves who we met along the way were mostly attracted to Reiji.


    Nevertheless, as I said before, that was in most cases.


    I then looked at the most quiet elf among them.


    The high elf princess''s name was Luthien. As one would expect from an elven royalty.


    She kept herposure even after seeing Reiji.


    The reason for their visit was to sightsee human countries. And since they happen to pass Eld, they came to greet Reiji, the Hero of Light.


    But that was a lie.


    Rino, who could detect lies, frowned when she heard their reason, that was obvious.


    They might not be telling us the real reason for their visit.


    But since Shirone, who could detect hostile intent, didn''t feel anything, I guess we had nothing to worry about.


    Thus we could give a warm hospitality to Luthien, the elven princess.


    I looked at Luthien.


    She was smiling sweetly as she talked to Reiji.


    ===


    <strong>¡ôElven Princess, Luthien</strong>


    We were walking together along the corridor of Eld''s pce after the end of the wee dinner, the hero Reiji readily gave his consent to allow us to stroll around the pce.


    We could literally visit every ce except for the private rooms.


    That''s why we decided to go sightseeing around the pce.


    The pce looked shabby whenpared to Arseidia''s pce or Elios'' heavenly pce. It wasn''t that big or made from rare materials either.


    Well it was the pce of a human country after all. It was stupid topare it with us.


    That might be the reason why it looked shabby.


    My attendants, who followed behind me, didn''t seem to be that interested with the pce either.


    All they did was talk about the hero Reiji.


    ¡¸Man, he''s such a big jackpo~t! It''s been a really long time since I met such a nice gentlema~n? Maybe I have to start thinking about a n to settle down in this ~ce?¡¹


    Piara was in high spirits.


    He was handsome, that was undeniable. Most of the gentlemen from Elios couldn''t match him in this regard.


    He might be as handsome as Alphos-sama, my father.


    ¡¸It is just as you say, Piara-dono. Is there someone of his level among the spirit knights? If Her Highness decides to stay here, I''ll be with you for sure.¡¹


    I felt Aure''s gaze as she spoke.


    Aure seemed to want to stay in this country. But she was a bit reserved in that regard since she was my escort knight.


    If I gave her permission, she would settle down in this country for sure.


    In contrast to them, Tess stepped back a bit.


    Though she also raised a voice of admiration upon seeing the hero Reiji for the first time, she wasn''t as entranced as them.


    It seems she had met an even more wonderful gentleman before the hero.


    ¡¸He''s handsome for sure, I''ll give you tha~t. I might have been just as entranced had I not met <b>him</b> beforeha~nd. Come to think of it, what''s your impression about the Hero-sama, Luthien-sama?¡¹


    Tess moved the topic to me. Her eyes told me that she expected something.


    Dryads loved these kinds of stories, and Tess was no exception to this.


    Well, I couldn''t deny the fact that the hero was a wonderful man.


    But, something about him didn''t click with me. In short, he was simply not my type.


    Rather, I recalled the palpitation that I felt the first time I saw Rena-sama.


    ¡¸U~hm. He''s a wonderful gentleman indeed but¡­ Oh my?¡¹


    I stopped when I felt someone¡¯s line of sight.


    When I lowered my line of sight a bit, I saw a human boy looking up at me while carrying a baby in his arms.


    Though the boy looked like a girl at a nce, I knew his gender thanks to the elven natural intuition to differentiate gender. That was the reason why I was convinced that the human was a male.


    The boy wasing toward our direction. It was a narrow passage and he couldn''t pass since we blocked the path.


    I failed to notice theing boy since he was rather short.


    Looking at the boy, I noticed that his blonde hair resembled Rena-sama''s hair. I could see my figure reflected in his sky-blue eyes.


    Upon looking into his eyes, my heartbeat rose up for some reason.


    ¡¸My apologies. I have no intention of blocking your path.¡¹


    The boy went to the side to give us way.


    How polite of him. Truly admirable.


    ¡¸He seems to be quite a polite boy in spite of his age, Your Highness, he should be a servant working in this pce. Let''s go, Your Highness.¡¹


    Aure urged me s, I shook my head.


    ¡¸Wait a minute, Aure. May I speak to that boy for a minute?¡¹


    Aure looked really surprised when I said so.


    But, I had to speak to this boy no matter what.


    Then I kneeled in front of the boy.


    The boy looked at me with a dumbfounded face. He had really nice eyes, so nice that I wanted to doll him up.


    ¡¸Uhm¡­ Is something the matter?¡¹


    ¡¸Nothing, I just want to talk but, why were you not saying anything a while ago and only staring at me, am I really that scary?¡¹


    I asked the boy.


    I might get dejected if he nods.


    s, the boy shook his head.


    ¡¸My apologies¡­ It''s not because you''re scary. Personally, I think that you''re beautiful.¡¹


    When the boy said so as he apologized, I felt as if an electric current was running down my spine.


    ¡¸Y-Yes. Don''t worry about it. There''s no denying the fact that I''m beautiful. By the way, is the baby in your arm your little sister?¡¹


    ¡¸The baby''s name is Sana-sama. Child of Hero-sama. The child is emotionally attached to me for some reason, that''s why I''m taking care of this child. In fact, I''m on my way to bring Sana-sama to Saint-sama.¡¹


    The boy exined.


    The one called Saint was Sahoko, one of the Hero Reiji''s femalerades. And definitely the mother of this child.


    The baby was a girl, and she was sleeping soundly in the arms of the boy.


    For some reason, this baby girl annoyed me.


    ¡¸I see, sorry for disturbing you¡­ By the way, may I hear your name?¡¹


    I looked back at the boy and asked for his name.


