《Elf Tensei Kara no Cheat Kenkoku-ki》


 Book 1 Prologue: Reincarnated Magician

    Book 1 Prologue: Reincarnated Magician

    I sat in the magical workshop inside my estatepletely at my wits end.

    I was born in Japan on the first year of the Taisho Era (1912). 60 years.now on the verge of death I realize that life is too short.

    A single lifetime is much too short to unveil the secrets of sorcery.

    I hadpletely immersed myself in the magical arts, but even now I had only just gotten my foot through the door. There was much I still wanted to do.

    With the techniques I had avable to me now I could probably extend my life by a decademaybe two decades.

    But whats the point of that?

    To meagerly swindle death for a few more paltry yearsit wasnt enough.

    At the very least I want ten times more.

    However, I dont have that kind of power. This old decaying body. My mind which grows ever slower. I hate this body that ties me down and slowly sends me to my doom.

    Thengive up?

    Impossible! Absolutely not! My inquisitive and adventurous spirit screamed those words.

    Just a little more and Id be able to open a new path. I was confident of that.

    Thats rightsince this body can no longer suffice, then I might as well toss it aside.

    I would go so far as to say that most magicians would eventuallye to the same answer I have.

    I could just have my soul move to a new body.

    However, no one seems to know the right method.

    Taking over another body is prohibitively difficult. Magic is basically a power that depends on your will. A soul and will within the original body has incredible power. Furthermore, its unconscious strength when defending its own body was extraordinary.

    Lastly there is the issue of the soulspatibility with the body. A persons body matches with its soul and grows. Even as a baby it is slow. At the very moment the bodyes into the world it is a vessel for that particr soul.

    If you aim for that instant then things can still work out, but your life-force will be very fragile. If you inhabited a body that died almost instantly you wouldnt even be able tough at your bad luck.

    Wasnt there a safe and secure way to aplish this?

    Were both geniuses and normal people forced to stop at this roadblock?

    Magic was the research of the soul. Therefore, I should be more knowledgeable about it than anyone.

    That is how I came to my final answer.

    The circle of transmigration. Birth, death, and rebirth.

    Thats right. Allowing my soul to return.

    The soul departs for heaven and finally returns back to earth. However, this cycle would clear the memories from soul beforepleting the cycle. That was my conjecture.

    However, there were exceptions. Powerful desires may allow the current soul to go on living despite going through such a cycle. There were those who retained memories from a past life due to such reasons.

    Then, I would need to do the same.

    I would have to intentionally engrave my memories and will so deeply into my soul, that they would not scatter even through the cycle of rebirth.

    In doing so, when I finally enter samsara I could be born as myself.

    I could probably only aplish this now. Before age stole my mind and skills.

    If I made a mistake my soul could be shattered as I lived the rest of my days as a soulless puppet.

    Even if I seeded I still didnt haveplete proof that reincarnation even existed.

    It was a bet with low odds.

    But

    I dont have much choice.

    For me I had nothing else.

    My desired path was right in front of me if I seeded. So why should I hesitate?

    If I were to abandon this path, my magicians spirit would die with it.

    Fly Free, my Soul.

    I chanted the mantra to control my own soul.

    Take the memories of this fading body and hold them fast! Engrave my cries into this soul. Begin the ceremony

    In all honesty the chant didnt really have a meaning.

    Magic was constructed by the mind and soul to change the order of the natural world.

    However, you could use a chant to direct your thoughts appropriately.

    I felt a burning sensation in my chest. My existence that was stored solely in my brainall of the information was being burned deeper into my very being. The thoughts and knowledge that would die with my brain would live forever more once engraved upon my soul.

    The only problem was that doing this was equivalent to injuring my soul. If I made a mistake during this process my soul would break and I would cease to exist.

    Complete destruction without the possibility of reincarnation.

    Thousands and tens of thousands ofmand equations ran continuously. Blue sequences of characters that I had imagined and now given form began to circle around the room.

    Blood began to flow from my mouth. The injury to my soul was feeding back into my body.

    Hot, its so hot. My own existence felt as if it was swelling.

    Why had I been so particr about this body?

    I thought as I tampered with my soul.

    This was the true form of a magician.

    My pores overflowed with blood. I dont remember when I started my calctions. Even so I continued to engrave so my existence wouldnt fade.

    Finally, my body approached its limits.

    It wasnt a matter of will, it was my physical limits.

    I sat in a pool of my own blood with a grin on my face.

    Sess. It was wounded, but my soul had survived intact. I had engraved myself upon it.

    Like this I would definitely die.

    However, I didnt care. Because now I had proof that my ideas were not wrong.

    ********************************************

    Lets talk about the result. I seeded.

    My first reincarnation was in America 1972 AD.

    I was born the second son in a middle ss family.

    I recalled my previous life on the day of my thirteenth birthday. It seems that until my body developed enough, it could not ept the informationing from my soul.

    During this lifetime I dove back into the research that had upied me during my previous life.

    However, it was a hopelessly lonely life. The world had abandoned magic.

    Science had shone a light on the dark corners of the world and there was no longer any mysterious ces to be found. The things that magic could do and science could not nearly disappeared.

    For example, if a magician dedicated his life to learning the power of mes and used several different magic devices they would be able to burn an area about 50 meters in size. However, tools using science would be able to do the same thing but hundreds or thousands of times bigger. Plus it was usable by anyone.

    At this point I decided to give up my research on influencing physical phenomena with magic and instead focus on the mind and soul. I believed that it was the sacred ground of magic.

    Then after another 50 years of life, I once again engraved this lifetime on my soul and ended this incarnation.

    *******************************************

    My second reincarnation was almost a joke with the world I ended up inhabiting.

    Culturally it felt like a mix between middle ages and modern times.

    Goblins, Orcs, and other monsters threw their weight around and armored knights paraded about the town. Magic was usable by even the general popce.

    Thats right. I hadnt just changed what year it was, the world itself was not Earth.

    I was born the fourth son of a knight in service of the royal family. It was a fairly free and easy life.

    Here I recalled my previous lives at the age of 14.

    It was there that I finally realized.

    On Earth there was some unknown restriction on magic.

    A spell on Earth would immediately begin to dissipate no matter how much you maintained its form. Whenever a magic spell came to your mind no sound would ur.

    This world was great. There was tons of information about magical development here. Whats more, magic was actually useful inbat.

    It was in this world that I truly shone. Magic dwells within the soul. After leaving the inferior environment of Earth my true ability was revealed. My position improved, I was taken by the castle, and became the Royal Magician.

    In this world there was individual inherent magic and generic magic that anyone could use. Inherent magic was supposedly granted by the Goddess. It seems like anything goes in a fantasy world like this.

    Generic magic had a certain reason and logic behind it, but inherent magic did not. I couldnt understand it despite using my own inherent magic. It seems The Goddess gives each person an inherent magical circuit inside their body. Generic magic seems to imitate that circuit to produce an oue.

    The form that my inherent magic took wasthe ability to return my body to its condition at some point in my past. Using this I could fight in my prime even when I got old, plus it appears I could recall my previous existences.

    In this world I died on the battlefield.

    I used the final breath in my body to record it upon my soul.

    ************************************************

    After that I reincarnated over and over.

    From Heisei Japan, to a fantasy world, a steampunk world, and France in 2210 AD. From worlds where only I worked upon magic, to other worlds that seemed straight out of gamesI reincarnated 15 times. Each time I would regain my memories around the age of 13~15.

    After approaching the extremes of magic and the limits of self-educationI felt the desire to seek out pleasure outside the research of magic.

    A particr enjoyment was in 2210 AD France. A new VRMMO was justing in to poprity.

    Using the VR technology they were able to recreate physical sensations within the game.

    Within the VR world 1000 seconds would count as one second in the real world.

    It was within this world that I allowed myself to enjoy some retro Japanese anime and games. I had originally been born in Japan and was missing the nostalgia of these old familiar things. In this nearly infinite time I could enjoy myself to the fullest.

    In this world I abstained from magic and gave myself over to enjoying myself before finally dying of infirmity.

    ********************************************

    As my reincarnation was about to exceed the twentieth time things had finally gone stale. I had the passion but my zeal was dying down.

    It was at this point that I thought it was about time to end. My research was at a dead end and I did not feel that there was anything else that was worth doing.

    On the twenty-first life I decided it would be mystbut that was when I met a girl.

    I met her in a world that had been ruined by the Demon King.

    That girl was truly beautiful High Elf. Her beautiful golden hair and her ck robe fluttered through the air as she faced down the being that had destroyed her world with her World Tree Bow in hand.

    No matter how she was hurt or how many times she fell, she stood once more to fight.

    Then, the decisive battle. The Demon King was attacking thest bastion of humanity.

    She, along with her remainingpanions, fought in a desperate battle. She didnt despair, she fought with the conviction that she would emerge victorious. Then one, then twoherpanions fell one after another. Finally she was alone. She continued to fight and eventually struck the Demon King a telling blow while he did the same to her.

    After the battle she turned to the people who watchedshe smiled as if to say everything was alright now.

    She smiled despite having lost herpanions. Despite having a wound deep enough that it wouldnt be strange if she simply dropped dead.

    Seeing her, my heart beat passionately for the first time in an eternity.

    Yes I knew. I knew that over the perpetuity of my life, the shine had worn from my soul. But seeing those people with such light within them could illuminate my own soul.

    After that the High Elf girl went on a journey to make sure the Demon King would never revive. I set off on the journey with her and finally died at the end of my lifespan.

    This lifetime changed me. Instead of simply seeking out pleasureinstead of simply searching out the ends of magicI would find those people whose souls shone with light. I would apany them and watch over their stories.

    Furthermore, I would do my best not to interfere with the life of my current incarnation.

    However, it was on my thirty-first timethat my fated reincarnation began.

 Book 1: Chapter 1-1: Cyril of the Elf Village

    Book 1: Chapter 1-1: Cyril of the Elf Vige

    I hate this vige.

    Those thoughts floated through my head as I rxed in the shade.

    You shouldntze about like this Cyril.

    PICTURE</a>

    A single girl put her hands on her hips as she admonished me.

    She was around 150 cm tall with long straight golden hair that shimmered down her back like a waterfall, her beauty was further augmented by her pure blue eyes that glittered in the light. Her breasts were small enough to fit in the palm of your hands, but even if they werent there her style would be beautiful.

    She was only 14 years of age so she definitely still had room to grow.

    Her name was Lucy. She was the daughter of the house I was freeloading in. She was only born three months before me, yet she still exercises her authority as my Onee-san (Older Sister).

    Whatever.even if I do my best theyll take it all away sooner orter.

    I muttered while rubbing my long ears which characterized me as an Elf.

    This was an Elf vige under the control of humans with a poption of around 200 Elves.

    In the past we had freely hunted and enjoyed the blessings of the forest, but thanks to the military might of the humans we were forced to obey them and pay heavy taxes on the crops we cultivated.

    Then around harvest time most of our cropsand more importantly our precious friends and family.are taken from us.

    If you escape from the vige youre killed. It was already nigh impossible to return to the life wed once lived.

    Thats why we have to work hard right? Since the amount they take wont decrease we have to make plenty so we dont starve and die.

    That might even be preferable! If its that kind of death then.

    Ill get angry Cyril!

    Isnt that the case? We live while our hearts die. You saw what happenedst week! They purposefully did it right in front of us!

    What the humans stole from us wasnt simply our crops.

    Even our lives were stolen.

    If an Elfs heart was taken from their body while they were alive then it would turn into a powerful magic crystal.

    The humans desired that, so they didnt massacre us. Instead they robbed us of our crops while at the same time abducting 10 of us at a time. They then ripped their hearts from their chests.

    It wasnt a matter of pity for us. They only took ten because that was a number that would cause our poption to neither increase or decrease.

    Every time elderly elves and those who couldnt work would be targets.

    We were treated like livestock.

    CyrilI told you Id get angry.

    With those words she pped me. Maybe she was holding back, but the pain was less than the sound would make it seem.

    Rikka and Granny Lugana.they all wanted to live longer! But even so they didntin as they gave up their lives! Because if they ran someone else would need to take their ce. Despite all thisif us survivors say that wed be better off dead then wouldnt their sacrifice have been for nothing!? If youre going to say that then why didnt you announce yourself as a candidate!? Then the people who wanted to live could still be here!

    Those words stabbed deep into my heart. I had truly made a mistake. The victims thisst time had been Lucys Grandmother and little sister with a weak body.

    Those who wanted to live could still be here huh.

    I suppose youre right. Maybe I should volunteer myself next time.

    Id already had it. The uncertain fear that I might be chosen next time and the pain of listening to the sobs of despair from the vigers.

    Im sorry, I said too much. Its not like I wanted to say such things. I just wanted you to try harder. I want your eyes to shine like they used to. I want you to say that youll support this vige one day like before.

    Lucy said sorrowfully as she looked at my slovenly appearance. The past me huh..

    Thats impossible. Ivealready given up.

    I had once been enthusiastic about following in my fathers footsteps. He had once been a Great Vige Head and I wanted to seed him and make the vige great.

    I put all my effort into it.

    However, five years ago my father resisted the humans invasion to thest, and died.along with him, most of the vigers who followed him got caught up in it.

    Amongst them my mother and Lucys parents were all involved.

    Seeing that I began to believe that if we acted obediently the deaths would decrease. There are things in this world that we cant do anything about. Letting things run their course was the best course of action.

    With that thought process Lucys Grandma who cared for me in ce of my parents and Lucys little sister Rikka whod often hugged me had been killed.

    I was sad, frustrated, and thought Id go made from the rage. But one thing kept me from taking action..the thought of losing Lucy.

    I believe in Cyril. Cyril is number one with the bow, magic, and studies. Cyril is the number one in kindness as well. I look up to you and your sincere effort.

    Believe in what?

    I believe that someday youll save this vige Cyril.

    I smiled bitterly.

    Theres no way I could do that.

    Certainly I was more skilled than most people. However, if I was to truly fight back Id be able to kill four or five soldiers before ten times that number would arrive to kill me. Thats the only result I could see.

    No, even that much might be difficult.

    I stroked the silver cor around my neck. It was a disgusting magic tool that would interrupt any magic being cast by the wearer. It was something all the vigers were forced to wear.

    If you used tools you could take it off, but since you couldnt reattach it you would be killed after being discovered.

    I waspletely helpless.

    Is that really the case? Am I really at such a low level of existence?

    Within my mind a voice simr to my own echoed out.

    Cyril are you okay?

    Its nothing.

    Lucy supported me as I went through a bout of dizzyness.

    Once again it was that voice.

    As I grew older I began to hear a voice speaking in my mind.

    For some reason as that voice became louder I was able to use my body better and increase the power of my magic.

 Book 1: Chapter 1-2: Cyril of the Elf Village

    Book 1: Chapter 1-2: Cyril of the Elf Vige

    Okay Lucy, its about time to get back to work. Itd be bad to y hooky any longer than this. cking off to the very limit where its eptable is my creed.

    Then do your best so that I dont have to get angry.

    Thats not possible. Lucy expects too much from me after all.

    Its not too much. After all Cyril can aplish it.

    A carefree smile. I could see her trust and expectation for me.

    My chest hurt. Whenever I saw this smile I ended up wanting to do something.

    I always ended up trying to make ns and think about itbut eventually I would despair at my helplessness once more.

    I didnt want to feel this way anymore so I desperately tried to pretend that I no longer cared, that I had given up. But Lucy wouldnt let me.

    Is there any need to give up? Isnt it simply your own fear? Youre simply closing your eyes and making excuses. But the world wont wait on you. Whether youre ready or not youll lose your most important thing if you go on like this.

    Shut up! The voice in my head was louder than usual. The magic in my body was swirling in agitation.

    It felt like something inside my body was changing. No not changing.reverting. Reverting to its proper form.

    Cyril your face is pale as a ghost! Are you really okay?

    I said Im fine! Youre so nosy Lucy, lets hurry up and go.

    I took Lucys hand and walked quickly.

    I couldnt help but want to touch her. When the voice in my head spoke of losing that which I treasured most I immediately thought of Lucys smiling face.

    The two of us finally reached the wheat field.

    I could see the elves of our generation were already working.

    You guys arete.

    As punishment you lose one of your side-dishes for lunch. Lucy is fine since its obviously Cyrils fault.

    Rick was a mischievous boy and Judy was a naive girl well suited to her freckled face. The two of them were our childhood friends.

    Sorry about that. But please leave our food. Its the only enjoyment we have.

    I lightly said as I grabbed my tools and entered the field.

    It was at that momentthat I heard the sound of horse hooves.

    My entire body froze.

    The only ones who approached on horse were humans.

    It wasnt only us, the others in the fields nearby also froze.

    The humans that controlled this vige had arrived.

    There were two of them driving arge two-horse wagon and three of them on horseback.

    All of them were fully armored soldiers.

    Listen up you animals. We havee to do a supplementary collection! Since arger number of the crystals were sold on the ck market than usual we are three magic crystals short. We dont have time to choose more carefully so just bring us three suitable ones.

    Wha!?

    I couldnt help but react to those horribly outrageous words.

    It was their job to collect and deliver the wheat and magic crystals.

    If I were to understand his words correctly.they had killed more of us than necessary and sold those crystals. They had sold too many and now due to their greed they were short on their quota. With that as their only reason they came to kill more of us to make magic crystals.

    What was this irrationality and unfairness? Do we truly have to continue enduring this?

    Captain its a pain in the neck so why dont we just take three of the closest ones.

    Hmm, I guess youre right. Go on.

    One of the two who was driving the cart said.

    Then one of the soldiers began walking towards us.

    It was obvious. Our field was the closest to them.

    Hii

    One of my long time acquaintances Rick turned his back and started running.

    However, a sh of silver flew by and a knife hit him in the back making him fall.

    Thats one down.

    The one who threw the knife was the one they called Captain. He had made sure not to hit his vitals.

    Now the second one is

    He said and grabbed Judys arm.

    I felt relief that neither Lucy or I had been chosen.

    Butthere was one left. I prayed that it wouldnt be.

    Its you.

    The Captain guy reached his hand towards me.

    Thank goodness. Lucy is safe.

    Wait! Ill go.

    My relief was momentary. Lucy stepped in front of me, blocking the Captain mans hand.

    You just need three right? Then Ill go.

    She said protecting me behind her.

    Hahaha, whats up with this one.having a girl cover for him.

    The underling soldiersughed uproariously.

    My face was red from shame and regret. My fists trembled as I clenched them.

    Sure why not? Offering yourself for your lover.youre gonna make me cry you know?

    The Captain said purposefully taking off his helmet and one of his gauntlets. He pulled Lucy over and massaged her breasts as he licked her cheek.

    Lucys gaze didnt waver as she red at him.

    Her shoulders shook. Her legs trembled. But, she desperately stood tall with her small body.

    Hurry up and take me. If I go then youll have your quota right?

    Lucys trembling formit ovepped with the image of a single High Elf Girl that emerged from deep within my soul.

    A scene that I had never personally witnessed was burned into my sight.

    The one I yearned for, the girl that shone with unceasing light.

    I believe in Cyril, so even if Im not heredo your best.

    Compared to what that High Elf girl had faced.these soldiers were nothing. ButLucys courage, her will to protect meto walk to her own doom simply to save me.that courage was no less than that High Elfs.

    I wanted to protect Lucys light.I wanted to watch over her and be by her side.thats what I thought.

    Thats why,

    Get your filthy hands off of her!!!

    My fists trembled but even so, I attacked.

 Book 1: Chapter 2-1: Voice

    Book 1: Chapter 2-1: Voice

    Haha thats dangerous kid.

    My fist had been easily caught and the hand that had been molesting Lucys breast struck out and sunk into the pit of my stomach.

    Ugaa

    A voice like a frog being squished came out of my mouth.

    My vision flickered as I couldnt help but fall to my knees. I forced my neck to bring my head upwards but the Captain didnt continue his attack. He just stood thereughing.

    Elves are so weak, what the hell did you think you were doing with that skinny body? Hm?

    He smirked as he spoke those words with a gentle feeling. I couldnt deny his words.

    That man was over 180 cm in height. Arge build with tight muscles. His arms were like logs.

    Compare that to me160 cm, thin, and measly muscles.

    Whats more my current pathetic state kneeling in the mud said everything.

    Plus you dont have to worry. Even if you dont do this Id still take you with us.

    Why take Cyril!? You said that the quota only needed three more! With me there should be three!

    Well this idiot attacked me.plus youre beautiful so killing you would be a waste. I decided youll be my woman so as expected wed need one more.

    Lucys face was stained by deep despair.

    Oioi, you really like this guy that much? Then if you choose another guy to take this ones ce Ill let him live. Of course you have to be the one to make the decision okay?

    But..that sort of..I cant do that to them.

    Then it cant be helped.

    That mansughter echoed through my mind.

    Even though the kind Lucy could sacrifice herself she couldnt possibly force someone else to be sacrificed.

    For my sake.she was struggling, suffering, and crying with all her might.

    I have to do something..I cant beat them hand to hand.

    Then the only thing left is magic. Elf magic is far superior to human magic.

    If I can activate a magic form then I can awaken the huge magical power within my body.I can manipte the mana of the natural world.

    ku

    My head was splitting with pain, a horrible screeching noise echoed throughout my mind as a magic form floated through my mind like a cloud as if it would disperse at any moment.

    The trembling magic flow in my mind lost its direction suddenly.

    The magic killing function of my cor was working perfectly. If I focused harder and had greater willpower I could shake it off.that kind of thing did note to pass.

    Are you just stupid?

    I heard those words as his foot crashed into my chin.

    I was knocked pathetically onto my back.

    How miserable.

    Just give it up. You cant do anything with your pathetic body. In the first ce you elves and your weak bodies have nothing else but good magic. If thats gone then youre just livestock you know? Dont cause me anymore trouble.

    Power and magicI didnt have enough of either. My own wretchedness made tears spill from my eyes. This was the first time Id felt this kind of despair.

    If only I had the power..

    Then stop turning your eyes from the truth. Face your own self. You have the power. Luckily this body is excellent. You have a good set of eyes. You saw his attack as it wasing right? Then you just need to follow the movements carved into your soul. Ill teach you. This is our power!

    The voice within my mind filled my head as I felt battle techniques, knowledge, and experience soak themselves into my body and engrave themselves deeply.

    Up until now I had rejected this sensation.

    But now.I would no longer resist it. If it gave me power then I would even sell my soul to a demon.

    I was changinghaving parts of me filled in. In this ce there was no fear. I was returning to my true self.

    My body rose up unnaturally like a robot from my pathetic posture on the ground and stood firm.

    Whats wrong with you? Those gross movementsdid I hit you too much and you went crazy?

    Ipletely disregarded the Captains voice. I gripped my hands open and shut a few times and jumped a bit. I lightly stretched my arms and legs.

    My mind was clear. My field of vision expanded.

    Information ceaselessly flowed into my mind.

    Activate slight magical interference.

    Finished analyzing noise pattern interference.

    Small scale spells no longer hindered.

    Scan body type and condition with magic.adjust to body within memories. Adjustmentplete. Temporarily disable techniques that cannot be reproduced with current body. Construct most optimum pattern for this body and reflexes. Set up reflexive actions.

    Checkingpleted processes. All Clear.

    Enemy ability evaluation. Negligible Threat.

    I felt a smile lifting the edges of my lips. I focused on Lucy alone and opened my mouth.

    Lucy thank you for protecting me. But its alright. I wont let them take you and I dont intend on dying. Ill save you so just wait a bit.

    Stop! Its impossible! Youll die Cyril!

    Its alright now. Dont cry anymore.

    Lucy was crying. I had to stop that this instant.

    Words werent enough. I had topletely remove the source of those tears.

    Those men were simply obstacles to that end.

    Human. You made Lucy cry..so please die.

    My physical damage wasnt light. I had a small cerebral concussion and the damage to my stomach reduced my bodys performance.

    But so what? I could defeat this type of enemy with all my limbs broken.

    Hoho~ youre saying some cocky sh** brat. Dont regret it. Im gonna pull out your heart right here and now.

    He swung his arm back exaggeratedly and punched towards me.

    I can see it. Not just my vision. The sound, the smell, and the movement of the atmosphere on my skin.

    All the necessary information flowed into me.

    All that was left was to let my body move as it needed to.

    The most important aspect of close quartersbat was time.

    A series of decisions had to be made within 1/10th of a second. These decisions couldnt be made with normal thought processes.

    Thats why training beat the basics into your body until those movements became instantthey were reflexive.

    Originally memories and knowledge could notpensate for this sort of thing.however I used magic to engrave these things into my body. The spells were set to continually optimize the movements of my body. My body had been reborn as a smoothly operating machine.

 Book 1: Chapter 2-2: Voice

    Book 1: Chapter 2-2: Voice

    The captain yelled as he swung his fist through the air. I moved slightly and it missed. In return my fist struck out and mmed into the captains face. I could feel his nose break beneath my blow.

    PICTURE</a>

    Then, the 180 cm plus man was sent flying backwards.

    I-id hurds~

    Drip drip.the captain held his nose as blood flowed out of it.

    My muscr power alone could not produce this. However, if I used his own power against him I could produce a cross counter. Whats more not a bit of kic energy was lost by my muscles as my magic ensured the perfect utilization of my body.

    I held back huh?

    I lightly massaged my right fist to get rid of the pain. In truth that one blow should have put him out ofmission. However it looked like my program had held back so that my fist wouldnt get broken.

    Id have to adjust itter. In this situation I should have ended it in one hit even if it meant breaking my fist.

    Bastard! Ill F***ing kill you!

    The captain grabbed his helmet and gauntlet off of the ground before pulling arge two-handed sword from his back.

    Then, he began swinging it wildly.

    I pulled out my small work knife and held it with the de facing downwards.

    I could hear the captainsughtering from inside his helmet.

    I could understand why. The moment this pitiful little knife made contact with that two-handed sword itd snap. Plus with my opponent wearing full armor and a helmet with a face guard there was no way the de would be able to reach him.

    I took a single backstep and dodged his sideways blow. I twisted my body to dodge the return swipe. The de struck the ground making it tremble.

    Incredible muscr strength. I assume its simple body enhancement magic.

    However, he was full of openings. If I had a proper weapon I could have killed him five times.

    After that he continued to strike, if there was a strike I couldnt dodge I blocked it with the knife. Of course if I received the blows normally itd be the end. I deflected it and averted it controlling his power. It was a soft defense. I calcted the power, angle, and timing. If any of these were off then not only my weapon, but my arm would be pulverized and Id be cut down without mercy.

    Without even 1 mm of deviation I timed it perfectly.

    There wasnt any fear. This much was a matter of course.

    Oioi, all youre doing is running about.

    The captain said with irritation as he tried to catch his breath. He was trying to provoke me but his heavy rough breathing ruined itpletely.

    WellI think its about time to end it.

    Empty braggart

    With those words he swung his sword with no energy. It was a half-assed swing. Barely any power behind it.

    This was my ideal opportunity. Id been waiting for this.

    I received his sword with my knife. The tip of it snapped off and fragmented into the air. I sped up my body using one rotation and sent the knife flying towards him with a flick of the handle.

    The target was the captains face hidden inside of his helmet.

    The slits on the helmet were so thin that the knifes de wouldnt pass through, but the fragments of the de flew through them as if they were being sucked in and gouged out both of his eyes.

    GYAAAAAAAAA m-my eyes are!!!!

    I gave the writhing captain a flying kick and stole his two-handed sword.

    I wasnt scared of a blind man. At this point he was powerless.

    Lucy are you okay?

    I ran to Lucys side to protect her.

    Im alrightbut

    Lucy said and looked at the soldiers who were ring at me full of killing intent.

    Up until now they had fully believed that the captain would kill me one-sidedly and were simply spectating, but now they had drawn their bows.

    Oi shit for brains. Shoot that bow and see what happens. But only if youre looking to die.

    I lightly provoked them but the soldiers lost their cool as their faces flushed red.

    This brat!

    Bring it on ya little bastard!

    Of the four soldiers, three of them drew their bows.

    I warned you.

    Before the arrows could reach me they slowed midair began falling back down towards the soldiers. None of their arm guards could protect their arms from the arrows that fell from such a height. Their hands and arms were shot straight through as they screamed.

    I had used wind magic to produce this result.

    The cor was producing noise as usual.

    I utilized two methods to make the cor powerless over me.

    First I would utilize magic small enough that the cor wouldnt react. Even if the martial arts program magic used its maximum amount, it would still only leak an extremely small amount of magic within the body so the cor would not react.

    The second method was to deal with the noise. If the noise urred every time I used magic, then I should just incorporate that noise into the magic spell as well.

    I could now easily do detailed work that I couldnt have done before.

    Kiieeeeeeeeee!

    The one soldier who hadnt used his bow charged at me with his sword as he shed.

    I safely dodged and swung the sword Id stolen from below.

    Thisrge sword that I could barely lift was easily swung with the power of my entire body gyrating and I was able to make a sharp strike.

    That single strike stabbed directly through the armor that was clearly inferior to the captains. The soldier ended up with a sword through the stomach.

    I confirmed that the blow was fatal and quickly gave up on trying to pull the sword out of him. Instead I dashed towards the rest of the soldiers that were trying to pull the arrows out.

    They were startled as they discarded their bows and drew their swords in a panic.

    However, they were helplessly slow.

    I wont let any of you go. Youre dead!

    I couldnt let a single one live. Itd be troublesome if they called their allies.

    Even if I killed them our vige would be the first suspect since they went missing here. But even so I wanted to gain some time.

    I let a beastly expression emerge on my face as I charged in.

 Book 1: Chapter 3-1: Two Promises

    Book 1: Chapter 3-1: Two Promises

    Only five minutes had passed and all the soldiers except the Captain had been killed. The Captain was now rolling around on the floor holding his head. He waspletely blinded. He would never see the light of day again.

    It was the first time Id killed a person, but I felt no guilt.

    What made me feel ufortable was the fact that I felt so s about killing.

    After epting the voice, knowledge and memories that I shouldnt have known flowed into my mind. However, they felt like my own experiences.

    Someone, bring some alcohol. Make it as strong as possible! Wait, dont use the viges alcohol. I can smell some strong distilled liquoring from it. Just grab that!

    I called out before running over to Rick who still had a knife in his back.

    Rick had tried to run and had been hit by a knife from behind.

    Stop getting in my way!

    I got irritated and flooded the cor with magic power overloading the engraved magic form. It was destroyedpletely.

    With this it wouldnt be making anymore noise.

    I checked the wound as Lucy ran over carrying the alcohohl.

    I activated my magic and analyzed the liquor. It was around 50% alcohol. I felt uneasy with that so I used my magic power to remove water content from it and forcefully raise it up to 80% alcohol content. For disinfecting a wound I wanted at least 70%.

    Rick this is going to hurt. Youre a man so bear with it.

    Oi, Cyril what do you think youre doing asking for alcohol?

    He was purposefully not hit in the vitals and his bleeding wasnt too bad. He even had the presence of mind to ask me that question.

    Shut up, no waitopen your mouth.

    I said and took my empty jute bag from my pocket and stuffed it into Ricks mouth.

    Then I pulled the knife from his back quickly and efficiently before covering it liberally in alcohol.

    Nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!

    Rick cried out with his mouth blocked by the cloth bag.

    The bag kept him from biting his tongue as well.

    I cleaned and disinfected his wound all at once before putting my hands near his wound.

    Healing

    I invoked healing.

    This was magic that strengthened the recovery ability of the target to the limits.

    However, for that reason if you didnt clean the wound properly it could cause a disaster.

    But, if you didnt use such magic for healing you would instead have to use a much moreplex, time consuming, and inefficient spell like time reversal.

    Okay all done. Now you should be fine.

    I said and lightly patted Ricks back.

    Huh, my woundit doesnt hurt?Its fixed!? Cyril youre amazing. I thought you had to be a Sage to use healing magic.

    Its because Im a genius.

    Somehow my favorite saying in the past came out of my mouth. I had used it many a time to hide the massive amounts of effort I had put in.

    Hey, whyd you do something so dangerous?

    Before I realized it, Lucy had sat down next to me.

    I wanted to protect you Lucy.

    Even though I wouldve been fine as long as Cyril survived.

    I dont want that. Its no good if were not together. When I realized it I had already punched him.

    I didnt have any chance of victory. If the voice hadnt spoken up I would have died.

    I could clearly see that now that I looked back on it.

    However, I would rather die than let her be killed without trying to stop it. I couldnt bear to remain here alone like that.

    Somehow youre like the old Cyril.

    The old me huh? ..thats the one Lucy likes best right?

    Un, I dont want to see the timid and depressed Cyril.

    Alright, got it. I will save our vige! Ill show you that I can release us from the humans control. Either way things will be difficult after all.

    I smiled bitterly as I looked at the vigers surrounding us.

    Among them I could see 30% looking at us relieved that more friends and family hadnt died, 30% that looked at us with scorn and anger, and 30% who looked on with more neutral feelings.

    From within the crowd an elf, who looked to be in histe forties with some gray hair on his head, jumped out. It was the pitiful Vige Headman Nietzsche (Nijie).

    His expression was clearly hostile.

    Youve really done it this time Cyril. You killed the soldiers and now theyll think that we rebelled.

    I had expected him to say exactly that.

    If the soldiers who went to collect taxes didnte back they would surely suspect our vige. Soon what I had done would be discovered.

    Then after that would be vengeance.

    However, I didnt intend to simply wait around in fear.

    Rebels? Isnt that perfect? If they simply stole our produce then I could endure. But every year they steal our friends and family. Remaining silent through that is abnormal. We should fight instead. We should wield our bows and stand proud.

    Your parents said that as they fought and died. They took everyone involved along with them as well.

    That was the sin that was engraved on me.

    No matter where I go and what I do it would follow me.

    Thats why I wouldnt run anymore.

    My father failed. But who decided that the next one would fail as well? I can do this. I can show this vige a path to victory.

    Damn brat! Speaking nonsense!!

    Its simple truth. I showed my ability when I killed these five with my hands alone. I showed that these types of people can be killed by any of us here. You should open your eyes to reality.

    Youre the one who should wake up! Its just a pipe dream.

    A pipe dream.that might be so.

    The soldiers where strong. Their full mail would deflect the arrows the elves shot, plus they were weak at closebat. Furthermore, the elves specialty, wind magic, wasnt strong enough to kill.

    In a fight they would eventually close the distance and get killed.

    at least for now

 Book 1: Chapter 3-2: Two Promises

    Book 1: Chapter 3-2: Two Promises

    In this case Ill prove the dream Im talking about isnt simply sleep-talk. From now on I will show you two things. First, how to solve the food problem.

    After hearing my words the vigers had bitter looks on their faces.

    In truth this was one of the most recent problems.

    As you know the Imperials wont let our vige cultivate anything except wheat. We rely on them to bring anything else we need.

    This was one of the greatest chains that bound our vige.

    Forcing us to produce only one type of crop not only increased the yield of that crop, but at the same time prevented the vige from being self-sustainable. It tied us tightly to the empire.

    The vige storage canst for two months right?

    Whats more they took everything except the bare minimum away from the vige.

    Even worse was that there was only three months left until winter.

    If we didnt take any measures we would starve to death. This worlds winter was harsh. The snow would pile up and nothing would grow, even the blessings of the forest would be scarce. They had no choice but to raise crops themselves, but there was no way to obtain a harvest in the three months left before winter.

    If you knew that then why did you perpetrate such a thing! It would have ended with only four dead.

    Those words struck my nerves.

    Just four? Dont screw around! How many people have been killed up til now? In the five years since the Empire has taken control.every year theyve taken ten people you know? Thats already 50 murdered. If we dont move now then the dead will only pile up further. Is that fine? I never want to lose Lucy, ever. Every one of you has someone important to you right? You have people you want to protect right? Dont you hate the ones whoe to steal your loved ones from you!?

    I cried out desperately.

    PICTURE</a>

    The vigers faces warped as sadness and anger mixed in their eyes.

    Even so its better than everyone being massacred.

    Thats right. Even your father Kurtz-san couldnt win.

    It cant be helped. Theres no way we could win.

    Words filled with despair andmentation.

    But hearing this I could tellnot everyone was resigned to this.

    Listen to my words and I will let you believe in our victory. I will remedy our food problems. I will go to their supply base and steal back the food we need!

    Thats right, the easiest way to supplement our food supply was to pige it.

    Plus if I thought about the amount I needed then the only solution was to attack their supply lines.

    Our elf vige was nearly 220 Km away from their home country. Their soldiers wearing full mail could only move 20-30 Km a day on horseback even using ry points along the way. This was one piece of information that had been confirmed back in my fathers day.

    That ce was a kind of terminal. A starting point for the soldiers to control the elf viges and the surroundings. There was a number of personnel and plenty of supplies.

    That was the ce I would attack.

    it was naturally a checking station and would report back to their home country if a revolt urred. There was plenty of equipment and people for defense.

    Idiot are you trying to die!?

    Ill show you. Once I aplish this I ask you to trust me. If by any chance I do not return I would like you to report the truth, that I did this all by myself. It was all me. Most likely my attack on the supply base will happen faster than the investigation of the vige. If I fail then Ill be captured at the supply base and die. Itll be over with one idiot going crazy and dying.

    In that case the vige probably wouldnt end up destroyed. Those bastards probably wouldnt risk losing an entire vige that can produce magic stones for a long time. They would receive some kind of penalty but it wouldnt be deadly.

    In that case it would be better for us if we capture you and turn you in. Wed be able to safely appease their anger.

    Thats certainly truebut if Im not here then youll be the humans ves for the rest of your lives. Are you really okay with that?

    Iughed boldly.

    The headmanughed scornfully. I could see that some of the vigers that witnessed my power held some expectations.

    Then the second thing. The biggest reason I have to say I can lead you to victory. It is these guys armor. As long as one or two arrows can pierce through it they will die. Thats why I will create a weapon that anyone can use to kill them. With that we can fight.

    Is there even such a thing?

    There is! If we have the right weapons then anyone can kill them. Ill show you that I can pierce their armor right before your eyes. I wont even use it, Lucy will use the weapon I created.

    Back when we elves were fighting against the empires oppression, the empire developed more advanced metal armor to defend against our arrows and magic. After that we were defeated easily.

    The armor that could deflect our bows was our arch-nemesis.

    When put another way, as long as our weapons could deal with their armor we could fight.

    I would make such a weapon and show the vigers that we could pierce their armor. I would make them believe in our victory.

    I had been able to kill the soldiers without weapons so my usage of the weapon wouldnt have much impact. Thats why I decided to use Lucy as an appeal that anyone could use it.

    You canugh at my words as if they were a pipe dream for now. But be sure to remember the two things I have said today. If I fail then you can tie me up and present me to the humans without resistance. It wont take much time. I will reim the food within five days and within another five days I will show you the weapon that will guide us to victory. Can you at least give me ten days?

    The people looked at me with some bewilderment.

    They couldnt believe mepletely, but cutting me down now would be aplete waste.

    Just a little more and theyd trust mejust a bit more..

    I.believe in Cyril.

    Lucys voice echoed out. She didnt speak loudly nor emotionally. But even so her peaceful voice pierced through the din.

    I want to see the same dream Cyril sees. Im sick of living like livestock. I dont want to lose anymore friendsanymore family. I dont want them to be taken from us anymore. I dont want the children that are born one day to be stolen from us the next. I want tough and live with our loved ones as it should be.

    I could see anger dwelling within their eyes. The mask they had ced over their true feelings was cracking.

    Her simple and clear reasoning couldnt help but ignite their true emotions.

    Wewe arent livestock.

    If were going to die anyways then dying in battle

    If I can kill their enemy then I dont care if I die

    The atmosphere was getting heated.

    However, the grim looking headman Nietzsche opened his mouth.

    Calm yourselves everyone! It is certainly as Lucy says. But fighting a hopeless battle isnt courage but recklessness! Fine Cyril. Show me the things you have promised. If you die in the attack on the supply base then the entire town will me you as a fool who went crazy and got in over his head. If you seed but cannot show us this so-called weapon then we will tie you up and deliver you to them as a rebel. Is that alright with you?

    That was my intent from the start. But if I seed in that then will you fight with me?

    I didnt receive an answer.

    But the vigers eyes told methat if I could show them, then they would fight.

    Very well. Do as you will. But we will fight with you once we see the weapon and the proof you speak of. Well, youll fail in the end anyways.

    And so, this was how my fight began.

 Book 1: Chapter 4-1: Physical Remodeling

    Book 1: Chapter 4-1: Physical Remodeling

    Im off. Expect good things.

    I said as I walked away from the people who hade to see me off.

    There were about twenty people who came to see me and Lucy off.

    Winter would be here in three months. If we solely depended on crops we had grown ourselves the vige would end up withering away. The attack on the supply base carried the fate of the vige.

    If you donte back then well say you killed the soldiers and ran. With that they should still give us our usual supplies. Theyll do so if we give them the three elves they asked for. In the first ce, do you really n on doing it with just the two of you? Since youre just going to die uselessly why dont you spend yourst days in the vige? Plus its best for us if we capture you ourselves and turn you in.

    The headman Nietzsche stated bluntly while looking us over.

    The reason he didnt assign an observer to us was neither from hope or kindness. It was because he was afraid of me after seeing me easily kill those five soldiers. They were afraid that if they tried to stop me Id turn that power against them.

    I dont n on dying and the two of us will be enough. You saw me instantly kill those five even with my cor still on right?

    But there should be around 300 soldiers in the base you know?

    My objective this time isnt to fight. Its to steal and run.

    Even if you sneak in how are you going to carry the food out? The amount you can carry out by yourself is negligible right?

    Theres a convenient spell. If I use it I can carry as much as I need. You saw me use it yesterday when I was carrying the soldiers bodies. If I discard them behind me during the attack on the base I can buy some time.

    Those words werent false, but my current self could not use it.

    Amongst the different people I could recall using my inherent magicthere was one such person who could use that kind of magic inside of me.

    Can you really do that sort of thing?

    The Headman asked half in disbelief.

    Things would be solved if I simply demonstrated it here, but my inherent magic had bad fuel consumption. That meant I had some limitations. I couldnt squander it.

    Its true. So Ill sneak in, use the magic to steal everything I can, and leave. This will reduce the danger to its minimum.

    when did you learn this kind of magic withou

    Amazing Cyril! Even when you looked all depressed you were practicing your magic in secret.

    Nietzsches looked at me with a stiff expression and Lucy gazed at me with admiration. My heart twinged as if pricked.

    W-well yeah of course.

    But the problem is where they store the food in the base. Since there are so many people inside it its definitelyrge. Itd be difficult to search the entire thing.

    Lucy said with a little uneasiness.

    I dealt with that as well. I treated the Captain a little roughly and made him tell me. I have all the info I need.

    I had purposefully only destroyed the Captains eyes. Later I had tortured him a bit to extract the information I needed. I had tortured and been tortured many times so I was used to it.

    Of course I wasnt talking about my own personal experiences. I was talking about the experiences I got from the voice.

    Since the Captain was a man who embezzled taxes and abused his power I thought it wouldnt take long to get the information out of him. However, he was surprisingly stubborn. He lied and tried to fool me while enduring so it took time. If it was someone inexperienced with torture he would surely give up or leave with false information.

    High attack power, high ss body reinforcement magic, and high mental capabilitya capable person.

    Turning him into a cripple and driving him into a cornerit was a shame that such a talent couldnt be reused without killing him.

    That far.Cyril what made you change this much?

    Cyril hasnt changed at all. Its just the Cyril from before who worked so hard and put in so much effort to do everything is back.

    I didnt answer either of them. I just let out an ambiguous chuckle.

    Both of them were right and both of them were wrong.

    With that we left the elf vige.

 Book 1: Chapter 4-2: Physical Remodeling

    Book 1: Chapter 4-2: Physical Remodeling

    Along with the swaying of the wagon I began to strengthen my physical abilities.

    My minds processing power was fairly weak, but my physical abilities were pitiful.

    I had such a good pair of eyes, but they were practically a waste of talent.

    Right now both my magic andbat power was under heavy restriction. I could only use 30% of my full abilities at most.

    I allowed a wave of magic power to circte through my body. I strengthened the electric signals of my body and their control within the entirety of my body. The muscles of my entire body began to react to the strong electric signals I had created as my entire body began to jump and convulse.

    An unbearable pain began to assault me as my muscles ripped and tore. Finally the magic was suspended.

    I couldnt help but let out a ragged breath. Then I immediately set a new magic spell in ce. It was meant to strengthen the recovery abilities of my own body. The damaged muscles that would normally take 24-48 hours to heal were recovered in an instant.

    Furthermore, therge amount of protein needed for this activity was provided by the dried meats that the soldiers had brought on this very cart.

    Hey Cyril, what have you been doing all this while? Your whole body starts to shake, then you lookfortable, then you eat tons of meat, and then you repeat it again. Honestly its gross.

    Lucy asked as she continued to control the wagon.

    Im purposefully hurting my muscles and reconstructing them to make use of the ovepensation when healing. It will allow me to build up my physical strength within a short amount of time.

    Sorry, I dont understand at all.

    Im just using magic to train my muscles. You know how if you move your body a lot, the next day your muscles hurt?

    Isnt that just muscr pain?

    Yes thats right. The cause of that is that your muscles have been torn a bit. The torn muscle will slowly heal itself with time, but moderately torn muscle will repair itself to a state stronger than before.

    I exined the important points simply.

    If you did too much and tore your muscles more than necessary, it would have the opposite effect.

    Plus if you tried to do more once you were injured it would end up worse.

    Thats why short term body building was very difficult. However, with my magic I could build muscle hundreds of times more effectively. Plus I would be able to choose which muscles to train and which to leave alone. This would allow me to keep any muscles that were adverse to my movements to a minimu.

    Just making your body shake can make you strongerthats cheating.

    I guess so. But learning to use this magic takes a lot of effort so I think it evens out.

    Manipting each of the individual electric signals requiredplete and utter control over your magic.

    Aftering up with this method it took me thirty years of training to actually achieve it. For a normal human honestly going about their muscle training would be more productive.

    But with that you cant train your stamina.

    Stamina is a result of your cardio-pulmonary system. That is something I can train 24/7 like this.

    I manipted the mana in the air around us and expanded the area of the spell I already had activated. I expanded it so it would cover Lucy.

    What is this.hard to breathe.

    Lucys face warped with some pain.

    I confirmed that and immediately returned the magic area to what it once was.

    I purposefully made it like that. You train your stamina by running right? In the end that is a method to make yourselfck oxygenI mean air, and train your body to more efficiently take in air. Thats why causing the area around my body tock air will help train my stamina and breathing.

    I guess you could call it high altitude trainingthe thin oxygen was at a level of around 2000-3000 meters in the air. It was very helpful in stamina training.

    Other than that I already have spells helping train my flexibility and dynamic vision.

    Amazing, can it be that you were doing this training while pretending to ck off? That must be why you seemed sozy.

    .yeah sure.

    I didnt deny this misunderstanding that raised my value in her eyes.

    But Cyril, your strong point is your magic right? Then why not use that? You dont really need to train your body that much right?

    Thats not true. What you need in the end is strength and stamina. At the end the one who can run farthest at the end of battle is the survivor. Magic is just a tool. You can only use it well when your body is working and youre still alive.

    I guess that makes sense.but youre saying these things without ever being on a battlefield.

    Lucy took some of what I said as a joke and poked fun at me.

    I answered her with a wry smile.

    Id experienced hundreds of battlefields.

    Cyril I have a request.

    What is it?

    Teach me that magic too.

    Impossible. The configuration is way tooplex, it needs extremely fine control and tuning, and is extremely dangerous for an amateur to try.

    Common magic spells you could simply follow the form and roughly control it. Thats why after a certain amount of training you could use it.

    However, this spell required abnormally high control. Even a top ss sorcerer would need a few decades of focus to use it proficiently.

    Is that so? Then can you use the spell on me?

    I dont mind doing that, but why?

    I want to be stronger too. I want to fight with you Cyril.

    The emotions mixed within Lucys voice were serious. It wasnt a whimthey were words she was prepared to follow.

    Are you sure? You could leave the fighting to the men and just stay behind to protect our home. Even for the attack on the supply base I brought you along to watch the horses while I infiltrated. I didnt intend to have you fight.

    I dont want to be the type of woman who just stays behind. If I sit at home while Cyril goes off and dies Ill regret it for the rest of my life. I want to fight together and survive together.

    Lucy was truly a strong girl.

    Yesterday she had almost been killed by soldiers, but today she was already looking towards the future.

    I understand. Ill train you. But this time you still have to watch the horses.

    I cante with?

    No. It wont be so easy to escape while carrying a full load. I dont have the spare ability to protect you in this situation.

    Got it.

    Youre notining?

    Un, I want to fight with you to help. I dont want to selfishly cause you trouble like a little kid. But Ill get stronger soon and help you fight.

    I couldnt help but smile. Im so d that I saved her.

 Book 1: Chapter 4-3: Physical Remodeling

    Book 1: Chapter 4-3: Physical Remodeling

    Ok then, lets get started with the magic. Ill tell you in advanceitll hurt so much youll wanna die okay?

    .Ive made my resolve.

    Its dangerous so give me the reins.

    I switched positions with Lucy.

    Ill need to touch you directly, are you okay with that? Furthermore itd be best to touch the ce above your heart to make it better.

    Its fine since its Cyril.

    I got Lucys permission and put my hand inside her clothes before resting my hand lightly on her left breast. It was the ce where the soul rested, the ce where magic originated. Thats why I needed to do this to cast the magic on her body properly.though I couldve also touched her back instead..

    My hand couldnt help but sink into her soft chest. It was unexpectedlyrge. Around a C-cup. She looked slim in her clothes. I had thought she would be a B-cup at most.

    The moment I touched her Lucys body shook.

    It wasnt a result of the spell, it was simple nervousness. She wasnt used to the touch of a man.

    I did the preliminary checks and ran a slight electrical current through her body to analyze it.

    Transmission speed, reaction timing, and muscle status. All this information flowed into me.

    I used it to customize the spell to her body.

    Im starting Lucy.

    Go ahead Cyril.

    And so I activated the magic.

    I wasnt stimting her body with external electrical signals. I was interfering with the signalsing from Lucys brain, using magic to cause the muscles to strengthen the signals they received.

    If these electrical signals came from the outside it would damage Lucy severely and burn her skin.

    Cyril, what isthis.its weird.

    Lucys voice leaked out as her face reddened and her body shook. Shed gotten used to it so I slowly increased the intensity. Lucys body began to jump about.

    Somehow it looked erotic. A man doing it would be gross, but a beautiful girl doing the same thing made it different.

    Then for five minutes I did it over set intervals.

    Okay, its done.

    n.

    Lucy couldnt help but let out an absentminded sigh.

    Try to move your body now.

    Ill try iOw!

    Lucy let out a cry as she tried to move her muscles.

    As intended, her entire body had muscle pain. Her muscles were in the perfect damaged state.

    Now next Ill heal you.

    I said and strengthened Lucys healing ability to instantly repair her muscles.

    Lucy had a strained look on her face at the strange sensation.

    Does your body still hurt?

    Uh-uh, its all fine.

    Good, Im d. Well do this three times a day until we reach your ideal body. Ill warn you now, never try to do this on your own okay?

    I understand. I couldnt do it even if I wanted to.

    If she did it with her own self-taught style she could be in danger, and even if it went well she could create unnecessary muscle. If I saw Lucy with huge cut abs then Id cry.

    Also, heres some meat to eat.

    I pushed some dried meat into Lucys hands.

    Why? Im not hungry.

    Restoring muscles uses nutrients within this meat. If you dont eat then the spell pretty much loses its meaning.

    Is it really okay to use important food like this?

    Its fine. Its something we need to get stronger. Plus if we get stronger the n will seed more easily. The chances of us delivering food to the vige will increase as well.

    Ok then, Ill eat.

    Lucy chewed on the dried meat as she ate it little by little.

    She looked like a cute baby animal.

    Also when youre free look at that. Dont move your neck and follow it only with your eyes.

    I said pointing at a ck ball floating in the air.

    It was the spell I was using to strengthen my dynamic vision.

    Uu, its pretty hard.

    Lucy groaned.

    The ck ball maintained its distance as it flew around drawing a figure eight at considerable speed.

    Lucys eyes couldnt follow it well.

    If its too hard then re at it hard. It has a curse that makes your eyes follow it automatically. Do it until your eyes hurt and then say Caught you to release the curse.

    Ah, thats easierbut it really tires out your eyes.

    Well it is training after all. But if you do this every day then your dynamic vision will surely improve. Its an important thing if you want to get stronger.

    Why did youe up with so many methods to get stronger Cyril? If you ran through the forest practicing your sword swings you would have gotten stronger too.

    Its because I dont have enough time. The usual methods of getting stronger take a long time. I have a lot of other things I want to do. Thats why as long as I can use magic to speed the process, I will. I can then use the remaining time to do what I want to.

    A lifetime is too short. I knew that too well.

    Even if I had another one, this current lifetime would only happen once. In order to live this current life without regrets I needed to use these cheat-like techniques.

    A sportsman needs at least 3 hours of training time to maintain his form. I didnt have that kind of time.

    Things you want to dowhat do you want to do Cyril?

    Hmm well.I want to flirt with my cute Lucy. I want to go back to our home, eat delicious things together, andugh together.

    Mou, saying those kinds of jokes again. We can do that stuff anytime.

    Lucy pouted while continuing to chase the ck ball with her eyes.

    Im not joking at all. Im serious. My goal is to live a happy life with you Lucy. For the sake of that I need to secure food for the vige to survive the winter, repel the soldiers the empire sends after us, and get our vige to be self-sufficient by next year. Plus I have to make sure that the vige can repel arge number of soldiers even if Im not there and raise the living standards of the vige.

    Raising our living standards was generalizing things.

    There were a lot of sub-goals under that and plenty that needed doing.

    This is the minimum I needed to aplish for a truly happy life with Lucy.

    Thats why I said that there was no time.

    Normal things are far away. If the humans hadnt controlled our vige then we could be living normally and already married huh?

    An elf vige allowed marriage at the age of 14.

    We were both 14 years of age.

    Certainly those words werent anything strange.

    But right now our vige would not permit that. I had killed those soldiers for Lucy and picked a fight with the empire. Lucy and I couldnt live a normal life like this.

    So Lucy proposed to me just now.Im telling you now, but once this is all settled Ill be proposing to you. Ill let you start thinking about your answer.

    Wait, Cyrilyou cant spring that kind of thing on me

    I mightve brought it up suddenly, but you have plenty of time to think right?

    I said as I watched Lucys face switch between shy and angry.

    We stopped speaking as I concentrated on controlling the horses.

 Book 1: Chapter 5-1: Camping at Night

    Book 1: Chapter 5-1: Camping at Night

    I stopped the wagon, left the road for the forest, and prepared our camp for the night.

    While taking short rests we had driven for 5 hours. I estimated wed gone about 60 km today.

    The horses had gotten tired so we shouldnt proceed further today.

    However, the empires supply base was only 40 km away. Wed probably reach it by tomorrow.

    Lucy had led the horses into the forest to let them eat grass. I gathered firewood, kindling, and a flint as I worked hard to light the fire.

    As expected.fire magic is really hard for an elf.

    Magic attributes were the ability to use internal magic power to influence external natural mana, however the strength andpatibility creates certain affinities with the natural mana.

    Breaking it up into broad sections, there were six attributes. However, two of those attributes were unique to certain people so there were four important ones.

    Earth-Fire-Wind-Water

    Lets say for example a standard human, their magic attributes would usually be around a max of one hundred total. They would be distributed something like this

    Earth: 40, Fire: 40, Wind: 30, Water: 30

    So thats to say when using Earth magic theirpatibility would be 40. So even if they used arge amount of magic the earth mana wouldnt respond very well to them, and what they could use would be difficult to control.

    The existence known as humans were not suited to attribute magic. But Im an elf so my affinities should be like so

    Earth: 30, Fire: 10, Wind: 90, Water: 70

    I was well loved by the elements of wind and water, wasnt very good with the element of earth, and could barely even use fire.

    With a 90 affinity with wind I could use 1 magic power to gather 10 wind mana. Plus the control would be so easy I could use almost all the power gathered in my spells.

    However, for fire which I only had 10 affinity for I would use 1 magic power to gather 0.05~0.1 fire mana. Furthermore, the difficulty to control it was beyond difficult and bordered on impossible. For me even the act of gathering the mana would be a loss.

    Even for a first ss magic samurai, an affinity of 40 was the limit for being able to cast spells effectively.

    Fire and earth are so usefulit hurts not being able to use them. If worstes to worst Ill use my inherent magic to recall my dwarf lifetime or my dragon lifetime.

    My ability to do so was my strong point.

    If it was a past me I would be able to change my affinities entirely.

    At any rate, Lucy is really slow.

    Ive got some spare time so maybe I should catch something for dinner.

    There was still dried meats and supplies on the soldiers wagon, but itd be best to save those for a rainy day.

    {Perception Expansion}

    My internal magic activated and blended into the surround wind mana.

    As my perception blended with the wind mana around me I could sense things through the atmosphere as my field of perception expanded. With the processing power of my brain right now I could only receive the information for the surrounding 300 meters safely. However, eventually Id be able to expand that even further.

    As expected of 90 affinity. Far from feeling any resistance from the wind mana, it felt like it was actively helping me.

    Some deer around here.

    My enhanced senses had noticed some wild deer and a boar.

    Plus I could sense a stream and some edible nts and mushrooms. There were even some wild cranberries growing nearby.

    But most of all

    This forest is made of maple trees!?

    I couldnt help but speak up.

    Maple trees are one of the most useful trees in existence. The wood from them is quite good, strong, and impact resistant. Above all it was beautiful.

    It had other uses than just lumber. Though it was just in winter in the future we would be able to

    No, Im getting too ahead of myself. First I need to secure our food.

    I locked onto arge deer around 100m away. I chose it because there werent any major obstacles between us and it was dazedly chewing grass without any intention of moving.

    I used magic to strengthen my body as I took my knife out of my bag.

    I prepared to throw my knife while running calctions on the trajectory. Then, all the muscles in my body worked together in ideal form to throw.

    My knife was granted the divine protection of the wind.

    With that, the wind avoided my knife, crosswinds wouldnt affect it, and wind resistance would barely affect it. It allowed my knife to reach its target at near initial velocity.

    My knife flew through the air along my simted course and sunk into the deers neck, cutting its carotid artery and causing blood toe flowing out.

    Okay, lets go grab it.

    I muttered and started walking.

    As I walked towards the deer I collected some of the edible nts and mushrooms and filled my canteen with water from the stream. I didnt forget to use my magic to removed foreign matter from the water. Sometimes unboiled water could be poisonous.

    I wont waste your life.

    The deer had sunk into a pool of its own blood.

    I pulled my knife from its neck and began to dismantle it.

 Book 1: Chapter 5-2: Camping at Night

    Book 1: Chapter 5-2: Camping at Night

    I used magic to help speed the dismantling process. Though I said it was dismantled, I had pre-drained the blood so all I had to do was gut it.

    Though I left most of the guts, the liver and heart had great nutritional value so I wrapped them in maple bark and brought them back.

    I removed the dried blood from it and carried the deer towards the open fire.

    Cyril yourete. Where did you go?

    Lucy stood in front of the open fire pouting. She was probably worried after I had left our meeting ce without saying anything.

    Sorry, I was free so I went hunting. Look, isnt this deer yummy looking?

    .how can hunting a deer take 30 minutes. You even drained the blood and dismantled it.

    Lucy asked with an amazed nuance.

    Deer were highly vignt and would run away if anyone approached. They also had a lot of stamina.

    In the first ce it was difficult to find them without the use of a hunting dog. Furthermore they were creatures that could run around even with 2 or 3 arrows sticking out of them. They moved quickly and could navigate terrain that humans would find difficult. Even the elf vige needed a group of 3~4 hunters and hunting dogs to hunt a deer effectively. They needed a day to track it, a day to hunt it, and a day to bring it back. So they would spend 2~3 days in the mountains hunting.

    I wanted my lovely Lucy to eat something delicious so I did my best.

    I dont think its something that your feelings can affect butthank you.

    Lucy blushed as she looked away.

    Up until now I had been to shy to convey my feelings to Lucy properly.

    However, from now on I was nning on conveying my feelings honestly. If I didnt it might be one of my greatest regrets.

    Lets store the meat and skin on the wagon for now and eat the liver and heart tonight.

    Can we really do something so luxurious? Can we really eat this?

    Its prey that I caught. You dont have to hold back.

    The liver and hear had high nutritional value and were delicious. It was food that was only avable for the headman and the hunter who had caught the deer.

    Thats why Lucy and I had only ever heard from adults how delicious it was, never once had we tasted it.

    Ok then, lets get cooking.

    I cleaned up the heart and removed the sinewy bits. Then I rubbed it with salt and set it on the maple bark along with the edible nts before wrapping it all up.

    I tied it up using a string and ced it in a ce where the ashes had already gone white.

    Like this it wouldnt burn, but it would bake while allowing the maple and nts aroma to eliminate the fishy smell from it.

    So Cyril can cook. Ive never seen you stand in a kitchen though.

    Ive practiced enough so that I can survive in the mountains.

    Its the first time Cyrils cooked for me. Im looking forward to it.

    Not to toot my own horn, but I think itll be quite delicious so look forward to it. Thats right, as an apology for making you cook for me all this time Ill take over cooking duty for a while.

    I cant make you do that.

    Its fine dont worry. I want you to eat my cooking Lucy.

    I had plenty of experience in living outdoors in the mountains.

    Even in a fantasy world if you didnt have a set residence youd have to sleep outside. Over time I mastered those skills.

    The baking will take some time so why dont we eat the liver in the meantime? I wanted to have Lucy eat this so I tried my best.

    Me? Because its delicious?

    That too, but Lucycks vitamins. Right now its not too severe, but if left alone it could threaten your life.

    Dont scare me like that. What are vitamins?

    Nutrients that you get from meat, fruit, and vegetables. Its hard to get enough during the winter so its best if we take care of it now.

    The elf vige had a shortage of food. Thanks to the preferential treatment that working adults received, Lucy was unable to received enough food.

    This would harm her beautiful hair and skin so I couldnt allow that.

    At the time I was using my spells to strengthen her body I detected the beginnings of vitamin deficiency disease.

    Cyril knows so much huh

    Even like this Im still the former headmans son. I was educated and trained as such.

    I went back to preparing the liver after giving that vague excuse.

    There was a little trick to preparing the deers liver.

    Deer didnt have a galldder and stored their bile in their liver. This bile was pea-green and bitter while also being bad for your body. I had to remove it.

    I lightly sliced the liver in a circr manner. Inside the deer liver was hollow space like the core of an apple that stored the bile. I removed the bile and rinsed it with water. At the same time I finished letting the blood out of it.

    After removing most of the bile I ced the half of the liver that was least affected by the bile on Lucys te and ced the other half with some bitterness left over on my te.

    Just in case I used wind magic to create a vacuum around the liver in order to kill any parasites or harmful creatures.

    Since wed grown up right by the mountains our resistance to bacteria and viruses was high, but if we consumed parasites things would go south quickly.

    Now we just arrange these vegetables and were finished.

    I arranged them on the te into a sd and handed it to Lucy. The nts had vitamins as well and their vors matched well.

    To finish I sprinkled it with a bit of salt. Itd be even better if there was vinegar, but I couldnt act too luxuriously.

    Deer Liver sashimi with wild vegetable garnish. A feast that you cant eat unless youre the chief. Go ahead and give it a try.

    Un, Im looking forward to it so much that Im a bit nervous.

    She timidly brought a slice of liver to her mouth.

    Lucy chewed once, twicethen her eyes sparkled as she smiled.

    Its delicious! Delicious, crisp, it doesnt stink. This is the first time

    Im d youre happy. Ill have a bite then.

    Unlike the half I had given Lucy, my half had been soaked in bile so it was quite bitter, but even so it was tasty enough.

    Sweetness within meat is produced by glycogen, but deer and cow liver has 4 times the amount of glycogen than other animals.

    The reason deer liver is one of the tastiest is because of this.

    However, if they be excited the glycogen moves throughout the body in ce of sugar. Thanks to that unless the deer was killed instantly the taste would worsen.

    As I watched Lucy happily eat the liver I was immersed in a pleasant feeling. My cooking being good was definitely part of it, but her body being filled with the essential vitamins was another part.

    A humans body makes things that it iscking taste more delicious.

    Up until now I hadnt done much for her, I had always troubled her and caused problems.

    From now on I wanted to live while slowly paying back everything I owed her.

    Look the heart will be ready soon.

    Lucy snapped out of it and blushed when she heard my voice.

    She must have been embarrassed that I saw her greedily devouring her food.

    Ilost control of myself a bit.

    Its just right if that happens to you sometimes. You pay too much attention to your surrounding usually.

    Uu, Cyrils treating me so nicely.but you have changed Cyril. Suddenly you feel so grown up. I always felt like you were a troublesome little brother before.

    Because we lost our childhood. But I cant just let myself be babied by you all the time. I decided to protect you from now on.

    You said that in the wagon but youre serious?

    Of course, I wont go back on what Ive said. Ill save the vige, defeat the empire, and live happily with you Lucy.

    For that I needed power.

    The overflowing knowledge and experience from within my head whispered that I could do this.

    Nee, what ifwhat if I said that I wanted to run away? Just the two of us.

    If thats what you really want Lucy, then Ill do it immediately. Its much easier after all. I liked the vige, but youre much more important Lucy.

    Those were my true thoughts. I was just saving the vige along my path to protecting Lucy.

    Me and Cyril could..no, Ill do my best so lets protect the vige.

    Okay then. Ill fight my hardest to do so.

    Lucy was no fool.

    She understood the vige was in danger. But, even so she couldnt forgive herself if the two of us simply ran away to live happily. She was a girl who clearly chose the harder path so everyone could be together happily.

    But still, theres one thing I want you to promise.

    Lucy said and stuck out the palm of her hand.

    It was this worlds version of a pinkie promise.

    It took my hand and entwined it with her fingers.

    I will truly regret..if Cyril dies then I will truly regret for the rest of my life not taking this chance and running away together. So.please dont die. No matter what do whatever you have to to live.

    Instead of asking to protect her, she asked me to save myself. It was a Lucy-like thing to do.

    I cant promise that. I need to amend this promise. We both need to do whatever it takes to survive. If thats the promise then I can swear to uphold it.

    Un, I understand. Well revise it. Well do whatever we can to live through this together.

    I swear this by the Roots of the Blessed World Tree (Yggdrasil).

    I said and separated our fingers one by one until only our thumbs were pressed together.

    If we were to break this promise it would be the greatest of disgraces ording to elf customs.

    Hey Cyril, can I answer your proposal from this afternoon?

    Nope. Ill listen to it once this is all over.

    Meany

    I was always a meany. Hold that regret in your heart.

    I see, then until I tell you you cant die.

    Then we ate the heart with cooked vegetables and had the berries for dessert. The cranberries were extremely sour with only a hint of sweetness. However, they contained important vitamins and minerals so we grimaced as we ate them.

    After eating we cleaned ourselves with a wet cloth and went to bed holding hands.

    Despite a man sleeping next to her Lucy fell asleep with peace of mind.

    That spoke to how much she trusted me. For now I wouldnt try anything. But someday I would definitely.these thoughts passed through my mind as I drifted off.

 Book 1: Chapter 6-1: Raid

    Book 1: Chapter 6-1: Raid

    Immediately after waking up we ced the leftover deer meat onto the wagon and set off. The meat itself would be useful for food and the pelt could be used for colder weather gear.

    In the cold weather climate of our Elf Vige, pelts were preciousmodities.

    After riding for another 4 hours we were only around 10km from the supply base. The horses needed a break so I got down off the wagon. I instructed Lucy to take the wagon into the forest and hide.

    Cyril, you cant die.

    Of course, Ill bring you a souvenir ande back soon.

    Id bring back enough food for everyone in the vige to survive the winter.

    Come over here for a moment.

    Lucy said beckoning me shyly as she pulled the horses bridle.

    Then when I neared her she quickly leaned in and pressed her lips against my cheek.

    PICTURE</a>

    Its a good luck charm to make sure youe back safely.

    She quickly said as she averted her face shyly.

    Her long ears and white skin were clearly flushed red.

    I bet she was feeling really embarrassed.

    When Ie back Ill be expecting one on the lips. Ill work hard for it.

    Her shyness was too adorable so I couldnt help but tease her a bit.

    And so I set off in the opposite direction toplete my own task.

    Wait Cyril I havent given you an answer yet!

    I heard Lucys panicked voice cry out from behind me.

    I stopped my legs and turned around.

    Be prepared for some tongue as well.

    My words served as the final blow as Lucy overheated.

    Her eyes swam as her face blushed pure red. It was almost as if steam would explode from her head at any moment.

    I couldnt help but let out a chuckle.

    Then I turned once more and set off.

    Cyril, umm, well, uhh, uuuuuif youe back safe then maybe.

    From behind me I could hear her murmur those words. This time I didnt turn back, I simply waved my hand in response.

    If I turned around now my feelings would waver.

    After a while I could no longer sense Lucys presence.

    Theres no way I can die now

    Dying without knowing a kiss from Lucys lips would be the regret of ten lifetimes.

    I guess Ill have to get serious.

    I had fully replenished my magical reserves.

    With proper nutrition I had rested enough on the wagon. More than that, the promise I had with Lucy gave me even more power.

    I took a step forward with my newly strengthened body as I gathered wind mana to carry me forward on a sudden gust.

    Each step I took carried me forward 5 meters.

    I repeated it over and over.

    At minimum magic consumption I moved at high speeds of up to 80km per hour. If Ipletely ignored efficiency I could go even faster.

    As I ran forward I continually did my final checks on my body condition.

    My inherent magic should be usable.

    My inherent magic. It allows me to summon my past self.

    For a normal person it would only allow them to recall a time when they were young. However, I had 30 lifetimes I could choose from.

    My Dragon self, Vampire self, Human who surpassed humanity self, machine body self, Demon King self.I had many to choose from.

    However, for me to call certain selves from the past I needed to have a minimum body quality and amount of magic power.

    The old status of my current body couldnt even support a single one of my past selves.

    The number of selves I had that far surpassed this body inbat strength is 9. Among them I could only summon 3 with my current abilities. The other 6 were either restricted due to my currentck of magic orck of bodily strength. If I diligently trained then someday I would be able to summon the rest of them as well.

    Among the three of them I selected the mostpatible one with for the situation.

    It was the body that I had lived in during my 18th life. A world that you could only imagine in a game.

    It was natural and easy to use, a self that I used quite often.

    After running for a while I finally reached a distance where I could see the supply base.

    Perception Expansion

    I merged my perception with the wind mana.

    The size of the base was around 300m x 200m. The gate was made of iron and the walls were made of stone. The buildings inside the wall were made of wood and quicklime, there were also some brick ones.

    There were around 300 humans inside.

    This supply base should be both a checking station and a method to protect the Empires homnd from the different species out here.

    The enemy soldiers and structure that I saw with my strengthened perception was nearly the same as the information that I got from the torture.

    It seems like I could put some trust in the location that he said the weapons and food would be.

    Liberate me my soul. Let a miracle beyond that of time descend upon me.

    Unlike attribute magic, my inherent magic used solely my own internal magic power. This in turn made its consumption of power huge.

    I chanted powerful words to the soul and power within myself.

    I desire the Noble and Virtuous Knight from a Vainglorious World, His name is.

    A name from my past. A name that brought nostalgic memories. A name I called firmly.

    Deet! Samasara Recursion!

 Book 1: Chapter 6-2: Raid

    Book 1: Chapter 6-2: Raid

    My body was enveloped in light.

    My inherent magic Samsara Recursion activated.

    The light faded and my body was enveloped in a set of steel armor and a helmet. I had changed into the form of an armored knight with a two-handed sword.

    Inherent magic was unlike generic magicyou couldnt define it using logic or reproduce it using normal means. Even I myself didnt know what spells tobine together to achieve a simr effect. It was a function of my soul deeply embedded within that was able to manifest itself.

    What a nostalgic body

    My sharp elf ears had be rounded and my blue eyes and blonde hair were both dyed ck.

    My form looked simr to that of a soldier from the empire.

    Level 14 beginner equipment huh.I guess this is as best I can manage with the magic power I have now. The time limit should be around 48 minutes. That should be enough.

    I checked my bodily condition.

    I had turned into Deet around level 14.

    In that game-like world I had raised my power to the level 99 limit, but I couldnt reproduce that much. If I attempted that with my magic power now, I would dry up in an instant and die. For that reason I had called a more reasonably leveled Deet.

    Deet is convenient in that respect. My other selves didnt have easily identified weak periods.

    Lets set off.

    I grinned fearlessly as I set off running.

    Deets stats conformed to the standards of a game-like world. His level 14 body contained physical abilities, attack power, and defensive power that were five times more powerful than a normal human.

    However, he had a big demerit. His control over magic power was even weaker than that of a normal humans. When using his body I would be unable to control magic properly.

    I ran with all my power and smashed through the iron gate.

    A heavy iron gate that couldnt be lifted without twenty people was easily burst through using my enhanced physical abilities and full speed.

    What!? An intruder! What about the gate!?

    Originally the iron gate should have contained any threat allowing the watchmen to fire arrows and alert the rest of the supply base, but now the soldiers were simply looking over frozen and dumbfounded.

    As they stood there I was dashing deeper into the base.

    After several seconds he finally remembered his job as he began violently ringing the watchmans bell. It was probably the rm for the entire base.

    The gates been broken through!

    An intruder.

    The number?

    Theres only one.

    A single person cant open the gate! Give me the precise number.

    My reinforced body easily picked up the guards conversation.

    I wanted to use Perception Expansion as well, but Deets body had badpatibility with wind mana. That coupled with his poor control meant that there would barely be any effect if I tried.

    I dont have much time so Ill choose the shortest path!

    I yelled and dashed straight towards the food storage.

    I didnt think about the troop density or danger of being caught by enemies. I just concentrated on pushing forward.

    Hiiiii

    Every so often a soldier in my way would cry out in fear and surprise at my speed.

    I would use my sword that I held at my hip to cut the soldiers.

    My swordsrge mass and my highly enhanced bodily power allowed every swing of my sword to easily split them in half.

    If you used a normal sword like this then it would get chipped and at worst it would break. However, the game specifications of my sword were reproduced here. It did not chip, it did not break, and it did not even allow any blood to remain on the de.

    The soldiers corpses released blue light particles that were sucked into my body.

    Sorry guys. My bodycks magic power right now. Ill need you to make up for it.

    This was one of the reasons I chose to use Deet in this situation.

    The world that Deet came from allowed you to gain experience from defeated enemies and level up.

    My inherent magic allowed this phenomenon to be recreated here as their souls became mine.

    Magic was the power of souls. Mostly you would not be able to improve yourself beyond the disposition you were given at birth. If you did special training you might be able to improve slightly, but not by much.

    However, Deets Soul Eater allowed you to strengthen your magic power by devouring an opponents soul.

    Unfortunately this method did not allow me to pass along the magic power gained in this form to another one. However, no matter what world it is this power was a convenient one.

    Second, Third, Fourth!

    I cut through every soldier that got in my way.

    It was a one sided massacre.

    My movements were too fast and they couldnt catch up. However, I was able to move quickly while cutting them down in a single blow.

    Furthermore, the more I killed the stronger I got.

    The pleasurable feelings that flooded my brain made me feel like I was almost drowning in them.

    The reasons I decided to stand out and attract danger were twofold

    Firstly, after attacking this ce so shily the missing soldiers from the Elf Vige will more easily go unnoticed. After this base was so devastatingly attacked, a few missing soldiers wouldnt be much of a problem. Countering the intruder would take priority.

    The second reasonI was angry. I wanted to clear some of the lingering regrets from our elf brethren who had been sacrificed. Especially Lucys grandma who had raised us and Lucys little sister Rikka. I couldnt forgive the ones who had killed them for their magic stones. For that reason I ran around and ate their souls and turned them from hunter to hunted!

    Hiii, what is this monster!?

    We cant win.

    Run! Take your distance and attack with bows. If we surround and shoot him he cant dodge it!

    I couldnt help but say correct in my mind.

    Certainly if I was besieged from all sides I wouldnt be able to dodge.

    Up til now the lookouts who had refrained from firing so they wouldnt hit their allies all pulled their bowstrings back and fired.

    I dodged what I could and cut down plenty of arrows, but I still couldnt stop all of them. Some arrows still hit me.

    I was unlucky and a single arrow hit me in the eye.

    The eyes were one of the parts of the human body that couldnt be trained to be tougher.

    We did it!

    One of the soldiers in front of me couldnt help but say that.

    I smiled as I leapt upon him.

    No you didnt.

    I split him in two and stole his soul. Then I did a whirlwind motion that cut everyone around me in half.

    My current body is really tough you should know.

    Th-thats impossible! An eye cant deflect an arrow!!

    Theres no way such a creature exists!

    A demon, hes a demon!

    My body had high defenses and hardness to begin with,bine my defenses with the armor I was wearing and it was difficult for anything of that level to harm me.

    Furthermore Deets own unique ability made it so his body didnt really have any weak points.

    Normally no matter how hard you trained your temples, heart, and eye would cause immense damage or death when hit.

    However, for Deets body any attack would be converted into the concept of damage but wouldnt leave any physical wounds. The only thing that would happen was his HP value decreasing.

    If I lost all of my HP then Id die, but up until my death my movements would remain unaffected. No pain, no fatigue.

    It would look like I was invulnerable to my enemies.

    Against weak enemies Deet was practically invincible.

 Book 1: Chapter 6-3: Raid

    Book 1: Chapter 6-3: Raid

    Against strong enemies simple body enhancement wouldnt cut it. My HP would reach 0 in seconds. Furthermore, my greatest weapon, magic, would be practically useless. It was a fatal weakness.

    For a strong enemy I would choose a different self.

    After weaving through the soldiers and killing nearly 30 of them I finally reached the food storage.

    I tore down the wall with my sword and entered.

    Pretty amazing.

    I couldnt help but say that.

    There was way more food than I expected. All in all I could see nearly 4 tons of food. Plus there was plenty of other things of interest. There were potatoes, legumes, and various other things not grown in the elf vige. There was even honey mead. What made me happiest was therge amount of salt stored in here as well.

    This was definitely one of the ways the empire maintained its control over us.

    This ry supply base was how the empire squeezed out all the resources from the surround viges.

    Whats more they forced each vige to only cultivate a single crop to increase efficiency. They then collected everything and provided the bare minimum each vige needed to survive.

    It was a plot to prevent rebellion while at the same time raising productivity.

    But more than anything it was simply arge storage of emergency food.

    Item Box

    I took the food and ced it inside my item box. This was another skill that only Deet could use and one of the most important reasons I chose him today.

    The game worlds restricted the weight limit to 4,000 but in reality 1 meant 1 kg so even 4 tons of goods were easily stored away. The things ced within the item box could be taken out at any time without worry that they would rot since time stopped for the items inside.

    It was a ridiculously useful skill whose only restriction was that living things couldnt be stored.

    Okay I got the consumables so now for the weapons.

    The soldiers that surrounded me from a distance fired their arrows at my back as I took 3 tons of the food away. I kicked the door down to get the weapons next.

    The soldiers wouldnt take the trouble to carry these heavy weapons all the way from the Empire.

    The Empire itself had supplied weapons and food to this base so the soldiers could go about their collections. This meant there were plenty of weapons hanging around this ce.

    I had 30 minutes left of Samsara Recursion. After another 18 minutes I would need to leave.

    If I stayed here I would die. With my Cyril body I would be unable to run away.

    I made my way cutting through my enemies until I reached the locked armory and kicked the door down.

    So many iron weapons! As expected of the Empire.

    Though it may be for underling soldiers and it may be low qualitythey were iron goods. I could see 50 sets of extra armor and swords. Each set weighed at least 30kg so I would only be able to carry back around 30 of them.

    With so much metal we would be able to make better weapons and improve our own standards of living.

    Ok then, I should drop off my leftover luggage.

    I took the corpses of the soldiers who I had killed back in the vige and mixed them with the dead soldiers on the ground.

    It was a slim hope, but maybe they would make the mistake of thinking they had died here.

    It was just a shame that the Captains corpse was too horrible to look at after the torture so I couldnt bring him here.

    I guess I should grab what I can carry and head back.

    My gains this time were 3 tons of food and 1 ton of iron.

    The 3 tons of food would be able to feed a vige of 200 elves for at least a month. With the viges emergency stores, some hunting, and a bit of scrimping we would be able to make it through the winter. Also among the goods I obtained were some interesting things. If some of the things I nned worked properly then we might even be able to get a proper harvest within 3 months.

    The 1 ton of iron could be used for armor piercing weapons, reinforcing the viges tools, barbed wire, tools to properly utilize the maple trees in the forest, and plenty of other things I wanted to make.

    I need to focus.

    I said and smashed through the wall and dashed through the rain of arrows as I shed at the soldiers. I dashed out of the gateway at full speed.

    I could hear the sound of horses behind me, but it was useless.

    My current self was even faster than horses.

    However I still ran at full speed. My time limit as Deet was actually only about 4 minutes. It was less than I thought due to the heavy consumption of energy.

    Lucys smile floated into my mind giving me a small burst of energy.

    Not yet. I couldnt die without feeling the touch of her lips.

    My body was enveloped in light. ck hair and ck eyes changed to golden hair and blue eyes as my armor disappeared.

    I changed back into Cyril.

    At the same time a horrible exhaustion flooded my body. It was proof that I had used up nearly all my magic. Plus, the recoil of using Samsara Recursion kicked in.

    My soul was creaking. It felt as if it was crying out.

    Reallythe user-friendliness.is crap. But at least.I escaped before I reached.my limit.

    Samsara Recursion was a magic that thoroughly exhausted your magic to its roots. Plus after using it I couldnt use it again for a minimum of 12 hours.

    No matter if I used magic to change or switched to a past version, my true body right now was that of Cyril. Using this magic warped that fundamental truth and cause my soul and body to be mismatched. It caused two types of burden. This magic was a spell that injured my existence as it strengthened me. A two-edged sword.

    If I tried to do it multiple timesor if I tried to call multiple past selves at oncethe worst thing wouldnt be death, it would be injuring my soul so deeply that I would never be reborn.

    Perception Expansion

    The Elven wind magic barely even used my own magic and instead utilized wind mana. Right now I could barely utilize it.

    I was able to sense Lucys presence.

    I took one step at a time as I approached her.

    After what felt like eternity I finally reached her.

    It was deep in the night. A time that anyone would be sleeping.

    But despite that Lucy was sitting outside of the wagon wrapped in a nket and waiting for me.

    She didnt use a fire for fear of the enemy finding her so she must be cold

    Cyril! Youre alright! Thank goodness!

    Lucy dashed over and hugged me tightly.

    I could feel her body that had been chilled by the cold night wind.

    But even so I felt a warmth that couldnt be denied.

    As you can see Im unharmed. I made you worry.

    Un, I really.really worried.

    Lucy buried her face into my chest. I felt something cold and wet. Lucy was most likely crying.

    Theres no way Id die. Forget about that, stealing the food went well, dont you want to hear about it?

    That.I know Cyril is safe so it doesnt matter.

    I was happy that, even more than the vige, she treasured me.

    Im fine. Plus I properly got the food. How could I die without my kiss from Lucy?

    You wereserious about that?

    Yep, I was serious. Of course if you dont want to then I wont force you.

    I wanted to kiss her, but Id rather not if it meant shed hate me.

    I wanted to properly consider Lucys feelings.

    Its fine.if its Cyril.

    Lucy raised her face from my chest. Her eyes were wet from her tears and her cheeks were blushing.

    Thank you Lucy

    I said and touched our lips together in an innocent kiss.

    It wasnt an act for sexual satisfaction but instead a warm feeling filled my heart. I finally felt like I was alive once again.

    My heart cracked open and my emotions were revived once more.

    Lets not use tongue this time.

    This wonderful feeling was enough for now.

    Cyril that was my first kiss. Take responsibility.

    Happily my Princess.

    I said as my body lost its strength.

    Cyril are you okay!?

    I ended up leaning on Lucy.

    She called out to me worriedly.

    Its not an injury or illness. My magic power is empty and the recoil from what I used before is hitting. Honestly I dont think Ill be able to remain conscious.

    Thatsyoure not fine at all!

    Itll get better if I sleep. More urately I have to sleep. After around eight hours Ill be okay. Just put me in the wagon and cover me well so I dont catch a cold.

    Lucy had hidden the wagon deep in the forest and I had gone back on my tracks a few times to throw off pursuit. We should be fine for the time being.

    Wait till I wake up. If the soldierse while Im asleep leave me here and run. If its just you escaping then you should be fine. Theres no way they can catch an elf in a forest.

    That was my limit.

    Leaving those words behind, I passed out.

 Book 1: Chapter 7-1: Dream

    Book 1: Chapter 7-1: Dream

    This is a dream. I recognized that in an instant once I saw the unrealistic sights in front of me.

    Within my dream I was facing myself. The me in front of my eyes changed from Deets appearance, to Johanns appearance, to Shoujis appearance, and continually changed into different forms I had taken in the past.

    Oi, what was that? My skill and knowledge shouldnt have produced such a poor performance.

    Dream me said as if making fun of me.

    Shut up

    Shut up about what? It cant be helped I guess Ill tell you why. You havent epted all of me. That brain, that body, and even that magicall of it is far too weak. At best you can scrape the surface.

    Yeah I know. I truly could do much more.

    In the past I had made a small vige into a huge country. In the past I had destroyed several countries on my own. I had even destroyed the Demon Kings world.

    Inparison protecting a single Elf vige was nothing difficult.

    Lucy is much like the woman who made me choose this way of life. In order to protect her I will lend me a hand.

    Thats not right. It wasnt because Lucy was like that woman that I hade to like her. I loved her because of my life as Cyril. The time we had spent together. Lucy was no substitute.

    Fumu. This me seems to like fussing over small details and individuality than the rest of us. Well whatever. Ive seen this kind of me once or twice. However, mediocre meas you are seeing this kind of dream you will need to yield some to us.

    I understood that as well. The fact of the matter was we were both me. My current self, and my past selvesthey were things I couldnt deny. However, Lucy was the one thing I would not yield.

    I understand current meI will simply support you from behind the scenes until the dayes when we stop being Cryil. I will give the current us our knowledge and experience excluding one part. I wont touch this personality. However, dont forget. Once you abandon yourself as CyrilI will take you in as a part of myself.

    You wont force me?

    Theres no way Id do such a wasteful thing. The normal love, emotions, impulses, and life are all things that have worn thin with time for me. The feelings that flow back into me through you are my one true pleasure.

    I see, then for all the power and knowledge you give enjoy my life as you please.

    Ill show you the best happy ending.

    That sounds wonderful. Im already sick and tired of tragedy. This world is a special one for us. I hope that child we left will.no nevermind. By all means we will save that child..

    My voice was cut off in the middle.

    And the dream ended.

    ***************************

    A beautiful morning.

    The fatigue that had robbed me of consciousness had disappeared and my magic power was filled.

    The souls that I had absorbed yesterday had be my own.

    Just sucking them in didnt do anything so yesterday they hadnt helped me much, but as I slept they had blended with me.

    Yesterday I had cut 64 soldiers down.

    After taking in the power of those 64 souls my internal magic power had increased by nearly 11 times.

    Combined with my refined control I had ranked up from normal person to superman (ubermensch). With this many things were now possible.

    Though the amount of magic I had increased, the amount I could release at once and my skill in controlling it hadnt changed much. This was the next thing I would work on.

    But still this sure is a great way to wake up in the morning.

    A nice smell floated into my nose as I felt a warmth in my hand.

    It made me feel as if my body was being purified.

    Cyril, stop idling around..ahh no, if you act so irresponsibly Ill get angry.

    I could hear Lucy sleep-talking.

    It appears that the me in her dream was quite the good for nothing. But I couldnt me her based on my actions up till now.

    Lucy was wrapped up in the nket with me gripping my hand and leaning against me.

    Now that I think about it we used to sleep like this sometimes.

    In the poor Elf vige where the nights were cold, we would sleep together to keep warm. Two peoples body heat wrapped in a nket made for a perfectly warm andfy sleep. But startingst year Lucy started to refuse to do so anymore.

    Maybe she had be aware of me as a member of the opposite sex. After all it hadnt been long since she seemed childishat this point though she had grown much more adult-like.

    Five years ago we had been raised as if we were brother and sister. I hadnt looked at her as a woman, but Lucy might not be the same.

    Maybe just a little bit longer.

    The time period to bring the food back to the vige was five days. Even if we took a break today we would still make it back in time.

    Right now I wanted to enjoy the feeling of Lucys warmth. I carefully moved her body into my arms and hugged her.

    Wind, lend me your eyes.

    I activated Perception Expansion to look around. Unlike yesterday, I had plenty of magic to spare. Even if I slept I could easily allow a part of my consciousness to keep watch. This was one of the advantages of my expertise.

 Book 1: Chapter 7-2: Dream

    Book 1: Chapter 7-2: Dream

    Good morning Lucy

    I was preparing a fairlyte lunch as Lucy sluggishly got down from the wagon.

    I had lit a fire and ced a stone on it. On top of the stone was deer meat that was roasting.

    After an hour ofzing around under the nkets I decided to get up and finish preparing the deer. I skinned it and cut up the meat. There was surprisingly more than I thought.

    Now that it was noon the fire wouldnt stand out as much. As long as something entered the 300 meter range of my perception I could quickly get rid of the mes and smoke.

    Sorry Cyril, I fell asleep.

    It isnt surprising. You were waiting for me to get back all night yesterday right?

    Un, thats right, but I didnt wake up and keep watch.

    Lucy had sat outside shivering in the cold in fear that I would die. She was also being crushed under the pressure that if we didnt return to the vige with food, they would starve. Even as we rode the carriage her body and mind were under constant stress.

    To say it simply, her body and mind were overburdened. Unlike me, Lucy was a normal girl. In fact it was praiseworthy she hadsted so well.