    The boy got flustered when I was staring at him.


    How adorable.


    ¡¸Of course, my name is Kouki.¡¹


    Imitted the boy''s name in my memory.


    Kouki.


    What a nice name.


    My heart was stirred upon hearing his name.


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 Chapter 161.1: Changeling

    Chapter 161.1: Changeling


    <strong>¡ôDark Knight; Kuroki</strong>


    The dwarven capital, Volundr, was a capital located inside Elios mountain, right beneath the heavenly pce.


    I visited this capital many times before to visit Totona''s library in the Heavenly Pce of Elios.


    And since I was officiallybeled as an enemy of Elios, I naturally couldn''t go from the front gate.


    I had to go from Volundr.


    Since the reason for my visit this time wasn''t to go to Totona''s library, I had no reason to visit Elios'' Heavenly Pce.


    I was currently attending a meeting in the conference room located at the top-most location of Volundr.


    The wives and the dwarves were meeting in this ce to discuss about various things.


    There was a magic image disyed in the conference room.The thing reflected in that image was part of the forest.


    ¡¸Uhm, what''s that? It seems like it¡¯s withering, Kuroki.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, it does seem like that to me too, Kuna.¡¹


    Just as Kuna had said, the forest in the image was all withered.


    And the corpses of living beings in the forest were scattered everywhere.


    It didn''t seem like they were burnt. Most likely they were poisoned.


    ¡¸That''s right, Dark Knight. And look carefully at the image of the withered inner area of the forest.¡¹


    Said god Heibos as he pointed at one point in the image.


    I could see the head of a huge snake at the ce he pointed at.


    The reason why I only said the "head of a snake" was simply because the creature wasn''t really a snake either. I mean, it had four limbs.


    Purple smoke drifted from that snake''s mouth.


    That snake might be the one that¡¯s spitting poison and killing the trees.


    ¡¸What is that?¡¹


    ¡¸That''s Mushusshu. A Demon Beast that spit deadly poison. And the one on top of it is¡­¡¹


    Upon a closer look, I realized that Heibos was right, someone had been riding on the Mushusshu.


    And it was someone familiar to me.


    ¡¸Serpent Prince Dahark¡­ And the Princess of Fresh Blood, Zaffrada.¡¹


    The man with tanned skin and armed with a long spear was undoubtedly Dahark, the son of the Serpent Queen Diadona.


    And the woman wearing a blood-red dress was Zaffrada, the daughter of the Reaper, Zarxis.


    Did theye to attack Elios?


    As I was pondering about that, I saw an army of angels, whose bodies were covered with armor and helmets, appearing before Dahark.


    The one leading them was the Holy Knight Alphos.


    Dahark and Mushusshu readily withdrew when Alphos and co had appeared.


    Seeing Dahark and co withdraw, Alphos and co didn''t blindly follow them more than necessary either.


    Upon a closer look, it wasn''t just Dahark.


    Several grotesque beings were lined up beside Mushusshu, and wolfmen were among them.


    No wonder Alphos and co couldn''t do anything, the other party brought theirrades.


    Dahark alone was troublesome enough.


    ¡¸They appeared out of nowhere around a few days ago. Since they appeared when the seal of Ferion weakened, their real goal might be to release the seal of Ferion.¡¹


    Said god Heibos as he touched his beard.


    Ferion had been sealed under Elios mountain.


    It was the perfect ce since Elios mountain was huge, and the foot of the mountain was vast.


    But, Dahark and co seemingly wanted to invade into the forest from the ce closest to the seal.


    ¡¸Does that mean they really are aiming for the seal?¡¹


    God Heibos shook his head to answer my question.


    ¡¸I don''t know. But, there''ll be opposing sides among their group if some of them really want to release Ferion¡­¡¹


    The wicked beast Ferion was a mad god with vicious powers.


    God Heibos exined that many Gods who took the Serpent Queen, Diadona''s side, opposed the n to release Ferion.


    That might be the reason why Diadona didn''te in person.


    Diadona and co were a gathering of rowdy fellows.


    Internal discord would happen among them sooner orter.


    Maybe Zarxis was the only decent one among herrades.


    But ording to my source of information, Zarxis exhausted his magical power after fighting against me and had yet to recover.


    It was an iplete revival after all, he shouldn''t force himself.


    In reality, Zarxis didn''t make his move. The big shot that infiltrated the forest was only Dahark and Zaffrada.


    Naturally, it might simply look like that since their reinforcement had yet to arrive.


    ¡¸It doesn''t look that dangerous. The Serpent Prince might be powerful but, he is no match for Alphos right?¡¹


    Said Kuna as she looked at the image.


    Yeah, what Kuna just said might be correct.


    Dahark was powerful but he was no match for Alphos and co, not to mention that if pushes to shove, the God King Oudith would step forward himself.


    It seems there was no need for me to butt in this time.


    In fact, Rena didn''t do anything either. She didn''t even call Reiji and co to help her.


    ¡¸Sorry, Dark Knight. I contacted Modes just to be safe. That''s why I''m truly grateful for you who took the time toe all the way to this ce.¡¹


    God Heibos bowed his head.


    God Heibos contacted Modes so that thetter could do something to prevent the unexpected situation.


    But once I arrived, both Diadona and Zarxis didn''te.


    Feeling guilty, God Heibos apologized to me for making mee all the way to this ce.


    ¡¸It doesn''t really matter, there''s nothing wrong with being cautious. And since I''vee all the way to this ce, I think I can use this opportunity to do some inspection at the foot of Elios mountain.¡¹


    Honestly I didn''t really mind having toe here even if it was for nothing. I mean, God Heibos had been a really great help for me by creating various tools after all.


    So this was the least I could do for him.


    There was Volundr and another dwarven settlement at the foot of Elios mountain.


    The dwarves in that vige were the ones who managed the seal of Ferion.


    They were thest line of defense if Alphos and co were defeated.


    But I didn''t think that they woulde that far.


    That was the reason why a small inspection along with Kuna around that ce should be enough to ensure the situation.


    There would be no problem as long as I didn''t wear my Dark Knight''s armor and had a dwarf as my guide.


    Thus, Kuna and I left Volundr.


    ===


    <strong>¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki</strong>


    All of us, except Reiji and Sahoko, gathered at the lounge of the pce.


    Tea and sweets were prepared on the table in front of us, it had been a long time since we could rest at leisure.


    The sweets were fried pastries that were mixed with sesame and honey.


    Since it was really sweet, it was the perfect snack for tea.


    ¡¸You''ve returned quite early, Chiyuki-san.¡¹


    Rino spoke to me while cocking her head in puzzlement.


    The elves that came returned the next day, which was today.


    Though the Aureiad and the Napaia were left behind, their leader, the high elf princess Luthien decided to return immediately.


    It felt rather strange to me since she went back immediately.


    For what reason did shee to our country?


    ¡¸Strange right? I mean, Deer-san had said that the princess ising to see Reiji-senpai and yet¡­¡¹


    Even Nao felt something was off.


    Nao had the ability tomunicate with animals.


    And just as expected, the elves didn''t go as far as forbidding their deer to tell the truth.


    The deer told us various things thanks to Nao''s ability. ording to them, Luthien seems to have gone as far as leaving the forest since she was interested in Reiji.


    I was really grateful to the deers who told us this information.


    I then recalled the Ceryneia, a deer with four heads that was brought along by the elves.


    Ceryneia was a deer the size of a moose with horns that could glow in golden color, and it was really strong.


    The elves were raising those Ceryneias as their steeds.


    They could move really fast inside the forest.


    And their horns that could glow in golden color were really strong.


    The elves used various tools such as swords and arrowheads from that horn.


    Even the weapon of the Aureiad called Aure might be something made from Ceryneia''s horn.


    They were riding a cart pulled by Ceryneias and arrived in this country in a few days.


    It was quite fast considering the distance between the Elven Kingdom at the foot of Elios mountain to this country. Definitely not the kind of distance that could be crossed in a few days by normal means.


    Considering that fact, it made me really want to have a Ceryneia.


    Nevertheless, the matter of hering was a big deal. Monster aside, the Deers said that the human was particrly troublesome.


    Since a carriage being pulled by Ceryneias were pretty rare, they had always been surrounded by many people every time they arrived in a country and chasing those people away was really tiresome.


    The same happened even when they came to this country, they had to push away people with magic to be able to move forward.


    And yet, it seems the way back was much easier. Luthien was an adept mage, thus they could use teleportation magic to teleport until the vicinity of the forest.


    By now, she should be already running in the forest in her hometown.


    ¡¸Geez, what did theye for then? Why did theye, what¡¯s their motive?¡¹


    ¡¸What is it really?¡¹


    Kyouka and Shirone cocked their heads in puzzlement.


    By the way, Kyouka had never spoken to the elves.


    Well, I was d they never spoke to each other since I knew that it was out of the question if we consider the elven princess'' personality.


    Kyouka and Kaya just happened to be outside back then.


    The elven princess was definitely looking down on humans, especially human women.


    The handsome Reiji aside, I got this feeling that she was secretly looking down on us.


    It was different if it was a fight, we had no choice but to treat them warmly considering their personalities.


    That was the reason why we kept Kyouka, who didn''t know to hold back away from them.


    But thanks to that, Shirone ended up in a pickle.


    Sahoko couldn''t keep thempany either since she had to prepare dinner.


    My condolences.


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 Chapter 161.2: Changeling

    Chapter 161.2: Changeling


    ¡¸But, I''m really d they went back immediately. Thinking about a menu for their meal is really troublesome.¡¹


    Everyone nodded in agreement when Kaya said so.


    Since the elves'' diet consisted of vegan food, thinking about their menu was quite a challenge.


    Meaning that we couldn''t use our home made fish sauce, and the seasoning would be limited to peanut oil and salt.


    That''s why I felt relieved that they returned immediately since the menu for their meal consisted of vegetables.


    ¡¸Why is everyone gathered in this ce?¡¹


    Reiji and Sahoko entered the room while we were having such a conversation.


    Reiji had left with Sahoko before since he had some errands to do.


    It seems they were done with the errand and had just returned.And then, just when they were about to sit in their seats.


    ¡¸SAHOKO-SAMA! SAHOKO-SAMA HAS RETURNED!¡¹


    The door suddenly knocked a few times.


    Then someone entered the room.


    The one who entered was the maid working in the pce.


    If I''m not wrong, her name was Neria.


    And she was the attendant of Sanako, Reiji and Sahoko''s daughter.


    She seems to be really flustered. What happened I wonder?


    ¡¸Calm down, what''s the matter?¡¹


    Sahoko tried to make the maid calm down.


    ¡¸It''s Sana-sama! She won''t stop crying!¡¹


    Neria spoke in a hurry.


    Sanako often gets called Sana ording to the naming style of this world, just like how Arlena got called Rena.


    That was the reason why we ended up calling her Sana too.


    ¡¸Eh? Why is Sana crying? What happened to Kouki-kun who was taking care of her?¡¹


    Sahoko asked Neria.


    The one called Kouki-kun was the boy who was put under custody of the Rena Temple near the pce.


    I wasn''t privy to the details of how he ended up under the custody of the temple.


    Though I''ve never met him before, I heard that he was a beautiful boy.