    I guess youre right, it wouldve been best to keep watch properly. If we were caught by the soldiers yesterday wed both be dead. However, if they were able to make it out here yesterday then it wouldve been because they followed me. It wouldve been my fault. So its not your responsibility Lucy.

    But, I came with you here so I could help out. I didnt end up doing anything.

    You did do some. You drove the wagon and took care of things so I could preserve my stamina for the attack. If I was alone I might have gone crazy from the strain. Since Lucy was with me my mind could rx some. Plus it helped that you were there to motivate me ining back.

    All of the things I said were true. But there was one thing I left outI wouldve been too worried if I left her in the vige.

    I was afraid that if I wasnt there the vigers would turn their dissatisfaction and anger on Lucy.

    Each of them individually was a good person, but when gathered together the ugliness that usuallyy dormant may awaken.

    Im happy that youd say that Cyril, but I cant forgive myself that easily.

    Lucy was honest and stubborn. She was fairly indulgent to other people but strict with herself. I had to convince her of my words.

    Is that so? Then Ill punish you. Once we get back to the vige youll have to listen to one order I give. Ill forgive you after that.

    Okay then, what is it?

    Who knows? Im thinking about it. On the way back imagine what Ill do to you and shiver in fear.

    Its Cyril so I dont think itll be anything badbut its a little bit scary.

    Lucy smiled wryly.

    But stillshes perceptive. I wouldnt force her to do anything she really hated. But I was still going to let her feel nervous about it.

    Part of the punishment is not knowing what Ill ask for.

    Quite a light punishment

    Its your first offense. I wont easily forgive the same mistake a second time. But today it couldnt be helped. Lucy is an amateur with immature mental and physical strength. I was surprised yousted for these past few days. You have talent for it. If you trained youll be able to improve.

    But Cyril is an amateur too..Ill do my best. Ill get stronger so I dont have to be coddled.

    Im looking forward to it.

    But.if youll even forgive a second time then what happens on the third?

    Nothing. If they fail a third time then theyre incapable so I wont trust them again. Ill let them go do whatever.

    That seems harsher than just getting angry.

    Lucy said with a bitter smile.

    In my experience anyone who makes simr mistakes three times cant be used.

    They were people you could only give unimportant jobs to.

    However, Im sure Lucy would be fine.

    Okay then, the deer is finished cooking so lets eat.

    I sprinkled some salt on the meat. I ced it on Lucys te. I had scraped off the most delicious meat from around the bone, minced it, and mixed it with salt and lily wasabi. I added a small amount of cranberry juice for some sourness.

    Using this much salt two days in a row is a waste.

    I stole plenty of it so its fine. Theres nothing to worry about. Returning to the vige will eat up our strength so we have to make sure to get enough salt.

    Itll be hard to go back after this kind of luxury.

    To tell the truth, salt was fairly high on my list of priorities when I stole supplies.

    The mountainous region where we live didnt have a lot of salt. Before our envement by the empire we could buy salt from peddlers who stopped by or we could go to the Fire Fox vige for rock salt. But afterwards, the empire had monopolized all these goods.

    Salt was an essential in life, so unlike the days when you could buy it individually, the empire only gave us the bare minimum we needed. It made the vige treat salt as a preciousmodity.

    Even if its a bit too much the salt taste is delicious! Wed never used enough salt to be able to say that.

    This attack allowed me to bring along plenty of salt, but Id have to secure a supply route in the near future.

    Next Ill have to go to the Fire Fox vige. The Fire Foxes excelled inbat and were still resisting the Empire. I even had some old friends in their vige. We might be able to build a rtionship between our viges.

 Book 1: Chapter 7-3: Dream

    Book 1: Chapter 7-3: Dream

    For now its fine. Its a special time for the two of us to enjoy some luxury. Well be able to do it againter.

    Theres even honey mead! Ive never had it before!

    Honey mead was liquor that had been distilled using honey. The ce we lived was cold and unsuitable for cultivating sugarcane. That means it was a very high ss luxury good that relied on importation.

    Because of that we could only get sweetness from fruits or honey. Without any improvements the fruits in the area werent very delicious. This made honey a very popr product. As a result honey leapt up in price and for that reason even alcohol made with honey couldnt be obtained by normal citizens. This mead was most likely meant for an important guest or higher up who had a taste for it.

    Theres only three bottles. If we hand this over the adults will take it all and itll never reach us right? So lets open one here. I put my life on the line so I should at least get this much of a benefit.

    The Elf vige put a fairlyrge amount of emphasis on seniority. The delicious things would be given to the elders and very little would make it past them.

    Before Lucy woke up I had used Samsara Recursion and summoned Deet to use my Item box to take out some goods.

    The items in Deets Item Box would reset when I reincarnated, but other than that everything I put inside would remain there.

    Uu, but this kind of embezzlement.

    Okay, I guess Lucy isnt drinking any. Ill just have to finish it myself.

    I unted the golden liquid as I poured it into my cup.

    I could hear Lucy gulping.

    Here, take a sniff. It smells delicious.

    Yeahit does.

    Lucy said as if her mind was nk.

    This was how much Lucy wanted to taste something sweet.

    The mountains around us had bees, but they were more like giant hos and paper wasps. They were carnivorous and made it prohibitively difficult to take the honey. Thest time wed seen any honey was at the wedding of the Vige Headmans son. It had been specially prepared for it.

    Naturally we didnt get to try any of it.

    Okay then. Here I go.

    I poured the honey mead down my throat. I felt my body tingle as I tasted the first sweetness Id had in years.

    The sweet vor washed through my tired body.

    Delicious! It was worth risking my life to attack that base.

    I purposefully overreacted and emphasized how delicious it was.

    What a shame. Lucy wont be able to enjoy this vor. She might never get another chance to taste honey mead in her life.

    Lucys cheek twitched.

    Just one more push.

    Theres only one cup left. I cant wait to drink it.

    ..give it to me.

    Lucy said in a voice as quiet as a mosquito.

    Hm? What did you say?

    Mead.I want to drink it.

    I seethen here you go.

    I filled Lucys cup to the brim.

    I didnt expect Cyril to give it over without more teasing

    I was just teasing you to get you to drink it. Once you agreed of course Id give it to you.

    I said holding out the cup to her. Lucy timidly grabbed it and sniffed it. Then she took a mouthful.

    Delicious~~

    Lucy said as if she was melting.

    Her face had a loose smile Id never seen before. I knew she thought the deer liver was delicious, but it was apparent that the deliciousness of sugar was something on a whole new level.

    No matter where it is or when.women were weak to sweet things.

    Im d you liked it.

    I said as I took a bite of the deer meat and a sip of my mead. The salty vor of the meat and the sweetness of the mead suited each other. My body flushed as the alcohol took effect.

    I might be fine dying now.

    Lucy slowly drank her mead bit by bit as she whispered.

    I think you should stop thinking like that. Once winteres around Ill give you something more delicious than the honey mead. It wont just be a cupyoull be able to have your fill.

    I said and patted the trunk of a maple tree nearby.

    The mead was delicious, but it was only as sweet as a cup of tea with three sugars in it. I wanted to let Lucy taste a true dessert snack.

    Honestly I wanted to prepare it now, but winter was the only time when I could do it properly.

    Winter? Theres no food during the winter and we cant get honey either you know? Are there any sweet things out there during the winter?

    Yeah there are. Theres something delicious. Its even more sweet and syrupy than the honey mead, enough that youll go to heaven Lucy.

    If I get to eat something that delicious I might die.

    Lucy replied seriously to my joke.

    Before I realized it, Lucys cup was empty.

    I let out a little smile and poured the leftover honey mead into Lucys cup.

    Seeing that Lucys eyes widened.

    Cyrils so nice. Can I ask two things? Do you want to kiss me?

    Of course since I love Lucy.

    Second, are you against a kiss with tongue?

    Of course not. I prefer it.

    Lucy asked those questions then she took a sip of the honey mead in her cup before bringing her face close to mine. Our lips touched and Lucys tongue entered my mouth.

    I could feel warm mead flowing from Lucys mouth into mine. I felt like it was tastier than when I simply drank it from my cup.

    PICTURE</a>

    Then after about ten seconds Lucy moved away.

    That was your half of the leftover mead.

    Lucy said turning away shyly.

    Adorable. I wanted to push her down right now. However, I resisted the impulse.

    But honestly I wanted to kiss some more. Oh, I just had a good idea.

    Okay, lets open the second one. Ill split it in half with you Lucy.

    If there was more mead then I could do it again under that pretext!

    I still hadnt recovered from the recoil of using Samsara Recursion this morning, but I could do it again quickly if I was prepared for a bit of after effects to my soul. Id just have to be careful for a while.

    I had to take out the second one right now.

    Thats no good. The other two are for the others.

    However, Lucy inly turned me down.

    Only those self-important idiots will get to drink any

    Even so we cant. It might reach everyone in the vige. If you open it Ill get angry.

    If you get angry whatll happen?

    I wont speak to Cyril for an entire week.

    Okay then, lets get ready to set off.

    I quickly cleaned up our tes and cups before going over to the horses.

    She waspletely serious. I dont think Id be able to handle Lucy treating me like I didnt exist for an entire week.

    Cyril

    Lucy called out from behind me. Had I gone a bit to far in my teasing?

    Thank you. It was delicious.

    However, the words I dreaded turned out to be thanks instead.

    I turned around with a smile and said.

    It was my pleasure.

 Book 1: Chapter 8-1: Return

    Book 1: Chapter 8-1: Return

    We rode until the horses were exhausted before stopping. Finally we were able to see the vige.

    Wed gone so far and hadnt run into any soldiers.

    Lucy stop. Stop the horses.

    I gave the order to stop the horses before we reached the vige.

    Whats wrong Cyril?

    I just need to arrange the luggage a bit.

    I went to the top of the wagon and focused my magic power and partially activated Samsara Recursion.

    It was a technique that maintained my current appearance and only changed the internal structure of my body into one of my previous incarnations.

    This Partial Activation of Samsara Recursion used 3-5 times the normal amount of internal magic power so I could only maintain it for 10 minutes at best. Furthermore the revived abilities I received dropped in power by several levels. Finally the restriction on using Samsara Recursion again within twelve hours waspletely the same as using it normally.

    I didnt want to show Lucy my body morphing into another person. For this slightly ridiculous reason I wasted my magical power and only used partial activation.

    Item Box

    I took out all the things I had stolen from the supply base and arranged it on the wagon.

    Typically this kind of wagon could only carry 4-5 tons of goods. The amount I had stolen was only around 3 tons so there was still capacity left over.

    Fuu, that should be fine. Lucy lets set offoh wait something just came up. Wait here for a bit.

    I said and used wind magic to increase my movement speed as I dashed into the shadow of a hill that created a blind spot from most directions.

    Item Box

    As I stood in this secluded area I took out half of the swords and armor Id stolen before hiding them.

    After finishing this job I released my partial activation. Theres no reason to waste any time in this magic wasting form.

    I had stopped it at around the half-way point. My body was assaulted by a feeling of exhaustion as it tried topensate for the sudden disappearance of half of my magic power. It appeared that instead of lengthening the time I could stay in Deets form, my increase in magic power had simply increased the level he would appear at. My consumption had increased proportionally to my magic power.

    I hid my tiredness behind a smile as I returned to Lucy.

    Sorry about that I forgot something important.

    Lucy hadnt seen me hide the armor. She probably thought I had gone to the bathroom or something.

    Thats fine, but why did you take out all the stuff here? Now well have to move it to the vige storehouse so its twice the effort right?

    You dont get it Lucy. Once we get back to the vige the Headman and everyone will run over right? Theyll check if were alright and take a peek to see whats in the wagon. If they see nothing there then theyll be disappointed. There are even people who wont ask any questions and might scream or try to hit us.

    People were that kind of creature.

    If you dont understand that then you might get the rug pulled out from under you. You have to consider and predict peoples reactions and emotions to avoid difficulties.

    But itll be difficult to get everything into storage.

    I wont be the one carrying it so I dont really care.

    You have a convenient magic spell right? You can just store the stuff again and take it out in the storehouse.

    Youre saying some interesting stuff Lucybut do you think I can use such a convenient magic freely? I have to wait at least 12 hours to do it again.

    ..what a waste.

    Lucy seemed dissatisfied.

    Plus in the end I think well have to help anyways. Were young and strong.

    I dont think so. I can confirm that.

    Why?

    The Headman and his ilk dont want us to see the storehouse. They can easily embezzle some of the things the Empire gives to us so its certain that the only people allowed in the storehouse are those with the support of the Headman. I bet the honey mead this time will end up being embezzled away first.

    I expected at least one portion of the honey mead would end up in the Headmans pocket instead of the storehouse.

    The Headman and the others wouldnt do that!

    Really? Every time the Empire sends us goods it happens. You think the Empire doesnt send us any pepper, vinegar, or alcohol? Nope, they send a little of that every time.

    No way!

    Its true. If you look at the son of the Headmans fat stomach you can tell right? Theyre only able to get fat in this situation if theyre doing that.

    Honestly, I didnt intend to persecute the Headman for doing this.

    The Headman had many duties and heavy responsibilities. He should be allowed some privilege in exchange.

    Furthermore, this kind of thing was instigated by the Empire itself. My father had refused their temptation and instead chose to fight them.

    However, this Headman uncle had epted their offer.

    The top of the vige watering things down made control easier.

    Even if the vigers were suffering the top would try to suppress their dissatisfaction to maintain their status. That prevented much rebellion.

    We cant let them monopolize the things that Cyril worked so hard to get. We have to find out some way to stop..

    No we cant. Itd make it impossible to live in the vige. Plus even we drank the honey mead. Were aplices. I think it is fine for the Headman and those who work hard normally to get some small luxuries. Its just like we worked hard and got some for our efforts.

    This was another reason I had tempted Lucy into drinking the honey mead.

    There was a high chance of Lucy realizing the Headmans embezzlement this time. Lucy, with her sense of justice, would try to right this wrong. I could foresee a wretched future after that.

    Thats why I had to make us aplices to the embezzlement.

    If were just Lucy then she would point out the injustice of what the Headman was doing, but since it involved me as well she had no choice but to be silent.

    The Headman has enough good sense and conscience not to take things too far. You dont have to worry.

    Un, I cant really ept it, but I understand.

    Lucy said with a face full of sullen dissatisfaction.

    Thank you Lucy. If things go too far then we will definitely stop it. Just dont do anything unnecessary if you dont need to.

    Suddenly I felt uneasy.

    This wasnt like the usual deliveries from the Empire. There was no guarantee there would be another one. The delivery this time was much more attractive, and no one could urately guess how much Id stolen.

    It was practically an excuse to do as you please. I just wonder how well the Headmansmon sense will work.I just had to pray.

    In the worst case the Headman would steal everything in the carriage and run away to another vige under the Empires control. He could sell it off and live off of the proceeds for about 10 years.

    Food and supplies for a vige of 200 for three months wouldst that long. For a single family they could make itst for years.

 Book 1: Chapter 8-2: Return

    Book 1: Chapter 8-2: Return

    Once we reached the vige the vigers saw the wagon and hastily ran into the vige shouting.

    From within the Headman and the higher-ups hurried out.

    Cyril did you safely steal it?

    Of course. And theres enough to pass the winter. You can see it in the storage area right?

    I said and the Headman stuck his head into the wagons storage area and chuckled once he saw all of it.

    I cant believe you actually pulled it off.Good work. Well take care of the wagon so go on ahead and rest. However, youd best not forget about the weapons that can pierce armor you promised.

    Then the Headman started calling over his henchmen.

    At that time the normal vigers also gathered.

    Cyril, let me say this in advance..Sorry.

    Lucy murmured quickly from the drivers seat.

    Everyone Cyril brought back food!

    Then she quickly got off the seat and opened the wagon doors wide to show off the goods.

    Look theres plenty of rare stuff everyone look look. Theres mead, beef, jerky, and a deer that Cyril hunted along the way! Everyonee take a look!

    The vigers all gathered closer upon hearing Lucys words.

    Amazing Onee-chan Ive never seen so much before.

    Theres even alcohol.

    Ah, theres vinegar and pepper. Its the first time Ive seen it since the Empire restricted our goods.

    And look at all this, theres enough to pass the winter.

    The surroundings got noisy.

    People pushed their way to the front in a loop as more and more people saw the interior of the wagon.

    Lucy and I had stepped away from the wagon as we watched the situation.

    With this the Headman couldnt do as he pleased. The vigers now knew what was inside the wagon.

    Im sure the Headman and his people were not pleased.

    I sighed deeply.

    Lucy why did you do this?

    I wanted everyone in the vige to know the results of Cyrils hard work. I didnt want the results of our hard work to get stolen. Plus I wanted everyone in the vige to get some.

    She didnt have any ill will.but I would still have to get angry. I couldnt let her act rashly without thought to the consequences.

    Lucylets go back to the house and talk. It seems you need a lecture.

    ..un, Im prepared for it.

    This is why Lucy had apologized. She knew she was going against what I wanted.

    ***************************************

    After that we obeyed the Headmans request and left everything to him and his people.

    Along the way home we wereplimented by plenty of people we knew, but I didnt feel so great.

    Lucy seiza.

    I said immediately upon entering the house where Lucy and I lived.

    Seiza?

    Lucy seemed confused by the word she didnt know. Ahthats right. There wasnt a such thing as seiza in this world.

    Do it like this.

    I said and made her kneel with the tops of her feet t on the floor while sitting on her soles.

    PICTURE</a>

    The floors coldand it hurts to sit like this.

    Its a lecture. Its not supposed to befortable.

    I said harshly as Lucy looked at me tearfully.

    Isnt this worse than when I fell asleep?

    That was a mistake due to unavoidable circumstances, this came about because you did it of your own volition.

    Im sorry. I said it before, but I didnt want Cyrils hard work to get stolen. I couldnt forgive the Headman for monopolizing the things the vigers should get.

    I understand how youre feeling. I was doing this to allow that to happen.

    You wanted to make the Headman and his followers happy?

    Thats it.

    Lucy seemed confused by what I was saying and sent a gaze of protest towards me.

    From now on Im going to be doing big things in the vige. Ill need the Headmans cooperation for that. I was going to use this chance to get on his good side and get a certain degree of freedom to do as I please. With the Headmans authorization I could have pretty much done everything I needed to.

    In order to make him like me I had nned this kind of situation.

    At the best of times, the current Headman (who was my fathers younger brother) didnt like me very much as he had constantly beenpared to my father who was excellent.

    Thats why I was trying to make him like me better by purposefully reducing my achievements and increasing the Headmans benefits.

    It would have been irresistible bait for him. I would have been able to obtain a free pass to do anything..that was my aim.

    I hate that. Cyril did all of this for everyone so I want everything to be fair and aboveboard. Letting the Headman do all this secretly isnt like you Cyril.

    It isnt like me huh? Now that the Headmans impression of this is the worst possible I have no choice but to go the other route. Of course its probably the one that you think is like me

    Other route?

    Un, instead of using the Headmans authority I garner recognition from each viger and make them my ally until the Headman is no longer able to ignore me. For that I have to slowly make everyone in the vige happy.

    If you can do that then thats the much better option.

    I cant say youre wrongbut itll take time no matter what. What Imcking the most right now is time.

    Getting true recognition from people was difficult. The reason I tried to get the Headman on my side was because of that.

    However, since the vige was filled with issues it was definitely possible to get them to owe me and be my allies.

    I worked out a n quickly beforehand..and I had left some insurance in the wagon.

    As I thought.youre angry.

    Un, Im really angry. Do you know why Im angry?

    Because I didnt listen to you Cyril.

    Thats part of it. But the biggest reason is you lied to me. I asked you not to interfere with the Headman and you agreed. Then you betrayed my trust.

    Im sorry.

    This time Ill be able to recover the situation through different meansbut depending on the situation actions like this could potentially ruin everything. I want you to understand this.

    I said harshly as Lucys face crumbled.

    You have to tell me if you cant ept something properly. I dont mind us having a quarrel. I do mind you saying one thing and doing another. I wont be able to properly follow up on those actions. If you do something like this again I wont be able to trust you anymore.

    I understand. Next time Ill properly talk it out to the end.

    Do so. Its a matter of life or death. I dont want to lose you Lucy.

    Im really really sorry. I didnt think about it deeply enough. I just wanted to make everyone in the vige happy and have them all say that Cyril is amazingsorry Im making excuses.

    Lucy despondently stopped talking.

    I think things will be alright now. She seemed to be reflecting on her actions.

    I decided to be a little nicer as I opened my mouth.

    Lucy I am angry about what you did, but Im happy you were trying to do something for my sake. You can stop doing seiza. Did it hurt?

    My thankful words were the truth. I at least wanted her to know that.

    Lucy apologized one more time and went to stand up when her legs got tangled up.

    She wasnt used to seiza so it must have been hard on her. She did well to endure it.

    Or so I thought when

    Ow! My feet hurt. Theyre also really numboh noI might never stand again.

    She said with a pale face and some panic.

    I just handed her a cup of hot tea and massaged her feet til they were better.

    Sorry Lucy. I mightve overdone it.

    No, I was the one in the wrong. Im d you got angry since it means you can still trust me.

    She said as a natural smile emerged on her face.

    Thanks to Lucys actions I was forced down a more difficult path.

    However, I thought that it was still good.

    I added a new objective to my n to save the vige.I needed to do it while looking cool to Lucy.

    It might be naive, immature, and childishbut I had the power to do it. I could do it for Lucy.

    In the future I had to make sure I did the best I could.

    Creating weapons while making everyone in the vige my ally..I would not waver on this new path.

 Book 1: Chapter 9-1: Village Doctor

    Book 1: Chapter 9-1: Vige Doctor

    The day after we returned to the vige.

    I saw Lucy off as she went to work in the fields and I fired myself up.

    I had been given 5 days toplete the weapon I had promised. For those 5 days I was exempt from working in the fields. However, using all of my time to develop the weapon would be horribly dull.

    I decided to begin gaining the vigers trust while I was in development.

    In fact I had already begun the activity I had thought of to achieve this.

    Oi Cyril. You can really heal illnesses and injuries right?

    A muscr young man, Roleau, asked highhandedly.

    I cant heal everything, but I can heal most things.

    Id begun to y the role of doctor.

    This vige didnt have a doctor. For illnesses and injuries, even elves that are said to be wise would resort to superstitions and strange treatments as they had worked in the past.

    Thanks to that there were many elves who were suffering.

    However, I had both knowledge and experience. I couldnt say I knew everything, but I could confidently im to be able to cure the vast majority of things. The best n to gain trust was to save lives just like this.

    Actions speak louder than words. Ill let you judge whether or not Ive healed you Roleau-san.

    I said with a smile.

    Near our home I had set up a tent and there were about 10 men and women of all ages lined up outside of it.

    Yesterday I had gone and healed my childhood friend Rick whod been stabbed in the back by the soldiers knife. I had him spread the news around town that I could act as a doctor and naturally my patients gathered.

    Rick had persuasive power as I had healed him so it wasnt an issue.

    Okay then, I want you to heal my right arm. I broke itst year, but it healed incorrectly. Its bent out of shape and causing trouble with my movements. I thought I might have to live with my arm like this for the rest of my life..

    Roleau said seriously as his expression warped.

    Roleau was the strongest man in the vige. He was in theter half of his twenties. Certainly having his arm partially disabled was a severe impediment. Thankfully, I could heal this degree of injury.

    I can imagine how this came to beit seems like Ill be able to help. Show me.

    I said and touched my first patients arm.

    He was the head of the viges vignce corps so getting him to owe me would be a good start.

    I let my magic flow through his body and checked his state. Roleaus body was in the state I imagined.

    Did you find anything out?

    Yes, your arm bones deformed and fused together. Its causing trouble with your joints as well.

    What do you mean?

    What I mean is that when your bones healed they didnt return to the form they used to be in. They stuck to the nearest and easiest bone there. Thats why even if your bone healed it doesnt mean that everything is fine. If we leave it as it is then it will start to affect your daily life.

    Arent you just saying that Ill never go back to normal?

    If we just let it heal normally that is the case. Between a treatment thatll hurt immensely or continue to live like this?

    Oioi, youre saying some scary stuff

    Youre making the next patient wait so hurry up and choose.

    the incredible pain is better than continuing to live like this.

    Okay then, bite down on this as hard as you can. If you scream youll give me a headache and might bite your tongue.

    I said and stuffed a bolt of cloth into Roleaus mouth.

    I made sure it was in there good and summoned water mana.

    I imagined the blood flow through Roleaus body.

    I was going to use water magic to manipte his blood-flow since blood was mostly water.

    Shake oh spirit of water.

    Along with my words the blood next to Roleaus bone violently vibrated transmitting a shock to his bones. It was an application of magic that strongly resembled Chinese kenpou.

    It was a technique that would re-break his malformed bones without harming the rest of him.

    Kuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

    PICTURE</a>

    Roleau stifled the screams that threatened to spill from his mouth.

    Since the bone was already warped, there was no choice but to break it once more and set it properly.

    I used slight external shocks to move the bone fragments into ce before covering the injured area with magic power like a cast. This should fix him.

    Roleau try to move your arm as hard as you can.

    Roleau did as I asked but the magic cast remained in ce without moving an inch. That cast should ensure that his arm heals properly.

    Finally his arm would be nearly back to normal.

    Healing

    I used my internal magic to strengthen Roleaus recovery power. It was aplex spell but nothing too difficult for me.

    Healing was a spell that strengthened self-recovery powers so it would only heal injuries that your body could.

    Thats why there was a need to arrange things properly before using it.

    Auuu, auauuuu

    The difort and pain at having his bones reconnect at high speed assaulted Roleau.

    However, the spell turned out well.

    After confirming that the bones were connected properly I ended Healing. I scanned him one more time to make sure. Now he should be alright.

    Okay, good job. Now your arm shouldnt be broken anymore. You can go now.

    Oi! How can you say its over so simply! If it was so easy I wouldve.It bends! My arm can finally bend again!

    After I removed the cloth from his mouth he started toin before suddenly his voice overflowed with true happiness.

    I told you it was fine didnt I?

    Sorry for doubting you Cyril. What would you like in return? I can give you any fur, meat, or anything I have.

    I dont need any of that. Just help me when Im in trouble and well be even.

    Is that really okay?

    Of course. If I asked for something from each viger my house would overflow.

    Thanks. I wont forget this debt.

    I just smiled.

    It wasnt out of kindness that I didnt ask for anything. I needed them to owe me. Id be troubled if they simply gave me somemon junk I didnt need and thought we were even.

    A favor given yet unpaid was heavy. They would feel the need to repay me.

    Roleau would leave this tent with the will and desire to repay me.

 Book 1: Chapter 9-2: Village Doctor

    Book 1: Chapter 9-2: Vige Doctor

    Okay whos next?

    Please heal my son. Last week he got a stomachache and its gotten worse to the point he cant even walk. Not even our familys secret medicine could cure him.

    Mom it hurts

    The next people to visit was a nearby neighbor of mine. She was a voluptuous middle-aged woman who had brought her son who was slightly younger than me.

    The young boy was breathing roughly as cold sweat flowed off his forehead.

    Elves age slowly after the first half of their teens so this mother looked as if she was still a beauty in her twenties. That raised my spirits a bit.

    Do you remember him eating anything bad?

    The boy was in too much pain to talk properly so I asked his mother instead.

    I dont.

    Did he have vomiting, fever, loss of appetite, or diarrhea?

    Everything except diarrhea.

    Kid put your hand on where it hurts.

    The young boy pressed his hand down on the right side of his abdomen.

    Based on the symptoms he most likely had appendicitis.

    Usually stomach pain and diarrheae together. If theres no diarrhea and the pain continues for a long time its usually appendicitis. Furthermore the pain was focused on the right abdomen. It was the exact location for it.

    Just in case I scanned his body with magic and saw the issue.

    UmmCyril-san can you heal him?

    The mother helplessly asked.

    I can. However, I will have to open up his abdomen to remove the source of his pain. As long as you are willing to allow me to do thatI can fix it.

    Youll cut his stomach?

    Thats right. Otherwise it cant be fixed. Your son has contracted an illness that is like a demon settling down in his guts. Unless I cut it out nothing we do will help.

    The mother hesitated and didnt answer for a while.

    ording to my knowledge as Cyril, surgery wasnt really a thing in this world.

    It was understandable that she was resistant to the idea.

    If you dont want the treatment then please head back. My other patients are waiting. Let me just tell you, if you leave your sons condition as is, itll be something really bad. The demon in his guts will go into necrosiswhen that happens the pus and intestinal fluids will leak into his body inming his internal organs. When that happens he will endure unbelievable pain and may die.

    At my words her face paled.

    Im not trying to frighten you with my words. Im simply warning you of the consequences. Either way, if you dont trust me then staying here is useless.

    Although I may seem coarse, Im the only doctor in town and I didnt have time to convince each and every person. There were people out there waiting for my help.

    Mom, Iwant to get better. If theres no other optionI want to bet on Big Bro Cyril.

    The boy said with grim resolution. He seemed to be trying to say leave it to Cyril.

    Then pleasesave my son.

    Alright. Leave it to me.

    I lifted the boy onto onto a wooden cot that Id prepared inside the tent.

    I wanted to perform the surgery in a sterilized room, but there was no such thing in this world.

    Also I wasnt going to do it inside our home because I didnt want our home stained with blood.

    Furthermore there would be sick people visiting. I didnt want Lucy to catch an illness. Thats how I ended up seeing people in this tent.

    I would cut open his stomach and utilize a magic membrane to keep everything except his abdomen from moving. We didnt have any anesthetic so I would have to do it while he was awake. If he moved around too much I could possibly kill him.

    Itll look scary so close your eyes. You should bite this as well.

    I put the cloth in his mouth so he wouldnt bite his tongue and got to work.

    This was my third time treating someone. Its just a shame they were all guys.

    Preparations should be set with this.

    I pulled a knife out of my pocket and the alcohol I had used when treating Rick.

    I poured alcohol on the cloth and wiped it on the knife to disinfect it.

    Then I wiped his stomach with the alcohol.

    Maam Ill be cutting the boys stomach. If youre afraid you may close your eyes or look away. Please dont interrupt me. If you cause me to mess up it could cost him his life.

    Alright, I understand. I wont look away and I wont bother you.

    Quite the stouthearted woman. It might be women be stronger for their children.

    I removed his shirt properly and took the knife. I made an incision 10 cm long.

    He didnt have any anesthetic and he was conscious so the pain made his body want to jump and writhehowever the magical membrane I deployed didnt let him.

    I used my magic to restrict his bloodflow keeping the blood from obscuring my vision. I stuck my hand inside to search.

    Thanks to the scan I knew where his appendix was.

    I found it quickly and grasped the root of his appendix. Then I removed my hand after securing the appendix with magic before taking my knife to the appendicitis growth.

    Since I had secured the root of the appendix blood wouldnt spout out.

    I quickly utilized Healing and limited it to his appendix. I healed the wound that came from removing the appendicitis.

    Then I removed my hand as well as what I had cut out. I stuck his skin together and once again used Healing to close up the cut.

    His stomach wound closed without leaving a scar and he looked just like he did before the treatment.

    Its over. Does your stomach still hurt?

    Uhhh? Itit doesnt hurt! It doesnt hurt Mom!

    The boy lifted his body as he cried out joyfully.

    It had been a while since I performed surgery so I let out a sigh of relief.

    Thank you so much for saving my son.

    Dont worry about it. Im happy to save one of my fellow vigers.

    How can I

    I told Roleau before, but I wont ept anything now.

    But, I have to give you my thanks

    No. If I ept from one person Ill have to ept from everyone. If you have something to give me, instead let the boy eat a nutritious meal. He should be quite weak after being unable to eat. His illness is treated but he needs nutrition.

    I will never forget this favor.

    The woman said tearfully as she bowed her head with her son and left.

    I could tell that the people outside were getting excited.

    Two patients that they didnt think could be cured had gone inside the tent and were healed. Their expectations had been raised.

    Okay, whos next?

    And so I treated 8 people before noon came around.

    ******************************

    The time I had set aside for treating people was over, but the number of patients hadnt decreased.

    Even now someone I told toe back tomorrow was pressing me.

    Cant you please treat me today? My back is killing me.

    Sorry. I only open the clinic in the morning.

    Cant you do something!?

    Even after treating so many in the morning, the patients had only increased.

    Up til now I had used every trick I knew to heal old wounds, bodily injuries, and everything else I could fix.

    Many people hade to request things of me.

    Ill be treating people again tomorrow morning. Im sorry, but I have other work to do. I only have 5 days to make a weapon that can pierce through armor or Ill be tied up and handed over to the Empire. Sorry but I cant treat people all day.

    I put a look of honest apology on my face as I said that.

    Thats rightyou did have to do that Cyril. Sorry to take up your time like this.

    Alright we wont be unreasonable.

    Everyone calmed themselves after seeing my modest attitude.

    I cant do it in the afternoon, but Ill be back tomorrow. You cane then.

    Is that okay Cyril?

    Yeah, I was the one to propose treating people. Its a change of pace. I want to do everything I can for the people in this vige. Healing illness and injury is part of this, but making weapons to fight against the Empire is to protect all of our lives. I cant ignore either of them.

    Did I go a little too far with my cheesy lines?

    I thought as I peeked at their facesbut they seemed to have epted my words.

    Good luck Cyril. I believe you can do it.

    Yeah, everyones cheering you on. Youre an amazing guy so you can make weapons no problem.

    The elves were basically all good people so they easily became my allies.

    The real test was after I had made the weapons, but at this rate I believed we would be able to work together.

    Thank you all. Illwork hard.

    I hid my inner thoughts and tried to make a smile that would improve their opinions of me.

    I guess you could say my first step was a sess.

    I hadid some groundwork for the big job thaty ahead. These efforts wille to fruition in the future.

 Book 1: Chapter 10-1: Kuiro

    Book 1: Chapter 10-1: Kuiro

    Lucy had finished her fieldwork ande back so we decided to have lunch together. Today I wanted to liven things up a bit so we went out to a small grove of trees near the vige.

    Although the harvest had ended, there were still preparations to be made for next years nting.

    They had to remove the roots of the previous nts properly as well as prepare the soil.

    The work needed to be finished before the snow piled up and made any fieldwork impossible. Like this we would be able to nt new crops as soon as spring rolled around.

    For now the sky was clear and the breeze was nice and cool.

    Lucy had just sat down on the grass when I noticed a maple leaf stuck to her head. I couldnt help but chuckle.

    Lucy youve got a leaf stuck on your head.

    Ah.youre right. This maple leaf is yellowthat means fall is already here.

    Indeedsoon winter will be here.

    Lucy looked at the leaf with some regret as she let it drop.

    Then she took a breath and opened her mouth.

    Recently Ive felt surprised every time I look at you Cyril. I had no idea youd be able to take on the job of a Doctor. Even as I was working out in the fields the rumors about it reached me. Like you fixing the roughneck Roleaus arm or curing Renatsu-sans son of his incurable disease.

    Well those were simple treatments. Its nothing much.

    It feels like youll be able to cure any type of illness or injury with how you are now

    I smiled wryly at how seriously Lucy said those words.

    Even I wasnt that omnipotent.

    There are plenty of things I cannot cure. For example a virus that targets the bodys immune system and causes it to fail cant be fixed by my hands. Treating someones eyes or a deficiency of the body would render me helpless. An extremepound fracture would also be nearly impossible. Tendons and muscles that havepletely snapped cant be cured by these methods either. Also I cant cure cancer since it is a fundamental issue with the cells. Furthermore extreme burns cant be cured by my methods as of now.

    Basically my magic was meant to strengthen self-recovery abilities and immune system activity.

    Im able to heal simple wounds and broken bonesI can even boost the immune system to destroy a cold quickly. But further than that is almost impossible.

    Certainly I had plenty of knowledge and experience. Those would allow me to make proper preparations and expand my abilities to treat things. However, even that had its limits.

    I dont know what a lot of those things are CyrilI dont understand.

    Ahsorry. Im just trying to say, dont think I can cure anything. Be sure that you act carefully to prevent injury and illness as usual.

    I said with a smile as Lucy tilted her head with some confusion.

    Anyways, whats for lunch?

    Too keep it warm I had purposefully carried it over in an earthenware pot before splitting it up into some deep dishes for Lucy and I.

    Since we had decided to eat out here on a whim so we had to carry all our stuff out this way.

    Its really delicious. Ive never tasted it before. What is it?

    Its suiton soup. You dilute wheat flour into water and mix with deer soup stock.

    I had taken a portion of the deer meat.

    ording to Lucys morals it was borderline eptable to take that much meat since I was the one who hunted it.

    Also I had secretly taken two boxes full of food just in case the Vige Chief decided to abandon everything and run off with our goods. Those boxes of food would be the hope of the vige.

    It has a strange texture when you chew it. The soups taste floods your mouth. Un, this suiton thing is good. It tastes delicious and saves wheat.

    Ah so you noticed. We have to be careful how much wheat and salt we use.

    Since Suiton used wheat that was diluted with water, it filled your stomach more quickly. Thanks to the vor of the soup it was satisfying despite being lightly seasoned.

    The suiton soup we ate today used very little wheat and salt.

    To make the suiton soup you simply cooked deer bones and meat, vegetables, and wheat flour together.

    The vor was fairly weak. Thanks to the deer bones and the wild vegetables it had some vor, but it feltcking without salt.

    As I thought.lets use salt Lucy.

    Nope. We wontst until the next distribution day if we do.

    All the food in the vige was stored in the Vige Chiefs storehouse. Then at certain times it was divided up to be shared amongst the vigers. This was the easiest way to divide up the supplies given by the Empire. This was one more policy wed have to reconsider.

    Then next time we get our supplies why dont we ask for some extra for distinguished service?

    Thats no good. If we get more to eat then someone else in the vige will go hungry. Itll bother me so much I wont be able to enjoy my food.

    I knowyoure that kind of girl Lucy.

    I smiled. She was a straightforward and kind girl through and through. She was the opposite of me which is what attracted me to her so strongly.

    Thanks for the meal. I have to go back to the fields for the afternoonbut what will you do Cyril?

    I was thinking that I would start crafting the weapon in earnest.

    What kind of weapon is it?

    A type of bow.

    Lucys eyes widened at my words.

    Then she forcefully cried out

    Thats impossible! Even your fathers longbow couldnt pierce through their armor! No matter how strong the bow it wont be able to pierce through. Lets think of something else.

    Lucys statement wasnt necessarily wrong.

    My father was the best archer in the vige. He used a huge longbow 160 cm in length.

    As expected from its size, it had plenty of power. The power needed to use it (the power needed to draw the bow) was 45 kg (99 lbs).

    (TN: heavy draw but urate for a longbow from the middle-ages)

    Compared to the bows that were popr in Heisei Era Japan which had a draw weight of 15kg. The power produced was 3 times greater.

    You could even say that a draw weight of 45kg was at the limits of practicality when drawing the bow with one arm.

    My fathers arrows that had such strength behind them were able to pierce through the crude iron armor of the foot-soldiersbut only left scratches on the higher quality armor of themanding officers.

    It had been five years since then and the Empires iron smithing had obviously improved further. I believe that my fathers arrows would no longer be able to pierce foot-soldiers armor.

 Book 1: Chapter 10-2: Kuiro

    Book 1: Chapter 10-2: Kuiro

    Even so, it can only be a bow. Itll be fine. I have a great idea. I wont promise something that cant be done.

    Can Ican I believe you Cyril?

    Lucyyoure the one person I wont lie to. Ill do my best to forge a path ahead.

    Somehowthose words you said dont feel too trustworthy.

    Lucy smiled wryly and sighed.

    But even so I could tell she was holding back herughter. No matter what she said I could tell she believed in me.

    As long as you can live your life happily itll be worth it. Also make sure to finish all your food.

    I said and held out a small dish with cranberries on it.

    After lecturing Lucy yesterday I had entered the mountains to collect plenty of them. These would be the best medicine to cure Lucys slight vitamin deficiency.

    Do I have to eat all of them?

    Yep. You may not realize it Lucybut you have an illness. You have to get proper vitamins and minerals. Thats rightyou still have a punishment pending right? You have to listen to one of my requests right? Then do thisno matter what Iy out on the table you need to eat it all without leaving any.

    ..this is for my benefit so its not a punishment. Choose a different requestterIll eat my food properly. Uuuuu, so sour.

    Lucy grimaced as she stuffed the cranberries in her mouth.

    It was very sour and thanks to me asking her to eat sour things like this daily, I could tell she really didnt like them.

    If we had sugar I could mix the berries with water and make juice or jam to make it easier to eat.

    Its fine. Sugar is too high ss for us to use anytime we want.

    Lucy is my Princess so its fine if you let me spoil you.

    ..then this Princess prays she doesnt get her Prince taken away. Hurry and let me have peace of mind. If theres anything I can do then tell me anytime.

    Lucy said as she got up to leave for her work.

    Oh thats right.are you properly using the dynamic vision strengthening spell?

    Un, I am. I asionally let my eyes chase the ck ball.

    Thats good. Okay then, see youter.

    Ill be back.

    We had work to do so we couldnt do too muchbut still we did muscle strengthening and dynamic vision strengthening every now and again. Slowly doing it daily was important.

    Furthermore, when night fell we did exercises to maintain our flexibility.

    It was a very rewarding time since I got to touch Lucys soft and fragrant body without guilt.

    For now that was as much as we could aplish since we had to do our own respective jobs. Once winter came around I would slowly teach Lucy magic.

    As I let my thoughts drift, I waved Lucy goodbye.

    ****************************************

    I exited the vige and headed to the hill that provided a blind spot.

    I carried as much lumber as I could on my back.

    My objective was the ce I had hidden the armor and weapons from sight.

    Thank goodness. I wouldnt even be able tough if everything was taken.

    I couldnt help but to say.

    I would be using the swords and armor here as ingredients to make the weapons.

    This work would necessitate fire and earth attribute magic which my current self was unable to use with any precision.

    Thanks to that I would have to summon my past self which specialized in such magic. But first I needed the materials.

    If I needed to take them out of Deets Item Box then Id have to wait for another 12 hours before using Samsara Recursion again. I wouldve wasted an entire day.

    Liberate me my soul. Let a miracle beyond time descend upon me here.

    I intoned the chant for Samsara Recursion.

    The one I would call today was

    I desire the red hot steel of a metal world, the Master cksmith who trained to the peak, his name is.

    At that time I lived in a world that had been strangely developed by alchemy and crafting.

    A world constantly colored by smoke and mes.

    I had been born in that world as the race closest with metal and polished my skills for an entire lifetime.

    My name back then was

    Kuiro! Samsara Recursion!

    As those words escaped my mouth my body was enveloped in light.

    Then a beard began to sprout on my face as my body stretched out to 180cm in height. My physique became bulky and muscr.

    My clothes changed into work clothes made from heat resistant animal pelt. A special hammer which had been tempered with alchemy appeared in my hands.

    Yes, I had be a Dwarf.the Dwarf Kuiro.

    I seesince Kuiro doesnt have a special magic like Deet or extremely high magic power, Im able to release most of his power. My time limit should be pretty long as well.

    My time limit was 122 minutes.

    Plus based on the 64 souls I had devoured using Deets Soul Eater I could tell that Kuiros magic consumption was quite efficient.

    Deet always digitized damage using magic, ate enemy souls using Soul Eater, and greatly strengthened my body so he had poor magical efficiency. I forcibly cheated by summoning him at a low levelbut there was a limit to that.

    Nevertheless, the incredible usefulness of Soul Eater and Item Box made it nigh impossible to not utilize him.

    That aside it was way better whenpared to my Dragon self. If I entered that form then I would only be able tost 2 seconds at most. If I used my full strength in my Dragon form then two seconds would be enough however

    Kuiro is good because hes simple.

    Kuiro didnt have any constantly active magic effects.

    He simply had the Dwarf characteristic of being well loved by ore, having skilled hands, and great affinity with fire and earth magic.

    As an Elf my attributes were

    Earth: 30, Fire: 10, Wind: 90, Water: 70

    However, as a Dwarf my attributes were

    Earth: 100, Fire: 80, Wind: 5, Water: 5

    I had transformed into an existence of earth and fire.

    Alright, lets hurry and get this done. Ill wield Kuiros legendary skills to the fullest.

    And so I called out to the Earth Mana.

    The reaction was very good. With this Id be able to craft the best weapons possible in this situation.

 Book 1: Chapter 11-1: Crossbow

    Book 1: Chapter 11-1: Crossbow

    Earth, tell me your nature.

    I appealed to the earth mana and analyzed the 100 meters ofnd beneath me.

    Okay good. This is nice soil, its got enough y and quartz.

    I let out a sigh of relief.

    They were normal things that you could find anywhere. You could find y if you dug a little and you could find quartz with sand.

    If youve seen white stones on the beach then youve seen quartz.

    {Material Maniption: y}

    It was a magic spell that that used earth mana to manipte particr substances.

    y without impurities was being extracted from the ground.

    It undted around me in a radius of around 30m.

    Then as the amount increased it grew towards the sky. When it reached around 5 meters it closed in above me and blocked out the sky.

    I stood in the midst of the 5 meter tall dome I had created.

    The dome had a few 60cm square openings and one 2 meter tall doorway.

    I walked through that and stepped outside.

    {Material Maniption: Quartz}

    Then I used the quartz to fill up the smaller openings.

    I finished doing my work with earth mana after fixing things properly.

    Next is fire. Fire Mana I will borrow your power. {me Prison}

    I used fire mana and created a huge congration.

    Mypatibility with fire was 80, it was slightly lower than earth but it was plenty good for my purposes.

    The domes 30m radius was at the limits of my fire control. Fire mana was very difficult to control properly, so even with mypetence I couldnt go much further.

    The mes that summoned surrounded the y and quartz dome inside and out.

    I adjusted the mes slightly as I watched the dome being baked as if in an oven.

    Slowly the y was baked reddish-brown and the quartz turned into a red hot liquid.

    At this level using both fire and earth magic together was difficult, but I somehow made it through using Kuiros high affinities.

    I slowly removed the impurities from the red hot melted quartz. Unlike y the quartz couldnt be purified unless it was heated.

    After the y had fully hardened and the impurities were removed from the quartz I changed my spell.

    {Cooling}

    Fire magic wasnt just simple magic to light fires. It was magic that maniptes temperature. I used the cooling version of it.

    It removed the excess heat from the y and cooled the melted quartz.

    Once it cooled quickly the quartz became clear and turned into silica ss. The quartz sss transparency was as high or even better than regr ss.

    Good all done. As expected of a dwarfs skills. Making a simple workshop in the blink of an eye.

    Even I admired this kind of skill.

    Baking y into brick. Melting quartz to produce ss. Both of these were simple manufacturing jobs, but altogether they usually needed high cost equipment.

    Once the job had switched to creating a house, it was no longer as simple as all that. You had to be cautious about the bricks changing size due to the heat and cautious about properly removing the smaller impurities from the quartz.

    Before burning things you needed to perceive how it would affect the final product through experience. This is where the Dwarf Kuiros sixth sense showed its true worth.

    Okay, now its time for the swords and armor.

    I used the earth mana to manipte the armor and swords and ced them inside the earthen dome.

    As I thought, earth magic really is convenient. Being unable to use it in my Elven form was truly frustrating.

    I wonder how much I can aplish today.

    I used fire magic to melt the armor and moved some of the metal to make a door to seal the room properly. I made the necessary adjustments to allow it to open and close.

    Thispletes my rudimentary workshop.

    It was finally time to make the weapons.

    I focused and activated my magic to melt all the weapons and armor.

    As I thought, the Empire is still inexperienced in utilizing iron. Its filled with impurities. Practically pig iron at this point.

    If you simply smelt iron ore once it will barely have any durability.

    The impurities had to be eliminated to make iron a suitable material for crafting. You would need a high power furnace, knowledge, and technique to do it properly. The weapons and armor I had melted were ill-made.

    The various metals and materials within the weapons and armor were melted and separated into different ingots.

    Then once the ingots were produced I melted them down once more and mixed them together to produce proper steel.

    Pure iron is a great metal on its own, but introducing certain impurities can change the properties of the metal itself.

    I was making the rim of the bow right now. It was what I would use to hold the bowstring.

    What I was aiming for was a metal that would bend properly and have spring power. Using my Dwarven experience and intuition Ibined materials together to create a suitable rim alloy.

    I utilized the metal and impurities from the armor and swords to craft the best alloy I could.

    Then I took the metal and cast it into the shape of the rim I wanted to create.

    It was around 50cm in size. For a bow it would be quite small, but this was just the right size. After all it was just one part of the crossbow I was crafting.

    Including spares I would be able to make 50 of these. Using the dwarf skills I had I would be able to create 50 of them with nary a millimeters difference between them.

    Next I would have to make the reel that wouldunch the arrows, then the two part trigger mechanism, and finally the pedal that was attached to the front of the crossbow.

    Each of these items were easy to craft since they only needed simple molds to pour the metal into. Even with my skills I couldnt simply pour materials into a cast and produce aplete crossbow all at once.

 Book 1: Chapter 11-2: Crossbow

    Book 1: Chapter 11-2: Crossbow

    Next I need the arrows, screws, and the springs.

    I needed to make more of these than needed. I had enough materials for them in my area so I could make as many as necessary.

    The crossbow arrows were called bolts. They were thick and short iron rods. This was the ideal form for the greatest pration power possible. If you cut corners during this process it would cause uracy to drop sharply.

    I was used to crafting crossbows. I often made them in countries that were underdeveloped.

    Using my knowledge, magi control, and the strong crafting abilities of the dwarven people I would be able to make guns which would be better than crossbows. However

    I cant get any gunpowder.

    Thats right, to make gunpowder I needed saltpeter. Its not as if I couldnt be lucky and find myself a saltpeter minebut it wasnt realistic. There was also a way to get saltpeter from excrement as well.

    It would take around 5 years to produce and a few battles would eat up almost a years worth of saltpeter produced that way. It was again, an unrealistic idea.

    There was also the option of purchasing saltpeter, but it was rare and expensive. Basically maintaining a troop of gunmen was a money eating venture so we couldnt support it.

    Plus maintenance would be an issue.

    Even simple guns like matchlock rifles would get distorted barrels or be jammed by soot. Simple issues would lower their usability. To use them properly a certain amount of education would be needed.

    On the other hand, crossbows only require a small amount of teaching and training to be viable inbat. Furthermore it was simple in structure.

    The other issue is how much iron it would need.

    Inparison to the crossbow the guns would need to use more iron. If you added in the bullets to the sum then I wouldnt be able to produce a suitable amount. Metal was a precious resource. It was useful for much more than just weapons. The only real way I had of procuring it was stealing from the Empire, which wasnt an option right now.

    For the crossbow, much of it could be made using wood instead of iron.

    The only issue with that is that I would have to make them by hand.

    Since the woodponents had to be crafted by hand I heaved a sigh as I got to work.

    Yesterday I had cut some trees into medium sized lumber.

    So now I had to cut them to the size of the crossbow. I took out my knife and strengthened the cutting edge with magic. It cut through the wood like a hot knife through butter.

    The wood that would be the foundation of the crossbow was carved, a hole was made through which the rim could pass, then another hole for the grip, and finally onest hole to attach the pedal.

    The true skills of a dwarf were shown in the ability to craft an item straight from an idea in their heads.

    Okay, all the parts should be fine.

    I began attaching the various parts to the wooden stock and used the screws to fasten them properly. I attached the spring for resetting the trigger.

    I attached the reel and the iron loop to the top.

    With this the crossbow isplete. I just had to attach the bowstring and itd be ready.

    A normal string wont cut it so I guess Ill have to craft that as well.

    I began the final crafting process. I baked some wood at low temperatures creating charcoal. I used my earth magic to manipte carbon fibers within it to create a simple carbon fiber.

    Carbon Fiber is one of the strongest types of thread on Earth. If you braided it together into thicker rope then it would be even stronger.

    I stretched the bowstring across the rim.

    Now I could call this a finished product.

    I tried it once as a test. I pulled the trigger, the reel released, and I released the trigger causing the spring to reset the firing mechanism.

    I guess Ill pull it back once for a proper test.

    I pulled the string with my enhanced physical strength and hooked it onto the reel. I didnt forget to estimate the draw strength of the crossbow as I did so.

    HmmIt should be around 89kg of draw weight. Around double that of my fathers long bow.

    The strong spring-loaded power, carbon fiber string, and 50cm rim all contributed to provide double the power of a simple wooden bow.

    Of course it wasnt something people could normally pull. I had added some elements to the bow that would make it possible for even a weak young girl like Lucy to be able to pull it.

    Bang!

    I said as I pulled the trigger as the reel released and allowed the bowstring to snap forward with incredible force.

    Doing this without an arrow on the string would eventually cause issues with the crossbow so I dont rmend doing this.

    All thats left is a proper test firing.

    I stopped my magic physical reinforcement.

    Then I began loading the crossbow the proper way. I ced the ring on the front end onto the ground, put my right foot through the loop, stepped on it, and began pulling the string with both arms using my back muscles.

    Indeed the limit for a human pulling a bow with one arm was around 45kg. However, if you used both arms and the muscles on your back then you could do it easily. Even a High School girl had back muscles with a total strength of around 100kg. They should be able to pull an 89kg bow like this.

    I calmly pulled the bowstring with my back andtched it onto the reel.

    This time I was going to test out the firing capabilities so I ced a bolt on the string. I had dug out a groove so the bolt wouldnt fall off the crossbow. It sat inside the groove nicely.

    This should mean that the bolt was fairly urate.

    I pointed the crossbow at a set of fairly good armor I had purposefully left unmelted.

    Nowlets see. Will it pierce through?

    I pulled the trigger.

    The crossbow bolt flew out at an initial velocity of 102m/s at the armor. Then, it quite easily pierced through.

    Okayit looks like Ive cleared my assignment. All thats left is too see how many I can put together in five days.

    Weapons only had real meaning once you built up a certain amount.

    If it was only a single one, then it would mean nothing even if it could harm them.

    It was something meant to be used as a group.

    As I thought about that my time limit arrived.

    My appearance reverted to Cyril. Then a sense of exhaustion flooded my body.

    Fuu, from now on its a fight against time.

    I had plenty ofponents ready, but the issue was I needed to carve the woodenponents by hand.

    In order to reduce the amount of iron used I had decided the main body of the crossbow would be made of wood. Each of those would take 15 minutes to craft even with dwarven skills.

    The time limit I could be Kuiro was 122 minutes so I could only craft 8 at a time maximum.

    I could craft it as Cyril as wellbut I was afraid the quality would suffer.

    At this point in time itd be best to just turn into Kuiro and do the job properly.

    I decided that and ended my work for the day.

    I believed the day the crossbow would debut was close.

 Book 1: Chapter 12-1: Safety Zone

    Book 1: Chapter 12-1: Safety Zone

    Recently youve been a Doctor in the morning and then you leave the vige in the afternoondid you finish the weapon?

    Yeah, I did. Im in the midst of mass producing it now.

    If its finished then lets hurry and see it!

    Lucy suddenly shouted as we ate our usual lunch of suiton soup.

    Since our wheat was running low we didnt have any bread to go along with the soup.

    For bread you could use less wheat if you had yeast. Itd make the bread rise and make it more filling, however unfortunately yeast took time to make. I had secretly used some cranberries to begin making yeast two days ago. Unfortunately it would take at least two more days to finish.

    Its not even the end of the fourth day. I have two days left including today.

    Only two days left!?

    Its plenty. Plus using all of my time limit isnt for nothing, I have a proper reason.

    Reason?

    Un, showing them the weapon isnt the end. In fact thats where the real thing starts.

    The Vige Chief never believed I could make a weapon that would pierce through the Empires armor and simply epted my condition without much thought. Just because I had created a weapon that would allow us to fight the Empire didnt mean he decided to fight them. In fact I suspect hell do his best to hinder me.

    Even when I show that I can pierce the armor many people will have objections and arguments. Until then I want to increase their approval of me as much as I can. I want to increase the persuasiveness and impact of my disy. For this reason I need to take advantage of the full 5 days so I can make the vigers owe me and increase the amount of weapons I have. Just imagineinstead of one or two weapons, a big line-up of them will have much more impact.

    I said sipping on my mugwort tea.

    Mugwort was a perennial nt that you could get year-round. It was usable as food, medicine, and other things.

    I was really happy when I found it growing in the forest nearby.

    Thats just like you Cyril.

    How do you mean?

    Youre not looking just at whats in front of you.youre looking further into the future. A normal person like me just runs around fearfully.

    Its a matter of experience and familiarity. Before long youll be able to think in terms of the future Lucy.

    I wanted to do my best and catch up to you Cyril, but it seems like my task keeps getting more challenging.

    Lucy was truly trying to be an existence that could walk shoulder-to-shoulder with me. She had been putting in the effort.

    It seems like this conversation had frustrated her because she wasnt able to predict my thoughts properly. I felt a certain pleasant feeling from watching her like this.

    As we spent our happy times together in this house there was a knock at the door. It was a guest.

    I stood up to open the door.

    Cyril this is amazing. My work has gotten much easier. I can get rid of the tough roots with a single pull. I should be able to nt more fields next year.

    Roleau, the viges number one roughneck, disyed his hoe as he boasted. asionally I wondered whether or not a muscr, sweaty, and hyper-masculine man like Roleau was even an Elf.

    Roleau had brought one of the viges wooden hoes. If you looked closely, this particr hoe was made entirely of wood with only the tip being made with metal. Even this much reduced the work-load.

    Yesterday I had made 5 of these hoes as samples and prioritized giving them to stronger vigers like Roleau.

    The weaker women and children like Lucy maintained the fields and threshed the wheat. However, the men like Roleau plowed barrennds and deforested areas to provide more room for fields.

    I had given them some help to aid them in their work.

    Im just d I could make things easier.

    Well about that.everyone who saw kept saying I want one. We have 20 spare hoes that we arent using today. I brought them over in hopes that you could attach a metal de to them.

    Sure, I dont mind.

    Man, it feels like you can do anything.

    I cant do everything. Im just a little more skilled than the average person.

    And you wont ept any repayment this time either?

    Nope. This is all just good will. You dont have to attach a price to it.

    Thanks for everything. I will.no well do anything if you need it Cyril. Just tell us if you need something.

    Roleau said and left the hoes behind as he returned to work.

    Once again this would raise my value in the vige. Whenever they swung their improved farming tools my face would probablye to mind.

    Incidentally, only using metal on the de of the hoe was to save metal.

    My leftover iron was limited. If I had made them out of iron entirely my entire stock would disappear in moments.

    Hey Cyril youre even doing that kind of stuff?

    Well yeah. I have some other things too.

    It seems like you were telling the truth when you said you had time. Youre being softhearted and helping everyone outbut youre not escaping from reality because you couldnt create the weapons right?

    It was true that I had extra time. During the past four days I had 12 hours between each time I could be a dwarf. This meant that whilepleting my target number of crossbows I could use the extra time to do other tasks.

    If I die itll make you sad, right Lucy? I wont do anything to make you sad Lucy so you dont have to worry about that.

    Then please at least show me the weapon you made. I trust in you Cyril, but even so Im scared. Ill be more at ease if you could show me.

    Thats no good. Just wait a little longer.

    I smiled wryly.

    I needed to reassure Lucy soon.

    For that showing her the crossbow would be the best methodbut I had a reason I couldnt do that.

    To save this vige I had to create a situation where my opinions would get through. For that reason I was gaining trust from the vigershowever that alone wasnt enough.

    The most effective way to do this would be to overthrow the current leader of the vige. I couldnt do it directly, but I could spread the poison around. I had failed to curry favor with the Chief by letting him skim off the top of the goods when I delivered them. However, I had left something inside there as insurance. Furthermore, this period where I made it seem I was unable to make the weapon was another type of poison.

    Tomorrow I would debut the crossbow in front of everyone. Tonight I would take Lucy outte and allow her to practice with the crossbow while everyone slept.

    Until then I wanted everyone to see how worried Lucy looked. They would see how worried she was. Since she was the closest person to me it would invite negligence on their part.

    I felt sorry for her, but right now I needed her to endure.

 Book 1: Chapter 12-2: Safety Zone

    Book 1: Chapter 12-2: Safety Zone

    Finally the deadline arrived.

    Its finally the promised daydid you make the weapon Cyril?

    I was epting patients as the doctor as I did every morning.

    The Vige Chief Nietzschemy uncle. He had some muscr henchmen behind him.

    It was most likely an attempt to make sure I wouldnt escape.

    Lucy grasped my clothes tightly. She had asked the other elves in the fields for the day off so she could spend the day with me.

    Of course I did. Gather everyone in the vige for the demonstration. There are still people waiting for treatment so well do it in the afternoon. I have preparations to make as well.

    The Vige Chiefughed scornfully at my words.

    It seems like he didnt believe me.

    What use is buying time at this juncture? How about you stop struggling pointlessly? The Empire hasnt sent any soldiers to the vige yet which means your theft hasnt been discovered. Ill hide the food you stole well. If I offer you to them then the vige will be saved and our lives can continue. Please understand. Its difficult for me to have to hand over my brothers son. But I must for the sake of the vige.

    The Vige Chief said with superficial sorrow.

    However, I could see whaty beneath. If he handed me over the crime of killing the soldiers would be squarely on my head.

    Thanks to the value of the magic stones our vige would not be harmed unnecessarily. Of course if he could hide the fact that I attacked the supply base and instead simply asked for their usual supply theyd be able to enjoy the luxury of having both sources of food.

    Everyday life huh? You want the everyday life where we sell the lives of our friends and family?

    I filled my voice with ridicule.

    Originally I had wanted to take the route of obtaining the Vige Chiefs favorbut since that was already impossible I would go the opposite way. I no longer needed to conceal my true feelings.

    Thanks to me curing many people in the vige and providing useful tools to the workers my poprity had shot through the roof. I had some confidence that I would find plenty of allies amongst the vigers.

    Even now the patients who had gathered at my house for treatment were ring at the Chief.

    You can say whatever you like! Its better than getting wiped out since we cant win!

    Thats why I created a weapon. A weapon that can beat Empire soldiers.

    Then show it to me right now.

    I told you I had some preparations to make. Furthermore itd be best to have as many spectators as possible right? I want everyone in the vige to see.

    At my words the patients who had gathered for treatment nodded in agreement.

    However, just these people werent enough for me. I wanted as many people as possible to show off my crossbow piercing the armor.

    Hm. Then when the sun is high in the sky well show it in the public square. I wont wait more than that!!

    Understood. Thats fine. Everyone please tell as many people as you can about it. Its my big moment where the fate of our vige will be decided.

    Plenty of the people raised their voices in agreement.

    By the time noon rolled around it wouldve spread through the vige.

    Tell me Chiefwould it be best for you if I didnt have a weapon that could fight the Empire?

    I honestly threw out that question.

    The Chief probably heard my question like this.

    Do you want to continue our very to the Empire without a fight?

    In truth itd most likely be more beneficial for the Chief to maintain the status quo.

    Unlike the normal vigers, the Chief was in a position where he could distribute all the goods amongst the vige. He was probably living a more luxurious life than when we were free.

    Furthermore, there was a dark secret. Although the selection of elves who would die seemed randomthe Vige Chief was the one who sent a list of rmended people to the Empire beforehand.

    During my preparatory phase I had sneaked into the Chiefs house to obtain proof.

    As the ruler of the vige he had no fear of losing those important to him.

    Thats why he simply took the Empires control easily. He turned his eyes away from the suffering of the vigers as he did so.

    It was an inevitable thing. Everyone held their own selves preciously.

    If they were safe then they wouldnt fight unnecessarily.

    However, I couldnt forgive this.

    I would end this deception.

    Th-thats not true. E-even I dont like having to listen to whatever the Empire says.

    The Chiefs face cramped up as he said words that were unconvincing at best.

    I see, then thats good. Ill be looking forward to this afternoon.

    I said with a refreshing smile.

    This expression would mess with the Chiefs intuition the most.

    As I thoughtyoure just like my big brother. Even so, if you try and y any tricks..If you fail I wont show mercy!!

    Thats the deal. Ill keep my word.

    I said as the Chief left with his entourage.

    One of the patients called out worriedly.

    Did you really make a weapon? Youve been working hard for everyone in the vige so did you even have time to make one?

    A woman who I had just treated asked.

    Of course I have. It was because I finished it that I had all this free time.

    Seeing how youve been Cyril it doesnt sound like a joke.

    A male elf said and everyoneughed in agreement.

    This was a good tendency. Many people in the vige had begun to see me as an indispensable part of it.

    I thought about how to fire things up for the debut of the crossbow this afternoon as I continued to treat my patients.

    From this point onits do-or-die.

 Book 1: Chapter 13-1: Bow and Freedom

    Book 1: Chapter 13-1: Bow and Freedom

    Lucy and I left the house a little earlier so we would be on time.

    In the middle of the Vige Gathering Hall was a single set of armor. The armor they had set up was the higher quality armor that the Captain of the soldiers was wearing. It was no coincidence they had chosen this set.

    Now then Cyrilshow us how you will pierce through this thick armor.

    The Vige Chief cried out pompously.

    Most of the vigers had gathered to watch. I could clearly see many looked uneasy and some looked curious.

    Lucy was hiding next to me as her shoulders quivered in anxiety.

    Amongst all this I put a look of confidence bordering on arrogance and looked at all the vigers.

    I was trying to convey that it was alright, I could do this.

    Then I softly ced my hand on Lucys shoulder.

    Her quivering subsided a little at my touch.

    Ill show you. I will introduce before your eyes a weapon that can pierce this armor a new type of bow that I have produced. I call it a crossbow.

    I revealed the iron and wood crossbow and held it aloft.

    I could clearly see the vigers eyes dim with disappointment and the Chief and his followers expressions lighten.

    It was the reaction I expected.

    Are you crazy Cyril!? Even your fathers longbow couldnt pierce the armor. How do you expect such a toy to do so?

    No matter how you look at it its impossible.

    Remember he said hed make a bow that Lucy could use? This is probably the bow for womens use.

    The Chief and his followers jeered.

    I smiled as I opened my mouth to speak.

    At least a little I wanted to bring this side-show to its climax.

    Once upon a time Elf warriors were unrivaled! With the power of wind behind our bows we could defeat all our enemies!

    It was a story of our glorious past.

    Even hundreds of years ago the humans desired the magic stones within our hearts. Theyunched countless invasionsbut we continued to defeat them up until they started wearing full metal armor.

    Our Elven warriorsmanded the wind as our enemys arrows fell short and ours hit their marks.

    Elven warriors who controlled the power of wind.

    In battle our enemies would always be forced to fire their arrows through a headwind. Us elves would always have favorable winds and air-resistance would be meaningless to our arrows. We boasted of unmatched and incredible range.

    In long-distance warfare we crushed any foe.

    However, five years ago the Empires iron smithing progressed allowing their soldiers to don metal armor that could block our arrows. Our arrows were broken along with our pride. Our mighty Elven warriors fell one after another and finally we fell to the invaders.

    The cause of thisplete change in fortune was the distribution of metal armor. The craftsmen of the Empire were finally able to make armor that our arrows could not pierce through.

    The arrows that would hit no matter the distance, were repelled by armor and once the soldiers closed in on themour greatest soldiers and archers were killed one or two at a time. We lost our ability to resist.

    Our glory lives and dies with our archery. The only way to take back our lost honor and pride is to craft a bow strong enough to pierce through the Empires armor and dignity! With that aplished we can finally take our next steps!

    I shouted with my voice filled with emotion.

    Now look at the arrow that will rebuild our tattered pride!

    I reverently bowed, pulled the crossbow string, and set the arrow in the groove before handing it to Lucy.

    But as I was doing so I stopped suddenly.

    I could see her hands trembling.

    I looked and saw her face was stiff and her countenance pale.

    At this rate things would turn out poorly.

    I whispered in a voice that only Lucy could hear.

    If youre nervous I can teach you a little charm to help. Here put your hands together and show me.

    U-un

    Thisll hurt a little but just bear it.

    Eh?

    Lucys face turned nk in confusion as I quickly pped both my hands over her hands.

    A pping sound echoed out.

    That hurt Cyril

    Lucyined in a low voice as the shock wore off. Her expression looked much better than it did a few seconds ago.

    But it stopped your shaking. You dont need to think too hard. Just do it like you practicedst night. Its not even 10 meters. At this distance you could hit it even with your eyes shut right?

    But but what if I mess up.

    If you do that how about I spank you? Of course itll be your bare butt.

    Saying jokes at a time like this

    I say this because its a time like this. Look go on our there and knock em dead.

    Youre the same as always Cyril. You make me feel like its absurd to be nervous.

    Lucy smiled a tiny bit. She should be alright now.

    Lucy took the crossbow into her slender hands and faced the armor and pulled the trigger.

    Bam! A dry sound echoed as the arrow pierced through the armor easily and pierced into the ground behind it.

    I roughly mussed Lucys hair in joy.

    This cant be!

    Unbelievable

    An arrow shot out by a little girl can pierce armor?

    That little bow?

    The surroundings were in an uproar. Their agitation showed no end in sight.

    The crossbow I had crafted had around two times the power of a longbow. It show arrows at an initial velocity of 102 m/s. The full speed would reach around 360 km/h. This much power would definitely pierce armor of this quality.

    Its as you see here everyone. This bow can be used by women and children and each of them can pierce through armor. With these weapons anyone can fight against the Empire!

    I spoke up to raise their excitement further.

    However

    Dont let him fool you! It certainly pierced through the armor but he was the one who pulled the bowstring beforehand! Theres no way a young girl like Lucy could pull back the string on such a powerful bow!

    The Vige Chief quickly shouted his objections.

 Book 1: Chapter 13-2: Bow and Freedom

    Book 1: Chapter 13-2: Bow and Freedom

    I seethen Lucy try what I taught you yesterday.

    Un, okay.

    Lucy calmed down thanks to the joy she felt after properly using the crossbow to pierce through the armor. She grabbed the crossbow, ced the iron loop on the ground and stuck her foot through it before stepping down.

    Then she took out the S-shaped tool I gave her yesterday and hooked it onto the crossbow string. She held it with both hands and pulled using her back muscles to pull back the string.

    Using simple arm strength to pull the string would be impossible for her, but using both arms and her back muscles she could do so fairly easily.

    Okay, Ill shoot another for you.

    Ill leave it to you Lucy.

    I said and Lucy set the arrow into the groove, aimed, and pulled the trigger. Then, once again the arrow pierced through the armor.

    As you can see, even a girl like Lucy can pull this bow. Plus, unlike a normal bow you can move while having the bow drawn.

    Certainly even a young girl can pull it. However, unlike a regr bow you have to point it down to reload so you cant rapid-fire.

    That kind of thing is dependent on training and effort anyways. Plus do elves like us need rapid-fire? Its fine as long as we take them down in one shot.

    I said confidently and took out another crossbow before walking 200 meters away from the armor.

    We elves have good eyes, a great sense of distance, and are loved by the wind.

    It was why we elves were known as transcendent archers.

    We can see far away, have good dynamic vision, and near perfect sense of distance. These were all things needed to master the bow.

    The arrows we put our spirit in wont miss.

    I cast the windbreak magic on my arrow and released it.

    The arrow was now unaffected by the wind. The only thing that would affect its flight was gravity.

    Furthermore I had tested and found out that this world was unaffected by Coriolis Force..there was no influence from the spinning.

    With this all you needed to do was calcte the drop distance and you could hit what you aimed at.

    Originally the crossbows weakness was in its shortened bolts that couldnt utilize a longer design with feathers on it. It had trouble with inertia and dynamic lift so the distance it could fire was limited. However, with Elven abilities these weaknesses could be ignored.

    As you can see.

    The bolt flew at 104m/s and reached the armor in 1.9 seconds. The drop distance I calcted was around 181 meters. I aimed slightly higher than the center mass of the armor and fired.

    It looked like the armor had sucked the bolt towards it as it was once again pierced by the crossbow.

    Thanks to the blessing of the wind the crossbow bolts could move through the air without resistance. It allowed a minimum of power loss before the bolts reached their target.

    Furthermore, for Elves Blessing of the Wind was one of the first spells they learned. Any one of us could use it.

    Thats right. Everyone here could fire a bolt from 200 meters with deadly force.

    After seeing my long distance shooting the vigers boiled with excitement.

    I checked how everything had gone before approaching the crowd once more.

    Even if youre unable to fire from 200 meters, us elves can do so from 100 meters with a trifling amount of practice. Before the Empires soldiers can get close enough we can massacre them.

    Impossible, training with bows takes years. Five years ago our best archers died. Bows are out of the question.

    The Chief continued to uselessly resist.

    In truth using a bow was quite difficult. The stance, proper angles, and release timingall of them needed proper training. It would take several years to produce a top rate archer.

    If it was a normal bow that might be the case. However, you only need to pull the trigger on a crossbow. Ill prove it. If anyone here wants to try it please step forward.

    Several people quickly made their way forward to give it a try. Lucy and I handed over our crossbows.

    Lucy and I showed them how to pull the string, nock the arrow, and finally allow them to pull the trigger at the armor 20m away. They fired and the bolts pierced through the armor once more.

    This was another attractive aspect of the crossbow. Even if elves were naturally predisposed to be archers we couldnt simply use them without any training. As the Chief said, most of our experts had died in the previous war. Now there were only a few people left who could properly handle a bow.

    One of my goals for crafting a weapon was that anyone could use it after a few days of practice. That was the lowest requirements I had.

    Our elf vige did not have the leisure to train up a batch of experts. It was only meaningful if the weapons would allow our farmers and ordinary people to fight.

    Do you still haveints after wevee this far?

    Yesyes I do. What do you think we can aplish with only two bows!? Do you think theyll only send one or two soldiers to fight us!?

    It was the reaction I expected. I had been waiting for those words.

    Who said I only had two?

    I utilized partial Samsara Recursion and used Deets Item Box. I took all 50 of the crossbows I hadpleted out of storage.

    There was a strange soul shaking feeling at the sight of all those crossbows with overwhelming power all lined up.

    If there arent enough I can prepare more. Look everyone, as you can see we have plenty of bows. Anyone who wants to shoot them can shoot them.

    At my words the vigers gathered closer.

    Each of them shot at the armor until it was more holes than armor.

    It was the moment when normal vigers transformed into warriors whose attacks could pierce through a muscr soldiers armor.

    Now you can all see! The Empires armor is no longer something to fear, it simply makes them into cattle to be lead to ughter!

    The Empires soldiers were established on a simple foundation. Give up on long distance attacks they were not good at and instead wear imprable armor to close the distance and cut down their enemies.

    These weapons had now destroyed the very foundation of their military might.

    We can win! I wont let them take away any more of us! Well take back our freedom!

    Up until now these words had been naive and childish. However, the crossbows now leant those words power.

    Those who fired the crossbows knewthey now had the power to kill the Empires soldiers. Once they truly pierced through the hated armor with their own hands they could no longer restrain their emotions.

    UUUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

    We can do it! We can win!

    Ill avenge my mother!

    The anger from having their loved ones stolen from them exploded and shook off the yoke of fear and oppression.

    I just needed to let things run their course.

    Calm down. Calm yourselves everyone. Certainly Cyril has crafted weapons that make it possible to fight the Empire. Butwe may lose! If we fight many will die! Isnt it fine to stay as we are!? If we obey the Empire then only 10 people will die in a year.

    ChiefI dont believe that you can say that ONLY 10 people will die.

    But if we fight then more will die.

    I wont let that happen. The crossbow is only one of the weapons I had in mind. I will show you that I can prepare many different ways to prevent our friends and family from dying.

    I dered loud and clear. My actions up till now gave my words credence.

    B-but wh

    Let me ask you a question. Why are you resisting the idea of fighting so much?

    Ive said it many times. I want to reduce the sacrifices as much as possible!

    Really?

    I stared him down as I interrogated him.

    Isnt it because youre satisfied with your lifestyle right now Chief?

    Wh-what are you saying!? Theres no way thats true!

    I see, then thats good. I think that the vigers should be able to decide their own future. So lets listen to what they have to say.

    I looked at each of the vigers around us.

    Please make your choice now! To live as cattle under the rule of the Empire..or to fight for our lives, our pride, and our freedom!? Which will you choose?

    After hearing my question the surroundings grew silent and tense.

    First, those who want us to live as we have been p your hands!

    I said and the Chief and his followers began pping enthusiastically. On the whole it was only about 10% of the vigers.

    Finallythose who want to fightthose who choose freedom! p your hands.

    PICTURE</a>

    A great cheer rose up. Almost all of the vigers were cheering and pping with all their might. Thats right, all of them wanted to change these deste conditions they lived in.

    As you can see Chiefthe vigers have chosen to fight. Will you ignore their will!?

    Shut up! Everyones just caught up in the moment! Theres no way we can decide such an important thing right here and now! Im going home.

    The Chief said and disappeared.

    And so the vigers gathered around me.

    Cyril this is amazing. You really made a weapon that can pierce armor! Where did you get the materials?

    I stole armor and swords along with the foodst time I went. I melted them to make the crossbows. The rest is made of maple wood. Most of it is wooden so I could make quite a few.

    Is it true that you have other ideas other than just these bows?

    Yes of course. Im making lots of preparations so you guys dont die. If you get injured Ill heal you. So please fight with me.

    I said and bowed my head.

    Everyone came together and agreed to my request.

    The vigers will and emotions had solidified. Id deal with the Chiefter.

 Book 1: Chapter 14-1: Village Headman 【Village Chief】

    Book 1: Chapter 14-1: Vige Headman ��Vige Chief��

    *1 gold = 60,000 Yen ; 1 Silver = 1200 Yen ; 1 Copper = 40 Yen; Approximate Values*

    Thank goodness it ended well Cyril!

    When we got home Lucy finally burst out with an emotional shout.

    It looks like she was way more worried about me than I was.

    Lucy it hasnt ended yet. The real thing starts when we fight the Empire. This is still the preliminaries

    Butif Cyril suddenly disappears Ill be lost.

    Lucy said tearfully. I couldnt help but feel she was adorable so I lovingly patted her head.

    If Cyril dies then.Ill be all alone.

    Its alright, I wont leave you alone.Just a month ago this house was livelier.

    A month ago our loved ones had been taken. Lucys Grandmother and her younger sister by four years had been collected.

    Our happy family of four had been reduced to the two of us. Of course it was lonely. But even so, Lucy acted strong for me.

    You really wont leave me?

    I promise. Well even if I died thered be plenty of guys who would want you as their wife.

    Lucy was 14 years of age. Under the vigews she was already able to be married.

    Furthermore, Lucy was a beauty even amongst Elves who were known for their beauty. There probably wasnt a single bachelor Elf who wouldnt propose to her given the chance.

    I dont want that. I dont want to have that kind of rtionship with anyone but Cyril.

    If the worstes to pass Id be alright with it.

    Noment.

    She ended up evading the issue, but I thought that was fine too.

    Some things can be understood even without words.

    Lucy is so light. I have to put some meat on your bones. Gotta hunt some good prey.

    I put my hands under her armpits and lifted. It made me surprised at how light she was.

    Since we were in such close proximity everyday it was my duty to monitor her health daily.

    Her vitamin deficiency had improved greatly. However, though being slender was good, she was a bit underweight. It was due to her simplistic diet while also needing to work in the fields.

    There were boar in the mountains. Deer meat was all well and good, but nutritionally the fatty boar meat would be better.

    We cant just eat it by ourselves. We have to properly split it with everyone. We have to make plenty of dried jerky while we can.

    When the snows of winter arrive we wont be able to raise crops and we usually only hunt on days with good weather. Furthermore during winter wed need to leave the mountains before the weather changed for the worse. This made it so we rarely obtained any big game.

    Thats why each year after we harvest the wheat and pay our taxes, the women and children prepare the fields for next year, while the men expand our fields while going hunting for deer, boar, and rabbits in the mountains.

    We would then dry them out to provide a very important food source during the winter.

    In the first ce using this eras simple bows and knives prey was hard to hunt. Wed need to take 4-~5 dogs into the mountains for 2-3 days. If we even caught one good sized animal we would be lucky. One of the main reasons was our Master Hunters had mostly died during thest war.

    However in my case, if I was ignoring the effects on the ecosystem, I could hunt 10 animals in a single trip.

    Everyone will get their share. Its just that I want Lucy to eat the most delicious parts first. That much is fine right?

    Why are you going that far for me Cyril? Youre teaching me so much, training me, and giving me so many wonderful things.

    Because I love you Lucy.

    I said simply.

    I wanted to convey my honest feelings to Lucy.

    Youre unfair. Its hard to respond when you speak so frankly.

    I was still lifting her by her armpits. Lucys cheeks pouted as I gently ced her on the ground.

    Its fine as long as you can say it when the time is right. Thats more than enough. I simply decided that I would convey my feelings without holding back and do what I can without holding back.

    Do everything you can.those are good words. I should follow your example.

    To start with how about you honestly say your feelings for me?

    You just made it way harder!

    Looks like Id gotten on the Princesss nerves. Lets take a step back.

    Ill be waiting patiently. I still have plenty of things I can do now.

    Youve got a suspicious look on your face. Are you plotting something again?

    Un, various things. If they go well Ill be able to act in the vige more easily.

    Quickly but calmly I prepared the proper environment.

 Book 1: Chapter 14-2: Village Headman 【Village Chief】

    Book 1: Chapter 14-2: Vige Headman ��Vige Chief��

    Two days after I introduced the crossbow.

    During that time I had dug a well as Kuiro using Samsara Recursion.

    Its ridiculous that we have to go all the way to the forest every morning for water.

    Up until now we would have to carry a heavy jar to a spring near the mountains. No matter how you looked at it it was a hassle.

    Around noon I had used my Elven magic to grasp the flow of the water underground and its quality. After I checked that it was drinkable and it wouldnt causend subsidence, I used the power of the dwarf Kuiro to dig a hole and bake the sides of it solid.

    I had considered making a water pump but as long as the vigers could see the water they would be able to use water magic to easily draw it up.

    It was a quick make-shift well, but it was quite popr.

    Id continue to make minor contributions like that while I continued producing crossbows and special crossbow bolts for when we fight humans.

    However, the overall n for the vige hasnt been decided. The Vige Chief continued to refuse to fight against the Empire.

    The vigers were growing more dissatisfied as the days passed. There were even some who wanted to change who was the Vige Chief.

    I was steadily moving to spread this opinion.

    As I treated my patients

    Ive heard talk of changing the Chief.

    I said each time

    Ive heard rumors that the Chief has already drank the Honey Mead that I stole by himself.

    I said as if it was simply small talk.

    Others were

    Many of the Elves who had their magic stones taken were hated by the Chief huh.

    I went about spreading bits of truth amongst the rumors.

    Normally people would basically ignore these kinds of rumors and thatd be the end.

    However, with how the vige is now these rumors spread like fire. It was changing the general consensus of the vigers and started to mentally corner the Chief.

    Even without taking direct action, the vigers animosity was being stoked. It was easily imaginable what would happen if the vigers were provoked at this point.

    The Chief would never say he wanted to fight the Empire. He couldnt give up the life of rtivefort and ease that he was currently enjoying.

    Even so, if I said that he was obeying the Empirepletely I dont know what the vigers would do.

    As time passed without saying anything, the situation worsened.

    The Chief was now at a dead-end.

    It was their that I ced my poisonous bait. Once he chose the easy third option I providedhed be on the road to ruin.

    *********************************************

    It waste in the night.

    Whenever I slept I would keep one part of my consciousness linked with the wind mana.

    It was a habit I picked up on the battlefield. Sleeping time was the most dangerous time. Furthermore I was the subject of someones resentment.

    And one other thingsI was monitoring my trap.

    The wind mana sounded my mental warning.

    The prey was finally caught in the trap.

    Wow, I thought itd take a little longerbut he was surprisingly impatient.

    I opened my eyes and tuned my senses to the wind mana, increasing my vision range.

    It waste in the night, but a single wagon was trying to leave the vige.

    I had installed devices around the vige. They were thin metal boxes with metal balls inside them that made a loud jarring sound when violently blown by the wind.

    I made the wind blow as hard as I could.

    The sound of the jangling metal echoed throughout the vige as all the Elf Vigers woke up and left their homes to see what themotion was.

    I hurried out of my home as well and kicked of the ground. I was using wind mana to let me move at high speeds.

    In a moment I reached the vige entrance and struck a daunting pose in front of the wagon and its upants who were trying to calm the frightened horses.

    What are you trying to do sote at night Chief?

    I said with a gentle tone and a huge smile.

    Cyril why!? Move out of the way!

    The driver was the Chief and the passengers were his wife, their son, and his sons wife.

    Move? Are you in a rush or something? Why dont you answer me?

    Shut up! If you dont move Ill run you down!

    The Chief had finally calmed the horse and whipped forward.

    It wasical that he thought that a horse could do me in.

    I used the wind to trip the horse in a way that it would not injure itself.

    Then, exactly as nned, the luggage fell from the wagon and its contents spilled on the ground.

    It was the valuable honey, pepper, salt, dried mead and wheat, and one more heavy sounding leather bag..the trap I had ced.

    Oi, whats going on!?

    A viger arrived and shouted.

    Now I just had to set the scene.

    Well, I set up a sound trap to alert us if the Empire soldiers came attacking. But when I came to look the Chief was in this wagon trying to leave the vigete in the night. When I called out to him he tried to run me over and I couldnt help but fight back.

    This isnt a small matter.

    The onlookers increasednow to stoke the fire.

    Now then Chief..what were you doing out here at this time of night?

    I could see the cold sweat drip off his forehead as he kept silent.

    Well then, lets gather some circumstantial evidence.

    The luggage area has.alcohol, pepper, and all sorts of valuables. theres even dried meat and wheat. Enough for four people to eat for about two weeks.

    My words allowed the more perceptive vigers to begin piecing things together.

    And look isnt that the gold I stole from the supply base?

    I had taken money along with the food and weapons.

    It was low on my list of priorities so I only took what I found, however there was still around 50 gold coins and 200 silver coins.

    Looking more carefully there was one more bag which I had no knowledge of.

    I opened it and looked inside to see a bag packed full of bronze and silver coins. The Elf vige rarely used physical money, but we always kept enough just in case. He had taken that as well.

    hr />

 Book 1: Chapter 14-3: Village Headman 【Village Chief】

    Book 1: Chapter 14-3: Vige Headman ��Vige Chief��

    Now then Chiefwhy did you bring your family, a wagon, valuable items, and money as you tried to leave the vige in a hurryte at night?

    I was..thats rightI was trying to go to Erin to buy food like we used to. I was uneasy about the emergency reserves and the food that Cyril stole. I was bringing the alcohol and pepper to make up for whatever funds Icked.

    Oh is that so? I had thought that you were running away to Erin with all the viges valuables before we started fighting the Empire.

    Before we fell under the control of the Empire we asionally sent goods off to Erin. Erin was a city under the control of the Corrine Kingdom. We would take our crops, dried meats, animal skins, and various goods to sell and we would then use that money to buy all the goods we needed except salt. We were able to obtain our salt from the Fire Fox vige by trading various goods.

    The Chief objected to my words and insisted.

    I, I wouldnt do such a thing, Im the Chief.

    I see, since the Chief is saying this muchwhat does everyone else think? I think this poor excuse is a joke. Its offensive.

    The vigers eyes were grim as they stared at the Chief murderously.

    In what world would a man be stupid enough take his entire family along on a journey to trade with a neighboring city?

    And what reason was there to try and slip outte in the night?

    What reason would there be to take two weeks worth of food?

    In the first ce the Chief would never be the one to go trading anyways.

    The suspicious points were way too numerousthere was no way anyone would believe him.

    I amI am!

    Chiefgive it up. You cant patch this up. You betrayed the vige in your position as Chief. You tried to steal the viges valuables and save yourself. Theres no way we can forgive thatsurely you know this!?

    I passionately dered. On the inside I was sneering. He was acting exactly as I predicted.

    This man was not suitable as Chief. He was simply substituted for my father when he died. After that he was simply a tool that moved as the Empire ordered. During that time he didnt think, he just grew fat under the fear of the Empire. Not just that,

    Im sure he wasfortable with his position of choosing which Elves would be killed. He felt like a spectator because he knew him and his family were safe.

    There was no way someone like this could find the will to fight. Unlike everyone else here he had no hatred for the Empire.

    Theres no way he could tolerate the vigers continually pressing him to fight.

    He is a man who cant handle the dissatisfaction of the vigers.

    In the midst of his worries, suddenly he discovers arge amount of money. With that much he would be able to make a new life in a differentnd. He began to dream. This was the poisonous bait I spread.

    He wouldnt decide to escape to Erin all on his own. It was a result of some information I had leaked to one of his close associates. This was all so I could peacefully remove this troublesome Chief and make it much easier to influence and mobilize the vige.

    Thats right, I was running away! Is that wrong!? Im the Chief. This vige is mine! Whats wrong with doing as I please with whats mine!? Its thanks to me that this vigested so long without being destroyed! This kind of benefit should be fine! I dont want to die.Im sick of fighting the Empire!

    Each word he said struck the nerves of the vigers, irritating them and angering them.

    I suspected whether he was doing this on purposebut I could tell from his bloodshot eyes and flushed face that he was serious.

    I can understand that you dont want to fight. Its fineyou can run.

    Its about time I lead him to the conclusion.

    The Chiefs face rxed at my words.

    However, I cant forgive you taking the viges fortune along with you in that wagon. The honey mead, pepper, wheat, and dried meat wouldve eventually been provided to you as well before winter began so I can even allow you to take what you would have been allotted. I can provide a bag to carry them with.

    Wh-what are you saying!? What kind of authority do you have to say something like this!?

    Let me ask you instead.what kind of power do you have as a Chief who tried to escape the vige? We are no longer your vigers. Even giving you this much is merciful.

    He reacted like a pigeon shot with a pea-shooter.

    Everyone is alright with this right? Even if its him its hard for us to kill another viger.

    Waitplease wait, thats like telling me to die! How am I supposed to get to Erin without even a horse!?

    I dont know and I dont care.

    I said hardheartedly.

    There wasnt anyone here who would cover for him. A person who would steal all our valuables and run awayonly a Saint could forgive him.

    I-I changed my mind! I changed it so please forgive me! Thats right! If Im not here who will manage the vige!? Youll be troubled without a leader right?

    He stopped ying tough and began begging.

    Erin was only 150 Km away and was closer than the Empire. However, the road to the Empire was smooth and clear while the road to Erin was unpaved and went over a steep mountain.

    Even with a horse it would be difficult to get there. Asking him to walk was no joke.

    This was a big reason why the Corrine Kingdom never tried to conquer the Elf viges. Even if it was possible to cross the mountains using a single wagon itd be impossible to do the same with a whole army.

    Its fine, well manage without you somehow. Did you forget? My father trained me to take over the position as Chief. I can assist the next Vige Chief and whatever iscking can be ovee with the rest of us working together.

 Book 1: Chapter 14-4: Village Headman 【Village Chief】

    Book 1: Chapter 14-4: Vige Headman ��Vige Chief��

    As expected itd be hard to get support for me to be the next Chief since I was only 14 years old. However, it should be fine as long as Im the adviser for the next Chief.

    I slowly broke down his position little by little to smoothly rob him of his authority.

    With this the vige should move ording to my wishes.

    Actuallydont you guys think Cyril could be the Chief already?

    Unexpectedly Roleau, the strongest in the vige, spoke up to endorse me.

    You might be right. It feels like Cyril can do anything.

    Yeah. I think Cyril could lead us.

    His father was an amazing Chief himself

    One after another people rmended me to the position of Chief.

    This was unexpected. I had truly thought it would be impossible for me to take the position of Chief directly.

    I felt a tickling feeling deep inside. My childhood dream was to be a great Chief just like my father. I never imagined that itde true like this

    Wait! Are you crazy!? Did you forget how many people died because of my brother!? Cyril is his son!

    The old chief screamed and pointed at me.

    It seems like his inferiorityplex to my father had been ignited.

    He had always lived while beingpared to him. It had slowly warped him and his fate.

    My father lostbut I will not.

    Words are easy.

    Well I suppose hes right. Even my father had fought with the intention of victory.

    I came up with the weapons we needed to fight.

    And just like that youll show everyone hope like your father, get them involved and get them killed. Your words and your way of thinking are all just like my brother! Youll repeat the same thing over again!

    I couldnt think of a response. My thoughts felt dull and heavy. It might have been because of my own sense of obligation from my fathers actions and how I felt about him. My tongue was tangled.

    Logically I could deny everything he said. However, my emotions kept getting in the way.

    It drew out too much of the Cyril in me.

    I couldnt step back here. If I did then their faith in me would weaken. In my head I knew all this but I couldnt step forward. My courage was failing me.

    But.

    Cyril isnt all talk!

    I heard Lucys voice cry out.

    Her words cleared my head.

    Cyril showed results every time he acted. He obtained food, he obtained the weapons we need, he healed many injuries and illnesses, and did many things to make our lives and jobs easier. This Cyril can win! Thats why I believe in him.

    As usual it was the straightforward and honesty Lucy. She transmitted her feelings to everyone.

    Lucy gave me the final push I needed.

    Shes always been the one to push my back when I was stuck. I wanted to protect her, but she always ends up protecting me.

    I couldnt help but smile. There was nothing to fear.

    I wont speak of things I cant do. Ive shown you that I can do anything I say I can. I will continue to do so. I will bring us victory.

    I didnt raise my voice and spoke very matter-of-factly. I spoke calmly yet it was perfectly audible.

    In truth the most important thing was sentiment. In this ce and this atmosphere, Lucy was my ally.

    Everyone around us cheered. They began to believe in the possibility of our victory. They could see the future and it was getting brighter.

    The old chiefs words no longer held sway.

    Where did I go wrong?

    The old chief muttered as he crumbled to the ground.

    I turned my eyes from him and faced the gathered elves.

    It wasnt all your fault

    Anyone in the old chiefs position might have done the same. Anyone could have tread the same path as him. To put it simply, a normal man was put in the position of Chief. Thats where things went wrong.

    I let an ambitious smile emerge on my face as I opened my mouth.

    Different from what I nned, I now had to announce my will to the vigers.

    My people. I, Cyril, hereby vow before the Spirit of the Wind and our Great Forefather. As the new Chief I will guide our people and lead us into prosperity.

    This was one of the heaviest oaths that an elf can make.

    If a promise before the World Tree was for personal promises, then the Oath before our High Elf Forefathers was the most formal pledge we had.

    To speak this oath you needed to be suitably prepared to follow through. This oath had been spoken throughout the history of our Elven people and was no longer just words. It had a curse associated with it. If you were to ever break this oath then your soul would be terribly wounded.

    In order to properly convey the depths of my conviction and my feelings I spoke it.

    The elves all got on one knee and pressed their right fists to the left side of their chests. It was the Elves highest form of salute.

    It was proof that they had epted me as Chief.

    With this I had be the Chief not only in words, but in truth.

    I could feel the weight of these two-hundred lives that were now my responsibility. The responsibility of those at the top.

    But this weight wasfortable to me.

    I would protect this vige for sure. No, Id change it for the better.

    So follow me my beloved people!

    OU!

    They responded with a powerful cry.

    This was the birth of Chief Cyril.

    The realization of my childhood dream.

 Book 1: Chapter 15-1: Glass House

    Book 1: Chapter 15-1: ss House

    A week passed since I became Vige Chief. The Empire hadnt made any moves yet. They were probably searching for the perpetrator of the Supply Base attack.

    With a monster that could attack a supply base and kill many soldiers like that they would want to strengthen their defenses and prepare. They had no soldiers to spare for other things.

    However, it wouldnt be too long before soldiers woulde knocking.

    They would need to make up for the supplies that I had stolen. They would obviously attempt to collect an additional tax topensate.

    Furthermore, there was even the magic stones that the Captain had embezzled in the first ce. Making up for that deficit would be high on their list of priorities.

    I had already ordered several vigers to keep watch in the direction of the Empire.

    Obviously I had not only given orders to deal with the Empire, but various other orders to help us all ovee thising winter. I had given the men crossbows to practice with and hunt in the mountains. For the women it was all cranberries and maple leaves. We were also gathering edible nts and mushrooms that can be preserved while making the meat we got into jerky.

    Thanks to the crossbows our hunting results were better than previous years so we had more leeway.

    I had ced special effort into the cranberries. They had many uses. Once autumn passed us by we wouldnt be able to collect them so we were harvesting as quickly as we could.

    I was working as both Chief and Doctor. I healed the people and moved around the vige doing various things to help us prosper.

    Today I showed the results of some of my efforts to Lucy.

    Cyril whats this weird transparent building?

    Lucy asked in astonishment.

    Today I had taken her outside the vige to a ce near my workshop.

    This is a ss house. The light passing through the surfaces of this building will strengthen causing it to heat up and not let the heat escape. I guess you could also say it wont let cold air escape either, but thats just how its made.

    Cyril always makes things that are hard to understand.

    This building will be hotter than the weather outside. As long as you understand that then its enough.

    This was the greenhouse I had created. As usual I had crafted it using my dwarven power.

    Then whats that red ball thing?

    Thats the fire magic Im using in ce of a heating system. It absorbs the surrounding fire mana and continues to burn. Even if the ss house stays warm theres a limit to what it can do by itself. The magic spell willst until its structure destabilizes. If a first rate magician casts it then it canst a month.

    Of course I could be considered a super first ss magician. Furthermore this was a spell I had cast while in dwarf form that had very high fire affinity. This spell wouldst for around 2 months.

    Yesterday I had plowed, baked the y frame, crafted the quartz ss into the proper shape, and deployed three fire spells inside it.

    The greenhouse was 50 meters long, 8 meters wide, and 2 meters tall. It was the most manageable size and the limit of my current magical abilities.

    The outside temperature was only about 10 degrees Celsius, but the inside of the greenhouse was around 20 degrees C.

    Plus this ss house had a gimmick to it as well.

    If you were to load it with water mana, it would create water that would be sucked into pipes and shower down on the nts.

    The fire spells I had set could withstand this small amount of water.

    Cyril what will we be using this for?

    Of course its to grow nts. They dont grow when its cold right? Right now the interior of this ss house might be a bit cold, but eventually itll reach springtime temperatures and we can raise crops in here.

    I see, then even if its cold then we can raise some nts. But I doubt itll still work once the snow falls. Its only around 3 months till the first snowfare there any kinds of nts that can grow in that short of a time period?

    I have some. I found these when I attacked the supply base. They should fit our needs.

    I said and carefully opened the box I carried here.

    Inside it were potatoes. I had two boxes total amounting to about 20kg of potatoes.

    The best climate for growing potatoes was between 15 and 25 degrees C. Usually it would take around three months for potatoes to grow, but since the temperature would fall soon it would cause their growth to stagnate to around half a year. In order to avoid this I created the ss house.

    I hope that if this greenhouse bes popr we can even use it to grow food during the winter.

    Cyrilisnt the fruit of the devil?

    Thats right. You recognized it.

    Potatoes were called the fruit of the devil in this era and were avoided. You could say that I was quite lucky to even find them at the supply base.

    Grandma said to never eat these.

    Well, they do have poison so if you carelessly munch on them you could die.

    This was the reason they were called the devils fruit and were shunned.

    We cant be growing these!

    As long as were not careless then its a great crop.

    I said with a smile.

    The vegetable itself doesnt have any poison. Only the sprout contains it. See this green part? This is the poison. If people dont know and eat it identally they get stomach pains, diarrhea, and might die.

    This world wasnt very literate so many people only got information through hearsay. It wasnt easy for urate information to disseminate. Thanks to this many people didnt know about potatoes and prepared them incorrectly causing a decline in their health.

    Compared to the information that only the sprout is dangerous it was easier for the rumor that the devils fruit will kill you to spread. This caused the potato to be sidelined.

    Thats no good if people dont know they could die!

    Lucy said worriedly. I could understand her feelings, but the Elf vige only had a poption of around 200 people so we could effectively spread this information.

    Plus there was a reason I definitely needed to raise this crop.

    Even so this devil fruit only takes 3 months to grow, has high nutritional value, and is delicious. Theres nothing else like it. Well have to rely on it to safely pass the winter. In all honesty we dont have much surplus in our winter supplies and once its over well have trouble. The proof is in the pudding, youll change your mind once you try it. Here Ive cooked you one.

    Do I really have to eat it?

    I wont say you have tobut I really want you to.

    Uuuu.okay.

    I handed Lucy the potato I had started steaming before I went to get her. I had only seasoned it with a bit of salt.

    Lucy grabbed it and stuffed it in her mouth with a small cry.

    Ah, its soft and kythe taste is mildI might like this.

    See? Plus we can harvest more of these than we can wheat. We should be able to harvest several times the amount, plus its way easier to raise and prepare than wheat. Its a great crop.

    In this era it would take great effort to increase our wheat output by even five times. Inparison potatoes had an overwhelming advantage.

 Book 1: Chapter 15-2: Glass House

    Book 1: Chapter 15-2: ss House

    Thats amazing. If we nt it all in this big ss house then we should be able to weather this winter. Maybe we could even switch from nting wheat to the devils fruit in our fields next year. Wheat takes almost ten months to grow and you lose a lot of it in the threshing. This devil fruit has way more advantages. It might be difficult to fit all the nts in this greenhouse, but if we can harvest them properly we should have enough to seed our fields next year.

    Its best if you stop there.

    I said with a wry smile.

    The devil fruit are called potatoes. The issue with potatoes is that if one of them gets sick it is likely to spread to the rest of the potato crop. If we only nt potatoes and this happens then the vige will lose its food source entirely. We should only raise potatoes when we have enough food from other sources to cover our needs.

    Back on Earth there were plenty of towns and viges that relied on potatoes for their livelihoods and were subsequently ruined. One of the most famous was in the 19th century when Irnd underwent a potato famine.

    There were several factors, but a great number of potatoes fell ill and in only four years it caused mass starvation. Nearly 30% of the Irish poption starved to death and a huge amount of others left the country.

    Potatoes were an excellent crop that could save millions of people from hunger, but at the same time once it was lost it could kill many more with starvation.

    The mostmon illness was one that hollowed out their stems. No matter what you did you couldntpletely eradicate it. Once a field of potatoes caught it it usually meant a total loss of the crop. If the vige depended on them then it could create a horrible famine all at once.

    It was very convenient, but you couldnt hide its ws. The vigers lives were on my shoulders so I couldnt fail them.

    Everything has its pitfalls.

    Theres some other problems as well. If you use up the soils nutrients too much then youll barely be able to harvest half the amount subsequently. In addition potatoes have problems with parasites and the only real solution is to not grow potatoes for two years on anynd that had previously grown them.

    Though I didnt know if this world had them or not potatoes contracted parasites called nematodes that would attach to the roots andy many eggs.

    They wouldnt affect a persons body, but once they appeared the potato crop would drop sharply and if it got too bad then you wouldnt be able to harvest a single potato. Furthermore, they could survive for 10 years without parasitism if they were still in their eggs.

    Thats why it wasmon sense not to nt potatoes again before two years had passed. If you did that then it would give the soil a chance to recover and would prevent arge outbreak of parasites.

    Even so the leftover eggs in the ground would continue to increase and slowly but surely you wouldnt be able to continue harvesting tubers.

    If we knew for sure there werent any such parasites in the soil of this world then we could nt them without worry. However, at this point is was impossible to know.

    Even if they grow within three months its a really harsh restriction that we cant nt them for two years.

    The normal solution is to nt other crops in that area. The parasites cant eat crops unless they are simr to potatoes.

    Normal.then whats the abnormal solution?

    Think of it in reverse. Instead we get rid of the soil that we used. Its fine since theres soil everywhere. I could even set up another ss house elsewhere. Itll only take a day for me to do so.

    Indeed, as long as the soil we used wasnt polluted there would be no problem.

    The parasites habitat expands along with the soil, but since I could line the bottom of the ss house with brick they could be isted.

    Plus the brick could help inste the ss house and maintain heat.

    As long as the parasites didnt spread I could simply set up another ss house elsewhere.

    Thats only Cyrilbut even so if we put up ss houses everywhere well run out ofnd and itll be a waste.

    Of course well reuse them. The parasites are weak to water. When were raising potatoes elsewhere we can flood the ss house with water to kill them off.

    This was part of the reason I had lined bricked up the bottom of the ss house so I could properly flood it.

    If theyll die then we can just drain the water and use the same ce then

    Well, even if I say theyre weak to water they can survive for 3 months. Plus unless its during spring or summer when the water heats up, it wont be very effective. You need a certain temperature to kill them.

    This was the result of many years of research from Earth till we finally hit upon this method in the year 2013.

    Starting in 1400 it took us all the way up till 2013 to find a proper method to exterminate them.

    These parasites are scarily obstinate. Ah, thats right.thats why you made the ss house. You can raise the temperature as you please to kill them.

    You got it. Its as you say. There are few creatures as persistent as these little bastards.

    Its in the top 100 of worst creatures in my book.

    Well with long exnations over we just need to nt the potatoes. If its the two of us it shouldnt take too long.

    I said and poured out potatoes from the box. All of them were still sprouts.

    Heyarent all of these sprouting?

    I did that on purpose. Its best to nt them like this. I prepared all of them except the one that Lucy ate for nting.

    I had prepared them right by my workshop outside the vige.

    I let them sit out in the sunlight and begin sprouting.

    Furthermore I had divided therger potatoes into four without damaging the bud so I could increase our harvest.

    Thanks to that we had a total of 402 potato seeds.

    I prepared the soil with earth magic creating 7 columns of soil with 70 cm between them. We would nt a potato every 40 cm in each column.

    The two of us silently nted potatoes and were able to finish just before the sunpletely set.

    We had run out of potatoes by the 3rd line of 7. It was a waste ofnd. If we had more potatoes I would have nted them..

    But it couldnt be helped if we didnt have enough. After this harvest we would have more potatoes to nt in the ss house.

    At any rate we had finished our work for the day.

    I met Lucys eyes as she smiled.

    We finished Cyril.

    Thank you, I couldnt have finished without your help.

    It was easier to nt them by hand than to nt them using magic. It would be easy to damage the seeds if I were to utilize magic to nt them. I mightve gone crazy if I had to nt all these seeds by myself.

    What do we do next?

    We remove weeds, get rid of bugs that approach, and fertilize the ground. Then we just leave it to grow. Once the stalk turns yellow we can begin the harvest. We can gather plenty of them.

    By the way, we were in the process of manufacturing fertilizer.

    Thinking of the bnce of Phosporous-Silicon-Potassium and maintaining the acidity of the soil meant I couldnt leave it to an amateur. If poorly made, the fertilizer could poison the soil.

    Itd be around a month before we needed more of it so we should be able to make it in time.

    Just that?

    Thats right.

    and a harvest in only three months?

    If we maintain a spring temperature of 20 degrees then itll take three months. If its cold itll take longer.

    Even if its dangerous this makes me want to rece our wheat with potatoes. This kind of farming is way too easy.

    Lucy said enviously. She was usually tormented by the difficulties of raising a healthy crop of wheat so this must have been a shock.

    I could understand her feelings. Wheat took much more effort but it was still easier than rice.

    Cyril are we not telling everyone else?

    Well this is the first time well be producing them after all. I dont want to disappoint them if things go poorly. Basically Ill do my best to take care of it on my own.

    It was pretty bothersome, but I could manage to look after some potatoes.

    Youre not alone. Im here too. Well work together and surprise everyone.

    Sorry for the trouble.

    No no, Im d youre relying on my Cyril.

    And so we went back home praying for the health of our potatoes.

    With this hopefully our viges food situation improves.

 Book 1: Chapter 16-1: Raising the Banner of Rebellion

    Book 1: Chapter 16-1: Raising the Banner of Rebellion

    I looked in on theposting.

    The day after I nted the potatoes I began theposting process.

    I had made preliminary preparations and used the fertilizer tank I had previously crafted.

    In our vige the waste would be tossed outside the vige once a day.

    I had simply crafted a receptacle for that waste to be stored in.

    The fertilizer tank was quite well received because the vige was no longer gued by the smell of open sewage thanks to the fact that the tank was deep and had a lid.

    The tank was a much more sanitary option. Once you discarded feces and urine inside it and allowed it to ferment the temperature would increase to around 70 degrees. It would kill the disease causing bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Furthermore it would make it usable as fertilizer.

    Without the fermentation process feces would cause nitrogen starvation if used directly as fertilizer. It would cause things to rot and the nts would fall ill. Furthermore it wasmon for nts to be damaged by the methane and heat released by feces dposition.

    Well its not like I want to use nightsoil unless I have to.

    I removed the lid of the huge tank that I had left for a week. We had tossed in some maple leaves and threshed wheat husks that had been collected by female vigers.

    I made sure to use the wind to blow away the smell that could kill as I uncovered it. If I only used feces then the fertilizer wouldck nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potassium so we supplemented it with maple leaves and wheat husks. Badpost bnce is basically poisonous to nts so I needed to be careful when I mixed it.

    Good it looks like the fermentation is going pretty well.

    I was able to see some white mold growing on the surfaces. That let me know that things were progressing properly. Fermentation wasnt finished since people were still throwing crap inside it daily. So I added something that will be nutritious and help the fermenting process proceed more rapidly.

    Now I just need to add oxygen and mix it every 10 days to activate the bacteria. It should be usable within a month.

    Itd be best to add the fertilizer to the potatoes in about a month. I would aim to replenish the soil as its nutrients run low. I should barely be in time for that.

    I was stirring the waste around to introduce oxygen and removing the smell by blowing it away with wind. Even so I had to desperately endure the horrid smell that couldnt bepletely eliminated.

    Once thepost wasplete it would change colors to ckish brown and it would smell like the soil instead of crap. I thought of the end result as I continued mixing.

    Cyril, I mean, Chief! There are Empire soldiers on their way! Theyll arrive in 30 minutes!

    The young elf Roleau was one of our watchmen. He ran up while holding his nose to avoid the smell. I didnt expect the Empire to be so slow. It had already been ten days since the supply base raid.

    I see. Lets prepare our weing party. How many people can use crossbows now?

    We have 30.

    Call them all.

    Understood. Where will we be meeting them?

    Id say we should do it in the center of the vige. It makes it easier to aim.

    Do you think we will need to use our crossbows?

    I have no doubt of that. Could you inform them all to prepare themselves for it? Many of them are amateurs so they need to steel themselves.

    Roger that. Ill see you in a bit.

    Roleau said and set off running. He was in a hurry for sure, but I dont doubt that the smell here was a factor in his haste. If this batch ofpost seeds then Ill create a detailed instruction manual to teach everyone else. I think Ill shove this job onto him. After deciding that I headed back to the vige.

    *****************************************

    Well my oh my, you have truly graced our humble homes gentlemen of the Empire. What can we help you with today?

    A total of ten Imperial Soldiers had arrived on two carriages. They were all fully armed andpletely alert.

    They didnt believe that our vige had perpetrated the attack on their supply base, but just the other week a team of soldiers hade to collect taxes and elves but did not return. This should be the basis of their caution.

    I am Joseph. I havee to collect the taxes. Call out the Chief Nietzsche.

    The most important looking person there took off his helmet and announced their purpose.

    His eyes showedplete disregard for us and I could simply feel his poor attitude leaking out.

    From his armor and the crest on it, I could tell that he was most likely from a noble family.

    Nietzsche has left the vige. My name is Cyril and I have been given the responsibility as new chief.

    I used a modest attitude to hide our true intentions.

    Arent you just a little brat? Quit joking around.

    No, in an elf vige anyone over the age of fourteen is considered an adult. I am treated as a full fledged adult in this vige and was voted into office by everyone in the vige.

    He didnt seempletely convinced, but he could see I wasnt lying from the reactions of the elves around us.

    Fine then. Youll do. Hand over the wheat written on this paper and 3 of your vigers.

    He ignored everything else and got straight to the point. I could see that there was no flexibility in either his words or actions.

    Was he in a hurry?

    Our tax should have already been paid. Why is there an additional tax at this time?

    I had the perfect chance to probe their intentions.

    Our base was attacked by thieves and we dont have enough to send back to our country.forget I said anything! Hurry and bring the items!

    I see, this wasnt revenge for killing the soldiers from before but instead an irregrity caused by my theft.

    In that case it hasnt been exposed that I was the one to attack their base.

    I will have to decline.

    What did you say!?

    I said, I will have to decline. We have already paid our taxes and an extra deposit of wheat. If we hand over any more we wont make it through the winter. In fact wed like to ask you to return our wheat deposit sooner rather thanter.

    Deposited wheat is just like it sounds. It was wheat we had leant the Empire.

    In order to prevent revolts the Empire takes all but the bare necessities. If you were to rebel against the Empire you would not receive your wheat back and you would starve. So in addition to normal taxes you would have everything else taken as well.

    Deposited wheat? Wouldnt know anything about that. I dont think we received it this year.

    The soldiers representative Joseph carelessly ignored it.

    The Empire looked down on us. Even if we obeyed their rules they would simply ignore their agreements as soon as it became inconvenient.

 Book 1: Chapter 16-2: Raising the Banner of Rebellion

    Book 1: Chapter 16-2: Raising the Banner of Rebellion

    Should I bring you the certificate?

    Oh? Do you intend on handing me a forged certificate? If you do that then I will cut your head from your body here and now. You seem to have a poor understanding of the situation so maybe I should just kill you now and get myself a new Vige Chief to deal with!

    The man hasnt realized. The atmosphere of the elves surrounding the soldiers was bing more and more dangerous with every word he spoke. Their hands were slowly reaching for the crossbows concealed behind their backs

    I see, so that is the attitude that the Empire treats us with. Fine. We will give up on the wheat we have loaned out. However, I cannot give out any more of our wheat or our people. Its impossible to force us to give the food we need to survive or hand over any more of our precious family.

    What!? You little bastard! Arent you misunderstanding something!? We arent asking! Were ordering you! Youll starve to death? Then why dont I lower food needs by killing you one by one and making you into magic stones!? Itll decrease the mouths to feed and get us a lot of profit! Everyone wins see? Your vige isntpletely destroyed and we get our needs. Everyone happy.

    Joseph drew his sword and ced it against my neck with a venomous re.

    If it had been me in the past I would have shook with fear. However, today I feel no fear at all. This small time hoodlum couldntpare to the fear of the battles I had recalled.

    What an amusing suggestion. However I have an even better one. I kill each and every one of you and pretend the additional tax never existed.

    Haha you really know how to talk. You became full of yourself just because you got a little bit of power? What can a weak elf like you do?

    What can we do? Itd be easier to show you than tell you. Lets get on with the show. Fire!!

    Along with my cry the elves positioned 20 meters away all drew their crossbows and fired.

    The bowstrings had already been drawn and locked so numerous arrows flew through the air.

    The arrows easily pierced through the soldiers armor and into their flesh.

    GYYYAAAAAAAAAA!!

    OOWWWWWWWWW!!

    Wh-why did our invincible armor get!?

    The soldiers faces were no longer smirking happily.

    Five of the soldiers were killed instantly and four of them fell to the ground and squirmed in pain.

    I had coated the arrows in wolfsbane I found in the mountains and mixed it with different wild nts and some feces to create poison. It causes acute pain to spread through the body as the neurotoxin spreads. It makes it nearly impossible to stand for around half a day.

    Crossbows had good prative power butcked stopping power. I had topensate for that.

    Now that we had this we could cause them to losebat ability after getting hit.

    I looked around and noticed that two peoplemitted suicide due to the pain. I might have overdone it a bit. I had to adjust the poison a bit more.

    Well then, now you can see that even weak elves can do this much.

    Joseph copsed onto his rear and scooted back quickly.

    We hadmitted a one-sided ughter. There was no way he had worked up the resolution to kill yet.

    The fear in his mind doubled thanks to the screams and groans of pain from the dead and dying.

    Now here is the question. Whydid we keep you alive?

    Joseph didnt answer.

    He was frozen in fear.

    Times up. Firstly we want information, so I needed someone to torture for it. We could have shot you in non vital areas, but you might not have been able to handle the poison and youd break. So instead Ive prepared something special for you.

    I finished speaking and an arrow immediately flies out and pierces Josephs thigh.

    It was an arrow that Lucy has fired from 100 meters away. She has good aim. She can fire from a distance of 100 meters with barely any error.

    Hiiiiii, m-my leg, a-an arrow, arrow in my.take! Take it out!

    He shamefully screams. But not much bloodes out. The poison used was a simple muscle rxant as well. In fact the shock should have made it harder to feel such pain in the first ce.

    So I wont be killing you.but youll wish you could shut your eyes and embrace death.

    Stop! Do you think you can get away with such a thing!?

    Of course not. Thats why I want to hear plenty of things from you. Youll talk if you dont want to end up like that.

    I said and pointed at the corpses surrounding us. Josephs face stiffens. Even those soldiers who survived were being finished off by the elves.

    It wasnt pretty either. They were shot full of arrows. If they were simply trying to kill them the bodies wouldnt turn out like that. They had cruelly carried out their vengeance and vented their hatred.

    Throughout the years was the problem of soldiers being unable to kill each other. ording to statistics 70% of new soldiers cannot pull the trigger. This happens with guns and apparently it is even worse with swords and spears because you can clearly feel it.

    In a certain sense one of my greatest worries wascould the rookie elves really kill people?

    However, it seemed I didnt have to worry about this. Th pain and anger from systematic oppression, and the grief of having friends and family murdered made it so the only motivation they needed was the protection of theirrades.

    We will no longer run away. We wont let our precious things be stolen. We have the resolution and courage to stand against you. We have the weapons to triumph.

    I ceased speaking politely. My act was at its end.

    The surrounding elves nodded. The time to hang our heads and cry impotent tears was long gone.

    Even if we were to be hurt, we would face our problems and struggle. We all shared this feeling.

    L-lets calm down a momentthats right! This vige was suspected of rebellion since those guys didnt returnst time. If we dont return, this suspicion will turn to certainty and 500 fully armed soldiers will march on this vige!

    And? Weve already killed everyone except you. Well deal with the battle when ites.

    If you let me go then Ill ask them not to attack you.wait! If you properly give me the wheat and three elves you owe then Ill just say my underlings were killed by bandits! So please dont kill me! Even you know this right? If ites to it 500 soldiers will absolutely crush this vige! So please!

    Its only 500 people. We can deal with that many.

    I analyzed the information that had just been spilled. My conclusion is that we were strong enough to win.

    Wed be able to deal with those 500 soldiers one way or another.

    It was no wonder. The vige was far from the Empire and the roads were rugged. Its more than 200km away and halfway up a mountain even if the road was paved. An orderly march would border on impossible and the journey would cost huge amounts of money.

    If they sent any more soldiers than that, they would be unable to recoup their losses even after taking all of our magic stones. Furthermore they believed that was all they needed to take care of us elves.

    Well then, lets have a heart to heart talk just the two of us. Dont worry I wont kill you. I have plenty I want to ask. Plus theres one more reason I wont kill you. You see this wonderful crest on your armor? Its well made. This is a proof of nobility correct? Nobles are quite the moneymaking venture

    The Lion shaped crest was carved in the middle of his armor.

    In the Empire this kind of decoration was the privilege of the nobles. It wasnt allowed formoners.

    After the battle with those 500 soldiers Ill properly ask for a nice ransom so dont worry.

    Ransoming prisoners of war was verymon in this era.

    Of course if I tried it with a normal soldier I would be ignored and have to end up selling him as a ve. However, nobles were profitable. Their rtives had money and were concerned about their honor. If bad rumors were to circte about how they abandoned their family or were too stingy it wouldnt be good for them.

    Honestly I wanted more money even if it was only by a bit. There was a limit to our viges self-sufficiency. No matter how much money we had it wouldnt be enough if we wanted to properly trade and replenish our stocks from surrounding viges and towns.

    I dont wanna I dont wanna, this has got to be some kind of dream.

    I dragged Joseph along as he threw a temper tantrum and entered the warehouse next to the Chiefs house.

    I took off his armor and prepared to torture him. He had leaked some information before, but I had to properly verify it and obtain more if I wanted to be sure.

    Joseph tried to flop his way to an escape but the poison wouldnt allow his body to move properly.

    I think Ill use this first.

    I held up an iron pipe red hot from the fire and ran over to Joseph.

    First I needed to confirm whether his story about the 500 soldiers was real. Plus as a noble he should have plenty more interesting stories for me to hear.

 Book 1: Chapter 17-1: Training

    Book 1: Chapter 17-1: Training

    After that I got all the info I needed from the torture. It appears that his tale about the 500 soldiers was fairly urate.

    However, it would take time for them to realize that the soldiers that came to the vige wouldnt being back. Plus there werent 500 soldiers avable for deployment at the supply base, they would have to request reinforcements from the Empire.

    This meant that we had at least 10 days before trouble woulde knocking on our doors.

    I couldnt waste this preparation time by any means.

    In war its more effective to fire a barrage as a group instead of individually. It will hit their formations and cause greater casualties. We need to train so that you can all fire on my signal.

    I announced to the 100 elves gathered at the firing range.

    Every morning I set aside two hours for training. Everyone had different obligations so more training time wasnt possible right now. Even so, these two hours daily should be enough for crossbows.

    They were all different ages and sexes. I required them to be able to pull back the crossbow string and use wind warding magic. Those requirements left us with 100 people.

    As for the crossbows I had made using the metal Id stolen from the baseI was able to distribute 100 and had 20 left over.

    If you included the metal I used for farming tools, I barely had any left. However, just the other day I got ten more sets of armor and weapons from those soldiers. I was using them to make a tool to hamper our enemys advance.

    Your target is the enemy 50 meters before you! Line up into two rows of fifty apiece!

    They hurried toply and lined up into two rows of 50.

    Set your arrows. The goal is to finish within 15 seconds! ReadyStart!

    I counted the seconds as I watched the elves.

    When they first started training they were horribly awkward, but now they were quite used to it. They were able to aplish their goal within 10 seconds.

    Alright, everyone did well. Next is to aim properly within 10 seconds. First row aim!

    All fifty of the front row raised their crossbows and aimed. Their smooth motions gave off a dignified air.

    Fire!

    I cried out as soon as 10 seconds passed and the arrows flew out.

    They were on a straight course for the enemies.

    Their target was a wooden log with a soldiers helmet on it. It had a target attached to where the stomach should be.

    I had wanted to melt the helmets down into raw materials, but in order to make the targets look like enemy soldiers, increase their fighting spirit, and make it easier to fire at real humanster I had to do this.

    The best case scenario would be for them to recognize people wearing this helmet as targets.

    There was also a reason I had them aim for the stomach instead of the head or heart.

    I would be applying poison to the arrow tips that would incapacitate when it hits. Therger the target and the less it moves the better.

    Plus reducing the chance of death had some benefits as well. Wed be able to receive ransoms from more valuable soldiers and it would slow down the enemy by making them go back for their injuredrades. Rather than killing one, it was better to injure one and force another two to carry him back.

    Hit confirmed! Switch rows!

    At my words the front row quickly retreated behind the rear and the back row stepped forward.

    Aim!

    I cried out as the new row lifted their crossbows to aim. The row which had just fired was reloading their crossbows.

    Fire!

    Another volley flew out. The arrows flew straight towards the wooden pole.

    Hit confirmed! Switch rows!

    Like a rey of what had urred before, the front row retreated behind and the rear row stepped forward with newly set arrows.

    I repeated this process twenty times.

    All members rest! Un! The hit ratio has finally exceeded 90%. Good job everyone.

    I said and turned to praise the vigers with a smile.

    The switch between front and back row has be smooth as well. The goal of a full volley every thirty seconds has taken shape. It was surprising to see just how far you were able to progress.

    This training was a method to minimize the crossbows weakness. It was a small trick to rid it of its inability to rapid fire.

    This reduced reload time by switching between two firing lines.

    Even so it was far slower than a normal bows rapid fire. In exchange the crossbow bolt barrage had far more killing power. It was on a far different level than the scattered firing of the past.

    Chief Cyril I think we can beat the Empire hands down like this.

    Damn straight, look at that. If this was realbat their stomachs would be full of arrows by now.

    Seriously, like this itll barely be a challenge. These crossbows are way easier to use than bows.

    They were all pleased that their skills were improving.

    In truth their speed of improvement was abnormal.

    The secret to thisy in their eyes.

    Elves have incredible dynamic vision that can track an arrow flying at 360 km/h. This was something impossible for humans. They could only estimate using trajectories. Thanks to that they could only adjust after many trials, the elves could instead see exactly what was going on and remember it. This difference was quite huge.

    Furthermore, we had excellent senses of distance by birth. In order to hit properly you needed to grasp the distance between your target and yourself. We elves barely needed any training for that.

    If we can maintain this kind of skill then we can try and increase the distance to 100 meters.

    If we maintained our range at only 50 meters it would truly be unrealistic to beat those 500 soldiers. However if we were able to extend our range to 100 meters we could surely deal with it.

    Uheee, can we?

    Oof, Imcking some confidence

    I can do it~!

    I turned to see them all joking around. It looks like theyd gained confidence from these few days of training.

 Book 1: Chapter 17-2: Training

    Book 1: Chapter 17-2: Training

    Chief you keep shouting orders but when are you going to practice?

    I dont need to practice because I can already do it.

    Ohh? Then lead by example.

    I bragged unnecessarily which now caused the roughneck of the vige, Roleau, to throw down a challenge.

    Thats right! I want to see Cyril being cool!

    Lucy joined in with a teasing smile. She probably didnt have any ill-will she probably wanted to see me participate.

    Roleau aside I couldnt betray Lucys expectations. I smiled wryly and opened my mouth.

    I understand. Ill give an example. First is from 100 meters.

    I said and pulled the string and set the arrow.

    Then I activated 3 different spells.

    The first was the Wind Ward spell that the other elves used. It made it so that the wind would not affect the trajectory of the arrow and would reduce the air resistance to near zero.

    In the elf vige children would be taught magic to cause wind and to ward it off once they reached a certain age. Conversely you could say that most elves only knew that kind of magic.

    The second spell I used was Perception Expansion. I melded my senses with wind mana and was able to magnify my perceptive abilities. Itd be helpful to teach the others this magic, but because of the amount of information it provided, it was an incredible burden on your mental faculties. Implementing it would be prohibitively difficult.

    Thest spell I activated utilized my internal magic power. It was my original magic Program. This was a spell that would calcte and initiate actions based on the feedback from my body and Perception Expansion.

    Hit the target.

    I casually fired off the arrow and it looked as if it was sucked into the target.

    It was fairly easy to do considering I didnt need to calcte for abnormalities in the wind.

    Next up is 300 meters.

    I said and backed away. I had to step further because the furthest target I had set up was only 100 meters away.

    Furthermore 300 meters was around the limits of Perception Expansion.

    When reaching a distance of 300 meters the pull of gravity cant be ignored so I had to aim at a 42 degree angle above.

    Once more hitting the mark.

    My arrow flew in a parab and hit the target once more.

    Tentatively, this would be the limit of what would be considered as a useful reference for them.

    I wouldnt ask them to be so precise at that distance, but using Wind Ward they would still be able to fire arrows with killing power.

    With fifty of them firing at the same time they wouldnt have to be so urate. It would have plenty of stopping power.

    Last is 500 meters.

    This was already beyond the limit of Perception Expansion.

    If I switched Perception Expansion from sensing in every direction and switched it to simply sensing what was in front of me, I could strengthen it and forcibly reach that distance.

    I had to adjust the firing angle to around 120 degrees. At this point the gravity and range reduced this shot to a mere acrobatic performance.

    Theoretically I could fire it no matter the distance because of theck of air resistance, but since I had topensate for gravity by shooting it straight upwards it was basically unusable as a weapon from this range.

    The arrow I fired flew through the air for 5 seconds before finally hitting the target.

    This is my limit with the crossbow.

    I sighed and returned to the vigers. They were simply staring at my arrows with shocked faces. It looks like it waspletely out of expectations.

    As you can see you can reach a certain degree of mastery with devoted practice.

    I intentionally put on a self-satisfied face as they began to return to their senses.

    Cyril, thats too amazingwe cant even use it as an example.

    Yourereally an elf? Youre not a legendary High Elf right?

    Cant you shoot theirmander from anywhere?

    I feel like 500 meters is impossible, but Im confident I can reach 200 meters.

    The elves all kicked up a fuss.

    First we should start from 100 meters. For now lets bring todays training to a close. Everyone is dismissed to collect their arrows. Oh, before that I have a reward for you.

    I said as children and elderly who couldnt pull crossbows walked around distributing dried berries.

    Cyril whats this?

    Lucy asked curiously.

    These are dried cranberries.

    Uuuu, more cranberriesI dont like how sour they are.

    Lucy cried out recalling how I forced her to eat raw cranberries everyday.

    Many elves had simr expressions. Wild cranberries were terribly sour and had barely a hint of sweetness, few people enjoyed them.

    Well if you think Im fooling you just give it a try and youll see.

    Cranberries are yummy?

    What are you saying?

    Thats right, here, Ill give you mine.

    There were plenty of surprised and doubtful voices as some tried to return them to the children who distributed them.

    Amongst them the children who received the dried cranberries back had a glitter in their eyes.

    Thank you!

    They cried out and stuffed them into their mouths.

    Delicious!

    The innocently said.

    Even those who were doubting me looked curiously at the dried cranberries in their hands before putting them in their mouths.

    Woah its true.

    Yum!

    Ah dammitshouldnt have given them away.

    They ate them one after another. Sweet food was precious even in normal times, but they were tired after training so it must have been even better.

    It was simple to make them. You bake them in an oven on one side for an hour at 100 degrees then dry it in the sun during the day for two weeks.

    The heat reduces the sourness and concentrates the sweetness making it delicious and easy to eat.

    Cyril, if its like this then Im willing to eat them every day.

    Thats no good. Ill be having you eat raw ones for a while longer Lucy.

    Meanie

    Im not doing this to be mean. After heating them like that it breaks down many of the vitamins. Its better if theyre raw for your treatment.

    Even I wanted to give Lucy delicious things to eat. But, although she had greatly improved, she was still suffering from vitamin deficiency. I still needed her to continue eating vitamin rich foods.

    After seeing her health improve it wouldnt be impossible to switch raw cranberries for dried ones. They still had plenty of vitamins left.

    Its really delicious. Is this why you had the women and children gather cranberries Chief Cyril?

    Roleau asked while staring at his empty hands.

    That is part of it. Dried cranberries canst for around a year so its an important source of vitamins during the winter. But thats not all

    Cranberries aside, there werent any edible nts that grew during the winter so we would becking in vitamins except for those gained from meat. Thinking health-wise these cranberries would be a great help.

    Can we use them for anything else?

    Once winteres around I was thinking of making alcohol. These are part of the ingredients.

    Alcohol!? We can make that in the vige!?

    Yeah, if it goes well we can even make vinegar.

    Seriously!? Amazingbut why cant we just make it now? I want a drink quick.

    Thats impossible. It needs an ingredient that we can only get in the winter. Plus I only know how to make it, Ive never done so before. Its possible I might fail so dont get your hopes up.

    I said with a strainedugh.

    Alcohol and vinegar were fairly luxurious products in the vige. If we were able to make them here then our lives would be more plentiful. It wasnt as if wed die without them, but life and enjoyment were tied together.

    I could have made ale using the wheat we produced, but there was no way I wanted to reduce our emergency stores of wheat. Plus the processing took more time than I was willing to spend.

    Okay thats the end of todays practice. Well be going hunting and gathering. We have plenty of things to prepare for the winter. I aim to have all of us ovee this winter season.

    Everyone answered me with a positive attitude. Wed ride this momentum through the difficulties of the soldiers and the winter. For our current selves it was easily doable.

 Book 1: Chapter 18-1: Calm Before the Storm

    Book 1: Chapter 18-1: Calm Before the Storm

    I cant wait to try that alcohol! That mead we drank togetherst time was delicious

    Lucy said in good humor once we returned home.

    Up til now she had only been collecting maple leaves and cranberries because I said so, but now that she knew what the end goal was she was much more enthusiastic.

    All the elves liked good alcohol. Before we fell under the control of the Empire we had sold excess food to purchase alcohol.

    Since mead and wine were too expensive we bought ale made with wheat and drank it during the harvest festival.

    The alcohol Im making will be even better than mead.

    The cranberry alcohol? I wonder if itll taste sweet and sour

    Cranberries are only one of the ingredientsthe main will be something else. Look forward to winter when youll find out.

    Looking forward to winter huh? Its the first time Ive felt like that.

    Lucy said with a happy smile. Just seeing that made my feelings brighten up.

    Truly Lucy was perfect with a smile on her face.

    But..Cyril if we have the spare time to be making alcohol and stuff like that, we should be getting more things that can feed us during the winter since the vige is low on supplies.

    Lucys cheerful face calmed down as she seriously spoke to me.

    Lucy must have realized some things after seeing what I was working on and what was going on in the vige. These were her serious considerations.

    Lucys ideas have some merit, but thats no good.

    I told Lucy with a gentle smile.

    What do you mean?

    Just like you said, people need to gather food to survive. But, if its only that then people will lose the will to work harder.

    Is that so?

    It is. They will tire of working only for the sake of survival. They can survive the tough times if they know theres a better tomorrow with hope on the horizon. In my mind the Vige Chiefs job is divided into tworge responsibilities.

    These were the thoughts of Cyril who watched his father lead the vige with admiration and my current thoughts after receiving great amounts of experience.

    First is to protect the livelihoods of the vigers. It is to use my power and everyone elses power properly so we can live our lives to the fullest.

    This is why I had dealt with the immediate food concerns and improved everyones current circumstances.

    The second is to allow everyone in the vige to dream. Let them believe that tomorrow will be better than today. Once I have aplished that I can stick out my chest with pride and say I am the Chief.

    I needed to properly face the vigers.

    That is what I believe constitutes a truly good Chief.

    Everyone smiled in my fathers time as Chief. They worked hard while believing in their futures. Thats the kind of vige I wish to have.

    My words may have been naive, but Lucys eyes glittered.

    It made me really happy yet embarrassed.

    Cyril just nowwas pretty cool. I see, youre right. Just surviving is boring. Once it turns winter, the fighting will end, the food will be plenty, and well rx and sleep together then drink some alcohol in front of a roaring firece.can I dream of such a beautiful future?

    Un, of course you can. I want to spend my time with Lucy just like that.Well if I had one thing to add Id like to add some mouth-to-mouth activities too

    .youre so bad.

    Lucy said as she blushed and turned away shyly.

    I truly believe if I seriously ask her when the timeesshell let me.

    As we continued to chat happily lunch time arrived.

    We still had work to do in the evening so we needed to eat properly.

    Maybe we should bake some bread today

    How rareusually you say that we should have some suiton soup or noodlesyou dont make bread often.

    Its because I was missing an important ingredient.

    I said and took a container down from the shelf. Inside the container were cranberries soaking in water.

    There was white foam floating on the top of the water.

    Uwaa Cyril theres some gross bubbly stuff in here. Dont use these throw them out.

    Dont even think of throwing this out! It took me a week to produce this stuff.

    I had taken the time to soak the cranberries to produce liquid yeast. It was quite useful for various things.

    Look Lucy you put in the ingredients for bread, mix them together, and put in the cranberry liquid.

    I said as I kneaded the wheat and turned it into dough one sizerger than my fist.

    Ahh our precious wheatcan we really eat this?

    Just believe me. Right, now we cover it with a cloth and let it sit.

    I listened as the fermentation began and the sound of air escaping let me approximate the correct timing.

    Good, this should be enough for the first firmentation.

    Okay, it should be fine now. Take a look.

    Its much bigger than it was before. Almost three timesrger!

    This is the effect of the yeast fluid from those cranberries. The gas released by sweeteners degrading makes the bread rise. Then you do this!

    I cried out grabbing the inted dough and dropping it on the cutting board. I started to p it onto the board several times.

    Cyril you shouldnt be ying with our food.

    No nothis is food preparation. This is to remove the old gas inside and rece it with new air. Once I do that the yeast will reactivate and make the dough smoother. Now I can let it begin the second fermentation.

    Sorry Cyrilbut I have no idea what youre talking about with yeast and fermenting.

    Putting it simply it makes the bread really fluffy and makes the nutrients from wheat easier to absorbplus it makes it taste better.

    Amazing. Just this little bit of wheat can be such arge piece of dough.

    I had recently began cooking for us, but before Lucy had always been the one in the kitchen. She must have tried to use as little wheat as possible back then.

    Some day Id make it so she wouldnt have to worry about things like that.

    Its too early to be surprised. Itll get even bigger after baking.

    I cut the dough into smaller pieces and ced them on an iron pan before cing them inside the oven.

    All that was left was to wait for it to be done.

    Yay Im looking forward to it. If you could cook like this I wish you wouldve started doing so earlier and you should do it more.

    Well I cant promise that. Ill be on cooking duty for a little while longer.

    I feelplex about thatI do like cooking for you Cyrillittle by little Ill learn how to cook the things youre makingI might lose to you right now but Ill catch up.

    I thought you might insist on making it anyways.

    I cant mess around and feed you bad food. I know you have plenty of things you want to cook, but once you run out of them let me try.

    Dont say your food is bad. I love your cooking Lucy. Id like to eat them every day if I can.

    Thank you, but I want to learn the delicious foods that you can make Cyril. Then Ill arrange it with things I know how to cook and give you something truly delicious.

    Im looking forward to it.

    The fact that Lucy would be making it specially for me would be the greatest seasoning. I cant help but look forward to it.

 Book 1: Chapter 18-2: Calm Before the Storm

    Book 1: Chapter 18-2: Calm Before the Storm

    Here its baked.

    I took the bread out of the stone oven. It had expanded to two times its size.

    I cut the bread and put dried cranberries in one half and venison in the other.

    It really got bigger. Can I eat it Cyril?

    Yeah of course.

    I said and Lucy took the half filled with dried cranberries and took a bite.

    Its so soft. Its so fluffy and tasty. Bread can be this yummy?

    Lucy stuffed the bread in her mouth and looked like an adorable little squirrel. It made me want to pet her head.

    Its much better than the usual bread we make in the vige, but itscking something.

    Indeed dough made from water and wheatcked impact. If only I had some eggs and butter I could make much more delicious thingsbut we didnt have any livestock in the vige.

    We had some horses that we used for transportation and farming, but they wouldnt produce enough milk and they didnt get pregnant easily.

    In consideration of the future we needed a source of salt, reim our supply routes, and to obtain livestock.

    In terms of cost performance goats would probably be best. We could get milk and butter from them.

    Even so this is plenty delicious. Why does the bread get bigger when you put in this yeast thing Cyril? Does yeast make more wheat?

    No of course it cant increase the wheat. It just lets a lot of air inside. Look when you tear the bread you can see all these little holes? When they get created they soften the bread and make itrger.

    Is that so? But it seems annoying to make yeast every time. It takes a week of soaking the cranberries in water right?

    Thats right. However, low temperatures wont allow the yeast to form so you need to be careful. Right now it should be fine but itll be more difficulte winter.

    Awhen winteres we cant gather cranberries and Ill have to bid farewell to this soft bread..

    Lucy looked at the bread with regret.

    Dont worry about it. We dont need raw cranberries to make yeast. We can use preserved and dried cranberries. Plus we dont have to make it every time. You know what this is?

    This is the bread dough before baking

    Correct.

    I smiled as I rolled the small piece of dough around in my hand.

    Inside this little piece of dough is lots of yeast. So when we make bread next time we can take a small piece and knead it into the rest of the dough and itll make the bread light and fluffy again.

    I get it. If we leave a small piece again the next time we make bread then well be able to continue making soft bread forever.

    Correct. Well, sometimes well have to introduce a new source of yeast, but basically thats the principle.

    But where did you learn something like this?

    During my fathers time as Chief I followed him to another town. Thats where I learned.

    Thatwas a lie.

    It was only in the 19th century that the usage of yeast spread on earth. This world was still stuck in the 16th century so there was no way they would have developed this kind of technique.

    Plus the usages of yeast didnt just stop at bread.

    I see, then we should teach this to everyone else. This bread that uses a little wheat to make such a big yummy loaf is great.

    I couldnt help but be a bit surprised. I was going to ask Lucy to spread this around to the other vigers, but she volunteered to do it herself.

    Today our bread was more delicious than usual.

    It was small but even this small improvement was enough to make people feel happy.

    Unlike me Lucy wasnt calctive and simply wanted people to enjoy this more delicious bread out of the kindness of her heart.

    Yeah of course. I have several containers of yeast liquid in the storehouse so you can go distribute it.

    Un, leave it to me. Ill make some tomorrow and if it goes well Ill tell everyone that you came up with this method Cyril.

    You dont even have to mention my name.

    Uh-uh thats no good. Itll make me happy when everyone says that youre amazing Cyril.

    Lucys carefree smile made my heart throb. I feel like when Im with her I cant help but fall deeper in love.

    Thank you. Ill do my best so youre never hate me.

    Theres no need to worry. After all Ive seen you at your worst Cyril. Theres no way Id hate you after this much.

    I couldnt help but reach out my hand and roughly pat her head.

    It feels like Cyrils been treating me like a kidtely

    Thats not true. Ive been holding back by just doing things like thisin truth I want to do more adult things.

    It was a serious desire, but I made sure to hold myself back properly. If we went too far Im worried my brakes would cease to function.

    Adult things?

    Huggingkissing.making kids.

    Lucy retreated quickly with a blush as I said those words.

    C-Cyril

    Lucys eyes wandered as she let out a bewildered voice.

    Is it weird? I feel like wanting to do things like that with the person you love is natural.

    Umm, its not weirdbut when you say it so suddenly and casually I cant get used to it!

    So its a matter of suddenness? Then instead of a greeting Ill tell you I love you when I see you.

    I feel like thats off the mark.

    Im sorry, I didnt think it would surprise you that much. But, once I save the vige and if you ept me LucyIll do what I said every day.

    Uu, so unfair. Why am I always the one who ends up all flustered

    My heart is pounding too. It takes courage to say such pretentious lines.

    I absolutely cant tell.

    I want to act cool because Im in front of you Lucy.

    I said with a smile. Even I was feeling embarrassed.

    I wanted to quickly save the vige and hear her response to my confession.

    Umm Cyrilwill you really do it every day?

    Of course. So take that into ount when you consider your response.

    And just like that we ate our lunch with lively and happy conversation.

    I treasured these moments every second.

    I knew that times like these would be in short supply soon.

    This was simply the calm before the storm

 Book 1: Chapter 19-1: Battle

    Book 1: Chapter 19-1: Battle

    Dear countrymen! The time for battle has arrived!

    I announced to the vigers gathered in the town square.

    Around 6 days ago I had received information that around 500 imperial soldiers were marching towards our vige as we prepared.

    Now it was only half a day before they would reach our vige.

    The information I got from torturing Joseph was that the soldiers would destroy the vige, kill all the men and turn them into magic stones, and abduct all the women.

    When having children between different races the birth rates would decline, but leaving aside exceptions, the child would be the same race as their mother.

    In other words, they thought that as long as they left the women alive they could birth as many elves as they needed.

    Up until now they had left our vige some leeway to obtain the taxes and magic stones, but now they decided to give up on the taxes and instead raise the amount of magic stones they stole. Probably to cover the deficit.

    We will no longer yield. We wont be robbed. Let us raise our spirits and fight the Empire with all our strength. Fight with the wind and our friends. This is the war that will determine our future!

    My words entered every one of their ears.

    The atmosphere stilled.

    I dont need anything special. Just fulfill my orders and move like we trained and we will win. I will lead us to victory. So please lend me your strength! Once the fighting ends well all meet here again and hold a grand feast to celebrate our future!

    None of the elves looked like martyrs.

    They all believed in our victory.

    If we were to win this battle arge scale force would attack us in the future.

    However, in less than a month winter would be here.

    That would mean that arge scale march through the snowy mountains would be near impossible. If we won we would live freely until spring.

    With that kind of time I could enrich our vige and improve our strength.

    Everyone for victory!

    I cried out as if a prayer.

    Ou!!

    The elves responded with a fierce cry.

    A smile emerged on my face. I dont feel like well lose.

    And so 100 archers gathered their crossbows, put on their quivers, and marched out of the vige.

    I would not be utilizing Samsara Recursion in this battle.

    This was the elves battle. If we couldnt win by force of arms then this would all be meaningless.

    If the vige was attacked while I was away and ended up destroyed then what was the point? Victory would provide the elf people with experience and confidence.

    Plus if I left Samsara Recursion unused I could keep it for any unexpected developments or reinforcements. I would leave it as insurance for if worst came to worst.

    *******************************************

    There was only one paved road between the Elf Vige and the Empire. It was only 30 meters wide.

    Originally the elf vige was located in the middle of a forest with no roads to or from it.

    Five years ago my father and hispatriots had used the thick forest to conduct guerri warfare to fight the Empire. The Empire feeling their disadvantage, decided to cut and burn the forest until they reached our vige.

    They forced their way forwards cutting a path straight to our vige and eventually paved the pathway. Now we had a single paved road surrounded by woods.

    Thanks to the heavy armor the imperial soldiers wore they couldnt use any other methods to invade ournds. The soft forest soil would suck in their feet and with the added weight of their armor they couldnt advance. Furthermore the dense foliage made it near impossible to swing their swords while inside the woods.

    The soldiers had set up camp around 5 km from here. The troops consisted of 90% foot soldiers who had been sent ahead and 10% cavalry that remained behind.

    This meant that themander was most likely amongst the cavalry.

    Currently the foot soldiers were around 1 km away. Thanks to the straight path we could see them easily. At this distance an elfs incredible eyesight could catch sight of them. It was even possible for some facial features to be visible.

    Do not fire until I give the signal.

    I ordered.

    On the imperial side I didnt see any bowmen or mages.

    It must have been because our bows couldnt harm them before and our ability to use the wind to redirect their arrows made their bows useless. Furthermore human mages could only attack around 2-3 people from 20 meters away. This was practically useless.

    The logic was sound as was their decision.

    Onlymanders used horses because although their armor could protect them from arrows, it couldnt do the same for their mounts. If they fell from their horses in armor they could injure themselves badly.

 Book 1: Chapter 19-2: Battle

    Book 1: Chapter 19-2: Battle

    There was a certain overpowering pressure that came from 500 fully armed soldiers advancing towards you, but even so the elves remainedposed. In fact they grew calmer thanks to the sight of the empires helmets which reminded them of their training.

    The imperial soldiers stopped marching 500 meters away from us.

    The infantry created a path between them and a well built soldier wearing gaudily decorated custom armor rode his horse through them.

    He held a primitive version of a loudspeaker.

    Hear ye hear ye, my honored self is the second son Merissak of the noble Knight Family Harengur! We have arrived to deal a crushing punishment to those barbarians who defy our order. We 500 of the Roan Branch Sacred Sword Order will dole out this punishment with honor.

    I had been wondering what they were doing until I heard their announcement. They purposefully announced their identity and purpose. A deration that this was not an ambush.

    Looking at their strangely righteous appearance and counting their troops, it appeared that they were being honest. There didnt seem to be an ambush set up.

    Doing such a ridiculously stupid thing so that he can gain honor and feel pride in such a battle.

    Does he have a maggot in his brain?

    I scorned his ridiculous actions and pointed my crossbow at the sky before pulling the trigger.

    The arrow was protected by the wind and flew in a beautiful parab towards the stupid noble.

    It was perfectly calcted using Program.

    Listen! Savages obediently AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

    I had purposefully missed his vitals and the arrow simply thunked into his abdomen.

    Of course the arrow I had fired was soaked with a powerful poison. It was a double K.O. of incredible pain and paralysis poison. Once it got into your bloodstream even a bear wouldnt be able to move for a day or two.

    The megaphone amplified the sounds of his screams so they echoed everywhere.

    This was a sudden and dramatic blow to their morale.

    A nearby adjutant picked up the megaphone.

    You fired! You shot while he was in the middle of naming himself! Unfair! Such cowardice!!

    I couldnt help but feel amazed. They werent wondering why the arrow was able to hit him from such a distance, but were instead exaggerating the dishonorable nature of shooting him while he was naming himself.

    Andcowardice? Furthermore unfairness in war?

    What the hell was he saying? We were exchanging lives. What was wrong with doing anything to survive? This wasnt some kind of sport.

    A supporter handed me another loaded crossbow and I simply fired once more.

    It was a rey of what happened to the noble moments earlier. Arrow pierces stomach, he screams, and falls off his horse.

    Plus there was a bonus. This time the horse panicked and started kicking the soldiers around it.

    Next!

    Shortly after I said that I was handed another crossbow.

    This time I had two exclusive supporters aiding me.

    With my outstanding uracy I could hit targets from 500 meters away.

    Therefore I had the two supporters reload crossbows for me so I could fire as many arrows as possible and I could focus on shooting.

    Now scream! Keep screaming!

    I continued to snipe at any soldier with a family crest carved into their armor.

    It was impossible to catch sight of the arrows traveling at 360km with a humans eyesight. One by one they were hit and rendered incapable of fighting from the poison and pain.

    If they simply moved they would be able to escape, but their fear paralyzed their movements and minds. Idiots.

    Even if they cant catch the arrows movements with their eyes it takes five seconds to reach them due to the trajectory. As long as they moved during that time theyd be safe.

    Fourth family crest hit!

    The reasons I was aiming for those wearing armor emzoned with a family crest were twofold.

    The first was the assumption that this army was led by a noble. Once losing theirmander they would lose direction and would begin to panic. In fact because of the confusion in themand structure the army was still stuck unmoving in this situation. This was my goal when aiming for the important looking people.

    The second reason was I could make sure the nobles, who could be ransomed, wouldnt be killed duringbat. The 100 crossbowmen here werent as urate as me. It wouldnt be funny if we identally killed all of them.

    After I hit the sixth noble the soldiers finally began to move.

    Charge! Charge!

    At those words all the heavily armored soldiers started running full tilt towards us.

    How stupid. Even after I demonstrated that we could pierce their armor they still tried this brute force approach.

    Maybe they thought that only the bow I held was special.

    Front row aim!

    I gave out my orders.

    Just like in training the archers were divided into two firing lines.

    The road was less than 50 meters wide making things quite cramped.

    They all looked well focused.

    In all honesty I thought at least one or two would lose to their fear and identally let off a bolt or two, but they were holding on well.

    I had split off ten elite hunters to do a different task so right now I only had two rows of 45 elves each.

    Not yet, pull them in further. Now!

    As soon as the soldiers passed the 300 meter mark I had them release their arrows.

    Only half of the arrows hit their mark.

    At this distance it was difficult for them to aim urately, but even so this barrage had the power to wound and kill soldiers.

    We continued our rapid fire by switching between front and rear rows.

    The screams of the soldiers echoed out as we fired.

    This was a secondary effect of the poison. The fear felt when hearing the screams of their allies would dull their movements. The fear could transform into panic and there would be those who would try to help their fellow soldiers. Many soldiers shouldered their allies slowing their charge considerably.

    Furthermore fallen allies became obstacles to the rest. The soldiers had to slow down so they wouldnt trip over their fallen friends.

    It would take 2 minutes for them to cross 100 meters in this condition.

    As they slowly advanced the arrows poured down like rain.

    It hurts.it hurts.

    What is this? Wasnt the Empires armor invincible?

    Oi, please dontdont die! Ill lend you my shoulder

    So far we had apletely one sided battle. We shot the enemy full of arrows and received no casualties ourselves.

    If this was a proper army they would have made the necessary arrangements to advance forward with all their power and steel themselves or to retreat.

    Back row step forward, Aim..Fire!

    After a small gap the rows changed and another volley fired.

    Once again the arrows hit causing numerous casualties.

    Even so, the soldiers were getting closer.

    Now that they reached a distance of 100 meters I ordered the vigers to aim properly.

    At this range they should be able to have a near perfect hit rate.

    The soldiers casualties instantly skyrocketed.

    Normally the Imperial Soldiers wouldnt do this kind of reckless charge.

    This kind of straight charge would only end in catastrophic casualties. Even so they didnt stop. Maybe I had caused this by shooting all of themanding officers who could order such a retreat.

    Well, nevertheless there are a few that can use their brains popping out.

    There were some soldiers who decided that the punishment for ignoring orders was less frightening than death.

    Even if it was harder to move, they chose to move through the forest instead of down the well-paved path with arrows raining down upon it.

    They probably nned to nk us using the cover of the forest.

    Our two row archer formation was weak to attacks from the sides and rear.

    Certainly if they were able to seed it would be a very effective tactic.

    But it isnt as if I hadnt thought of that beforehand.

    I had been using Perception Expansion to oversee the situation in the forest.

    Some soldiers had fallen into pits filled with poison, others got caught in rope traps and were hanging in midair, and there were the elf hunters who had hidden their presence and snuck up on those who managed to get through.

    I could see the miserable state of those soldiers who tried to be smart.

    There were numerous traps set up in the forest and 5 hunters on each side of us.

 Book 1: Chapter 19-3: Battle

    Book 1: Chapter 19-3: Battle

    They were able to eliminate their presence while hunting and grasp enemy movements by sound.

    The soldiers armor hit the trees and undergrowth, nked against itself, and caused their movements to slow in the soft soil. They were easily found and if they tried to fight back their swords would get caught on the trees when they swung them. Each of them was eliminated easily.

    How could a human beat an elf in a forest?

    If they had proper teamwork and leadership it was still possible. If the remaining soldiers used the corpses to shield themselves from the arrows and sent 100 of their remaining soldiers into the forest to nk us we wouldnt be able to deal with it.

    We couldnt ignore the enemies in front of us. But because of the way the forest blocked line of sight we wouldnt be able to defeat the soldiers who were dispatched into the forest fast enough. Arge group couldnt be defeated by those hunters.

    However, there werent anymanders left to give those orders.

    Before long the distance between our forces had shortened to 70 meters.

    Although our the damage had increased once they passed the 100 meter line they didnt stop advancing.

    Around 220 soldiers had been taken out ofmission and less than three hundred were fit forbat.

    There was still quite a number of enemies left but it was still eptable. Instead the fact that we had rendered more than a third of the enemy unable to fight was great.

    For infantry units it was already fatal once casualties exceeded 30% as they would need 2-4 soldiers to carry each injured ally from the battlefield. They needed to retreat or face a crushing defeat.

    But it didnt look like they were going to care for their injured or fallen brethren. I saw no sign of retreat as they desperately advanced.

    I felt a bit puzzled.

    No matter how you look at it the imperial soldiers didnt seem to be being affected by fear.

    With so many allies suffering and dying why were they still desperately attacking?

    For normal people theyd lose the will to fight after such an incredibly one-sided battle.

    It felt like something intangible was pushing them forward.

    Advance chaaaaarge! We have no choice but to avenge our brothers!

    The soldiers cried out as they climbed over the corpses of their allies and charged.

    How stupid. Even if they won they would have to abandon their allies. If they retreated now they could avoid total annihtion.

    I set aside my spection for now as the soldiers were getting closer. It would only take a few more minutes before they would reach us. However,

    Whats with this thin chain? Ill chop it down.

    In their way was barbed wire wrapped around many poles.

    It was an old style trap.

    It was simply barbed iron wire wrapped around wooden stakes and trees.

    It was there to hinder their path. The barbed wire was only 1.3 meters tall. It was too tall for armored soldiers to climb over, but short enough that it wouldnt affect our arrows.

    It fulfilled my expectations, actively restraining their charge using the least material andbor.

    What is thisI cant cut it. W-wait wait a second, the way forward is blocked!

    The soldiers that came from behind didnt stop despite the soldiers at the front not moving. The rear ended up crashing into the vanguard.

    If they werent wearing armor the needles would have torn their flesh. But even so it gained us enough time.

    Fire!

    We had plenty of time to nock our arrows.

    At that moment the soldiers still standing were struck by the arrows and dozens went down.

    Also the soldiers at the front that had fallen on top of the barbed wire became an even greater obstacle to the soldiers behind them.

    I had specially ordered 10 elite marksman including Lucy to fire at any soldier trying to save those who were caught in the barbed wire.

    Fire!

    In the meantime we continued our volley fire. Our elves were able to avoid those who were caught in the barbed wire and fire at those who were still a threat.

    The imperial soldiers were in pandemonium. Not a single one reached our archers. Some leftover soldiers saw how many casualties there were and ran away.

    Their casualties had exceeded half of their original number. At this point it would be weirder if none of them retreated. It might be there was no longer anyone who could give the order to retreat.

    Step over the injured! If not well all die here!

    It looks like there was still one soldier left with a brain.

    It was the proper response. Step on the injured to ovee the barbed wire.

    Of course the elves wouldnt be able to hit every single person who climbed over.

    Only around 80 left?

    Their forces had only 80 left. Four fifths of their entire force had been eliminated.

    They looked like they intended to ignoremon strategy and would fight to thest man.

    I almost wanted to praise their courage for not turning tail in this desperate situation.

    No, it wasnt even a good thing. Even if they reached us now they wouldnt be able to win. It was basically suicide at this point.

    They still had 40 meters to go.

    Damn elves Ill kill you! Die!! Ill have my revenge! Die in regret!!

    I heard their voices filled with resentment.

    As the distance decreased our uracy improved and the results of each volley increased.

    Even though they should know that too, the soldiers had demonic expressions on their faces as they continued to charge.

    I could understand the feeling because.

    Yeah, this is what weve felt for the past five years. It was always this feelingFire!!

    Once again another volley fired taking out 30 people.

    They just stepped over the fallen and continued.

    At this distance we wouldnt have time to switch rows again before they reached us.

    Normally that is

    Hiii what is this!?

    I-Im sinking!

    Take it off! Take off your armor!

    I had predicted that during this firstbat they would approach us. I had made thest thirty meters into a muddy bog.

    Elves didnt only have aptitude for wind magic, but water magic as well. We had drowned the soil making it sticky and muddy.

    All we had to do was add more water when we wanted it to turn it into a swamp.

    The enraged soldiers had all ran full speed straight into the swamp area, fell into it, and started drowning. They couldnt stop moving so suddenly.

    And luckily there was no cover.

    Fire!

    The elves had long finished reloading and shot them like fish in a barrel.

    The imperial soldiers were wiped out. They only had a handful of soldiers left. They started to run away after seeing it was hopeless. This battle

    We win!

    I cried out.

    The elves cheered.

    Indeed, this was the first victory wed achieved in five years.

 Book 1: Chapter 20-1: Post War Processing

    Book 1: Chapter 20-1: Post War Processing

    After the fighting finished we began the cleanup.

    All the vigers had survived the fighting and were return home without a scratch.

    The other vigers would probably be preparing the celebratory banquet by now.

    Originally our food storage didnt have enough leeway for such a thing, but wed just gotten some incidental ie. It was the alcohol and foodstuff that the soldiers had brought with them. The quality and amount of it was quite incredible.

    It seems like the high and mighty nobles hade out to earn easy merits and intended to sight see while they were out. That must have been the reason that such a small force had 6 different people with crests inscribed on their armor.

    I gotta deal with these corpses

    I sighed and looked over the paved path towards the Empire.

    There was a mountain of dead and injured.

    Their corpses will rot and be carriers for disease.

    If I didnt deal with these corpses properly things would turn for the worse.

    Stray dogs and wild birds woulde to eat the corpses which would then scatter leftovers all around. That would in turn spread the smell of rot as well as disease which would cause great harm.

    It was such a serious issue that during a siege there was a tactic that involved throwing corpses into the city to cause hygiene to drop and diseases to thrive.

    This time I should probably deal with it personally.

    However, if I remained as Cyril to do this work I wouldnt be able to finish even if I worked all night.

    I decided to use Samsara Recursion to speed up the process.

    Just in case I checked my surroundings using Perception Expansion to see if there were any elves or enemy soldiers that could see me.

    Liberate me my soul. Let a miracle beyond time descend upon me here

    The magic in my body flowed. My soul trembled.

    I desire the Noble and Virtuous Knight from a Vainglorious World, His name is.

    A name I had once before. A nostalgic name I clearly recalled.

    Deet! Samsara Recursion!

    Light enveloped my body.

    Then my body became that of a tinum d knight.

    I seelevel 24my equipment ranked up too. As expected after devouring more than 60 people.

    The effects of devouring their souls and increasing my magic power was shown in the greatly increased strength of Deet.

    I should be able to get this done faster than I thought.

    I let out a sigh of relief as I approached the corpses.

    Item Box

    I activated Deets inherent magic Item Box.

    I separated the armor from the corpses and stored them away.

    I repeated this for each corpse I came across.

    Item Box could now hold up to 4000 kg of non-living things.

    This guys still alive.

    I cut off one soldiers head who was still writhing around in pain.

    As soon as his head separated from his neck he turned into a corpse and I could store him away.

    At the same time I activated Soul Eater and a bluish light was absorbed into my body.

    This was a reproduction of my ability in that game world. I was able to activated it to eat an opponents soul to increase my magic power.

    Based on my observations the dead soldiers and soldiers who were writhing on the ground in pain from poison were at a 1:1 ratio.

    Well, that was reasonable. Unless the arrow struck a vital point it was hard to kill them. Realistically there should have been more living soldiers, but many appear to have killed themselves to escape the incredible pain.

    It may be cruel, but unless we made them suffer this much it wouldnt make them unable to fight.

    I continued killing soldiers to release them from their torment.

    We could not ransom ordinary soldiers but we could sell them off as ves. The only issue with that was the nearest country that could buy them was unreasonably far away.

    It wasnt worth it so instead I turned them into a source for my growth.

    My box is gonna be full soon.

    A 4000kg Item Box really only had room for 40 corpses along with their equipment.

    There were over 500 soldiers so there was no way I could finish all in one go.

    I should empty out.

    I sighed and entered the forest.

    I walked to a giant pit 20 meters deep and 20 meters wide covered with a huge lid.

    This was something I had made while in dwarf form. It wasnt a simple soil pit, I had reinforced the walls with bricks. I took out the corpses one after another and dropped them in.

    I ignored the horrible sounds the bodies made when they hit the ground.

    Now Ill go store this equipment.

    The equipment was precious for the metal it would provide. Since we didnt have any mines nearby we could either buy it or steal it. The Empire had advanced metal manufacturing technology so I had to make sure to store these things carefully.

    I thought as I lined up the equipment in my workshop. In anticipation of this I had made my workshop even bigger.

    I quietly made round trips between the battlefield, the morgue, and my workshop. Along the way I drove away wild animals and dogs, experienced some troubles, and around the 10th trip I was practically finished. There was still blood sttered over the ground but the rain would wash that away.

    Still, I did end up eating a lot.

    By the end I had used Soul Eater at least 200 hundred times.

    There usually wasnt much opportunity to get so many. This was quite lucky. However, I still didnt have enough magic power. If I could get a bit more then I could call a more powerful self out.

    Oh no, cant get overeager.

    I spoke out loud to calm myself.

    It was a good thing that the elves were able to win today.

    The most certain way to deal with all this would have been for me to make a surprise attack alone and wipe them out. I was able to do that when there were only this amount.

    I didnt do that this time on purpose.

    There would surely be a time when I would not be in the vige. If they were attacked during that period they needed the power to defend themselves. If they didnt have that then there was no meaning.

    Thats why this sort of moderate battle was the perfect training ground for them.

    Ive cleaned up the trash so whats left is negotiations.

    I dispelled Samsara Recursion and returned to Cyril form. I ran over to the nobles I had sniped at the start of battle.

    Different from normal soldiers these nobles could provide information and ransom money.

    Im just hoping they haventmitted suicide.

    Hii, hiii, hiiiii

    A ahh ahhhh ah

    When I arrived I saw the most important one who had stepped forward to name himself, on the ground with a broken arm. He was still alive.

    The adjutant seems alright as well.

    Unfortunately it appears that 2 of the 4 other nobles hadmitted suicide due to the pain.

    I pulled the arrow out of themander and blood started to flow out.

    A single arrow wouldnt cause too much bleeding but when you first pull it out it would flow quickly.

    Hed die if I let him bleed out so I cast Healing and sealed the wound.

    Id like to remove the poison too, but that would be dangerous so forgive me for not doing so.

    It would take a lot of his physical strength to increase the rate that the poison dispelled from his system. It was simr to how you would get a fever tobat a cold because your body was fighting off the virus.

    If I elerated the process with magic right now, the pain and side effects would multiply. In normal times they may survive, but in such a weakened state these nobles were likely to die.

    I took out the antidote and painkillers and shoved them into themanders mouth.

    Since the poison I used on the arrows was also used in torture so I had several antidotes for it.

    When I stuffed the medicine into his mouth his eyes widened before looking more rxed.

    After drinking this the poison would disappear in half a day.

    I should make him sleep.

    As I final mercy I shook his brain and made him unconscious.

    I did the same for the remaining three. Once they awaken the poison would be gone.

    Oops, I screwed up. I didnt deal with these guys with Deet.

    I sighed heavily and started dealing with the corpses of the two nobles who killed themselves.

    I conscientiously stripped their armor and buried them in the pit.

 Book 1: Chapter 20-2: Post War Processing

    Book 1: Chapter 20-2: Post War Processing

    I disposed of all the corpses in the pit and took the oil the soldiers had brought to warm themselves and tossed it into the pit.

    I soaked the corpses in oil and used a flint to spark the mes.

    Then I further strengthened the fire using wind mana.

    Of course I made sure the wind would keep the smoke out of my face.

    The smell of burning flesh, oil, and smoke was incredibly unpleasant. But if I dealt with them like this we wouldnt catch any diseases.

    In the past epidemics were caused by corpses being left to rot and vermin spread the diseases that were henceforth known as a curse of death.

    Dont resent me. If you were the victor we would have been the ones in this position.

    That was war. The only way to protect your right to live was to win.

    This time we happened to be stronger.

    I stood staring into the dancing mes. I stared. I prayed that we would not have to see such mes again.

    **************************************

    I finished disposing of the corpses and carried the three nobles that were still alive.

    I trained my body using magic daily and could also use body reinforcement magic which made carrying these full grown men possible.

    I had to treat them a little gently so that I can collect the ransom money. I couldnt leave them lying on the ground.

    Chief Cyril! Should we really leave the cleanup to you?

    Yes let us help you!

    When I reached the vige entrance the roughneck Roleau and my childhood friend Rick ran up to me.

    They had wanted to help me clean up but I ordered them to return to the vige so I could use Deets power.

    I wanted them to maintain their faith that this battle was won using the power of elves alone. If they saw me take on a non-elf form it could shake that belief.

    I already finished. All we have to do is show our illustrious guests to their cells and put them to bed.

    Seriously?

    Thats gotta be a joke right? It couldnt take less than two hours to finish all that work.

    Roleau and Rick looked at me doubtfully.

    I could understand their feelings, but I couldnt tell them to go look right now because the celebration was about to start. Id feel bad if they missed the opening festivities.

    Wellit is me you know?

    I gave a frank and nonsense reason.

    They smiled wryly.

    Well Chief Cyril always manages to aplish what he says

    I guess judging Chief Cyril usingmon sense would be a mistake. Anyways lets hurry to the vige and start the celebration.

    You can start it without me right?

    Thats no good. We cant start without the leading actor. Well carry these guys so go on ahead.

    Roleau and Rick grabbed the nobles and disappeared into the vige.

    I returned to my home to change clothes and wash myself before heading to the town square.

    Chief!

    Finally the lead actors arrived.

    Come here! The foods all ready!

    The vigers all rushed over to me once I reached the square.

    If there were elves like this celebrating our victory, there were surely elves feeling fearful that they had taken lives.

    For now I could only be pleased that we hadnt lost any lives.

    A girl one year younger blushed as she brought me a te with several different foods on it. There was meat, bread, and different seasonings taken from the soldiers. It felt a bit extravagant.

    Thank you. Ill dig in.

    P-please by all means. C-Chief Cyril please call me Kona.

    You couldnt say that Kona was a true beauty, but she was surely a cute young girl with a short cut.

    She hade to me with a bright red blushing face as she introduced herself.

    She probably had a crush on me. I was now the youngest Chief in our vige and the hero that had saved it.

    I know you. Its a small vige after all.

    I smiled at her as she blushed even more.

    Her brain must have overloaded because she froze and it seemed like smoke would pour out of her head.

    That reminds mewheres Lucy? Ive been looking for a while but I dont see her.

    Umm, Lucy went to prepare for her dance.

    There wasnt much to say about that so I moved the conversation along to different topics and she responded while stuttering.

    It appears she would be dancing a Kagura dance today.

    The Kagura was a shrine maidens celebratory dance.

    Lucys family passed this dance down from generation to generation.

    Ever since the vige fell under the Empires control we hadnt seen it once. Thest time I had seen it was when Lucy danced it with her mother back when I was 9 years old.

    Back then her dancing hadnt given off a feeling of beauty but of cuteness.

    I was a little uneasy and wondered if she remembered how to do it properly.

    A special stage huh

    In the middle of the square they had set up a simple stage.

    The elves who were good at ying music were sitting near there with their instruments in hand.

    Then from the wings of the stage 3 women emerged.

    Two of them were hiding the third woman behind arge cloth.

    The two women were seniors who managed our various traditions. The girl behind the cloth was probably Lucy.

    We will nowmence the Dance of Sunlight. Lucy shall y the role of Shurano-sama tonight.

    The women announced and let go of the cloth.

    Lucy was revealed.

    I was at a loss for words. Lucy was too beautiful.

    Lucy wore the ceremonial cloth once used by her mother. Even when us elves lost our pride, these clothes remained hidden.

    It was thin, brilliant, and nearly see through clothyered together. It made her silhouette more enchanting.

    Furthermore Lucy had put on a thinyer of make-up that entuated her loveliness.

    So this is what it was like when you polished a raw gemstone.

    The other elves stopped eating and whispering. They all stared at Lucy.

    From this point forward I shall be Shurano-sama. Now, I shall dance

    As Lucys words faded the music began.

    She started to dance and it was no everyday urrence.

    This was the legend of Shurano-sama that was passed down from ages passed.

    It was a time when the Demon King was still in existence as he birthed monsters one after another.

    A tale of defeating the Demon King and saving the world. Journeying with the Archmage to seal the Demon King away so he will never revive again.

    Chapter 20 End

 Book 1 Epilogue Part 1: Founding of the Nation 『Erucy』

    Book 1 Epilogue Part 1: Founding of the Nation ��Erucy��

    PICTURE</a>

    Lucy danced airily as her light clothing fluttered around her body seeming like a fairy-tale.

    Matching Lucys dance the women clearly cried out the legend of this dance.

    Long ago this world was covered in darkness. Monsters flooded the earth, the Demon King ruled over all, and engulfed the bastions of civilization.

    Monsters and Demon King.

    They were a natural phenomenon that would appear in a world with sufficient mana.

    Mana was the power of blessings and in response an opposing negative force appeared. It was known as Erna.

    Erna was a power of pure cmity. No one was able to control it, it simply spread destruction and fear everywhere.

    Erna took peoples fears and negative emotions giving them form, power, and direction.

    Fear of monsters, fear of demons, fear of nature. Giving these emotions form and turning into the beings called monsters. Finally amongst these monsters a leader would be born, a Demon King.

    Generally a Demon King would have a humanoid form. This was because the thing people feared most was other people.

    Consequentially, the Erna that has taken human form will gain intelligence. Their intelligence allowed them to spread and gain more and more fear. As a result the Demon King would end up as a being expert in spreading fear and more intelligent than people.

    The world was filled with despair. The people feared and lost their will.

    Anything you made would be destroyed and in the end you would die anyways.

    In such a world there was no possibility of culture developing. If you took one step outside of town there would be monsters everywhere. This kind of situation eliminated any interaction between towns.

    A closed and decaying world. I saw many worlds like that.

    To prevent such disasters there were many worlds thatpletely abandoned the blessings mana gave. Without mana, erna would not exist and monsters wouldnt be born. However, once such a thing happened it would be prohibitively difficult to use magic. An example of that would be Earth.

    Within the darkness there were champions who rose. The human knight, the cat tribe warrior, and two high elves. Finally there was an angel with a body of steel.

    These five were famous. It was spread throughout the world in the multiracial Choline Kingdom and even in the Empire.

    They overcame many difficulties and finally defeated the Demon King. The monsters who lost their leader became fragmented. However, it came with a heavy price. Many towns and cities were destroyed in the fighting and every hero except for the youngest High Elf girl died. That young girl was precisely our originator Shurano-sama.

    In the books Shurano-sama returned to her town and reassured people with a smile even though she had lost her precious friends.

    Even though she was filled with despair, she smiled for their sake.

    For some reason a girls face flickered to life inside my mind. A scene that was engraved into my very soul.

    A noise ran through my mind. Strangely the memories burned into my soul became clearer and clearer.

    I was only unable to remember two things.

    However I felt like I knew about this.

    There was only one real reason things would be like this. I had intentionally concealed this memory.

    Shurano-sama realized that the Demon King would revived before long.

    That was obvious. Once the Demon King was defeated the erna would disperse with him.

    However, eventually the erna would once again gather, read the peoples fears, and give birth to another Demon King. In a world with mana you could slow the process by proactively hunting monsters. This could disperse the erna in an endless process.

    Shurano-sama decided that she would not allow such a tragedy to ur again and set off. It was then that an Archmage named Shujina appeared. This Archmage was drawn to Shurano-sama and journeyed along with her.

    The music grew fervent as Lucys dance intensified.

    Shurano-sama and Shujina-sama traveled the world casting down 9 different seals using the world tree as the catalyst. They would collect the evil powers and extinguish them. Since then the monsters and Demon King have no longer appeared.

    I felt interest when I heard about those seals.

    Unlike mana, erna could not be controlled normally and its production could not be halted.

    In that case you would need to use a different power, gather them together, and force them to smash together and mutually extinguish. That was the method I would use as well.

    It was an incredibly high level andplex technique. However, if you used Yggdrasil as the highest ss catalyst, a mage of my level or greater could aplish it.

    After the long sealing journey ended, Shurano-sama returned here by herself, gathered the persecuted elves, and created a single vige. This was the beginning of our vige. She lived her life protecting our vige, unbound by anyone before finally she peacefully went to her rest.

    The music took on a mncholic tone as Lucys dance finished.

    The elves pped energetically.

    When Shurano-sama returned from the sealing journey she did not return with the Archmage.

    No one knew the reason. Maybe there was no longer any reason to be together once the seals wereplete or maybe she simply took into consideration the elves who were persecuted by the humansthere were many conjectures but no concrete answer.

    However, there would sometimes be human children that bear striking resemnce to Shurano. Many would likely believe they were somehow rted.

    They might even say they were Shurano-samas daughter but that was impossible. Children would be of the same race as their mother. The Elven Shurano-sama would not give birth to a human child.

    Thats right, that girl wasnt a proper thing like thatshe was simply a substitute for the woman I couldnt reachcreated from parts of the repair function of the seal from Yggdrasil and Shurano.The imitation of Shurano I had madeher name was.

    Thats wonderful. Im already sick of seeing tragedies. This world is a special one to me. I wish for this child I leave behind to..noits fine. By all means I will save her

    For some reason the words from those memories disappeared from my head as quickly as they appeared. The misgivings about that Archmage and that girl as well.

    It was as if someone panicked after the memories leaked and hurried to delete them.

    A dull pain ran through my mind.

    Whats with this dizziness?

    I couldnt help but say. My head was strangely heavy and my memory was a bit hazy. It felt like I had forgotten something that had just happened.

 Book 1 Epilogue Part 2: Founding of the Nation 『Erucy』

    Book 1 Epilogue Part 2: Founding of the Nation ��Erucy��

    It was documented in several different books that Shurano-sama spent her life single.

    She remained unbound and marriage was a taboo to her. Her love life had been offered up in service of her work til death.

    It was possible that she found herself pining away for the Archmage or someone else and could not bear the pain of ending that love.

    We elves must never forget Shurano-sama no matter how many ages pass. Our present world exists thanks to Shurano-sama and so we must convey this to each sessive generation. This is our duty.

    At those final words the dance ended.

    I met Lucys eyes. Her face was smiling, but I could see the anxiety in her eyes.

    She was probably worrying if she was able to dance properly after so long.

    It was beautiful.

    I spoke quietly, but exaggerated my mouth movements so she could see them.

    Lucys smile became radiant. It looks like the message was properly conveyed. Once we get home Ill praise her a lot. It was truly beautiful. Im sure it wouldnt even lose to Shurano-sama.

    Finally the apuse died down and Lucy got off the stage.

    She was promptly surrounded by vigers so I was unable to approach.

    I could forcefully extract her if I used my authority as Chief, but I wouldnt do something so boorish. This festival was for the vigers sake after all. Id let them soak in their joy for today. Itd be motivation for tomorrow.

    Some vigers praised Lucy, hit on her, and some tried to propose.

    Youve got some nerve.Ive memorized your faces so get ready to suffer some hardship.

    The atmosphere heated up. This was the Kagura dance we could not see for five years. After seeing this old tradition brought back to life they must have realized that our vige was free once again.

    I savored the atmosphere as I sipped my alcohol.

    Everyone in the vige wasughing happily. This was all it took to fill them with joy and pride.

    Now I suppose I should finish thest job of the day.

    It was the perfect time for me to take the stage.

    I turned my body to face everyone.

    Everyone, lend me your ears. I have something important to say.

    Even though they were in the midst of their excitement, everyone turned to look at me when they heard my voice.

    This alone showed that they regarded me highly.

    With todays battle we havepletely cut ties with the Empire. Weve crossed the point of no return.

    Indeed we had an important battle, furthermore we were victorious. The Empire would never forgive such a thing.

    Our vige is no longer one of the many that the Empire controls. For that reason we have to do whats necessary.

    I spoke strongly and hopefully towards the future. I put all my energy into my words and conveyed them to the vigers.

    Roleau, do you know what that thing is?

    I asked since he was close to the stage.

    Roleau panicked a bit since he didnt expect to be questioned.

    Eh, uhh, be stronger?

    Thats important, but not the answer. How about you Kona?

    I asked the cute elf girl next.

    Umm, get more food?

    Thats a top priority, but not our first priority.

    I shook my head in denial.

    Right now our most important thing is to have a name to call ourselves. This ce is no longer a ve to the Empire. We are a free and independentmunity. This vige has already be an independent nation!

    I cried out. The elves seemed surprised as their eyes widened.

    Chief Cyril can we be called a country when were so small?

    Yes we can. We are under no ones protection and decide everything by our own power. Once these things were established we had already be our own country. That is why I hereby dere the founding of our nation. It shall be called.

    I gesticted gathering their attention fully upon me.

    As I prepared to finish my sentence I looked at Lucy with a mischievous look.

    Erucy. This vige will no longer be a simple Elven vige. It shall be our country Erucy. I dere that here and now!

    Erucy was a name I had thought up overnight.

    It was abination between Eru, which means blessing, and Lucys name. It was a word I made with the two.

    If you broke it down it could mean Blessings to Lucy.or Blessing of Lucy.

    For me thetter was the more important meaning.

    A countryour country Erucy.

    Our home with no connection to the Empireour country.

    Its got a good ring to it.

    The vigersnothe citizens spoke the countrys name to see how it felt.

    I am sure we will have various difficulties from now on. It isnt as though today will be thest battle we have. Weve only just started. However, I believe we can ovee all of this. If it is all of us from Erucy!

    The elves broke out into vigorous apuse and whistling.

    Our vague feelings and resolve took full form and solidified on this day.

    Yestoday was the first step.

    The beginning of Erucys battle with the Empire.

 Book 2 Prologue 1: Fire Fox

    Book 2 Prologue 1: Fire Fox

    Several days passed since that battle.

    The day after the battle we had made the nobles we captured determine their worth and send letters in their own handwriting back to their families on the paper that they themselves had brought. I delivered those letters along with one I had personally written. I did it myself because it would only take a single day for me to make the trip to the enemy base.

    In order for them to treat us seriously I made an example out of the lowest ranking noble.

    Delivering a miserable corpse along with the letter would demonstrate our stance and enmity clearly.