    Since Reiji wasn''t particrly interested in this matter, maybe Kouki-kun was nothing more than a baby-sitter for him, thus he never met the boy too.


    And for some strange reason, Sana got really attached to that Kouki.


    Whenever he was around, Sana would stop crying immediately.


    Thus Sahoko often entrusted Sana to Kouki whenever she had business to attend to.


    ¡¸He''s right by her side. Yet Sana won''t stop crying for some reason. And her cries sound different from the usual cries.¡¹


    So Neria called Sahoko, Sana''s mother since she had no idea what to do.


    Something like this seems to have never happened before.


    Hearing that, we exchanged looks between us.


    We nodded together and went to Rena Temple to see the situation.


    Rena Temple was a small building located in the premises of the pce.


    I didn''t want to get influenced by religion but, we couldn''t entirely exclude them either.


    In the first ce, we didn''t want to make an enemy of them.


    Maybe because Rena Temple didn''t particrly care about this matter either, they just dispatched a priest.


    The priest then hired a few employees with one of them being Kouki.


    A woman came to greet us as we arrived in the temple. She was priest Haurena.


    It seems she was quite flustered too.


    ¡¸Aah, I''ve been waiting for you, Saint-sama! Kouki-san! Please- please save Kouki-san!¡¹


    Haurena clung to Sahoko the moment she saw thetter.


    We were looking at each other again in confusion.


    The one in trouble here should be Sana, right?


    Haurena then guided us into the temple.


    Once we entered a room, we saw a boy and a baby sleeping next to each other in the bed. The maids were looking at the pair with confused faces.


    The baby, Sana, was crying with a really loud voice.


    ¡¸What''s the matter, Sana? Why are you crying?¡¹


    Reiji went to Sana and lifted her up.


    Thus, Sana stopped crying after a while.


    It seems to be just the usual cries.


    ¡¸Uhm?¡¹


    Reiji suddenly made a doubtful voice.


    He looked at the boy sleeping beside Sana.


    We came closer.


    The boy sleeping in the bed was really beautiful.


    This boy was probably Kouki.


    Kouki kept sleeping even though Sana was crying so loud. He seems to be quite exhausted.


    I took a closer look at the boy.


    ¡¸Eh? This child¡­¡¹


    At that moment, I noticed that something was off.


    ¡¸Chiyuki-sama. Kouki-sana isn¡¯t waking up¡­ Normally, he would wake up once he hears Sana-sama''s cries¡­ This has never happened before and yet¡­¡¹


    Haurena spoke with a bewildered voice.


    It seems that for Haurena, Kouki wasn''t a simple subordinate.


    It was clear from seeing how panicked she was when Kouki didn''t wake up.


    Moreover, since the maids around them were our employees, they were only worrying about Sana.


    Even Neria who came along was only worrying about Sana.


    But, the one that we should be worried about isn''t Sana, rather it was Kouki, the boy beside her.


    ¡¸It seems the one we have to worry the most about isn''t Sana-chan, it''s the the boy beside her.¡¹


    Everyone nodded together, agreeing with Rino.


    ¡¸Indeed, Sana is crying.¡¹


    Sahoko muttered as she received Sana from Reiji.


    ¡¸He¡¯s not waking up¡­¡¹


    It was just as Nao said, Kouki didn''t wake up at all.


    ¡¸Who did this to him?¡¹


    ¡¸Mdy. those girls are the only ones who can do this.¡¹


    Hearing Kyouka and Kaya''s conversation, Haurena had a doubtful look on her face.


    ¡¸What do you mean? What''s happening to Kouki-san?¡¹


    It seems Haurena couldn''t see it.


    ¡¸Take a look, priest Haurena.¡¹


    I extended my hand to Kouki''s forehead.


    Thereupon, Kouki''s body turned into a piece of lumber.


    ¡¸EH?!? WHAT''S THE MEANING OF THIS!? HOW DID KOUKI-SAN TURN INTO A PIECE OF LUMBER?!?¡¹


    Haurena and the maids couldn''t hide their shock.


    ¡¸You''re wrong, it''s this piece of lumber that turned into Kouki-kun. Kouki-kun had never been in this ce to begin with.¡¹


    I exined to them.


    Yes, Kouki was not in this pce anymore.


    So that''s why Sana wouldn''t stop crying.


    ¡¸Chiyuki-san. Could it be that this is¡­ THAT?¡¹


    ¡¸That''s right, Shirone-san, this is¡­¡¹


    I nodded to Shirone, and paused for a while before opening my mouth again.


    ¡¸It''s changeling.¡¹


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 Chapter 162: Toward The Forest

    Chapter 162: Toward The Forest


    <b>¡ôSerpent Prince, Dahark</b>


    Elios'' sea of trees was a vast forest. Outside of that, the northern part was covered with a vast mountain district.


    This mountain district was a mine, the ce where the dwarves'' vige was located.


    The dwarves dug a hole to mine the ore in the mountain.


    We were currently hiding in one of the abandoned tunnels in that ce.


    Among my subordinates that gathered in this ce were warriors from the Yig (Snakeman) and Lamia species.


    A snake nest was a perfect name for this ce.


    Though our forces were alsoposed of wolfmen, they were currently infiltrating from the forest.


    Though the angels sometimes passed by this ce, they couldn''t find us.¡¸Young Master. Dahark-sama.¡¹


    As I was having fun with one of the Lamias in the hole to pass the time, someone called out to me.


    That person had two legs like most of the two-legged races.


    But that was just a temporary form, that person''s true form was just like a Lamia.


    That person was the Goddess of Craft, Botis.


    This woman d in a magician¡¯s robe was my mother''s most trusted aide, the wisest among the subordinates.