    It looks like well be able to expect some good ie from the Counts second son, the Viscounts eldest son and other VIPs. No matter how much foreign currency our Elf nation acquired it wouldnt be enough.

    It had already been two weeks but yet there was no answer, by now the Empire should have made a move.

    If they were intending to ignore us then maybe I should start killing the low level nobles and send their heads, or maybe cut off a finger of the most important Counts son and send that. Maybe that will finally demonstrate our seriousness.

    Today Lucy and I visited the ss house near the vige.

    The potatoes that we had nted were growing safely. I was relieved that they were growing quickly without any major outbreaks of bugs or illness.

    Our supplies came from the food wed stolen from the Empire and the increased hunting results thanks to the crossbows. We had a bit of leeway thanks to that.

    A single boar could weigh up to 100kg with 60kg of edible parts.

    The improved hunting had huge meaning to the vige.

    Even without these potatoes our vige could survive the winter, but it was best to have a backup n.

    Thanks Lucy. If you hadnt helped I dont think it wouldve gone as well as it has.

    I wasnt simply ttering her, it was what I truly thought.

    If weeds and bugs appeared I couldnt take them out using magic. It required daily manual care.

    We had left 3 rows empty of potatoes since wecked seeds, but even so it was beyond my abilities to do this alone.

    Lucy was of great help to me even though she had other work to do.

    No, youre working so hard Cyril so I just feel like I should too. Plus I thought the potatoes were delicious so I wanted to eat them more.

    Lucy said jokingly.

    But I was sure she was just hiding her embarrassment. She was surely thinking about wanting to do something for the vige. She was the type of person to do that.

    There were people who would think that it was an obvious thing, but there were few people who would put it into practice.

    That modesty is one of the things I like about you Lucy. Even if you dont praise yourself, I will. Youre such a great girl. Good girl.

    I patted Lucys head as she blushed and puffed out her cheeks.

    Id say she was half happy and half embarrassed.

    Again youre treating me like a kid. Id like you to stop.

    Sorry sorry, but I like how your hair feels so I cant help but do it. Its so silky and fluffyit feels really nice.

    Do you enjoy that Cyril?

    Un, I really do.

    Then Ill forgive you.

    She said and leaned against me slightly.

    It felt like my heart was being healed.

    Alright! Ill do my best in my work today.

    For the potatoes we can finally harvest them as their stalks are turning yellow. Somehow we made it in time.

    From the feeling of the wind it would only be around 2 weeks before the snow would fall.

    Once that happens it would be hopeless to want to harvest anything.

    Are we going to harvest them now?

    Hmm, itd be hard to do with just us, so Ill gather people tomorrow. At this point it wont be a disappointment. We can harvest them all at once and have a potato festival or something. Ill demonstrate the most delicious way to eat them.

    The most delicious way? That sounds great!

    Yeah, look forward to it. Its my favorite as well.

    After all this was the most utilized method on Earth. It should be the tastiest.

    Its just that unless we use quite a bit of salt it wont be delicious.

    Salt is precious. Isnt it going to be difficult to make if it needs a lot of salt?

    Lets go to the Fire Fox vige soon. They controlnd that has rock salt so if things go well we could solve our salt problems. We have deer and boar pelts to trade as well as winter clothes.

    The women and elderly that couldnt work in the fields gathered the girls of the vige and held a ss teaching needlework. Thanks to that we now had more than enough nkets and coats for the winter.

    I had to take measures so this work wasnt done in vain.

    There had been things like that in the vige already, but because they were poorly made and barely useful they began practicing.

    ..thanks to that after getting practice and teachings from the older women we ended up with a good number of well-made winter goods.

    They could be sold at the city Eris of the Choline Kingdom, or traded to the Fire Foxes.

    Besides for simple goods our vige was unable to be self-sufficient. We needed to earn currency and this was simply one part of the greater whole.

    Another thing of great importance was slowly preparing specialty products that our vige could produce.

    Is that the only reason that youre going to the Fire Fox vige?

    Lucy said as if hinting at something. I wonder if theres something bothering her?

    Another reason huh? Of course there is. Before we were controlled by the Empire we were good allies. Furthermore, even though the Empire strongly desires their fire magic stones they are still able to put up a fight against them. I want to propose that we join our hands and fight the Empire together.

    The Fire Foxes were as their name suggested, a race that excelled in fire magic. Unlike wind magic their fire magic could make amazing direct attacks and were a minority race with the ability to fight the Empire on equal footing.

 Book 2 Prologue 2: Fire Fox

    Book 2 Prologue 2: Fire Fox

    In this world only those races with attribute affinity over 90 contained magic stones. Correspondingly there were only four races confirmed to contain such magic stones. Inevitably it was these four races that the Empire targeted.

    Elves  Wind Magic Stones

    *Ruled by the Empire

    Fire Foxes  Fire Magic Stones

    *Able to oppose the Empire

    Gnomes  Earth Magic Stones

    *Live underground where the Empire cannot reach them. Sometimes Gnomes thate to the surface are kidnapped.

    Water Sprites  Water Magic Stones

    *Live in the water, same situation as Gnomes.

    The Empire aimed for these magic stones as catalysts to allow humans to use strong attribute spells.

    Human affinities were around 40 across the board. When using magic stones as catalysts their affinity to that element would be raised by around 20~30 points. After affinity passed the 50 point mark practical magics of that affinity would be usable.

    If you were to put it another way, Humans could use any type of magic as long as they had a catalyst. This was their strong point. Other races were much too loved by a particr type of mana. This interfered with other mana around them making the effects of catalysts almost negligible.

    The Empire is stubbornly aiming for the Fire Foxes. Looking forwards youd understand. If we Elves and Fire Foxes fight alone well eventually lose. We should hurry to ally together.

    Particrly in recent years the Empire had done a great deal of logging thanks to how much wood was needed to produce their new iron. Many mountains had been cleanly deforested by them. In order to cut down on their wood usage they desperately needed to obtain fire magic stones.

    Cyrils thought of a lot of thingsbut in truth you want your fiancee Kuu toe here right?

    Lucy said unhappily.

    Kuu was a friend to both me and Lucy. She was a Fire Fox girl but back when our viges had close ties she would follow the Chief of their vige, her father ande to visit us. When that wasnt the case I would many times follow my father and visit their vige instead. We had many chances to meet and had good rtions with each other.

    Thats just something Dad and Kuus dad said when they were drunk. No one took it seriously. Its fine, Lucys my number one.

    ButKuu is cute

    I think Lucy is cuter.

    I said with a wry smile.

    Kuu was the daughter of the Fire Fox Chief.

    In this world a child will be the same race as their mother.

    Smaller races would bring in excellent members of other races to make sure there wasnt too much inbreeding.

    My father and I had often gone to the Fire Fox vige to exchange boar meat for rock salt. The Chief of their vige and Kuu took a liking to me.

    My father also realized that his younger brother had a great desire to be the next chief and thought that I might be happier going to the Fire Fox vige instead.

    Since we were still very young I had no concept of love. I thought that both of us only thought of the other as a friend.

    Even Kuu was only 9 years old you know? She probably forgot that her father haphazardly gave her a fiancee 5 years ago.

    ButIve felt that way for Cyril from long agoKuu might be the same too

    Lucy had casually let slip a response to my confession without realizing it, but I couldnt capitalize on this chance because our troubles werent over yet.

    I didnt want to dwell on something so silly so I changed the subject.

    You worry too much. Now about those potatoes. Well be harvesting them all tomorrow, but we could harvest one and see how they are

    I said and walked to the nearest potato before pulling it out of the ground.

    Lucy had a slight smile on her face. It looked like I had sessfully shifted her attention. At times like this it was good I could figure out her emotions thanks to being childhood friends.

    Wow so many. For such a tiny piece of potato to be like this!

    Lucy cried out in wonderment.

    The stalk Id pulled up had 11 potatoes attached to it. They were about 150~300 grams each.

    Un, a bumper crop. The other crops are looking good so I think theyll have around this amount as well.

    The quality of the soil and the fertilizer I had used was perfect for this.

    One potato seed can make one or two sprouts. Even though thin stalks would reduce the number of potatoes harvested, we still had around 500 stalks growing.

    By my estimates each stalk would have around 9 potatoes weighing 200 grams each. At a nce there should be around 900 kg of potatoes we can harvest this time. This was incredible growthpared to the 40kg we started with.

    Even after keeping around 100kg for nting next year we could provide each house with 4 kg of potatoes.

    We could rest easy with this kind of harvest.

    Chief Cyril! Its bad! Theres trouble so pleasee out!

    As I was feeling relieved a young elf girl ran over crying out.

    She was clearly in a panic.

    Could it be? The Empire attacked!?

    I panicked a bit myself.

    I had thought that losing that number of soldiers and the fact that winter would arrive within another two weeks would prevent them from attacking. I had vigers keep watch for the Empires attacks but I had received no such reports.

    Thats not it. Umm, people from the Fire Fox vige have arrived.

    My tension instantly abated.

    I had just been thinking about wanting to visit them. Im grateful they took the opportunity to visit us instead.

    Thats it. Since you panicked like that I thought something bad happened. Ill be back soon. Treat them courteously. Guide them tothe Chiefs house.

    Lucy and I still lived in our own house, however the more luxurious Vige Chiefs house belonged to me as well.

    I thought about moving to the Chiefs house, but we didnt want to separate from our own home filled with memories. Thanks to that the Chiefs house was more of a meeting ce and a ce to greet guests.

    Impossible.

    However Kona shook her head.

    Whats impossible? Is there any reason they wont go there?

    Well.they wont fit.

    They wont fit? What are you talking about?

    Kona started to tear up at my intense questioning.

    Kona, calm yourself and breathe. Look Cyril isnt mad so just go ahead and say it.

    Lucy came to the rescue.

    It looks like I had pressured her too much.

    Suu haa suuu haa, okay Im calm. Ummthere are too many Fire Foxes, they cant fit in the Chiefs house.

    They cant fit? Theres enough room for 20 people in that house right?

    There are 53 of them.

    Huh?

    I couldnt help but react with shock.

    They are all young Fire Fox women, and are asking for help.

    She said with a confused blushing face.

    A group of 50 women asking for help.

    Those words allowed me to understand.

    I see I understand. Ill be there. Lucy return to the vige with Kona, Ill be going on ahead.

    Something bad truly did happen.

    I ran with all my might hoping that everyone would act rationally back in the vige.

 Book 2: Chapter 1-1: New People

    Book 2: Chapter 1-1: New People

    Impossible! Go home, we cant afford to have 50 more mouths to feed at this point!

    Thats right, this is the elf vige!

    When I returned to the vige I saw the Elves surrounding the Fire Fox women and loudly denouncing them.

    All 50 of them were young Fire Fox women. Forty of them were in thete half of their teens and 10 of them were in the early half. All of them looked exhausted with battered appearances and clothing.

    Fire Foxes looked mostly human but withrge ears and a fluffy tail.

    Please listen to us. We have no other choice, this is the only ce we can go!

    PICTURE</a>

    Amongst them one of the older Fire Foxes raised her voice.

    She was around 160cm tall and slightly shorter than me. She was slim with a ratherrge chestpractically a grown womans body.

    Her face had gentle looking features, but the intelligence and strong will that dwelt in her eyes removed any impression of weakness and reced it with vigor.

    Even the good quality of the fur on her tail set her apart from the rest.

    It was a face I knew well. My former fiancee, Kuu the Fire Fox Chiefs daughter.

    That doesnt matter! We dont have enough surplus to take care of 50 new people!

    Roleau the roughneck yelled. When I wasnt in town he acted as my proxy.

    He was physically strong, defended the vige, led the hunting party, and was fairly popr.

    Adding to that his parents were well respected and he was one of the elves in the vige who could read and write. All thesebined to make him an obvious choice for me.

    If I were to speak honestly if poprity and ability to read and write were the only conditions, then Lucy as a well educated and popr shrine maiden was my preferred choice. However, choosing Lucy would surely be seen as an act of favoritism.

    Id forgive any mistake she made and couldnt act harshly towards her. For these reasons I couldnt give Lucy a clearly defined post like that. It was my responsibility as Chief.

    I dont expect you to take us in for free. Well work properly and we have brought gifts as well. We wont ask for luxury. We simply want enough food so we dont starve and somece that we can endure the cold in.

    No. Absolutely not. Leave right now! You guys lost to the Empire and came running over here right!? You think we can shelter people like that!?

    Reacting to Roleaus words a cute young Fire Fox poked her head out from behind Kuu and red at Roleau.

    If only the Elves hadnt been controlled by the Empire then this wouldnt!

    Roleau flinched at the vehement anger expressed by such a young girl.

    Shut up Kemin.

    But Kuu-sama! Its the elves fault that

    I said shut up.

    Kuu said more sternly and the young girl Kemin shut her mouth. Roleau quickly reimed his previous momentum.

    No matter what you say we will drive you out!

    It was no surprise that Roleau was refusing them so bluntly.

    First of all the timing was terrible. It was almost time for the snow to fall. In this situation itd be prohibitively difficult to obtain more food.

    If this was earlier we could have assigned the Fire Foxes work and increased the amount of food we producedhowever now that winter was practically here any jobs that needed doing would practically disappear. More people appearing at this time was simply a burden.

    To add on top of this, the vige had enough food for a small surplus. However, if we added another fourth of the current poption, 50 people, to this equation we wouldnt have enough reserves.

    Just the other day we had divided and handed out the supplies for the winter, if we were to ept these Fire Foxes then the entire process would have to be redone.

    If we did that then we would not have any food stores left.

    Furthermore the circumstances behind their arrival was an issue as well. There was only one situation I could think of that would cause only young women to escape.

    That situation was the Empire defeating them miserably.

    The Empire wanted the magic stones from the Elves and Fire Foxes.

    In order to obtain them they needed to make sure our races continue to procreate. For that purpose it was fine if they only left the women alive. Since a child would be the same race as their mother those kidnapped by the Empire would be treated worse than livestock.

    In order to avoid this horrid fate, when worst came to worst the women would be allowed to escape.

    Exactly like how the Fire Foxes were now.

    If we were to forsake them now then I doubt they had anywhere else to go.

    For any race without a magic stone within them they were the perfect prey. They could kill them, take their magic stones, and sell them to the Empire for exorbitant prices. Itd be right for the Fire Foxes to think of everyone except us as natural enemies.

    Emotionally and logically for the benefit of Erucy I wouldnt leave them in the lurch.

    Roleau I thought I told you to reserve final judgment for matters involving Erucy til I arrived. Ill take over from here.

    But Chief Cyril

    Believe in me and leave this to me.

    If you go so far as to say that

    I took a deep breath and smiled before opening my mouth. The Fire Foxes and Elves gazed at me.

    I extend my wee to you Fire Foxes. I apologize for making you repeat yourself, but could you please inform me as to the purpose of your visit today?

    Cyril-kun?

    Kuu looked at me with some surprise on her face.

    Its been a while Kuu.

    I said and Kuus face slightly softened before quickly returning to her previous tension.

    Her expression was filled with a sense of responsibility and grimness. It conveyed to me that, just like I was burdened with the lives of my fellow countrymen, so was she with hers.

    You will be conducting the negotiations?

    As you can see I am currently the Leader of this vigeno this country, Erucy.

    Country?

    Thats right. Since weve picked a fight with the Empire we are no longer a single vige living beneath their tyranny, but a single country working together withmon purpose.

    Even though we say that we were still only a self-styled country. In order to be a proper country we would need to be acknowledged by another country besides the Empire. Until another country became involved in this we would still be considered an Imperial Vige that was rebelling.

    But even so we needed to continue to name ourselves as the country Erucy.

 Book 2: Chapter 1-2: New People

    Book 2: Chapter 1-2: New People

    Understood. Then I entreat you to allow us 53 Fire Foxes to shelter ourselves in this country. All we ask is for the minimum of food and shelter. We have broughtpensation.

    Compensation? Before we talk about that, I need to confirm what standpoint you are talking to me with Kuu. As the representative of my country I need to understand this before our discussions begin.

    Cyril-kun..noCyril-sama. I amKuu is the Fire Fox head. Please take my words as that of the Fire Fox Chief.

    She spoke with resolve and strong will.

    I see. I understand. I will treat you as Chief and not as a representative. This means that the Chief die..the Fire Fox Chief lost correct?

    At my words the Fire Foxes faces all warped with sorrow.

    That is correct. The men who could fight resisted to the very end to buy us timeand those who could not fight or make the journey with us were sent to their eternal rest by our very hands so the Empire could not rob them of their magic stones. Those stones bearing their souls were brought away by us. This is one portion of thepensation we brought here to Erucy.

    Kuu managed to force those words out.

    It must have been a bitter choice for the Fire Foxes to make.

    Firstly they let the women who could bear children escape and had the men fight. That much was fine. However, there were still the very young children and elderly.

    There were 80km between our vige and the Fire Foxes. The journey would take them through tall mountains and deep forests. They wouldnt have much food and barely any luggage so they could escape.

    In that case there was a chose between having their hearts torn out by the Empire and used against their people or choosing to die. There must have been those who wanted to do what they could for their friends and family before they died and chose such an option.

    I seeIm sorry.

    Why are you apologizing Cyril-sama?

    If the Empire was able to one-sidedly crush your vige I can think of only two reasonseither they had overwhelming numerical superiority or they utilized strategies centered around the usage of wind magic stones. Only a few days ago our vige was attacked by a force of 500 soldiers. Thinking about the number of soldiers that could stay at the supply base I doubt they had enough time to make up for the 500 soldiers they lost in this attack. In that case it had to be thetter. This makes it partially the responsibility of the Elves who allowed their magic stones to be stolen.

    Cyril-sama could you exin your words in more detail?

    Kuu suddenly spoke out.

    If I were themander of the Empires forces I would make sure that we attacked beyond the range of the Fire Foxes. I would use the mages and archers that couldnt be used in the attack on Erucy.

    The Imperial Archers use longbows with a range of 100 meters. The urate range is only around 50 meters but this is enough against Fire Foxes. mes are wild and unpredictable so even with an incredible affinity for them the attacking range is 30-40 meters at maximum. This allows them to attack one-sidedly. Furthermore the Fire Foxes do not want to burn down the forest surrounding them so this would make any battlefield chosen suitable for the usage of bows.

    Kuu clenched her fists tightly.

    Even so the Fire Foxes could cause massive casualties as long as they entered range. If they were prepared for casualties the Fire Foxes could do this. In order to prevent this the Archers only need to have some mages next to them. Using wind magic stones they would be able to control strong winds. Certainly the power that mes wield is amazing, but it has no mass. It would be easily blown away by the wind. Once the Fire Foxes were rendered defenseless without their mes all the archers need do is aim carefully and that would be the end.

    Wind and fire in this case had terriblepatibility.

    Even so withplex spells you could explosively raise the temperatures of the mes into something resembling sma. Once this urs you could pretty much ignore the windbut expecting this from the Fire Foxes was unreasonable.

    Cyril-sama you arepletely correct. But why would you say such things at this point? Pointing out the fault of the elves in this matter would only lower your negotiating standpointsurely you know this?

    That is truebut you stopped that girl from saying so beforeI decided I would try being fair in this.

    That was my surface reason.

    In truth I wanted to draw these Fire Foxes into our vige by hook or crook.

    For that purpose I needed to cause the elves of our vige to feel guilt.

    Lets leave those matters as they are and begin the discussion. Ive heard your requests. What are you offering in exchange?

    Firstly are the fire magic stones of our fallen. Unlike humans we cannot use magic not of our affinity, but I believe they will be useful at some point. I offer these. If they can be used to deal the Empire a blow then I believe they would not think their deaths in vain.

    Magic stones had various uses.

    An example was their usage as a catalyst for low affinity humans to use elemental magics.

    If these magic stones filled with magic power were used as a one time consumable they could produce incredible and powerful magic spells as well.

    If they had been used as such by the Fire Foxes this time then there was a possibility they could have defeated the Empire this time.

    The second is mining rights to our salt mines. You can take as much as you can carry. It wont be the small amount we sell normally either. We will teach you the location of the salt that we have protected for generations and allow you to mine it as you please.

    For us this was an extremely attractive proposal.

    Salt was a particrly preciousmodity in the vige and we could barely get any. If we could get a free and stable supply of it that would be incredible.

    Lastly we offer our lives. We will work for this country and fight for it. The only condition is we be treated humanely.

    Fire Foxes had incredible fighting strength and for the specialty product I was thinking of for the vige someone proficient in me magic was extremely important. Also I needed more people for different projects so this was in fact a godsend.

    Fine. With these conditions I can agree to this.

    Wait Chief Cyril!

    Roleau cried out.

 Book 2: Chapter 1-3: New People

    Book 2: Chapter 1-3: New People

    Even though we had named ourselves as the Country of ErucyRoleau still called me Chief.

    Whats up? What are you dissatisfied with?

    We dont have enough food for fifty extra mouths. We dont want to have them living in our homes and eating our already scarce food. Plus their conditionswe dont need their magic stones, if its about salt then we can just search for it after the Empire finishes their fighting without endangering ourselves. And forbor we have enough people to work our fields and for fighting strength we beat the Empire just with us elves a few days ago. It should be fine with us alone.

    Roleau desperately argued.

    Besides for his theoretical arguments he probably doesnt want to ept a new race into our vige as well.

    Looking at it another way, he was quite intelligent for finding these reasons. But I wouldnt allow these arguments to stand.

    For a living ce we have the vige outskirts. I can have them live in my workshop temporarily so they wont cause Elves any trouble.

    It was 30m x 30m and made of brick so it would stay warm. If we forgot about privacy it was an ideal living area.

    Plus we still had the winter clothes that we were going to trade the Fire Foxes in exchange for salt so they could ovee the cold.

    We didnt have enough, but as long as they shared amongst themselves properly there wouldnt be an issue.

    Even for food I wont ask you to give what youve received back. Ill do something about it myself.

    We had already distributed our winter provisions. As long as I didnt collect it back they wouldnt have anything toin about.

    What do you mean youll do something about it!?

    For a month of food Ill go to the mountain and hunt a boar and we have crops that Lucy and I grew together as well so it should be fine. During that month Ill journey to Eris and get the rest.

    With 900kg of potatoes and an entire boar they should be able tost a month. If I got serious then I could hunt quite a number of boars before winter came.

    Youre using the vige money for the Fire Foxes!?

    Thats right. But I will be having us produce a specialty product of Erucye the end of winter. That product needs fire magic. Ill be giving this job to the Fire Foxes. In that way we will reim several times our investment. Certainly there arent any jobs during winterhowever there are jobs that need doing in order for this vige to be prosperous.

    I strongly asserted.

    I had been nning on doing this myself, but if so it would limit the amount we could make. However, with the help of 50 fire foxes we would be able to make plenty and make much more money.

    Furthermore I was originally going to Eris to buy us some goats. This is simply adding something else to the shopping list. Ill leave the care of these goats to the Fire Foxes. The creation of our specialty product and caring for the goats is too much for us Elves to do alone.

    We had 50 gold on hand and once the ransom came in wed have enough for both the goats and the food with some left over.

    I understandbut why are you trying so hard to get the Fire Foxes into the vige? Youre weird Chief Cyril

    Roleau reluctantly eded with a dissatisfied look.

    Certainly Im trying to get the Fire Foxes to join our vige. Roleau and all of youthe other day we fought and defeated 500 soldiers.

    Everyones eyes focused on me when I suddenly spoke of that.

    I believe we could even win against 1,000.

    I continued.

    Against 2,000 soldiers we would barely win with many sacrifices.

    This was an urate estimate as long as I did not use Samsara Recursion.

    However, once 3,000 soldiers arrive we will be trampled without any hope. If the Empire got serious they could gather 10,000 troops. Elves alone have no future.

    The Elves grimaced at my promation.

    It was the first truly negative thing Id said.

    However, there is no reason for us Elves to fight alone. I want to show you something.

    I said and walked next to Kuu.

    I whispered into her ear in a low voice.

    You remember how we used to y? Lets do that. Just release fire from your right hand with all your power.

    ..Cyril-sanokay I understand. That thing right?

    Kuu showed me a little of the innocent smile of the past.

    Kuu closed her eyes and focused to call the fire mana from around her.

    Suddenly the mana violently gathered with great force.

    The Fire Foxes fire affinity was a perfect 100.

    Fox Fire

    Along with those words a pir of fire erupted from Kuus right hand.

    It aimed towards the road that the Empire had cut to our vige. There was no one there and nothing to burn.

    The mes reached a full 40 meters.

    I held my left hand aloft and gathered the wind mana.

    I then wrapped up Kuus Fox Fire in wind.

    Gust

    The fire was fed by the wind and burned even brighter and reached a full range of 80 meters.

    If this was a battle and the Imperial Soldiers were there, they would have been burnt to cinders by the roaring mes.

    This is the power of wind and mes as one. The weakness of us Elves is when our enemies get too close. The weakness of the Fire Foxes is when their enemies stay too far out of range. If we Elves and fire Foxes work together then we elves can destroy them from 300 meters away with crossbows and when theye too close we can burn them to cinders within 80 meters. Even the soldiers weak wind defenses are nothing but childs y before us.

    I finished speaking and gave Kuu a look and she stopped the mes.

    Thebined efforts of me as the Elven representative and Kuu as the Fire Fox representative were enough to awe those around us.

    Elveswe have regained strength, but we cannot do it all alone. Furthermore, even though it is emotionalI dont want to abandon our fellows who suffer under the Empires yoke. If we do not extend our hands in friendship now, the Fire Foxes will eventually be killed and caught by the Empire. Please think everyone. If the timees when we must ask for help from othersif we abandon these Fire Foxes to their cruel fates, who will lend us their aid?

    Eventually the Empire will feel some pain from our actions so eventually we would need to call for others to join our cause.

    I wanted to gain the merit of aiding our allies using this opportunity.

    Fire Foxeswe will ept you. However, do not mistake this. We will not be treating you as guests. You will join us, you will live as we do, follow the same rules, and obey orders properly.

    These were the things they had to ept for this to work.

    Fire Foxes had their own customs and rules. However, they needed to obey this countrys rules. If not we would not be able to maintain order.

    If you ept us then I can agree to this as the Chief of the Fire Foxes.

    I understand. Are you alright with this Elves?

    I checked one more time.

    Even if it was a bit forcefulI had to get at least surface level approval.

    As long as our provided food doesnt decrease

    If youll provide their living space that should be alright Chief

    I dont mind as long as you watch over them properly.

    The Elves half-heartedly approved.

    For now that would be fine. However, in the future I would like the Fire Foxes to genuinely blend in.

    If I tried to force it then theyd feel opposed to it, so for now I would have them live in my workshop and not have theme into contact with the elves very much. Id slowly integrate them.

    Thank you everyone. For now that settles things. Return to your work.

    I pped to end things and the elves returned to their posts.

    Now then Fire FoxesFirst things first

    At my words the Fire Foxes stiffened.

    It looks like they were cautious of me.

    Youve traveled a long ways, you must be hungry right? Ill guide you to your home and get you some warm food.

    I said with a smile.

 Book 2: Chapter 2-1: Kuu

    Book 2: Chapter 2-1: Kuu

    Rick, gather some people and get the dried meat and cold weather outfits that we were going to trade for salt and bring them to the workshop.

    I ordered my childhood friend Rick to bring the dried boar meat, bones, fat, and cold weather gear and left the vige proper with the Fire Foxes.

    Since we had so quickly left the vige the Fire Foxes tails were bristled and stiff as they probably assumed that they were being driven out.

    I quietly guided them to our destination.

    This will be your home from today onward. Sorry, but we dont have the luxury of giving you each a separate home so Ill have you live together for now. If you really hate itI dont really have a solution except to search for some Elves who dont hate the idea of living together with some of you. I can at least amodate some of you in the vige. What do you want to do?

    Its best if we all live here.

    Im d to hear it.

    The Fire Foxes looked amazed as they stared at myrge workshop on the outside of town.

    The construction ability of Elves and Fire Foxes have barely progressed so all their buildings were made of wood and stone. The 30m x 30m giant workshop made of brick must have been shocking.

    There was no denying howrge it was.

    If you converted it into separate living spaces it was enough for a full 45 rooms. 50 people could manage to live here quite easily.

    Never enter the building next door. Theres various dangerous things inside.

    Next to this giant building there was a secondrge workshop.

    It contained the armor and weapons that we had gotten from the soldiers and various things I had created.

    Unlike the first workshop which I had created with livability in mind, I simply created the second one as a workspace since it would take up a week to clean it up properly.

    Umm, Cyril-sama, is it really okay for us to use this ce? This is the first time Ive seen such a splendid building.

    Kuu said uneasily.

    Of course. Honestly I wanted to find a ce for you to live in the vige, but if I do that now then it would wear on both parties right? Its best for us to slowly reduce the distance and get along.

    Fire Foxes had their own rules and customs, Elves were the same.

    If this many people suddenly started living in the vige it would cause various problems.

    I would start by leaving some distance between them and slowly provide jobs for the Fire Foxes so they could show results. This would slowly appeal to the elves and make them understand their usefulness.

    Slowly but surely I would integrate them with the vigers.

    Cyril-sama what happened to the vige..I mean to Erucy? Theres no way you could make such a thing like this. Could it be that you received the backing of the Choline Kingdom?

    Kuu said with some expectation in her voice.

    Her conjecture was quite right. A brick building and high quality ss were beyond the skills of our elven vige. In that case they should have been brought from elsewhere.

    Based on that the only nearby source of such things that was not hostile was the Choline Kingdom.

    If us Elves had received the support of the Choline Kingdom things would be much more secure. Kuus thoughts most likely went in this direction.

    Unfortunately we have no formal rtionship with the Choline Kingdom or themercial city Erin. I created this building using magic.

    Theres no way th..nothank you very much. We will gratefully use this building Cryil-sama.

    Kuu respectfully bowed her head.

    She didnt believe me, but she must have thought there was a reason I was hiding it. She was worried it would harm our rtionship if she were to try and expose it.

    She never used to know how to hold back like thismaybe her new standing in themunity contributed to her reservedness.

    Be that as it may, if she were to act over-familiar because we were friends, she wouldnt have been chosen as representative even if she was the Chiefs daughter.

    Im happy you like it. Id like to invite everyone to move their luggage inside and settle inbut in all honestly you smell bad, youre much too dirty. First you need to clean up. See that water well next to my workshop?

    I said pointing towards the water well.

    It was made with a brick wall and a small roof over it.

    Because I nned to spend a lot of time in my workshop I had set up a water well nearby.

    I had purposefully made the wall and roof because I had installed a metal water pump. It would be a bad idea to leave such a thing exposed to the elements.

    Being an elf I could easily summon water from the well using my magic, but when I was in Dwarven form as Kuiro it was very inconvenient without such a water pump.

    Like this you grab this metal part here and pump up and down. The water wille flowing out.

    The pump Id made was a hand pump. When you pulled the lever it would use atmospheric pressure to fill the pumps pipe and spout out water through the mouth of it.

    That water could easily be poured into a bucket.

    Ill be entering the workshop to prepare food, so when you finish washing you cane inside. If you enter as you are now well need to do a lot of cleaning. Plus youre all girls right? Dont you prefer being clean?

    Thank you for everything youve done for us. Our hearts are filled with gratitude.

    Now not only Kuu, but the rest of the Fire Foxes bowed in gratitude.

    After they fled through the mountains and forests their bodies and clothes were muddy, dirty, and sweaty.

    In this state they wouldnt be able to rest properly.

    Both their eyes and bodies must be exhausted, but Im sure part of it was how filthy they felt.

    Either way, preparing food would take a while so Id prefer they use their time wisely.

    Right now the door is open, but the water well house has a door that you can close so no one can see inside so dont worry. Ill be going inside the workshop, but just call out if you need anything.

    I said with a backwards nce at the bowing Fire Foxes and headed inside.

    Umm, Cyril-sama

    Kuu called out stopping me.

    What is it?

    Ummits not much but please use this too. Umm and when were cleaned up welle help.

    She said and took off the bag she was carrying. She opened it showing salt, dried meat, cheese, and a few other bits of food.

    Id prefer you save that stuff so Ill only take the salt. Also just leave the cooking today to me. You must all be very tiredwhat Im making is pretty simple so I dont need any assistance.

    Is that so?

    Yeah. So dont worry and just clean yourselves up.

    I understand. But Ill still hurry ande help anyways!

    Kuu said with some more energy and ran towards the water pump.

    It looks like shell be out quickly.

 Book 2: Chapter 2-2: Kuu

    Book 2: Chapter 2-2: Kuu

    As I entered the workshop I had provided to the Fire Foxes, Lucy suddenly appeared.

    It appears she had been hiding inside the workshop for some time now.

    The Fire Foxes are here but what happened?

    Lucy huh? I thought you went back to the vige?

    I intended to but I saw Cyril leading the Fire Foxes over here. I felt ufortable calling out so I decided to just follow.

    Lucy said awkwardly.

    As expected of an Elfs natural ability as a hunter, she was very good at erasing her presence. I was preupied and didnt notice.

    The Fire Fox vige was attacked and nearly destroyed by the Empire so they escaped. Theres various details but since theyre tired and hungry I decided to feed them for now. Sorry but could you go harvest around 10 potato nts Lucy? I wont be using it for the lunch Im making but I will need it for dinner. AlsoIm sorry that the Fire Foxes will get to try the potatoes we made together before the elf vigers.

    I bowed my head to Lucy in apology.

    Lucy had done her best in caring for the potatoes so the Elves could eat them. I felt some guilt when I decided to use them for the Fire Foxes instead.

    Umm Cyrildo you intend to ept the Fire Foxes into our country Erucy?

    Lucy asked without any visible emotion.

    I intend to. I wont abandon these girls. I want to integrate them into Erucy.

    Un, okay then. Ill go get the potatoes quick.

    Youre not angry?

    Un. After all Ive been working hard for the sake of the citizens of Erucy. You decided that the Fire Foxes would be a part of Erucy right? Then as long as our citizens of Erucy are happier I will be too.

    Lucy

    PICTURE</a>

    I couldnt hold back and tightly hugged Lucy.

    Uwaa, what is it Cyril!?

    Lucys face blushed a deep red and she panicked a bit.

    I love you.

    I said and Lucys body rxed.

    II love you too Cyril. Okaylet go for now. If you dont then youll keep the Fire Foxes waiting for their food.

    I reluctantly released Lucy from my embrace.

    Maybe it was because she was still a bit shy, but Lucy hurried off to harvest the potatoes.

    Alright now that my Lucy energy is all charged up, lets do our best.

    I said and poured water into the pot and lit up the hearth.

    By the time the baggage arrived from the vige the charcoal inside the hearth was glowing bright red.

    First was the dried jerky from leftover boar meat.

    Boars had pelts that could be used to make cold weather clothes and meat that could be dried into jerkybut there would always be some meat that stuck too close to the bone and couldnt be removed. This made it so there was always some leftovers.

    Plus there was still back fat left over. A lump of fat and muscle/sinew couldnt be eaten together like that.

    However, using some methods I could use the meat on bones for lunch and the back fat and muscle for dinner.

    The pot I had poured the water into was a business use, 60 cm deep, and 100 liter capacity item. It was a high quality good that I had made using iron that Imandeered.

    The waters starting to boil so now I put in the bones

    I took out a Chinese cooking knife made out of precious iron.

    Once again this was a top quality good I had created with all my skill by abusing my authority to get iron for my personal use. I had first used my skills to create a high quality alloy and created a 30yer multi-fold structure.the so-called Damascus structure. If I used the same technique to make a sword in this world it would be worth as much as a house if it was sold cheaply.

    I used the back of the knife to strike the Boar bones.

    Chinese knives have great utility. If you used its weight properly it could break and smash most ingredients. The base of the de is thick and it has enough weight to cut through skin and muscle. Furthermore, near the tip it thins out allowing for thin cuts and delicate work.

    Ive seen various cooking tools throughout the worlds, but there arent many as multi-purpose as a chinese knife.

    I broke the bones into sizes appropriate for the pot along with the meat sticking to them.

    The water in the pot went from halfway full to two thirds after I threw these in.

    I had thrown in almost all the bones with meat on them so I cleaned up the leftover bones, broke the rock salt with the back of my knife, and threw it in the pot.

    I then added some nts and mushrooms that I had stored in the workshop to the pot as well. I then closed the lid and cast some magic.

    Pressurization

    The wind mana responded to my call and began increasing the atmospheric pressure inside the pot.

    With that, this simple pot would turn into a pressure cooker. At first I had considered making an actual pressure cooker, but the inconvenience made it unfeasible.

    As I was doing so some clean Fire Foxes walked through the door.

    Their cheeks were flushed as steam wafted from their bodies. They had looked nearly dead a while ago, but now it seemed as if some life had returned to their eyes. As I thought, personal hygiene was important.

    Fire Foxes specialized in fire magic so it was obvious they would use it to heat up their shower water as they washed. Since the weather was getting cold now they had to do so or they would risk freezing.

    Washing themselves with hot water revived their bodies and minds.

    Even their clothes were properly washed and dried using fire magic.

    Cyril-sama Ill help.

    Among the Fire Foxes, the one who returned quickest was Kuu.

    Right now the food is boiling so I dont need any helpwell actually do you all have dishes? I made soup but I dont have enough tableware.

    We dont have any deep dishes, but everyone at least has a cup.

    I see, then could you tell everyone to get their cups ready so I can hand out the soup?

    Okay, got it!

    Kuu said and ran off to tell her people.

    I watched her as she trotted off and felt it was the right time to open the lid.

    Once I did the delicious scent of boar soup spread through the workshop.

    I suddenly felt like I was being watched. I turned and saw the Fire Foxes all staring at me drooling. I could even hear their stomachs rumbling.

    They certainly wouldnt have had any proper food for quite some time. Im sure the soup must look heavenly to them.

    I wonder if its ready

    I put mydle into the pot and brought up one of the bones with meat on it. I took my knife and scraped it against the meat on the bone.

    As I did so, the meat fell away with practically no resistance. Using a pressure cooker like this would make the soup much better and tenderize the meat so it could be removed without resistance.

    I repeated this over and over. I made sure to remove all the bones that were too big to fit in the Fire Foxes cups and scaped the meat off of them.

    Once I finished that I checked the soup once more, skimmed the scum from the top of it, and stirred the soup to finish.

    I left the bones that were small enough inside the soup. I think itll be fine.

    Like this I can distribute it properly and theyll all have something good to eat.

 Book 2: Chapter 2-3: Kuu

    Book 2: Chapter 2-3: Kuu

    Uwaa

    As I finished the soup I heard the Fire Foxes raise their voices. I turned around and was surprised to see they were much closer than before.

    All of them were staring at the soup in the pot passionately. I suppose they couldnt ignore the delicious smell wafting about.

    Ummeveryone the soup is ready so line up. Ill pour it into your cups.

    I said and saw all of them run off, rummage in their luggage, find their cups, and hurry to line up.

    Under Kuus watchful eyes they lined up properly.

    Okay here you go.

    Thank you Elf-oniichan!

    Youre wee, its hot so be careful.

    I stood there pouring soup into each of their cups. I had just given some to a young Fire Fox girl.

    They handed me their cups and I handed it back to them full of hot soup.

    I smiled at her and the young Fire Fox girl smiled back. I saw some admiration and a bit of worship in her eyes.

    To be honest it would be faster if I simply gave them threedles and let them fill their own cups.

    However, I wouldnt do that.

    This was the perfect opportunity to show off what a good person I was.

    When the Fire Foxes arrived they were filthy, sweaty, shivering from the cold, and starving.

    In these trying times I gave them a shower to clean themselves, a nice ce to live, and personally handed them hot food. I must look almost divine to them.

    The more people were cornered the greater the feeling of gratitude they would feel towards the person who saved them.

    Im sure the Fire Foxes would never forget the taste of the soup I had made for them today.

    After this they would surely tolerate most things.

    A short timeter the soup had finally been distributed to everyone.

    So goodits so good.

    Un, its delicious.

    Its been so longsince Ive had something so delicious

    Wesurvived. Were alive.

    They all ate the soup with fervor.

    It was made with whatever we had on hand, but the pressure cooked boar bone and meat soup was filled with vor. Plus there was plenty of gtin-like materials inside of the soup which made it considerably filling.

    I tried a bit and found it well cooked.

    I could hear the voices and sounds the Fire Foxes made.

    They were worn-out and crying.

    They had all begun crying. They must be thinking of the family, friends, and lovers they left behind.

    After they got cleaned and ate hot food their nerves must have rxed.

    They had escaped from their vige and undergone a harsh journey. Up til now they had no opportunity to cry or face their sadness.

    Once they arrived here they finally regained the energy to mourn.

    The most painful times were when you were suffering but unable to mourn.

    Everyone its alright now. We can start new lives here. We need to do it for everyone who fought for us too.

    Amongst them Kuu tried to cheer up the Fire Foxes.

    Everyone was crying yet she smiled, leant them her shoulder, consoled them, and listened to their grumbles.

    Now that I looked she wasnt holding a cup of soup. She probably didnt take the time to get any since she was constantly trying to care for the rest of them.

    Even now a small girl had leapt into her chest crying Kuu-anesama as Kuu patted her head.

    Kuus expression wasnt one of sadness like everyone else, it was instead a saintly smile.

    I couldnt just stand by and watch this any longer.

    I prepared arge dish and poured a big helping of soup into it as I opened my mouth.

    Everyone we have more soup if you want it. Take as much as you want you can empty this pot out.

    I said and all the Fire Foxes with empty cups leapt up fiercely.

    Of course even the girl who had been crying into Kuus chest as well.

    It was a bit calctive, but necessary.

    Kuu, I have something to speak to you about as representative next door.

    Understood Cyril-sama.

    Kuu said and stood up empty-handed.

    She must have been starving but she didnt even give a second nce to her untouched soup that she left on the ground.

    I couldnt help but let out a bitter smile at Kuus actions.

    Okay then, lets go.

    I said and took Kuu to the warehouse that stored the Imperial equipment.

 Book 2: Chapter 2-4: Kuu

    Book 2: Chapter 2-4: Kuu

    Okay, first of all eat this soup.

    I said and handed Kuu the big bowl of soup I haddled out before making my announcement to the rest.

    Eh? Why are you doing this Cryil-sama?

    I wont bring up the next topic until you finish eating.

    But, I have my own portion already

    Yeah, I certainly did give you your portionbut after I made a delicious hot soup someone ignored it and let it go cold. I cant let my pride as a cook get wounded by someone eating my soup all cold. So Im going to have you eat this hot portion. This is what I want you to do. Do you not want to?

    I asked and Kuu shook her head and grabbed the spoon with a smile that looked as if she was crying. She slowly raised the spoon to her mouth.

    After the first spoonful she her eyes changed as she suddenly started eating the soup with incredible speed.

    Unlike the cups this bowl had more room. Kuu instantly consumed two full cups of soup.

    Fuu, it was delicious. This is the most delicious soup Ive ever eaten. The meat was especially soft and the taste feels kind of nostalgic.

    Hearing your words makes the effort worth it. Also Kuubefore we speak as our respective representativesI want to speak to you as friends first.

    I suddenly stopped talkingI was at a loss for words because I felt a bit embarrassed.

    Im d youre alive Kuu.

    I might have been embarrassed but I needed to convey it.

    After emptying my heartfelt feelings I couldnt help but smile.

    It wasnt like the smile I put on while giving out the soup. It was a smile celebrating the safety of my friend from the bottom of my heart.

    It must have been really hard for you Kuu. You must be truly sad about your father and the other Fire Foxes. But I have to sayIm really happy that I could see you again Kuu.

    CyrCyril-sama

    Kuu, right now were talking as friends. Plus its only us around here. I dont want to hear you call me that.

    ButI as the Chief, and Cryil-sama as the Elf, the Leader of Erucy

    Kuus voice was trembling.

    I was sure that she was the same as the rest of the Fire Foxesshe didnt have the opportunity to mourn.

    Because the pressure weighing down on her was so great it would take much more time for her to open up. I wanted to help this process along.

    Even so we are friends. It hurts to watch you pushing yourself like this Kuu. The Kuu I knew was a much more honest and lovely girl.

    Cyrilsamano Cyril-kunif you tell me stuff like thatI wont be able to hold back my tears.

    Its fine. I already knew you were a crybaby Kuu. You dont have to forcefully keep up appearances. If you insist, I might have to put another frog down the back of your clothesmaybe then your silly stubbornness will disappear.

    Even if you say thatI know the mischievous and cheeky Cryil-kuntoo

    Even now Im still mischievous and cheeky.

    After hearing my words Kuus face crumpled into tears yet there was a nostalgic smile on her face.

    Really, that part of you never changesbut I feel like youre more kind and grown-up than the Cryil-kun I knew.

    After five years its given Id grow up. Kuu also grew up splendidly. If it was the past crybaby Kuu then you might have already ran away. But youve been properly enduring all the way up til now right? Just like I said, there are no Fire Foxes around here. Just us friends. So you can rest for a bit.

    Kuu was still only fourteen. Even so she was forced to be the Chief and led everyone here.

    All the way here she couldnt show her sadness or pain. She was still at the age she wanted to depend on someonebut she took on the other Fire Foxes sadness and suffering and fulfilled her responsibilities.

    She had encouraged and guided everyone until they reached Erucyit must have been torturous. She must have felt such fear when Roleau started yelling at her and arguing. Even when negotiating with me the sense of responsibility must have been crushing.

    But even so Kuu fought through it all without escaping.

    I respected her as a friend for all she did.

    UnI tried really hard.

    Kuu said and shoved her face into my chest.

    Im the Chief so I couldntin to anyone. I was scared and uneasy but I had to tell everyone everything was alrighttell them it would be fine once we reached the forest and the Elves even though I was unsure myselfbut I kept encouraging themonce we got here Roleau and the rest tried to drive us awayI wasnt afraid of RoleauI was afraid of the Fire Foxes behind me.

    Thinking that theyd scream that I was a liar since I was the one who said wed be safe once we reached this vige. Not knowing where wed go nextmy mind was a sloppy messI couldnt say anything because everyones hopes were resting on me

    Im sure that many times during the journey here the Fire Foxes hearts were on the verge of breaking. But even so they withstood it and journeyed to reach Erucy where hopeyit was because they believed in Kuu who led them here.

    When I thought everything was ending Cyril-kun arrived and covered for usI felt like crying. At that moment, I felt for a second that I could run away and leave it all to you Cyril-kun. Without negotiatingjust cling onto you and cry for help.

    But you didnt do that Kuu. If you had done that then I really dont think I could have epted all of you into the vige. Since you demonstrated the value of the Fire Foxes I could incorporate you into the vige. At that moment only you could have done that Kuu. You should be proud.

    That wasnt a lie.

    I thought of Kuu as a friend. I also knew that the Fire Foxes were a helpful existence.

    Even so if they had one-sidedly asked for protection and shelter, Erucy didnt have the capacity to ept them. It was because they showed they could provide valuable service to Erucy that they were epted.

    This is weirdIm beingforted by the person Im supposed to negotiate with

    This is friend time. Once its negotiation time Ill be strict.

    I cant switch roles that easily.

    If its KuuI believe you can do it. Thats why I can treat you so kindly like this.

    Youre even strict with kindness

    Kuu said and wiped her eyes.

    Thank you very much. Im alright now. Lets end our talks as friends for now. From now on we will speak as representatives. Cryil-sama.

    Kuu emphasized the -sama when she referred to me.

    This must be how she distinguished between treating me as a friend and treating me as the Leader of Erucy.

    Alright. I have some things I want to ask. Why did you Fire Foxese to Erucy? Did you find out that we escaped from the Empires control? Alsolooking at how there isnt a single male guard with youit feels like your group is insurance or a sacrificial pawn. Why would you be in this group as the Chiefs daughter Kuu?

    I didnt sugar coat my words.

    I had to know.

    What the Fire Fox Vige had done was unnatural.

    Us Elves had only very recently escaped from the iron grip of the Empire.why would the Fire Foxes send their people here if they thought we were still under Imperial control?

    I can understand them wanting the women to escapebut why wouldnt they provide even a bare minimum of a few men as guards?

    Furthermore this group was too small. The Fire Fox Vige was wealthy from the salt trade. They had a poption of at least 400 people. Even if it was only women who escaped, 50 was far too few.

    If you derived from therethey probably split them into groups to diffuse the risk.

    By sending them to Erucy they could preserve their bloodline even if the main group failed.

    That was the only reason I could think that they had no guards and only a small group.

    Insurance or a sacrificial pawn huhhow unpleasant. But I cant say youre wrong. Alright then I should start from the beginning.

    Kuu said without denying my conjecture and took a deep breath.

    She then slowly began to tell their story.

 Book 2: Chapter 3-1: To the Fire Fox Village

    Book 2: Chapter 3-1: To the Fire Fox Vige

    We had nned to move outside the vige to fight the Empire, but we were dealt a crushing defeat and scurried back to the vige. The reason we lost was just as you said Cyril-samathey attacked using bows that could hit us beyond our range and wind stone wielding mages to block our mes.

    Kuus face warped as she spoke.

    I could see her sadness and anger.

    My father who led the viges warriors could see that no matter how we struggled we would not prevail. So he decided that the women and children who couldnt fight would be sent to escape and the ones who could fight would stay behind to buy time.

    Thats why Kuu and the others ran here.

    If the men all fought to the ends of their lives, the Fire Fox women would have been kidnapped and used as magic stone mass production tools.

    My father took into ount that if we all escaped as one group and were caught, our race would be wiped out. So at minimum our group had to be split into two different parties. The idea was also that a smaller group would find it easier to escape.

    As I thought. If I was in that position I would probably make simr choices.

    Even attempting to escape from the Empire was hard enough. Not to mention they didnt know if the ce they ran to would treat them as allies or capture them. Entrusting the entire future of their entire race on the good graces of a single vige was too high of a risk.

    ording to my fathers orders we set up two escape groups. However, one group was filled with women who could travel, the second group was filled with women with simr stamina levels, a number of men to guard them, and some girls who were too young to travel on their own. The second group received most of the money and much more food than our group.

    Seems like that other group got preferential treatment.

    Yes, in all honesty our group who came here was simply insurance against a mishap. My father put his hopes of our future on the other group. Amongst the male guards of that group is my brother.

    Speaking of her older brotherhe wouldve been the next chief I suspect. Plus there werent only womenthere were men and children as well.

    The second group wouldnt be like Kuus group. They wouldnt have to mix in with the local poption, they could have pure Fire Fox descendants.

    I see, so your brother led his group to a vige in the opposite direction of Erucy

    Yes, we have a certain degree of friendship with them also.

    Kuu paused for a second sounding nomittal.

    At worst you could force them to listen to you using force.

    I see you understandthats how it is. Even if we couldnt win against the Empire were still strong. As long as we have enough numbers our fighting strength is overwhelming.

    Fire magic was strong enough for her to speak those words confidently.

    The situation I feared most when Roleau and Kuu were arguing in the middle of town was the Fire Foxes going wild in despair and attacking indiscriminately.

    If we allowed them to go wild that close to us, there would be serious casualties before we could quell them.

    Even so, us Elves with our wind magic could neutralize them if we remained collected. Other races werent the same, the races that could hold back the Fire Foxes once they decided to use force were limited.

    The Fire Foxes could easily control an average vige.

    However, Im sure that they realized that if they did so there was a good chance that the vige they controlled would send out a cry for help from the Empire.

    Using force is thest resort. However, I could not agree to that and decided toe here.

    So thats they reason you came here Kuu? Thinking about your position I didnt think you would be a sacrificial pawn.

    My Father arranged for my escape there, but I refused. I could not live on the backs of sinless people who we had harmedalso the girls of this group were all people who needed strong leadership. It might be hubris, but I doubt that they would have made it here without me pulling them along.

    As Kuu had said none of these girls looked particrly decisive.

    I couldnt see anyone with any leadership skills, so I suspected that they would have copsed and died somewhere along the way.

    Kuus a nice girl.

    Thats not true. Im just cowardly. I fail as a ChiefI cant bear to make sacrifices. Plus I wanted to see Cyril-kun and Lucy-chan if I could

    Kuu said with a tired smile.

    Because of how you are I was able to meet you again. Im grateful for that. I just cant understand why you chose Erucy as insurance. Theres no way you could have known we escaped from the Empires control right? Normally you wouldnt choose our ce.

    Its simple. After a battle we escaped but were able to capture some soldiers. From them we heard some information. They said that their capture of Erucy had failed and they had to conquer our Fire Fox vige by all means. We just didnt know that you had defeated a force of 500 soldiers.

    I guess it is pretty simple when you say it like that.

    If it wasmon knowledge amongst soldiers they had captured then it should be trustworthy.

    We had somehow or another defeated the Empires forces so they could use our vige as insurance.

    However, once Fire Foxes and Elves lived in the same vige the Empire would absolutely never give up on conquering us. I could understand the fear of putting all you eggs in one basket.

    Is that all you have to ask?

    I have a bit more.

    I paused for a short while. This would probably be a hard choice for Kuu.

    Tomorrow Im nning on going to see the Fire Fox Vige. Its only around 70 Km away. Ill use my magic to the full extent and can get there in around 2 hours.

    My objective is to see if the vige has been conquered by the Empire. If it has been they can use it as a ry station to intensify their attacks on Erucy. The other reason is for salt. Since Ive received mining rights I want to take away as much as I can before the snow falls.

    As soon as I said Id visit the vige Kuus hands shook.

    I can handle carrying one person. Id like you toe with me to guide me. However, it isnt absolutely necessary. If you just mark where I can find the salt on a map I can manage somehow and I can observe the situation myself. Knowing this I ask youwill youe with me Kuu? I personally dont rmend it. It wont be easy seeing the vige if its controlled by the Empire. It might hurt you needlessly.

    Then why are you asking me?

    I want you to think for yourself.

    I wouldnt say the reason.

    If I had to put it to words, it was the Chiefs responsibility.

    I let time pass. I didnt try to convince her.

    After a minute Kuu slowly opened her mouth.

    Please take me with you.

    I silently nodded.

 Book 2: Chapter 3-2: To the Fire Fox Village

    Book 2: Chapter 3-2: To the Fire Fox Vige

    Kuu and I returned to the workshop where the Fire Foxes were living for now.

    As we approached a young Fire Fox Girl came running over.

    Big Sister Kuu, thank you for your efforts. Here is your share. Please eat.

    She said and held out arge cup full of soup. This soup was chock full of meat, much more than anyone else had gotten.

    It was a different one than the one Kuu had let go cold.

    When I had announced that the Fire Foxes could get seconds they had almost lost their heads as they rushed to get more from the pot.

    Even so they properly prepared another portion for Kuu.

    This action proved that Kuu was well loved. Just her position as Chief wouldnt cause these kinds of actions.

    All of the Fire Foxes saw and recognized the great efforts Kuu had put forth til now.

    I was a bit envious of that as a person who was in a simr leadership position.

    Thank you Kemin.

    Kuus eyes teared up as she hugged the young girl.

    She probably couldnt suppress the feelings that welled up when she realized that her efforts had been appreciated.

    Kuu would never show her weakness in front of the other Fire Foxes.

    However, these tears werent tears of weakness. They were tears of joy.

    She didnt feel the need to hide them.

    I felt that things would be alright for now so I decided to return to the vige.

    I had pretty much decided on my own to take in the Fire Foxes so I had to do a follow up

    Roleau especially might be dissatisfied.

    It was troublesome, but this was my duty as Chief.

    The next day before dawn Kuu and I exited Erucy.

    The reason we chose this time was because Kuu was the emotional pir for the young Fire Foxes, we wanted to go there ande back before they woke up and realized she was gone.

    On my back was a self-created high-capacity belted rucksack.

    This type of rucksack would split up the weight of what I was carrying making things easier. If I had made this 70 liter capacity rucksack to bepletely supported by my shoulders, it would instead turn into a torture device for me.

    I was also princess-carrying Kuu in my arms.

    It was a bit difficult for my mind to have Kuus more womanly body pressed so tightly against my body.

    Umm, Cyril-kun you seem a bit restlesswhats wrong?

    No its nothing. I just thought you smelled nice Kuu.

    Its a bit embarrassing if you tell me that

    It was a bit pitiful for me to saybut since I lived together with Lucy I couldnt take care of some male physiological needs so I was quite backed up.

    Even worse was that sometimes Lucy wouldfort herself quietlyte in the night when I slept.

    I myself had a portion of my consciousness always active to watch over our surroundingsso I clearly experienced this activity going on near me.

    Furthermore, sometimes I heard her call out my name quietly during that actand I felt my sense of reason teetering on the brink of copse.

    If I were to wake up and tell her to stop, she might not talk to me for an entire week. There wasnt really a good way of handling this.

    Recently she had been calling out for me and since I wasnt prepared toy a hand on her yet I was sincerely driven into a corner.

    Okay then, lets go. Its dangerous so hold on tight.

    I got it Cyril-kun.

    Kuu tightly wound her arms around the back of my neck and hugged me tightly.

    Calm down. Im fine. Kuus just my friend.

    Wind

    I quickly gathered the wind mana using a single word.

    Then I used magic to strengthen my physique before kicking the ground firmly as my body dashed above the ground.

    It was my specialty high speed movement.

    Furthermore this time I chose to use the trees as jumping tforms and chose thick branches and trunks asnding areas.

    I continued jumping from tree to tree.

    Like this Id be able to pass through the forest using the shortest route and fastest speed.

    Amazing Cyril-kun. This is the first time Ive flown and moved this fast. Erucy is already so far away

    Kuu said merrily inside my arms.

    But I could tell this merriment was simply pushing herself.

    The words she spoke were simply a smokescreen. They hid her true feelings of anxiety over the fate of the Fire Fox vige. She spoke lightly to hide her fear.

    I understood this and simply smiled at her words.

    Alright then, Ill increase our speed. I want to be back in time for breakfast if we can. Lucy will be making me a delicious mealwell I suppose that itll be steamed potatoes for dinner too.

    Thats fine. The potatoes yesterday were really delicious.

    Once we get back Ill have the Fire Foxes all harvest the potatoes that are still in the ground so be prepared for that.

    Okay we can do that! If we dont work properly we wont be able to eat our meals properly.

    In truth they would feel unpleasant about being freeloaders.

    Theyd feel judged if they just sat around and ate our food.

    Dont worry about it, the jobs will keep increasing. We Elves are almost at our limits just dealing with the wheat. I want to buy around 100 goats and let you Fire Foxes care for them. So Ill make you responsible for cultivating potatoes and goats.

    Then in around two weeks I want to bake around 1,000 50 liter pots. Then after that we need people to make alcohol.

    There were plenty of other jobs besides for the potatoes that the elves couldnt handle on our own. If the Fire Foxes were to take on these tasks then their trustworthiness would instantly increase.

    Once Erucy bes prosperous the Fire Foxes would truly have a ce to belong.

    That future surely wasnt far away.

    Ill do my best. Even at the cost of my life Ill show you.

    Its good youre passionatebut Id prefer you work hard without overdoing it. If youre hurt or sick you should tell me immediately. If it was a short-term job maybe you could ovee such things with guts and perseverance. However, these are long term jobs. If you dont properly care for yourself you wont be able to continue for long.

    Youre properly thinking of us Cyril-kun

    Kuu slightly strengthened her hug.

    Of course, youre fellow citizens of Erucy.

    I feel happy that we came here. I think that as long as Cyril-kun leads us Erucy will get bigger and someday defeat the Empire.

    What are you sayingI intended to do that from the start.

    It was something I had decided when I named our country.

    If not then I would have abandoned thisnd, gone to a new area, and created a new vige. That would have been much quicker and safer.

    Before long we reached the Fire Fox vige.

    I couldnt even speakthe situation was worse than I had imagined.

 Book 2: Chapter 4-1: Things Bequeathed by the Father

    Book 2: Chapter 4-1: Things Bequeathed by the Father

    How awful

    Kuu and I hid amongst the trees a distance away from the Fire Fox Vige.

    The Vige was in a tragic state.

    You couldnt see a single building left standing. They had all been burnt to ash and crushed to pieces.

    Far from that you could see that stones and sand had melted on the ground still giving off light.

    In this ruined vige you could see Imperial tents set up here and there with soldiersing and going.

    Even with my great eyesight as an elf we were far enough that I couldnt see clearly. However, once I used the binocrs I had made as Kuiro I was able to see the situation.

    At this distance they wouldnt spot us.

    I wanted to mass-produce these binocrs but the ss lenses required extremely precise manufacturing processes. The craftsmanship and arrangement of the lenses would require too high of a level to produce.

    Kuu.is this ce really the Fire Fox Vige?

    I checked with Kuu just to be sure. There was always the chance this wasnt the exact location of the vige. I didnt want to believe that this was the right ce.

    I hoped that this was simply an Imperial camp.

    .theres no mistake. This is the Fire Fox Vige. This is the vige where I lived with everyone for all 14 years of my life.

    Kuu whispered with a ghastly pale face.

    Id known the truth deep in my heartbut I felt like a leaden weight dropped in my stomach.

    If it was like this for meit mustve been a nightmare for Kuu.

    I seewould you like to hear how it became like this? I can give some conjecture based on what I see.

    Even I dont knowbut you can figure it out Cyril?

    WellIm used to things like this.

    I had plenty of memories of battlefields from my previous lives.

    Amongst them there were memories of losses and wars of annihtion.

    Could you tell me?

    Kuu asked with gritted teeth, white face, and trembling fists.

    To lessen the blow I made sure to tell her my conjecture simply without any unnecessary embellishment.

    The Fire Fox men left behind must not have been able to win in a head on battle.

    They would have been shot full of arrows from a distance and had their mes blown away by wind magic when they approached too close.

    They wouldnt have been able to win no matter how they struggled.

    That being said if they fought in the forest they would surely cause a huge forest fire.

    Thats why they decided to fight within the vige. If it was there they would have plenty of cover. The arrows couldnt hit them and they could attack the mages before they had a chance to summon wind.

    Normally the enemy invading your vige would count as a loss.

    However, they did it so they could retaliate.

    The soldiers were aiming for the Fire Foxes magic stones, so even if they knew theyd be sneak attacked they had to enter the vige.

    At first they would surely use buildings and objects to hide and conduct guerri warfare. Sometimes they burned houses that would cause damage to their enemies. However, there was a limit. The difference in numbers was too great. As long as another soldier came up behind them while they were burning the others it would be the end for them.

    It was true that there was plenty of obstacles in the vige, but in another sense it made it easier for them to get attacked from multiple directions. They hid inside easily burned buildings so there was also a chance of the mes cornering them.

    They may have been able to resist mes, but they couldnt resist the smoke andck of oxygen.

    In this kind of trapped area the Imperial soldiers continued to invade and the situation continued to worsen.but that was the aim of the Fire Foxes.

    As the Fire Foxes lost their abilities to resist, the imperials would let down their guards and most of them would enter the vige.

    They would fill the vige with soldiers not knowing this was a trapid out by the Fire Foxes.

    As soon as the vige was filled to bursting with soldiers they initiated their final n. They gathered their dead allies magic stones, used their own magic stones within their chests, caused the magic to go wild, and created an explosive congration of mes. A gigantic explosive me caused by dozens of Fire foxes using their magic stones. It annihted the vige and all of the soldiers within it.

    Elves and Fire Foxes have over 90 affinity with their respective elements. If you take out their hearts while theyre alive it will change into a magic stone.

    Magic stones have two uses. They can be used as a catalyst to increase elemental affinity, or it can be destroyed making magic run wild unleashing untold magic power.

    If we were inclined to do so we could remove our own hearts while we lived and use our own magic stones.

    We races with strong magical powers have equally strong life force. Even with our hearts removed we can live for a few seconds. Within those few seconds we can force magical power into our magic crystals to make them go wild.

    Doing such a thing required incredible resolve. In a normal state its nigh unthinkable.

    It was unbelievable, but these dozens of Fire Foxes did so.

    If not then it would be almost impossible for them to reduce all the buildings to ash and the ground to ss.

    I had to show my respect for their resolve. Even if their reason told them it was the right decisionthey must have been scared. They must have wanted to escape. But they squeezed out thest of their courage and did it for the sake of their friends and family who they had sent away. I couldnt help being moved by their strength of will.

    Thanks to that the Empire had only a few dozen troops left alive. Their faces were unhappy and their bodies slow even though they had supposedly ovee the Fire Foxes.

 Book 2: Chapter 4-2: Things Bequeathed by the Father

    Book 2: Chapter 4-2: Things Bequeathed by the Father

    Whatthe hell is that..

    After hearing my words Kuus eyes filled with tears and she copsed to her knees.

    She battered the ground with her hands.

    Father said.he said wed fight to the end.we had escaped but they would.do their best to drive away the Empire.they would call us back somedayand we could retake our everyday lives

    ..that was.surely.

    Father was a liar!! If they did this then they intended to die from the start! They all knew they would diewhy did they have to go this far!? It wouldve been fine if we all ran away together! We could all stillugh and live together! Their lives, their feelings, and even the entire Vigewhy did they do such a thing!

    Im sure Kuu mustve suspected thisbut deep in her heart she hoped and prayed that they were still alive.

    Her mind must have been in a mess seeing such everything in such shambles.

    Fathers a dummytalking about Fire Fox prideour cheap pride that got everyone mixed up in thismade them die to kill the Imperial Soldiers.it was already more than enough for them to buy us some time. It wouldve been fine as long as they did it properly and ran away after they finished. They could have grouped up with uster and ended things without dying. Isnt this just dying meaninglessly!?

    KuuI cant allow you to say those words.

    I smacked her cheek.

    Of course I held back. It made a loud sound but it should have barely hurt.

    After the pping sound Kuus white cheek flushed red.

    I couldnt allow Kuu to say they died meaninglessly. If she said that then what was the point of them fighting to their deaths.

    If you were just a young girl Kuu I could forgive those words. But what are you Kuu? Youre the Fire Fox Chief right? You were trained for such a thing and you have a good enough mind for it. You abandoned your thoughts, decided that it was some cheap pride, spoke ill of them that their deaths were meaningless, and dirtied the dignity of the deceased. To ignore their feelings and their intentions as they died!? Then they would have truly died for nothing!

    C-Cyril-kun?

    Kuus eyes widened as she held her burning cheek.

    It seems she couldnt believe that I hit her.

    Kuudo you think that the women and children unused to travel could escape Imperial forces? Much less if the men left behind ended their struggle earlier and they were chasing after them as well?

    I dont.

    Then what if most of the buildings in the vige were fine when the Soldiers invaded? Do you think the Empire would convert this ce into a base so they could more easily pursue you?

    .I think they would.

    Now that the vige was so devastated the soldiers were forced to continue camping out in tents instead. They could not utilize any of the viges resources.

    What is the goal of the Empire?

    To get magic stones.

    Thats right. However, this attack didnt earn them a single magic stone. Since your Father and the rest resorted to such desperate measures when cornered it will force the Empire to be more hesitant in their actions from now on.

    The Empires goal this time was to subjugate the Fire Foxes, not to destroy them.

    They simply wanted fire magic stones.

    But when they attacked and cornered the Fire Foxes, the Fire Foxesmitted a suicide attack to prevent them from getting anything.

    This invasion didnt obtain a single magic stone. It waspletely not worth the effort.

    The Empire won the war if you only observed the result of the battlebut with the great loss of funds, soldiers, and with not a single bit of profit gained you could only say that the Fire Foxes surpassed them.

    Your father did his best to reduce the soldiers they had, crush their opportunity to create a base, and even furtherpletely destroyed the very reason for the Empires attack. They fought against their fears and squeezed out thest bits of their courage. Do you have any idea how painful that decision was!? Yet you ignored all of this to focus on your own sorrow and trampled their feelings underfoot.

    Kuu raised her face and red at me with some animosity.

    Father didnt tell us anything! How could I know this just by looking at our burnt out vige!? My home gone! Everything burnt to ashes! My mind is a mess!

    Kuuid her own weakness bare to me. Her age and body was that of a mature girl, but suddenly she seemed like a small child.

    Even so, I know that Father would only do what was necessary. Buteven then.I wanted to be together with everyone. I wanted them to run. I wanted to meet them again someday! Is that so wrong!?!

    Tears poured down her face.

    Kuus words were quite natural. Anyone would want to be with their family and friendsughing and living.

    No one wanted to die.

    No one wanted to be separated.

    However, I couldnt allow this.

    Yes its wrong. Right now you have the lives of 50 people on your shoulders. You cant abandon rationality to emotional wreckage. You have to analyze the situation. If your father had such naive spoiled thoughts then both you and the rest of the Fire Foxes would be captured and made into toys for the Empire. Its because he crushed his emotions down and sought the very best for you that you can be here.

    II cant do that kind of thing.are you saying you can Cyril-kun?

    For a while now she had been calling me Cyril-kun instead of Cyril-sama.

    Her emotional state was too battered to keep up her facade.

    Kuus question was a simple one.

    I unhesitatingly answered.

    I can. Thats why I am the Leader of Erucy. Thats what I seek from the Leader of the Fire Foxes as well. That leader is you Kuu.

    I am.I

    Kuu looked at me desperately seeking for help.

    She mustve wanted me to give her a push.

    KuuI already decided to help you where I could. However, you cant abandon your duties to me. If your will isnt strong enough you can quit and throw away the title of Chiefyou can just live as a normal Fire Fox.

    Butwithout me the rest will

    Ill take care of all of them.

    It was thest resort.

    It will make it difficult for the Fire Foxes to live as equals with the Elves in ErucyItd be much too easy for the Fire Foxes to end up used by the Elves in this situationI mean it cant be helped right? Since you cant think for yourselves you will turn into tools. Without a representative or leader youre simply refugees. I can only give appropriate treatment.

    Not thinking, simply opening their mouths and waiting. It was also a valid way of using the Fire foxes.

    You wont have to think about the others anymore Kuu, Ill give you jobs and orders from beginning to end. Even when fighting the Empire Ill use you well. Thats the minimum guarantee I can give. How about I solve theck of poption for the Fire Foxes as well?

    I had a way that would maintain respect for both parties but it feels like too much effort now. Ill just make a brothel for you. Ill forget about the minimum guarantee for now. In exchange for sleeping with the elf customers you can get food and protectionhow about it?

    Just by sleeping with some people you can eat til youre full. Those who dont do so we can feed so they dont starve.

    Fire Foxes and Elves are quite beautiful after all. Many elven women have a strong sense of virtue so Im sure theres a demand for some easy women they can sleep with freely. Id stop by too.

    When the new Fire Foxes are born you all can take care of them so it doesnt bother us elves. Once you get pregnant you cant work so well provide some special pregnancy meals. You like youll be popr Kuu so Im sure youll have plenty of kids. Good for you right? The Fire Foxes can live peacefully like this!

    Thats just living as ves for you elves!

    Kuu shouted furiously.

    Certainly thats true. It was ve treatment not treatment as a citizen of Erucy.

    That is what it means to abandon your ability of self-determination. If you dont like it then think of what you can do. Worry over what you can do to protect yourselves. Then show me what you are worth as the Leader of Erucy.

    If your n has greater merit than what I mentioned then I can treat you as equals.

    You dont have to think of it on your own Kuuyou can ask the other Fire Foxes. If you n to work hard then I can even lend you a hand.

    Cyril-kunwhyd you say such terrible things?

    I didnt say anything cruel. I just brought upmon practice. Plus I only said it because I believe in you Kuu. Let me ask one more timeare you going to run away from this Kuu?

    Kuu wiped the tears from her eyes fiercely.

    Then she turned to me with red eyes.

    I amthe Fire Fox Chief. Ill protect everyone.

    I seethen forget what I said. Well move with the n that respects your rights.

    ..Cyril-kun is simr to Father.

    Kuu hadnt fully recovered but her gaze had softened a bit.

    She spoke with a peevish tone.

    Stubborn, obstinate, stern, high-handed

    She said pointedly.

    Id gotten hot-headed and lectured her.

    however youre righteous, prudent, and in truth nice. Fundamentally a soft-hearted personaltogether just like him.

    WellI am the Chief. In a sense I am everyones father.

    I said and Kuu snickered a bit.

    I wont stop thinking. I wont shed my emotions. But if it gets too painful could you help support me?

    Thats fine. If youre working hard Kuu Ill support you.

    Is that for Erucys sake?

    Of coursebut also as your friend Kuu.

    You even told me not to act based on emotionhow unfair.

    I said not to make decisions solely based on emotions, but I never said to ignore your emotions entirely. If you ignore emotions then you fail as a leader. If your reason and emotions are in alignment then you can do your work happily. You should go forth full force!

    Just before you said youd treat the Fire Foxes harshly ignoring feelings

    If I treated you practically then it would seem fairly humane on the surface.

    That was the end of that conversation.

 Book 2: Chapter 4-3: Things Bequeathed by the Father

    Book 2: Chapter 4-3: Things Bequeathed by the Father

    We had fulfilled our reconnaissance objectives.

    The Fire Fox Vige as well as most of the soldiers who invaded it had been wiped out. What was important was that the vige itself could not be used as a base of operations.

    Itd be practically impossible for them to invade Erucy like this, and even if they forcefully tried then we could easily deal with such a small number of soldiers.

    Kuu, what do you think we should do with the soldiers here? I could easily deal with this amount by myself.

    I said and Kuu started thinking desperately.

    She bit her lips and then slowly opened her mouth.

    You should leave them be.they have to be alive to convey how dangerous the Fire Foxes are to the Empire.

    Im sure she wanted to take her vengeance, but Kuu said to let them go.

    It was a decision she based on the future of the Fire Foxes instead of her own emotions.

    Im of the same opinion. Youve worked hard Kuu.

    I patted Kuus head softly and enjoyed the feeling of her soft Fox ears.

    I am the Chief after all.

    Kuu said with a sorrowful smile.

    **********************************

    After that we went around to the salt areas and gathered as much rock salt as I could fit in my backpack.

    Using myrge capacity bag we were able to gather enough salt for the vige to use for a few months if we were a bit stingy.

    Now that I knew the location I could travel here within 2 hours and periodically collect more.

    Then I picked up Kuu in a princess carry once more.

    The weight of Kuu and the bag now exceeded 100Kg so even with my body reinforcement magic it was a bit painful.

    However, I refused to show it in face or actions. That was the pride of a man.

    KuuIm sorry about hitting you before. I just couldnt allow you to keep badmouthing those who died. If you want to hit me backter I wont mind.

    The thought of them giving their lives to fight for someone ovepped with things in my past lives and my emotions went out of control.

    Even if I got angry I didnt have the right to raise a hand to her. This was my mistake.

    If it was Roleau I wouldnt even mind if I ended up using a Pharaoh Special on him, but Kuu was a young woman.

    Its alright. If Cyril-kun hadnt gotten angry then I might not have acknowledged how hard my Father and the rest tried to help us. That scares me more. When we get back to Erucy I can convey to the others how courageous they were and how much they loved us.

    Kuu was talking to me in friend mode.

    This allowed us to speak much more casually.

    You think thatll help keep them from being depressed?

    I think theyll be depressed anyways. But, I want to convey their feelings properly.

    Kuus voice didnt express any hesitation.

    Im sure they will mourn. However, as they understood the love that was behind their loved ones actions they would be able to stand up once more.

    No, Kuu will have them stand again.

    ..do your best.

    Yes, Im still immature but someday Ill be a great Chief like Father and Cyril-kun.

    Kuus eyes looked to the distance.

    Im sure those words were aimed at herte Father.

    Well, for now you can just aim to be like your Father. I cant be arrogant and say I should be your goal.

    ButI really think that a Chief like my father or you is my goal.

    Kuus arms tightened their hold around the back of my neck.

    Even when we wereing here I felt like Kuu was being strangely affectionate.

    Also Cyril-kunearlier you said something about a Brothel? And that youd patronize me there?

    Did I say something like that? I dont remember.

    In truth I remembered perfectly. However, after my emotions calmed down I was embarrassed by my outburst.

    You did say it. Could it be that.youre backed up Cyril-kun?

    Hey! Kuu!

    Herpletely tant words surprised me and I almost dropped her.

    We were moving more slowly than when we arrived, but I was moving at around 60km/h so it was extremely dangerous.

    So? Did I get it right? Are you backed up? Could it be that Lucy-chan doesnt let you do it? A so-called sexless marriage?

    Ihavent married Lucy yet.

    After getting poked where it hurts I couldnt help but stutter.

    How unexpectedyou got along so well since long before I thought youd long been married. If I remember correctly Elves dont engage in any premarital rtions right?

    Thats only old-fashioned elves. There are plenty who dont care. However, Lucys family lineage is made up of Shrine Maidens and her Grandma was very strict so those kind of things are no good.

    Looking at it from another perspective Lucy had strong sexual desire. That was shown by what she did next to me while I sleptbut with her Grandmas lessons firmly in mind she wouldnt cross that line.

    If we were married she wouldnt have any issues with it, but I had decided not to get married until things had stabilized.

    If I went around merry-making and celebrating while things were still bad it would set a poor example.

    So we mutually refused toy a hand on each other.

    Is that so? Then would you like to make children with me? Im okay with you Cyril-kun.

    K-Kuu calm yourself.Im sure the situation in the vige mustve been hard to bear but dont fall into desperation. Treasure yourself more.

    Impletely calm. Ive had good feelings for Cryil-kun since long ago and ever since we reunited youve been very reliable and kind.

    I started to blush.

    Kuu was an absolutely beautiful girl.

    I personally thought Lucy was a little better, but that was simply a matter of personal preference. Im sure there are plenty of people who would say that Kuu was prettier.

    I hadnt seen a girl whose beauty matched that of Lucys until I saw Kuu.

    If I would eventually have to do such a thing with an elf then I was thinking that I would prefer it to be you Cyril-kun. I also think that I would be good for the future cooperation between our people if we as Chiefs had a child together.

    I dont like taking such calcting things into consideration.

    You said it yourself Cyril-kun. If your emotions and logic are pointed in the same direction then go for it. My personal emotions and my rational thoughts are both giving me the go sign.

    Listening more carefully I could hear a bit of shyness in her voice.

    It looks like she wasnt as stoic as she wanted to sound. After realizing it I regained someposure.

    No. I wont do that to you Kuu.

    Are you worried about sexual disease? I dont have any experience so you dont have to worry about something like that.

    Thats not what Im saying!

    Even though I said that I was a bit surprised at the relief I felt when I heard she didnt have any experience.

    Do I not have any charm for you? Even though Im like this I was the most popr girl in the Fire Fox Vige.

    Kuu is certainly charming.

    She was soft, cute, smelled good, and had arge breasts. I even thought she had the ideal body type.

    Kuus chest was practically perfect while Lucys was a bitcking.

    As I thought. My Brother especially said that my tail was erotic. Even my father said that my tail was a once in a hundred years beauty.

    I wouldnt understand that and Im scared of how your brother saw you!

    I couldnt help but rebut.

    Im sure that our species differed on how we rated beauty, but Im sure the tail was not amon one.

    I certainly thought that her golden fluffy tail with a white tip on it was cute, but I couldnt muster up any sexual desire for it.

    Is that so..Im confident in my tail thoughwant to try touching it?

    If youre going that far then I wont hold back.

    I said and ced my hand on Kuus tail.

    I moved her body a bit so I could carry her while touching her tail and ran it through my hand.

    My hand sunk into a soft fluffy feeling. This was certainly really nice.

    The way it ran through my hands felt like itd turn into a habit.

    Nnnn.it feels good Cryil-kunbut dont do it so hard.

    As I was ying with her tail, Kuu let out a romantic voice. It made me feel weird.

    PICTURE</a>

    Sorry. Fire Fox tails are pretty great.

    It is great. Ah, but dont touch other girls tails. A girls tail should only be touched by her parents or he husband. If you do it forcefully its practically rape.

    Wait a secondthen why did you tell me to

    Cause its you Cyril-kun. Plus I was serious when I said I didnt mind if it was you Cryil-kunso just tell me whenever you change your mind.

    Kuu said as I let thest of her tail slip out of my hand.

    I felt great regret as my hand parted from it.

    My male instincts wanted to ept herI wanted to y with her tail some more.

    However, Lucys smile floated through my mind.

    I made a promise with Lucyand I dont want to betray her.

    That was my answer.

    Itd be way too uncool if I ran away to another girl just because I couldnt do it with her right now.

    You act like a gentleman. I like that part of you too Cyril-kun. Ill keep it a secret that you touched my tail so dont worry about it.

    Wellthats not really what I was talking about.

    And so Kuu and I talked as we returned back to the Vige.

 Book 2: Chapter 5-1: Party

    Book 2: Chapter 5-1: Party

    It was dawn of the day after we returned from the Fire Fox Vige. I found myself alone in the forest.

    At this point the Fire Foxes had subsisted for three days on the leftover food and potatoes that the Elves didnt eat. However, that method was at its limit. I had to find new prey.

    Furthermore there was an event scheduled for noon today and I had to get meat for that as well.

    Our vige had proper meat and emergency stores but if I embezzled those the Elves attitudes would take a steep dive. Theyd surely think that their own share of food had decreased because of the Fire Foxes.

    Im sure their reason would tell them that everyone was troubled in this regard and they certainly felt sympathy and understanding of the Fire Foxes positionbut the negative feelings wouldnt disappear just because they understood.

    If I wasnt careful about small things like this, then their small dissatisfaction would slowly pile up until it created a huge crack in themunity.

    There was an easy way to counter this. I just had to catch more food. With that they should no longer feel such displeasure.

    I sharpened my senses.

    Perception Expansion

    I activated my specialty spell and allowed my senses to spread through the area. It was limited to the areas where the wind reached but it allowed my perception to expand by 300 meters.

    It was an extremely useful magic but it was difficult to use. In the first ce if your affinity with the wind wasnt as good as an Elfs then you wouldnt be able to learn it. Furthermore, even if you did have the right affinity you would have to train hard to learn it. Without talent you cant learn this skill.

    Lucy had learned it. She had enough talent and sense for the skill. However, as of now her limit was 100 meters. Recently shes been getting the hang of it so it should start improving.

    Id better hurry up and find some prey.

    I maintained my spell as I strengthened my body as I leapt amongst the trees. As I did so I confirmed whether or not there were any animals nearby through Perception Expansion.

    Thanks to my incredible sensing range and high speed movement, my hunting efficiency was much higher than the other elves.

    When the other elves hunted most of the time would be spent searching for some prey.

    Found it.

    I found a big fat boar around 250 meters away hiding in the brush.

    It wouldve been easy to miss it as it hid in the bushes, but no matter where it hid I would be able to find it if there was wind there.

    I took my distance as I moved to an appropriate point.

    Itd be troublesome if it spotted me.

    This should be alright.

    I found myself an appropriate sniping point.

    The distance was around 200 meters, the boar was low to the ground with a low line of sight, and the route to hit the boar was only around the size of a baseball.

    I had confidence the boar would bepletely unable to spot me.

    Most hunters would be unable to take this kind of shot.

    However, I was anything but ordinary.

    Program

    If Perception Expansion was my specialty spell that utilized wind mana itself, then Program was my specialty spell that used my internal magic power.

    It took in all the information gathered by my five senses and my spell and calcted the proper motions and trajectory I needed to fire.

    Furthermore..

    Wind Ward

    I granted my arrow the blessing of the wind. This would nullify all effects of wind on my arrow.

    I set the arrow on my crossbow and with my strengthened body I could easily pull back the string using my arms.

    I had wanted to teach Lucy my body strengthening magic, but it was also prohibitively difficult to learn and carried the risk of bodily injury.

    If you made a mistake and ignorantly strengthened your body, it could cause your body to break down. Furthermore if you didnt use the proper channels to strengthen your body it could twist it into something strange and horrible.

    Even when the 500 imperial soldiers attacked I strengthened my body by less than 10%.

    Go!

    I pulled the trigger.

    The arrow flew through the air exactly as Program had calcted and passed through the baseball sized route perfectly.

    The super high speed 360km/h arrow was still within an elfs visual ability to see.

    The arrow flew straight and true into the boars eye and prated deep into its brain.

    Even with a single arrow you could take down a huge prey as long as you shot it in a vital spot.

    The boar I had aimed at hadnt had a chance to react before losing its life.

    Alright! Two more should be enough.

    Since we had the uing event I had to hunt more quickly than I usually would.

    With this time limit I would probably only be able to catch two more.

    I gutted and drained the boar and hung it before leaving to find some more prey.

    Itd require too much effort to carry a 100 kg boar back to the vige so I had nned to use my Item Box with Samsara Recursion. However, without an elfs ability to sense the wind my hunting efficiency would take a steep dive. For that reason I needed toplete the hunting in my normal elven body.

    If I used Samsara Recursion and turned into Deet I would have to wait 12 hours before doing so once more or I risked damaging my soul. If I did it again anyways the recoil would be so strong that I wouldnt be able to continue hunting anyways.

    For that reason I would hunt all my prey before using Samsara Recursion to store them away.

    Though Samsara Recursion had great utility it also had quite a few restrictions.

    For example if the Empire invaded and I had to use Samsara Recursion I would still only be able to remain in the form of Deet for an hour.

    If I didnt clinch victory within that hour it would be a disaster. Once Samsara Recursion finished I would be hit with recoil and weaken. It would make my ability to fight normally be weaker than usual. No, if I used it to the limit then even standing would be difficult and it would be hard for me tomand Lucy and the rest.

    I could imagine a situation where I used Samsara Recursion to decimate the first wave of enemies and a second wave appeared afterwards while I was unable to takemand. It would result in a miserable loss and the possible destruction of Erucy.

    Thats why I would not use Samsara Recursion for defense. I would only use it when attacking the enemys base or something simr. That would allow me to deal great damage while still being able to retreat.

    During defensive situations I would only keep it as insurance. Thanks to the low amount of poption, Erucy couldnt obtain reinforcements. However, thanks to Samsara Recursion I could act as our own reinforcements and decimate a muchrger enemy. Because of that we could be a little unreasonable.

    If I were to use Samsara Recursion for defense then it would be when we had been cornered to the limit.

    Alright thats the third one!

    I had kept moving my body as I thought. I had finished my huntin task by obtaining 2 boars and one deer.

 Book 2: Chapter 5-2: Party

    Book 2: Chapter 5-2: Party

    Someday Id like to go hunting with the rest of the guys from Erucybut I think itll be tough.

    I let out a small sigh.

    I couldnt go hunting with the group from Erucy. If I went they would lose confidence. They had to go into the mountains for several days to catch 4-5 animalsbut if they saw me catching 2-3 within an hour or two Im sure theyd feel depressed.

    It was the same thing if we were talking about reimingnd for farming. If I transformed into Kuiro I could clear as muchnd as Roleau and the rest could in a few weeks within an hour or so.

    But I wouldnt do that. Roleau and the rest would have their spirits and will harmed badly. Id steal their jobs. Though it was less efficient it would protect their hearts and give them productive work that would gain them respect in themunity. If I forced my way in everyone would be totally dependent on me. It would make our country so weak that it would copse once I was no longer there.

    I had gutted and drained both boars but I had only drained the blood from the deer before cing it in my Item Box.

    It was in order to make some food with the guts of the deer.

    After cing all three in my item box I took a short pause before starting to run.

    Since my magic power had increased, my level as Deet had increased as well. This made my speed increase to the point that I was even faster than when I used wind magic in my elven form.

    *********************

    After returning to Erucy I took out all the prey from my Item Box and ended Samsara Recursion to return to my normal body.

    Since I had spent only a short amount of as Deet so I didnt have much recoil. It didnt seem like itd interfere with my normal activities.

    Yesterday I had asked the Fire Foxes to prepare for the even today so I thought that I would help them out this morning.

    They should have finished breakfast by now.

    I was a bit earlier than when I said Id be there but I decided to call out to them anyways. I raised my hand and knocked on the door.

    Yaaay~

    I heard a bright voice call out.

    Kuu-anesama! Wee back!

    The door was mmed open and a naked girl jumped into my chest.

    Im certain it was the girl Kuu called Kemin. It was the girl two years younger than me with chestnut-colored hair in a short cut style. A very cute young girl.

    She was slightly inferior to the likes of Lucy and Kuu, but she was plenty adorable all the same.

    I couldnt help but pet her head.

    Based on her bright expression and the situationKuu hadnt told them what happened to the Fire Fox Vige. Im sure shed tell them once everyones emotions had calmed down.

    Ah sorry to tell youbut Im not Kuu.

    I diverted my attention from the naked girl in my chest, but once I looked inside I saw many Fire Fox girls in various states of undress.

    There were many Fire Foxes holding half dried clothes in their hands.

    I could surmise what was going on. They had wanted to clean their clothing and themselves before the promised time arrived.

    Though they could use fire magic to dry things off, they had to use low temperatures for a while on clothing so they didnt damage the cloth.

    Since they had escaped to our vige with only the shirts on their backs I assumed that they wouldnt have any clothes to wear until these were dry.

    I had to deal with this somehow. It would take too long to craft the clothing ourselves so I should go out and purchase at least one other set of clothing for them.

    C-Cyril-samaI-Im sorry for mistaking you!

    Kemin was greatly taken aback, but for some reason she didnt let go. Instead I saw her tail wagging back and forth rapidly.

    Was this girl..a female pervert?

    Sorry foring over at this time. Ille backter to talk so please let go so I can move. Look, everyone else is embarrassed so

    It was a feast for the eyes but I had still averted my eyes. Even so it would be ufortable for the other girls Im sure.

    They hadnt started screaming or yelling abuse at me but many of them hid their bodies with their hands or wet clothes.

    Ah! Im so sorry! Ill let go!

    Id be happy if you did. Ille backter.

    Just wait outside please! W-well be out soon!

    And so she rapidly ran in and mmed the door shut without even trying to hide herself.

    What the heckis even going on around here

    I stood their absentminded at her high tension.

    ***********************

    She had said shed be right back and just as she said not even 3 minutes had passed before an out of breath Kemin came outside.

    She even brought another girl of the same age along with her.

    The second Fire Fox girl was blushing and fidgeting around.

    So Cyril-sama, what business has brought you to our humble abode!

    Kemin called out energetically.

    As always her tail was wagging.

    You dont have to be so agitated. I wasing to ask if you would like to start preparing for the midday event early. We have plenty of work to do and not a lot of time to do it. Itd be best to start as soon as possible.

    Well happily do it for you Cyril-sama! Ill go call everyone quick!!

    Thank you. Anyways its nice to see you so energetic.

    Its a rare chance to talk to Cryil-sama after all.

    She said and the girl behind her nodded vigorously.

    It wasnt as much as Kemin, but her tail was wagging as well.

    Their attitude towards me was so positive it was almost scary.

    Are you really that happy to be speaking with me?

    Yeah! After all Cyril-sama has been voted as the No.1 man Fire Fox girls want to let grab their tails!!

    Tails?

    For Fire Foxes if a girl ces her tail in a mans hand it counts as a marriage proposal, if the man grasps her tail gently it counts as eptance.

    I broke out into a cold seat. I felt like recentlyno it was yesterdayi had done that.

    I wasnt a Fire Fox so I had no reason to follow that custom, but Kuu must have known it.

 Book 2: Chapter 5-3: Party

    Book 2: Chapter 5-3: Party

    Im happy that Im so wanted butam I really that liked?

    Yes we like you tons! Cyril-sama drove away the mean elf and helped us, you brought us to this wonderful home, and gave us super delicious food!! Ill never forget the vor of that soup for my entire life. Weve also heard that Cyril-sama helps prepare our food every day too.

    For good or for bad it seems that Roleau has beenbeled as a bad guy. Thanks to that they all liked me much better.

    Plus Cyril-sama is super cool! Lucy told us stories about how strong you are. You used a single knife to instantly kill 5 imperial soldiers, sniped the enemymander from beyond 500 meters, and even invaded the enemy base all by yourself against hundreds of soldiers and stole their supplies right!? She said youre super smart and can exin anything, came up with an amazing bow that can kill the soldiers, made the house were living in now, took 200 amateur elves andmanded them to kill 500 imperial soldiers, and you figured out how to grow and use potatoes for food right!? Its already too incredible! Handsome, strong, smart, and a person that both Lucy and Kuu-anesama say is reliable and kind!

    Being told all this straight up to my face made me feel bashful.

    It was almost like idol adoration. It might even reach a near religious level in these girls case.

    In their desperate circumstances they met a real reliable transcendental existence. Their unease may lead them to be religiously faithful.

    Lucy said all that stuff?

    Yes, yesterday as we were tending to the potatoes she was speaking fondly of you the entire time. Kuu-anesama joined in as well and they said plenty of thingsit made all our tails go gyuuu~to. Of course my tail also went gyuu~

    As she finished speaking Kemins tail straightened up and shivered.

    Im d they got along while harvesting.

    After I returned to Erucy with Kuu I had to spend all my timeying the groundwork for the even today. I had to leavemand over harvesting the potatoes to Lucy.

    Im sure she continued to speak her own retelling of events.

    I felt like she had raised the hurdle a bit too much for me. I had to exin things a bit or Id end up overburdened by expectations.

    Lucy likes me so she probably exaggerated quite a bit. If you expect too much youll get disappointed so take things with a grain of salt.

    Was Lucy lying?

    She asked and I thought back to what Kemin had said.

    If I left out the personal opinions on how I was amazing and cool then there werent any falsehoods in those statements.

    Well, I suppose its true I did all that. But it wasnt by my power alone. I was able to aplish it through aid from others.

    I see! This is whats called being modest! Ill do my best to be the third!

    Thethird?

    Yes Lucy is the legal wife, Kuu-anesama will be the second (mistress/concubine), and Im aiming for the third position.

    I dont remember taking Kuu in as my lover though?

    In fact I was only at the point where I was nning to marry Lucy in the future, but we werent at that point yet.

    You were able to resist the seduction of her tail!? Thats amazing! Even if Im a girl sometimes I forget myself and want to touch it.

    I think thats more of a Fire Fox trait than anything else.

    Their attraction to tails was at the level of breasts and butts for humans.

    Certainly I thought Kuus tail was cute, but that wasnt a sexual appreciation, it was more of a love for soft and warm things.

    Elves are mysterious creatures

    Kemin said with her head tilted. Im sure she thought I was strange for not getting excited by tails.

    However, at this moment Kuu finally arrived.

    Kemin, dont bother Cyril-sama too much.

    It seems she was in her Chief mode as she was calling me Cyril-sama.

    Kuu was lightly sweating. Ever since wed returned from the Fire Fox vige she had been undergoingbat training every morning. It was no different for this morning.

    Im sorry Kuu-sama.

    Kemin said and bowed her head in apology.

    No its fine. It was just some light socializing. I told Kemin already, but I want to begin preparations as soon as possible. Could we?

    Yes of course I dont mind. It looks like Kurone and Yukino have gone to call the rest. Ill trouble you to guide us Cyril-sama.

    The two girls behind Kemin had disappeared at some point.

    Apparently theyd gone to call everyone.

    Before long they had gathered and I tried my best to infuse my voice with a feeling of fun.

    Fire Foxes! I will be holding a party between us Elves and you Fire Foxes this afternoon!

    This was the event I had been preparing.

    Tomorrow I would be in contact with the Empire about the matter of exchanging prisoners for ransom.

    Id be able to earn plenty of money that I could use to buy food. This trip to buy food would make it so I had to leave the vige for a while. Before I departed I had to patch up the rtions between elves and fire foxes.

    The best way to get along with each other is to eat good food, drink alcohol, andugh together. Ill be using our viges left over alcohol.

    It was the leftover goods from when we had defeated the 500 soldiers who attacked.

    Today I would use it without holding back.

    For the delicious food I would like you girls to make it. Originally it should be us Elves weing you in with food. However, this is a special situation. Sorry to say but I need you topromise with the elves. Do your best to make delicious food. I think that the elves will get along much better with you if you feed them something especially delicious.

    After I finished speaking the Fire Foxes started fidgeting around.

    Im sure they were worried about their cooking skill along with the ingredient they had to use.

    You dont have to worry. Today Ill be directing you in how to do everything. Ill also give you the ingredients. Youll be making boar steak, deer soup, the most delicious potato dish I know, and a deer side dish. You can look forward to it. Theyre all high quality dishes. The potato dish will be much more delicious than your usual steamed potatoes and the soup will be even better than usual. The steak will be in a different league whenpared with one that is just normally grilled. The side dish will be amazing enough that I dont think youll forget it.

    I said and pointed out the prey I had hunted earlier this morning.

    There were two 100kg boars and a single 70kg deer.

    Even conservatively it was 150kg of meat.

    There would be 250 people eating so I suspected we would half near half of it left over. Id turn it into preserved food.

    The other things wed use are some mushrooms I found and some other produce I had secretly raised.

    Amazing! These look like theyve been hunted just today.

    It certainly doesCyril-sama you werent in town this morning right? Did you do all this yourself!?

    It was true when Lucy said he could easily hunt a deer by himself.

    Cyril-samas soup and potatoes were delicious yeah? Im looking forward to the things he says are even more delicious!!

    The Fire Foxes got excited as they looked at the ingredients.

    Im sure they were full of expectations now.

    However, Kuu spoke up with a serious look on her face.

    Thats no good! I dont want to use the potatoes. Until the shopping is over and done with we need to depend on them for food. If we use them up what are we supposed to eat?

    Indeed it was as she said.

    If we used too many potatoes for the party wed lose an important part of their diet. If everyone in the vige ate as they pleased the Fire Foxes would lose enough potatoes for a week of food.

    After the event there would be plenty of meat leftover but just surviving on that for a long time would be hard.

    Ive properly thought of that. In exchange for getting treated to such a feast today the Elves will each give up two meals worth of wheat. That will be your food. They should be able to agree since youre providing the ingredients andbor.

    If I had simply reimed the food I had distributed to them it would leave a bad impression.

    However, if it was in exchange for a feast then the Elves should ept it.

    I had tempted them all by saying that it would be a delicious feast theyd never experienced before. That they would regret it if they never got to taste it.

    Understood Cyril-sama. In that case well assist you fully. Please allow us to set up this party.

    Kuu said with a relieved look.

    Potatoes are delicious but sometimes you want bread right? So just think of this as a lucky chance to get some wheat. Just focus on making the food delicious. If its bad the elves who paid wheat for it will get angry. Do your best.

    I said lightly as if joking.

    Since I would be supervising there wasnt much chance of that happening.

    The Fire Foxes looked at each other and nodded.

    It seems they were eager.

    The Fire Foxes had some worries about how the Elves would react, but Im sure they were also extremely looking forward to a feast.

    I felt it was important for the elves to ept he Fire Foxes, but I also wanted the Fire Foxes to enjoy themselves. I wanted to improve their moods and let them have a good time.

    Also Kuu I have something else for you to help with. Well be meeting up with Lucy in a bit. Remember what we did at the festival 5 years ago?

    That thing?

    Kuu blinked in surprise.

    Elves were excellent at dancing and music. I was quite skilled at an ocarina-like instrument and Lucy was incredible at dancing to the point it was beyond an art.

    Fire Foxes had their own specialty fields which Kuu showed great talent in from a young age.

    In truth such things were usually disyed for guests. When guests came to the elf vige I would y music and Lucy would dance.

    I had heard good reviews of Kuus performance in such a fashion.

    Thats rightthat. You havent gotten rusty right?

    Of course not. In fact Im more worried about Cyril-kun and Lucy-chan. Ill show you the pride of the Fire Foxs tradition unlike when we were children.

    How reassuring. Well show you our Elven skills as well.

    I said with a smile.

    The surrounding Fire Foxes eyes glittered. They must have truly been looking forward to this.

    Judging by their reactions Kuus skills shouldnt have regressed. I needed to do my best not to hold them back.

    Alright that finishes our meeting. Lets get to work. Everyone do your best!

    Okay

    They replied energetically as we began our preparations.

 Book 2: Chapter 6-1: Fire Fox Traditional Cuisine

    Book 2: Chapter 6-1: Fire Fox Traditional Cuisine

    Kuu, the Fire Foxes, and I entered the ex-workshop.

    Inside were piles of tightly packed Imperial equipment. I wanted to make a third workshop but I was short of both materials and time. I would need to take measures to remedy that.

    The reason we came to the ex-workshop was for cookware and some ingredients I had hidden away.

    The cookware were things I had been making little by little in anticipation for the Potato Harvest Festival we had nned to hold.

    As I gathered the cookware I directed the girls to dismantle the boars and deer.

    Amazingtheres so much weapons and armor. Feels like theres enough to go to war.

    Kuu said wide-eyed as she looked at the swords and armor.

    Well most of them have arrow holes shot through them and theyre poorly made so Im using them for raw materials. In the first ce most elves hate wearing heavy equipment.

    Agility was the natural characteristic of elves. It was unthinkable to destroy that advantage by putting on a heavy iron suit of armor.

    In fact if we elves attempted to fight the Empire using the same tactics then we would be crushed and killed through sheer force of numbers.

    Umm what we need to take out are the iron pan, the pot, the big bowl, the iron te, the table maybethat jar, and a couple other things.

    These things were pretty heavy so we would need several people to carry each.

    As we carried the cookware out I indicated where the girls should ce them and split them into various groups.

    I had plenty of instructions to give out. First I gave orders to the Fire Foxes that surrounded the iron pot.

    You guys are on potato duty. What youll be making are potato chips and french fries.

    It was what most of the potatoes on Earth were used to create. I was sure that they would be the most delicious way of eating potatoes in this world as well.

    We will be melting the fat from the boar meat, heat it up, put the potatoes in, and finally sprinkle them with salt. So first we need to get the fat and grease ready.

    Okay!

    I said and the Fire Foxes energetically answered back.

    Kemin, her friends, and most of theparatively younger Foxes were in this group.

    As I interact with them my big brotherponents came out more than usual.

    I went to the group of foxes who had been dismantling the animals and grabbed the back fat from them. The back fat was literally arge amount of tendons and fat along the back of the boar that couldnt be eaten.

    Thats why we elves normally discarded it without eating it, but as long as you knew how to use it in cooking it could be an essential ingredient.

    Lets start by melting this. Start shaving the back fat into the pot. Im going to need you girls to heat up the pot.

    I had them shave the fat more finely so it would melt easily. The girls nodded and began their tasks.

    The pot heated up as sizzling sounds started emerging from the fat. The entire pot was bubbling with heat.

    Uwaa its super hot. Even hotter than a boiling hot bath.

    Yes, this temperature is important. The fat can reach higher temperatures than water and the potatoes need that for this dish.

    The Fire Fox girls were staring at the pot with great interest.

    The fat could be as hot as 200 degrees Celsius. As you looked the leftover meat and sinew began rising to the top and was cooked to a light brown color.

    The first thing that escaped the boiling fat would be water leaving only pure fat behind.

    Un this looks good. Now we just have to scoop out this brown stuff and our cooking oil will beplete.

    Got it Cyril-sama! Then we throw it out?

    Throw it out? No of course not! It tastes delicious and has a long shelf life.

    This stuff is really delicious?

    Yeah, the meat and tendons are filled with the vor of the fat and salt. If you cook the tendons normally they toughen up and cant be eaten. However, if you cook them in fat or oil.and overheat them past whats normal then you can cook them properly. It makes them crunchy and delicious.

    In truth frying scraps was truly delicious. Even in the Heisei Era of Japan food cooked in pig fat were considerably high ss goods. You probably couldnt attach a proper cost to this back fat from a natural boar.

    It can be used in sandwiches, tastes great in soup, and can even make fried rice and yakisoba taste even more delicious.

    The girls looked at me doubtfully but one of them scooped out the scraps with adle.

    Then she carefully took a bite.

    Uwaa, its delicious. The meaty taste is really good.

    Ahh, you cant keep it to yourself Yuki! Me too me too!

    No stealing a march Kurone!!

    The girls closest to the pot all scrambled for their share.

    Okay, thats enough. If you eat too much you wont have an appetite for the lunch partter. Also I want other people to get a chance to try it. Only one for each of you. We just have to put them in jars so they stay fresh.

    Okay~

    The girls obediently listened to me and ced the fried leftovers into a jar.

    After all these leftovers had been dried out. All we need to do is salt them and they wouldnt rot.

    You just fill the jar with fried leftovers, poured in salt, ced the lid on, and shook it. That would mix it with plenty of salt.

    Well preserve therd we just made since it has plenty of uses. You can stop heating it now.

    Okay then, well stop the power.

    After letting therd cool a bit I threw in a handful of salt.

    Next could you keep this oil at a constant temperature?

    Thats easy!

    Fire magic wasnt truly a magic that simply created heat. It was in fact a form of temperature control magic.

    It also had the ability to rob things of their heat.

    I checked that therd was at an appropriate temperature before pouring it into a jug/pot.

    Alright now. Cool this jug please.

    Ill do it this time!

    Now the girl Yuki stepped forward to cool the container. Therd quickly cooled and hardened into a white creamy substance.

    Fat with all of the impurities removed became smooth and creamy.

    Look see how nice and soft it looks? This cream stuff is called Lard.

    I ced thedle into therd and it easily sank into it.

 Book 2: Chapter 6-2: Fire Fox Traditional Cuisine

    Book 2: Chapter 6-2: Fire Fox Traditional Cuisine

    Amazing!

    Now when we need it, we just need to heat it up a bit and itll turn back into oil and we can use it to give vor to our cooking. Is there any bread left from breakfast? Could one of you bake it a bit?

    Okay I will!

    You already did something Yukino! Ill do it this time!

    A different Fire Fox grabbed the bread and toasted it. Then I took it from her and put it in the jar with therd.

    The bread melted the topyer of therd and a delicious smell began spreading out.

    Here now each of you take a bite of the bread and see.

    I said and they each passed it around.

    As soon as they took a bite their eyes began to sparkle.

    Im sure the boarrd was delicious.

    Its why I had used it in ce of butter.

    It wasrd, but it wasnt too heavy. It had the vor of meat and a little bit of sweetness.

    Furthermore it was just as delicious whether it was warm or cold.

    Cowrd melts at 48 degrees Celsius while Boarrd melts at 30 degrees. It was the perfect temperature that lets therd melt in your mouth and spread the vor.

    If you listed out the creatures that could produce goodrd it would be boar, berkshire pig, pigs, and cattle. However, boarrd was especially vorful.

    On Earth boars were not as easy to obtain as the other varieties so it was high in cost.

    Okay, lets move on to the main event.

    Once again I ordered the Fire Foxes to begin makingrd. This time we wouldnt be bottling it. Instead wed be using it immediately.

    We will be putting the potatoes into this boiling hotrd. First well be making the potato chips. The first step is to cut the potatoes into very thin wafers.

    I began using the slicer I had made in preparation for this event. In order for this event where the Fire Foxes would prepare food for everyone, I needed to create tools that anyone could use.

    I pushed the slicer against the potato and began shaving thin slices of it into the pot underneath me.

    I sped up a bit and in the blink of an eye the potato had been turned into thin slices.

    The lightly colored slices floated in the pot and quickly began to turn brown.

    I scooped them up and ced them on a te.

    Finally I ground up some rock salt and sprinkled it on top.

    Next Ill show you french fries. We cut these intorger portions.

    Without using the slicer I went on to cut a potato into eight portions.

    When making french fries with the skin still on you would make them intorger wedges. This was a short-cut.

    I dont recognize pre-boiled, crushed, and remolded french fries as properly made. Those arent real french fries.

    Could you lower the heat a bit?

    Like this?

    That should be good. Remember this temperature.

    Un!

    The first step was to slowly raise the temperature so we could determine the correct heat to cook the potatoes.

    Okay! Now raise the temperature all at once!

    L-like this?

    Faster and stronger!

    Okay!

    Un, this is perfect. First you have it simmer on low heat, then at the end you turn it up to high heat. Thats the trick.

    I said as I patted the young girls head. I then scooped the french fries out of the pot and put them on a te. Thanks to the sudden increase in temperature at the end, both the taste and consistency should be good.

    Next its your turn to try what I just did.

    Umm okay

    She responded without much confidence. But as I watched she seemed to grasp the trick of simmering before raising the heat properly.

    I should be able to leave this to them.

    These are the potato dishes I want to share with everyone today! Id like you to make 100 potatoes-worth of each. Potato chips are still delicious even when cold so you should start with those. Its important that we make the french fries right before the event. So what we do now is make potato chips and cut the potatoes in preparation of making fries! Can you do this?

    I asked and they all nodded.

    This should take care of the potato squad for now.

    Next I needed to talk to the steak squad, but as I started to walk away I felt a tug on the hem of my shirt.

    Umm, Cyril-samacould we try a bite?

    The little girl Yukino asked bashfully.

    Yeah thats fine. Each of you can have one potato chip and one french fry.

    I said and saw their eyes glitter as they stuffed their mouths with the sample fries and potato chips.

    These potato chips are so crispy and yummy!

    I like how soft and ky the french fries are.

    I think both of them are amazing.

    Im d these dishes were popr amongst the Fire Foxes.

    In the first ce these dishes used simple ingredients but were first-ss in deliciousness. Theres no reason they wouldnt be popr.

    Natural boarrd and organically raised potatoes. Plus the rock salt from the Fire Fox Vige.

    These were great things you couldnt purchase in stores.

    The potatoespletely sucked in the vor of the wild boar fat along with the mineral goodness of the rock salt. In a certain way this could be considered an incredibly luxurious dish.

    After seeing their smiles of satisfaction I left their area with confidence.

 Book 2: Chapter 6-3: Fire Fox Traditional Cuisine

    Book 2: Chapter 6-3: Fire Fox Traditional Cuisine

    The next task was the Steak Squad.

    It was the main dish for today so I had to put in some extra effort. Boar meat was the second most suitable meat for roasting. I headed over.

    From one boar you could only get ten-odd kilograms of meat. We had to get our steak meat from that part of the boar.

    If you used thigh meat or rib meat then the vor of the steak would drop by an entire level. In all honesty I wanted to use sirloin meatbut there wasnt enough for everyone so I had to give up on the idea.

    The Fire Foxes were gathered in front of a giant iron te and a huge pot. The women in this group wereparatively quite a bit older. It gave off the image of a gathering of housewives.

    Sorry for the wait, Ill be teaching you how to make a specialty steak today. Itll be our showpiece for this meal so you need to be responsible.

    I said with some energy, but the Fire Foxes of this group seemed a bit down.

    Whats wrong? You all dont seem too enthusiastic.

    I asked with some concern before one of the Foxes hesitantly spoke up.

    She was a charming older woman in her mid thirties. My brain couldnt help but nickname her as Ms. Widow.

    Umm Cyril-samawhen you roast boar meat it gets hard and sinewyit doesnt taste very good.

    Thats right. I think itd be better to boil it.

    The other Foxes nodded their heads in agreement. Certainly normally it would be as they said. This group of Housewives should have a fairly deep understanding of cooking.

    The muscrity of boars had many sinews that hardened the meat. If you didnt treat the meat beforehand it would be hard and almost inedible once you roasted it.

    I told you it was special right? The method Im going to teach you will make the meat soft and chew-able. Well, Ill make a test one and let you guys sample it.

    The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

    Rather than exining everything in words itd be best to let them try it for themselves.

    I went over to therge pot filled with reddish-violet liquid and took out a piece of meat.

    This was a piece of meat from Lucy and my home. I had ced it in here before heading out to hunt.

    It was about 1 cm thick.

    For this method of cooking this thickness was best.

    Alright could you heat up the iron te?

    Ms. Widow followed my words and heated up the iron te.

    The right temperature to put the steak on is if you put some water on the pan and it beads up. Everyone remember this.

    I dropped some water onto the pan and in a moment the moisture beaded up and evaporated.

    Then I took some of therd we had made and spread it on the pan allowing it to melt. Then I directlyid the meat on top of that. The smell of meat cooking and cranberries started to spread out.

    The liquid I had soaked the meat in was watered down cranberry juice.

    The best way to grill the steak is medium. At this heat you check the face down side of the meat, and once it changes color fully you should flip it over.

    I said and flipped the meat before waiting for both sides to be of a simr color. Then I finally took it off of the pan and put it on a te.

    In truth it was cooked fairly superficiallybut in this case where boar fat melts much more easily than cow steak. Boar steak tasted better when it was a bit more raw.

    Unlike cow steak where the fat wouldnt melt without higher temperatures, boar meat could even be delicious raw.

    I cut the steak up into little pieces and offered the te to Ms. Widow. Ms. Widow took a piece and put it into her mouth.

    I can just chew it normallyIve never had such a soft cut of meat.

    Upon seeing her reaction the other Foxes grabbed a piece and tried it for themselves.

    The delicious, juicy, and soft steak took captive of their tongues.

    See its delicious right? However, this is just the meat with one of the steps taken out so the real one will be even better. Okay, lets get to it. We dont have much time. After all we have to make 260 portions.

    Yes, please take care of us!

    Even Ms. Widow was much more enthusiastic after realizing how delicious it would be.

    The secret to the great taste is two-fold. First is this

    I took out a cooking tool.

    Its appearance made it look like brass knuckles with spikes on them.

    You tenderize the meat with this, but first you need to cut the meat to an appropriate thickness. Make sure you remember this.

    I stood behind Ms. Widow and put my specially made kitchen knife in her hand before putting my hand on her hand to guide her.

    Heree on, hold the meat properly.

    O-okay

    Ms. Widow said as she blushed and grabbed the steak.

    Here, this is the proper thickness. If youre trying to make a soft steak then this is ideal. Now keep going, once youve done 10 of them you should remember the right way to do it.

    She began cutting with a serious expression.

    The finished steak would be around 150 grams. It would be pretty easy to eat.

    Halfway through I removed my hands and let her try on her own. By now she had grasped the trick and could now manage on her own.

    Now Ill show you some magic. Ill be using this tool to tenderize the meat.

    I put on the brass knuckle shaped cooking tools.

    Then I started hitting the meat.

    The spikes started piercing into the meat, shredding the muscles and tendons.

    I started shifting the point of impact until I had hit the meat on almost all surfaces.

    The reason boar meat was so hard was because the muscrity had a lot of tendons. Once you cut them the meat would be soft. I could have used a hammer to smash the meat, but that would cause damage to the cells and change the vor. I preferred to directly cut the tendons using these knuckles.

    Now heres the final trick.

    I took the tenderized meat and threw it into the cranberry juice pot.

    Cranberry juice has the effect of breaking down proteins and amino acids. This makes the meat softer and makes the vor of the proteins and amino acids stronger. Its killing two birds with one stone. Hitting the meat before makes it so that the juice can prate further doubling the effect.

    Umm.we dont understand what youre talking about.

    I smiled wryly and rubbed the back of my head.

    I really did it this time. They probably didnt understand even half of my words.

    It makes the meat softer and more delicious.

    Okay that makes sense!

 Book 2: Chapter 6-4: Fire Fox Traditional Cuisine

    Book 2: Chapter 6-4: Fire Fox Traditional Cuisine

    Alright since we want the meat to be fresh we have to cut the meat, tenderize it, and soak it in cranberry juice. We need at least 260 portions so we need to hurry. Can you do this?

    Well show you that we can.

    We can easily do it with this many people.

    I received a heartening response. I smiled and opened my mouth.

    Okay in that case Ill tell you the final step. I had said earlier that we skipped a step so let me show you it now. We need to make the sauce.

    Yes indeed. Since we were making the most delicious steak itd be a shame to eat it with just salt.

    First we soak the meat in the cranberry juice. We do that to soften the meat, but no matter what we do a small portion of the meats vor will be left behind in the juice. Since its already like that we might as well use it for sauce.

    I took out a small pot and poured the cranberry sauce into it. I then had the Fire Foxes heat it up just before it boiled.

    When you boil down cranberry juice its acidity increases and so does the sweetness. Even with just that it tastes delicious. However, we cant be satisfied with just that. In order to make it even more delicious we add this

    I ced the leftover tendons and unusable meat on top of the iron te.

    With such poor cuts of meat you cant really eat them. However, if you prepare these correctly you can use them to create a great bouillon.

    I said as I pressed down on the leftover meats. They sizzled and arge amount of meat juice flowed out.

    It wasnt fat, just pure meat juice. In order to make a sauce, this kind of juice was way better than usingrd. If you used this then the vor of the meat would be reinforced in the sauce without making it greasy.

    The overflowing savory smell was almost enough to entrance us.

    This iron pan has a special feature. It has a slight incline and a small groove that lets these juices flow out and into a bottle.

    The juices that flowed out of the leftover tendons and meat poured into the small jar. I squeezed them until it filled the jar.

    Furthermore because I had crafted this pan to have mirror-like smoothness and slickness most of the juices and meats simply slid off of it without sacrificing any of the produce.

    Then we pour the meat sauce into the cranberry sauce, vor with salt, add some edible nts, and that will finish the special sauce. If we pour it on the meat then the taste will be several times more delicious.

    A sweet and sour sauce overflowing with meaty vor. The addition of this with the side of french fries would be irresistible. You could even eat them together to get a different vor.

    Here, give this a taste.

    The fire foxes stuck a finger into the sauce and tasted it.

    Then their tails suddenly stiffened up.

    It was the best reaction Id gotten so far.

    I dont even need the meat anymore. Just give me some of this sauce and some bread for dipping.

    Me too me too! Itd probably be good with some steamed mushrooms too.

    Ah that sounds good!

    Cyril-sama said that wed be getting some wheat tomorrow. Maybe we could make some noodles and mix it together?

    That sounds amazing!

    As expected of the housewives. They even thought of different ways to make their everyday meals better using this new technique.

    As you prepare the meat and todays portion of the sauce you can also make it in bulk. It is easily preserved and is made of stuff that wed eventually throw away anyways.

    Understood! Well make plenty of it!

    They quickly took to their task in order to improve the dishes for tomorrow and their daily lives.

    It almost felt as if it were more for thetterbut Im sure it was my imagination.

    *************************************

    Alright now all thats left is the final groups.

    The potato group and steak group had taken more time than anticipated so I hurried a bit towards the soup and deer groups.

    These two were all in one set.

    I wanted to make some of the best soup using the deer meat.

    Sorry for making you wait everyone!

    Its fine Cyril-sama

    Yep, we also mixed with the other groups to taste test as well. We cant wait to eat our fill of those.

    Ahhh! Kona that was a secret!

    The final group was made of Fire Foxes in theirte teens and early twenties.

    This was the group that increased my motivation the most.

    Well then Cyril-sama well be in your care.

    Kuu said while bowing slightly.

    All of the Fire Foxes showed me respect, but as expected there were few who were as well bred as Kuu.

    Kuu had a certain type of elegance.

    Okay then, well be making some soup. I say that, but this will take some time so the process is important.

    I grabbed a hind leg.

    In truth, the hind legs of four legged animals were more delicious than the forelegs.

    First we fill this up with plenty of water, then we put some shank meat and chip bones into it.

    As always I had the Fire Foxes heat up the pot.

    This made it so we didnt need to use fuel and there was no smoke.

    When we used our indoor kitchens we needed to go out and gather firewood every time and the smoke would dirty our homes making it necessary to clean. I was jealous of the ease with which they could cook.

    Even today when I identally entered the workshop while they were changing the insides were perfectly warm.

    The girls had been maintaining the temperature in there using fire magic.

    In contrast they would lower the temperature in summer and cool their homes. As long as you were in the room with a Fire Fox the temperature would always be temperate.

    They were great enough that any household would want them. That was the Fire Fox race.

    Then put in plenty of the dried mushrooms I prepared before salting it.

    I liberally threw in the dried mushrooms.

    I had found mushrooms that were simr to shiitake mushrooms. After throwing in dried mushrooms the vor of the soup would increase greatly. Mushrooms were superior ingredients when creating a soup.

    All thats left is to stir it until the start of the party and skim the scum from the top. This soup when made well should be nearly transparent. If you dont stir enough it can get white and muddy. If you ck off Ill know immediately so do your best.

    I smiled and handed one of the girls thedle for stirring and scooping the pot.

 Book 2: Chapter 6-5: Fire Fox Traditional Cuisine

    Book 2: Chapter 6-5: Fire Fox Traditional Cuisine

    The others did more shy stuff.this feels too in.

    Its a bit disappointing.

    As expected these young Fire Foxes were quite honest with their words.

    I smiled wryly and opened my mouth.

    Certainly it doesnt have the same feast feel as the others. But this kind of unobtrusive deliciousness is what we seek from the soup.

    They tilted their heads towards me. It seems they didnt really understand what I was trying to convey.

    Simply put, if delicious vor is all we sought then we would use boar meat instead.

    That meat would have more fats and a stronger vor.

    However, both the potatoes and boar dishes are both full of fat and are heavy dishes. If the soup was the same then itd be too much of a good thing. There would be some indigestion

    Indeed the goal of this soup was to let the main dishes shine more brightly.

    In this sense using deer was the perfect idea. It doesnt have much fat and has a pure meat vor that mixed surpassed boar meat.

    Simply taking some time and effort would make the soup taste perfectly good.

    Ahh, I can understand that. If youre eating a lot of rich food sometimes you want something light to break it up.

    Kuu nodded in agreement. As expected of the Chiefs daughter, she was used to a more plentiful existence.

    Plus just because it isnt showy doesnt mean it isnt delicious. Lets make a simplified version real quick.

    I took a small pot and put in the ingredients. I then used wind magic to make it into a pressure cooker while Kuu cooked it with fire magic.

    I cooked it quickly without skimming the scum so the taste would be at least 1 rank worse than usualbut even so it would still have a decent vor.

    Okay everyone, its taste test time. Well for some people here it seems like itll be an established practice

    Hauu, Im sorry

    But it smelled so good.

    The guilty Fire Foxes confessed and apologized.

    I simply smiled and epted the apology and offered them some soup.

    Ah, it has a really gentle vor.

    TrulyIts kind of calming.

    It feels like I can drink a lot of this.

    This soup was the ideal dish for resting your mouth after eating a nice big steak.

    Well this is just the simplified version. If you make it properly its even better. It might be a bit hard to constantly stir it, but do you r best. Even if you say its in we can add these to it.

    I said and revealed my ultimate weapon for the day, bean sprouts.

    These soy beans had been amongst the goods I stole from the Empire. Once I got back I had been raising them inside a dark room in my workshop.

    What are these?

    These are soy bean sprouts I raised in the dark. Theyre filled with nutrients and feel good to chew. If we add these to the soup at the end then itll be even more amazing.

    Bean sprouts were an all purpose vegetable. Rather than eating them as is, I felt itd be better to add them to a dish.

    But do you see the little whiskers attached to them? If you dont remove them the vor will worsen. You need to remove them one by one.

    The quality of the final dish would change based on whether or not you removed these whiskers.

    However, doing so was quite demanding. In all honesty when I made my own soup I didnt bother.

    It was just that in order to show off the Fire Foxes in the best light I had to give in and ask them to remove the whiskers.

    Well do it. Please leave it to us.

    If it makes it even tastier then Ill do it.

    Ill return the favor. If youll be eating this Cyril then Ill do my best.

    Im d that all of the Fire Foxes were good honest girls.

    I looked towards Kuu and she looked back at me happily.

    Okay then, Ill leave the soup and beans to you guys. Everyone else whos left, if the potatoes and steak are the main dishes on the surface, then this next dish is the main dish in the background. Well be making the traditional Fire Fox dish, Deer Sausage.

    In order to make this properly I had purposefully not removed the deers insides.

    Cyril-samawhat do you mean by Fire Fox Traditional dish? Weve never heard of this kind of food

    Its fine Kuu. Were introducing this dish to the Elves as such. The Elves have never had a dish like this before so itll never get exposed. Itll have more impact than if you simply give them dishes that were all ordered by me right? If they think that the Fire Foxes specially made their traditional dishes for them theyll get happy and excited.

    Since the Fire Foxes never used potatoes in their cooking, passing off French Fries and Potato Chips as traditional Fire Fox cuisine was fairly impossible. It was possible to do this with the steak, but since Elves had had steak before it wouldnt have enough impact.

    On the other hand, none of them had ever had sausage. It was a dish that could be called Traditional Fire Fox Cuisine without any suspicions.

    Sausage made from deer was extremely delicious. Deer sausage was good enough that you might not be satisfied with pork or beef sausage after you tasted it. Also since it was easily preserved you could eat it daily.

    If the Fire Foxes brought such a dish to the table then the impression would be great.

    Even so thatd be like stealing Cyril-samas aplishments..

    Thats fine even so. Thats the objective of this party. The most important thing is for everyone to enjoy themselves and to let you Fire Foxes mix in with everyone. My main goal is to get you guys to like each other.

    Truly Cyril-sama is.really..

    Kuus eyes reddened as her tail started wagging slightly.

    Thank you very much. Well then please show us how to make it.

    Also, saying its Traditional Fire Fox Cuisine wont technically be a lieits just Ill be teaching you now and itll be a traditional dish from now on.

    So bad~ such sophistry.

    Kuu said as she giggled.

    Make sure you get everyones story in order before you guys go out there. If everything gets wasted by some loose lips it wont be funny.

    Of course we cant allow Cyril-samas considerations toe to nothing.

    Okay! Then lets get started.

    I said and grabbed some deer intestines.

    Herbivore intestines are very long. They are designed to absorb as many nutrients as possible so they extend to nearly 20 times the size of the animal.

    For this deer in particrly there were around 40 meters of intestine to work with.

    First we clean it.

    It was cheating a bit, but I used water magic. I controlled the water in a nearby jug and sent it through one end of the intestine washing through itpletely.

    Then on the other entrance water and excrement came out.

    I was able to finish the cleaning in about a minute.

    After washing I cut it into an appropriate size and let it soak in water.

    A sausage is simply taking deer intestines and stuffing them with meat before smoking it. Since weve prepared the intestines for stuffing we now have to prepare the minced meat. Sausages can use pretty much any meat you can think of.

    I said and ced some deer meat on the chopping board.

    First cut it up vertically and horizontally and hit it with your knife. Then ce it in the bowl.

    I minced up the meat and ced it in the bowl.

    Then you add some salt and knead it into the meat. Then you stuff it into the cleaned intestine and smoke it. However, just doing that will make it weak.

    Indeed deer meat was light in fat and would taste insipid.

    If you left it as it then the boar steak would stand out too much and make them forget about the sausage.

    So we have to reinforce the vor! In order to do that well use this.

    I pulled out a deers liver. Indeed this was the part of the deer with the most unique vor. A taste that made you almost want to eat it raw.

    I minced the liver and put a small amount into the bowl.

    By doing this the vor would thicken and make it much more delicious.

    Then well add this as well.

    The finishing touch was adding a bit ofrd to the meat.

    Deer meat was in if you were to say something bad about itbut because of this adding in somerd and other ingredients wouldnt sh with the meat and would instead increased the vor and quality.

    In order to remove any leftover bad smell I rubbed it with wasabi and put in some rock salt.

    Once the liver andrd had properly mixed in I stopped kneading it.

    With this the filling is finished. Now we stuff it into the casing.

    I cut up the intestine at intervals of 1 meter as I stuffed it with meat.

    I used the tool I had made out of a wild boars stomach to squeeze out the filling. I ced the tip of the bag to the entrance of the intestines and squeezed until it was filled.

    Then after a certain distance I twisted the ends of the intestine to create the shape of the sausage.

    Then we hang these up and let them soak up the smoke. We just need to make an open air fire and hang these above to smoke. Its easy. Now lets give it a try.

    The recipe was surprisingly simple so as long as they followed my instructions they should be fine.

    Usually sausages are made of pig and sheep intestines. However, deer intestines taste better, have better texture, and dont smell bad. Especially since the meat preserves the vor of therd and liver, this batch of sausage should be really delicious.

    Cyril-samaits a bit shameful to ask but

    Kuu timidly opened her mouth. I could see another young girl hiding behind her back.

    I was sure that she was the one with the hard to ask question. She had probably requested Kuu ask me about it.

    Can we also taste test the sausages?

    Hmm, it should be finebut itll take an hour to smoke it at leastah I have something else you can taste for now.

    I took some of the packing meat out of the bag and ced it on the iron te. I began grilling using their powers. I was making a hamburger for them.

    I handed them the lightly grilled burger.

    This isnt sausage, its hamburger. The ingredients are the same so it should taste fine. Take a bite and see.

    Once again the Fire Foxes gathered around me.

    Now that I looked closely I could see some of the potato group mixed in.

    It looks like the other groups were also guilty of swiping food.

    So soft and tasty.

    I might like this better than steak.

    The juices just burst out of it.

    I wanna eat as much as I can.

    It looks like this was a great sess as well.

    Moreplex dishes like this may seem even more delicious to the Elves and Fire Foxes because their meals were usually simple and in.

    If youre saying this much just from the stuffing then once everything is properly made you might lose your mind from the deliciousness.

    I said to all the excited Fire Foxes. They couldnt help but gulp at the thought.

    Imd Im alive.

    True. I thought that if living was going to be so painful then I might rather diebut Im d Im alive too.

    But I wanted to let my little brother try this stuff too

    I told you to stop saying stuff like that!

    But.

    Their conversation was going off in a weird direction.

    I had a bad feeling about this so I quickly pped my hands loudly and snapped them out of it.

    Now everyone, the break is over. Get with the sausage making.

    How much should we make Cyril-sama?

    Kuu understood my intentions and directed the conversation away from thendmine topics.

    Im quite grateful.

    Make as much as the ingredients allow. We can easily preserve these so even after the party we can make and eat these. It might be harder than the other groups, but do your best.

    Of course we will. If we do our best here then everyone can enjoy a delicious meal!

    Everyone started to get motivated.

    For now my food lecture duties had finished.

    All that was left was to watch over them to make sure the food turned out alright and to help whoever needed it.

    The main feature of this party today was food.

    This was a chance to let the Fire Foxes meld with our vige.

    I couldnt allow any missteps. If we tried this again these foods would not have the same impact as they had this first time.

    End

 Book 2: Chapter 7-1: The Result of Effort

    Book 2: Chapter 7-1: The Result of Effort

    Just before the start of the party.

    We had nearly finished the setup in the town square.

    There were plenty of chairs and tables lined up and on top of those tables were piles of potato chips, dried cranberries, and jars of alcohol.

    We would finish the steaks and french fries right before meal time. However, there was a limit to how many we could cook at once. So instead we would have them snack on potato chips, cranberries, and alcohol while they waited.

    I expected the dried cranberries to have a pte cleansing effect.

    Our cookware was all ready to go. The iron pans were all heated up, the fat in the pots was bubbling, and the soup was steaming. The Fire Foxes had all the ingredients ready to go.

    The elves would being to the party as soon as they finished working. I made sure that the Fire Foxes took turns cooking and partying.

    If all of them were just cooking the entire party I would feel bad for them so I made sure everyone switched between attending the party and cooking.

    Everyone, I understand you might be tense, but try to rx. They arent bad people.

    I called out to the Fire Foxes who were free and sitting down on some chairs.

    Truthfully right now both Elves and Fire Foxes were just sticking to their own groups. Id have to arrange some seating so that everyone could warm up to each other a bit more.

    For the Fire Foxes this town square was where they first arrived in Erucy and were osted by Roleau and irate vigers. It was no wonder they were nervous.

    In truth they were unable to hide their wariness as they cowered.

    Its alright. If someone says bad things to you or tries to do anything Ill protect you. Be at ease. Or do you think you cant rely on me?

    I said kindly. I wasnt just spouting things off the top of my head, it was truth.

    Youre not unreliable at allif Cyril-sama says hell protect us then

    Un un, if Cyril-sama says that much then it might not be as scary as I thought.

    Yup. It should be fine.

    Im d that their faces rxed a bit.

    It should be manageable now. All we had to do was wait for the main event to begin now.

    The main lead in this would by the Fire Fox representative Kuu. Today she would present a performance for the elders of the vige along with Lucy.

    Cyril sorry to make you wait. As I thought Kuu-chan is so prettyno matter what she wears it suits her and the makeup just makes it better. Her style (body shape) is great tooIm a bit jealous.

    No thats nothing. Even I feel jealous of Lucy-chans fairy-like sweet beauty. Even her skin is all white and smooth.

    Lucy and Kuu appeared. As expected they got along well since theyve been friends since they were small children.

    Lucy looked as she did when we had hosted the celebration a few days ago. She was wearing a light and flowingyered translucent gown that was traditional for elves. Kuu was wearing a primarily red dress that showed off her body line.

    The both of them were originally very beautiful and only put on a modest amount of makeup which only served to enhance their beauty. Leaving their preparations to the elders of the vige was the correct decision.

    You both look great. Lucy looks lovely and Kuu is beautiful. Just looking at you two makes me feel fortunate.

    Cyril thats embarrassing~

    Even if its just ttery my tail went gyuu~

    Lucy and Kuu said as a bright red blush covered their faces.

    I hadnt intended it as mere lip service. I truly felt that Lucy looked incredibly lovely and Kuu was very beautiful. Even though they both looked incredible their beauty was different from the other.

    Lets do our best today. Lucy youll debutter, but Kuu Im going to need you to go around and do some greetings. I think most everyone has gathered. Are you prepared Kuu?

    At my words Kuu took a deep breath and I could see that she had resolved herself.

    In a certain meaning this was a critical moment. The first impression she gave the Elves would reflect on all the other Fire Foxes as a whole.

    Of course Im ready. I dered myself as the Fire Fox Chief to you Cyril-kun. So I must fight my own battles.

    Good response. Lets emerge victorious. I guarantee that youll do fine Kuu. I know that your efforts up till now wont betray you.

    Cyril this isnt a lovers tiff with Kuu-chan right?

    Of course not. This is my encouragement for arade in arms. You understand that right Kuu?

    of course I do. Its not like I was misunderstanding

    Now lets ignite our fighting spirit. I took Kuus hand to help her climb up onto the stage we had built for the performance.

    Kuus hand was slightly shaking. It reminded me of when I had Lucy first demonstrate the usage of the crossbow in front of everyone. I started feeling a little warm inside.

    Kuu

    Huh? Yes!

    Maybe because of nerves Kuu jumped a bit at my voice.

    Dont get too worked up. Just act like you usually do in front of the Fire Foxeskind, reliable, and graceful. A lovely and tolerant Kuu. Just put on a performance like that. Its nothing special, just act like you usually do.

    Cyril-kunyou knew I was acting?

    Of course I did. Even I put on an act when Im in front of others. Sometimes I wonder if people have figured it out.

    I was wondering about it for a while.

    Being able to see my true self. I have a self-centered character and Im pretty spoiled. If I showed that off in public people would draw away. Its not absolute, but its not something I want to disy.

    I was wearing my always kind yet strict Chief Mask. I acted as the person that they all wanted to see.

    Even in front of Lucy-chan?

    Well I wear a different mask in front of Lucy. I want to look cool in front of the girl I love. I dont want her to hate me after all.

    I was afraid of showing of my most base self to Lucy. She was the most precious person to me.

 Book 2: Chapter 7-2: The Result of Effort

    Book 2: Chapter 7-2: The Result of Effort

    Youre acting in front of everybody in Erucy and then when you get home you start acting in front of Lucy-chan too? Dont you find it tiring?

    Somewhat I guess. But Im used to it. In fact my goal is to be the person Im pretending to be.

    Im a bit jealous that you think so much of Lucy-chan to do that. But someday Id like to see the bare in Cyril-kun. For me any kind of Cyril-kun is fine.

    If youre saying that seriously then youll need to climb your way up to an equal standing with me. As long as Im not the only one shouldering the future of Erucy on my back and youre able to act together with me as the representative of Fire Foxes and help guide Erucy down the proper path, I wont mind relying on you and acting spoiled.

    The Fire Foxes were being harbored by me. However, no matter how hard I worked or how much they adored or respected me, deep in their hearts I wouldnt be their center. In truth the one who guided them and anchored them could only be Kuu.

    I think Ive answered before, but Im the Chief of the Fire Foxes now. But thanks to those words Ive gained some courage. If I want to stand equally with you then I cant be flinching back at something like this.but would it be alright if we held hands for a little bit?

    Of course.

    Kuu reached out and softly gripped my hand.

    Even though Fire Foxes had naturally high temperatures I could feel her hand was cold and shaking. I gripped her hand back tightly enough that it might hurt a bit.

    Kuu felt that and smiled a bit as her shaking subsided.

    Alright then lets go. For the future of Erucy.

    A good phrase.

    I smiled at that, Kuu hadnt said for the Fire Foxes future she had said for the future of Erucy. They were words that told me she had firmly decided to guide the Fire Foxes to truly join together with Erucy.

    ******************************

    We climbed up onto the stage. The Elves had already taken their seats and gotten ready.

    The Fire Fox cooking squads were all ready to put on the finishing touches as soon as the time was right.

    I took a deep breath and opened my mouth.

    People of Erucy! Thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to attend. This is a party to meet the new allies that have just joined usthe Fire Foxes!

    I spoke with a bright voice and put on an expression of true happiness.

    If I didnt start the merrymaking then who would?

    Though I say a party it isnt anything too formal. Just eat good food, drink good alcohol, andugh together. Thats all. By the way all the food today was prepared by the Fire Foxes. They worked hard to prepare this since the morning so that everyone could have a good time. I was a bit sly and stole a few bites here and there and I can tell you that all the food is truly delicious. Especially the soup with their traditional dish, sausage. It was so delicious I thought about apprenticing myself to the people who created it.

    I said and there was someughter in response.

    The heavy mood was somewhat lifted after my short speech. Good, this should be the right time.

    Alright then, the Fire Fox representative Chief Kuu will now give you her greetings.

    I passed the baton to Kuu. I took a quick sidelong nce to check on her and she seemed alright.

    Good day to all of you good Elven people. I am the Fire Fox Chief, Kuu. Thank you for allowing us into your homes and into your country Erucy. As the representative I sincerely give you our thanks.

    Kuu said and bowed politely.

    I could hear quite a few deep breathsing from the audience. It was no wonder. Kuus actions and appearance were incredibly elegant and beautiful. She must have trained these actions since she was young until all of them became flowing and graceful.

    On top of all that she was a top-ss beauty. Even without her polite words her appearance would gain her some points. When standing in front of an audience your face and figure were important parameters. Just by being beautiful you could leave a better impression.

    And so today in order to demonstrate our deep gratitude for being given such a ce to live, we Fire Foxes have done our absolute best in preparing this meal for all of you today. As Cyril-sama said we created this for all of you to enjoy, we did our best.

    Kuu said and pped her hands after which Fire Foxes carrying traysden with soup began walking around. The seats were divided up so there would be at least one Fire Fox per table. The steaming hot soup had plenty of well prepared sausage and bean sprouts inside of it.

    The weather was getting colder and the chill of fall had set in making the hot soup seem even more appealing.

    The first group of girls who came out were the young children. This would be the first close contact between Fire Foxes and Elves. I wanted to leave a good impression so I had the kidse out first since it would allow the elves to let their guards down.

    Please enjoy.

    Its hot so be careful.

    Its really yummy~

    Having these sweet young Fire Foxes set the table for them seemed to lift the mood of the Elven men. The women mostly looked at them with a maternal look in their eyes, but sometimes looked at the smirking Elven men with displeasurealthough a bit unpleasant this was a necessary evil.

    The Fire Foxes were acting sociably. Im sure they were following Kuus orders when doing so, but I had worried if theyd be able to aplish it well. However, it seems that was a needless fear.

    If there werent these kind of emotions then no matter the intentions of this gathering then this would alle to nothing.

    After serving the soup, the Fire Foxes poured alcohol in to the Elves cups before then pouring themselves a cup.

    There werent any errors in the execution of this part of the party. I had been a bit worried about how things would go, but I see things had been properlymunicated beforehand.

    Id like to say that todays cooking is not the limit of what we are able to provide. As citizens of Erucy we would all like to contribute what we can. I cant speak for too long or the soup will get cold, Ill end it with this.a toast to the meeting of Elves and Fire Foxes and for the future development of Erucy Cyril-sama.

    Yeah

    Kuu and I were handed cups of alcohol from off-stage as Kuu brought up the idea of a toast.

    The beginning of todays festivities was not only Kuus responsibility. As the Elven Representative I had to show my support as well.

    Everyone raise your sses! To new friends and allies! Cheers!

    There were sounds of cups hitting each other from all corners. Then everyone took a drink.

 Book 2: Chapter 7-3: The Result of Effort

    Book 2: Chapter 7-3: The Result of Effort

    Alright we have plenty to do so let me exin the n for today a little. The soup and the thin potato chips are merely appetizers.

    I said and arge number of elves turned to look at the Fire Foxes standing by the cooking area.

    We have something else for the main dish. Its most delicious when freshly made but there is a limit to how many we can make at once so well call each table to line up in order. Until its your turn enjoy the potato chips, alcohol, and dried cranberries. Of course these appetizers are plenty delicious. Okay then, lets start with the table on the far right.

    As I spoke the elves at that table stood up and lined up.

    As soon as they stood the Fire Foxes dropped the chopped potatoes into the oil and the marinated steak onto the pans.

    The delicious smell of the boar meat and sweet cranberries spread through the area.

    That alone whet their appetites.

    In the blink of an eye the french fries were finished and the meat was grilled.

    They were ced on a te, covered in meat juices and cranberry sauce, and garnished with salt before being served.

    The potatoes tasted great with the sauce or just with salt so we left them off to the side. The steak was a littlecking in salt so we just had to use the sauce topensate.

    The pots and pans were quiterge so several servings could be cooked at once. At this pace it would take less than an hour to serve everyone.

    Ohhh this is amazing.

    I cant get enough of this scent.

    The sight of the meat cooking in front of them raised their expectations even higher. In reality all the elves young and old were looking at the food cooking with great anticipation.

    Because the Fire Foxes could heat up the meat quickly and perfectly using their powers, the steaks they made were perfectly done in a fraction of the time you would usually need.

    If you used wood or charcoal there was no way to cook this efficiently.

    I turned my gaze to the tables and saw everyone else enjoying their potato chips and soup.

    This potato chip thing is really good. I cant get enough of the crisp saltiness. Its so good with alcohol.

    The soup vor is wonderful. I never thought that deer could taste this good.

    What are these little veggies in here? Theyre fun to chew.

    I think the sausage is the best. When you bite into it and all the juices flow out it feels amazing. Awesome. I never knew about this Fire Fox cuisine! Have they always been eating delicious stuff like this?

    I heard from one of the Fire Fox girls that this sausage is easily preserved and everyone will get a portionter.

    Really!? The soup from today would go together really well with some bread. Im really d they introduced us to something so delicious.

    As expected it was a great hit.

    The potato chips fat+salt+carbsbo was verypatible with alcohol and that was scientifically proven.

    Furthermore the sausage hadrd in it that would provide the delicious vor of boar along with the great vor of deer liver.

    If you eat it continually your stomach would get upset but when paired with the soup that had been prepared correctly, the oils would get washed away and leave you with a refreshed feeling.

    The prepped bean sprouts also had a big role in this. They sucked up the delicious vors of the soup and the food texture was greatly improved.

    Finally we can get to the main dish.

    For sure, even before I got a taste the smell has been getting to me.

    The first group had all received their food and returned to their tables.

    The fragrance of the meat and potatoes floated about whetting everyones appetite and gathered their gazes.

    But we dont have any knives. The boar meat is really tough so this will be hard.

    An elf woman said as she looked around. It wasmon sense that boar meat was tough and hard to eat.

    Its fine. Youll be able to bite through it easily. Just give it a shot.

    The Fire Fox girl Kemin came to the rescue.

    The woman who had spoken up looked skeptical as did the others around her.

    Its really soft magic steak so go on go on~

    Under her insistence the elf woman reluctantly tried to bite through the steak only to find it easily chewed through.

    What? This boar meat is really soft and juicyIve never had something like this! Boar meat was this delicious!? And this sauceit tastes like meat but its sweet and sour and refreshingI could eat as much as I want.

    With the tendons tenderized and the cranberry sauce breaking down the proteins and amino acids, the steak was unbelievably tender and delicious when served with the sauce.

    Even the leftover oily sensation would be whisked away by the soups vor and leave you ready for more.

    Really? Then Ill try a bit..ah its true. Its almost like its melting.

    I almost cant believe that this is boar meat. There was this method to cook it?

    These french fries are amazing too. Their so hot, fluffy, and salty. I cant believe their the same material as potato chips.

    Oioi try dipping your french fires in the sauce. It soaks up the vor and its so good.ah I ran out. Can I have more?

    Looking at the reaction of the first table, the rest of the guests attitudes changed. They got anxious waiting for their turn toe.

    It was a good reaction. Their expectations and impatience would make the food taste even better.

    A great sess. Kuu, it seems like their enjoying the food. Once the buzz about the food calms down a bit have some of the Fire Foxes mix in amongst the elves and share stories and such. Im sure theyll want to talk about the food as well so there wont be a shortage of topics.

    This was the hidden reason behind the effort of making this food this time.

    If we just threw them all together and told them get along and start talking theyd run out of things to speak about quickly.

    The Elves would surely want to know the particrs of todays dishes and would ask plenty of questions. Even the Fire Foxes would want to talk about the meal they put in effort to make.

    How far did you think things through Cyril-kun..?

    Its all just a coincidence.

    I dont know about it being coincidencebut thank you very much. It seems like the party will go well. Its all thanks to you Cyril-kun. You prepared us a ce, convinced the elves, prepared the ingredients, and even helped us cook it.really no matter how much I say it I cant express my thanks.

    Thats not it Kuu. Todays result is from the Fire Foxes hard work.

    I truly had to correct her thinking. If not I would feel sorry for everyone who did their best for this.

    Certainly I arranged things and taught you. However, if any of you had cked off or not taken your tasks seriously it would have ended up in a disaster. This is thanks to the Fire Foxes doing their very best and truly making an effort to be one of Erucys citizens. Thats why it went well.

    Certainly that is the case. Its thanks to their hard work that things went well. But, I feel that Cyril-kuns efforts made a big difference. I wont yield on that.

    I like that part of you Kuu. But you did your best too Kuu. Good work Kuu and thank you.

    Kuu was the kind of person who could honestly praise you. Doing that in return was surprisingly difficult.

    But it was because of her attitude that I wanted to praise her as well.

    I was able to convey my thanks to her with a smile.

    At that moment Kuu blushed a bit and nced away. Uh-ohI hadnt intended onying my hands on her, but I said so many suggestive things.

    Then lets go on and do our job so that everyones efforts arent wasted.

    Yes, of course.

    We said and descended the stage.

    Now lets go on and have some great fun greeting everyone. Then well move on to the main event.

 Book 2: Chapter 8-1: Play, Sing, and Dance

    Book 2: Chapter 8-1: y, Sing, and Dance

    I carried an empty dish and headed over to Roleaus seat. Of course I brought Kuu along. Roleau could be considered Erucys No.2 so I wanted the two of them to get along if possible.

    Roleau, are you having a good time?

    I called out intimately. I saw Roleau looking pleased as he swirled his alcohol around with a cheerful attitude.

    Yo Chief. The dishes today are pretty amazing. Were they really all made by the Fire Foxes?

    Thats right. You need to be grateful as you eat. Ah look your cup is empty.

    I shot Kuu a sideways nce to let her know to refill his cup. Im sure hed be far more pleased if such a beautiful girl like Kuu poured his alcohol rather than a guy like me.

    It has been some time, I am the Fire Fox Chief Kuu.

    Ahh youre the one from before!

    As soon as he saw Kuus face his expression warped a bit. Im sure he remembered when he had yelled and tried to drive the Fire Foxes away and suddenly felt guilty.

    Yes from the other day.nice to make your acquaintance.

    Ahyeah.Im sorry about that time.

    Maybe it was because of the delicious food and alcohol, but Roleaus attitude had softened and he apologized.

    I dont hold a grudge. If I was in Roleau-samas position I believe that reaction would be natural. I dont mind too much.

    I seethen thats good.

    Anyways, I was thinking that Roleau-sama was quite amazing. Cyril-sama is always saying that youre his right hand man. Since Roleaus there I can leave Erucy with peace of mind to take care of business with the Fire Foxes.

    Kuu started praising Roleau to high heaven.

    Of course, I dont remember saying anything like that. In all honesty I wish I had a bit smarter of an elf for my adjutant. However, I was limited to choosing someone who was popr and literate.

    Roleau was physically strong and despite his looks, good at taking care of others. He was popr as the head of the vignte corps, the field remation corps, and as one of the leaders of the hunting group. He was also born into a good family that taught him reading and writing.

    With all that, if he was a little more prudent and tolerant then I would have noints at all

    Other than Roleau the only other suitable one would be Lucy. However, recently we had picked out some elves with good prospects and were training them. It was just that there were none as popr or qualified as Roleau.

    I see, Chief said such things.

    Kuu dont bring up stuff like that, youll embarrass me. But truly Im thankful for Roleaus help.

    Im sorry Cyril-sama. But you praised him so much that I was looking forward to talking to him today. Ah, your cups empty. Here have another.

    Kuu said with a smile as she poured him a drink.

    As Roleau continued to drink and have a beautiful girlpliment him, he started to get more and more carried away. I didnt believe I could find a more simple kind of guy. It was both a positive and a negative.

    thats when I said it! All of youe at me! Then at least five of em got scared and ran off!

    Oh thats amazing~

    Right!? Then this happened.

    As expected of Roleau-sama~

    PICTURE</a>

    Before I realized it Roleau was boasting up a storm. It was impressive that he hadnt run out of things to brag about.

    Kuu followed up with a smile as she asionally poured him alcohol. Kuus amazing, if it was me I would be ready to escape at this point.

    So thats how it is. You got it Kuu-chan? If youve got a problem you cane rely on me anytime. If you ask Ill hear you out.

    And so it took around 30 minutes for Roleau to drunkenly run out of things to talk about as he looked at Kuu with slightly perverted nces.

    For a while Roleau had been sneaking nces at Kuus chest and I couldnt help but worry about it.today Kuu was wearing clothes that revealed her cleavage and a tall guy like Roleau could pretty easily peep down at them.

    For some reason Kuu wasnt the one getting irritated at this, but me instead.

    How reliable! When Ie to consult dont turn me away!

    Just leave it to me!

    Well then, its about time for me to vacate this seat. I had fun today, thank you very much.

    The drunken Roleau reached out his hand to try and touch Kuus butt as she stood up but I beat his arm down.

    In his drunken stupor he barely realized it had happened and ignored it before speaking once more.

    I had fun too, we should drink.no not just drink, umm, Kuu-chan if youd like, sometime we could..

    Okay Kuu! Lets go, look Yukinos calling for us!

    I had a feeling things were going to head in dicey direction so I forcefully pulled Kuu away and overrode Roleaus voice.

    *********************************

    Kuu I know that youre doing your best to get them to like you, but I think you went too far.

    After that we met with another three of the important people of Erucy and were now behind the stage having a talk.

    Kuu needed to get along with the important people of Erucy so that the Fire Foxes could mix in, and I as the Chief needed to introduce her.

    However, to my surprise Kuu was extremely good at buttering people up. She was a genius at being an active listener and drew out more and more words from her partner.

    As it continued, her simple responses and good timing caused them to feel better and better.

    Yes, Im reflecting on itIts just that I never expected the people like Roleau and them to like me that much.

    At my anger Kuu looked a bit down.

    Did you not realize that Roleau was almost about to propose to you? If you then had to refuse him then rtions would worsen.

    I never had that kind of intention. I was just talking normally.

    Roleau is really annoying when he gets talking and almost no normal girl would sit and listen to his babble. If you treat him too nicely he gets like that!

    Well.I dont think you can reallyy the me for that on me..

    Kuus fox earsy t on her head.

    Upon seeing that I came to my senses. Certainly I was mistreating her. She was simply doing her best toplete her task to the best of her ability.

    Im sorry. I was acting a bit weird. When I saw Roleau going on and on like that with you I got a bit irritated for some reason. I think his self-satisfied bragging got on my nerves more than expected.

    Im sure thats what it was. Seeing that overexcited braggart go on and on would make anyone short-tempered.

    UmmCyril-kuncould it be that youre jealous?

    I felt my heart throb at that question.

    As if.theres no way thats it.

    Is that so~~ I understand~

    For some reason my denial put Kuu in a good mood.

 Book 2: Chapter 8-2: Play, Sing, and Dance

    Book 2: Chapter 8-2: y, Sing, and Dance

    Because Elves are a different race from usI thought they would be more resistant to our presence, but that doesnt seem to be the case.

    I think its because we have many features inmon. Im sure there are other elves who think that animal ears and tails are no good along with elves who believe that any other race than elves are terrible.

    Mostly the younger generation didnt have this kind of mentality. There used to be plenty of cultural exchange between different viges of different races and some elves and other races had been sent to different viges to be husbands and wives.

    In the past there had been asional travelers who came to the separate viges and there were love stories about those cases as well. Once that happened the traveler would often settle down in the elf vige to live out their lives. If an untrustworthy traveler were toe to the vige they would not be allowed to leave. There were many who had approached with the goal of obtaining magic stones.

    What about you Cyril-kun? Are you okay with tails and the like?

    Kuu inquired while wagging her tail and letting the light y off her beautiful golden fur.

    I think its cute.

    Then how do you think about ears and such?

    This time she moved her face closer and fluttered her ears up and down.

    I think they really suit you Kuu and theyre wonderful.

    I see.good.

    Kuus face broke into a huge smile.

    Uh-oh this is dangerous..Kuus too adorable.

    Kuu you dont need to butter me up like this

    Im not buttering you upIm not pretending to be a good person to make you like me eitherId like you to believe that.

    My heart started throbbing. For some reason Kuu seemed 20% cuter than usual. I desperately wanted to give her a big hug.

    Cyril~ Kuu-chan~ its about time to get ready!

    Lucys voice interrupted as she entered the backstage area.

    Kuu and I turned to look at her and stiffened.

    For some reason I felt like a sryman that had been caught on a date with my mistress by my wife when she went out shopping.

    Whats wrong? You both look weird

    Lucy asked with a curious look.

    Calm down. Okay, I should be alright.

    Im a bit nervous. Its almost time for the program to begin right? Im not used to doing this kind of stuff in front of other people like you Lucy.

    Cyrils nervous? What a silly joke. Are you doing alright Kuu-chan?

    Im used to it so I should be fine.

    Then lets go! Its been around five years since we all went on stage together. To tell the truth Im excited.

    What a coincidence Lucy-chan, Im excited too.

    Lucy and Kuu bonded over their excitement. Despite the five years apart their intimacy did not worsen.

    Well if you were to ask me, Id personally want to be in the audience. I could get special front row seats and just marvel at your charming appearances.

    Talking like that again~ youll be watching us from the side so lets go.

    Thats right. Your presence with us here today has great meaning Cyril-kun.

    They smiled and took my hands, leading me up to the stage.

    ****************************************

    From the heights of the stage I could see the progress of the party.

    Most of the tables had finished their main dish and were running low on potato chips.

    At first elves and fire foxes had stuck to their own groups, but now I could see them scattered about as they talked and ate.

    Im sure that the Fire Foxes who had been too cautious to go socialize had seen Kuu going around greeting and talking to people. They took her as an example and broke out of theirfort zone.

    We couldnt allow this good opportunity to go to waste. Starting now we would perform a program intending to deepen the bonds that we started during this party.

    Everyone can I have your attention please! We will shortly begin the long awaited performance starring these two lovelydies!

    I cried out boisterously while grabbing Lucy and Kuus hands.

    First up is the Elven Dancer Lucy. Im sure I dont have to tell you how wonderful her dancing is!

    The Elves whistled and pped in support. They had all been charmed by her dancing and their expectations were high.

    Secondly we have the Fire Foxes top singer Kuu! Even amongst the Fire Foxes who are well known for their singing expertise, she has the most beautiful voice!

    This time the Fire Foxes let out high-pitched cheers and screams. It appeared that Kuus singing was truly out of the ordinary for this kind of reaction.

    The Fire Foxes were well known for their beautiful singing. In the past other viges would even request a concert in return for some tasks, making the journey to the Fire Fox Vige just so they could hear it.

    Kuu was special amongst them, since she was young she had performed at important events continuously.

    I hadst heard her singing five years ago, I was looking forward to seeing her growth.

    I let go of their hands and was about to give my greetings and start the show, when suddenly Kuu and Lucy grabbed my hands.

    They nced at each other and both looked mischievous.

    We need to revise the number for this performance. The three of us will be performing. The third lead will be the number one Elven instrumentalist, Cyril. All of you should know this. Everyone remembers how incredible our hero, old chiefs musical skills were right!?

    Lucy said proudly as if these were all my aplishments.

    Cyril-sama will be both instrumentalist and director of this performance. Furthermore he is the benefactor of us Fire Foxes. Its because he took us in that we can be here now.

    Kuu boasted with just as much pride as Lucy.

    As I listened to their words I couldnt help but feel a warmth deep in my chest.

    I threw out my chest proudly. If I shrunk back bashfully now I wouldnt be a man.

    On todays stage I will y music, Kuu will sing, and Lucy will dance. This will be the first coborative piece between Elves and Fire Foxes. Everyone please enjoy!

    After making sure everyones attention was focused on us I took out the traditional Elven instrument that looked like an ocarina, the Opharu.

    This instrument had been my partner since I was small. It was a treasure I had received from my father.

    The song I would perform was a songposed five years ago to promote friendship between the Elves and Fire Foxes.

    We had nned to perform it once every year at a get-togetherbut soon afterwards our vige had been conquered by the Empire, so the song ended up being buried.

    Now we were performing together like we had in the past during festivals. I would y, Lucy would dance, and Kuu would sing.

    Back then we were simply the opening act for the adults, but this time it was different.

    We no longer had the adults there to protect us. We were taking the lead today.

    I began to y. It was a bright sounding song, but for some reason it had sorrowful undertones. It was a strange song.

    Kuu began to sing along.

    Kuus song was one of sadness. A song of remembering friends left behind.

    It was also a song of love. A song of searching together and finding important people who thought of you dearly.

    Joining together to ovee the sadness of the pastto see the bright hope of tomorrow. The two contrasting emotions in the song struck at your heart strings.

    Her voice was beautiful. It hooked onto the melody and melded with the music. But that wasnt all.there was something to her singing that shook your soul.

    The audience couldnt help but shed tears.

    It was then that Lucy began dancing. Lucys dance began to express the feelings within Kuus song and the appeal that shook your soul multiplied. Noit wasnt just that. You could feel the effort that Lucy was putting into this dance and it couldnt help but make you feel tenderly towards her.

    Her gorgeous dancing gave life to the music.

    The two beautiful girls, Kuu and Lucy, made a perfect painting.

    The music continued ringing out, the singing echoed throughout the square, and the dancing flitted here and there carefree across the stage.

    The audience waspletely silent. They couldnt help but stare.

    Time passed as if each moment was an eternity as the music slowed before ceasing.

    There was a moment of silence before everyone regained their senses..then a flood of cheers and apuse poured over us.

    Amazing Kuu-anesama! Awesome!

    Lucy-chan! Marry me!!

    Chief it sounded great.

    We moved to center stage and waved our hands.

    Everyone, Im d you enjoyed our performance. Next its your turn. Those who can y, grab your instruments ande on stage. Dancing elvese on up. Fire Foxese and sing. Everyone get to music making.

    Everyone lets sing together.

    I said as Kuu added on.

    Dance with me as well.

    Lucy said to finish.

    At our instigation more and more people climbed on stage.

    Music began sounding out.

    There was no conductor and the music was here and there shing against each other, but people wereughing, singing, and dancing joyfully.

    Right now, at this moment there were no walls between our races.

    Being able to create this sense of unity, even if it was just for now, made the entire effort worth it.

    I felt confident that we would be able to live together in rtive harmony.

    With this once I received the ransom tomorrow and went to buy supplies, there wouldnt be a big issue if I wasnt constantly in the vige.

    A deep sense of happiness welled up in me as I picked up my opharu and started to y again.

 Book 2: Chapter 9-1: Negotiations

    Book 2: Chapter 9-1: Negotiations

    I slowly opened my eyes. My consciousness was hazy and my memories cut off after a certain point. I remember having a great time at the partydrinking, dancing, singing, and ying music. After a while we cleaned up the venue

    Then afterwards I headed back to the workshop with the Fire Foxesah and we held a private little party there. We used the leftover food and alcohol since they insisted that itd be too much of a waste to let it go bad. Plus there had been plenty of the girls who hadnt gotten a real opportunity to enjoy the party.

    I had thought to abstain since it was a gathering of Fire Foxes, but they stopped me and wouldnt let me go.

    After that it was a never ending stream of young Fire Fox womening over to pour me alcohol, serve me food, and chat me up. I ended up getting hammered.

    At first I tried to stop drinking but they all lined up and poured me drinks. If I tried to refuse the next one in line the girl would go why can she pour you a drink and I cant!? This isnt fair! and so on and so forth. So I ended up inebriated.

    After that.I dont remember anything.

    The ceiling I saw above my head was my old workshop. My body was currently wrapped in a warm futon.

    I started to get bits and pieces of my memory back. I had given up on walking back to my house in Erucy, but I couldnt allow myself to stay inside the new warehouse with all those young women. I had resolved myself to spend a night alone inside my old warehouse.

    As Kuu supported me on her shoulder out the door, I had heard the voice of young Kemin called out

    Kuu-anesama do your best! You dont have toe home tonight! Decide it in one shot!

    with a thumbs up. Thats when I fell unconscious.

    As I recalled what happened I suddenly heard the sounds of clothing rustling.

    I nced over and saw Kuu removing her dress and wearing only her underwear.

    Itd be bad to wrinkle itso I should take it off. These clothes are cute but theyre high maintenance

    She said stripping down. The underwear she wore was simple short pants and a low exposure bra, but still I could see her beautiful body line.

    Just a bitif its just a bit it should be fine right?

    She whispered as she walked over slowly. I felt guilty for secretly peeping at her, so I pretended to turn over in my sleep and faced away from her.

    Cyril-kunyoure asleep right? You didnt even wake up when I was carrying you over hereit should be fine right?

    Kuu whispered as she approached.

    Of course, I was supposed to be sleeping so I didnt respond.

    I waspletely awake at this point, but thanks to the alcohol and my usual sexual frustration I was having trouble controlling myself.

    At this juncture Kuu entered my futon and hugged me from behind.

    Her fragrant soft body intoxicated my mind.

    Im sorry Lucy-chan. Just for today lend me Cyril-kunjust for today.

    Kuu murmured apologetically.

    I desperately held onto my reasonif not then something would truly happen.

    Let me just talk to myself for a bit

    She leaned her forehead onto my back.

    I originally had good will towards Kuu. She was never a particrly strong girlbut even so she grit her teeth and forced her way through. I thought that was beautiful.

    No matter how painful it was she didnt give up. Knowing her own weakness and inadequacies she desperately fought to grow. She was a girl who shone with the same brightness as Lucy. It made me want to extend a helping hand.

    Being in such close proximity to a barely dressed Kuu was truly dangerous. I desperately erased thoughts of doing it with her and her offering to have rtions with me even without getting married. I eliminated all the excuses I could from my mind.

    They were all illusions brought on by the softness of her breasts and the heat of her body.

    Cryil-kun truthfullyI had thought that even if we met again we would simply be intimate friends like before. Even when our parents engaged us we didnt have any timeand our exchange fell apart. At some point that part got lost in trantion.

    It was no wonder.

    Thest time we had met was five years ago. Even up til then we would have met every two months or so at best.

    At that time we were still young and had no concept of romantic love. Despite that, if we had such deep emotional love that we continued to think of each other.it would be scary in its own way.

    People changed. If you still liked the same person after five years despite not having seen them at allthen you were in love with a daydream. That kind of person couldnt be trusted.

    Butafter reuniting Cyril-kun was super cool and came to save us like a Princemy heart couldnt help but throb.

    Id heard this before.

    That time at the Fire Fox vigeI was happy you scolded me. I was being weak and wanted someone to coddle me. But that wasnt truly it. I hated my weakness and wanted someone to scold me properlyto lead me onto the correct path.

    I wanted someone to treat me strictly yet kindly just like my father would have. I truly didnt think there would be someone who could do thatbut Cyril-kun did. It made me fall more in love.

    Kuu hugged me more tightly.

    Cryil-kun youre always trying so hard.not only that youre valuing me and teaching me important thingsthat makes me so happy. It lets me know that someday I can be someone trusted and loved like Cyril-kunsomeone you can trust too.

    Certainly I had expectations of Kuu.

    I truly believed that one day she could be my right hand man.

    Of course I knew that right now that was impossible. It wasnt that her effort wasnt enough, it was that at this point appointing a non-elf to a position of power would cause great dissatisfaction amongst the elves.

    Even so, I wanted her efforts to be recognized and epted by everyone.

    Kuu had one of the most important features of a leadercharisma. Just by looking at how the Fire Foxes treated her you could tell. Charisma could be acquired through hard work and effortbut most of it was inborn.

    But even so the reason I want to embrace Cyril-kun is probably different from LucyI was sure it was probably more like yearning than love. Its probably a rash emotiona love at first sight that will cool and disappear.so in a sense its relieving if you just properly love Lucy and I wont feel too sad.

    I could feel a cold wet spot on my back where her face was.

    But that feeling didnt disappearwhen Im with you Cyril-kun even these kinds of situations are so funI even look forward to the next dayI hope and I dream. I see a bright day. I started to never want to be apartthese feelings just got stronger and strongerdespite myck of confidence.I think this really is love.

    How.should I respond.

    Im so jealous of Lucy-chan. Those five years I couldnt see you, the feelings that piled up, and along the way she got your love. I keep thinking aboutwhat would have happened if the Elf vige never got taken overif we remained engaged, if we saw each other oftenif you wouldve fallen in love with me.those silly thoughts just wont leave. Even though I hate myself for itIm afraid that I want to push these feelings onto you.

    Thats why she was taking advantage of my sleeping to pour out all her emotions.

    This was Kuus confession.

    I know I have to give up on this. Cyril-kun has so much more important and dangerous things to worry aboutI cant add anymore worries. Plus Im a coward. Im afraid of being turned down if I confess seriously. Thats why Ill spit out all of these feelings, cry for tonight, and end it all today. Even if it cant be ended Ill make it end.

    Kuus arms loosened. I was sure from this point no matter how she felt she wouldnt release these feelings. No matter how her heart tore she wouldnt reveal these through her words or actions.

    In truth this would be the most convenient conclusion.however.

    The tearing regret I felt at the thought and feeling of Kuu pulling away.

    Im d I got the chance while you were asleep. If Cyril-kun was a wake then Id never be able to say it. Itd be hard to find a way to forget these feelingspreferably.un, this might be best. Falling in love with a person I cant fall in love with might be suitable for me

    Kuu was giving up on everything with a sorrowful smile on her face. I could feel her try to get up and leave. Its just that

    I couldnt let her do that.

    I grabbed her hand firmly and dragged her into my arms.

    PICTURE</a>

 Book 2: Chapter 9-2: Negotiations

    Book 2: Chapter 9-2: Negotiations

    Cy-Cyril-kun!? You were awake?

    I was hugging her deep into my chest and I could hear her panicking.

    I could feel how fragile she wasa young girl and felt shocked at the effort that this girl had put inthe effort she had made.

    Ive been awake since the startI heard everything. So just let me hug you.

    Wh-wh-what!?

    She cried out blushing furiously and clearly confused.

    Umm, ifif that was the case then wouldnt pretending that you didnt hear anything be the gentlemanly thing to do!?

    Shut it.

    I said firmly and grasped Kuus tail firmly.

    Hiyaau! What are you doing all of a sudden!?

    Kuu cried out in a strangely erotic voice before protesting.

    Im just grabbing your tail.

    The first time you did this you didnt know the Fire Fox custom so you were still safebut you know what that means now right Cyril-kun? Our tails are important to us. If youre grabbing it with casual feelings Ill get angry you know?

    Im doing it with full knowledge. Plus the official one is the girl carefully cing her tail in the palm of your hand right? Well I have some things I have to say. FirstI love Lucy. Shes the number one in the world. That is something I cant change.

    This was the lowest of the low confession. At the very least I did this knowing that it was something that I couldnt be proud of.

    Ialready know that. Just by looking I can tell.

    Even soI fell in love with you Kuu. I dont want to give you up to anyone else. In the first ce if you fell into desperation youd start having self-sacrificing thoughts so I cant stop looking after you. Im sure that you had already thought of sacrificing yourself to an influential elf for the sake of the Fire Foxes right? At that moment you realized that youd fallen in love with someone you shouldnt have and thought of it as your own punishmentthat you could try and make the lives of the Fire Foxes better or something like that.

    Kuu stared at me vacantly.

    Then slowly opened her mouth.

    .Cyril-kunare you using mind reading magic?

    No, that kind of convenient magic isnt usable at present.

    It wasnt as if there wasnt a self that could use itbut as Cyril I was unable to.

    In the first ce there was no way I would need to use that kind of magic with how obvious her thinking was.

    Kuube mine. I want you to be my number two in the entire world. Of course I can understand if you dont want to be with methis kind of man who wants everything.its your choice. If you want to be with me.then just leave your tail in my hand.

    Kuu panicked as her eyes darted around.

    What about Lucy-chan!? Even if I say yes then if Lucy-chan says no its all useless!

    Ill persuade her with my life on the line. If that doesnt work out then Ill hide it from Lucy and go out with you.

    Youre saying it as if its really manly but Im pretty sure thats the worst line Ive ever heard someone say!?

    Itll be alright. I love both of you and Lucy loves me. The only question here is your feelings. I dont intend to pressure you into this. Its just that I love you and want to be with youso I had to use these poor methods.

    This was the best option at present.

    It was a bit of an excusebut for regr Elf Vigers polygamy was not allowed because it would cause trouble with bloodline and family lines.

    However, the Chief of the vige was the exception. This was to allow their bloodline to be passed down more effectively. Even Lucy knew that.

    I have one condition for this. A third is no good. Too many will beget jealousy. Lucy-chan may forgive my presence, but Im sure in her heart she will have some dissatisfaction. Even so I..but a third may cause this entire thing to crumbleso no third.

    I can promise you this.there wont be a third.

    As I spoke those words Kuu smiled wryly.

    Then she quietly hid her face in my chest.

    UmmwellIll be in your care.

    Kuu murmured and lightly ced her tail into the palm of my hand.

    I gently grasped it and let it run through my hands.

    Kiyaau~ our tails are sensitive soplease stop.

    Her reactions were fun so I couldnt help but mess around a bit.

    Furthermore KuuI think you understand this, but dont think you can escape after entering a mans bed wearing only your underwear.

    I said and lifted her up. Kuus eyes blurred as she blushed.

    Ummwelluhmy heads all messed up my heart and my feelings are so fullhow about we leave it forter. Plus I havent washed up.

    But I really would like to. I finally got to know your true feelings, got to hear your heartfelt wordsnow I want to know your body as well.

    I blew lightly into Kuus ear as I slowly touched her body.

 Book 2: Chapter 9-3: Negotiations

    Book 2: Chapter 9-3: Negotiations

    When morning came I let Kuu keep sleeping and got up to exit the workshop.

    I went to show my face at Lucy and my home, but apparently Kemin and her little group had gone to tell Lucy that they were taking care of me because I had drank too much. Thanks to that she hadnt worried about me.

    I greeted Lucy and went inside to change before exiting our home.

    As I walked out Lucy said

    Cyrilyou smell like Kuu-chanor is that my imagination?

    She said, but I suspect there was no deeper meaning to it.

    There shouldnt be.

    My body felt heavy from the leftover effects of the alcohol.

    {Metabolism Enhancement}

    I used my internal magic to activate my somatic cells and elerated my metabolism.

    That allowed the alcohol to leave my system more quickly and to remove the lingering effects.

    By using this method to break down the alcohol in my system it allowed me to return to normal quickly, however as the price I had to undergo all the suffering of a hangover and the rest all at once.

    If possible I didnt want to use this kind of method, but from now on I would be entering another type of battlefield. I had to be fully ready.

    After I finished experiencing my own personal hell, I walked over to the prison by the old vige chiefs house.

    Good morning. Good work as always.

    Good morning Cyril-sama.

    I called out to the elf who was guarding the prison before taking the key and unlocking the door. I entered the prison where I had kept the four Nobleshowever because I had needed to torture and make an example of one of them, there were only three left.

    We had a rotating guard so that there would always be someone here to watch them. They were a precious source of revenue so we had to treat them carefully.

    We gave them food and water so they wouldnt die and maintained their hygiene so they wouldnt fall ill.

    Rejoice, today youll be leaving. The second son of the Count for 1,000 gold, the eldest son of the Viscount for 700 gold, and the Baron for 300 gold. Those are your prices and if the gold is payed you will all be released safely. How wonderful for you.

    In total we would gain 2,000 gold of revenue.

    For a normal ve a healthy male adult would go for 20 gold at fair market price. If it was a Counts second son rather than the first son you would only expect them to pay half of this amount since they were nothing more than a spare. For them to be willing to pay this much gold for themI had to be grateful.

    In fact what I had to be most grateful for was that they sent their precious sons to the battlefield. I wouldnt lose any sleep over the stupid decisions of theses nobles.

    W-we can go back!?

    Yes! Thank you for not abandoning me Mama!

    Is this for real? Is this true!?

    They frolicked in high spirits. Of course the would. They were used to living lives of luxury as nobles so Im sure their lives in this prison must have seemed like hell.

    We took much into consideration and even let them eat better food than most elvesbut even so it had been tough on them.

    As long as we properly make a deal youll go home safely. Dont think of doing anything strange. Those cors were made specially so that only I can take them off. If you try to take them off carelessly youll die. If you try to run away before I get my money youll never be able to remove them for the rest of your life.

    The three nobles had received some magic training, so despite it being weak, they were able to use physical enhancement magic. Aside from me, the elves who were assigned to watch over them would be in danger so I had attached magic interference cors to their necks.

    In the first ce they had been items attached to us elves, but after I analyzed them I figured out how to remove them without destroying them. So I removed them one by one and now we had plenty of them in storage. I had modified some of them to use on the nobles.

    W-we understand already. We know we cant go against you.

    Hii hii we know so please dont hurt us anymore.

    One of them I had literally tormented til they broke so he was quite obedient.

    I went around binding each of their hands behind their backs.

    Also let me tell you this, but I can send a signal to the cors that will kill you. I thought itd be best to tell you beforehand.

    That was why I modified them.

    Just one activation key and that would be the end of them.

    I stuffed the pale-faced nobles into a carriage and set of from Erucy.

    I would be going alone today. It was almost certain that a fight would break out. In that situation I couldnt afford anyone holding me back.

    ***********************

    Our meeting ce was 20km from Erucy on a hill that provided a good view. Though I say that, two sides of the hill had plenty of trees within 30 meters.

    This ce had been chosen because I could travel to it within a day and because it had very little cover.

    I arrived a little before the arranged meeting at noon and saw around 5 carriages lined up with around 20 armored soldiers surrounding them.

    Just in case I activated {Perception Expansion} and checked the surroundings and discovered light armored bow wielding soldiers hiding in the trees.

    Their ability to conceal their presence was quite good. They must have been well trained. However, unless they could erase the disturbance their bodies caused in the air it was impossible to hide from me.

    I checked the knife on my belt and the integrated short bow on the back of my wrist.

    I am deeply grateful for your attendance today Sir Imperial Soldiers. I am the representative of Erucy, Cyril. Unlike you I have no surname. I am simply Cyril. ording to the letter your representative should be Baron Lurvish Florencemay I ask if he is in attendance?

    I greeted with a courteous smile.

    However, it appears they did not appreciate my efforts as arge bear-like bearded man slowly got off his carriage and rolled his shoulders seeming angry.

    How dare you savages pretend to be human after demanding a ransom! What is with your noble-like speech!? Are you trying to hide your base and vile character through make-believe!?

    I had no intentions of doing so. I simply acted with due propriety as the representative of Erucy. I havee to negotiate with all due courtesy.

    I said simply and bowed. That further added fuel to the fire as he seethed.

    What the hell is this Erucy?

    That is the name of our humble country. As our vige has be independent and left your hands we had need of a name.

    I wondered what youd say, but there is no way this will be acknowledged! You fools will always be nothing more than a rebellious vige that will eventually be subjugated!

    I can understand those thoughts of the Empire. However, there is no conceivable reality in which we stop calling ourselves Erucy.

    That is something we absolutely could not back down on. It was the foundation of our newly reimed pride.

    By the way, the Empire had no other name other than The Empire.

    It was the only country in the world ruled by an Emperorso it was The Empire. Any other emperor other than the Emperor of the Empire was not acknowledged so there was no need for another name.

    If we continue to speak on this topic neither party will benefit. How about we begin the true discussion? Shall we begin the exchange of gold and hostages? The process is simple. First I will release everyone except the Counts second son. Then you will hand over the ransom and finally I will release thest hostage.

    Fine

    If you thought about it reasonably, the Empire was epting conditions that they would normally never allow.

    There was only one reason for this. The Empire did not especially care if this arrangement went through or not. So that meant.

    Then lets act as discussed.

    Our exchange proceeded.

    I held onto the big bag full of gold. I checked that everything was in order and it truly was 2,000 gold coins.

    I finished releasing all three of them. Surprisingly the exchange ended without trouble and I removed the cors from them.

    You, you said you were the Chief? You have no intention of obediently epting the rule of the Empire? If you agree now to continue living as you have been and send 10 elves as tax I can forgive you.

    Thats quite condescending isnt it? Im sure those words are a result of considering the profits that can be gained if you dont have to spend military effort on recapturing Erucy. Im sure it isnt something said out of good will.

    Indeed war would cost a great deal. Even more so if the Empire had to send soldier to a remote region over 200km away. The costs would be heavy. Even 500 troops would be burdensome. The Empire would be in a deficit just by sending the necessary number of troops to ensure victory.

    Ohh, so you even know that much?

    For the first time today Baron Lurvishs face changed into a smile.

    Yes indeed. Most likely the number of troops needed to achieve a pyrrhic victory would be around 2,000. In truth to secure a true victory you would have to send upwards of 3,000 troops. At that point the costs would far outweigh the benefits.

    Hahaha, if you can speak with that much certainty theres no longer any point in attempting to deceive you. Thats right. You got it. As you said throwing 3,000 soldiers at this would be a great loss. However.even so the Empire will do so.

    He said with a sudden sharp look in his eyes.

    This is an issue of pride. We cant allow ourselves to lose to some simple savages in the backwoods. Once the winter ends and the spring begins, there will be 3,000 soldiersing to subjugate Erucy.

    These words were simple truth.

    His eyes, the feelings in his words, and his atmosphere didnt allow me the luxury of pretending he was lying.

    Of course at that time you would have made preparations to deal with our bows of course. You might send disposable mercenaries as the vanguard carrying greatshields, or burn the forest to orchestrate an attack from all directions. You might even send a few hundred light armored soldiers ahead to attack us in a pinceryouve surely thought of these things correct?

    Wh-you why do you?

    The Empire wasnt stupid. There were a few soldiers who survived and returned back to report. They might have even brought back some arrows as evidence. If that was the case then it wasnt strange that they had thought of countermeasures.

    Erucy is not underestimating the Empire. Furthermore the one who made those bows was me. Do you think I would be ignorant of their weaknesses? Then if I know those weaknesses did you think I would note up with some countermeasures to the countermeasures you thought of? Ill warn you now. Even if you send those soldiers to us with your countermeasures, there will be a repeat of the massacre fromst time. The more soldiers you send, the greater your casualties will be.

    I was half bluffing and half serious with my warning.

    Of course I did not believe that this would be enough to force them to pull back.

    My purpose was to make them feel caution.

    Interestingthis is so interestingthere was an elf like you still around..I changed my mind. Lets hold some negotiations. I believe you are an opponent worthy of such. Offer us the Fire Fox bitches that youre hiding in your vige. If you do so then I will personally guarantee that the Empire will not extend its grasp towards your vige. We cant afford to have the Fire Foxes self destruct like they did back at the vige. Just fool them and put on the magic cors and bring them to us. If its you you should be able to right? The fire magic stones are much more valuable than wind magic stones. Theyre absolutely necessary for metal manufacturing. Our iron work requires many trees to fuel the fires, but our forests have already been cut bare. Were at the limit for that. If you give us the source of the Fire magic stones then I can let you guys go. If we change the situation into you offering the Fire Foxes in exchange for your freedom the Empire can preserve its honor.