    She was our strategist and also the one who had created the snake cult for humans who betrayed Elios.


    She granted the most pious followers among the cultists a chance to be reborn as snake humans.


    ording to rumors, people from Elios seem to call it the Yig''s curse.


    And Botis came along with me as my watchdog.


    ¡¸What''s the matter, Botis? Do you have business with me? I did as you said and avoided confrontation with Alphos.¡¹


    I red angrily at her as I asked that question.


    ¡¸Do you really want to fight him so much?¡¹


    ¡¸That''s only natural, Botis!¡¹


    And she forbade me from fighting Alphos.


    That was the reason why I was really irritated at her.


    I lost to Alphos before. But, the same couldn''t be said with the current me.


    My frustration kept piling up since I couldn''t fight Alphos.


    Had my mother not told me to obey Botis, I wouldn''t have obeyed her at all.


    ¡¸Fufufufu, my deepest apology, Young Master. You just need to endure it a bit more. The poison of the snake has already invaded those guys'' organisms. We also received the Princess of Fresh Blood¡¯s assistance this time. We will seed this time.¡¹


    Botisughed happily.


    The Princess of Fresh Blood, Zaffrada had entered the forest to spread the poison that would kill trees.


    That was also part of Botis'' tactic.


    The n was to unseal the Wicked Beast with sheer, brute force.


    ¡¸Humph, so everything went ording to your n eh, Botis?¡¹


    Then I looked at the person standing behind Botis.


    Small stature. And that grotesque figure.


    Body covered in metals from head to toe.


    The metal wasn''t armor. Its'' upper body was simply made from metal.


    In the first ce, this person was the one who guided us to this hiding ce.


    I had no idea about this person''s identity but they might be Botis'' aplice.


    Well, it didn''t really matter to me anyway.


    ¡¸Yes Young Master. Everything is going ording to n.¡¹


    Botisughed as she spoke.


    ¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki


    We were gathered in one room in Eld Pce.


    ¡¸Well¡­ What shall we do then¡­¡¹


    We were worrying about Kouki who got kidnapped by the elves.


    Properly speaking, we should take him back.


    But we were wondering if we could do that.


    Upon thinking carefully, Kouki was a child who got entrusted to Rena Temple. In short, he was offered to Goddess Rena.


    And the elves were the kin of Elios.


    Having Rena persuade the elves to return Kouki was the most obvious choice.


    In that way, we didn''t have to leave this country.


    Priest Haurena had already conveyed this matter to the temple in the Holy Republic of Lenaria. From there, the news would be reported to Rena.


    Rena might forgive this case.


    It would be fine as long as this case had no direct connection with other Gods of Elios.


    Though he was entrusted to our temple, we might not need to worry about a boy.


    If Rena hadn''t said anything about this, we would have nothing to say either.


    Nor would we go to retake Kouki.


    But, it seems we couldn''t do that.


    ¡¸Don''t worry Sana-chan! We will take back Kouki-kun! Right, Chiyuki-san!¡¹


    Shirone shot a nce at me as she cradled Sana.


    Shirone wanted to get the boy back.


    ¡¸U~hm¡­¡¹


    I faltered for a few seconds.


    I mean, what should I say here?


    ¡¸Shirone. There''s no need to save someone who got kidnapped by the elves right? I mean, he might live a better life over there.¡¹


    Reiji spoke to Shirone.


    Reiji was right. The Elven race wasposed of only young women, and all of them were beautiful without exception.


    Many men wanted to be kidnapped by the elves.


    That was the reason why it might be better for Kouki-kun to live in the elven country.


    Well in Reiji''s case, he might simply have wanted to separate his daughter from a man.


    ¡¸Rei-kun, that will make Sana sad instead.¡¹


    Sahoko objected immediately.


    Maybe because she understood our words, Sana seemed to be quite displeased too.


    The same goes for Rino, Nao, and Kyouka.


    By the way, Kaya was just as expressionless as ever.


    ¡¸Surely, Sana will be sad for sure.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes. Poor Sana-chan.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes, we have to take back the handsome guy in the making.¡¹


    Rino''s reason seemed to bepletely different from the others.


    By the way, the elven race waspletely attracted only to physical appearance. Meaning that they wouldpletely ignore ugly people.


    ¡¸That''s why let''s take him back.¡¹


    Shirone puffed her chest as she spoke.


    I guess I couldn''t stop them anymore.


    I heaved a sigh.


    ¡¸Can''t be helped then, but we can''t just send everyone. Sahoko-san has to stay to take care of Sana-chan, and it''ll be much better if her father stayed too¡­ And the ones who will go will be Shirone-san, Nao-san, and Rino-san¡­¡¹


    I chose the most suitable candidates.


    Since we were going to the Elven kingdom, it might be better to bring along Rino who excels in spirit magic, Nao with her excellent detection ability, and Shirone with herbat prowess.


    But in that case, no one could stop Shirone once she went berserk.


    In that case, either Kaya or I should go with them.


    ¡¸In that case, it might be much better for Chiyuki-sama to go. Leave the matter of this country to me.¡¹


    Kaya told me as if noticing my intention.


    In fact, I knew that Kaya was suited for jobs that involved politics more than me.


    That was the reason why it was preferable for Kaya to stay than me.


    Kaya also mentioned working on building a rampart.


    In the end, we decided to build a rampart around Eld.


    With a rampart, we could restrict the number of citizens.


    The reason being simply for safety, the citizen must be given the right to live in the rampart.


    If the number of citizens increased until there was not enough space left in the rampart, this country would be punctured.


    Before long, Eld would be simr to the Holy Republic of Lenaria.