    If I thought about it from the perspective of the elves this was the best situation.

    Originally Kuu and the rest could be considered a burden on us. Just by getting rid of them we could guarantee our own safety.

    Truthfully I would be able to fool them easily. I could easily sneak a sleeping medicine into their food, put cors on them while they slept, and ce them in carriages before giving them up.

    However, there was no need to consider such things.

    I will have to refuse. Those girls are already citizens of Erucy.

    The bigger issue was how they knew that the Fire Foxes were in Erucy.

    I had suspected this before, but now I knew for sure that there was an Elf leaking information in Erucy. Just by confirming that there was meaning ining here today.

    Then we have no choice but to go to war. I have one final suggestion. How about if you alonee to the Empire? Your intelligence, courage, and your technique of making those iron bows. I was moved when I saw those arrows. Pure iron. All the arrows of simr quality. Items that cant even be made in the Empire. You are a person who can be truly sessful in the Empire. I wan to obtain you. I cant help but feel that allowing you to die with the barbarians is far too pitiful.

    It looks like this man was truly confident of their victory.

    He had the confidence that they would break my countermeasures.

    He was a pretty interesting human. If he had been the one leading the 500 soldier force the other day I would have probably had to use four out of the five trump cards I had prepared.

    I will have to refuse that as well. I am the Leader of Erucy. I have the responsibility to protect my people.

    I seewhat a shame. To think a man like you would die a dogs death out here. If you are to be our enemy then youre too dangerous to be allowed to escape.

    At that moment the hidden bowmen pulled their bowstrings and let fly arrows from all directions.

    My smile warped.

    The Empire had never intended to exchange money for the hostages which is why they let this go through so easily.

    Returning politeness with politeness, words with words, insults with insults, and force with force.

    That was the basis of negotiations.

 Book 2: Chapter 10-1: (Physical) Negotiations

    Book 2: Chapter 10-1: (Physical) Negotiations

    I could see all of the hidden archers fire their bows from all directionsrather I could sense it.

    From the beginning of our negotiations I had Perception Expansion and Program activated. Because of that I already knew about those hidden archers and even the people that had been slowly approaching from other directions.

    The speed of arrows were at best 180 km/h.

    With over 20 meters of distance separating us it would take 0.4 seconds for the arrows to reach me.

    Even that much time was plenty.

    At the same time the archers released their arrows the angles, speed, and force of them were all told to me by the wind. With that much data my Program spell automatically chose the optimum course of action and moved my body.

    I stepped forward once, ducked down, and twisted.

    With those simple movements all the arrows barely missed my body. From calction to implementation it was 0.1 seconds and the time it took for my body toplete those actions was 0.2 seconds. I was able to evade with 0.1 seconds of leeway.

    I could see the faces of the nobles and soldiers in front of me warp with shock.

    Of course they would since I had been shot at from five different directions by soldiers who had erased their presence while hiding amongst the trees. Furthermore it was from a close distance of around 20 meters. It was furthermore enhanced by the assumption most people made that no one would use bows against an elf. In fact if another elf had been here in my ce they would have certainly died.

    Despite how incredible Elves were with bows, blocking arrows required a certain distance and even then it was limited to simple long distance attacks. In close distance they wouldnt have enough time to use wind to influence the arrows too much. Furthermore if it was from multiple directions we would be unable to use the wind to deflect all the arrows.

    It wasnt as if there werent elves capable of creating a wind storm around themselves, but it was hard to control and those elves who could do it, could not do it instantly.

    The bowmen also had good skills. They were all at different distances, but all the arrows arrived nearly at the same time. If I hadnt moved then they would have all hit. If that wasnt enough, then the directions they fired from made it so that there was practically nowhere to run.

    The bowmen were surely shocked that I had dodged, but even still they did not freeze up and were ready to send out another barrage.

    Its a shame for them to die in vain.

    I honestly praised them. Even amongst elves there were few who were as well trained as these bowmen.

    For that reason they had to die here.

    I touched the mechanical bow attached to my left wrist.

    It folded up so that it didnt look much like a bow at all.

    However, once I pressed a button it would automatically fold out as the bowstring stretched out. I would then have a perfectly good short bow.

    I pointed the short bow at one of the hidden bowmen.

    My wrist covering had small bolt-like arrows hidden within it. I grabbed three of them in my right hand.

    This short bow was quite small, but because of the special alloy I had made it out of, the tensile strength was around 55kg and was around 60% as strong as the normal crossbows that I had made. Its piercing power was around 1.3 times as strong as a long bow so it could barely pierce through the Empires armor.

    I ced one of the arrows on the string and pulled back with my right hand.

    The reason I kept this bow so small was to make it easier to carry around and also because this was the limit to how much draw weight I could pull using one arm when using Body Enhancement.

    After eat a few hundred of the soldiers souls my magic power quantity was increased by arge amount, but the amount I could use all at once hadnt changed very much. Plus if I strengthened my body too much I could end up badly injuring myself so there was a limit to that as well.

    If I wanted to ovee that limit I would have to use a magic like Samsara Recursion to change my body into one that could handle such an emission of magical power. Id have to use that trick.

    I let the arrow fly and cast Wind Blessing on it so it flew straight on with terrifying speed.

    ~~

    One of the bowmen took the arrow right between the eyes and copsed without even a scream.

    Before he even finished falling to the ground I knocked the other arrows and fired them.

    This wrist mounted metal bow didnt have a sp or trigger like other crossbows. I had prioritized rapid fire so I judged they were unnecessary.

    Be careful! That bow can pierce our armor! Protect the archers! Knights charge!

    On Baron Lurvishs orders 7 armored knights came charging towards me.

    I see, though it was a fearsome weapon this bow wasnt suited to close quarters fights. He must have also thought that I had no other methods, other than using this bow, to pierce their armor.

    As I thought that my hand finished moving and my arrow shot out and killed the third archer.

    However, there was no time to fire a fourth. The Knights were already before my eyes.

    Without panicking I pulled my knife from the scabbard at my waist. The moment the ck de of the knife emerged I poured my magic inside it and a sharp buzzing sound echoed out.

    Though I called it a knife the length of the de was 50 cm it was closer to being a hatchet.

    I then purposefully attacked with a wide swing.

    Oi damn elf, I can see it.

    The knight I swung at position his sword to receive my knife blow.

    He had plenty of leeway and said I can see it with a leisurely smirk.

    He probably thought that he could easily block my knife then cut me in two. Even if I dodged that I would be surrounded and his allies would finish me off.

    Shi!

    I put in more strength into my blow as I swung.

    Then my decut through the sword, armor, flesh, and bone of the knight without any resistance.

    I had created this knife for Lucy using all my skills in science, alchemy, and magic. I had made it so that it could slice through iron like paper.

    Wha?

    He couldnt understand it. He died and copsed to the ground as blood shot out with a foolish look on his face.

 Book 2: Chapter 10-2: (Physical) Negotiations

    Book 2: Chapter 10-2: (Physical) Negotiations

    Without pausing I ducked down. An arrow shot through the area where the back of my head had been only moments before. It was an arrow shot by an archer who had carefully hidden his presence and moved around to my rear.

    If I hadnt been able to see behind myself using Perception Expansion, then it would have been unavoidable.

    Then as I crouched I gripped my de and extended my arm out before spinning around once.

    At that moment my de cut through the ankles of the other two knights who were trying to cut me down. Their legs let out a fountain of blood as they copsed to the ground.

    Upon seeing that the other four knights who were charging towards me couldnt help but pause and hesitate.

    In that momentary space I took the opportunity to switch my knife to my other hand, point my small bow towards the bowmen, and ready two more arrows to fire at them.

    Unlike the hesitant knights the bowmen fired arrow after arrow at me like mad men.

    For them the best method to avoid death was to fire without stopping and kill me.

    However, their arrows were doomed to miss. I took one step, then a second. I used the least movements to avoid the arrows.

    Itd be fine if youd just ran away.

    That was really the only way for them to survive.

    If they nned to continue attacking me I would have to deal with them. I confirmed my targets as I fired and within a few seconds the bowmen copsed with an arrow between the eyes.

    Before long there was only a single archer left alive.

    By then, the knights had finally resolved themselves and charged forward to cut me down.

    The bowmen were elites, but so were the Knights.

    Firstly they were very perceptive. They made sure to block all my lines of sight as they attacked.

    Secondly, they were all using well-trained Body Enhancement magic. Not only that, their sense of bnce and movements were splendid. Normally when you used Body Enhancement a slight misjudgment would cause your body to move awkwardly and stumble, however all of them moved smoothly without any mistakes.

    Finally, they were unhesitating and skilled with their des. That was something that couldnt be achieved without stringent training.

    However

    Its really no problem for me.

    This degree of skill would be unable to reach me.

    Using Perception Expansion I could sense the movements of their muscles, how much they sweat, and where they were looking which told me exactly how they would move their des. I was receiving information many times greater than what their normal five senses could observe.

    Furthermore, you could say that swordsmanship was simply learning patterns that increased your efficiency and increased the speed of your movements to be close to instinctual.

    Compared to that my Program would calcte and execute the most ideal movements for my body to make duringbat. The speed and quality of my movements were iparable. All of my movements would meet or excel the speed of reflex movement.

    I bent my body slightly to dodge the oing swipe of the knights sword and simply stabbed my knife into his exposed back. The knife passed through the armor easily and stabbed his heart, killing him instantly.

    At the same time I aimed my bow at thest bowman and shot him dead.

    The knife and short bow are doing well in the field.

    The knife had filled in mycking closebat strength and the short bow allowed me to demonstrate my rapid fire skills.

    Not only that the wrist mounted short bow had two advantagespared to a normal one.

    Firstly, it remained avable for use without forcing me to use one of my hands to hold it so I would not need to switch weapons in the middle of battle. Just like now I could simply switch to my knife and immediately enter closebat. The opposite is also true, if an enemy takes their distance I could immediately begin firing upon them with the short bow.

    The second advantage is that this bow could be folded up and easily transported. Of course since it was foldable it cost more to produce, took more time, needed more maintenance, lost power, and was less durable.

    Once I finished making it I clearly realized the demerits of it, but it would be foolish to remake it and lose the folding gimmick so I left it as is.

    As expected once I had killed 10 people in a few moments the Imperial Soldiers couldnt help but falter in their steps.

    My chance was here.

    I quickly folded up my short bow, ced my knife in its sheath, and spread out my arms in an appeal.

    Now then gentlemen now that the bowmen that you depended on are gone and there are only three knights left that can draw their desfurthermore there are only around twenty over there in the back. Im sure that you intended them as trump cards, but I also see those two archers hidden in the distance as well. Let me ask youdo you wish to continue?

    This was a clear threat. I was telling them that if we continued further I would massacre them.

    We understandwell back off. I apologize. Almost like a demonI never thought that the elite knights couldnt even touch you. Im d we found this out before the true battle.well, its not like youre invulnerable like our Hero-sama. At the very least you dodged our swords and arrows. If we had hit you then you surely would have died correct? Well, that doesnt change that youre a monster. You could kill all of uswhy are you letting us go?

    Baron Lurvish said with a sharp re.

    Though he said he surrendered he was paying attention to his route of retreat and his remaining soldiers.

    This is to let the Empire know that we are a country that can be negotiated with. This time we have received the ransom and returned the hostages. This was a sessfully concluded trade that set a precedent. This is also a warning not to look down on us elves too much.

    The best oue would be to make them mull over this event. Even after all this I wanted to leave the door open for a possible negotiation of peace. If things break out into war then I still want to leave enoughmon ground to leave room for negotiating.

    Whether it was elves or humans, neither wanted to wage a war ofplete destruction.

    I see. Even soI never expected things to go this far. I thought if we attacked from all distances we would cut you down and be done with it. Leaving aside the bow I didnt hear anything about those kinds of knives.

    Of course not. Its a tool I finished making just a few days ago.

    A tool!?

    Yup, a tool for making decorations.

    The knife I had brought today was a high-oscition carbon alloy knife. The carbon alloy was made to be very hard while still maintaining the minimum required flexibility.

 Book 2: Chapter 10-3: (Physical) Negotiations

    Book 2: Chapter 10-3: (Physical) Negotiations

    Furthermore Kuiros alchemy had instilled it with two different types of magic that made it oscite at high speeds and at the same time toughen the de when magic is poured in.

    This increased the resiliency, cutting power, hardness, and maintained the edge of the de.

    Originally this had been a tool I nned to use when manufacturing the ring for Lucy.

    As expected I wanted her to have a diamond ring. Diamonds were simply highlypressed and heated carbon so I could create them using Kuiros skill set, but unprocessed diamonds were not beautiful at all. Only by cutting the diamond would it expose the true beauty within.

    An uncut diamond was no different than a simple rock.

    For that I absolutely needed a knife capable of cutting the diamond properly.

    Creating high quality alloy, engraving aplicated magic seal, adjusting the oscition properly, and crafting the de were all difficult tasks that couldnt bepleted in a single Samsara Recursion. However, once I thought that it was for Lucys sake then I didnt mind the hardship.

    Youre saying this is only a tool!? You have more stuff like this?

    Mmhmm, and plenty of them. I told you before. We have countermeasures for your countermeasures.

    At my words Baron Lurvish fell into contemtion.

    They spoke quietly but thanks to Perception Expansion I was able to hear the words clearly.

    Who could their backer be? Are they supported by the Choline Kingdoms technology? No, even they cant make stuff like thisthen where is it from? Damn, who are those sneaky bastards? Whats their objective? Are they using the Elves as an opportunity to weaken the Empire? No thats not it eitherthere are plenty of better pawns than the Elves.

    Hespletely off the reservationsbut it was no wonder he would think this way.

    Since it seems I wont be getting any important info this way, I should stop pretending I cant hear him and just stop.

    As expected Im feeling a bit tired so I might as well end things here.

    Well then, if you arent going to attack me anymore I will cease the bloodshed as well. Lets call it a day. Thank you very much for the great care youve shown me today.

    Wait, I have two things to talk to you about. The first is a questionyoure name was Cyril right? Your equipment is amazing, but your skills are even more incredible. Are the other elves capable of suchbat skills?

    Well who can say? But know thisI am the Chief at the end of the day, not one of our warriors.

    Lurvish clearly took my words poorly as he paled.

    I didnt lie.

    The goal of these words was to help suss out the traitor in our midst.

    Was the knife I had used mass-produced? Were there warriors greater than me within the vige? Lurvish would be filled with questions and doubts that he needed answers to. At that point he would be nigh forced to get into contact with the traitor.

    At that point my bluff would be revealed, but at the same time discovering the traitor was the priority.

    Truly, if there were 100 elves with the samebat ability as me then I could rest easy

    the second thing isan apology for the impoliteness we have demonstrated today. You came in the spirit of negotiation and we have dishonored that. What would you like in remuneration?

    This was what surprised me most today.

    I would have never imagined they would say something like this. If thats the case then I might as well ask for something I had been wanting.

    In that case, firstly would you give me a horse? Your archers killed mine.

    In that chaos they had shot my horse to prevent me from escaping.

    At this rate I would have to leave behind the carriage and simply run off by myself.

    Thats finebut you said thats the first request? What else are you thinking of?

    Well then, secondly could you give me one of the bags from the top of your carriage?

    I had used Perception Expansion and was quite interested in what was in them.

    How sharp. You realized huh? These are gifts for higher upsbut I suppose you can have a single bag.

    A soldier grabbed a 10kg flour bag off the top and attached it to the horse they were giving me.

    The soldiers then secured their fallen brethren and left.

    I saw them off before driving away on my carriage.

    How tiring

    The battle today may have appeared easy, but it was truly tiring.

    Perception Expansion and Program were powerful but they were not omnipotent.

    The magic used for them was minimal, but the brain processing power required was enormous.

    I had been training my calcting ability daily so that I could now operate at full strength for around 2 hours, but even so it was tiring.

    Furthermore, these two techniques allowed me to move optimally, but they were far from being invincible.

    If for example a rock was dropped on my head from 1km above, no matter how I moved I would still die. It was also weak to attacks that came from all sides without enough room for me to dodge.

    It also had the weakness of needing at least 0.1 seconds between calction and movement.

    An attack at the speed of sound could clear a distance of 30 meters within 0.08 seconds so Program would be unable to deal with it. If there was a signal before the attacklike pulling the trigger of a gun, Perception Expansion would sense it and I may be able to dodge in time.

    However, if there was an attack that didnt need any preparatory movements or if the attack exceeded the speed of sound I would lose. In truth I was capable of these feats so they werent impossible.

    If several hundred imperial soldiers surrounded me I would only be able to kill a few dozen of them before I ran out of energy and died. No matter how I looked at it, myself as Cyril had no ability to change the oue of an entire battle.

    Coming up with ns and working together with everyone was key.

    This tiredness got results though. 2,000 goldsthis should cover the fire foxes food and clothes, the livestock, and we can increase our produce for next year.

    We had to assemble whatever we were missing and improve our lives.

    Our dinner tables were pathetic and we only had enough to survive. At the very least we should also have onions and carrots. If I was a bit greedy I also wanted corn, rosemary, and sage.

    Good thing I got more than I expected

    Inside the flour bag that Lurvish had given me was something worth its weight in gold.

    If I used this during my apology I was sure that Lucy would forgive me for the matter with Kuu..at least I hoped so.

    I thought and hurried the carriage back to Erucy.

 Book 2: Chapter 11-1: Lucy and Kuu

    Book 2: Chapter 11-1: Lucy and Kuu

    Once I returned to Erucy I headed to the storehouse by the former-chiefs house.

    The storehouse only contained food and valuables so I would ce the money inside there as well. This was a location that only I had the key to.

    I went to grab the bag full of money from the top of the carriage, but it was quite heavy.

    After all despite the money being in small coinage, the coins themselves were fairly heavy. The money in the Empire was made of considerably pure metal, so just one of them weighed 40 grams. Carrying a bag of 2,000 of them would make the weight reach 80kg.

    After struggling and storing it away in the warehouse I also stored the jute bag inside there as well.

    I opened the jute bag and checked it to see that it contained several smaller bags of around 500g capacity.

    Inside of them was brown sugar.

    I didnt think Id be able to obtain this stuff in my lifetime here.

    Sugar was extremely precious. The sugarcane needed to manufacture it could only be grown in warm climates. The continent where Erucy and the Empire were located could not produce it. To obtain it we had to cross the sea and import it.

    However, because of theck of shipbuilding techniques and the rtive inexperience of sailing techniques, coupled with theplex terrain beneath the sea caused the stormy waters to be hard to navigate. Furthermore along the coastline the water spirit race would attack ships that passed through their territories and sink them. This caused the price of imported goods to skyrocket.

    Even worse was that the Empire was quite far ind, so the goods would have to pass through numerous checkpoints and official roads before reaching us. This added arge amount of taxes to the price as well.

    Even so, the demand for sugar was abnormally high. It was nearly seen as a symbol of status for rich Nobles to buy sweets to eat. Sugar was so expensive that you would be lucky to buy a single kilogram for a gold coin (60,000 yen). It was nearly to the point that you couldnt buy it even if you had money.

    This 10kg bag of sugar was worth upwards of 10 gold.

    If I spread around the method to make sugar from sugar beets then this should change quite a bitbut it seems pretty difficult.

    I grumbled to myself. Sugarcane was not the only way to obtain sugar.

    For example you could use sugar beets that could grow in cold climates.

    If you took the roots, cut them up, boiled them, and crystallized the juice you would obtain sugar.

    Because of both quality and how easy it was to make, this method of manufacturing sugar surpassed that of sugarcane on Earth.

    Even if we couldnt find sugar beets Im sure there was some kind of substitute that could be found.

    Furthermore there was one more method I could think of

    If I think solely from the perspective of Erucy then itd be best if the sugar beet method is never discovered. It would make this method we could only use during the winter much more valuable.

    If these sweets were to be widespread then demand would increase exponentially and our business would boom.

    It was nigh impossible for Erucy to bepletely self-sufficient, plus chances to earn free money like this were rare. It was indispensable that we stabilized our ie by using outside currency.

    After around two months things should take shape.

    Now that Id finished my tasks in hereI had some more private business to take care of.

    ********************************

    I returned to Lucy and my home.

    Cyril wee back. Whered you go today?

    Lucy returned home before me and greeted me with a smile.

    The preparations for winter were mostlyplete, so most of the elves had free time. In contrast the Fire Foxes were still getting ready to raise the goats I would bring as well as readying themselves to produce the specialty products I had thought of. They were quite busy.

    I had thought that shifting some of the work to the elves would be good, but without the fire foxesmand of fire magic their efficiency fell straight to the bottom. Plus this was another way for the Fire Foxes to show off their usefulness so I allowed them to take on the burden.

    The Fire Foxes trusted me and Kuu was there with them too. They were able to ept things as they were.

    It was better than letting rumors spread that I was babying the Fire Foxes and favoring them over the Elves.

    I hoped that most of these issues had been resolved by the party yesterday, but it was better to put preventative measures in ce.

    Today I met with a bigshot from the Empire and exchanged the hostages for ransom. We shouldnt have any more money issues for a while.

    Once she heard that, Lucy shook a bit as she struggled to find words to say before crying out

    Why did you do something like that alone! Tell us before you do things like that!

    If Id told you guys about it then youd just worry about me. Plus thered be at least one or two who ask to follow along right? It wouldve taken a while to convince you and I didnt have the time.

    The situation today was one where I had no leeway to protect someone else while fighting. Because I was alone I could act freely.

    I know that butI understand what youre saying Cyril butit still makes me feel lonely.

    Lucy said in a whisper.

    She probably felt sad that I hadnt needed her.

    Lucy, there are many situations where being alone is more advantageoushowever there are plenty of times when its impossible for me alone. At those times I will properly ask for your help. Leaving that asideI have something to ask.

    In a sense this was the true issue.

    I was thinking to go to the Choline Kingdom in a day to shop in the city of ErinI wanted to know if youde with me. I need your help Lucy.

    I had thought of various things and realized this shopping trip would be a huge hassle to handle on my own. At the very least I would need to bring Lucy and Kuu.

    .you need me?

    Of course, if it isnt Lucy its no good.

    Got it! Then Ille with.

    Lucy said with a happy smile.

    I looked at her with a wry smile.

    Im sure she wanted me to rely on her more. I truly believe she didnt need to worry about things like that.

    I wish I could convey how much she had already helped and saved me.

 Book 2: Chapter 11-2: Lucy and Kuu

    Book 2: Chapter 11-2: Lucy and Kuu

    Cyril Im fine with going together with youbut Id like you to stop going and doing things like you did today without saying anything. I dont want to be too selfish and I dont want to trouble you, but I want you to at least tell me. If not Ill always be worried that if youre not with me youre off doing something dangerousis that no good?

    Lucy looked at me with upturned eyes.

    I couldnt handle how precious and adorable she looked so I put my hand on her cheek.

    Im sorry, I was wrong. Of course, if I dont say anything youll get worried. Ill make sure to tell you everything properly from now on.

    Un, if you do that Id be happy.I want to know everything about you Cyril.

    How can this angelic smile suit her so well?

    Just her expression made it so much harder to bring up the matter with Kuu.

    I had broken out in a cold sweat internally as I patted Lucys head. Lucy grumbled not to treat her like a child, but I could tell that she was pleased by it.

    Okay then, lets eat. I moved a lot today so Im hungry. I got some incredible stuff today so we should enjoy it.

    I took my hand off her head and moved to the kitchen.

    Okay then, it was time to cook up a special meal as if my life depended on it in more ways than one.

    ***********************************

    Okay Lucy its ready. I think its really good so give it at try.

    It smells really sweet and delicious. What is it?

    Its a treat called a doughnut. I thought something like this would be good once in a while.

    This time I had made a doughnut that was baked golden-brown.

    It was easy to make. I just mixed flour, water, and sugar together then fry the dough inrd before covering it in sugar.

    Rather than a doughnut it was closer to a Sata Andagi, but it was hard to say so I just went with doughnut.

    Its so good. This is the first time Ive had such a delicious thing like this.

    The sweet-loving Lucy seemed even happier than usual as she gobbled up the donuts.

    PICTURE</a>

    For me I felt it was a bitcking without eggs and baking powder, but the strong deliciousness of the sugar that Lucy had never had must have made this meal an incredible one.

    Lucy, I have more so you can eat as you please.

    Uu, I want to ask for secondsbut I want to have more forter so Ill hold back. How did you make something so delicious?

    I threw sugar on it.

    Sugar!? Its incredible that you got some. Its the first time Ive tried the real thing.

    Un, I got some from the negotiator that came from the Empire.

    So theres some good people in the Empire too?

    I guess so. I think this is the first time I met a decent soldier from the Empire as well.

    This was the first time I had met with elite Imperial troops. If these were the people inmand then we would truly have to brace ourselves for the next battle.

    We didnt have time to talk about being experienced. We would have to deal with things by means fair or foul.

    Is there enough for everyone?

    Unfortunately there isnt enough to share with everyone.

    This 10kg bag would be insufficient to share with everyone in Erucy.

    I ended up being the only one getting treated to something luxurious. Hey Cyril, Im fine now. Buthow are we supposed to split up the remaining amount? No matter how we do it itll seem unfair.

    Lucy said while gazing at the doughnuts with aplex gaze. Even though I had said there wasnt enough to give everyone a portion she hadnt given up on the idea.

    Im sure she wanted to share the feeling of eating such delicious food to everyone else.

    Its alright. The sugar we have now would be too hard to divide up, but soon Ill be able to share a sweet soup dessert with everyone. So you dont have to feel guilty about enjoying the stuff in front of you.

    But it feels sneaky

    The gold was obtained by me as Chief for our people. The sugar was something I personally obtained for my own benefitso honestly its all mine. But I knew that Lucy would hate that so I decided to share with everyone. If you dont polish off those doughnuts then Ill just keep all the leftover sugar to myself.

    You always say such unfair things Cyrilif you say something like that then I have to eat these sweets.but thank you.

    Lucy smiled and started to stuff her cheeks with doughnuts.

    It was worth the effort just to see that smile. But I still had to say something that might freeze that smile

    UmmLucyI have something I need to apologize for.

    Why are you acting so humbly?

    Kuu confessed her love to me.I epted.and I slept with her.

    The instant she heard what I said Lucy dropped the doughnut in her hand.

 Book 2: Chapter 11-3: Lucy and Kuu

    Book 2: Chapter 11-3: Lucy and Kuu

    Cyrilyou fell in love with Kuu-chan?

    YesI was drawn to how she worked so hard with all her mightand I couldnt turn her down when I felt that she would despair.

    Lucys eyes filled with tears and she looked as if she was about to cry. My chest felt like it was being stabbed.

    I-is it because I didnt let you do it with me? I wanted to do it too, but I promised Grandma that I wouldnt do such things until we got married.but Cyril said we couldnt get married until Erucy became peaceful.

    Thats not it Lucy!

    What did I get wrong? Is there any other reason it could be? When did you stop loving me?

    Theres no way I could hate you Lucy. Even now you are still the one I love most in the world.

    Then why did you do such a thing with Kuu?

    Its because I love Kuu too. I love Lucy the most in the world and Kuu the second most.

    Lucy looked at me in disbelief. Her Grandmother was a virtuous and strict woman, so I could see that she could scarcely believe that I loved two people.

    ..Cyril, lets imagine something. What if I said that I love Cyril the most but I loved another man the second most?

    Lucy murmured with a cold gaze that I had hardly ever seen before.

    Id be incredibly sad. My chest would feel like it was being crushed.

    What would happen if I slept with another man other than you Cyril?

    I might go insane. I would probably never be able to forgive either you or that man.

    I am currently experiencing those feelings right now. Hey Cyrilwhy didnt you hide this? II wish Id never heard this. My beloved Cyril and my friend Kuu-chanI dont want to hate you. It wouldve been better if you had just gone out in secret where I dont know

    I had thought of thatbut

    I hate that. It would be dishonest and despicable to both you and Kuu. I decided to reveal everything. Its simply for my own sake, but even so I want to let you know I love you. I want you to still be mine even if its unfair.

    It might be that I was hurting Lucy for my own self-satisfaction. However, I decided that I had to properly tell her this.

    Do you really love me?

    Yeah, youre the number one in the world for me.

    Didnt you say the same thing to Kuu-chan?

    What I said to Kuu was that I loved her second-most in the world. If that was alright with her then I would be with her.

    ..Kuu-chanreally epted that?

    Lucy fell silent and thought for a while. She slowly opened her mouth.

    My reason is telling methat like Cyrils father and the Chief before him you can have 3 wives in order to leave behind your bloodlineand that it was necessary as the Chief. That men are creatures that can love more than one person at once

    Lucy whispered as if she was squeezing the words out.

    But stillmy emotions areIm sad, Im hurting, and I feel bitter. Even soI still cant help but love youI dont want to be apart.

    A sense of deep guilt was crushing my chest as I heard her murmur those words.

    Could you find it in your heart to forgive me?

    Give me, a night to thinkyou sprung this on me so quickly that my minds a mess.

    Lucy said and got up to leave the dining table.

    She reappeared with a bag of luggage.

    Sorry, but I want to think in a ce away from you. Ill stay over at Konnas so Ill be out tonight.

    Lucy said and turned to leave but I grabbed her hand.

    Cyril, dont stop me.

    Its fine if you want to be alone. But this is your home. If someone has to leave, then it should be me. Im sorry, Ill return tomorrow morning. At that time I hope youll tell me your decision. Also, I know Ive said it many times, but Ill say it againyou are the one I love most in this world.

    Even I want to believe your words Cyril

    Lucy. I love you.

    Finally I left with those heartfelt words.

    **************

    After that I made preparations for the shopping trip and where I would sleep tonight.

    I headed over to the workshops where the Fire Foxes were staying and found Kuu. I told her the result and that I would be going shopping tomorrow as nned before returning to my workshop to lie down.

    Kuu was necessary for the shopping trip tomorrow.

    I had to buy clothing for the Fire Foxes, but I didnt know anything about womens fashion. Furthermore, because Fire Foxes have tails they needed specific types of clothing. I needed Kuu there as a representative to choose.

    I had invited Lucy to guard and help Kuu.

    We can only spare a day for this trip. While I was out purchasing livestock and food I wouldnt be able to apany Kuu to purchase clothing.

    However, it was much too dangerous to allow Kuu to go by herself. I needed a girl with bothbat ability and the ability to help choose clothes. The only one who fit that criteria was Lucy.

    Kuu probably understood something from my behavior and said Im sorry. Do your best as we parted.

    She didnt need to feel indebted. This was all my responsibility.

    I wonder if Lucy will forgive me

    I had been naive, I thought that Lucy would be more forgiving and was optimistic that she would ept Kuu. I hadnt thought that she would be so saddened.

    That was the first time I had seen her like that.

    If Id known beforehand would I have simply let Kuu slip away?

    NoI probably would have done the same thing.

    I muttered as I drifted off to sleep.

    ****************************

    The next morning I dressed myself and headed to Lucys house.

    Kuu was also prepared for the trip and stood next to me.

    After waiting for a while Lucy appeared. She was properly dressed for the journey and had a bag ready.

    However, in her case she would surely help us do this job even if her response fromst night was negative. I was unable to shake my uneasiness.

    Lucycould I please hear the decision youve made?

    I timidly asked.

    CyrilIas I thought I still love you. However, I need you to promise me something.

    Tell me.

    I dont want to feel this painful heart-breaking feeling ever again. So I want you to promise that you wonty your hands on another woman. No matter how much they love youI wont be able to forgive you if this happens again.

    I can promise that I wont do it again.

    After all, even Kuu said as much. If it would be a betrayal of both Lucy and Kuu there was no way I would seek out another woman.

    Also, I want to have some peace of mind. Once springes around I want to get married. I wont wait any longer than that. I want to be joined with Cyril in the truest sense of the word.

    I suppose youre right. I myself want to be joined in matrimony with Lucy sooner thanter. Once spring settles in I promise that we will get married within two months of the snow melting.

    Un, thats an absolute.

    Yeah, its a promise.

    We said and I stuck out my palm to Lucy and she put her hand in mine. We then intertwined our fingers.

    This was the pinky swear of this world.

    With this my greatest anxiety had been cleared.

    Kuu watched as we repaired our rtionship with a smile on her face. But, I could see a bit of jealousy hidden there. She resolved herself and opened her mouth.

    Lucy-chan Im sorry. Even after knowing your feelings I still fell in love with Cyril-kun.

    Its okay. Im not angry. Even I understand those feelings and..no I shouldnt lie. Truthfully at first I really resented you. Why did you say you liked Cyril? But even so youre my friend and Cyril made his decision so I was able to reach an understanding. Thats whyIll be in your care Kuu-chan.

    Lucy-chan.thank you.

    Lucy extended her hand and Kuu took it. They both shook hands.

    When they let go I could see Kuu was tearing up.

    Okay then, lets go.

    I smiled at Lucy and Kuu.

    We should only be gone for about two days, but I had made plenty of arrangements for when we were gone. Once I left the traitor would surely make some moves. I had left instructions with those I was sure I could trust to be on the lookout for anything suspicious. Im sure theyd take the bait without even realizing it.

    Cyril, we havent prepared the carriage.

    Of course we wont be using such a slow thing.

    After all, it wouldnt be strange if it started snowing any day now. If we insisted on taking a carriage down the bad road to Erin then it would take at least five days.

    It cant be that well be doing the same thing we did when we went to the Fire Fox Vige right?

    Of courseits the improved version.

    But we dont have any way of carrying the luggage.

    I can carry all of the stuff we buy by using storage magic so dont worry about it.

    Reallyit seems like anythings possible with you Cyril-kun

    First I let Kuu climb onto my back before securing her with rope and cloth while allowing her weight to be equally distributed.

    I then princess-carried Lucy and ced a bag with 300 gold coins in her arms. The gold was heavy so I didnt intend to carry any more than necessary. Even these 300 coins weighed 12kg.

    Then I activated Body Enhancement and my wind magic to begin high speed movement.

    However, todays task was made much morefortable.

    Cyril-kun should I warm us a bit more?

    No its fine.

    Are you having any trouble breathing?

    This much is almost perfect.

    Kuu was using her fire magic to warm our surroundings and Lucy was using her wind magic to reduce the head wind.

    Like this we enjoyed a calm and warm trip. Furthermore, both of them were hugged close to me so I could feel their warmth and softness which made my motivation shoot through the roof.

    At this pace the 120km distance to Erin would be covered in around 2 hours. Then we would begin our fun shopping trip.

 Book 2: Chapter 12-1: Commercial City Erin

    Book 2: Chapter 12-1: Commercial City Erin

    With some intermittent breaks along the way we managed to reach Erin city in the Choline Kingdom by the end of the morning. While I ran I had eaten preserved foods to keep up my energy. We had kneadedrd and sugar together to create a high calorie cookie that I could eat on the go.

    I had utilized recovery magic to fool my muscles into ignoring their fatigue and recover their injuries. However, I needed a lot of calories to rece the energy that was exhausted by doing so. Otherwise I would end up lying on the floor exhausted.

    Erin was a city that gathered goods from all corners of thend.

    It had low tariffs, an easy to ess location, and a climate that was mild enough for most races to survive there.

    Thats quite an amazing lineup of carriages.

    Lucy said with a voice full of wonder as I carried her in my arms. Erin was surrounded by a 10 meter tall wall to repel enemies. There was onerge gate for each cardinal direction that provided ess to the city. At each of the gates there were nearly 50 carriages lined up trying to enter.

    Theyre collecting taxes and fees. When you enter arge city like this they need to check your cargo and collect the appropriate taxes. That kind of check takes time.

    When you go in you have to pay money?

    Thats the easiest method. It also makes it easier to keep dangerous materials from being brought in, low quality goods from being sold, and makes it cheaper to buy things that were made in the city itself. This is all from the taxes.

    No matter where or when, this kind of practice was universal.

    Do we have to line up here too? .just waiting here will take us the entire two days.

    Kuu said with an unhappy look as I carried her on my back.

    Even I would hate that.

    Its alright, if we arent carrying goods then we dont have to undergo the customs check. If we have a pass then we can enter easily. Look I have one here.

    I pointed to a line next to the carriages that was full of people with wooden passes. They showed these passes at the gate and were allowed entrance. I took one of these passes out from my jacket pocket.

    You even had one of those Cyril?

    Well I did go out shopping here with Father and the rest in the past. Its just that the expiration date has already passed so we need to pay the renewal fee. It needs to be renewed once every two years.

    If I remembered correctly it would cost around 5 gold. It was fairly expensive, but our budget for this trip was around 300 gold so there was no issue.

    Thats amazing. They collect money for luggagethey collect money for peopleeven if they dont do anything theyll just keep collecting money?

    Indeed. However, for arge town like this it costs a lot of money to keep the administration running. Furthermore keeping everything running is a very difficult task so dont be too jealous.

    In the past I had been a Lord that ruled over a territory of over a million people. The stress got to me and I ended up bald, sleepless, and anorexic all at once.

    At the time I had thought of myself as a superman who could do anything by myself. Nohonestly I just didnt have the courage to rely on others. Because of that I took on too much work and it piled up until I crashed. The territory and I ended up crumbling. It was a bitter memory.

    So its like that

    Yes it is. Now lets hurry and go inside.

    I said and softly let Lucy and Kuu down.

    With them and the gold hanging on my body I had been carrying close to 100kg. All at once I felt as if I had be light as a feather.

    I received the bag filled with gold from Lucy and started walking forward.

    Ah thats right. Before we go in I need to go over some things. The major point is that the city is a dangerous ce. Be aware.

    I know that Cyril.

    Yes

    They both responded energetically.

    Never walk around alone. Once we enter town and the two of you separate from me you must act together at all times. Never leave each others side. Furthermore never go to any deserted ces in the city. Always stay in locations with a good number of people.

    Thats finebut why?

    This city sells all manner of goods and productspeople are also included in that. If its forbor then a strapping youngd is preferable for the versbut if they are searching for a love ve then they will choose young beautiful girls.

    Lucy and Kuu were extraordinarily beautiful young women. Furthermore Lucy is a virgin as well.

    Those who can sing and dance as well as those who can read and write will fetch a far higher price. In the first ce Elves and Fire Foxes fetch an especially high price just by virtue of our race.

    Both Elves and Fire Foxes would age very slowly after they hit a certain age. Our life spans werent particrly long, but we maintained our beautiful young appearances for most of our lives, so sex ves of our races were highly sought after.

    Furthermore, even the children born from those women would be of the same race and would be worth a lot of money. Even if you got tired of them you could kill them and steal the magic crystals from their hearts so their value was very high. Because of these matters both Elves and Fire Foxes were unable to trust anyrge settlements and had moved away to create their own viges.

    Thats why if you let down your guard you could be attacked from behind, cored with the anti-magic cor, kidnapped, and sold off. You need to be very careful.

    I tried to convey the deadly seriousness of my words through my voice. Lucy and Kuu froze a bit.

    Here, we can hide your ears with these.

    I ced some earmuffs on Lucy and a hat on Kuu to hide their distinctive features. Kuus tail was hidden underneath the skirt she was wearing.

    And so we entered the town. One pass allowed 5 people to enter so we were able to finish things by paying a renewal fee of 6 gold.

    It appeared that the fees had increased over the years.

 Book 2: Chapter 12-2: Commercial City Erin

    Book 2: Chapter 12-2: Commercial City Erin

    Upon entering the city a veritable flood of people seethed and rushed about. Lucy and Kuu couldnt help but be astonished.

    First we should go get ourselves a room at the inn. Well be spending the night here after all.

    As I said that I heard a cute little growling sound.

    I turned to look and saw that Kuu was blushing fiercely while holding her stomach.

    Once we get a room, well grab something to eat.

    Ummwellsorry.

    Kuu apologized with a bright red face. Right now her hat was hiding them, but I bet her ears were pressed t against her head despondently.

    Me too, Im feeling hungry, so Id be d if we grabbed some food.

    Kuu, its fine. Actually Im quite hungry as well so lets find and inn quickly.

    So I went off to find the most secure inn possible and payed the 2 gold fee. The cost for a one night stay was quite expensive, but it came with dinner and breakfast. Most importantly they were willing to lend us their warehouse to store the goods we nned to buy.

    *********

    After deciding on the inn we went to visit the street where merchants gathered.

    I dont want to spend too much time on this so lets buy something from the stalls.

    On the streets of Erin were plenty of merchants peddling their wares from stalls and stands. Many of these were food stalls.

    Everywhere you looked you could spot different ingredients and dishes being cooked. The variety was quite enjoyable.

    Theres so much food Ive never seen beforeI cant even decide on what I want.

    Me tooIts a bit intimidating.

    The two of them were used to conservative cooking. If these dishes had been made by someone they trusted then they wouldnt have a problem stepping outside theirfort zone, but in this kind of situation it was no wonder they would hesitate.

    Then how about you leave the choosing to me?

    Un, Ill leave it to you.

    Lucy agreed and Kuu nodded so I looked around a bit.

    I took out my wallet and purchased some barley milk porridge along with three skewers of goat meat.

    The milk porridge cost 1 silver for three portions and the skewers cost 8 copper each. The prices were quite fair.

    Barley was different than wheat in that it could be eaten and used without removing the husk. The size and usage of it were also simr to that of rice. The porridge they were selling was barley steeped in boiling goat milk and seasoned with salt.

    The skewers were simply goat meat on a stick, roasted above a fire, and sprinkled with salt.

    You brought other coins besides gold Cyril?

    Lucy said with some surprise as I put my wallet back.

    Well of course. I have had the opportunity toe here back then. The stalls here would hate to have to give out change for a gold coin. So you have to pay with smaller denominations.

    After all a single gold coin would be equivalent to 50 silver. If I were to give them that much then there was a good chance that they would be unable to give me the appropriate amount in change.

    By the way, these silver and copper coins were from the soldiers we had killed during the big battle.

    After all looting bodies was standard practice. Handling several hundred corpses would yield plenty of extra spending money.

    In the first ce the Empire and the Choline Kingdom were separated by another country in between, so it was easy to use this kind ofmon currency.

    The money I had received from the ransom was set to be used for the benefit of the Erucy and nothing elsebut the money I had gathered from dealing with the bodies by myself could be considered my personal savings so I decided to use it as I pleased.

    Here, eat it while its hot.

    I said and handed them a wooden bowl and the skewers.

    Somehow, it smells kind of badbut tastes delicious.

    It is delicious but this unique smell isinteresting. Its not like I cant stand it, but its a bit unpleasant.

    Kuu and Lucy smelled the unique scent of goat milk and crinkled their noses but still continued to eat the barley porridge.

    Sorry but youll have to get used to that smell. Well be eating pretty much this kind of stuff for a while.

    What do you mean?

    Barley is cheap andsts a long time so I intend to purchase a lot and this milk is from goats. I intend to buy goats as well so we can drink their milk.

    This was the main reason why I chose to give them this porridge and the skewers. They surely wanted to know what we were nning on purchasing here as well.

    I seeso everyone in Erucy will be eating this. It sounds good. The smellwe can get used to it eventually, but the taste is quite good.

    Thats right, the meat is a bit tough and fibrous plus it smells a bit, but the taste is enjoyable.

    Kuu and Lucy had quite the distinguished pte so they gave the goat meat a fairly harsh assessment.

    In truth goat meat and milk wasnt very delicious. Sheep were superior in both ways.

    However, I still chose goats because of their incredible resiliency.

    They were creatures that would still walk around in below freezing temperatures and still be able to sleep easily. Plus even if you just let them wander in the forest without feeding them they would dig up roots and eat bark so they wouldnt starve. ce a sheep or a cow in the same situation and theyd die within a day or two.

    The goats who wouldnt die even if left alone were the ultimate partner for us poor people. Leaving aside the vor, the amount of milk as well as its nutrients was far more than sheep milk.

    Furthermore, even though it would take some work the goat fur could be turned into thread and made into clothing.

    With that settled and our lunch finished we should go clothes shopping. I asked around and found out the biggest purveyor of clothing in the area. Well be heading there.

    With not much time to spare we hurried along to our next location.

 Book 2: Chapter 12-3: Commercial City Erin

    Book 2: Chapter 12-3: Commercial City Erin

    The clothing store we arrived at was farrger than we had imagined.

    The store was twice asrge as the vige chiefs house and was packed wall to wall with racks of clothing. I had requested that the innkeeper introduce me to a store with a high cost to performance ratio but I hadnt expected something like this.

    Wee.

    The employee called out a friendly greeting, but the smile on their face faltered for an instant upon seeing us before they fixed their expression.

    Lucy and Kuu were truly pretty girls, but Im sure the employee could see that their clothes were old and unfashionable. No matter how you looked at them they were country hicks fresh from the countryside.

    Most of the time such customers barely spent a cent and took up far too much time to deal with, so there was no helping the quick frown that crossed their face.

    I went up to the clothes and checked several of them for how they were stitched and the quality of the cloth.

    The employee saw me feeling up the merchandise while looking like I had no money and frowned fiercely, but I ignored them.

    Theres no way I would buy something randomly only to end up with poor quality goods.

    Good, these are fairly well made. The sewing is well done and the cloth quality is highbut the quality is too high.

    The quality of the manufacturing was too good. If I were to give these goods to the Fire Foxes it would cause a wave of dissatisfaction amongst the Elves. But purchasing clothes for everyone would put us in a mary bind.

    After thinking for a while I hit upon an idea.

    Employee-san could youe over here a moment?

    I called out and the employee unwillingly approached.

    What do you need customer?

    Ill provide 30 gold. Allow these two to grab 50 sets of clothing and with the leftover money we would like to buy cloth okay? Ask the two of them about the type and variety.

    Buying this much clothing with 30 gold was overpaying.

    In this age despite the clothing being handmade it would still only cost around 5 silver per article. The entire cost would add up to around 20 gold.

    In order to demonstrate that I wasnt messing with them I lifted up my bag filled with cash and showed them a bit.

    Umm, after purchasing 50 sets there will still be quite an amount left over so the amount of cloth you purchase will berge. Do you understand that?

    I dont mind. Along with that well also request that you put holes in them for tails and stuff. We will be leaving by tomorrow so if your store is unable to manage this well look for another. Is it possible?

    The reason I was buying cloth was to give it to the elves. If we were buying cloth for them instead of clothes it would keep costs down. Unlike the Fire Foxes who had no change of clothes the Elves had more than enough time to make their own. If I brought back good quality cloth for them it would suppress any discontent brought on by the treatment of the Foxes.

    We will dly ept the request. Its rare to see such a prosperous customer. We look forward to your continued patronage.

    Of course this will all depend on how well things are handled. Next time Ie I will personally order something. Ill be requesting a good suit.

    Alright, in that case I rmend an order made suit. For that kind of thing we would request it from the main store.

    Ill leave it to you when the timees. Alsothis is a separate request, but Id like you to look for clothes that, in your professional opinion, draw out their charms the best. This is a personal present from me so Id like you to keep it a secret from the two of them. The maximum budget is 10 gold. Once they are done Id like you to deliver everything to the inn Im staying at.

    I said and the employee gave me a lukewarm smile.

    This 10 gold was thergest expense I had paid for out of my own personal savings.

    Of course I can do so. As for the sizes I am skilled enough to eyeball it. It is impossible to make those clothes from scratch so theyll instead be simply customized, is that alright?

    That should be fine.

    I finished speaking to the employee and handed them the payment before returning to the two girls.

    Sorry for the wait. Ive paid for them so go choose some clothing. Kuu mark on the clothes where a hole needs to be for the tail and the shop will prepare them for tomorrow.

    The service is really good. These clothes are nice too so wasnt it expensive?

    Not necessarily. All of it together didnt even take up a fiftieth of the ransom we got.

    Cyril-sandoesnt look like youre lying. Thank goodness it was cheap. I feel relieved.

    I was the only one that knew the hostage exchangeted us around 2,000 gold. Everyone in Erucy probably thought we had only gotten a two digit number or so.

    Even Lucy and Kuu would never dare to dream that I had dropped forty gold coins in this store alone.

    Dont worry about anything and choose freely. Youll be responsible for making all the Fire Foxes back in Erucy happy.

    Okay!

    Kuu answered happily. Im sure she was pleased that wed be giving her friends back home nice clothing.

    Lucy Ill need you to help Kuu and afterwards youll need to choose cloth from this store to give to the Elves as gifts. Ive payed in advance for the cloth so when youre done choosing clothes ask the shopkeep how much we can get with the leftover money.

    Really!? The cloth they use here is so pretty. Well be able to make plenty of pretty clothes. Well be able to make plenty over the winter.

    Lucy imagined all the things she and the Elves would be able to make with a joyous expression.

    I should be able to leave things to them now.

    Ill be heading off to buy livestock and food. When Im finished Ille back here to peek in, but if the two of you finish early you can head back to the inn.

    I handed Kuu and Lucy 10 silver each.

    Cyril this is?

    This is your spending money. This isnt from Erucys funds but is my pocket money so use it as you please.

    Id feel bad epting this

    Its fine. You girls finally had the chance toe to town so Id feel bad if you didnt get any money to enjoy it. This city sells alcohol and even beef. You can get what you please.

    As long as they stuck to well popted areas they should be fine. If they were ambushed they should be able to fight back because they had fairly highbat abilities. They should enjoy their time here to the fullest.

    My only worry was that they would be lost, but I would be able to find them nheless.

    Even if we try to return it you wont ept it will you?

    As expected of Lucyyou know me well.

    Well use this money wellyes just as we please.

    Lucy said andughed impishly.

    Kuu seemed to realize something as she looked at Lucy and they both nodded their heads.

    I tilted my head in confusion but still had to leave the store to continue shopping.

 Book 2: Chapter 12-4: Commercial City Erin

    Book 2: Chapter 12-4: Commercial City Erin

    After that I headed for the outskirts of town where arge goat farm was located.

    Once I brought up my desire to purchase some goats the farm boss happily guided me to the sales area.

    As expected of Erin, the city had a poption surpassing 100,000 and so thisrge farm had thousands of goats to supply their needs.

    If I do say so, youre a bit strange to be buying goats at this time of year.

    Its because of the time of year that Ivee to purchase them.

    Normally the time of year you bought goats would be after they had finished their pregnancy and were producing a lot of milk, this would raise their prices. However, since it was now just before winter-time the goat-herd needed to be thinned out so the price dropped by quite a bit.

    It became more difficult to obtain food for the goats during the winter and there was a limit to how much goat feed they could store. For that reason they had to either sell, or butcher the goats they couldnt support.

    In Erucys case the issue of the goats food supply could be solved by releasing them into the forest, but there was no such convenient forest near Erin. Furthermore, it would be fine if they only had 100-200 goats let out to graze, but with these thousands any forest they were released into would be decimated, so it was quite impossible.

    Id like to buy the goats at these prices. For female goats that havepleted their pregnancy Ill pay 1 gold per head, for male goats I will pay 1 gold per 2. Id like to buy 90 females and 10 males, altogether it should be around 95 gold. How about it?

    Sounds good. Wed be perfectly happy if youd buy at those prices.

    The price I listed was around half the usual market price.

    However, during this time it was a great proposal for the boss.

    Goat meat wasnt particrly delicious so even if you butchered them youd only get around 5 copper for 100 grams of meat. A single goat was around 30 kg and the edible parts made up around 15 kg of it, because of that the price would only reach around 20 silver. Even if you included the hair and the pelt the price would only reach 30 silver.

    The dismantling of the goat would take time and effort as well. I appeared here paying a higher price and not requesting them to kill and process the goats so I mustve seemed like a blessing from god.

    At this price Id like to choose them as I please.

    Dont worry and choose as you wish.

    After receiving permission from the boss I touched goats one after another and used Analysis to check their age, health, and weight.

    I separated the young and healthy goats and led them out of the pen in batches of twenty.

    You look like yer some kinda pro. You picked the ones I wasnt gonna butcher.

    Im not any kind of pro, but its pretty obvious which ones are energetic and healthy.

    I said making up a random excuse as I continued my work.

    Well then, heres the payment. Now these goats are mine.

    Of course, but howre ya gonna move them?

    The boss said looking at me doubtfully.

    Well, Ive got a bit of a secret magic. If you watched Id be a bit troubled so go to sleep for a bit.

    I said and instantly smacked his chin to knock him out.

    After confirming the boss was out cold I activated my magic.

    Liberate me my soul. Let a miracle beyond time descend upon me here

    Itd been a while since I used Samsara Recursion and my soul burned passionately.

    I desire the Noble and Virtuous Knight from a Vainglorious World, His name is

    A name from my past, a very nostalgic name which I called out clearly.

    Deet! Samsara Recursion!

    At that instant my body morphed and was covered in heavy knights armor.

    The reason I had called upon Deet was to use Item Box.

    However, the box had two limits. Firstly I could only fit around 4,000kg of stuff inside, and secondly I could not ce living things within it.

    Naturally, since the goats were alive I was unable to ce them inside Item Box.

    However, I did have one loophole I could exploit.

    Sorry about this. Electrical Signal Enhancement

    I let my magic flow into the goats through my hands and focused the electrical current on its heart.

    Meeeee~!

    The goats eyes rolled up and it fainted. Its heart had stopped.

    I immediately stuffed it into my Item Box.

    If theyre in a state of apparent death then they can be ced inside.

    Indeed this was the loophole of Item Box. If the creatures heart had stopped then it could be ced inside.

    Furthermore, once something was ced inside the box it would remain in suspended animation.

    If it was quickly treated and its heart was made to beat again immediately upon being removed from the box it could be simply revived. With this one method I could easily transport living things.

    I continued this process with each of the goats and stored them all away.

    As each goat weighed around 30kg after storing 100 of them I was left with less than 1 ton of storage space.

    Unfortunately this left over space would most likely not be enough to carry the food and clothing back to Erucyso I would have to make a secret trip back home tonight and drop them off.

    I undid Samsara Recursion and turned back into Cyril.

    Oji-san please get up.

    I shook the unconscious boss awake.

    H-huhwhat was I?

    You suddenly copsed. I was really surprised.

    Really? Sorry about that.

    The boss nkly looked around.

    The goatswhere did the goats you bought go? They disappeared.

    Its fine. My friends came and took them away.

    I see, then thats fine. Thank you for your patronage.

    Of course, thanks for the good deal. It was a fruitful transaction.

    After parting with the boss I headed back into the city.

    It took a bit more time than I expected so I decided to push the grocery shopping off til tomorrow. Instead I headed off to meet up with the girls.

    First I stopped by the clothes shop, but they had already left after choosing some good clothing. As expected of my beloved women.

    Upon returning to the inn I approached our room and could hear them moving about inside.

    It was Lucy and Kuu. I felt relieved that they were safe.

    Wee back Cyril.

    Youre so slow! Weve been waiting.

    They sounded like they were in a good mood. I wonder if something good happened?

    Sorry I was searching for the best goats I could find so it took a little longer than I thought.

    Is that so? Thank you for your efforts Cyril-kun.

    Kuu said her thanks and praised me. It brightened my mood a bit.

    Okay then Cyril. After we finished picking clothes, we went out into the town and used that money you gave us.

    Thats nice. Did you buy something good?

    Were not sure.

    Youre not sure?

    Yup, not sure.

    Lucy and Kuu exchanged nces and smiled.

    Thats right. If we dont show it to you then we wont know if we bought something good.

    I felt quite confused at the moment.

    Cyril ept this present from the both of us.

    Honestly we were going to buy separate gifts, but when we saw this we thought it would suit you and we didnt have enough money separately. Thats why we decided to buy it together. We thought this would also be the best way to show you that we were getting along as well.

    Lucy said and pulled out a wrapped up box.

    I took it and unwrapped the box to find a pocket watch inside.

    It was a rare item in this time period. A silver pocket watch with a nice chain attached to it.

    Thank you for everything Cyril.

    Were really grateful for all you do Cyril-kun.

    Their grateful words pierced my chest.

    PICTURE</a>

    I had truly been uneasy and filled with fear that they secretly disliked me now because I tried to have it both ways in my rtionship with them. In the back of my mind I had constantly questioned whether I had ruined their friendship or harmed our rtionship. But this helped dispel these horrid thoughts from my mind.

    .even though I said you could buy whatever you wanted

    We wanted to make you happy Cyril. So we bought this for you.

    Thats right. If Cyril-kun likes the present then it was a good purchase, if you dont then its a bad one. How is it?

    I could feel a warmth gathering in my chest.

    Tears began to cloud my vision.

    This is the best. I dunnoImIm really happy. I cant say how much.I love you both so much!!

    I said passionately and gathered them into my arms and hugged them fiercely as we all fell onto the bed.

    Kya! Cyril whats this all of a sudden?

    Umm, uhh, maybe we impassioned him a bit too much.

    They protested a bit but neither of them tried to escape my hug.

    I simply hugged them close and enjoyed the warmth overflowing in my heart.

 Book 2: Chapter 13-1: Threat

    Book 2: Chapter 13-1: Threat

    Late at night I left the inn secretly and set off running.

    It was so dark that visibility was near zero, but I used the wind to sense my surroundings so I wasnt troubled.

    The reason I left the inn in the middle of the night was to clear space in my Item Box.

    As of now my Item Box was filled with 100 goats each weighing around 30kg. I was left with less than 1,000 kg of storage capacity.

    Tomorrow I would have to store away the food and clothes that we bought so I needed to return to Erucy tonight to offload the goats.

    Even so, as expected of the Commercial City Erin. Its filled with delicious things.

    Dinner had been delicious. We had feasted on beef stew with tomato based demi-ce sauce and bread with a healthy heap of butter. It was apanied by a wonderful sd with bits of bacon and egg inside as well.

    As I thought, beef is truly delicious. The meat aside, its milk was much better than goat milk. I wanted to raise them in Erucy, but their cost-performance ratio was very poor. Just to feed them for a day, leaving aside leftovers, even our actual grain supply for our meals wouldnt be enough to feed them. Furthermore, they were weak to stress and cold, easily fell sick, and took time to care for. For us it was impossible.

    The bread was great as well since the wheat had been threshed carefully and it had been baked using butter and eggs so it was much more delicious than our usual fare.

    Even the fresh sd was something luxurious that we couldnt eat normally back home.

    But even that may pale inparison to what we had along with the meal. We were given Cider (alcohol made with apples) to drink. Both Elves and Fire Foxes were prone to loving alcohol, so the three of us were gung-ho about it.

    Just a little bit longer and we should be able to produce our own alcohol back home. Once that happens our daily lives would be more pleasant.

    I need to replenish my personal fundsId rather notbut maybe I should sell a knife? My manufacturing methods are even better than the Empires so they should fetch a high price.

    Todays entertainment and food expenses had all been paid for out of my own pocket.

    Though it technically was official business, emotionally I was reluctant to use the towns funds on anything but the essentials. That kind of thing would drag you down further into corruption once you started.

    Despite saying all that, I really didnt want to start selling iron weapons. I could easily not bother developing specialty goods for Erucy to produce and instead just produce iron goods and weapons. I could then bring them to Erin and sell enough of them to let Erucy live the next few decades with decadence.

    However, if I did that Erucy would be an existence that would crumble immediately upon my death.

    As I thought to myself I reached the forest nearby Erucy.

    This ce was too steep for good hunting so no one used it usually.

    I need to build a proper fence around here.

    I used the trees growing around the area and wound barbed wire around them to create a fenced in area of about 100m.

    It would allow intelligent species to enter fairly easily, but deer, goats, and boars would be kept in and kept out respectively.

    I made sure that there werent any animals that could hurt the goats inside of the fence so I could release the goats without worry.

    Then I created tworge brick animal pens and entered one of them.

    Samsara Recursion Deet. Item Box

    Upon entering I quickly invoked my spell and began using Item Box and began unloading the temporarily dead goats.

    Finishing that I quickly returned to my normal form.

    After all I would be returning to Erin soon. The less time I could spend as Deet the less recoil I would have to suffer.

    I quickly sent bursts of electricity into the goats and forcefully revived them.

    Meee~eeee

    Mee~eeeee

    The goats revived one after another and cried out in bewilderment. However, since I had closed the door to the pens they couldnt run about.

    After finishing their revival I entered the empty pen next door.

    There I left arge amount of maple leaves to dry out in the sun.

    I had asked the women and children of Erucy to collect maple leaves while they were out gathering cranberries in order to feed them to the goats.

    While it was true you could release the goats into the mountain during the winter and theyd dig up roots and eat bark in order to feed themselves, it would also cause problems.

    There was the possibility of them damaging the trees and causing them to whither. We had to at least provide them with some food so they didnt forage too much.

    Weve gotta ingrain the habit to return to these pens

    I ced some of the dry leaves inside feed boxes in the goat pen. The goats began chewing on the leaves.

    Goats were clever in some ways. They would always remember where there was food.

    If they remembered that this was a warm ce to sleep and a ce where they could find food, even if we released them they would still return here.

    Itll be the Fire Foxes work starting tomorrow so I better teach them right

    First they would have to milk the goats in the pens, then they would have to let them out to exercise after feeding them, then they would have to clean the pens and rece their food and water. They would then have to take the excrement to thepost heap before finally gathering the goats back into the pens and closing the doors at the end of the day.

    In addition they would have to sterilize the milk with heat and bottle it. Theyd have to learn how to turn the milk into cheese and butter, help the goats give birth, breed them, cull the goats that stop giving milk, and cut their hair and gather it. It was quite a big job.

    Well they seem motivated so they should be alright.

    Well for today I gave them their food and water and shut the door. Like this the Fire Foxes will graduate from being a NEET and will instead be productive members of Erucy.

    Right now they were only gathering mushrooms, makingrd, and producing sauce. However, they were unable to make enough forall the elves so their impression was thin.

    However, if the girls delivered Milk daily to the elves then Im sure theyd see and acknowledge their hard work.

    I left Erucy quickly and returned to Erin.

 Book 2: Chapter 13-2: Threat

    Book 2: Chapter 13-2: Threat

    Good morning Cyril.

    Lucy murmured as she rubbed her eyes.

    Good morning Lucy. Did you sleep wellst night?

    Un, the bed was so soft and fluffy that I fell sound asleep. Its amazing, the beds in the city are really different.

    Lucy said and threw her body back onto the bed. Her small form sunk into the soft bed.

    Kuu was still asleep but was suddenly awakened when the shock of the bed bounced her body into mid-air.

    Hmmm hyaaah!? Whats happening!?

    She sat up quickly and looked around the room furtively.

    Ah, sorry Kuu-chan.

    Eh, ahyes.oh right yesterday we arrived in Erin.Good morning Cyril-kun and Lucy-chan.

    She was still half-asleep and had even forgotten where she was in a panic, but she soon resumed her older sister expression.

    Kuu its fine if you put on an Elder sister-like expression but your bed headpletely ruins the effect.

    Ehreally? Ah, its trueA how embarrassing.

    Kuu said and frantically patted down the hair on her tail.

    So you attend to that first?

    Whats wrong?

    Noits nothing.

    If it was Kuuthen I could believe it! Kuu continued to groom her tail to satisfaction.

    Okay then both of you should get dressed. After we finish breakfast well go out grocery shopping. Well be ordering a lot so well buy it all this morning and have them deliver it to this inn by evening. Once both the food and clothing is delivered well be taking it and heading back to Erucy.

    Un, got it Cyril.

    Then well get dressed quickly and head down.Cyril-kun wed like to get dressed but

    Yeah please hurry a bit.

    Lucy and Kuu were wearing light thin pajamas that the inn had provided. For the two gold I had paid we received extra service. They had taken our clothes to be washed and given us pajamas for the night.

    Whats wrong Kuu-chanarent you changing?

    Lucy said as she calmly got naked and nonchntly changed into her clothes.

    Since we had been raised as close as a brother and sister there was no longer any real sense of shame when changing in the same room.

    Even I could do it without blushing.

    Umm, dont you feel a bit embarrassed?

    Its just getting dressed right?

    WellCyrils here

    Seeing me and Lucy being so calm about it Kuu was confused.

    Thats right. Its just changing right.

    Kuu said and began bashfully undressing and changing her clothes.

    I let her bashful figure enter my field of vision. I made sure not to stare at her while letting her figure float in my periphery. If I looked too much she would feel wary and might dislike it.

    She checked to make sure my expression hadnt changed and quickly got dressed.

    Un, what a sight for sore eyes. I burned the naked figures of Kuu and Lucy into my mind as we passed the morning.

    Uwaa, its so lively.

    Its making me dizzy.

    The three of us stepped out into the street. It was an energetic scene iparable to what we had witnessed yesterday.

    We ate some sandwiches as we walked along.

    We hadnt had time to rx and eat our breakfast so we had asked the inn to provide us some sandwiches we could eat along the way.

    This egg sandwich had mustard and tomato puree. It was delicious that I almost wanted to just live here in the city.

    The morning market was less targeted towards individual purchases and more suited to those who wished to stock their businesses. Even if the prices were only slightly cheaper people would flock to the shops. I couldnt afford to make any losses here either.

    What have you been writing down so furiously Cyril?

    Im attempting to figure out the market price for goods here.

    Is it so we can check the prices and keep them as cheap as we can?

    That too, but Im checking which shops are cheaper along with what goods are selling for what prices.

    Lucy and Kuu looked a bit confused at my response.

    Im sure they hadnt realized that this shopping trip would affect my future ns depending on what I learned here.

    Today we came here to purchase things, but the next time we arrive well be trying to sell goods. For that well need to know what we can sell, where we can sell it, and how much it will sell for. If we put in a ton of effort to make products but they only sell for low prices wouldnt we end up poor? We have to prepare things that can sell at high prices.

    This was the greatest principle of business. If we simply began selling without observing the market then all that awaited us was ruin. In the first ce only spending these two days to determine the market price was a dangerous proposition in itself, but at least we could use it as a reference.

    Its fine if we bring expensive things, but wont they sell poorly?

    There are goods like that, but if theyre things that everyone wants but there arent enough of them, theyll sell for high prices. When you choose a product that highly sought after but low in supply youll have something that sells easily.

    It was a bit irrational but thats how things were.

    There, look at that. Its a prime example.

    I pointed towards a well built salesman who was holding a leather bag up in the air and calling out.

    This is our special feature for the day! Look in amazement as we have sugar that was brought to us from across the sea! For one bag we only charge a single gold coin! You wont find a better price around here! Do I have any takers!?

    Gimme three bags!

    Ill take five!

    Even though the price was ridiculously high people still fought to buy the sugar.

    The bag was onlyrge enough to fit 500 grams of sugar. Even that was probably mixed with filler so the actual sugar within was less.

    And so you see, if we were able to sell sugar then we could make easy money like that. Its fairly impossible for us to sell sugar like that, but the important point is to bring something of simr value. On the other hand if we see something cheaper here that we need in Erucy then we woulde back to buy it.

    I said as I continued to take notes. I memorized the different disys and used the data to average out the prices.

    I thought of anything we had in Erucy that could sell like sugar at high pricesbut realized that we didnt have anything for now. But I knew we had something that could be developed into such an industry with work.

 Book 2: Chapter 13-3: Threat

    Book 2: Chapter 13-3: Threat

    Ah Cyril-san take a look! What about salt? One kilogram goes for a silver. That store over there is also selling wheat for one silver per kilogram so they have the same exchange rate.

    Kuu said excitedly and I could see her tail wagging under her skirt.

    Her eyes looked at me as if asking for praise, but I felt a little bad that Id have to burst her bubble.

    Certainly Erucy would be able to obtain enough salt. However, such a thing couldnt be our main export.

    Kuu about saltcertainly its valuable around Erucybut in Erin where so many salesmen and goods gather its not especially valuable. You can buy it from a variety of different stores and I even heard that they have a supply location closer to Erin than us.

    But its still selling for a silver.

    Its because of the incredibly high tariffs on it. Salt is a good that will absolutely sell. If you find a location with rock salt then all you need to do is dig it up and sell it. Thats why its mostly the country and nobles who buy up the rights to rock salt mines and monopolize it, before selling at highly inted prices. If other people import salt they wont be able to sell it at the prices that these monopolies set because of the high import taxes meant to preventpetition.

    Uuuuu thats unfair

    Well you have to know the unfairness as well if you want to enter into businessbut thank you Kuu for doing your best toe up with ideas.

    I said kindly and patted her head. Kuus eyes half closed in enjoyment as she entwined her arm with mine. Furthermore as she pressed up against me I could feel her tail wagging and rubbing up against me from beneath her skirt. Recently Ive realized somethingthat when Kuu gets happy she has the habit of unconsciously rubbing her tail against me.

    By the way, animals like foxes have scent nds inside their tails that they rub against things to im as their territory. They also do this to men they like by cing their scent on him and warning other females to stay awayIm unsure if this trait has something to do with Kuus behavior.

    Kuu your tail is getting exposed. Hide it.

    Hyaa! I-Im sorry.

    Kuu quickly pushed her tail back inside her skirt and hid it.

    After perfectly hiding her fox ears beneath a nice hat, if she just let her tail hang out then the entire thing would be ruined. The good thing is that most everyone was focused on their own shopping so I dont think anyone noticed.

    If its a problem of taxes then cant Cyril hide it using your magic?

    Well thats true. As you said Lucy my magic can definitely fool the tax collectors.

    In the end the only time taxes were collected was when you entered the city. If I ced my things inside my item box then they wouldnt be able to find me out. It was possible to avoid the high tariffs and simply bring in salt that I could sell for a high margin of profit.

    However, if we sell a lot of salt then itll be noticeable. Theres no way they wont discover our tax evasion, plus such dishonest activity is not pleasant to do.

    Sorry CyrilI didnt think it through.

    You dont have to apologize. I said it before but Im d you two are doing your best to help me think of things. Thank you Lucy.

    This time I patted Lucys head. Lucy copied Kuu and glued herself to my other arm. She was being bolder than usual. She was probably feeling some jealousy towards Kuu and let herself get carried away.

    Both my arms were linked with two beautiful girls. Surely this kind of fortune was rarer than winning the lottery.

    Thanks to that I couldnt write down notes anymore, but I memorized the signs so I could note it downter. For now Id just enjoy myself.

    Without purchasing anything yet we looked at every shop we couldy eyes on. This would determine our sales when we returned to this city.

    First of all Id like to get 2 tons of barley. With that, the potatoes, and the wheat we got from the party the Fire Foxes should have plenty of food to pass the winter. Furthermore Id like to make a purchase of 1 ton of wheat for our emergency storehouse. This should be definite. ording to market price barley should be 2 silver for 3 kg so 23 gold and wheat is 1kg for 1 silver so it should work out to 17 gold. So it should cost around 40 gold

    The gold wed brought this time added up to 300 in total.

    The entrance pass was 6 gold, the inn was 3 gold, the clothes were 30 gold (if you include the pocket money I gave it was 40), and the livestock came out to 94 gold. We had already used up 133 gold in this trip.

    Adding in the gold we would spend on grain we would spend 173 gold in total. Wed still have 127 gold leftover.

    We even had surplus carrying space as well. The clothes would weigh around 100kg so we should have 900kg of space after everything.

    Lucy, Kuu, didnt you want vinegar?

    We did. Itd be nice to have.

    I want it too. Itd be a good addition.

    It seemed they wanted some voring and it was easy to purchase vinegar here. A single 20 liter jug of vinegar was 20 copper. If we bought 300 of them then we would only spend 4 gold. If we included the jugs in the weight then it should work out to 360kg.

    Well definitely get vinegar, but Im a bit troubled about whether to get herbs and such. Theres sage, rosemary, and thymeif we get those then we can enjoy various scents and vors.

    Cyril you seem excited about that grass? Is that good for filling your stomach?

    Wellits more for improving the smell and taste of food Id say?

    In that case then its denied. We cant afford that kind of luxury. It costs too much and theyre selling dried leaves so we cant even grow them again.

    Uuu, hearing the truth hurts

    Certainly herbs wouldnt be used to fill your stomach. It was simply my own desires. At this point in our development we didnt have the leeway to produce them or buy themfurthermore I was the only one who could use them in cooking skillfully. I couldnt waste our money on something like that. Instead of that I should buy something nutritious and easy to use.

    It cant be helpedIll use my own pocket money to buy some for personal use.

    If we want something filling then we should get some carrots and onions. Theyre fairly easy to preserve. We could also buy some turnip seeds that we can nt. If we nt them now theyll grow throughout the winter and we can harvest them in the spring.

    In truth I actually wanted to raise tomatoes. Just by having them our diets and cooking would undergo a revolution.

    However, growing tomatoes was far harder than normal vegetables. If we bought seedlings and they all withered then things would turn for the worse. When harvest timees around Id have toe back and buy some.

    On the other hand once turnips germinated itd be harder to kill them than it would be to raise them. They were simr to potatoes in that they were very easy for beginners to grow.

    Since it was the appropriate season it was also very easy to obtain these seeds as the stores were selling them.

    Un, I think that should be good. The cloth and the vinegar should be enough to make the elves happy.

    Fire Foxes too. Truly, thank you for buying us such nice clothing. Once we buy the barley we can have enjoyable meals of mile porridge everyday.

    They both smiled as they thought about the people left back in Erucy.

    I wish theyd be a little more selfish and speak their own desires out

    They were at an age where it wouldnt be strange for them to beg me to buy various things for them

    I suppose we should hurry up and buy the stuff

    I went around purchasing the things we had decided on while guessing which things they personally wanted by where they looked and bought that stuff too. Finally we headed back to the inn.

 Book 2: Chapter 13-4: Threat

    Book 2: Chapter 13-4: Threat

    After we returned to the inn we waited for the items we had purchased to be delivered. By that time the sun was beginning to set.

    The clothing store had brought the clothes the two girls had ordered yesterday as well as the semi-order made clothing I had ordered for the two of them.

    They had brought along the change left over from the pre-payment, but I was pleased that the clothing for them had turned out so cute so I gave it to them as a tip instead.

    Once we got back to Erucy Id give them these clothes as a present. The clothing was wonderfully cute so Im sure itd make them happy.

    I used partial Samsara Recursion and activated my Item Box to store away all the goods before we set off from Erin.

    We returned just like we had arrived. I princess-carried Lucy and piggy-backed Kuu as I ran.

    After running about 40Km I could feel Kuu be suddenly unsettled on my back.

    Kuu youre strangely restlessIt was simr when we were traveling here as wellis there something around here?

    Kuu trembled for a moment at my sudden question.

    Its nothing.

    Kuu, you dont have to lie. I felt your uneasiness when we ran by here on the way but seeing as we were pressed for time I let it gobut this time I have some leeway to listen.

    Truly it wouldve been best to deal with this on the journey towards Erin, but we had to aplish our objective quickly so I simply ignored it. However, no matter what I wanted to deal with Kuus worries as much as I could.

    ..umm, its nothing much butthe vige were Big Brother and the rest ran away too is around here. Its a small vige with various races living inside it

    I see, I canpletely understand why she was feeling unsettled.

    You want to check on their safety dont you Kuu?

    Yes, indeed. But wed have to take a detour so I think we should just keep moving.

    I couldnt see Kuus face from this position, but I was sure she was making the same smile she usually makes when shed forcing herself.

    Once I imagined that painful expression I couldnt pretend to be ignorant.

    Kuu guide us. Id like to give my greetings at least once. During the war with the Empire it might be a great help to havemunications with them. Also theres some specialty goods that Id like to buy. Ive made the decision that it is necessary for me to show my face as the Leader of Erucy.

    Is it reallyokay?

    Of course. So go ahead and point us in the right direction.

    Cyril-kunthank you. Its this way.

    As Kuu guided us we moved further from the main road as we entered deeper into the forest.

    Once we emerged from the trees into arge clearing we were able to catch sight of a vige.

    This is the vige that my brother and the others nned to escape to. We have had good rtions with them in the past. Plus since they are close to Erin we can save up money to buy food if were careful. This was decided by my father and brother.

    I listened to Kuus exnation before putting them both down and checking the area.

    This is strangeits far too quiet.

    I dont feel the presence of people. Theres something up.

    Just in case I used Perception Expansion to check further.

    What.the hell?

    In a blind spot from where we stood was a Fire Fox girl with her heart torn from her chest. Furthermore it was a fresh corpse. Not even a day had passed. By expanding Perception Expansion even further I could sense that it wasnt just one or two corpses

    Who could have done this? If it was the Empire then they would have killed the men, but kidnapped the women.

    As I was thinkingsuddenly I sensed something charging towards us at insane speeds.

    It was even faster than when I used my wind magic to move.

    Ha!

    The thing that came attacking from behind swung a long sword at me.

    Im sure it was meant to be a surprise attack, but I was able to see it.

    I rxedly took my time to dodge..but I couldnt. The sword was held in a stance that could attack quickly a second time and reap my life if I chose to dodge. I had no choice but to block it.

    Che!

    I held my knife in a reverse grip and nted it to slip my opponents blow to one side.

    It was the perfect way to deal with an enemys power. It was an ideal deflection. The opponents de struck my knife and was forced to slip down and strike the ground with a thunderous roar as it stabbed deeply into the earth.

    Even so I heard a cracking sound as my own arm was fractured and nearly snapped.

    Even after perfectly turning it aside I received a percentage of the impact.

    It was unbelievable, but with only those few percent of force my opponent was able to break my arm.

    However, that didnt even matter. What mattered was this showed an opening in my opponents defenses.

    I sent a high kick towards their defenseless temple. The knife hidden in the tip of my boot shot out. It was a perfect strike blended with all my bodys force as well as Body Enhancement magic.

    My kick made contactmy enemy shook slightly. However, the knife was smashed without stabbing my enemy and I felt a dull pain run through my ankle.

    Body Enhancement magic? But I dont feel any mana reaction. It feels like pure defensive powering from internal magic power.

    I couldnt help but doubt my own eyes. A defense like this that depends entirely on internal magic power has a decidedly weak effect on outside phenomena. Even if I put all of my power to use to try and aplish the same thing, I would bepletely unable to break the knife using such defenses.

    To make this possible my opponent would need at least 32 times greater magic power than I currently posses. There was only one living creature that I could think of that could posses such might.

    Huheven after I came to cut you down you survived. You even managed to make a cheeky counterattack.

    This beingthis young womanlightly pulled her sword out of the ground and looked at me with a fearless smile.

    She was dainty youngdy. She couldnt have been taller than 150cm. She had shoulder-length ck hair in a casual hair style. She wore no armor and wore clothes that could make you think she was a simple vigess.

    Around her neck was a warm looking muffler. I felt I had seen something simr before. It was a beautiful golden fluffy muffler..

    Big Brother.Thats Big Brothers tail! Thatthat cant be.Nooooooooooooooo!!!

    Kuu screamed desperately as she pointed to the muffler fit smugly around the youngdys neck..her brothers tail.

 Book 2: Chapter 14-1: Hero

    Book 2: Chapter 14-1: Hero

    Upon hearing Kuus shriek the ck haired girl tilted her head.

    Older brothers tail? Ohh this was your brotherwell you know its been pretty coldtely right? It looked really warm so I just cut it off to use as a muffler. Just look at it, its so fluffy, soft, and cute right?

    She said with a carefree smile as she stroked the tail. It was repulsive.

    Nii-sama? What about Nii-sama? Is he still alive?

    No hes dead. First I dug out his heart to kill him then I cut off the tails. Im just borrowing this one. This isnt the only one of course. The nobles value Fire Fox tails very highly as essories. Theyre rarely on the market so they sell for insane high prices. So I took the trouble of cutting them all of and gathering them up. Your brothers tail was the nicest looking one so I borrowed it, butter Ill sell it when I get back. It was really worth going so far out of my jurisdiction. I got the best special bonus.

    just for these worthless thingsyou didnt just kill them but shamed them as well

    Kuus tail bristled as she red hatefully at the ck haired girl.

    Fire mana was gathering around Kuu at an incredible rate.

    Kuu, calm yourself for now. I still need to talk to this one.

    I held her back for the moment.

    But!

    Did you forget?

    At those words Kuu paused and looked despondent. She should have remembered the agreement with me to act properly as the Chief of her people.

    Even so the mes of hatred burned bright within her as she continued to re daggers at the girl.

    Soyoure the Hero of the Empire?

    I asked bluntly. For this girl to be so outside of the norm there was no question that she was anything except their Hero.

    Heroes were usually born at a rate of one every decade or so.

    Normally humans are very weak. All of their attribute affinities are half-assed and their physical attributes fell behind almost every other race. If you had to say anything good about them it would have to be that they are fairly good at handling their own internal magic power.

    However, sometimes there are humans born who in exchange for having no affinity for any attribute of magic they instead have an incredible amount of internal magic power, an ability to emit incredible amounts of said magic, and inherent powers.

    They are strange existences in this world of magic that can be born in any location. Another world had a theory that their birth was the result of a reaction of mana to create a being meant to destroy things. In another world they were theorized to have the protection of the stars and were blessed by the Creator of the World. For that purpose they had attained overwhelming internal magic power for battle.

    Hero? Ohh yeah they do call me that sometimes. But I just call myself a mercenary. I grant my employers wishes with violence and they give me money. Things like the word Hero stink of vagueness and hypocrisyI prefer mercenary as its better understood.

    The girl said with a shrug. She gave off an impression that she took everything lightly.

    The client this time should be the Empire right? Then why did you kill them? At the very least the Empire would ask you to let the women live and kidnap them right?

    You really know your stuff. Thats right. I got orders that this vige of the Empire was taken over by violent Fire Fox insurgents. I was supposed to kill the Fire Foxes and save the vigers. I should also let the women live as much as possible. Its a job suitable for a Hero right? But you knowwell since Im a girl too I felt sympathy for the girls that got captured you know? I wondered if it wouldnt be easier on them if they just died hereafter such intense resistance I reluctantly decided to just kill them. Itd be troublesome, plus the Empire would treat them badly, they also resist too fiercely, and it would take two more days to reach the Empire too.

    She said with a satisfied expression as if saying look how kind I am.

    In that caseI have a question. Why is everyone including the Fire Foxes dead?

    Ahh that? I had one other request which was to punish the treacherous vigers who sheltered the Fire Foxes.

    Dont these two requests conflict?

    One of the requests was to subjugate the Fire Foxes and save the vigers, but the second subjugate the vigers themselves. No matter how you thought about it it was inconsistent.

    If you think too hard about stuff like that you cant survive in this line of work. Anyways, I just killed em all and finished it. I mean, most of the Fire Foxes would self destruct before I get the chance to kill them and I wouldnt be able to get the treasures. Isnt telling me to capture them after forcing me toe all the way out here? After all you can never tell when one of them is gonna try to blow themselves up.

    Thats different than what you said a minute ago. Didnt you say you did it because you sympathized with them?

    Ahh, that was just my good person appeal. If you want the honest truth I just killed them because it was a pain in the ass to capture them. Plus if I dont kill them I cant take their tails and I lose part of my bonus.

    Kuu couldnt resist anymore and the air around us heated up from the burning rage within her.

    PICTURE</a>

    Icant hold back anymoreIm going to kill you.

    I think Ive heard that around a hundred times today. Well, you can give it a try I guess. In fact I think your tail is the prettiest Ive seen yet. I think Ill make it mine. I dont need this one anymore.

    Shemented and casually tossed away the tail she had wrapped around her neck.

    We looked and saw that there was a pile of Fire Fox tails lying there ready to be taken back and sold.

    Next to those tails was a small mountain of bright red jewels. They were the fire stones produced by gouging out the hearts of living Fire Foxes.

 Book 2: Chapter 14-2: Hero

    Book 2: Chapter 14-2: Hero

    Kuus eyes opened wide as she raised her hands before her and mes erupted from them.

    The mes raged with such intensity that they started to turn white. They transitioned from red to blue and then to white. They radiated outwards and spread to leave no possibility of escape.

    It was in to anyone that these were nearly impossible to avoid and would burn their target to ash without even leaving bones. Even so the girl merely smiled and dashed towards them before instantly leaping high into the air over the mes.

    She flipped once and brandished her sword.

    I quickly kicked Kuu aside. I felt bad for her, but I didnt have the time to nicely carry her out of harms way.

    Kyaa!

    Then the girls sword cut through the space where Kuu had been only a moment before.

    So you avoided those mes hmm?

    I gave a sidelong nce and checked what magic she was using. She had been using Body Enhancement alone.

    If instead of kicking Kuu out of the way I had instead ced a magical defense then she would have pierced straight through it. Her magic power was great enough that she could achieve such a thing.

    That she hadnt even twitched showed that it was most likely that she had simply utilized Body Enhancement to increase her strength or firmness. Such magic was much lower in difficulty than an overall Body Enhancement.

    Kicking a girl asidehow brutish~. What would you do if you left a scar?

    At that time I would simply take responsibility.

    You still have the leeway to joke around I see. Even though youre just a guy who chats up a girl like me to buy time~

    Thanks to that my ankle is all healed up. If youd give me a bit more time my broken arm would be fixed too. How about giving me 2 more minutes to get it fixed?

    Thats no good. Somehowyoure weak, but I get a bad feeling about it.

    She leapt at me full force before she even finished her words.

    Just by watching her movements up until now I understood. She was several times stronger than me. Her internal magical power, her ability to emit magical power, and her pure physical abilities were far and away superior to my own.

    With Samsara Recursion I could definitely call a me that was stronger than her. However, it had not been 12 hours since I invoked my partial activation back in the city. I would end up injuring my soul.

    Furthermore, Samsara Recursion would take at least 20 seconds of uninterrupted and concentrated spell casting to get things just right.

    Leaving myself defenseless before a foe such as this girl for so long would be enough for me to die ten times.

    In the first ce I had no intention of showing these two anything except my appearance as Cyril.

    It was necessary to remain as Cyril and still go into battle. Even with my dominant arm broken and against such a monstrous opponent

    I asked myself. Can I win? I can.

    Are you afraid of me?

    I lightly spoke as we fought and I started up my spells.

    I limited my Perception Expansion to within 50 meters of myself to lower the burden and increase every bit of relevant information that got through to me.

    I adjusted my Body Enhancement from low energy mode to the limits of my own endurance.

    I switched Program from general purpose mode to personalbat mode, further increasing the optimization and movements.

    I activated Wind Armor which would wrap my body in wind and allow my limbs to move about the air as if aided by a tailwind. This would increase my movement speed and at times aid in interrupting the enemys movement. At the same time it provided a small measure of physical defense.

    Of course not, its just annoying.

    She said as she simply swung her sword at me.

    However, this time I was able to dodge half my body to the side and the sword blow missed entirely.

    Thanks to reducing the effective range of my senses I was able to obtain more urate and detailed information, which in turn informed my optimized program of the correct movements to make, which would in turn activate my strengthened body, and the wind which increased my movement speed.

    If it was limited to simply dodging then I could catch up.

    If possible I would have liked to activate Self-healing Enhancement as well, but my operational abilities at the moment limited simultaneous spells to four.

    How weirdit feels like youre faster than before. Why arent you dying?

    Hmm, I wonder~

    Since a while ago she had continued to deal blows that would be lethal to me if they hit. They were all almost as strong as the first blow she dealt which had broken my arm.

    Due to the change in her magic I could sense her movements and could dodge appropriately. However, I was stuck in a situation where I didnt have any ck to counterattack.

    Ugh a, how annoying! You know Ill kill you eventually so why dont you just hurry up and keel over. You dont have any chance of killing me. You wouldve used it at the start if you did.

    Well, I wouldnt limit myself like that. Im confident I have a weapon that can injure you at least.

    In that case just hurry up and show it off.

    Feeling frustration at being unable to cut me down she made a veryrge swing. As I had thought, this girl has a short temper. Rather than saying her sword skill was immature I would rather say that it was just like a kid swinging a sword randomly.

    Thanks to her overwhelming physical abilities she had never had a hard fight where this was a disadvantage. For her it had never been necessary to learn proper swordsmanship.

    There was no way I wouldnt be able to capture such an opening. I locked swords and forced her sword to m into the ground.

    It was a rey of what had happened earlier.

    Shi!

    However, this time the predator and prey were reversed. I activated the osciting cutting edge on my de and enhanced the hardness of the knife. I used my left arm to take that de and stab straight towards her face.

    A high pitched screeching erupted and the sound of a hard object getting shaved down echoed out.

    It was just that, her skin was not shaved down, it was the high performance knife. The hardness had been raised to a degree where the surface of the de itself had been worn down.

    Furthermore I had used the entire strength of my body to stab it in. It was slight, but she had been hit. For just a moment I had felt the sensation of stabbing my knife into a hard wall and her head rocked back slightly.

    She recovered her stance and took some distance.

    That was your trump card? How disappointing

    Not necessarily. Its enough. Three things I have set up to lead me to victory. The first is your cheek. It was only a scratch but I did wound you.

    It was a mere drop, but she had bled. Using my full enhanced physical power and an osciting knife I was able to draw a single drop of blood..thinking of it like that left bitter feelings, but that let me learn that she wasnt using a proper general defense. She was using her magic to harden her skin.

    This kind of woundlook its already healed.

    It was probably the power of Self-Healing Enhancement. Her wound closed quickly.

    The second thing. When I stabbed the knife in, your neck bent.

    This was another piece of important information. If she had set up a magical wall type of spell then such a thing would have hardened the space around her head. No matter how hard I pushed in the knife her neck wouldnt have budged an inch.

    This was proof positive that what she was doing was a simple strengthening of her body through magic.

    Then the third thingwas the powder like shavings that hade from my knife being worn down in the attack. I had secretly gathered those in my pocket.

 Book 2: Chapter 14-3: Hero

    Book 2: Chapter 14-3: Hero

    Whats the point of such trivial things!?

    She cried out and roughly attacked me with even greater speed and ferocity. Among the sword swings she mixed in punches and kicks.

    However, I was dodging these attacks with more and more ease. No matter how many attacks came I was dodging them safely.

    My automatic movement magic Program was evolving. Program was a spell that would only read data from an opponents body and choose the optimal movements to deal with their actions. However, along the way it would collect data on how they moved, what habits they had, and it would build a pattern. The umted data would improve my responses and my movements would increase in speed and uracy.

    It would start to catch up and predict what the opponent would do even before they started their movements.

    She had been fighting me for quite some time. The longer I observed her movements the more pronounced my advantage would be.