    But it couldn''t be helped, a rampart was necessary to guarantee safety in this monster filled world.


    In addition, this project would be done together with the assistance from Rena¡¯s faith.


    Rena was the Goddess of Protection, and the craftsmen who would build the rampart were her believers.


    We were nning to hire the dwarves too, but since their number was small, we needed to hire human craftsmen, too.


    Thus we need to relocate the location of Rena¡¯s temple, moving it out from inside the pce.


    In addition, we decided to have Temrs from the Holy Republic of Lenaria to help us, too.


    Eld was a new country. Thus we couldn''t afford to use our knights to keep the safety of the highways.


    We were relying on the Holy Republic of Lenaria for that instead.


    In this way, the influence of the religious organization became bigger.


    But, seeing that we became the enemy of the lizardmen who live in the wend, Eld was in dire need to raise their defensive capabilities as soon as possible.


    We couldn''t halt the training of the knights, too.


    The negotiation with the chivalric order and the building of the rampart was better left to Kaya than me.


    ¡¸Okay then, I''ll go. Take care of this ce, Kaya-san.¡¹


    Shirone smiled delightfully when I said so.


    Andstly Kyouka, she would remain as the representative of this country along with Reiji.


    Thus, the members to retake Kouki had been decided.


    Maybe we should depart as soon as possible.


    In this way, we headed toward the Elven Kingdom.


    <b>¡ôElven Princess, Luthien</b>


    Contrary to when we departed, returning to the sea forest of Elios was easy.


    The reason being we could return immediately with teleportation magic.


    But even with that, we couldn''t teleport directly to the Capital of Eternal Youth, Arseidia.


    The closest we could teleport was up to the outskirts of the forest. We had to walk back toward Arseidia from there.


    But that wasn''t a big deal either as long as we rode the carriage pulled by Ceryneia.


    I lowered my gaze.


    There was one boy who was sleeping soundly on myp pillow.


    He was such an adorable boy.


    I wanted him the moment he caught my eyes.


    This was the first time I felt something like this.


    ¡¸Guhehehehe.¡¹


    I was so happy that I ended upughing by myself.


    Only when I raised my face did I realize that Tess, Piara, and Aure were looking at me.


    ¡¸What''s the matter? Do you have something to tell me?¡¹


    The three of them averted their gaze when I red at them.


    ¡¸No, it''s nothing. Luthien-sama.¡¹


    ¡¸Yeah, it really is nothing. We definitely do not feel creeped out by you at all.¡¹


    ¡¸Yes Your Highness. It just as Piara-dono has said, you''re not creepy at all.¡¹


    The heck. If it was really nothing, then they should stop looking at me with that kind of gaze.


    To begin with, these girls must be dissatisfied.


    Originally, we nned to stay for a long time in the Hero''s country.


    Especially Piara and Aure, wanted to stay by the Hero''s side no matter what.


    Yet they lost the chance to get close to the hero since I told them to go back quickly.


    Well, we had to go back as fast as possible after all.


    ¡¸But, are you sure about this? It doesn''t really matter if it is your average human but, we''re talking about the person around the Hero and co.¡¹


    Aure spoke with a worried look on his face.


    ¡¸Oh my, it doesn''t seem to be a big deal. This boy is just the babysitter of the Hero''s daughter, he is by no means rted to the Hero and co. And it''s not like Rena-sama¡¯s going to make a big deal out of a boy either.¡¹


    I replied as if it was a matter of course.


    Human children would wither in no time. They were such a fleeting existence.


    Thus entrusting Kouki to me was the best choice.


    ¡¸Well, surely¡­¡¹


    Piara nodded in agreement with me.


    Piara already had the same experience in the past.


    ¡¸That''s right, being with us is a million times better than with human girls who will wither away immediately.¡¹


    I caressed the adorable boy''s cheek.


    He must be having a nice dream since he was sleeping soundly like this.


    ¡¸He''ll be a splendid Elvin Knight for sure.¡¹


    I hugged Kouki''s head.


    ¡¸Sleep my boy?


    Sleep soundly?


    My adorable boy?


    We will take you to our country?


    Country of the Elves, a country of happiness where you won''t grow old?


    You will dance in the midst of flower gardens once you wake up.?


    Now sleep?


    Sleep soundly?


    My adorable boy?¡¹


    I sang a song.


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 Chapter 163.1: Greenman

    Chapter 163.1: Greenman


    <strong>¡ôck Haired Sage; Chiyuki</strong>


    Elios¡¯ Great Forest spread on the foot of Elios Mountain, the tallest mountain in the world.


    The sea of forest¡¯s size was around 1/3 of Vandohl in, which we lived in.


    And the Elven country was somewhere inside such a huge forest.


    The four of us arrived at the outskirts of the vige.


    One day had yet to pass since Kouki got kidnapped to the Elven country.


    The reason why we could arrive this fast was because we set a teleportation circle at the country closest to Elios beforehand.


    Thanks to that teleportation circle, we managed to arrive at the sea forest in less than one hour.


    But, the same goes for those elves.¡¸Chiyuki-san, did you find them?¡¹


    Shirone spoke from my side.


    ¡¸Yeah, I feel it. The elves passed this ce.¡¹


    Thanks to my magic of past vision, I could see that the elves had gone through this path.


    They left Eld immediately.


    They didn''t even use magic that blocked past vision.


    They either underestimated us, didn''t really care about it, or simply had no idea about it.


    Either way, we could use this magic to track their trace.


    ¡¸Let''s go after them, shall we? Nao-san, can you follow after the track of the Ceryneia?¡¹


    I asked Nao who stood in front of us.