    A short while ago I had removed Wind Armor. At this point I was able to dodge her blows even without the added assistance.

    Once again I spotted an opening. This time I moved the right hand that she still assumed was broken and thrust my palm into her chest.

    Kwaa

    It feels bad doesnt it? The surface is hard, but impacts still travel through it.

    What I had used was a technique that pierces through armor. I had aimed at her heart with it and hit. No matter what kind of monster you were a strike directly at your heart would slow or stop your movements for some time.

    Since I had no need for Wind Armor I had reced the fourth spell with Self-Healing Enhancement.

    Finally my dominant hand hadpletely recovered.

    Plus if youre only hardening yourself then I can do this as well.

    I crouched low and used the instant she was still stunned to kick her feet out from under her. Her body began falling to the ground.

    As she was still in the midst of falling I called a powerful gust of wind to send her flying up into the sky.

    Since her feet hadnt been touching the ground she had no way to brace herself and so she was flung into the air like a doll. I instantly bound her in the air using my wind magic.

    Lucy, Kuu!

    Got it!

    Leave it to me!

    Ever since I had kicked Kuu away she had sat on the sidelines biding her time and charging her mes for the moment she got the opportunity to attack.

    She knew after the first failed strike that she wouldnt be able to hit this girl on her own, but she believed that I would provide her a chance to attack and waited for it.

    Furthermore Lucy was next to her. She knew. She knew that our wind magic could make Kuus mes incredibly powerful.

    As Kuu extended her hand Lucy ced her own hand on top.

    Know our pain and rage! Fox Fire!

    Squall!

    Kuus white mes were enveloped in Lucys powerful wind and they exploded into a raging inferno that rushed towards the girl still suspended in the air. The temperature was raised so high that it surpassed white and changed to violet. The power was iparable to what Kuu had fired by herself. It would perfectly hit the girl I had left suspended in the air.

    As the mes shot towards her I released my wind restraints.

    She was being incinerated by the mes as she fell to the ground. Her body was covered in carbonized flesh.

    Dead. I thought for a moment, but that ckened lump slowly stood up.

    I let my guard down~ I died

    The ckened and carbonized flesh began to fall off of her body as beautiful and unblemished skin was revealed beneath it.

    Her sword and armor had been burnt to nothingness and she stood their nakedbut not a burn was left on her skin.

    You know mes? Apparently I have some resistance to them, but not for those with that kind of power it seemsReallyIt hurt. This is the most Ive been hurt since I was born.

    Her gaze sharpened with enormous killing intent, but I merely sneered back at her.

    I see, then would you like to try it once more? I can send you into the sky and grill you as much as you please.

    Her movements were fast but clumsy. If things continued then I could simply repeat this over and over.

    Uh-uh. Im good. Im sick of this. I wont even take a step and Ill still kill you. With my trump card.

    I felt her magic power swell. Her hair rose into the air along with her power.

    PICTURE</a>

    It was the sign that she was preparing the inherent magic that wasmon to all Heroes.

    Dont worry, you wont have any time to feel pain. Good bye.

    She said with a smile as lightning shot from her hand.

    The lightning moved at a speed exceeding 200km per second and it had an output of 90,000,000,000 watts exceeding the power of the real thing.

    Let aside dodging you couldnt even react. It had enough power to kill me a thousand times over.

    But that lightning strike would never reach me.

    Ill return your previous line back to you! Thats your trump card? What a let down

    This cant be!

    Once again she summoned her magic power and fired more lightning bolts than seemed possible.

    It seems she had absolute faith in this lightning attack.

    No matter how unbelievable the amount of magic power Heroes possessed, they did not borrow aid from the mana around them and could only use the magic inherent in their bodies. Even with her storage capacity she kept firing off these lightning bolts that consumed incredible amounts of energybefore long her limits would appear.

    However, no matter how hard she tried the lightning bolts would never reach me.

    Its useless. That level of power will never be able to pierce my defenses.

    I lied with aplete poker face.

    Indeed, even though I had constructed a magical defense, piercing it was a matter of power.

    Of course the truth was something different. Originally air was an instor that didnt allow electricity to pass through. A lightning strike was when the electrical discharge built up enough power to burn through it and strike its target.

    However, if the air was too high pressure and thick the destructive bolt would be unable to pass through. I had raised the atmospheric pressure of the air around me to stop the bolt from passing through. No matter how powerful the strike it would be unable to pierce my defenses.

    Then how do you like this!!

    She was easily provoked and summoned an extrarge lightning strike.

    I easily blocked it while taking no damage. However, I acted like the strike had pierced through my defenses a bit and damaged me.

    Ku!

    Hahaha! This is my power! Dont you see!? Thats nothing, I can go even stronger!

    As long as she raised the power of her attacks she would be able to burn me to cinders. She believed that silly lie and continued to put all her power into wasting her magic.

 Book 2: Chapter 14-4: Hero

    Book 2: Chapter 14-4: Hero

    Once she had fired off about ten more her body was bathed in sweat as she breathed roughly. She finally realized something was wrong.

    W-Why..?

    She asked with true confusion as she tilted her head. But I didnt bother answering. Instead I plunged towards her and attacked.

    She was tired and she let down her guard allowing my knife to stab into her without reacting.

    If she had been using Body Enhancement at full power like usual her skin would have stopped my strike. But my de stabbed her and blood poured out.

    Whats wrong? Your defenses are getting weak.

    After wasting so much magic power with a barrage of lightning she had unknowingly whittled away at the very magic that fueled her Body Enhancement which protected her.

    T-thiswhyyoure weakbut why is this?

    I see, so this is your first time fighting someone stronger than you? Remember it well. I have several more methods to defeat enemies even stronger than you are.

    Shut up and die!

    She focused on providing more power for her Body Hardening but her usage of Body Enhancement became sloppy and slowed her own movements.

    I moved around her like a snake cutting at her lightly and only striking with full power when her Body Hardening wavered.

    I was holding down my magic consumption to speed up my recovery while she was using her full power to activate Body Hardening and Body Enhancement.

    Her magic shortage became more sever as time wore on and she began to look pale. But even so she desperately held her fighting stance so that I wouldnt knock her off her feet again.

    At that moment I took a step back.

    With her extreme caution this simple movement caused her to stiffen.

    That moment was what I was aiming for.

    My true trump card for this situation. To use it I required an opportunity. It was something that was impossible to achieve when she was one-sidedly attacking me.

    Pressure Maniption

    I dumped the water out of the sk on my hip and gathered it into my hand with magic before pressurizing it.

    Elves had the highestpatibility with wind with a rating of 90, but our affinity with water was still 70 which was plenty.

    Then I mixed the water with the metal powder I had produced when I stabbed her with the high oscition knife. The victory at that time had only been one part of a three part n I had prepared.

    Pressure Maniption

    I used water magic to build up the pressure to the absolute peak. Then I further increased it by using wind magic to push further.

    Then what was born in the fusion of two magics was

    Combo Magic Water de

    The water that had been pressured to the utmost limit by wind and water magic shot out a de traveling at three times the speed of sound.

    Rather than a de it was practically aser beam that could pierce through a single point.

    Water that waspressed to such a degree would transform into a deadly weapon. Mixing in metal powder would increase the violent cutting power exponentially.

    As Cyril this was currently my fastest and strongest magic spell.

    It was aposite magic so I had to stop casting one of the spells I usually kept active like Body Enhancement, Program, or Perception Expansion. But it was worth the risk for the absolute increase in power.

    Gahhh!

    The Water de sliced through her skin and dyed her with blood.

    A huge gash that went down to the bone opened up on her body. No matter how you looked at it it should be fatal. However, Heroes were creatures you couldnt neglect.

    Water de

    I aimed to cut her from head to crotch. She had already been fatally wounded, and her body was now unprotected by Body Hardeningso the de passed through herpletely and cut her in half.

    The Hero died.

    However, a desire for survival was ingrained in creatures from birth. Even split in half as long as the cells in her body survived, the most basic survival instinct within her may cause her magic to automatically begin healing her back and reviving her.

    Kuu, burn it.

    understood.

    Even with this I couldnt bepletely at ease so I had Kuu burn her to ash.

    Burn her until not even a single cell remained.

    It was only after this that I could say Now we should be fine. That was the kind of existence a Hero was.

    Kuu, Im sorry.

    What are you apologizing for?

    I kicked you and I was unable to protect them.

    Thatwasnt your fault Cyril-kun.

    Kuu hid her face and denied my words.

    In truth she was probably thinking If we hade here on the way to the city instead of on the way back wouldnt they have been saved?

    Even I was wondering as much, so it was certain that Kuu would be thinking it.

    Cyril-kun, I have a request.

    Kuu said with a meek face.

    Go ahead and ask.

    The Fire Fox tails that that girl cut offplease dont sell them. Id like to bury them properly.

    Kuu desperately plead.

    Certainly our tails are worth money. Our tails and magic stones are so valuable that people appear every year to attack us. I even know that Erucy needs money more than ever! Buttails are special to us. To beid to rest without them is pitiful and hateful. We can do whatever is needed of us, well do whatever you want, but please dont sell these.

    I understand. I wasnt going to sell them. Butthe Empire soldiers will be here soon so we should bring them back to Erucy for burial. Is that okay?

    Thank you very much. Our dead friends will be able to rest at ease.

    I hugged Kuu as she spoke with tears in her eyes.

    Hey Kuu.do you hate the Empire?

    I hate them. My vige, my family, and my friendsthey stole all of them from me. I hate them.

    I seeI dont think anyone has said it properly butwhen the snow melts well be going to war. The Empire will attack us with over 3,000 soldiers.

    Lucy and Kuu gasped at my words.

    It was a number 10 times that of our total poption. Once it would be an unbeatable number.

    I have a n to ensure our victory. However, that n needs the Fire Foxes and your magic stones. It will deal them a serious wound. It will be filled with danger and by using magic stones it will be as if I were using the lives of the Fire Foxes to kill them. Can you forgive that Kuu?

    Forgive it? Noit makes me happy. Our power will be what defeats themalso

    Kuu looked among the tails and magic stones piled up and pulled out one of the stones that was clearly a deeper red than the others.

    I can fight together with my brother and the others.

    Ill believe in you then.

    I smiled wryly.

    In the first ce I had thought of this n a while ago, but if I brought it up now it would give Kuu a reason to move forward.

    Not to be swallowed up by her sorrow, but to continue walking.

    Lets leave before the Imperial Soldiers get here. Well only be bringing the Fire Fox tails and magic stones. We have to give up on burying their bodies. Could you two search the vige for any survivors? Its a bit dangerous so Id like the both of you to go.

    Understood Ill be off.

    Well be back quickly.

    The two set off running.

    After seeing them off I slowly opened my mouth.

    Even with this you wont die?

    The girls presence still lingered here.

    Even though it was a Hero, it had been a long time since Id seen such a tenacious creature.

    It was only a matter of time before she revived.

    You must have been thinkingthat one such as myself could not possibly kill you.

    After all, even after being burnt to ash she still hadnt been extinguished.

    That nothing could be done anymore.

    However, there is a mewho is not me that can do it.

    It was for that reason that I drove them away.

    Who gives a damn about some soul injury? Letting this monster escape from me at this point is much scarier.

    Liberate me my soul. Let a miracle beyond time descend upon me here.

    I began the chant to draw my power from within me.

    My soul warped and screamed.

    I ignored the pain and the screaming as I imagined the me of the past.

    I desire the Greedy King from the World of Darkest Night, his name is..

    A name from my past. I called a nostalgic name with a sonorous voice.

    Gramdeal! Samsara Recursion!

    Light enveloped my body.

    My inherent magic activated.

    The light subsided and my body was wrapped in a jet ck coat with eyes and hair the same color of ck.

    Inside my mouth were long fangs.

    PICTURE</a>

    Now then, shall I eat? Predation

    My current form was that of a vampire that I had once lived as.

    Vampires had the image that they sucked blood, but the essence of their being was plundering and devouring.

    The ability to devour magic, souls, and anything in between and at times to rule over it. That was the core of a vampire.

    I will steal your everything.

    Once activated my vampire magic Predation would begin to devour the remains of the Hero. Her magical power, her soul, and any residual thoughts would be consumed.

    It would meanplete annihtion.

    My power began to overflow. It was an overwhelming feeling slightly different to how it felt when I had killed the mobs as Deet.

    Finally, her existence weakened before finally being extinguished.

    As expectedaplete extinction.

    Nothere was a slight difort. As if I was having indigestionlike something within me was still living..

    Release Gramdeal.

    To confirm my suspicions I undid Samsara Recursion.

    Suddenly I clutched at my chest in pain. The rebound of overusing Samsara Recursion was tormenting my mind, body, and soul with pain.

    I couldnt remain standing and copsed to the ground.

    <em>cough</em>

    I coughed up blood.

    For a while I would be unable to stand or use magic.

    Thankfully it would end with this much because I only used it once after having a few hours of rest.

    If the time in between using Samsara Recursion had been shorter or my time as Gramdeal had been longer I might have suffered memory loss or a grave injury to my magical circuits.

    I felt sorry for Lucy and Kuu who were doing their best right now, but I needed to rest for now.

    Then I simply remained staring at the sky as I waited for them toe back.

    By the time they returned I had barely managed to recover somewhat and the three of us left the vige.

 Book 2 Epilogue 1: Oath

    Book 2 Epilogue 1: Oath

    As I ran carrying Kuu and Lucy my vision warped and wavered as my body couldnt stop shaking.

    The bacsh from overusing Samsara Recursion was harsh.

    At this rate

    Im sorry. Im at my limits. Please take care of the rest.

    I squeezed out thest of my strength and put the girls down on the side of the road gently.

    After that I couldnt help but swoon, stumble two steps forward, and copse against a nearby tree.

    Cyril!

    Cyril-kun!

    They both panicked and ran over. I felt like their voices wereing from a great distance.

    My consciousness was fading.

    I had gained us quite some distance. We were only 50 km away from Erucy by now. The chances of encountering Imperial forces this far out were minuscule. It was close enough that at the very least Kuu and Lucy would be able to return.

    Hide, for one nightthen if I dont, wake up by then, run away by yourselves.

    I barely managed to speak before my mind sunk into ckness.

    A vacant pure white room. My usual mental world.

    I realized that I was within a dream.

    However, it was strangely cold. I focused my senses and thought of my own body to materialize it. Then I hugged myself for warmth.

    Whatis this?

    I was shivering and shaking. It wasnt just that I felt cold, I was strangely exhausted.

    Part of it was the rebound from Samsara Recursion but that was only a bit of it.

    Yaa, so we meet again.

    There was another existence besides me and the other mes.

    It was a young ck haired girl.

    She had an impish smile on her face.

    Woow was a surprised. Not only did you kill me, but you went even further. You ended up eating every bit of my existencereally surprised me. You ate me and made my existence a part of yourself. If you go that far then even I cant revive from that. Really I was shocked that there was someone in this world capable of actually killing me.

    Whydo you still have awareness?

    What a weird thing to ask. Its because you ate me whole in one bite. Normal people would get digested and die, but Im strong.

    The ck haired girls smile deepened.

    Thats as far as you were able to devour me.

    The exhaustion in my body became stronger. My gaze warped and twisted. It feels bad. What is this?

    My soul and your own have be one. Then isnt it obvious that the stronger personality and will takes the initiative? Plusdidnt you find it too easy to devour me? I had already cast a secret art that protects my soul and consciousness. In shortIm dead, but from now on Ill live on as you. This body that killed me and your knowledgeIll take all of it. With this Ill be able to earn even more.

    I desperately grasped onto my fading awareness. If I let go now then Id never return to being Cyril. I dont want this. I want to live as Cyril and be with Lucy.

    If you want to hate something then hate that you invited a strong soul with a vivid personality like mine inside yourself while not being strong enough to handle it. Goodbye.

    The girl announced her victory.

    However

    Ahahahahahahahahaha

    To call such a shallow and petty technique a secret art

    Strong soul? You call this tawdry imitation a soul?

    Vivid Personality? Oioi thats a joke right!? That faith without any passionan empty existence? Ahh Iughed too much and now my stomach hurts.

    The room echoed from the sound of unseen and indifferent existences scorning her existence.

    My body temperature returned to normal and the weariness in my soul disappeared.

    What, is, this, so weirdIm disappearing, butI should be on the taking side. Like always. From now on, as well, but, why is it, different now?

    The girl started panicking and it looked like she was doing a foolish dance as she fumbled around her body looking for something.

    Haa

    Suddenly I saw arge ck hole appear around her feet and a huge lion sized dog emerged from it with mouth opened wide and began to swallow the girl whole.

    Bark bark

    The dog didnt even need to chew. It simply continued to devour her body slowly andpletely.

    No I dont want to disappear! I dont want to die! I wasnt told about this. This is impossible. How is it possible for a soul to have two! No, theres so many? All separate but one? Then why is thisthere shouldnt be a person like this.

    There is one though. Un, for a toy its pretty well made. For an inherent magichuh, unexpectedly simple in structure. If its at this degree then we can repurpose it for general use, but the idea is creative. To think that aftering here wed make a new discoverybut what a shame. Howcking. What an uninteresting soul.

    Please let me live, Ill doIll do anything so!

    Nah dont wanna. Its gross. I dont like other people staying in my room.

    Those words finished it and the girl waspletely devoured. The dog finally revealed its full body from the hole.

    Its jet ck coat was beautiful. Looking more closely it had sharp features, sharp fangs, and looked more like a wolf than a dog.

    It was just that identifying a creature that was more than 3 meters long as a wolf was a bit off.

    The ck wolf started licking and grooming itself.

    The me unknown to myself. At the very least it was one of the 5 mes that I could not recall. One of them had shown their presence.

    Hey me, its been a while. Youre living it up I see.

    The gathering of personalities that had my full set of memories called out to me.

    Other than appearance youre acting much more human-like than thest time I saw you.

    Well Ive been experiencing your emotions after all. Once you perceived my existence Ive experienced more through your eyes and its been reminding me of my life and my emotions. Well right now Im pushing it a bit and emting how a normal person would act.

    My voice sounded as though speaking like a normal person was tiring for them.

    Thanks. You saved me.

    Well, after all its for my sake. The Cyril personality is really nice to experience so I dont want anything to break it. Youve gotta be more careful. Deets Soul Eater just gathers broken souls into you, but Gramdeals Predation eats things wholeIts bad for our digestion.

    For my sake the other me pointed this out, but I didnt understand.

    I know that. Its about my other self after all.

    No thats not it. Gramdeal held a strong will and vivid personality so no matter who he eats he never wavered. You didnt understand the inherent danger in using Predation.

    Thats rightthats why I used Predation without hesitation. If Id thought a bit I wouldve discovered the risk, but Gramdeals memories didnt include any aspect of danger from it so I simply ignored it and went with the flow.

    Sorry for being weak I guess.

    But heres the thingits weird that though Cyrils will and existence is still thin and weak you were able to force yourself to remain.

    You said that you simply gave me some memories and experience right? You other Mes didnt mess with my personality or existence right?

    Youre right. However, even without purposeful meddling the memories and experience I gave you would break down your personality. For example your preferences arent just of Elf Cyrilits closer to a Japanese man from Earth. You dont hesitate when killing people. You easily embrace a girl who you see doing her best. These are all aspects that changed when you received experience and memories.

    I was at a loss for words. Certainly when it was brought up I realized my changes.

    Despite thatthats as far as it went. Fundamentally you are Cyril and nothing else. There are exceptions but receiving all memories and experience would warp your existence and crush your individuality. Youd be an imitation of me or break. In that case I would move to the surface.

    In my innermost depths the ck wolf form me stared at me with round eyes.

    If you had an overwhelming existence and personality like Gramdeal then I would understand. If you had a mulish or high minded spirit that set you apart from others I could also ept it. But I just cant understand Cyril. Could you teach me why?

    I looked inside myself and easily found the answer.

    Iwant to stay the me that both Lucy and Kuu love. That other me wouldnt be the same. Thats why I cant be anything other than Myself.

    Hearing that the ck wolf looked dumbfounded before opening its mouth wide andughing.

    It looked as if it were howling.

    To think, such a reason would protect you. Thank you. There was worth in saving you. Well, do your best to enjoy our life me.

    Arge ck hole reappeared beneath the wolfs feet as it slowly sunk back into the ground.

    Ill warn you though, its probably best if you fix your habit of choosing troublesome women. No waitthis might also be my influence.a beautiful elf, next is a golden fox, then that girl, and it may be inevitable

    Its voice faded into the distance.

    As always I faded away while murmuring something.

    Because it was me I understood. Wanting to say something, yet also wanting to not voice it. Thats why it did things half-baked like that.

    I think my eye for women is better. At least better than mine

    I retorted onest time before the dream ended.

 Book 2 Epilogue 2: Oath

    Book 2 Epilogue 2: Oath

    Good morning Cyril.

    When my eyes opened Lucys gaze met mine.

    Lucy was sitting in a tree while keeping watch of the surroundings.

    I felt a warm and soft sensation on my right arm. I nced over to see Kuu hugging my arm as she slept soundly.

    Good morning Lucy. How long was I asleep?

    Since you copsedst evening. Its around noon right now.

    I slept that long? It was partially that ck-haired girls fault, but the damage from overusing Samsara Recursion mustve exceeded my expectations. There was a reason why I had set a limit on it.

    You kept watch? Sorry about that. Did you get any sleep?

    Uhuh, Kuu-chan was keeping watch until just a while ago and I was sleeping.

    I see, thank you Lucy, thank you Kuu.

    I thanked each of them and patted Kuus head as she slept.

    Nevertheless, Kuus sleeping face was adorable.

    Kuus eyes were still damp with tears. Im sure she had been crying up until she fell asleep.

    Cyril, is your body okay? You werent injured but we were worried since you suddenly copsed.

    Dont worry. I had to use too much magic to fight that Hero and it exhausted me.

    As if saying thank goodness Lucy let out a sigh of relief.

    Sorry for making you worry about me Lucy.

    No, the reason Cyril has to work so hard is because were still weak. Well work hard to be dependable.

    Just the sentiment alone makes me happy.

    We dont want it to stop with just sentiment.

    Just talking normally with Lucy like this felt like it was healing me. Because shes here I feel like I can still remain as myself despite everything.

    Id feel bad to wake up Kuu at this point so this time Ill carry her in my arms and Ill carry you on my back Lucy. We need to hurry back or therell be trouble.

    It wouldnt be strange if snow started to fall any day now. I had ced plenty of feed inside the goat barn, but by now they had probably eaten through most of it and if they stayed in such an enclosed area for too long their health would worsen.

    There was no way I could let our newly bought goats die so easily.

    Got it. But, are you really okay now? If its too hard then you dont have to carry me, I can walk on my own.

    Dont worry. Leave it to me. I feel even better than usual right now.

    I said and carefully lifted Kuu into my arms so as not to wake her.

    Her tears hadnt disappeared, but her sleeping face looked happy right now. If she woke up now shed be engulfed in another wave of sadness. For now Id like her to continue her happy dreams for a little longer.

    As I was thinking that Kuu mumbled in her sleep.

    Cyril-kun, well give birth to a healthy baby right?

    Lucy looked startled.

    Hey Cyrilyou did things with Kuu that could make a baby?

    ..yes, we did.

    Im a bitenvious, I want a baby or someth.No nevermind, its nothing.

    She said and quickly hid her face as she blushed and hopped onto my back.

    I didnt say anything and simply carried her.

    As I felt theirforting warmth I began moving.

    Upon returning to Erucy the first thing we needed to do was put the goods in the storehouse. I gave Lucy the task of dividing up the cloth amongst the elves.

    Kuu had awakened by then so I went with her to where the Fire Foxes were living.

    In her hand was a bag with the tails of their brethren.

    First they were all overjoyed with the nice clothing that we delivered to them.

    The clothes were cute andfortable, they were happy that they could finally change into a different set of clothes after so long.

    However, once that excitement settled down

    Kuu spoke of the other Fire Foxes that had gone to the other townthen she opened the bag with their tails.

    The Fire Foxes all broke down in tears.

    There were girls who clutched at tails crying that it was their mothers amongst them.

    The Fire Foxes knew instantly whose tails they were. ording to Kuu the families had split up to escape, so most of these tails were from one of their family members.

    Im sure that these girls had been praying and hoping that their families would be safe.

    The decision to split up the families was made by Kuus father. It was in order to preserve their diversity.

    In all respects a rational yet harsh decision.

    Thanks to that most of their bloodlines were preserved, but the survivors were forced to experience the sadness of losing their family.

    Everyone, lets take the day and cry as much as we want. But from tomorrow forward we have to do our best. Our lives were saved through their sacrifices. We have to live properly for their sake. We cant just cry. We need to live.

    Kuu spoke out with a firm voice. No matter what happened she refused to cry in front of the Fire Foxes.

    Even today that did not change.

    The next day the Fire Foxes got to work.

    They cared for the goats and cultivated the turnips. Each and every one worked proactively.

    It was as though they were working hard to forget the sadness they had experienced.

    Then two dayster after their boiling feelings had calmed a bit, we held a funeral for the Fire Foxes.

    Please Rest in Peace.

    Kuu took the lead and held a solemn funeral ceremony.

    Fire Foxes had a tradition of cremating their dead so it was by this custom they held the ceremony.

    They used their magic to create an enormous roaring fire. They held the tails of their dead rtives as they spoke their final goodbyes and ced the tails in the inferno.

    Despite taking two days to calm their feelings, this ceremony stirred their sorrows once more and they began to cry.

    No! I dont want to burn Mom!

    Among them a young Fire Fox clutched at her mothers tail and refused to let go.

    For her that must have been the final thread binding them together.

    Kuu walked over and crouched in front of her while patting her head.

    Nee, Kuron. We should let your mother rest.

    I dont wanna, I wanna be together forever!

    If you hold onto her tailthen your mother wont have it with her when shes in heaven. Wouldnt you feel bad about that?

    ButbutKuronwill be all alone then

    Its okay, even if you dont have her tailyour mom will be watching over you always. Plus, you wont be alone Kuron. Ill be with you, and so will everyone else.

    Kuu said and hugged the girl close to her chest.

    She was still 14 years old, barely an adult, yet I could sense a feeling of motherhood from her.

    Kuu-anesama I know

    Kuron is such a good girl. Why not say farewell properly?

    Unmomgoodbyeplease be happy in heaven.

    And so the final tail disappeared into the mes.

 Book 2 Epilogue 3: Oath

    Book 2 Epilogue 3: Oath

    Thest thing to do was to collect the ashes and allow let them be washed away down the river.

    But after that the Fire Foxes began to get worked up.

    Will wewill we be killed too?

    Its soscary.

    They were supposed to be somewhere much safer than we are.

    The ones who had died were apanied by guards, had money, and food. They had gone to the safest ce they could. Of course now that they had arrived at a ce where no such guarantee of safety existed their fears would explode.

    Ill never forgive them.

    Its fine if I dieas long as I can take one of them with me.

    I want to avenge Onee-chan.

    There were also those whose anger burned bright.

    Their home had been burnt, their families killed, and their tails cut off. They had trampled the dignity of their entire race. Of course hatred would erupt.

    Imsick of all this. Thats enough.

    Right? Whatever happens, happens.

    The final group had given up. They couldnt handle any more sadness and anger. They wallowed in despair.

    They were all ovee with these three emotions.

    Kuu was desperately trying to change the mood, but it was nearly impossible. No matter how she tried to fix things, Kuu was also feeling the same emotions deep within her.

    Thats why this was where I needed to step out.

    As Erucys leader, Kuus lover, and to maintain my good image in Lucys eyes I needed to act.

    Everyone, please listen to me.

    I raised my voice.

    I had spoken like this more than once before and I was getting used to it.

    You are all citizens of Erucy. Both I, and everyone in Erucy will protect you. You need not fear the Empire. We will not lose.

    The Fire Foxes gazed at me doubtfully. Well, it couldnt be helped. The Empire was that huge and they had all directly seen the horrors of what they could aplish. They hadnt even seen our fighting ability either. They didnt have an urate idea of how strong we actually were.

    Erucy will continue to defeat the Empire. Even with Elves alone we won. I will borrow your strengths in the future as well. With that there is no way we can lose.

    I repeated forcefully. I spoke with absolute confidence not betraying a single hint of unease.

    Then, a single Fire Fox spoke up. The young girl Kemin who called Kuu Ane-sama.

    Wellfight too?

    I wont force you. But, if you have the will to do so I want you to fight along with us. Erucy is not a country of Elves alone. You are part of us as well.

    ThenI want to fight. I want to take revenge. I dont want anything to be taken from me anymore. Ill do anythingIll die for it. Soplease.

    Her motive was pure hatred, but at least it gave her a motive to live.

    Thank you. But, dont say youll die. As long as I lead Erucy I will not let you die. You will live and aplish your revenge. We have done so and will continue to do so.

    It was an incredibly idealistic view. The next war we would go through would make the previous one look like childs y. After all we would be attacked by over 3,000 Imperial soldiers. Our fighting force was a hundred and a few dozen. A difference of 30 times the fighting force. In that situation I promised a victory with 0 casualties.

    Anyone who heard that would call it a pipe dream. But even so I had the confidence to aplish it when I spoke.

    I cant believe it.

    You cant believe me? Then just think back to everything I have already done. Have I ever told a single lie to you all?

    My words brought a small light of trust into their eyes.

    I just needed a bigger push.

    Furthermore I am not just saying this as the leader of Erucy.

    I said and moved closer to Kuu before hugging her.

    UmmCyrilkun

    Kuu trembled as she spoke out with a bewildered voice.

    I will also marry Kuu one day. In short I will also be the Chief of the Fire Foxes as well! I would like you to believe in me, who will be your Chief, and Kuu who chose me.

    Besides marrying Lucy I fully intended to marry Kuu.

    If they could not believe the words of us individually, then putting it all on the line would make it much more believable.

    Ill say it once more. I will protect you. I will bring you victory and let you take vengeance. So please lend me your strength. Its fine to be sad, but look forward and live. That is my one request..no, it is my first order as the leader of Erucy and the new Fire Fox Chief.

    A shock ran through the crowd.

    It must have been a bolt from the blue for these girls.

    Even so it wasnt something they couldnt ept. Even though our time together was short I had earned trust.

    The Fire Foxes smiled a bit awkwardly as they looked at each other before

    Yes

    They responded.

 Book 3 Prologue 1: New Daily Life

    Book 3 Prologue 1: New Daily Life

    I slowly awoke.

    The sun was just starting to rise and most normal Elves would still be sleeping, but I had a job to do early this morning.

    I lifted myself up and Lucy, who was sleeping together with me, started to stir.

    Winter had finally started andst night we had received a light powder of snow. Our home had poor heat instion so the both of us had decided to sleep together under one nket to keep warm. The body heat was warm andfortable.

    But it was more urate to say that it was the excuse I used to get Lucy to agree to sleeping together in the same bed. I was enjoying the happiness that such closeness brought.

    Good morning Cyril. Are you going out already?

    Sorry for waking you. I have to go lecture the Fire Foxes on how to care for the goats again today. I think today should be thest day though.

    Since then I had gone over to the Fire Foxes nearly every day and taught them how to care for the turnips and goats.

    I had been doing so to help them remember how to do everything and to help adjust their mental states. Pretty soon I should be able to step back.

    Is that so. Thats good.

    Whats good?

    Cyril, youve been pushing yourself too much. You leave early in the morning, when you get back you act as the town doctor, then you do your job as the Chief, and after that you go into your workshop and work some more. Ive been worried whether you might copse.

    Thanks for worrying about me. But Im fine, I am still within my limits.

    Is there anything I can help with? I cant teach Kuu-chan and the rest, but if there arent enough people to help I can lend a hand.

    Ill ept the feelings alone. But, this is the Fire Foxes job. We cant have elvese in and help out. It was decided that besides for me teaching them, they would do this on their own.

    Alright.do your best.

    I am. I love you Lucy.

    I brushed aside a lock of Lucys hair and kissed her on the lips before getting out of bed.

    Tsss cold.

    I couldnt help but react.

    I longed to get back under the covers with Lucy with all my might, but I ignored that, got dressed, and walked outside.

    I soon reached the outskirts of Erucy where the Fire Foxes lived in my former workshop.

    By this point I really wish I could prepare them better living amodations.

    No matter how well they got along, living together in one building with 50 people was far too pitiful. The girls should have their own privacy at least.

    However, the number of houses and where they would be located were very important.

    If every Fire Fox got a private house built for them inside Erucy then the Elves would feel some animosity towards them. I should call over Roleau sometime and ask his opinion.

    I thought as I knocked on the door.

    Morning Cyril-niisama

    Good morning Cyril-niisama

    Good morning nano Cyril-niisama.

    Immediately the door was flung open and three young Fire Fox girls hugged onto me.

    The first was a girl with yellow, wavy, and shoulder length hair. The lively 11 year old yellow fox Kemin.

    The second was a girl with slightly longer, straight silver hair. Her face appeared expressionless and cool, the 11 year old silver fox, Yukino.

    The third was a girl with long ck hair that was tied up behind her. The gentle and quiet 10 year old ck fox Kurone.

    The three of them chose their favorite spot between my left arm, right arm, and torso to cling onto. The shoved their faces into me and sniffed a bit while wagging their tails.

    Since I had dered Kuu as my fiance the three of them had been strangely clingy. Beforehand they had felt some admiration and longing towards me, but because I was an elf and not one of them they had kept a proper distance.

    However, once they knew I was engaged to Kuu who they called their elder sister, they began treating me as if I was their actual older brother and acting a bit spoiled every now and then.

    In the first ce they were young so they must have been seeking a fatherly figure. In this situation I was the only one who could aplish that.

    The three of them were unique, but even amongst the usually beautiful Fire Foxes, they were especially cute. Looking amongst all the people in Erucy it would be difficult to find any as beautiful as Kuu or Lucy. ording to Kuu the Fire Foxes had wanted to send the most popr, beautiful, and strong to their favored vige so they would survive.

    However, Kemin screamed and cried that I want to go with Kuu-anesama! so hard and loud that she switched over, Yukino had a bad premonition about the favored group so she refused, and Kurone had insisted on going with her friends Kemin and Yukino so that her mother could get a spot in the favored group instead of herself.

    Kuu also like them and hoped they woulde along

    Aww thank you, youre all very cute and good girls. I think of you just like little sisters.

    I said happily.

    Getting a hug filled with affection was a good feeling for me as well. Their childishness was adorable. Girls at this age still had no concept of womanhood so I could dote on them as much as I pleased without feeling guilty towards Kuu or Lucy.

    I briskly patted the girls heads. Lucy enjoyed it more when I patted her softly and kindly, while these girls enjoyed a bit more rambunctious ruffling.

    Good morning girls. Im d youre looking energetic today.

    Were energetic since Cyril-niisama came over.

    Yukino is happy you came.

    Cyril-niisama should live over here too. Then you can be with Kuro all the time nano.

    The gentle ck fire fox Kurone said hopefully as she looked around at everyone with a look of expectation.

    Im sorry. I cant stay over since Im the Chief of Erucy. Plus I have beloved people back in town too

    .too bad.

    The three of them became despondent.

    Everyone dont trouble Cyril-kun too much. Come on and get ready to head out.

    Okaaay~

    Kuu called out and the three of them let go of me.

    Alright everyone lets go. Unlike usual I wont be giving out specific instructions. Ill be watching to make sure youve remembered what I taught you, so be careful.

    Understood Cyril-kun. Did you hear that everyone?

    The rest of the Fire Foxes nodded.

    But Kemin, Yukino, and Kurone looked around with long faces.

    Whats wrong girls?

    Ehwell Yukinohas something she wants to say

    Kemin lost her usual excitable nature upon being asked that question and tossed the subject to Yukino.

    Unfair Kemin..Cyril-niisamaif we be able to care for the turnips and goats by ourselves will you stoping over?

    Yukino-chan isnt the only oneKuro cant care for them alone. Its no good if Cyril-niisama isnt here.

    The three young Fire Foxes seemed to be afraid of me disappearing on them.

    Girls, Cyril-kun is very busy. Dont trouble him too much. Hes here after pushing himself too hard to make time for us.

    ButKuro doesnt like it.

    Yukino doesnt wanna either. Kuu-anesama you should be sad too if you lose your chances to see Cyril-niisama too

    Kuu chided them but they didnt want to let it go. On seeing their sad faces I wanted to do something. In that case I was ready to bear some difficulties.

    Everyone you dont have to worry. Certainly I wont have toe visit for the goats and turnips anymore, but Ill always have time toe y with my cute little sisters every day.

    Cyril-niisama!!

    The three of them hugged me tightly again. A warm joyful feeling welled up in my heart, I felt like pampering them.

    Thats right, I had some leftover practice materials from when I made Lucy her present. I should give them those as gifts. Compared to Lucys they were lower in quality, but it should make them happy nheless. Surely they would show me the cutest of happy smiles.

    How joyful. Is this how an older brother feels when caring for his younger sisters?

    Cyril-kun, can I ask you something?

    Yeah go ahead.

    I was enjoying the beautiful colors of the girls tails and the warmth of their hug as I answered Kuu.

    Could it bethat you like children?

    Of course I love children. In fact Id like to make some of my own soon. Im sure you and Lucy will give birth to the most adorable children I could imagine.

    Fuuthat answer relieves me..now lets head out.

    And so we moved towards the goat barn.

 Book 3 Prologue 2: New Daily Life

    Book 3 Prologue 2: New Daily Life

    Passing though the barbed wire fence we walked a short distance before reaching the goat barn.

    The Fire Foxes were carrying wooden buckets.

    As we opened the barn door the choking smell of goats met our noses.

    Alright then, lets divide things up and get to work.

    Kuu tookmand and divided up the tasks amongst the goats. They began milking them and carrying away the milk in the wooden buckets they had brought.

    Generally each goat was able to provide between 1 and 2 liters of milk.

    Since we had 90 female goats we expected to get around 100 liters of milk from them daily.

    They had been practicing daily, so by this point they were able to finish milking within an hour.

    Alright everyone lets let the goats out to graze.

    We know

    Yes, Kuu-anesama

    They then threw open the doors and drove the goats outside. The goats disappeared into the trees to search out food.

    They would be able to move as they pleased within the barbed wire fence. They would be able to seek out food and get some exercise.

    While that was happening the Fire Foxes divided themselves into two groups. The first group would clean up. They would gather up the feces and leftover food to carry to the waste pit. They would then wet the floors and clean them before refilling the food troughs.

    The second group would be processing the goat milk.

    I decided to go with the second group.

    Ah, Cyril-niisama thanks foring with. Yukino will do her best.

    The goat milk was all poured into arge cylindrical tub which was being warmed by the silver fox Yukino.

    Using the thermometer I had made they would maintain the temperature at 65 degrees C. The thermometer was a simple one that relied on heat to make the liquid inside climb up.

    Yukino this might take a while but do your best.

    If the milk was not sterilized beforehand, drinking it would cause an upset stomach. If it was heated to 100 degrees then that would take a much shorter time, but it would also harm the proteins inside the milk and make it taste worse. In order to preserve the proteins and vor of the milk, we were heating it to 65 degrees for thirty minutes instead.

    Heave-ho, heave-ho!

    Yukinos forehead was sweating a bit at this point.

    She was constantly using magic and even just maintaining a fixed temperature took concentration. It was much harder work than appearances would suggest.

    If the Fire Foxes werent here then I would have to do it the quick and dirty way. I would need to sacrifice taste and nutritional value to use the high temperature quick version of pasteurization. If I were to do it with firewood instead it would need too many materials and far more time and effort as well.

    However, these girls made the effort to make the milk taste better and did their best.

    Finally she aplished it.

    Its done. Did you see Cyril-niisama? I kept the red liquid in the tube right at the temperature it needed all the way to the end.

    Yes I saw. You did your best.

    Is Yukino a good girl?

    Mhmm, youre a great girl.

    I patted her head kindly. Amongst the three girls I had to say that she was my favorite to deal with. She was obedient and kind, plus I liked her silver hair.

    Amongst the Fire Foxes there were various hair and tail colors. The color of their tails determined how much power they had in general. The ranks were gold>silver>ck>yellow>white>red>ash. That is to say amongst the many different colors the only one who had golden hair was Kuu and the only one with silver hair was Yukino.

    Hmm should I just adopt you Yukino?

    What about Kemin and Kurone?

    Hmmitd be a little too much to take in all three

    Its not fair if Kemin is aloneitd be greatbut Kemin cant say yes. Im sorry.

    Dont take it too seriously. I was just joking around with you a bit.

    I was half serious. It would be a good example for everyone else to show a kind and gentle Fire Fox girl get adopted by me.

    Even without those reasons adopting a good child like Yukino would be a fairlyfortable concept. Just by having a Fire Fox in our home the summers would be cooler and the winters would be warmer. Even when we cooked there would be no need to gather firewood and light it every time. Plus if they lowered the temperature in our food cer once every other day we could have simple refrigeration.

    More than that she was adorable and well-behaved. Being with her would be healing, plus she was young enough that Lucy wouldnt get jealous. Or she shouldntbut for some reason I felt a little uneasy..I should probably check on that first. If I messed up Id be stepping on anotherndmine.

    Cyril-niisama please check that its alright. If it is then we can bottle it.

    Un, its well done. Even I cant do it so well. Yukino is amazing.

    Un, Yukino is great.

    And so the bottling of the goat milk started.

    How many today?

    Today we have around 220.

    Its almost enough for everyone. Thank goodness.

    Every morning they had been bottling and delivering the goat milk to town. Every evening the elves would leave the empty bottles in front of their homes for the Fire Foxes to collect. If there werent any empty bottles left then the next day they would not receive a delivery. If they felt like having milk the next day then the elves had to leave their bottles out front.

    Since the bottles were made by me in Kuiro form there werent too many. If the elves didnt drink from them and return the bottles then it would be a waste. That was how this system ended up being used.

    Sterilizing is done too. Praise Kuro.

    The ck haired fox Kurone called over from a short distance away. She approached carrying a box of empty bottles. The older Fire Foxes looked at her with loving eyes as they followed behind her with the rest of the empty bottles.

    Once the empty bottles had been washed they were then disinfected using boiling water. This was Kurones job. Washing bottles in midwinter was a hard and thankless job.

    Kurone is a good girl too. Everyone its just a bit more and youll be done.

    Well do our best.

    Do our best~

    And so the bottling continued. They used magic to cool down the milk that Yukino had heated and useddles to pour the milk into empty bottles. Each bottle contained around 500ml of milk.

    Most likely there would be leftover milk today.

    Looks like today we can get some cheese.

    Our wheat porridge will have cheese?

    Yukino listen properly. Kemins cooking group will be putting cheese in the cooking.

    Sounds good!

    The Fire Foxes livened up as they finished bottling the goat milk.

    The leftover goat milk would be turned into cheese. Because the amount was still quite scarce we had created a 4 day rotation system to determine who would get it. The first three days would be given to the elves who had greater numbers, and thest day would be given to the Fire Foxes.

    The particrs of dividing it up would be determined by the respective races.because of this rule even those elves who were acting crotchety and didnt usually drink the goat milk, would drink it right before the Fire Foxes cheese day even if it was out of spite so as to leave their empty bottle outside their homes. At some point I would have to resolve that. If I left unreasonable people alone like that then we would rot from the inside.

 Book 3 Prologue 3: New Daily Life

    Book 3 Prologue 3: New Daily Life

    Cheese~ Cheese~

    Yukino-chan do your best to make the cheese yummy. Kuro loves cheese.

    Dont worry Kuro. Yukino loves cheese too.

    After we finished bottling the milk Yukino and Kurone began making cheese.

    We took the left over milk and reheated it to 65 degrees.

    Okay, Im putting it in.

    Its ready to go.

    Once the milk was properly warmed up, Kurone poured a small amount of vinegar into it. After waiting a while some white clumps started rising to the surface of the pot. That was what we would make cheese out of.

    Kurone slowly mixed the contents of the pot. After a while the white clumps separated out from the liquid and increased in number.

    Once we scooped them out with cloth and let the moisture drip out, this would be our cheese. The milk that had lost these elements was slightly yellow and transparent.

    This liquid still had plenty of nutrients and the sourness from the vinegar made it fairly easy to drink. Since the fat and goat smell that was inherent in the milk had been removed it didnt smell bad either.

    If some people hated goat milk so much that they refused to drink it, then I could substitute with this drink.

    This time what we made was a version of cottage cheese. This cheese wouldnt need to mature. It was good quality with plenty of protein and calcium. It had a fluffy soft texture and a gentle vor that made it easy to eat.

    We did it~

    Looks delicious.

    We took out the cheese and wrapped it up carefully. It would surely be very popr at mealtime.

    Everyone good job. Its delivery time now. Youll be fine without me right?

    Un

    I want you toe withbut Ill hold it in.

    And so Yukino and Kurone took the delivery cart towards Erucy. It could be considered fairly heavy work for such young girls, but I believed they could do it well.

    Really, they freed me up earlier than expected.

    All of them were good girls full of motivation so they learned the job quickly. Even today I just watched as they aplished their jobs.

    Next I needed to check on the turnips.

    Everyone step back from the greenhouse please. Im starting.

    When I reached the turnip field, Kuu was gathering fire mana to cast magic.

    She was using heat magic to melt the snow on top of the greenhouse. If she did not do so, the light wouldnt reach the turnip sprouts.

    We were raising the turnips inside the greenhouse because even if they could grow in snowy conditions, their growth rate would slow dramatically.

    Ah, Cyril-kun you came.

    Kuu noticed me and called out.

    Yup, the goat team is already fine.

    Things are going fine over here too. Come on and look.

    Kuu pointed and I could see the Fire Foxes going through the field and pulling out nts. Inside the greenhouse we were growing turnips, but we also grew weeds out of season.

    And look, Kemin is doing her best too.

    As Kuu said I looked over and saw Kemin using fire magic inside the greenhouse as well.

    The heat retention method I used in there was magic that created a ball of me. Using a thermometer to maintain ideal temperatures, they would use magic three times to keep the temperature warm using these fire balls. Unlike my magic, if they controlled it well it couldst at least half a day.

    But, I was truly grateful that thanks to them I wouldnt have to use Kuiro to cast the magic daily.

    Thanks to the greenhouse and heating magic, I thought we could also grow potatoes in winter.

    Unfortunately, since the fire magic was quite difficult to cast only Kuu, Kemin, and Yukino were capable of doing it.

    Cyril-niisama youre here!?

    After she finished deploying the three fire balls, an exhausted looking Kemin trotted over.

    I have to watch over you guys properly.

    Were Yukino and Kurone okay? Yukino takes things at her pace and Kurone likes to space out

    The two of them did their jobs properly.

    I see, thank goodness.

    Kemin patted her chest looking relieved. She was the leader of the trio so she must have been a bit worried.

    Then I have to do my best too. See youter Cyril-niisama.

    She said and returned to the greenhouse to pull weeds with the other Fire Foxes.

    She should have been quite tired after using that magic, but she was moving even faster than some of the other Foxes.

    Shes a good girl.

    Mm, Kemin is a little sister I can be proud of after all.

    Kuu said as she stuck out her chest pridefully. In truth she probably wanted to go over and work with the rest as well, but since she was in a special position of leadership, if she tried to do so then the other Foxes would probably stop her.

    Kuu, tomorrow well be holding a war council. Youll need to attend as the representative of the Fire Foxes.

    Understood. Ille after I melt the snow on here. That hatefulempire.

    Thats right. We have to sharpen our fangs in preparation. If we go on without changing well lose for sure. For the sake of our victory we need to talk and prepare.

    Thats right, the fact that we would be destroyed if we collided head on with an army over two thousand strong had not changed.

    However, that was only under the premise that we purposefully allowed for a head on collision. It was unthinkable at this point, I had no intention of doing so.

    Cyril-kun youve got an evil look on your face.

    A bit. Im thinking of an unfair and mean n. I think itll make the Imperial soldiers feel worse than death. Even if they survive they wont be able to fight again.a n to break their hearts and minds.

    Is that so? .then..thats great. Id like them to taste even one ten-thousandth of the pain we feel.

    Kuus eyes shone with raging hate as if mes dwelt within them. She was usually calm, but the me of vengeance burned within her.

    There were many who said that hatred bred nothing but sadness and did not give joy to the survivors. But that was in the case that you needed to sacrifice something for it. If we didnt obtain vengeance then we wouldnt be satisfied.

    The turnips look like their doing well. All thats left is deciding when to add extra fertilizer and it should work out. I should be able to be at ease with this.

    If youre going to say something then go praise those girls. I think itd make them happy.

    I think so too.

    I nodded and turned towards the Fire Foxes as they left the greenhouse having finished their work for now. Lets praise them lots.

    Ive confirmed that both the goat and turnip teams have remembered their jobs properly. With this the Fire Foxes should slowly find their ce in themunity. The elves should also be able to acknowledge them based on the hard work they were doing.

 Book 3: Chapter 1-1: War Council

    Book 3: Chapter 1-1: War Council

    After taking care of the turnips I was about to return to Erucy when Kemin called out to me.

    Cyril-niisama pleasee with me to pick up the lunch snacks!

    Oh, sure.

    I had some time til lunch and I had moved my doctor duties to the afternoon so I could lecture the Fire Foxes. This mean I had some free time.

    Thanks Cyril-niisama~

    And so I walked with Kemin towards the stream in the forest.

    Kemin you took too long. Yukinos tired of waiting

    Oh you brought Cyril-niisama? Kuros happy~

    When we arrived by the banks of the river the silver fox Yukino, who had finished her deliveries, and the ck fox Kurone were there.

    We came as quick as we could. Hurry and lets take a bath and get the stuff for lunch ready.

    Got it.

    Roger nano~

    Waitbath?

    In the moment I had stood there stunned they had thrown off their clothes. Just looking at them made me feel cold.

    I saw that the air around them was wavering a bit. It looked like they were using fire magic to warm themselves.

    Yahoo~

    Wait Kemin

    Ahh, Kuros going too

    And of all things the three of them leapt into the frigid midwinter river. They were surely raising the temperature of the water around them since they didnt look chilly at all as they merrily yed in the water.

    Cyril-niisamae on in!

    Lets have a race!

    Im fine with just watching.

    If I copied them Id just end up freezing to death. I doubt there were many amongst the Fire Foxes that could do the same thing as them either.

    It was pretty easy to raise the temperature of a room, but trying to do the same thing outside would drain your magic quickly. After all, even if you warmed the air around you it would quickly disperse.

    It would be even harder to warm up the water like they were currently doing. It required more energy than air and would flow past them in a moment. There was surely quite a lot of magical burden on them to perform this feat.

    Kuu had said that the three of them had many expectations for their performance in the future. I can understand why.

    Are you always doing this?

    Un, we do it every day.

    The water well is too crowded with people. If wee here then we dont have to wait or rush to finish.

    Its our special spot nano~

    Well of course it wasanyone who tried to use it without enough power would just die.

    Even so, watching these children frolic in the water happily made me happier. Ah, I wonder if the type of fox they were affected their development. I could see that the ck fox Kurone was t, the gold fox Kemin had small buds on her chest, and the silver fox Yukino had developed quite a bit.

    Ah, Id just like to stay here and enjoy the happy sounds of themughing and ying. I didnt feel guilty at all. I felt like a big brother watching over his little sisters growth. They came here every day so maybe I woulde to peekI mean take a break. Maybe keep watch so nothing untoward happened.

    Cyril-niisama look were gonna catch lunch

    Apetition. The winner gets the special seat.

    Kuro wont lose nano

    The three of them started looking serious. Despite being naked they didnt seem slovenly.

    They all began concentrating on the water.

    Ei

    Kemin vigorously struck into the water and scooped her hand up. Then a river fishprobably a char flew into the sky towards the bank.

    Watching that scene reminded me of how a bear fished.

    The Foxes were quite sensitive and were able to move with a good amount of instantaneous force. Yukino and Kurone also ended up catching fish one after another.

    At this rate lunch would end up being quite luxurious.

    After a while the three of them got up and left the water. They immediately evaporated the water on their skin and magnificently lit their tails on fire.

    This was a trait of the Fire Foxes where they would do so to remove any dirt and such from their tails. They were able to target everything except the tails themselves so they could do this without worry.

    The winner for today was

    uuu, lost by one

    Kuro didnt do well

    Today Yukino gets the special seat.

    Once it was time for lunch I started to leave but the three of them stopped me and got me to eat with them.

    I was going to refuse, but the three of them looked like they were going to cry so I decided to go with them. Yukino got into myp and rested her back against my chest. Her satisfied expression was simply too adorable.

    Apparently the special seat was myp.

    Yukino~ Ill win next time.

    Kuro wont lose either nano.

    It seemed to be Kemins turn to cook as she began. She put plenty of goat milk into a pan with some barley and began to cook the freshly deboned fish with mushrooms and some salt.

    Watching the Fire Foxes cook without even needing fire was always a surreal sight.

    After a while she removed it from the heat and proudly took out some cheese.

    Here we go. Lets put on a lot of cheese.

    Hurry hurry!

    Uwaa, cheese nano

    Then she ced the cheese inside the pot. Maybe it was because they were more animal-like, but Fire Foxes preferred food that had animal proteins in them. Cheese was a big favorite.

    If you added cheese to the barley porridge it would double in vor and thickness. As this was a luxury only allowed to them every four days every Fire Fox drooled over the opportunity to eat it.

    And so once Kemin mixed the cheese in a delicious smell wafted about.

    Many people didnt like the smell of goat cheese, but I liked it quite a bit. There were some amongst the Fire Foxes that didnt like it much, but they seemed to have gotten used to it.

 Book 3: Chapter 1-2: War Council

    Book 3: Chapter 1-2: War Council

    Here its all done. Everyone grab some.

    Finally the barley porridge was ready to be eaten.

    It was prepared in arge pot that could cook enough food for four or five people so each could sit around it and grab a portion for themselves.

    Yukino didnt get up to get her share of the food and simply sat in myp with a victorious smile as the losers Kemin and Kuronedled out portions for the both of us and brought them over.

    We waited a bit for Kemin and Kurone to grab their own portions before the both of them sat next to me. Kuu had also arrived a short while ago and sat across from me. Having four cute girls and good food was a double blessing that was hard to find anywhere else.

    Un, its yummy. Im falling in love with it.

    Its so thick and yummy. Kuro loves cheese.

    Kemin makes even in food taste good.Yukinowill admit defeat in that.

    Kemins cooking is great for sure, but the only reason everything tastes so good is because the three of you caught the fish for this meal. Thank you girls.

    Kuu-anesama we just did what we wanted to do. Dont thank us too much.

    Just seeing how happy the yummy food made the girls made me feel happier.

    The barley porridge went well with the mushrooms, the cheese was melted and had a delicious taste, and the river fish had a gentle vor that blended everything together.

    Instead of removing the bones from the small fish, the Fire Foxes had only removed the guts. That was how they enjoyed eating them so I did so as well.

    On a cold day filling your mouth with hot porridge was a wonderful feeling.

    Furthermore, the food they were eating today wasnt simply donated by Erucy, but was food they had earned and created on their own. This was even more impactful.

    Itd be great if days like this could keep on going

    I couldnt help but murmur.

    Despite their sorrow, the Fire Foxes were properly looking towards the future. Days where we could all eat delicious food and smilethese were truly precious.

    To secure our future I had to do my best at tomorrows war council.

    After we finished eating we took a rest. I took out three trial product brushes that had been produces when I made one for Lucy.

    I ended up making a brush because Lucy has such pretty hair that I felt it was truly a waste that she couldnt properly care for it.

    However, even with Kuiros skill in craftsmanship it had taken six prototypes before I created one I felt suited Lucy well enough.even though I say they were prototypes they were definitely nice enough to give to anyone else and it would have been a waste for me to dispose of them.

    Im sure that giving them to the three girls would be better than letting them sit and gather dust.

    Here girls, your big bro has a present for you.

    Kurohasnt seen something like this. Do you know Yukino-chan?

    Yukino doesnt know. Kemin do you?

    Theres no way I know if you dont know

    It looks like the Fire Foxes had never made any brushes. Then I suppose I should show them a bit.

    Okay then, Yukino Id like to borrow your tail for a moment.

    Cyril-niisamathats too sudden. Its embarrassing.

    I gently lifted Yukinos tail as she sat in myp.

    I then lightly brushed through her tail to see if there were any tangles or snags in it first. Then I lightly drew my fingers through the fur to make sure I got the tangles out.

    The only people who were supposed to grab a Fire Foxs tail were their husband or parentsbut just touching should be safe. In the first ce if an unknown man touched their tail it would enrage them, but as they probably saw me as a big brother it should be fine.

    Hyaa, it tickles.

    Finally I pressed the brush firmly yet gently onto her fluffy tail as I slowly brushed through it.

    Then the matted hair and tangles were separated by the brush as her fur was drawn straight. Even normally Yukinos silver tail was pretty, but once any weird knots and unkempt areas were dealt with, her tail looked silky smooth and shone in the light.

    Cyril-niisama this feels good.

    PICTURE</a>

    This brushing stimted her pores, had aforting feeling like a massage, improved blood cirction, removed dirt from her skin, and improved the gloss of her tail. It was probablyparable to the pleasure a dog felt when brushed by a first-rate breeder.

    My skills wouldnt fall far behind.

    Hauu, how nice

    Yukinos entire body rxed as she entrusted her entire weight to me as the brushing finished. I was quite fond of this as well. I ran my hand once more through her tail as I confirmed how silky smooth it felt and that no snarls were left in her tail.

    Yukino-chan looks happy.Kuro wants it too.

    Her tail looks amazing. Its like a princess tail!

    The other two looked on with glittering eyes. They both looked intrigued by the enjoyment and resulting beauty of her tail.

    Come on over, Ill do it for you two as well.

    Yay~ Ill leave it to you Cyril-niisama nano.

    Ah Kurone! Youre always spacing out but.you were faster than me

    I slowly lowered the still dazed and happy Yukino as Kurone leapt into myp. Unlike Yukinos polite posture, Kurone simply dove onto myp belly first andid there. She stuck her ck tail up near my face.

    Are you remembering how Im doing this? Id like the three of you to care for each others tails in the future.

    Trying to brush their own tails would be quite difficult so it would be necessary to help each other.

    Okay. Kuro, Kemin, and Yukino will do our best nano.

    Id like that. The brushes should be another symbol of your friendship. Its a tool that is hard to use by yourself after all.

    Un, well take care of them. Everyone loves each other.

    The three young foxes nodded. Then they hugged the brushes I gave them to their chest as they looked at each other and smiled.

    Friends are great

    Also Kuuyou dont have to look so sad that you dont have one.

    I-I wasnt. I didnt look like that!

    Kuu looked away and made a poor effort at whistling.

    Kuu. Ill be making a brush special for you and Ill be the one grooming you so please wait a bit.

    Cyril-kunyou were thinking ofYes! Ill be looking forward to it!

    The three girls blushed as they watched us as they squealed a bit. They let out littlements about how lovey dovey we were and it was a bit embarrassing.

    Kuu also blushed as we looked at each other and smiled.

 Book 3: Chapter 1-3: War Council

    Book 3: Chapter 1-3: War Council

    The next day a war council wasmenced in the former Chiefs home.

    The ones here were me in the capacity as Chief, my representative when I am not avable Roleau, 5 Elder Heads of various families in the vige, and Kuu as the representative of the Fire Foxes. We had 8 in total.

    The Elf Vige had been controlled extensively by the Chief for quite some time. The system was for the Chief to hear the opinions of others and make all the final decisions himself. Therefore, technically my decision would be taken as that of Erucy as a whole.

    Eventually wed have to reform a bit, but for now it was very convenient so I would let it be.

    Though I say that, if I ignored everyones advice and did things as I pleased I would simply garner antipathy. I would have to put together an argument that would convince the majority of the people here.

    The purpose of our gathering here is to discuss nothing less than Erucys future. More specifically we must focus on how to strengthen Erucy.

    That was the main topic of our agenda. It was also important for the set-up for my hidden agenda.

    Before speaking of the future of Erucy, we must first share its present condition. Erucy has be far more affluent than when we were under the control of the Empire. The amount of wheat we have stored away is far more thanst year and we will not have to worry about our taxes being collected. Furthermore, the efforts of Roleau and the others to cultivate new fields has been progressing well. Our next year harvests should increase by quite a bit. Our dried meat and preserved food is simrly plentiful.this is also an achievement by Roleau and the others. The number of sessful hunts has increased.

    As I spoke Roleaus name with praise he had an expression with some pride and some humility.

    Dont overpraise us Chief. Its part of your ability. Those crossbows you made allow us to fire one shot to kill. Plus the field cultivation is moving faster because of the iron farming tools and the well you helped dig.

    Thats not it. I simply provided the environment for it. The ones who aplished this are you guys. As your Chief I am thankful.

    I-is that so? Hehethats kinda embarrassing

    Heughed cheerfully. For better or worse Roleau was a simple man and was easy to handle. Despite that he was trusted by others. I wanted him to be my ally in this so I decided to uplift him a bit.

    We have be able to obtain valuable salt with ease and if something happens we have quite a bit stored away. The ability to stably obtain goat milk and cheese is also a big change. Once springes around we should be able to harvest the turnips and in the summer we can harvest potatoes. This is thanks to the Fire Foxes. Their efforts have helped ensure a more abundant livelihood for the rest of us.

    As I said those words I quickly observed the faces of everyone present here.

    Kuu had seen through my intent and had a wry smile on her face and the elves nodded, seemingly pleased with the more abundant lifestyle we had achieved. However, one elf man had a momentary look of displeasure on his face before masking it with a false smile.

    .as I thought. He had been marked by Roleaus group as a man who had probably ndestinely met with Empire Agents when I left the vige.his name was Raffa. I didnt want to believe. I had nothing more than the word of his observer and that he was a past favorite of the old chief.

    Raffa was a kind adult. He was 20 years older than me in his thirties. He had been born into an old Elven house that had led for many years. They were well liked by self-righteous chiefs.

    He was also well respected by the vigers. However, after his family fell prey to an epidemic he became incapable of physicalbor. It was decided that his house did not have much of a future and his wife and child were sent off to the Empire as scapegoats. Since then hes gone a bit strange.

    Keeping that in mind I continued my exnation of the status quo.

    Also within the next two months we will be able to earn foreign cash flow through a new special product we can make. After inspecting the market on our trip I can say with confidence this will earn us money. That money can be exchanged for more food or pleasure goods. Not only that the special product will help in the production of alcohol. Id have to check the forest conditions a bit more, but we should be alright for ingredients as well. Theyre growing properly. The creation issues should be mostly solved as well. With the Fire Foxes power we can aplish these things. To be honest, the first time I made alcohol I was worried since we didnt have anyone else but me to help with the process.

    Oi Chiefis that alcohol tasty?

    Roleau, has any event I put together ever had anything bad?

    Nope never. Guess I can look forward to it.

    Roleau was weak to liquor and got drunk easily. He became pretty annoying when drunk but still loved to drink.

    No, more urately both Elves and Fire Foxes loved alcohol. If we were able to produce it then it might even inspire them to live life to the fullest.

 Book 3: Chapter 1-4: War Council

    Book 3: Chapter 1-4: War Council

    Can we stop this already? Lets hurry and get to the main point. Whatdid the new chief just gather us to brag about his aplishments? Ahh wow wow! Not even just that hes a doctor too~. Hes also so strong~ how enviable~ Im sure such a man like Cyril wouldnt have the same worries as usmoners.

    The traitor Raffa had been frowning for a short while as he vented his sarcasm.

    Roleau looked about to snap back at him, but I put up my hand and stopped him.

    That was a report of our current situation. I wanted to inform you that we have the ability to increase our money and food supplies more easily. Then using that increase we can strengthen Erucy. We can increase our military might.

    Thats right, if even their food wasnt guaranteed the next day there would be no one who would follow me into battle.

    Now that we finally had enough food to satisfy our needs our power would increase.

    Chief, what will we do specifically?

    Up until now crossbow and formation practice has only been once every three days for three hours in the morning.

    Before the battle the 100 fighters had trained every day, but once the impending threat abated they had lost some motivation. The frequency had dropped to once every three days.

    In truth that was most likely the limit when they still needed to do their farming.

    With just that they will not be strong warriors. They must cease farmwork and train daily in case of emergency. They will be career soldiers. That is a concept I intend on introducing to Erucy.

    Oi, waityou mean when everyone is working hard in the fields theyll just be training to fight the Empire without knowing if theylle or not? No one will ept that.

    The Empire wille for sure. I will have everyone ept this. Normally they will be able to eat without working in the fields, but in exchange once an emergency urs they will be ced on the front lines of danger. In order to train for such an eventuality they cannot participate in farm work other than in their spare time.

    I need soldiers that are highly specialized, well coordinated, able to move based on their own decisions, and able to understand the field of battle.

    The readiness of a career soldier would be different from any other. They would live a life of battle.

    Chief I believe you when you say we need thembut how many? How many elite soldiers will we have to train?

    Roleau asked and I held up my hand with two fingers extended.

    Two hundred? Are you serious Chief? Even with Fire Foxes Erucy only has 250 people.

    Youre misunderstanding. Im saying twenty. More than that is impossible for Erucy currently.

    Now youre talking way too small! Just the other day the Empire sent 500 soldiers to attack us. What can only twenty do?

    Roleaus shock was quite reasonable. But he was fundamentally misunderstanding something.

    Roleau these are to be special types of soldiers. What I want are excellent sharpshooters.able to hold their breath and conceal their presence for long periods of time. When worstes to worst grim reapers with the ability to silently and efficiently snipe enemy soldiers. And I need excellent scouts who can detect enemies before anyone else, gather information, and move quickly. For these two types I dont need too many. These are the two types of warriors I want to train. With Elven aptitude this is definitely possible.

    Erucys victory conditions were to not fight head on and not fight near what we want to protect.

    If we fought head on the three thousand soldiers would engulf and kill us. If our strategies were stolen then the Empire could simply go around our forces and attack Erucy directly.

    I considered the Imperial Army reaching Erucy an automatic loss.

    That meant that we had to begin and end the battle before they got close to Erucy. Of course it was impossible to defeat an army of thousands with just 20 warriors. That didnt matter. What was important wasnt killing soldiers, but victory as a whole.

    For that reason we needed to strategize. More than likely there were only around 300-400 soldiers within the Imperial Army they would send that were willing to die under orders. The rest of the soldiers would most likely desert under enemy fire.

    In order to execute my n I needed at least 20 thoroughly trained elites and at least 2 fire magic experts.

    The twenty elites were the current limit for Erucy as well as my current limit for being able tomand them effectively.

    Plus the next battle should have at least 3000 soldiers attacking us. Even increasing it to 200 people wouldnt necessarily help.

    T-three thousand

    Roleau seemed to dete. It was natural. That was over ten times the total poption of Erucy.

    Plus amongst the 250 citizens of Erucy half of them were nonbatants. Theirbat potential was near a hundred-fold of ours. It waspletely different from the previous battle where we had a difference of five times.

    Lets surrender. We have no chance of victory. Weve be more affluent. Even if they take the usual tax we will no longer starve.

    Upon seeing Roleaus depressed spirit the traitor Raffa saw his chance and spoke up.

    What are you saying at this point? We have already dishonored the Empire far too much. They will never forgive us. Plus when you say we should surrenderyou mean we should sell out our kin as a sacrifice to them? Did you forget that we fought back because we hated that?

    As if he had been waiting for my protest Raffas expression warped.

    You dont have to worry about that. Lets offer them the Fire Foxes! If we do that Im sure theyll forgive us. Their Fire Stones are worth a high price! If we offer them then itll be a show of obedience and the Empire will be able to regain their honor. Im sure well be able to negotiate a way not to give up elves!

    Raffa spoke assuredly with great faith. Im sure the Imperial agents had convinced him and told him what to say. However, this would not pass. I would evade the Empires plot and obtain a double agent for myself. It was for that purpose that I let him act so freely now.

 Book 3: Chapter 2-1: Double Agent

    Book 3: Chapter 2-1: Double Agent

    I shook my head at Raffas words that offered to give up the Fire Foxes and spoke.

    Thats no good. Even if we were to offer them up there is absolutely no guarantee of them letting us live in peace.

    I said as long as we give them up well be fine! Believe me!

    On what basis are you saying this?

    Thats..anyways if we offer up the Fire Foxes well be saved.

    Raffa argued desperately. However, I already knew he was a traitor actually

    Even if provisionally, the Fire Foxes are the citizens of our country Erucy. I will not be selling out our citizens.

    Fire Foxes are ourrades!? What are you saying!? This is an Elf Vige!

    Raffas loud and hateful voice made Kuus shoulders slightly shudder.

    I impulsively wanted to grasp her shoulder to help her calm down. However, doing so at this moment would only show a weak point.

    I cant believe in this foolish and baseless argument. I even exined before that we cannot win with just Elves. From now on I intend to bring in other races, not just Fire Foxes, depending on the situation. That is the purpose of naming ourselves as Erucy. Raffa, just shut up from now on.

    I wont! What do you guys think!? The enemies will be 3,000no more! Even if we fight we cant win. We have no choice but to surrender. Cant you understand that what I say is right? Not only thatif weif we just give the Fire Foxes then!

    Raffa desperately turned and looked at everyone trying to find an ally. Yet no one nodded in agreement.

    At this moment Roleau opened his mouth.

    Raffa, weve been in plenty of hopeless situations. Yet in each of them the Chief has led us past them. I will believe in him and apply myself to be one of the elites.

    Roleau have you gone mad?

    Plusdo you think I can trust the words of a traitor? Chiefits fine already right?

    Yesgo ahead.

    At that moment Roleau signaled and some of the vignte corps appeared and captured Raffa. Raffa looked up with a demonic expression as he red hatefully at me.

    Raffa Im sorry to have been forced to trick you in such a way. Butwe know that you met secretly with Imperial Soldiers and leaked intelligence about Erucy. We have witnesses who saw first-hand so there is no use in making excuses. We only let you go so you could leak unimportant or beneficial info and to root out any other traitors.

    The reason I had let Raffa attend this meeting was to see if there were any other people who would work with him. After observing Raffa for the past few days and his current actions in the meeting, there was no need to question our conclusion.

    Saying that if you give up the Fire Foxes youll be saved was something the Empire told you isnt it?

    Yeah, thats right. But, what I said is the truth. So if we offer them up well be saved. Thats what the Empire told me.

    You can stop saying it. I wont be selling out ourrades.

    Damn it why!? Its obvious that its better for us! Why cant you understand!?

    Raffas desperation and anger echoed in the room.

    Raffawhy did you betray us? If you had leaked vital information Erucy could have been directly destroyed. Be they Elves or Fire Foxes, all of us would be dead or ves.

    In the first ce we hadnt allowed Raffa toe in contact with vital information even once.

    The greatest worries had been about the crossbows and the Fire Fox magic stones that Kuu had donated to Erucy. There was a risk of either of them being stolen, but the crossbows had serial numbers engraved in them. Furthermore those who had them were under strict supervision and had been told that they would be heavily punished if a single one were to be lost. In the case of the ones in the warehouse, they were being monitored 24/7 by elves that we trusted.

    For Raffa both things were unobtainable.

    For that reason, no matter what he leaked it would only be at the level of how many fighters we had, the performance of the crossbows, and individualbat ability.

    Such things wouldve long been discovered by Imperial forces. The only true info they might have obtained was that I had been bluffing when I said there were stronger people than me in the vige. These sorts of things had been bait for Raffa to observe his movements so there was no issue.

    ..I talked to him.the Empires Lurvish guyhe informed me that that was our only path of survival. What Ive done can be considered betrayalbut this was done to save us.

    I see, so that was his reasoning. He decided to dishonor himself in an attempt to stop what he saw as a reckless and hopeless battle.

    Those thoughts led him to not feel much guilt.

    They even said thatif us Elves surrendered theyd return themMy wife and mythat Lurvish bastard said they were still alive. See Cyril? If it was your Lucy whod been taken and you were told the same thingwhat would you DO!? Abandon her!? Can you even do that???

    Weve gotten off topic for a while now. After he imed his betrayal was all for the sake of Elves he suddenly cried about how it couldnt be helped because they had his wife hostage.

    Raffa truly wasnt in a proper state of mind.

    As for meI would not follow the Empires orders.

    You can say anything! Are you that cold of a man to abandon the woman you love??

    Nope. Even if I obeyed them theres absolutely no way she would be returned to me. Think about it. Once they got their hands on the Fire Foxes, why would they purposefully repay a puppet who has lost their usefulness? Especially when they were an important source of magic stones and a woman capable of birthing more elves.

    Up until now, the only reason they had not kidnapped every single Elven woman was because it was far easier for Elves to conceive children with each other. The efficiency of having an Elf Vige was much higher and they could even collect taxes while they were at it.

    If they were unable to satisfy their need for elves by having us sacrifice them, they would instead breed their own using our women even if the efficiency was lower.

    At this point, I sincerely doubted that Raffas wife was still alive and even if she was there was no way they would let go of one of the few female elves that they had.

    Especially when they rarely ever chose women as sacrifices. Those they had chosen were Raffas wife who had been weakened by disease, Lucys weak bodied younger sister, and old elven women. Each and every one of them could not be expected to do manualbor or bear more children. There was no way they would survive or be let free.

 Book 3: Chapter 2-2: Double Agent

    Book 3: Chapter 2-2: Double Agent

    A hostage huh.Raffa if that was the situation then why didnt you say anything?

    If I did would you have helped!?

    Of course. Remember we had some Nobles held hostage. If I had known then I could have exchanged hostages with them in the negotiation. Those were Noble lives. If things went well we could have exchanged them for at least one or two elves.

    That is of course, predicated on the fact that they were still alive.

    N-nob-but you saidw-we needed money. You wanted to exchange hostages to get money right?

    Honestly, if its money then I have plenty of ways to obtain it. I would absolutely prioritize our family and friends. Raffawhy couldnt you believe in me? If youd just told me thenI could have helped.but now we dont have any cards to negotiate with the Empire

    Thats why we should just offer up the Fire Foxes!! Thats right! Its not toote. As the Chief you can officially trade the Fire Foxes for the Elves and

    Raffa. As the Chief of Erucyit is my duty to treat both Elves and Fire Foxes equally. I will not offer lives in exchange for lives. You have made a horrible mistake. It would have been far better if you had simply talked to us before you attempted betrayal. Of course, if the captured Elves are truly still alive and in captivity I will try to save them. If we obtain some prisoners of war I will attempt an exchange.

    Upon hearing my words Raffas eyes opened wide as he cried out.

    Whywhy is it like this!? Whyare the people who should be in our vige not here!? Why are the Fire Foxes who shouldnt be in our vige living here!? Isnt it weird!? Traitor! If youre an elf than you should prioritize elves!!!

    He stared at Kuu as he repeatedly mutter why seemingly broken.

    Whats more Cyril! You asked Why didnt you tell me sooner? right? Then let me ask YOU! Why didnt you rise up sooner!?? Youre strong! You can do anything! Thenwhywhy didnt you stand up two yearsno even one year ago!? If you had I wouldnt have lost my wife. Why? Why didnt you do it if you could!? Is it that if Lucy isnt in danger you couldnt care less what happens to they others!?! What do you say Cyril?

    He screamed with a ghastly expression. Certainly, there were elves who thought simrly.

    Why hadnt I done something sooner? Those words burned in their chests.

    Because at that time I had neither courage nor power.

    As I said that Raffa suddenly shook off the people holding him down and swung at me. Roleau caught his fist and captured him once more before speaking.

    Resenting the Chief is barking up the wrong tree Raffa. Why didnt you fight at that moment? Why didnt you act instead of leaving it to others?

    Im not a superman like Cyril! Im a normal Elf!

    Just by saying that so easilyyou have no right to throw me on the Chief.

    Roleau stated simply as Raffa seemed to copse.

    Raffa I have only one job for you.

    In this situation there was only one good option.

    Raffa of course didnt respond.

    Double Agent. When the Empirees to contact you, you will leak the information I give you. Your rpense will be that I will prioritize retrieving your wife first during hostage exchanges.

    At those words Raffa raised his face.

    In the first ce why do you believe that your wife is still alive after being taken by the Empire?

    Shes alive.they said she was.

    So in shortthey could be deceiving you.

    At my words Raffas opened mouth froze making him look like a simpleton. By all rights the first thing he should have done was suspect their words..Elves naturally had a more trusting nature that did not wish to suspect others. However, they must have taken advantage of Raffas weak heart and deceived him.

    I will add one more thing. I will confirm whether or not your wife is indeed alive. If youre so desperate for the Empires answer you may use this.

    I took out a single Fire Magic Stone and ced it in Raffas hand.

    When you leak the information to them give them this magic stone and say you stole it from Erucys storehouse. Bring up the idea of trading for a chance to see your wife. If they immediately refuse, insist until you can ask them while staring straight into their eyes. If when you look at them they hesitate before answeringshes probably dead. If they agree to it then at the meeting I will sweep in and immediately recover her.

    I had obtained Kuus permission for this beforehand. This was one of their mementos. Kuu had said we could use it to save some of our Elvenrades.

    II.

    Raffa struggled for a while before

    Illbe your double agent.

    He said.

    This was the only path to saving his wife now. There was no way he could refuse.

    I see. Then the next time you meet with the Empire you will tell them thisErucy offered their iron-working technology and their crossbow blueprints to the Choline Kingdom and received food, money, and the support of their armed forces.

    Oi Chief if we do that then

    Roleau cried out in a panic.

    Theyll desperatelye to attack us. To the extent that theyll push themselves too hard to increase their forces and arrive here as soon as possible.

    After all, the Empire had an advantage in trade and military might because they were the only ones with an advanced iron-working technique. They would be unable to bear the losses that woulde from arge country like the Choline Kingdom having even more advanced techniques than they did.

    Furthermore, just this kind ofpensation would be enough for the Choline Kingdom to send soldiers without hesitation. There would be a few thousand at least.

    In truth this had been one of my previous ns. This method would guarantee our victory. However, it would be at the expense of creating a new and even more powerful enemy at our backs. It was a dangerous proposition.

    If I was one of the leaders in charge of the Choline Kingdom I would definitely want to erase the source of the information to prevent any leaks after the fact.

    Chiefif you say this knowing thatyou must be stirring something up.

    Itd be best if theyre hobbled as much as possible right? The n this time is

    Then and there I began outlining our n for thising battle.

 Book 3: Chapter 2-3: Double Agent

    Book 3: Chapter 2-3: Double Agent

    The viciousness and mercilessness would guide us to victory. Those in the room who felt it all gasped. Hobbling them just the right amount and making them understand why having them attack as soon as possible was the proper choice.

    Thats why we would use Raffa to stir up the Empires sense of danger to force them to increase the number of forces they sent. It was for that reason I let Raffa live.

    Chief is that why you wanted the 20 elites and the two Fire Foxes? This would be impossible for normal Elves. Theyd have to be carefully trained. If youre teaching them Chiefyou say theyll be able to aplish all this?

    Of course. You know of my skill with a bow right? That is improved by a magic called Perception Expansion. I have already taught it to Lucy and she can use it. If the twenty people train assiduously then by the time the snow melts they should be able to use it on a practical level.

    The minimum requirement for the elites would be to learn Perception Expansion and Body Enhancement. They would have to be able to use them with some proficiency.

    Though I said that I could get them to seed because I was teaching them, normal methods would not work. Both of them were subtle magics. Even if they diligently trained, they were magic that would take a few years to learn skillfully.

    Lucys ability to learn Perception Expansion so quickly was not normal. She was just abnormally talented.

    Thats why within my Samsara Recursion I had chosen a normal human with some proficiency in these matters. If it was like that then I would be able to barely make it in time.

    Perception Expansion was an essential skill for a sniper. The ability to detect things even without seeing them, find hidden soldiers, be able to aim while still being aware of any enemies approaching, and the ability to prevent sneak attacks. Furthermore they would be able to move at night with no issues.

    With Body Enhancement they would be able to use their arms to reload their crossbows without needing to use their legs or back. This would increase their firing rate. Furthermore, if they detected an encirclement by the enemy with Perception Expansion they could run away with absolute certainty using Body Enhancement.

    No matter what the situation they would be snipers who could not be caught. They were close to being foul y.

    Wow. So youre saying I can be a monster like Chief?

    Yep. In the first ce most Elves have the ability to achieve this. Its just that none of you knew how to train properly.

    Everyone couldnt help but gulp.

    At this moment we were just training twenty elite soldiers, but they were surely thinking of the future where all Elves learned these skills.

    Raffa, the information right now is true insider information that should not be leaked.

    Indeed, the n itself along with the Elven snipers.

    I let you stay here because I think we can believe in you. Now that you understand our situation, I understand why you chose to surrender, and we have a path to save your wife.

    I said with a smile.

    Raffayou understand now that we can win? You must understand that it is far better to bet on me than to think that the Empire will actually keep its promise and return your wife. So I will be counting on you to only say what I asked you to.

    Cyril.noChief, thank you. You thought this far even for a traitor like me

    Raffas voice broke as he spoke out. Leaving aside the betrayal itself, if it had exposed Erucy to danger I would loathe him.

    Raffaif your wife is already deadwhat will you do?

    Ill never forgive them. No matter what I will get my revenge.

    I seeat least you have the proper resolution.

    yeah.

    Raffa nodded quietly.

    Next will be, when Raffa meets the Empire I will hide in the shadows to protect him. If pushes to shove Ill have to step in. Ill need you to inform me of the meeting ce beforehand.

    Chief being there gives me some peace of mind.

    Behind my smile I was nning to monitor him in case he decided to have a ndestine meeting without my knowledge. Then if during the meeting he decided to let loose some inconvenient information I had decided to kill them.

    He wouldnt know howrge the range of my Perception Expansion was.

    Theres no way I could trust him now. I was carrying the lives of all 250 people living in Erucy.

    I had not forgiven Raffa. His actions had ced Erucy in danger and if he hadnt been useful I would have judged him mercilessly.

    After that we spoke a bit about how to choose the Elites before ending the meeting.

    It was already evening by that point. There were certain dangers out at night so I escorted Kuu back to her lodging.

    Kuu, Im sorry that I didnt cover for you back there.

    Uh-uh. I was happy when you said that you had to treat all Elves and Fire Foxes equally. As expected of my Husband.

    As expected of my precious wife.

    No.2 though~

    Even the No.2 is my wife nheless.

    Kuu and Iughed.

    Your nthough it might be weird to saymakes me excited. The finishing blow needs our Fire Fox power and Im happy that well be able to take vengeance with our own hands.

    Kuu said as she touched the ne hanging from her neck. It was adorned with a blood red magic stone. That was the essence left over from her brother.a Fire Fox Magic Stone.

    She would use this to exact her revenge on the Empires forces.

    The Elves and Fire Foxes who were loved by their elements could not use the magic stones as assistance for magic, but if they used them as one-use items they could cast enormous spells.

    Kuu, you are their leader. You should not be taking things into your own hands. The dangerous things should be handled by those more suited to it. If something happens to you, things may very well fall apart.

    Well youre going out and fighting even though youre the Chief

    Its because Im the strongest.

    Then Im the same. Im the only Gold Fire Fox in this group. Im the one who can do it best. The other one we should choose is Yukino since she is a silver fox.

    Fire Foxes had various colored hair. Amongst them the Gold and Silver ones had the most power overall.

    Leaving you aside KuuYukino is still a child.

    Even so. Since young we have been treated specially. It is our duty to step out onto the field of battle. In the case where a small elite force must fight, we need the most powerful members to ensure victory.well follow up with her and Yukino is a far stronger girl than you think. She has strong feelings for her family. Kemin may look like the leader, but Yukino is the one who supports them.

    I seeso shes not just cute huh? .Ill leave it to you Kuu.

    Certainly strength of feelings and power were not restricted by age. In fact I was still only 14 myself.

    Cyril-kun, could I ask something?

    Kuu said anxiously with a bit of expectation in her voice.

    You said that you wouldnt differentiate between Elves and Fire Foxes. Butwhat would happen if you truly had to choose between Lucy and me?

    I couldnt give an answer.

    I wasnt wavering. The answer was decided. I would have to choose Lucy. ButI couldnt say that. I loved Kuu too.

    Thank you. I can understand just from the look on your face. Im relieved that you couldnt answer easily

    .Kuu, I willnever allow such a situation to exist. I will make the two of you happy.

    I dont doubt that. Butas a girlI do wish I could be your number one some day.

    Kuu said a bit sadly beforeughing a bit.

    Well, Ill do my best so you love me more and more.

    She said with a smile.

    I smiled back and opened my mouth.

    Kuu, before you head back to themunal house would youe to my workshop?

    Yes, happily. But Id like to ask you to put some cloth over the window please.

    Why?

    Sometimes those three peek in. The saw something strange and Kurone asked me. Thats how I found out.

    ..thats not good for their early education huh

    The both of us smiled wryly and I went to grab a small nket that we had made.

 Book 3: Chapter 3-1: Elite Unit 『Nettle』

    Book 3: Chapter 3-1: Elite Unit ��Nettle��

    A few days after we decided to create an Elite force. We decided to ept volunteers and select from among them. They knew this as well. Today we gathered all the candidates together to make our selection.

    I was trying to build up my motivation for the big job ahead of me as I ate the soft bread that Lucy baked for my lunch.

    Strangely enough, Lucys bread tasted better than the one I baked myself. My technical skills shouldnt be worse then hers but.is it because the secret ingredient is love? As I was thinking that Lucy opened her mouth to speak.

    Cyril the group that youre putting togetherIm applying to join the Elite Unit.

    I saw the light of determination in her eyes.

    As I thoughtLucy brought it up. Actually I was surprised she hadnt brought up the topic before today.

    If you want to know my honest thoughts, I do not want you to apply Lucy.

    Un, I know you dont. However, I am going to apply.

    Then, with my authority Ill refuse it.

    Is it because I dont have the aptitude?

    I couldnt reply to that.

    If we were talking just about aptitudethen Lucy truly did have talent. It hadnt taken her long to learn the difficult Perception Expansion and amongst everyone in Erucy, her archery was top ss.

    Most likely if I were to teach her Body Enhancement she would learn it just as quickly. Unlike with the other Elves I probably wouldnt have to use special tricks to teach her either.

    If its because my strength isnt enough then I can understand it. If youre refusing because of other reasons then Ill get angry. Ill hate you Cyril.

    ..its not a question of your abilities. But I will state how I feel. I dont want to ce you in dangerous situations Lucy.

    I want to fight with you to lessen the danger you face Cyril.

    Im happy you feel that way. But Id hate for your pretty skin to get any wounds or scars and Id hate it if you got too much into training and got all big and muscr. I also dont want you to walk too much and cause your toenails to warp and more importantly if you enter serious training then we wont be able to spend as much time together. Plus your beautiful hair and healthy skin would get hurt by such exertions. I hate all of that.

    Cyrilyoure unexpectedly sensitive.

    Lucy said with a wry smile on her face.

    I got too heated and said some strange thingshow embarrassing.

    More than that, I love you Lucy. Ill tell you right now, but to fight seriously means many of those things. If you wish for happiness as a girl then you should really focus your efforts elsewhere.

    Cyrilif I truly was covered in scars, with big muscles, and weird toenailswould you hate me?

    No.

    I answered instantly. I really liked Lucys appearance, but that was nothing more than her superficial charm. Even if it was to be damaged I would note to dislike her.

    Then Ill still volunteer. Its already decided.

    As always youre so stubborn

    You dont get to say that Cyril.

    We were both just as stubborn and couldnt help but smile a bit at each other.

    When Lucy and I truly decided on something, neither of us would bend.

    For my part, if Lucy truly entered the Elite Unit, then I would pound all of the necessary magical knowledge into her head in order for her to protect her beautiful skin.

    I understand. I will choose fairly then. Im sure you know, but this afternoon we will gather all the applicants and choose 20 from the lot of them. Fairness means that if there are people with more talent than you, then I will drop you without hesitation. Prepare yourself for that.

    Un, I know.

    Also Lucy, as one of the only women to join in youll be at a disadvantage. It will be difficult to choose you, so keep that in mind.

    Is thatan issue of your preferences Cyril?

    I shook my head.

    It is a fact that womens strength and endurance are usually lower than that of a mans. Because of female physiology your health and physical condition is not as stable. It is also best for a unit such as this to not have any division based on sex. Because you will spend so much more time outdoors, changing and toilet breaks will be more easily aplished if the group is just men.

    Un, even sotheres still a chance I will be chosen right?

    Indeed. It is not zero.

    Despite what I said, it was almost definite that Lucy would end up chosen if things were fairly decided. Despite her disadvantages, her talent was enough to overturn it. Furthermore for scouts and snipers the issue of endurance was less important than other sections.

    After that, we didnt speak anymore about the matter and simply finished our lunch.

 Book 3: Chapter 3-2: Elite Unit 『Nettle』

    Book 3: Chapter 3-2: Elite Unit ��Nettle��

    There were quite a few Elves gathered in the vige square.

    Since the Fire Foxes couldnt join this Elite Force they did not attend.

    Everyone thank you for gathering. This duty is a dangerous one, and I had not thought that so many would apply. Thank you.

    I greeted everyone from a raised tform.

    Of the ones here, 40 were applicants and there were around 3 times their number in onlookers.

    Because they didnt need to work much during the winter they had the time toe observe. Among the applicants I saw Lucy as well. The others that stood out were the members of the vignte corps led by Roleau.

    Since the vignte corps were used to fighting, they trained their bodies fairly often. They were some of the strongest candidates.even so, if there were those among them without enough talent, then I would mercilessly drop them from consideration.

    Chief, I heard that were gonna choose a few from among us buthow are we going to choose?

    ording to my judgment and personal view. For this elite troop the thing that is required most is talent for magic. We will be choosing those with the greatest aptitude.

    More specifically we would choose those who had the greatest ability to utilize Perception Expansion. Without the ability to use that, they would not be much different than a normal person. The point of this training was to allow them to perform super-human feats that will allow us to fight from the shadows and show incredible results.

    Chief how will you figure that out?

    Ill be able to distinguish quite easily. We should hurry and begin the selection. Everyone line up single file.