    ¡¸No problem. The smell of the deers is still around. I''ll track the smell immediately.¡¹


    Nao replied with a smile.


    The current Nao had a tail and ears growing from her head.


    Nao, who transformed into a beastman, had her senses enhanced. She remembered the smell of the Ceryneia she smelled before. Thus we could use it to track the elves.


    ¡¸But where in the world is that elven country in such a huge forest? I hope it''s not too far.¡¹


    Rino frowned as she saw the forest.


    I agree with Rino. The forest was so freaking vast, we might not even be able to arrive within one day.


    We might have no choice but to sleep outdoors if we n it poorly.


    I was thinking about flying over the forest but then, it turned out there was some sort of barrier installed in the skies, preventing the use of flight magic.


    Thus, we had no choice but to traverse the forest from thend route.


    Let''s be prepared to move.


    ¡¸Well onward I guess. Not that we can back down after arriving this far.¡¹


    We were weed by giant trees as soon as we entered the forest. The green ceiling filtered the sunlight.


    I murmured as we were led by Nao into the forest.


    If possible, I wanted to avoid outdoor camping.


    The road ahead was opened up a bit by the Ceryneia who passed this path before us.


    At the very least, we didn''t have to worry about getting lost in this forest.


    ¡¸Amazing. I feel that the wind and earth spirit power are getting stronger.¡¹


    Rino looked around as she said those words.


    Spirits were part of this world, they existed in every ce in this world.


    Only people with certain talents or abilities could feel their existence.


    And Rino''s ability as a spirit user was among the best in this world. If even Rino was surprised, then it must be really amazing.


    By the way, I was really surprised when I heard that the spirit of darkness could be found everywhere in Nargol.


    It seems the majority of the type of spirit was varied depending on the region.


    Even the creatures who live in the region might vary depending on the type of spirit residing in that region.


    I wonder what kind of creatures live in this forest aside from the elves?


    Nao stopped while I was pondering about such things.


    There was an alert look on her face. It seems we got a situation.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Nao-san?¡¹


    ¡¸It seems we are being watched, Chiyuki-san.¡¹


    ¡¸Watched? You mean, someone is spying on us?¡¹


    ¡¸Maybe¡­ The problem is I don''t know from where are they watching us.¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡­ So they are watching us from afar.¡¹


    Nao''s detection range was vast.


    So that person might be spying on us outside Nao''s detection range.


    Are they by chance using some sort of irvoyance magic?


    In that case, I could trace them using my magic.


    ¡¸No, they''re not from outside of my range¡­ It feels as if they''re nearby. Right beside us to be exact¡­¡¹


    ¡¸EH!? WHERE ARE THEY!? CAN YOU FIND THEM, NAO-SAN?!¡¹


    ¡¸I¡­ Don''t know where they are.¡¹


    ¡¸¡¸¡¸WHA!!!!?¡¹¡¹¡¹


    All of us couldn''t hide our shock upon hearing Nao''s remark.


    Nao''s forte was her sense. No spy within the range of her detection ability could hide from her.


    And since Nao said the other party was nearby yet she had no idea where they were, it means that the other party was really dangerous.


    Those kinds of opponents might ambush us at any given moment.


    ¡¸What about you, Shirone-san? Do you feel something?¡¹


    Shirone''s detection ability was the second highest after Nao.


    She even triumphs over Nao in terms of detecting enemies.


    ¡¸I don''t feel anything though¡­ But they might be pretty strong since not even Nao-chan knows where they are.¡¹


    Said Shirone while looking around anxiously.


    That moment, I noticed that the trees around us were rustling even more than before.


    When I looked around, I realized that the branches of the trees were moving on their own, and the foliages were falling around. It was as if there was really someone, or something nearby.


    ¡¸I give up¡­ I don''t know where they''re hiding at.¡¹


    Nao stretched the ws from her hands.


    Nao''s special ability was to turn into a beast, Beast Transformation.


    She could fight more easily in closebat by using ws.


    The ws were of short sword size and just as sharp, they could easily slice and dice any average monster.


    Shirone touched the handle of her sword, ready to unsheath it at any given moment.


    ¡¸HOLD ON EVERYONE! CALM DOWN! LOWER YOUR WEAPONS!¡¹


    Suddenly, Rino shouted at us.


    The three of us then looked at Rino.


    Rino shut her eyes, cing her hands on her ears as if trying to hear something.


    ¡¸I just can see now, that every tree is raising their vignce since we drew our weapons first.¡¹


    I cocked my head upon hearing Rino''s remark.


    What did she mean by that?


    Well, I guess Rino found the one who was spying on us.


    Well, though her range of detection was smaller than Nao, she was more perceptive than Nao in terms of emotion and mind.


    It seems she found out the identity of the spy with that ability.


    ¡¸Hey, why are you looking at us? Why are you looking so anxious? We have no intention to hurt you. Come out and talk to us.¡¹


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 Chapter 163.2: Greenman

    Chapter 163.2: Greenman


    I felt a wave of magicing from Rino''s body.


    It was peaceful magic. This magic was a magic to calm one''s mind, a suitable magic for table conversation.


    This magic was ineffective against an enemy that came to kill us though. When ites to that kind of enemy, charm works wonders.


    And since Rino used peaceful magic, it meant that the other party wasn''t our enemy.


    When Rino used that magic, the trees around us suddenly moved.


    They were moving as if they had their own will.


    I shook my head immediately to shake off such an idea.


    s, they really moved as if they had their own will.


    Upon a closer look, I realized that the tree had a human shape. They stood on their two feet and had two arms.The only difference from the human was the fact that their body was covered in foliage.


    Human-like faces formed on those folia¡ª! 2, 3, their number keep increasing.


    Their human-like eyes that wereposed of leaves were looking at us.


    It seems the ones who were spying on us were these one.


    ¡¸No wonder I can''t find them¡­ They are right before me¡­¡¹


    Nao scratched her head as shemented.


    Well, I guess that was beyond her expectation. She thought they were normal trees, thuspletely ignoring the trees ahead of her.


    ¡¸Chiyuki-san. These people are¡­¡¹


    ¡¸No doubt about it, Shirone-san, they are Greenmen.¡¹


    The Greenmen were trees that could talk and had human-like faces.


    Some were humanoid while others were barely humanoid and only had human-like faces.


    The reason I said this was simply because this was my first time seeing Greenmen.


    Maybe I met them some time ago in the past but they didn''t usually move on their own.


    That was the reason why I had never met them before. From the fact that they had beard-like leaves, they might be a male only species but, I might be wrong since they were trees.


    Moreover, I read some information about Greenmen from a book.


    ording to that book, the Greenmen were gentle by nature.


    They wouldn''t be our enemy as long as we didn''t destroy the forest.


    The problem was, why were they raising their vignce toward us and even surrounding us?


    It''s not like we were trying to burn the forest.


    A Greenman then stepped forward.


    He was huge, like a giant.


    Branches were growing here and there on his limbs. He could be mistaken for a huge tree.


    A Greenman''s lifespan should be the same as that of a tree, they became really huge when they became an adult.


    I heard that the Elder Greenman who lived the longest among them was the leader of the Greenman.


    Then he might be the leader of the Greenmen who surrounded us.


    ¡¸in dweller. What are you doing in this forest? You don''t seems like the colleague of those guys who are killing this forest.¡¹


    The Elder Greenman stepped forward as he spoke to us.


    ¡¸Wee to take back the kid that got kidnapped by the elves. Those elves should''ve passed this ce before, would you be so kind to lead us to their location?¡¹


    The Elder Greenman pondered for a while when I asked.


    ¡¸They did pass this ce. They''re riding on a carriage pulled by golden horned Ceryneia. Is the kid you''re talking about with them? If that case, no wonder you''re worrying.¡¹


    It seems the Elder Greenman mistook Kouki as the child of ¡°ONE OF US¡±.


    Well, not that I had the intention to correct that misunderstanding.


    ¡¸I see, thank you for telling us. Now we shall excuse ourselves..¡¹


    I was about to leave after I said so.


    ¡¸Wait a minute, Chiyuki-san.¡¹


    Rino stopped me.


    ¡¸Is something the matter, Rino-san?¡¹


    ¡¸Something that the elder said is weighing in my mind.¡¹


    After saying that, Rino faced the Elder Greenman.


    ¡¸Who are the guys who are killing the forest you talked about before? Are they the reason behind the restless mood of the spirits in the forest?¡¹


    The Greenman stirred upon hearing Rino''s remark.


    It seems they were really surprised.


    ¡¸So you can hear the scream of the forest huh, in dweller. This is quite a surprise.Since you already know, I might as well tell you about it. An unusual phenomenon has been happening in the foresttely.¡¹


    The Elder Greenman started to exin the situation.


    ording to the elder, some people hade to the foresttely and killed many trees in the west side of the forest.


    Even their kin who lived in the western side of the forest had be victims.


    Since Greenmen who live in the same forest shared their consciousness with each other, they also felt the pain that killed their brethren.


    That was the reason behind the Greenmen raising their vignce toward the outsider who came from outside of the forest.


    Hearing that, we were exchanging looks between us.


    ¡¸It seems we came when something big is happening in this forest.¡¹


    ¡¸I see¡­ So that''s why they have been wary of us who came from the outside. I guess we have to thank Rino-chan for letting us avoid the worst situation.¡¹


    Shirone was right, had it not been for Rino''s timely interference we might have ended up fighting the Greenmen.


    We might be strong but fighting was thest thing we wanted when we were in this situation.


    ¡¸The people who are killing the forest, what kind of people are they?¡¹


    The Elder Greenman shook his head when Rino asked that question.


    ¡¸We don''t know. But one thing we know for sure, they''re terrifyingly powerful. We will be defeated if not for those people from the Heaven.¡¹


    The people from Heaven might be referring to the angels and Gods of Elios.


    In that case, it means that those people were really powerful.


    I''m curious about those people but the Elder Greenman didn''t seem to know more than that. I guess we couldn''t ask more questions.


    ¡¸Thank you for telling us about them. We will try to drive them out if we meet them.¡¹


    The Greenmen seemed to be overjoyed upon hearing Rino''s remark.


    ¡¸I see, you have my gratitude. In that case, we shall tell you a secret route. Follow this path of the spirit of wind till the end and you shall arrive at the Kaytahof fortress where the elves live.¡¹


    The Elder Greenman pointed at the path from which I could feel dry wind blowing from.


    It felt as if they just opened a wind passage.


    ¡¸Thank you very much.¡¹


    I bowed to the Greenmen.


    Thus, we moved at an extremely fast pace thanks to the secret route.


    After Shirone, Nao, and Rino expressed their gratitude to the Greenmen too, we proceeded to leave.


    ¡¸Farewell O in dwellers, may the blessing of the spirit of the forest be with you.¡¹


    THe Elder Greenman waved his hand at us apanied by the song of the Greenmen.


    It was a song about wind and trees.


    ¡¸The wind is blowing,


    Blowing as it carries our voices,


    The green wind is dancing happily,


    The spirit of the forest is alsoughing merrily.


    And we are dancing along with them,


    Shaking our branches and leaves,


    The green wi~nd,


    Its sound echoing in the forest?¡¹


    We entered the secret route while hearing their song.


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    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!