    At my words a silent tension spread through the air.

    Those who came here to apply were divided in three by their motivations.

    The first group purely wanted to defend their home with their own hands.

    The second group were people who wanted to be strong like me. They believed that if they entered the elite squad and learned my techniques, they could be as strong as I was. This group was made mostly of young men.the promise of strength was that strong of a motivation.

    The third group were those who sought to get closer to me with impure motives. They sought me. They thought that if they entered the elite unit then their interactions with me would increase. If circumstances permitted, I suppose they nned on bing my wife. It was something that was caused by some peoples thoughts about my rtionship with Kuu.

    As I was thinking they all finished lining up.

    Good. Lets get started. Let the first test begin.

    I stepped in front of the first person and pped my hand onto his shoulder. This guy was the typical type in the second motive group, the ones who wanted to get stronger. He had a brazen and slightly conceited expression on his face.

    I began making the wind mana around his body move and shift. I moved it violently and fretfully causing it to flicker in front of his eyes.

    Howeverhe didnt react at all.

    You failed.

    Eh? Waitwhy??

    You didnt hear the voice of the wind did you?

    What did you say? I dont get it.

    I didnt have time to waste so I simply stepped to the side to the next applicant. The next one was one of Roleaus corps members. A muscr man in his early thirties with short hair.

    Just like before I pped my hand on his shoulder and moved the mana. Unlike the first man, this one showed the proper reactions when he felt the wind mana move.

    You pass.

    I led him to a different line for those who passed. He certainly had heard the voice of the wind.

    For those who could not hear the wind properly it would be unbelievably difficult to teach them Perception Expansion. For that reason, being able to hear it was the prerequisite.

    Among the 40 applicants I found 23 members who could hear the voice of the wind. The ratio was better than I thought, but even so there were almost half who failed at the first hurdle.

    However, it was a bit troublesome that there were 7 women among the ones who got through. With this my reason not to pick Lucy because she was the only girl disappeared.

    If I only chose men, we still wouldnt have the right number.

    Wait a second! I cant ept this. Why did we drop out but those girls passed!?

    Because you couldnt hear the voice of the wind.

    Im saying, I dont know what the hell youre talking about!

    Looking more closely it wasnt only the man who was yelling that couldnt ept things, the others who failed were nodding in agreement.

    I see, they cant understand just by words

 Book 3: Chapter 3-3: Elite Unit『Nettle』

    Book 3: Chapter 3-3: Elite Unit��Nettle��

    Then let me show you.

    I turned my back to the man who had protested.

    Look at my back. Now, go get some stones and throw them at me with all your might. I dont mind even if you grab five.

    Well, if I do that then youll

    I said do it. You cant ept it like this right?

    I said and began moving the wind mana to activate Perception Expansion. I used the wind to enhance my own senses in a span of 300 meters from where I stood.

    In ces with wind, I had no blind spots.

    Dont hate me for this!

    Then with the protester in the lead some of the others threw pebbles at me as well.

    Without turning around I simply and easily dodged every single one.

    Finally the rain of rocks stopped.

    That was the result of listening to the voice of the wind. The wind tells me all. Before this, I pped my hand on your shoulder and had the wind whisper to you. I was testing whether or not you could hear it.

    ..so what youre saying iseven if we worked hard to learn we couldntbut if its them then they can learn?

    Thats right. But let me amend that, if you take enough time then you can learn as well. But the Empire will attack so we dont have that kind of time. This time I need to teach those who can learn quickly.

    I guess it cant be helped. Sorry for causing a scene Chief.

    No, it was my fault as well. Im sorry you couldnt make it in even after you volunteered.

    With those parting words, the ones who failed headed off.

    It might have been that my consideration wascking as well. No matter their motives, these were all people willing to risk their lives in defense of Erucy. I need to treat them better.

    Alright then, allow us to begin the second selection.

    Though I said it was a second test, it was a simple endurance test. By the end of it, 3 of the 7 women who passed the first test dropped out and we ended up with 20 people.

    As expected men had greater endurance than most women.

    NaturallyLucy, who used magic and did manualbor daily had passed.

    Amongst the 20 who passed, ten of them were from Roleaus troops which was quite nice since I wouldnt have to train them from scratch.

    Of the remaining ten most of them were young Elves. As expected, the younger ones had more fighting spirit.

    Among the young ones were my childhood friends Rek and Shuti who stood near Lucy and strangely enough the in youngdy Konna made it too. I didnt think she was the type of people to join in on this kind of thing.

    I didnt think youde here Konna. What wind brought you to this gathering?

    Ah Cyril-samaUmmwellI was invited by a friend who wanted to be with you Cyril-sama

    And that friend is?

    They dropped out in the first test.

    I see, she was a fairly passive girl so I could see her getting swept up by her friends. Then she was the only one who ended up passing.

    She could hear the voice of the wind properly and she had a surprising amount of stamina. But I doubt she could continue the training just because her friends told her toe hereI should probably

    Cyril-sama! T-thats not it. Certainly I came by chance, but they didnt force me and I wanted toeI properly made my peace and came with the resolve to die. I love Erucy as it is now. I did not feel this love for the vige before, I feel it for Erucy as it is. SoI want to protect it. That feeling is true!

    The moment I was about to suggest she drop outshe flew into a panic and spouted out words like a machine gun.

    I couldnt help but smile.

    She spoke a bit poorly, but I could feel her seriousness.

    Im d you think that way. The training will be harsh and the battlefield will be hellishbut those feelings will surely carry you through.

    Yes! Ill do my best!

    Konna cried out with tightly gripped fists. Though she wasnt particrly cute, I could see her appeal in this situation.

    I waved my hand and headed to the center of the square.

    Everyone listen. The twenty of you here will be the sword and shield that defends Erucy from her enemies.

    The two Fire Foxes were a special case, but the standing army would be mostly these twenty.

    From now on all of you will live everyday to be stronger. In other words, anything else will not be allowed.

    Up until now they had lived by raising crops and hunting. From now on they will abandon that livelihood of producing and train to fight and kill to survive.

    Your everyday life will be supported by others. For that reason.you cannot be haughty. You will grow strong. I will make it so. That strength will make you prideful. But, I want you to remember, this strength was only possible because of the support of everyone in Erucy.

    Even I had almost forgotten myself in my own power.

    Not only that, when emergency strikes you will move before anyone else and step in front of everyone else to defend them with the strength you obtain. That will be the meaning of your existence. If you can ept my words then hit your chest with your fist. It is the final confirmation. Once you agree, you cannot back out. Answer with that kind of will in your heart.

    All twenty ced their fists over their hearts.

    Im sure not all of them had taken it fully to heart.

    But even so, I felt that time would change that.

    Ive received your resolve. From now on you will be the Elite Unit of Erucy. Your name will be Nettle. You will have to move and act with the pride of being a member of this unit in the future.

    I heard some of them murmur the name Nettle under their breaths as they smiled.

 Book 3: Chapter 4-1: Training Start

    Book 3: Chapter 4-1: Training Start

    As the sun peeked its face over the horizon, so did we leave to hunt. It had been three days since the selection for the Elite Corps.

    The adjustment to allow people to fill in for the new members of Nettle had finished and finally we could finally begin the real training.

    Going hunting during the snowy season was a torturous ordeal for most, but I needed to obtain meat for the members of Nettle to eat.

    To build more robust bodies I needed to feed them meat. The best for that would be the high-protein and low calorie deer meat. We did have dried jerky, but it was unreasonable to think that they would eat enough than if I got fresh meat for them.

    Cyril-niisama youre even faster than a horse!

    A silver fire fox was tied to my back with a rope. It was Yukino who usually acted calm, but was excited just like a girl of her age should be.

    I was currently searching for prey using Perception Expansion as I sprinted through the forest. The ground was covered in snow and I would get bogged down in it, so instead I was using the trees to leap from branch to branch.

    I was using Windbreak to prevent the wind and snow from hitting us, and Yukino was using fire magic to warm the air around us.

    Using this method we could easily hunt in the forest and mountains even while it was snowing.

    Yukino was tightly hugging my back as she used her magic. The warmth of the fire magic and the heat of her small body was pleasant.

    I had gotten up early in the morning and thought about asking Kuu to do this for me, but since the snow would make it harder to move I decided to take Yukino who was much smaller and lighter.

    Sorry for waking you up so early Yukino.

    Ive been getting up around this time recently so its fine.

    Thats pretty early.

    Un, Ive been training with Kuu-anesama every morning.

    Huh,e to think of it, Kuus been doing that all this time

    Kuu-anesama is strong.

    The Fire Foxes had an aspect that revered strength. Despite being the daughter of the Chief, Kuu had never let up on her daily training.

    Looking at it like that, even without her magic Kuu might be the second strongest in hand to hand in the vige besides me. It might be that she had taught Yukino thisbat style as well.

    The origin of Kuu and Yukinos fighting style were different from my own so I didnt believe I could guide them much.

    AlsoKuu-anesama said that Yukino would be fighting with the members of Nettle. No matter how strong Yukino gets, if the group doesnt get stronger Ill die. So its obvious that Yukino should work hard to make them stronger.

    Yukinos a smart girl. If you keep working and understanding what you can do, then youll be a strong woman.

    Those werent justpliments, they were honest words. If she wasnt vague about her goals and instead came to a firm decision her progress would be faster and more efficient. If she could do so then her speed of improvement would increase a lot.

    Of course. Yukino is smart. Also if I do my best then Cyril-niisama will definitely reward me.

    As expected of the hidden leader of the three girls. How shrewd.

    Of the three of them, Kemin vigorously charged forward, Yukino calmly followed up, and if things failed or they got into a fight Kurone would kindly resolve things with herforting aura.

    Truly the three were well bnced.

    It cant be helped. If you do your best then Ill give you a special meal just like the members of Nettle. I have to make sure you get big and strong too.

    Ill do my best so please give three servings.

    Yukino didnt want three portions for herself. Im sure she wanted some for her friends Kemin and Kurone.

    If I refused I was sure she would share her own portion with themshe was being a bit sneaky but

    I got it. Ill prepare their portions too.but Yukino youve been trying a bit too hard and its getting really hot.

    Oops, uhh thank you Cyril-niichan.

    Yukino lessened her power and the temperature returned to normal. I kept the return journey in mind as I searched the nearby surroundings for deer.

    After fifteen more minutes I finally sensed a deer within my Perception Expansion range.

    Good, found it.

    Yukino cant tell

    Her ck-tipped silver ears were pointed straight up as they twitched and tried to catch a sign of the deer, but she couldnt.

    Uuun, its pretty far away after all.

    Fire Foxes had powerful senses but it wasnt to the degree that they could detect a deer hiding 250 meters away through obstacles. It was because of this amazing ability that I had to teach the members of Nettle Perception Expansion.

    I softly set Yukino down and set a bolt on my crossbow. I had not secured a line of fire yet so I took a few steps to the side and aimed my bow.

    Okayhuh? Yukino why are you staring so hard?

    As I readied to fire I felt an intense stare. Yukino was staring at me with a glitter in her eyes as her tail wagged.

    Cyril-niisama, when you ready your bow your face changes. You always look so nice and smile kindly, but your face tensed up and looked intense.

    Is it scary?

    Uh-uh, its cool.

    Well, I am your Big Brother after all. When the timees I do what needs to be done.

    PICTURE</a>

 Book 3: Chapter 4-2: Training Start

    Book 3: Chapter 4-2: Training Start

    I smiled and pulled the trigger. The bolt flew instantly and hit the deer in the head.

    Okay lets get going. I took down the deer.

    Cyril-niisama

    What?

    Yukino wants to have kids with Cyril-niisama.

    I had taken a step when Yukino suddenly said something outrageous and I nearly tripped and fell to the ground.

    Dont.Yukino a girl cant say things like that.

    Why? Yukino wants to have some kids.

    Thats something that happens when you fall in love and go through the proper steps.

    ButI wanna have some soon. If we dont have any then our people will die out. Yukino and the rest have to continue the bloodline. Thats why everyone in the vige gave their lives to let us escape

    Even this young girlwas thinking so far ahead.

    The Fire Foxes previous home had been destroyed. The survivors split into two groups and escaped, but the ones who had not headed towards Erucy had died. Truly, it ended up being that the 50 that arrived here were the only survivors.

    Even if that is so, saying that you need to do something like that is too sad I think.

    Maybebut Yukino loves Cyril-niisamadoing those kinds of things with other people is scary and I dont wanna.

    I think the type of love youre talking about is different. You look at me like an older brother right? Siblings dont do that kind of thing.

    Yukino started to ponder with a face that showed she wasnt entirely convinced.

    But, I think I do love you. Theres the family lovebut theres another one in there too.

    What should I do? I wanted to clearly turn her downbut I also didnt want to hurt her.

    Im happy to hear you say that Yukino. But, I cant believe that a child really knows that kind of love yet. I cant take it serious at this point. I think its more that you havent interacted with other guys besides me.

    Yukinos eyes started tearing up as she scrunched up her fists in front of her chest. Her ears and tail drooped listlessly.

    I really doCyril-niisamawhat can I do to make you believe me?

    Proof of love huh?

    If it was something like that then.

    Lets see. Youre still twelve right Yukinoin two years youll be considered an adult. If you still feel the same way when you reach fourteen then Ill properly respond to your feelings.

    Within those two years she would surely have gotten along with some other boys besides me and even she herself would have changed. If by then it didnt waver then it should be for real.

    Its a promiseif two years go by and I still feel the same Im your third wife.

    Yukino, dont try to bargain upwards. I meant that if you still feel the same in two years I will face your feelings seriously.

    .I got found out

    Truly what a cunning youngdy.

    Certainly at this moment the Fire Foxes and Elves were distant with each other, but once the day came that this distance was shortened a cute and good girl like this wouldnt be ignored by the other guys.

    Im sure that amongst them at least one of the men would be able to enter her heart.

    It wouldnt be a guy like me with twody loves, but instead a man who only thought of Yukino alone and they wouldnosomehow thinking too much about it was irritating me.

    Id have to give away my precious little sister. I wouldnt ept anyone who wasnt stronger, better at business, and considerate as me. Thats how Id decide.

    I pulled myself together and headed towards the deer. I removed the blood and organs before making a small makeshift sled and cing both it and Yukino on it before running off again.

    The sled was easy to make using the osciting de and some sturdy cord.

    As expected the snow was hard to move through, but I forcibly increased my speed using Body Enhancement.

    Okay, around here seems alright.

    Cyril-niisamawhat are you doing?

    Its a little something to help train Nettle.

    I took out one of the knives hanging from my waist and stabbed it into thergest tree near me.

    Hmm, were pretty free so how about a song?

    It was pretty boring just pulling the sled and it appeared that Yukino thought so too.

    Cyril-niisama teach me some of the songs you know. Im tired of singing all the same Fire Fox songs.

    Hmmsongs huh? Elves dont sing all that much

    Elves were specialized in instruments and dancing, but strangely enough didnt sing much at all. A simple instrumental piece was good enough for us. But a song that wasnt from my memories as Cyril emerged and I sang.

    Sore ike, sore ike everyones beating, throbbing, pounding. Dig, Dig, be all muddy and greet the morning sun. (TN: No idea how urate this is because I could not find the song online)

    It was a bright and cheerful fairy-tale like song. If I remembered it was a song from Showa Era Japan called Good Morning World.

    The song had a red fox couple as the focus as they raised their kids. Certainly this was a fitting song for the Fire Foxes.

    I repeated the song once more, and on the third time around Yukino joined in with her voice. Fire Foxes were really good at singing.

    Thinking that my voice was just noise inparison I stopped singing and simply focused on Yukinos voice.

    But after a while of singing alone, Yukino noticed as she blushed and stopped singing.

    Whyd you stop? Your singing was really nice Yukino.

    Compared to Kuu-anesama, Yukinos singing is no good.

    I dont think you need topare

    Yukino thinks so toobut its still no good.

    It seems there was something behind this. Amongst all the foxes Kuu was golden. Yukino being silver may have special meaning as well.

    I seeif you say so, but I really like it. Your singing that is. Remember that.

    Cyril-niisamathat previous promiseas I thought two years is too long!

    And so we safely finished hunting as the snow fell.

    Now I just had to divide it into portions and ce it inside an insted container along with arge amount of ice and it shouldst us for quite some time.

 Book 3: Chapter 4-3: Training Start

    Book 3: Chapter 4-3: Training Start

    Alright this will give you the strength for theing training. Eat plenty.

    I said to the members of Nettle gathered before me in the Vige Chiefs house.

    We didnt eat breakfast like you asked Chiefbut I smell something delicious. What is it?

    Its deer meat and cream stew. Itll warm you up so eat it while its hot.

    I said and passed out the special cream stew and bread to the members.

    Finely minced potatoes, water, wheat, butter, andrd mixed together with a base made with deer bones and tough meat along with some goat milk.

    Finally some lightly roasted mushrooms and salt to add voring.

    It was their first day so I put in quite a bit of effort. This era wouldnt have many dishes that required borate cooking.

    I paired this stew with bread made with yeast which was baked to a fluffy and crunchy consistency. Also since I was able to use goat milk this time the taste of it was quite a bit more delicious and it went well with the cream stew.

    Pairing this warm and delicious cream stew with having just came inside from the cold winter morning would make it feel like it was filling their bodies with warmth.

    This is great. Goat milk, deer meat, and potatoes can make something so delicious!

    Just eating stuff like this make me feel like entering Nettle was worth it.

    It was a great sess amongst the elves.

    After this theyd be seeing hell so I let them enjoy as much as they pleased.

    I was kind and let them have as many second helpings as they wanted before the pot was empty.

    Alright, since youre filled with nutrition and well rested well start the training. Two of you will receive my direct instruction while the rest will undergo basic endurance training.

    I announced and signaled the helper elves to bring out the warm fur coats and gloves I had asked for.

    For those going out for endurance training I want you to properly wear cold weather gear..Roleau this is a map. You see the marking that I made? That location has arge tree with a knife stuck into it, you will take everyone there and recover it.

    Chief were going that deep into the mountains while its snowing outside?

    If its that distance you should be able to barely make it back to the vige before the sun sets.

    Wont we die!?

    Well, I went out there as the sun rose, hunted a deer, stuck my knife in that tree, and came back this morning. After that I still had enough time to cook this meal. Theres no way you cant make it if youre just traveling there right?

    Roleau was speechless.

    Lets do iteveryone it might be far but this is our mountain and we wont get lost. If wein too much right now itll just give us less time. We need to make it back before dark or it really will be dangerous.

    Among the elves who were hesitating Lucy spoke up.

    If a young girl was talking like that the rest couldnt act pathetic. The others spoke up as well.

    If we leave now we could be back by evening if we take the snow into ount.

    Roleau was used to the forests, but many of them, especially the women, didnt have such experience.

    If they matched pace with the slowest of the group then they should be able to return as the sun set.

    It cant be helped, lets go! Lets get changed and head out.

    As expected of Roleau. Youre pulling everyone along.well heres your lunch. You need to carry it with you.

    I handed them some parcels.

    Whats this?

    Its your lunch.

    It was the provisions I had made.

    It was arge soft cookie-like object made with dried cranberries, vinegar, salt, andrd.

    It could be preserved for long periods and was very high in calories. Looking at its nutrients it was a fairly good meal recement and the vor was pretty good at healing fatigue.

    When we began fighting the Empire they would be deployed on long campaigns so it was essential that they had some food that was high in calories, nutrients, and was easy to carry. If you used these then you could carry a month of food along in your bag.

    Will something so small be enough? How a bout a proper..

    No. Being able tost with only that much is training in itself. I will have you eat that for lunch. For that reason I let you have a luxurious breakfast.

    Indeed, no matter how excellent the cooking was you needed to have something easy to carry and eat. No matter how nutritious the full meal was it wouldnt match the quick and ease of that soft cookie.

    If they didnt get used to eating one of those for their meals then during a campaign they would reach their limits quickly.

    I would have them get used to eating one soft cookie for their meals. Then finally I would have them rece their meals with that for a day. If they were unable to do so, then a long campaign was just a dream.

    If youre asking us to do this Chief then it must be for somethingokayIll show you we can do it.

    Thanks

    Within the snowy mountains they would train their legs, their endurance, their fortitude, and their teamwork.

    Until they obtained the basic physical strength and unity I would have them climb the mountain.

    What will the other two do?

    Ill be beating Perception Expansion and Body Enhancement into their heads. Ill show you that I can make them learn it in a day.

    Thats amazing. I thought it took a lot more time to learn magic

    Well, its me after all.

    Cyrilsometimes you say things like that to dodge the issue

    Lucy said with half amazement and half respect.

    Well, its the truth.

    It was not possible to aplish this by using normal means.

    I would have to use Samsara Recursion to create a shortcut. That meant that only I could aplish this.

    Ill pray you return safely. If you arent back byte evening Ill set up a search so dont worry.

    Okay. Chief I swear on my experience as a hunter that we wont get lost.

    And so the endurance team put on their coats and headed out to the mountains.

    The only ones left were one of Roleaus subordinates and one woman.

    They had been led away to a separate room.

    Now thenI didnt want to use this Samsara Recursion if I didnt need to, but I cant think of any other one that can use soul magic.

    The one I would be calling today was the great magician Suzina.

    The reason I hesitated was not because of the consumption or high burden of the soulno it was in fact lighter than others I had used.

    A me that I dont know

    There were five me that had been sealed away that could not be recognized. Though Suzina was only mid-poweredpared to the other me they were one of the ones that I hadpletely sealed the memories of when not in use.

    I would not have done such a thing without reason. There was something within Suzinasomething that made me reluctant to call upon them.

    But I didnt have time to be hesitant.

    I resolved myself and readied my mind to call Suzina.

    A lifetimepletely devoted to magic

    As a human using magic, surgery, spiritualism, and every possible means to change my body itself into something optimized for my desires.

    Nowlets start.

    I strengthened my will and entered the room with the two members of Nettle.

 Book 3: Chapter 5-1: Archmage Suzina

    Book 3: Chapter 5-1: Archmage Suzina

    I firmed my resolve to call upon the Archmage Suzina and entered the room where the two members of Nettle were.

    The two of them were seated on chairs with blindfolds on. This was only because I didnt want them to see my form when I was utilizing The Circle of Transmigration.

    This utilization of The Circle of Transmigration would call the Archmage Suzinawho was a human. If I showed myself turning into a human there was no way the Elves would be able to keep their cool.

    Chief why are we wearing blindfolds?

    Its because wearing them will increase your concentration and make the magic easier to learn.

    Is that so? I didnt know.

    The two Nettle members epted myme excuse and didnt question me further.

    I lowered my voice so the two of them could not hear me and began chanting.

    Liberate me my soul. Let a miracle beyond time descend upon me here.

    I focused strongly inside my body and activated my magic.

    I desire the Mad Archmage that lit up the world of despairtheir name is

    A past name. A nostalgic name that echoed in my mind.

    Suzina! Samsara Recursion!

    My body was engulfed in light as my inherent magic activated.

    As the light subsided my body was wrapped in a mage-like robe. In my hands was an borate wand with four magic stones each with the elements water, fire, wind, and earth. I had long white hair decorated with silver hair ornaments and gemstones. I now looked like a human in their mid-thirties.

    PICTURE</a>

    As I thoughtI dont remember.

    Upon using Samsara Recursion I recovered my past appearance and some strong memories and emotions from back then.

    However, despite the technical knowledge, abilities, and skills of Suzina pouring into my mind smoothly, I didnt recall any of the other memories from back then.

    As I was a bit perplexed

    Father did you return?

    A young girls voice echoed in my mind. As I wondered how to respond to her she continued to speak.

    Its been 532 years, 123 days, and 5 hours since we met. When you died and said that wed meet again within your soul you really didnt lie to me!

    That voice was filled with utter joy and deep emotions as she eximed.

    I felt something deep in my heart filled with warmth as it went wild.

    Why arent you answering? Somethingsweirdits too noisy.

    The girls voice began to get further away.

    Cant establish proper connection. Substitute line is no good, changing the form doesnt work either? Father is closing the channel? Blocking my souls wavelengthpletely!? Why are you going this far? Why!? Why wont you let me hear your voice? Why are you refusing me?

    The voice began to panic and be filled with sadness. It made me think of the image of a small kitten being abandoned in the rain.

    I wanted to call out but I had no idea what to do.

    I wasAsh kept the promisebut Father broke it. Units fine. Ill break it too thenI dont care what happens next. I already found where Father is anywaysits another continentpretty far. And there of all ces? How nostalgic. Its not a coincidence right? Its really farbut its much closer than when Father was dead. Ill definitelye find yousince we promised. Once we meet Ill hu

    At that moment her voicepletely cut off.

    What the hell was that?

    I couldnt help but murmur aloud.

    It was most likely an acquaintance of Suzina and had used some sort of magic ability to make contact.

    Magic that couldmunicate thoughts wasnt particrly rare. It was just that base don my current abilities the range for it was only a few dozen meters. It was pretty unbelievable that the girl had said she was contacting me from another continent. If that was true then it had to be someone with greater skills and magic power than me, or someone who knew a spell that I did not.

    In the first ce, something that had lived more than 500 years was not a proper living creature. Did such an acquaintance truly exist?

    Chief whats up? Nothings happening.

    Ahh, wellits nothing.

    I didnt know what to say about it, but calmed the two people down.

    I would have to leave that sudden contact aside for now. The length of time I could use in Samsara Recursion wasnt especially long.

    Doesnt your voice sound lower than usual?

    Ive got a bit of a sore throatyou dont have to worry about it. Lets get started with the training.

    I utilized my robe and hood to hide my facial features and my body shape.

    This was meant as a countermeasure to prevent them from seeing my appearance once they learned Perception Expansion.

    Itll feel unpleasant but Id like you to hold on for me.

    I said as I ced my hand on the male members cheek.

    Analysis

    Magic power flowed into the mans body and gave me aprehensive picture of his body.

    I had used this technique as Cyril when I acted as the town doctor, but when I utilized it in Suzinas form the amount of information I obtained was several fold greater.

    His physical condition was obviously obtained, however I also got the analysis of him all the way down to his soul structure.

    If I had done the same detail in Cyrils body then my mind would have fried.

    The reason I could aplish this was due to the throughput in Suzinas mind.

    Suzina had been born as a normal human, but it was a time when I had beenpletely obsessed with the research of magic. The moment I had been remembered by Suzina, Ipletely took control of the body andpletely reconstructed it to be suitable for the practice of sorcery.

    Taking in elements from the world tree and demi-humans I had made my body optimized for this.

    For my brain I strengthened the basic specs and even forcefully utilized sections of the brain usually neglected by normal humans, while also allowing multiple simultaneous lines of thought utilizing magical virtual simtions, removing the limiter on my mind as well as adding in elements to repair damage to my mind when it overheated. Removing the inefficient pathways in the human mind and recing them with a more efficient algorithm based sequence. This treatment was sheer madness and indescribablyplex.

 Book 3: Chapter 5-2: Archmage Suzina

    Book 3: Chapter 5-2: Archmage Suzina

    Suzina was the best for handling spells that required intense control and power.

    The body had received quite a few alterations as well that provided me with quite highbat power, however amongst all the me within myself Suzinas purebat power ranked in the lower middle area.

    If simr modifications could be made to my current body or to that of the other elves thenwe would be much stronger. However, doing so would mean discarding their own body identity. I had considered doing it, but in the end I decided against it. I wanted to go through this as Cyril with my own body until the end along with everyone.

    Structure analysis, estimate transformation pattern, simplify reproduction capability conjecture.

    Magic forms would change based on individual differences. Even when speaking the same structured spell every person would obtain a different output based on their individual characteristics.

    It was like if you entered the same code into different programs. You would need a conversion engine to make it run correctly or risk crashing.

    It was because of this that teaching individuals magic was a very difficult task. Even sensing magic differed from person to person. At best you would be able to inform them of the basics of magic and their affinities, then set them free to go through trial and error.

    If I tried to teach using this method we would never make it in time.

    For that reason

    Predict output result. Inputmand form. Output. Approximate rate 75% checking against control value. Retry. Retry. Retry.

    I was attempting to forcefully connect my soul with their soul, input the spell form, and observe the results. This turned me into something like a human conversion engine to find the proper spell form.

    Magic was the power of the soul. For that reason it had its own self defense mechanism that could reject such interference which made this action prohibitively difficult.

    However, because Suzinas magic control was incredibly precise, I was able to cause the soul to recognize the spell I was inserting as a part of itself. This allowed an integration without rejection.

    Analyzing their soul was difficult even at normal times but at the same time I was also disguising my magic power. My brain was already overheating and screaming for relief.

    Finally one broke down. Of the five virtual processes one broke down. Four remained. At the same instant an automatic spell activated to begin the mental repair process.

    This was urring as expected. Suzinas existence itself was made to function at full power while breaking and repairing. Rather than functioning safely and for a long time it was more effective to run at maximum power while repairing functions when they broke down. The damaged part of my brain was being regenerated rapidly.

    Chiefsomethings been tickling me for quite a bitwhat is this?

    Its preparations to let you learn the magic. Itll end in a while.

    Itfeels like my body isnt my own right now.

    Youre pretty sharp. Since you could feel that it means your talent for magic is pretty high.

    As we spoke the Operation Code was entered over and over in different permutations as the calction errors lowered after every new piece of information I gained.

    Retry. Approximate 98.5%. Retry. Approximate 99.1%. Retry 99.9% Control Value Clear. Calction Complete.

    At that moment I finallypleted the conversion engine for this man. I moved on to do the same for the girl andprehended her particrs as well.

    At that moment I took both their hands.

    Now I will show you the magic I am going to teach you. Perception Expansion is an application of wind magic. You will share your perception with the wind, so as long as it is a ce with wind you will be able to detect everything.

    How are you going to show us? We havent learned the magic so how are we supposed to use it all of a sudden?

    I will be utilizing the magic through your bodies, itll be fine. What you need to do is to remember the feeling of this magic as urately as you can.

    I poured the spell code into their souls.

    Since I had calcted the conversion engine for both of their souls I simply needed to utilize the magic as I usually did and simply pass it through the conversion algorithm that I had set up.

    Chiefthis iscrazyI can see everythingahahaha, so youve been seeing things like this all the time?

    It feels like Ive turned into a birdno a bit differentI can see everything in hereamazing!

    They were both entranced with their first experience with Perception Expansion.

    Even just experiencing it once could fully convey just how useful this ability was.

    Its fine if youre excited, but you need to properly remember the feeling of using this spell. After around fifteen minutes I will stop my magic and then youll have to try to do this. If you have any issues I will correct them.

    You can do that?

    I can use magic through other peoples bodies. Theres no way I cant fix it as well right?

    Indeed, this was the full reason I had called upon Suzina.

    Since each person has their own different feeling, teaching them was too difficult. It was much better to show them utilizing their own bodies and allow their minds to memorize the feeling.

    It was the same as riding a bike. Once someone taught you how to ride straight and you experienced it, then you would eventually be able to learn to do it on your own.

    Alright, focus guys, feel how the magic flows through you and the image of the spell form. Once you understand that youll be able to learn it quickly.

    I was teaching them a simplified version of my own Perception Expansion.

    The perception range was capped at 220 meters, the detail was lowered, and I limited a portion of their field of view.

    Doing this would lower the burden on their minds, make it easier to learn, and decrease the amount of magic power it required.

    This would remove arge amount of the augmentability of Perception Expansion but if it was simply for sniping then this much was plenty.

 Book 3: Chapter 5-3: Archmage Suzina

    Book 3: Chapter 5-3: Archmage Suzina

    Oh, I think Ive got the feeling. Chief you can stop. Im going to give it a try on my own.

    The man spoke up with confidence so I stopped the insertion spell and allowed him to try as he pleased.

    L-like this?

    The spell form had gotten distorted, but at the very least it did activate.

    I feel like this is different from the one beforehmmmwhere did I go wrong?

    I silently activated my magic and led the man back onto the proper form path.

    I see. So like this? How about now? Does it work?

    The man seemed to have misunderstood that he had fixed it himself and was excited, but the previous error had been eliminated.

    Just like that I let him continue to experiment by himself. Every time he made a mistake I would quietly guide him back onto the correct path and allow him to slowly reach the proper form of Perception Expansion.

    It was a bit roundabout, but allowing him to experiment on his own would make it easier to remember the proper method.

    Hows this? Chief this should be perfect right? Haha this is nice. If I used this for hunting Id be able to find a boar no matter where it hid.

    Un, very good. Now you need to let this feeling soak into your body so maintain the spell for another hour.

    Okay!

    The guy said and happily continued to test out Perception Expansion.

    The girl, on the other hand, had been going through trial and error as well. At this point she was just slightly off in some of the calctions, but she would soon fix that.

    The two of them should be able to learn to use this spell without issue.

    It had been around 3 hours since I had invoked Samsara Recursion. At this point they had almostpletely grasped the spell.

    Suzina, though modified, was still just a human so the magic power expenditure, level of existence, and soul damage were all quite small. At my current level I could hold onto this transformation for five hours.

    What took the most time wasing up with the proper conversion engine, so I believe that we couldplete Body Enhancement in the next two hours.

    Un, good job you guys. Dont forget to practice Perception Expansion at least 30 minutes every day.

    Yeah.

    Mm, I understand.

    Okay, the next magic is Body Enhancement. Well learn using the same method as before.

    And so I was able to teach them the spell within our remaining time. As expected I was at my limit teaching two at the same time. If I tried to go any further then I wouldnt be able to teach them within the time limit of Samsara Recursion.

    .plus I had secretly used a technique on the two of them.

    It wasnt something big but

    It would simply make their brains release a small amount of pleasure chemicals when they followed my instructions.

    More simply, if they listened to what I said they would feel better and be more motivated. Things that were painful or difficult would be easier to bear.

    If I was to bepletely honest, the thing that the Elite Forces needed most wasnt disposition or endurance, it was instead motivation. It was obvious they would want to escape from boring, painful, and unreasonable training.

    Im sure that when they came to join Nettle they had all harbored some burning ambitions and emotions within their hearts. At some point those emotions would fade, we needed those who would not run or hide once the initial burst of emotion faded.

    Even on Earth when putting together an elite unit they would pull troops from various different areas. They gathered and were made to go through grueling training until only a third of them were left.

    In the first ce I didnt believe that these Elves who were not used to fighting would be able to ovee such painful and boring training. Itd be nice to say that I believed in them, but that would simply be neglecting reality.

    Every day two of them and using up my precious Samsara Recursion time every day. Even if they asked to stop I had no time to train someone else. Even without that there werent enough Elves that could hear the voice of the wind.I couldnt make changes to the current members of Nettle.

    It might be cruel, but as the Chief of Erucy I could not simply leave such an issue alone once I saw it.

    Un, you should be able to use it now. With this we can win again the Empire.

    Iplimented them with a smile while at the same time apologizing internally for my own self-satisfaction.

 Book 3: Chapter 5-4: Archmage Suzina

    Book 3: Chapter 5-4: Archmage Suzina

    The endurance training group finally returned once the sun was about to set under the horizon.

    Each of them looked fairly exhausted.

    Wee back, good work today. Did you safely get the knife from the tree?

    Yeah, heres your knife back Chief.

    Roleau was standing at the front and handed back my knife. As expected, even he was tired.

    No, actually it seemed he was more mentally exhausted than he was physically. Among the members he had taken today, there were quite a few who did not have high stamina. It must have been hard for him to care for them while they were climbing up the snowy mountain.

    I nced over at Lucy and she gave me a tired looking smile.

    Hurry and enter the house. Ive warmed up the room and gotten some cloth and hot water for you. Split up by gender and wipe down your bodies.

    Thats great, thanks.

    Un, Im d theres hot water. We got dirty.

    Roleau and Lucy said sounding relieved.

    We had been trying to save up on fuel so making a room very warm and heating up enough water to bathe was considered luxurious at this time of year.

    This time I had requested the three fire fox girls to boil the water. Plus just having them y around in the room would warm it up so there was no cost.

    I had Yukino and Kemin do this in exchange for their portion of the cream stew. The three of them were happily eating the stew and I had them test a toy that I had created to help increase the literacy rate of our country, this too was an important task.

    Roleau, you think its possible?

    Yeah I do. There are some worrisome ones in the bunch, but even if they dont have enough physical strength, they are all spirited and well-behaved so Im not too worried.

    Thats good

    I let out a sigh of relief.

    The purpose of the mountain climbing exercise was not only to train their bodies, but also to strengthen their teamwork.

    During the several hour climb they would talk even if they didnt want to and would need to help each other.

    Every Elf could utilize the Windbreak spell, but if they didnt take turns using it while climbing they would run out of magic power before long. Furthermore, it would be almost impossible to climb the mountain while it was snowing if they didnt use that spell.

    It was forceful, but deepening their bonds in tough situations was very effective.

    Once you guys finish wiping yourselves down go into the next room and wait for the next thing. Theres dinner as well

    ..theres more?

    Yeah there is, but its not training so dont worry.

    I smiled and split up with the group.

    I knocked twice on the door.

    I had finished my business with the guys in the other room, so now I headed over to the girls room.

    You cane in

    I heard Lucy call out, so I went in.

    There I saw the four female members of Nettle.

    The room was warm and they had just finished cleaning themselves so they were only wearing light cloth outfits. Aside from the one I had trained in magic today, the others were all exhausted.

    Everyone, thank you for all your hard work today. It might be hard, but Id like you to do your best from today onwards.

    O-okay Ill do my bes

    Kona tried to show her energy and raise up her arms, but halfway through she cried out from the muscle pains and fell back down.

    They all seemed to be in much the same condition so it was very doubtful they could go through with the training tomorrow.

    You dont have to push yourselves. I came here to help fix your tired bodies. I thought Id give you all a massage. However, I will need to touch your bodies, so if you dont like the idea after seeing me massage Lucy, then you can turn it down.

    You can even do massages Cyril?

    Itd be harder to find something I cant do.

    ..in your caseI dont think its a joke.

    Okay, just lie face down.

    Un, got it.

    Lucy headed over to the nket Id prepared beforehand andy down.

    She had just wiped herself down with hot water so seeing her pure white skin flushed red was captivating. I couldnt help but feel like stripping her clothes and seducing her.

    Alright, here goes.

    I moved my hand down to touch her thigh. As I expected, it was tight from fatigue.

    I began to massage as well as send a small electric signal into her muscles to help loosen them.

    Whatthis feelsah, but its nice. It feels like Im softening up

    Lucy trembled lightly as she rxed and let out aforted voice.

    I switched from her calves to her arms. I began to massage all her major muscle groups.

    In the past I had been able to utilize great amounts of electric energy to strengthen my body, but after I analyzed the Heros power I became able to use it with much greater precision. At this moment I was utilizing that heros power.

    You were very stiff. If we let it be then you definitely wouldnt have been able to continue training tomorrow.

    It probably didnt stop at simple soreness. It was most likely quite painful.

    I wanted to make her just a bit morefortable so I carefully massaged her. Lucys face rxed as I did so.

    But just massaging wont fix everything, so lets put on the finishing touches.

    I used my usual magic, Self Recovery Enhancement and healed her of two days worth of muscle pain.

    By now her body would have converted the cream stew she ate in the morning into nutrients. This meant there was plenty of material for repairing her muscles within her body at the moment.

    Amazingit feels so nice I might fall asleep

    Okay, were done. Move your arm and see Lucy.

    Lucy made a sour face since she probably didnt want to move because she was afraid the muscle pain would assault her as soon as she moved.

    Despite that, she listened to me and moved her arm before a shocked expression emerged on her face.

    Huh? My arm is so lightit doesnt hurt? Ah, its like we usually do.

    In order to strengthen Lucys body I utilized magic to break down her muscles slightly and repair them almost every day.

    Since today she had gotten muscr pain through normal means she probably didnt understand that it was what we usually did at first.

    If the only purpose was to strengthen their bodies then it wouldnt make sense to have them climb the mountain, it would be easier just to use magic. However, that would not improve their teamwork, will-power, or stamina. It was for these reasons I had them climb the mountain.

    So just like this I can get rid of your exhaustion and pain okay? I finished doing it for all the guys, but since youre all girls Ill leave the decision whether to do it or not up to you.

    I said and the other three immediately answered.

    Please do it.

    Its more than wee if its by Cyril-sama. Should we get undressed?

    Cyril-sama my whole body hurts. Please do it quickly and as long as you can.

    The girl who I taught magic shouldnt be physically exhaustedso I wondered why she asked for a massage, but as requested I did it for all of them.

    This was how I would reset their exhaustion every day so they could increase the efficiency of training. Since theyd be able to train themselves every day while in their best conditions the rate of training would increase by three times.

    Their job was to do their best to train and my job was to create the proper environment for them to put forth their best efforts. Theres no way I would cut corners.

    I nned to have their basic stamina training and magic training finished within a month.

    Once that was over I would proceed to more specialized training. It was only a question of how firm a foundation the members of Nettle could build between now and then.

    Massaging the members of Nettle, considering their meal bnce and making it, consulting with the more worrisome members of the troop, and making ns for the next day took me deep into the night.

    The recoil from using Samsara Recursion and doing actions that I was unustomed to in this body caused my consciousness to be hazy. Unexpectedly the tiredness from this mornings hunt also washed over me.

    I had to give up on heading back to the house where Lucy waited for me. Tonight Id sleep here.

    I started to get up from my chair when I lost all my strength and copsed.

    I remained lying face down on the desk in front of me.

    I was more tired than I had thought. WhateverIll just sleep like this. Man its cold in here.oh waitthose girls headed back home a long time ago

    Its fineI wont die.

    With my fading consciousness I heard a voice.

    As I thought Cyril was tired.

    It was Lucys voice. I had sent her back early and told her she didnt need to wait up.

    Cyrileven if youre tired you never show it huh? You just stubbornly pretend youre fine. They all think youre a super manbut you get tired just like normal people. Its hard if you just spoil me one-sidedly.

    I felt a warm nket cover me.

    Thank you and good work today. Lets work hard together tomorrow. No, well all do our best.

    I felt something warm and soft touch my cheek. That small warmth made me fall deep asleep withfort deep in my heart.

 Book 3 Intermission: Baron Lurvishs Audience (2 in 1)

    Book 3 Intermission: Baron Lurvish''s Audience (2 in 1)

    Intermission

    Say that one more time.

    A voice with barely suppressed anger echoed out during the Imperial Audience. The owner of that voice was one of the four Dukes that were only second in power to the Sovereign and shared his blood. He was Florandy. A particrly skinny man, yet the only thing about him that was wide were his pair of ring eyes.

    The room had a carpet so thick and luxurious that your feet could be buried in it as well as various vases and paintings that cost as much as an actual house.

    Yes. The hostages were safely exchanged Count Tilfore and Viscount Maribelles sons were safely recovered.

    Baron Lurvish said with a meek expression on his face as he made hisrge trained frame bow and seem smaller while reporting the results.

    Dont be a smart-ass! Dont try to gloss over this. You should instead report it like this I took 20 elite soldiers and failed to kill one Elf. Lurvish you said before you left The reason the Elves increased in strength suddenly was because of their new Chief. If we kill him they will copse. In order to perform a sneak attack lend me elite soldiers. With them we can avoid unnecessary costs.

    Indeed, it is as you say.

    Lurvish said with frustration staining his voice. Using a spy they had nted earlier he had confirmed that the Chief Cyril was the reason for the Elves bing stronger. For that reason he suggested taking some of the Elite Soldiers responsible for the Dukes protection to kill him with certainty. If that seeded then they would be able to deal with the Elven vige easily.

    However..

    How did that work out!? The Elves took our money and almost all of the Elites I sent with you are dead! Even some the ones who survived said I dont want to fight against a monster like that and quit!! Those are not just simple soldiers, they are my Imperial Guards! There are no recements for them! Do you know how much losing those soldiers will cost me?

    It is entirely as you have said.

    If you understand that then why did your efforts not bear fruit? How ipetent can you be!?

    Duke Florandy roared as he threw his ss of wine at Baron Lurvish. The ss shattered and several shards stabbed Lurvish, but his expression did not waver.

    In the first ce that first battle was strange. A vige of 200 people failed to be destroyed by 500 soldiers!? I told Count Tilfore and Viscount Maribelle that itd be an easy scuffle so they could gain some points and let them set off. It was aplete and utter loss of prestige!! I even got stuck paying the ransom!

    In regards to that, Count Tilfore was inmand of that expedition. I have fairly little knowledge of it.

    Dont make up excuses!

    Ha, I deeply apologize.

    Lurvish quietly grit his teeth. He had indeed heard of the details of that engagement. If only he had been there. There were more things he couldve done.

    Despite that, the foolish noble sons had turned it into a head on fight. In order to protect the prestige of their houses themanding officer of those forces had been dismissed.

    In fact Lurvish had thought of various counter-measures for the next battle. He felt that there would be no more need to fear their bows.

    Then there is this most recent failure. There are more. You left it to your subordinates to attack the Fire Fox Vige! I heard you were victorious, but half of your soldiers died to their suicide attacks! Furthermore you didnt get your hands on a single Fire Stone or a single Fire Fox woman!? Are you joking!!? Its not like we wanted that chintzy little vige. We wanted F I R E S T O N E S!!! You cannot rightly say you dont even know why we attacked them.

    I, did not expect them to take such drastic methods or that those methods were avable to them. There has been no precedent previously and it was impossible to predict.

    But doing so is your damn job! In order to recover from that failure you suggested we borrow that Hero from that damn Duke Arihal. You said that if it was the Hero then she would be able to knock them out or kill them before they self-destructed.

    Lurvishs body further shrunk.

    Lurvishs subordinate had reported the matter of the Fire Fox Vige to him. Despite them being able to defeat the Foxes, taking their magic stones would be practically impossible so they would need someone on the Heros level to aplish it.

    Upon reporting that, Duke Florandy had really requested to borrow the Hero from Duke Arihal who he hated so much.

    There were only two heroes in the Empire. One of them was guarding the Emperor and could not be moved, the other was employed by Duke Arihals estate.

    The Empire had 4 Dukes. They were each in charge of ruling and guarding one of the four cardinal directions with their chains ofmandpletely separate. Because of that, the lending of soldiers was something quite rare.

    If you looked at it another way, it would exin how valued the Fire Fox Stones were to the Empire that they would be willing to lend such a treasured Hero.

    What was the result!? The Hero slipped away from her guards and when they finally caught up to her they found a destroyed vige with a mountain of dead Fire Foxes without magic stones or tails. Furthermore there was no Hero to be seen. Its that Hero after all. With all those magic stones and tails they could escape and live the rest of their life having fun. Wellthis could also be Duke Arihal pulling the strings behind the scenes. His territories dominate the Fire Stone market

    I cannot imagine the Hero being killed. Most likely it is one of those two options.

    Lurvish was clear on what kind of monster the Hero was.

    No matter how you cut with a sword or shot with an arrow, not a mark would be leftan invincible existence. Magic would have some effect, but that monster would quickly begin to cut through it.

    Furthermore, it was even rumored that the Hero would revive once killed. A more monstrous existence most likely did not exist in this world.

    The corpses missing their tails and stones indicated that she had killed them quickly so she could get the job done easily. It made it much more likely that she had made off with the goods.

    Your subordinates are far too disappointing. Though she is a Hero, shes still a child. To think they couldnt handle a single babysitting job

    I apologize from the very depths of my heart.

    Duke Arihal must beughing his head off. Not only did he get the Fire Stones, I even have to pay him for his lost Hero. Even without that the costs from the equipment, supplies, survivors pension, and war expenditures has already put us in a tight situation.

    Duke Florandys words were indeed true.

    The ransom was quite a sum, butpared to other expenses it was chump change. High quality iron armor was expensive and crafting it took a lot of time and effort. The fact that all the soldiers who died were part of the Army was also a painful thing. Unlike mercenaries the survivors pension for soldiers was very high.

    I will regain my honor in the next engagement, the next fight I will bring a grand victory.

    You had best!

    Duke Florandy had stood up from his chair and cried out with his eyes reddened.

    At that moment someone intruded into the room. Lurvishs adjutant rushed into the roompletely out of breath.

    I deeply apologize. There is an emergency so I had to intrude.

    He bowed low and whispered into Lurvishs ear.

    When Lurvish heard what he said, his face went pale.

    Whats wrong Lurvish? What did he say?

    T-thatsthis is a matter of great import that is to be confirmed after greatly detailed examination but

    Speak

    But

    Speak. If you wont say it shall I ask your adjutant directly? I know you have secrets, but do not hide this and tell me.

    Lurvish cursed inside his mind.

    If he were to say the issue here and now things would take a turn for the worst. Even if he tried to lie and hide things his adjutant who was nearby was very bad at lying. He was very capable but once he spoke a lie his face would expose it.

    He finally gave up and decided to steel himself to speak the truth.

    It is information regarding the Elf Vige.

    That is of great interest.

    .They haveoffered the technology for crafting those incredible bows and their iron crafting technology to the Choline Kingdom in exchange for soldiers, money, and rights to resources. They are still in the midst of discussing the agreement, but once the snow melts they will go to the Choline Kingdom to enter negotiations.

    Duke Florandy shook violently when he heard that.

    If, by some chance, this came to fruitionthe Empire would gain an incredible threat to them.

    In pure national power the Empire fell a little short of the Choline Kingdom. Their greatest advantage was in their high quality iron working techniques and goods.

    If the Choline Kingdom got their hands on the Elves even better bows and iron working techniques then there was a good chance the Empire would begin to copse.

    Lurvishyou said that youll attack two months after the snow begins to meltwe cant wait that long. As soon as the snow melts you will set off. You will not just take 3,000 soldiers. Prepare more.

    This was the worst oue Lurvish had imagined.

    I apologize, but I must say this Duke Florandythe three thousand wille from almost all of our currently standing troops as well as arge mercenary band. Furthermore we will have to gather some more from the citizens. In order to improve morale and give sufficient coordination training it will take a few months. If we need to gather more at all costs it will greatly lower morale and our coordination will take a great loss. On such a long campaign arge force will instead be a burden.

    I cannot believe your words. We cannot afford to lose. We have to crush them before they contact the Choline Kingdom. I will raise as many soldiers as I am able. Call every mercenary band there is. Increase the number of conscripts. Our goal is a force of 5,000. A ten times increase of the previous force. No matter what kinds of bows they have we will crush them. With this, no matter how ipetent you are, you should be able to win.

    Duke Florandy said with augh as if he had already seen victory.

    Their military force was obvious. Previously the Elves had sent out a force of 100 and there were even women and children mixed in.

    One-hundred versus 5,000 soldiers. A difference of fifty times. No matter who you ask the winner would be obvious. Rather than tactics they could push through with brute force.

    However, Lurvishs many years of experience was setting off rm bells in his mind.

    ..at the very least it would be better to borrow soldiers from one of the other Dukes. If they did that the quality and coordination of the soldiers would be practically guaranteed. However, after the matter with the Hero, Duke Florandys pride would most likely not allow such a thing.

    No, not even that, but he could not allow an issue that could possibly destroy the Empire to emerge from the area under his purview.

    Duke Florandy, I can ept the increased number of troops. However, I would like to request that we still set off for the vige at the original time. Two months after the first snow melt.

    Tell me the reason.

    Yes. Between the Empire and the Elf Vige all the viges and towns are under imperial control. There is no way that we can pige them for supplies.

    During most long distance campaigns the army would resupply their goods by plundering enemy viges and towns.

    However, within Imperial territories, this was not possible.

    Instead of plundering them you can levy them.

    That action causes an issue of time. If they have a surplus of food, a few threats and they will offer us food. However, directly after the snow melt their winter food stores will be nearly used up and they will need more time to harvest a new crop. If the viges and towns gave up their food at that point hey will die of starvation. They will definitely not give us food based on words. The best n is to wait for the first harvest to make sure they have enough food to offer.

    In addition to this, before the snow started falling the people had been heavily taxed to pay for the first expedition to the Elves. Most of the towns and viges had almost no winter storage and would almost certainly have people who starved to death.

    Their desire to revolt against the Empire strengthened. If they tried to press for further taxes then the vigers would most likely rise up in near insane resistance. In this army that was being built there would also be people conscripted from these viges and towns, if these events urred there could be an internal revolt as well.

    As usual you can travel without weapons and armor until you reach the border, you can resupply at the ry points, and directly after you can attack their vige. In that case you wont need to stop at the viges or towns if you move fast and with the lightest burden possible.

    Certainly that is possible, however there is a chance. If for some reason we cannot resupply at the storage depot our pace will will fall apart and we will run out of supplies. Dealing with this issue will be very difficult. If it is two months after the snow melt we will be able to easily collect food from the surrounding viges. With this assurance we can arrive at the vige as nned and engage in

    Lurvishwhat are you saying? Theres no way that a march within the Empires borders will slow down right? Youre surrounded by nothing but allies. Even in battle you have such a number of troops. Itll end quickly. Worrying about supplies for an extended engagement is useless.

    Lurvish bit his lips. In war you dont know what will happen. Especially with a force of 5,000 troops with poor coordination and plenty of luggage. He did not believe that they would be able to smoothly retrieve goods from the supply base and defeat the Elves in one decisive battle.

    More than that, if we dont crush them quickly they will hand over the techniques to the Choline Kingdom. Thats even more troublesome. If that happens then can you take responsibility!? If we dont move quickly enough we will end up facing the Choline Kingdoms thousands of soldiers as theye for us you know!? They wille with those crazy bows that can fire 500meters away.

    Certainlyit is as you say.I understand. This Lurvish will undertake the task, defeat them, and retrieve the magic stones.

    Lurvish said as he continued to feel a bad premonition about the nned increase in military forces.

    Neither of them knew that their decisions had been carefully guided by another party.

 Book 3: Chapter 6-1: For the Sake of Survival

    Book 3: Chapter 6-1: For the Sake of Survival

    After a month passed the trainees had almostpleted their basic physical strength training and recently I had been drilling them in bow technique.

    Their magic lessons had passed the primary stage and all of them could use Perception Expansion and Body Enhancement at the basic level. It was an unbelievable speed of improvement.

    It was a result of their own motivation, the slight brain adjustment I had done to everyone except Lucy, the massage and healing magic, and of course the delicious and highly nutritious meals I had been making.

    Lucy may not say it, but seeing them all learn the magic that she had taken time and effort to learn properly so quickly must have been frustrating.

    However, the time she had spent was not in vain. Due to her own trial and error by practicing the spells herself, Lucy was able to put much more of the spells effects to use. She could change her range of detection and control the level of information she received. These feats were impossible for the other members.

    That would be something she would have to realize for herselfter.

    Today was training for those more advanced bowmen. I would shorten their mountain climbing time and use the rest of the time for that. Normal elves had a range of 100 meters, but unless the members of Nettle had at least 200 meters of effective range I wouldnt count it as a sess. If they couldnt reach the mark then we couldnt win the next battle.

    Alright everyone. Today well put on blindfolds and practice firing our bows.

    Cyril why would we do that?

    Its practice using Perception Expansion. Rather than using your eyesight, the information you can get from Perception Expansion is far greater. Looking using your eyes will always result in your aim being thrown off by elevation, colors, and strength of light.

    That might be so but that also means that our enemies will also miss in that situation.

    If you are able to use the precise information given to you by Perception Expansion then your bow skills will improve by a level. This also means that in situations where you cant see you wont be helpless. Being able to hit enemies blindfolded means that when its nighttime and your field of view is almost zero you can still snipe them. You can pull off perfect sneak attacks. That will be your forte.

    Uubut Im a bit scared of doing this blindfolded.

    Lucy said with a little trepidation.

    It was obvious that using weapons that could kill people while they were blindfolded was a scary prospect.

    In that case do you want to train at night? That should be more practical anyways

    Its much colder at nighteven blindfolds are better than nighttime.

    Then put up with it. Youll start at my signal. The rule for today is to fire 12 arrows within four minutes. The target is 30 cmrge and 200 meters away. Well do ten sets and each in which you hit 8 out of 12 will count as a pass. If you havent fired all twelve before four minutes then the set will still be a failure. Those who pass will receive a luxurious dinner. Those who fail will eat the cookie for dinner.

    The firing time was 4 minutes each and there would be a break of 2 minutes in between each set so it would take an hour toplete. Spending too much time on this would only worsen their uracy so this time was enough.

    The dinner thing was to motivate them and make them feel the pressure. If nothing else they needed a push.

    Chiefare you serious? Eating the cookie for dinner too? Spare me

    Then do you best. You should be able to aim and fire quick enough, it shouldnt be an issue.

    I dont really get it Cyrilbut we just have to do it right? Cyrils food is delicious after all.

    Their faces began to look determined.

    The special 200 gram cookie had 1000 kcal in it. This past month they had been having one cookie for lunch so they were pretty used to it and could sustain themselves on it, but having it for dinner would surely make them sad.

    If that wasnt the case I would not have created such delicious meals to increase their morale. Every night they would get together and eat a delicious meal that I made and enjoy themselves. Being unable to do so would surely be painful.

    They all put on their blindfolds and took a stance with their crossbows.

    Their crossbows were special made.

    I had summoned Kuiro and remade them. I had increased the uracypared to the mass produced ones, improved the materials, made them lighter, and individually adjusted them so they could be drawn using Body Enhancement during the heat of battle.

    The metal and carbon-fiber was blessed using the dwarfs native magic making them more durable than the mass-produced versions as well. Furthermore the grips attached to them had been adjusted to match the hands of their users. I had done my best to craft these weapons into lifelong partners for them.

    With this I hoped to raise their survival rate even a bit.

    I checked that they finished preparing and opened my mouth.

    Alright! Begin!

 Book 3: Chapter 6-2: For the Sake of Survival

    Book 3: Chapter 6-2: For the Sake of Survival

    All at once they activated Body Enhancement and pulled back their bowstrings. If they used their legs to push the crossbow into the ground to reload they wouldnt be able to fire enough arrows.

    Next they needed to set their bolts, they removed Body Enhancement, and activated Perception Expansion and Windbreak.

    For Elves other than myself it was impossible to activate these three spells all at once no matter how much they lightened their usage of Perception Expansion.

    Two of them at once became the practical limit. For that reason once they only needed to aim and fire they could remove Body Enhancement. With normal bows they would still need to utilize strength to hold back the bowstring and changing spells would be impossible. This was one of the advantages of the crossbow.

    Maybe it was the results of daily training, but almost every one finished preparing and fired at the same time. All twenty arrows flew straight towards the targets 200 meters ahead.

    Because of Windbreak the arrows didnt get affected by air resistance and flew straight ahead without losing power.

    The hit rate of the arrows were around 80%, it looks like the time limit and pressure was doing its job.

    As expected the first set where they were not used to the blindfolds, the pressure, and the time limit caused only Lucy and Roleau to seed in hitting 8 out of 12 arrows.

    However, as the exercise went on their uracy increased. By the fifth set the majority were passing the uracy mark.

    Then, by the end of the tenth set there were only five who had not passed the required mark and the remaining fifteen could now rapid fire while maintaining at least 70% uracy. For the first day this was great progress.

    Good job everyone. Those who failed today should try hard next time.

    Cyril will those who failed really only get that cookie for dinner? Its too cruel

    That was the arrangement.

    I couldnt be weak on them at this juncture. If I did then they would lose their tension and the group would lose its driving force.

    Also, as the instructor I could not be seen as a liar.

    Todays training ends here. From now till the sun sets it will be free practice. For a while we will do this daily. If you dont want to feel this kind of frustration again then do your best to improve. Well then, Ill be off. All of you return when its time for dinner.

    I left those words behind as I walked away.

    I nced back to see that the group, including the five who failed, were advising each other on improving.

    It was a good oue. The fact that they would naturallye together to aid each other naturally was big. Because they worked together through good times and hard times, they were able to form bonds.

    It will facilitatemunication and improve cooperation.

    It looks like Nettle should end up doing well

    Once everyone was able to clear the rapid fire training, I would begin their mental training.

    Training to have them sit in a tree for an hour without moving yet prepared to fire. Training to have them snipe only once at a high speed target and take it down. I wanted to try and do that daily.

    A hellish survival training where they only had 10 special cookies to survive for five days in the snow.

    A game of tag where it is me vs. Everyone. If no one catches me within three hours they go without dinner. If they are able to catch me then I suppose I can let them pass.

    Theres a lot to do and not much time left. Even so

    Itll work out somehow.

    I looked at it objectively. The members of Nettle would be Elite Soldiers.

    Next to the workshop was a new 3 mat size cabin.

    Inside it were six young pigeons. They were a breed of pigeons that lived around the forest and would grow up to have a wingspan of 50 cm, arge species.

    I had caught them inside the forest and brought them to this small cabin to raise them.

    As I entered the cabin the chicks raised a ruckus all at once. They were within their growth period so their desire for food was at an all time high so they continued to call out to be fed.

    Okaaay~, eat a lot and grow up big and strong.

    I gave the young birds plenty of feed that had barley as the base.

    I had used some magic to adjust these pigeons so their homing instinct was even stronger than normal.

    Unlike humans, these pigeons were much simpler and I could adjust them slightly even without using Samsara Recursion.

    Grow up well and work hard. You guys will be our saving grace.

    Of course I hadnt been raising these pigeons on a simple whim. In a certain sense these pigeons were one of the keys to save Erucy.

    Once the snow melted and they became adults they would fly freely in the sky.

    As I continued to indulge the chicks with food I smiled.

    After I finished caring for the pigeons I headed towards the Fire Foxes building. I was going to check and see if the request I had given them wasplete.

    Ah, Cyril-niisama!

    Good day nano Cyril-niisama

    The first one to spot me was the yellow fox Kemin and the ck fox Kurone who greeted me with smiles.

    They were my adorable little sisters but I felt like something was missing.

    Thats right, the silver fox Yukino who was always with them was missing. It was almost natural for the three of them to always be together.

    Good day. Is Yukino not with you two?

    Yukino and Kuu-anesama are off doing special training.

    Theyve been doing it almost every morning once they finish work. Yukino-chan will be doing dangerous things so Kuu-anesama said to train for dangerous things so they wont be dangerous anymore.

    Well thats great.

    It looked like Kuu was seriously training Yukino.

    Kurowanted to train with Yukino and Kuu-anesama too, but they said that Kuro has her own work to do so no. So Kuro is doing her best to do that.

    Me too! I didnt want to leave Yukino alone to do painful and hard things, but at least if we do our best to do Yukinos work too she can train without worrying.

    They said seeming frustrated.

    Im sure the three of them wanted to be together. However, they thought properly about what would be best for their friend and the rest of the Fire Foxes. They continued to do their best to do what they could.

    You two have done well. Ill brush youter.

    Yay~ Kuro loves Cyril-niisamas brushing.butKemin-chan

    mmm.Kurone

    Kurone and Kemin both looked at each other before Kemin spoke up.

    Cyril-niisama, the one working hardest right now is Yukino soplease brush her instead.

    She said with a serious look on her face.

    I couldnt help butugh unintentionally.

    Yukino had worked hard and asked to share the cream stew with the other two. Now these two offered to give up their favorite brushing so that Yukino could get a turn.

    Really, what good friends.

 Book 3: Chapter 6-3: For the Sake of Survival

    Book 3: Chapter 6-3: For the Sake of Survival

    The three of you have been doing your best so Ill brush all of you. But before that could you show me the job I asked you to do?

    The two of them smiled brightly when they heard me.

    I couldnt help but roughly pet their heads.

    Un, we did it! Come and look Cyril-niisama!

    Kuro did here best too

    Kemin and Kurone took my hands and pulled me behind the Fire Fox Workshop.

    There, I sawrge objects covered in a sheet.

    The two of them let go of my hands and grabbed the sheet and pulled it off.

    There were a number of 200 liter baked y jugs lined up there.

    These were the objects I had requested from the Fire Foxes to begin production of Erucys specialty products.

    Kuro made this one

    I made this one

    Kurone and Kemin said boastfully pointing out the jugs they had made as their tails wagged.

    Even for the Fire Foxes who could use Earth and Fire magic, it would not have been easy to make so manyrge jugs. There must have been quite a bit of trial and error involved in making all of these.

    You two did very well. Un, this much should be plenty. All thats left is the number. Do you think that you can reach 100 of these within the next month?

    Of course. Weve already got the hang of it.

    We could even make two hundred of them

    The two of them answered confidently.

    If I was going to be honest, these jugs had been a worry of mine. Using these it would only take two weeks to make our specialty product. If we didnt have them ready by the final date then our next chance would be next year.

    As I was thinking I spotted Kuu and Yukino dashing towards the workshop.

    Their expressions were strained and they seemed lost in their own world. It seems that they werenting back, but that this was a part of their training regiment.

    Their running speed was not normal. They seemed to be dashing at about 40 km per hour (24 mph).

    Just like the elves had exceptional eyes and magic foundations, the Fire Foxes had incredible ears as well as powerful and flexible legs.

    The two of them were running around at a speed that Elves could only achieve when using Body Enhancement while barely looking tired.

    Of course, not all Fire Foxes had that kind of strength. It was because Kuu and Yukino were Gold and Silver foxes with heightened base abilities.

    The reason I didnt have them do the same training as the Elves was because their physical abilities overshadowed them too much. Forcing these girls to climb the snowy mountain barely had any meaning because of their strength. Furthermore, their talent with bows fell far behind that of an Elfs they would not be able to keep up with the archery training.

    However, it may be good to have them undergo the Hell Survival training along with the Elves.

    Yaa!

    The silver Yukino struck out at Kuu. Kuu lightly countered it and used her own force to send Yukino flying into the air. However, Yukino managed to regain her bnce midair andnded on her feet before moving into Kuus blindspot and shooting forward like a bullet to continue her attack.

    Kuus ears twitched. Then she dodged with a paper-thin margin without even looking behind her, hooked Yukinos legs, and knocked her to the ground.

    Yukino couldnt even put up a guard and fell t on her face.

    Fire Foxes didnt need to depend on their eyes to determine their surroundings. Their excellent hearing could provide almost as much information as their sight.

    It was likely that if magic was not allowed I would not be able to win in a pure fistfight with Kuu.

    Yukino, I know I said this before, but your attacks are too repetitive.

    Kuu-anesama but then you said it was better not to forcefully put in feints if they werent going to work

    Yes, thats why you need to be better at fooling me. Youre weaker so you need to think a bit more.

    Yukino got up with tears welling in her eyes and once again jumped into the fight.

    Kuu easily dealt with the attack. Kuus movements were a mix of powerful wild strength and refined martial arts practice. Compared to that, Yukinos movements were solely momentum based. No matter what she did in this state she wouldnt reach Kuu.

    Kurone, are Kuu and Yukino doing this all the time?

    No, today theyre doing hand to hand fighting, but yesterday they were training magic.

    How did they do that?

    Well umtheyd continue to output as much fire as they can for as long as possible. Let it out for as long as possible until they copse. But Kuu-anesamaif you quit while you still have a bit left shell get really angry. She says if you dont put everything into training then youll be shoddy on the battlefield and die. Yukino-chan stopped making fire and fell in the snow.then Kuu-anesama buried her in snow and saw that it was still meltingshe got really angry and said that it wasnt her limit and then.

    Kurone stopped and hesitated. Was it really that horrible?

    She got angry and?

    She kept burying Yukino until the snow stopped meltingand then only dug her up after thirty minutes

    I should stop her.

    Certainly it was true that using magic until your absolute limit would increase your internal reserves and could help with your control and technique. There was also meaning in letting you learn where your limitsy while training your will-power.

    However, no matter what, she was going too far. Even the training today was just showing that she was more powerful and beating her up without giving any constructive advice.

    Kurone and Kemin both shook their heads when they heard me say that.

    Cyril-niisama, you cant stop them. Training more painful than death is what makes a Fire Fox Warrior hard to kill. When Kuu-anesamas brother trained her it was even harsher. Yukino-chan knows that too, and its also hard on Kuu-anesama who has to treat Yukino-chan like this.

    Kurone said as she looked at me seriously.

    It was true that the Fire Foxes produced warriors that would fight hard even in the face of death. No doubt this was the type of training that would produce warriors with such strength of will.

    Plus Yukino-chan is enjoying some of it. She says that she feels that shes getting stronger everyday and is proud that shes being treated properly as a Fire Fox Warrior.

    I looked once again at Yukino. As usual she was being knocked down over and over by Kuu. But, she continued to rise.

    Looking more carefully, every time she stood her movements changed a little. Every time Kuu knocked her down, she was analyzing Kuus movements, changing hercking parts, and improving herself.

    Every moment she watched Kuus movements without a moment of inattention as she engraved these painful lessons into her body.

    Yukinos eyes had tears in them and her face showed how frustrated she was, but even so, deep in her eyes you could see a burning will that said this time Ill win.

    If you stopped them now, I think Yukino-chan would be really angry. Thats why were just cheering her on from the side.

    Kurone said while gripping her fist.

    It must have been hard for them to watch their friend getting beat up. However, they believed in Kuu and Yukino.

    I see, so shes doing her best.risking her life.

    Somewhere within me I had been looking down on them. I had treated them as existences that I needed to protect and guideweak existences.

    Even in the n I was thinking of, I only expected them to use their special abilities as a strategic piece rather than counting them as pure war potential.

    I was thinking of how to let them live as peacefully as possible.

    However, these girls were exhausting themselves in order to be strong enough to survive.

    Perhaps the Nettle members and other Elves were off fighting their own battles out of my sight.

    Ah, look Cyril-niisama!

    Kemin said excitedly as she pointed towards the fight.

    It was a single strike, but Yukinos fist certainly reached Kuu.

    Kuu happily praised Yukino as she patted her head. Then Yukino tearfully leapt into Kuus chest.

    Oh noif you show me something like this.

    Then Ill have to try even harder.

    I couldnt just stay as I was. These girls were trying so hardI had to put even more effort in. That was the will of a man.

    Try harder and have everyone survive.

    Allow everyone tough by the end.

    That was certainly how my Father lived. That was the ideal form of the Chief.

 Book 3: Chapter 7-1: Tactics

    Book 3: Chapter 7-1: Tactics

    Today was a day off in Erucy.

    Despite all my work, I usually took at least one day off a week. As usual I would take care of the goats and work with the crops, but once I finished that I could rx.

    Today was a rest day for the members of Nettle. Even if I soothed their exhaustion using magic, their minds and spirits would still feel fatigued.

    However, I felt that doing nothing all day would be a waste, so I set up a voluntary lecture in the morning and made the eveningpletely free.

    Though the lecture was voluntary pretty much everyoneincluding Kuu and Yukino, took part.

    Today I will lecture you mainly on tactics.

    I announced. The lecture was being held inside thergest room of the Chiefs house and I had set up a chalkboard and was using a piece of chalk to write on the board.

    More urately, I will be covering how to defeat an enemy with overwhelming numerical superiority. This is the perfect time to demonstrate the ns and tactics that we will utilize in the uing battles.

    I moved my hands and wrote Erucy: 20 troops. Empire: 4,000-5000 troops on the ckboard.

    Through various methods including Raffa, we were able to pull out even more soldiers than expected.

    However, when Raffa was negotiating using the fire magic stone and realized that his wife was almost certainly dead, he attacked an imperial soldier and died from their retaliation.

    It was a shame since I would have been able to use him much more effectively.

    I had the ability to save Raffa from the situation, but if I had killed all the soldiers then the information would not have been transmitted to the higher ups. If I saved Raffa while allowing some soldiers to live, they would know that Raffa was being watched and that the information was most likely fake, so I had to let him die.

    Now then, before I tell you the answers Id like for you to try and think of a solution. Anything is fine. When you think of it, just say it aloud.

    As I said that the citizens began thinking when Roleau shot his hand into the air with great confidence.

    Go ahead Roleau.

    We all just have to kill a hundred enemies each. We do that, and we win!

    What an amazing muscle-brained answer!

    It was just thateven if they each killed a hundred that would only be 2,000 enemies. There would be over half left over.

    Im sure that he was considering the statement I had made about most forces surrendering once they lost 30% of their forces. I thought a bit better of him.

    Certainly if each of us kills 100 enemies each we can win. But thats unrealistic. Before youre able to do that, the enemy will kill some of your allies and then those left over will need to kill even more enemies.

    If we fought face to face, no matter how many lives we had, they wouldnt be enough to survive.

    This time our opponents would have bows as well. If we didnt have an equal number of forces it would be prohibitively difficult to create a headwind and strike down their arrows.

    How about we catch them with traps? Drop boulders from clifftops on top of them? Maybe make some pitfalls?

    Lucy said as she timidly raised her hand.

    That can work. As long as they are well made then it could do the job. But in reality there are only certain ces where those traps are practical, and traps that can target such arge force require incredible amounts of effort and can usually be seen through if the enemy isnt aplete idiot.

    Furthermore with a 4,000 strength force that would march in a line of 1~2km long, only a small portion would get caught in these traps.

    Anyone else have any ideas?

    I looked around, but no one else seemed to want to speak up. Therefore I presented my answer.

    Essentially we have two options. The first option is to ignore the small-fry soldiers and simply aim to kill all their leaders. Once the generals are dead, the army will lose form and discipline.

    So its like Cyril is for us. If they killed youun, we wouldnt know what to do and wed be in big trouble.

    Lucy muttered and the others nodded in agreement.

    I was happy they believed in me, but it also gave off a feeling of crisis. Erucy itself was too dependent on my existence. I had to fix this one of these days.

    Well, this time itll be much more difficult. The Imperial forces are more flexible and tougher than I thought. For example lets say I died, next inmand would be Roleau, if he dies, then the next inmand would be Lucy. Thats pretty much their system.

    The information about the Imperial forces was quite urate as I had gotten it from interrogating those nobles that we had captured.

    When the 500 troops had sortied, they were led by Nobles who wanted to obtain some honors, but normally the one who led the normal army was someone uninvolved with politics.

    In this era, the one who decided where and how to fight was the top leader and if you killed him then the army would lose its direction and will to fight.

    However, the Imperial forces fought on orders from someone else besides the militarymander. For this reason, even if you killed the leader of the army, the soldiers still had a reason to fight and the only thing that would change is who gave the direct orders.

    Thats amazing. I think thats impossible for Erucyif Cyril dies and I have to listen to Roleau then.un, I feel like Id want to give up on everything.

    Oi Lucy!

    Roleau cried out in protest. Even so his voice was clearly joking since he could feel that Lucy wasnt saying it to be mean.

    Well, for those reasons that n would be difficult. Now, the other option, we aim for their food supplies. No army can win against hunger. If we can slow them down enough then their food will run low and we can wait them out.

    Indeed, that was the biggest reason we forced them to move out as soon as the snow started melting.

    In order to resupply the Imperial army would have to confiscate the emergency food stores of the viges they passed which were already almost empty from the long winter. I aimed for this since the first crops of the season would only be able to be harvested a month or two after the thaw.

 Book 3: Chapter 7-2: Tactics

    Book 3: Chapter 7-2: Tactics

    Even if you say that, those bastards will bring plenty of food right? They have lots of viges like ours that provide them with food. So with all that, they should have a lot right?

    Roleau unexpectedly brought up a good point. It was true that the Empire would bring as much food as they could. They would bring enough that they might not even need to collect food from the viges along the way.

    Yeah, the Empire does have plenty of food. The issue is, whether they are able to carry all that food at once. Lets calcte what a single soldier needs per day.

    I said and turned to write Food, Water, Clothes on the board.

    First lets talk about food. Soldiers marching from dawn til dusk will get very hungry. At the very least they will need bread, dried meat, and vegetables. To feed a soldier there needs to be 500 grams of food minimum for a meal, then the minimum number of meals in a day should be set at two. So food for each day will weigh 1 kg per soldier.

    This was the minimum, in reality they would carry more for sure.

    Next is water. This is a necessity for marching. A male human needs 2 liters of water a day when marching or they will copse. Due to the numbers they will have difficulties resupplying on the way. The areas where they can refill their water is quite limited. Even if they refill at some viges, rivers, orkes they will have to take enough for at least five days or they run the risk of running out of water.

    Furthermore, river water held its own dangers. There was a good chance that drinking so much river water would cause stomach problems and could even immobilize all 4,000 troops.

    If they boiled the water properly there wouldnt be a problem, but for that they needed to bring fuel and that would further increase their carrying weight. The only ce they could reliably and safely secure that much water was from vige wells. Furthermore, I could only think of two viges that wererge enough and along the way.

    Even if they decided to dig their own well, the underground water sources around here were considerably deep and digging a single one would cost them at least an entire day.

    Next is clothing. The least they need are fresh underwear so that hygiene issues dont spread. Thats at least another kilogram. In short, every soldier needs at least 4kg of goods to survive. For every day after that, excluding the clothes, the weight increases by 3 kg. Five days of supplieses out to 16kg. Roleau, how many kilograms can you carry while walking easily?

    Walking til sundown right? Id say carrying threerge bags of wheat all day is my limit. Its around 30 kg or so.

    Since a strong guy like Roleau says that, then a normal human soldier can only do around 20kg. This means that each soldier can only carry around 6 days of supplies along with them.

    Wouldnt they be fine if they just bring dedicated porters with them to carry their stuff? Or they could bring a bunch of supplies on horse wagons.

    Of course there are people like that. However, theres a limit to how many they can bring. They need food and water for them as well, and for horse wagons they need to bring feed and the entire expedition will slow to a crawl. Even if they brought out an entire army to provide supplies and created a line long enough to reach back into the Empire, the frontline army would still need to wait for the supply line to connect and if even one delivery iste then their food will run out. In the first ce theyll need 15,000kg of goods per day. The mary cost of such a thing is no joke.

    The construction of supply lines are the greatest military issue in this day and age. Once civilization and technology progresses to some degree the required humanbor will decrease and the amount of goods will increase. However, in this age it required humanbor and could be considered a great headache.

    I doubt they will create a trailing supply line behind them. I suspect, that instead that a solid 30% of their forces will consist only of people transporting food and goods. They will carry the armor and items. Normal soldiers would carry their own goods and once they ran out they would ept food from the porters. From my point of view, their water supply should onlyst them 10 days even if we assume they refill at a vige.

    At that point they will have 10 days to travel 100km before reaching a supply base within distance of Erucy before aiming for us. Forcing an army of 5,000 to travel 100km in 10 dayswas unreasonable but not impossible.

    Arriving at they ry station they would pick up their arms and armor. Without they weight of their equipment they would be able to carry more supplies and with some additional nning they should have enough supplies.

    They wouldnt need to wait for their supply team to catch up since after the battle with Erucy they could wait for them or return to meet them. Also, this method would allow them to only bring enough goods for a one way trip.

    Im sure they thought that, if by any chance they ran out of supplies part way, then all they needed to do was wait for a delivery from the ry point. Once the battle was over they could calmly wait for enough supplies to make the return trip.

    The Empires marching ns should basically turn out like that.

 Book 3: Chapter 7-3: Tactics

    Book 3: Chapter 7-3: Tactics

    This n made sense. They wouldnt need to bear the burden of extra food and equipment on the way to and from the ry base and could even get support from them.

    However, there was arge shoring to this n.

    I got what ya wanna say Chief. If were able to stop em for long enough theyll run out of food and starve.

    Thats right. That is the key point of our n. Our policy is, stop them thoroughly. Specifically we will move ahead of them on their route towards us, hide in the trees, and snipe them for three days and three nights with poison arrows while making sure not to kill them. If we are caught then we need to retreat immediately. We will repeat this as many times as necessary.

    Not killing them wasnt out of mercy. I wanted to force them to care for injured people.

    If they got hit by my poison they would suffer hellish pains that would immobilize them causing them to cry out. This would undoubtedly cause the soldiers morale to fall. Every one of them would think I dont want to end up like that. Furthermore, those who didnt die would still need them to carry 70kg of goods for them on top of caring for them.

    If they lost theirposure they might kill the injured soldiers themselves, but even that was helpful to us. Killing their own allies would cause great mental and spiritual damage to the soldiers, plus the soldiers who saw it would have their loyalty quickly drop.

    If they send soldiers to search for snipers they will never find us since we have Perception Expansion and Body Enhancement to allow us to detect them within 200 meters, this will allow us to run away immediately. In fact, them searching for us would be better since theyll have to halt their march. Before long they will have to continue moving even while we continue to injure their troops.

    They did not have enough time. The supplies they carried would quickly run out. The screams of their fellow soldiers would slowly increase with time. They would have no choice but to advance.

    Even if they end up ignoring us their pace will still slow a great deal. After all, seeing a suffering ally nearby you cant help but think what if Im next? The other soldiers will think this and be on guard while moving cautiously.

    Then after a while both their bodies and minds would be exhausted by the constant tension.

    Even at night they will be unable to rest in peace. Using Perception Expansion we are able to see them. Its even better than during the day. We will swap between day and night teams not letting them rest at any time. We will thoroughly exhaust them. Day by day they will slow and copse.

    Once what I nned was enacted, I suspect that not a single imperial soldier will be able to smile again.

    Disaffected and broken-spirited men would continue to emerge.

    For the soldiers it would be a fight even more painful than death.

    Ten days will pass in the blink of an eye. They surely are no fools so once their emergency supplies decrease they will send men on fast horses to request for supplies from the base. However, half of us will take up positions behind the army and kill the messengers. If by the off chance they manage to get supplies sent, we will kill the horses pulling the supply carts. Well never let them replenish. Even better would be if they stopped moving to wait for supplies that were nevering.

    The people were speechless at the vicious tactics I had outlined for them.

    This was not a regr war, in fact it was an irregr tactic.

    I didnt bring it up, but they could also kill the vigers along the way to obtain food. However, that was wasted effort. The further out of the Empire they marched, the smaller the viges would be.

    For an army of 5,000 the food that a small vige would eat in a month would only support them for a day. That made such actions meaningless, and in fact would only exhaust their minds and bodies without benefit.

    Even going that far, it is almost certain they will reach the supply base.

    I believed that waspletely possible for a man like Lurvish.

    Even more so, reaching thest supply base would be thest hope for the soldiers. As long as they had hope then they could endure. Even if they were starving, exhausted, and gued by nightmares, hope would keep them marching forward.

    However, what will await them there is despair. The supply base has a storehouse for food, we will have Kuu and Yukino use their fire stones to destroy it. After seeing theirst hope go up in mes before their eyes, their hearts will break. They will be out of supplies, have many injured, and will already be more than halfway here. It will makepleting their journey here impossible. In that condition and not carrying enough food for the return trip, almost all of the 5,000 soldiers will die of hunger before making it back.

    Our forces were 300 at most. It was almost certain that half the soldiers would end up deserting and bing bandits to assault nearby viges which would dirty the name of the Empire and cause rebellious feelings to emerge. Most of the remaining soldiers would die of hunger and thirst, and the ones who survived would bear trauma for the rest of their lives.

    This was what it meant to crush their spirits.

    However, this n was not just enacted to give us victory. It was made to make the Imperial Soldiers fear the suffering that came with attacking us, and to make the viges along the route to Erucy rebellious.

    Cyril, if we do that then I think we can win. But I have two problems, the first is what will we do about our own supplies, and the second is how will we know when the Empire ising? If we dont know when theyll leavenoif we dont know before they leave then this n wont work.

    Lucy said. I was proud of how sharp she was.

    Good thinking. It was proof that she was growing.

    Dont worry, I have already solved that. Firstly our supplies are solved through the use of the cookies. They wont rot for 2 months and only weigh 200 grams each. Three meals a day will be 600 grams and a week worth is only 18 kg. The crossbow and arrows weigh around 3kg, so you should be able to bear it. Plus, there are some small hidden cabins within the woods that I have stocked with cookies and arrows.

    What about water?

    With me there you wont have a problem.

    I could use water mana to gather moisture from the atmosphere and produce drinking water.

    I would also borrow moisture from the soil and trees around us to make it easier to gather.

    You couldnt create water from thin air, but gathering it from the surroundings was possible.

    However, because of the high difficulty of the magic spell, most Elves, despite having the necessary affinity, would be unable to do so. It was magic that almost no one but me could use.

    Plus there are some wells dug throughout the forest. I can even set one up within one night. If theres an issue with water then I can just use magic to dig us a new one.

    As expected of Cyril-kun

    Cyril-niisama is amazing~

    Kuu and Yukino praised me as their ears twitched. Ahhh I wanted to pet them.

    Lastly, your worries about the Empires movements are unnecessary. I have the new elite Nettle members out there. If we rely on them itll work out.

    Though at this moment they should be chirping about how hungry they were out in the cabin. I couldnt help but smile while thinking of them.

 Book 3: Chapter 8-1: Maple Syrup

    Book 3: Chapter 8-1: Maple Syrup

    Hotso hot. I couldnt keep sleeping and opened my eyes.

    Both my hands and feet were entwined with something soft and hot.

    Oh now I remembest night I was pulling an all-nighter and couldnt get home

    I had woken up inside the workshop that I had loaned the Fire Foxes. We were forced to move up the timetable on gathering materials for our new specialty products, they would help us earn lots of foreign ie and I was rushing to prepare tools for that purpose.

    Somehow I had managed toplete the preparationsst night, but it was already far toote to head home. I attempted to move into the other workshop next door, but the young girls kept me here.

    Cyril-niisamaaa

    Kurosgonna chew on Cyril-niisamas ears

    573 days til Im Cyril-niisamas wife.

    The three young fire foxes Kemin, Kuro, and Yukino were cuddled up to me under the same nket as they slept peacefully while asionally sleep talking. I couldnt help but think they were adorable.

    The other Fire Foxes didnt seem to mind that a man like me was sleeping here so I decided to stay here for the night. If I went to sleep in the other storehouse then Id end up sleeping in the freezing cold. The temptation of staying in this workshop that was kept warm by the Fire Foxes temperature magic was undeniable, plus I couldnt help but yield to the petition from my adorable little sisters to stay.

    I looked outside to see that it was almost dawn.

    Some others had started to wake up as well.

    Yesterday I had asked that they only leave the minimum number of people here to tend to the goats while I brought the rest elsewhere to take care of another important task. This was probably why some of them woke up especially early.

    Good morning Cyril-kun

    Kuu was wide awake and began to dress herself for the day. She was one of the girls who stayed uptest with me to finish my work, but she was strangely energetic. Even though she should be tired from her daily training

    Good morning Kuu

    Did you sleep wellst night?

    Ahh, it was nice and warm here. Plus I had some nice hug pillows snuggled up to me.

    I smiled wryly as I patted the three girls heads.

    You really love children dont you Cyril-kun? Ill head to the second workshop ahead of you to warm it up, please wake these girls ande over in a bit.

    Sorry for the trouble.

    If its for you, then this much is nothing.

    Kuu said happily as she departed.

    As long as I was here the rest of the Fire Foxes couldnt get changed, and even I felt some resistance to changing in front of all of them. Because of that I would move to the second workshop to change and prepare, but that empty building would be absolutely freezing so early in the morning. To remedy that, Kuu had gone ahead to warm up the building.

    Once that was done, I couldfortably prepare myself for the rest of the day.

    But stilleveryone is so pretty.

    I poked at my three little sisters cheeks as I looked at their sleeping faces.

    In my opinion, if you took off make-up and closed your eyes, yet you were still beautiful, then you were naturally a beauty. This was only my personal opinion, but the three of them were very cute. It made me want to tease them.

    Hmmmaybe I should poke their cute ears? The inside of their ears were filled with fluffy white fur that made me curious about what was inside. If I poked it with my finger then maybe I might find out.

    I shook of that evil thought and simply shook them lightly awake.

    After dressing properly in the other workshop I stepped outside. The cold outside was piercing, but after a while you got used to it. Winter was finally ending. The snow was no longer falling. All that was left was waiting for the snow to melt.

    I was standing and thinking in front of the many jugs that the Fire Foxes had made.

    The members of Nettle were approaching the level of skill that I expected from them. The hellish cookie only mountain training with Kuu and Yukino mixed in had beenpleted sessfully. Simply watching them sit around on the mountain doing nothing was boring, so I harassed them plenty, but even so they overcame the trials over those couple days.

    Recently I had raised the difficulty of the archery practice where they had to pass 7 out of 10 sets to seed, but even so over the past two weeks none had failed.

    The training program for Nettle was: rapid fire training in the morning, fortitude and concentration training afterwards, then carrying 20kg of goods up the mountain using Body Enhancement while running a three hour marathon, and finally various specialized cooperation training courses to beat certain actions into their minds and bodies.

    The fortitude training was to have them standby for two hours while hidden, then at a random time I would use magic to send a floating ball of light moving 40k/h across their field of view around 200m away. They would have to watch for it, and shoot it down when it appeared. Nowadays, they all managed to aplish it sessfully most of the time.

    This practice was surprisingly difficult. They had no idea when it would appear and would have to focus for the entire time causing their nerves to fray. Then, if they let their guard down and the light appeared, then they would miss their chance and fail.

    It was hard enough to hit a small fast-moving object in the first ce. Furthermore, I aimed for they moment they lost focus which raised the difficulty even further.

    At first practically no one seeded, but finally Roleau and Lucy were the first to aplish it. After that, others began to seed. Im sure they were sharing advice amongst themselves.

    To be honest, there was a trick to this. Rather than focusing yourself too hard on the task, you needed to split your mind between not focusing too hard, yet remaining alert so that you could maintain your guard the entire time. In that state you would be able to react quickly without overtaxing your mind and body.

    Even the most focused person couldnt remainpletely concentrated for more than an hour. You needed to rx and focus. This contradicting feeling was the basis of being a good sniper and each member of Nettle needed to make this feeling natural.

    They have all acquired the basic skills necessary, so now we only needed to enter a period of adjustment, practice, and nning.

 Book 3: Chapter 8-2: Maple Syrup

    Book 3: Chapter 8-2: Maple Syrup

    Did you wait long Cyril?

    Lucy asked as she appeared before me with the other elves. I had called out the elves with good stamina including those from Nettle.

    The members of Nettle were usually excused from any job except their training, but today was an exception. I needed as many people as I could gather for this task.

    I had made it a special mission and only four members of Nettle who werent in Erucy did note.

    No, theres still time before we start. The Fire Foxes wille out soon so it looks like well be able to set out on time.

    So Cyril, you said that we were going to collect the materials for our specialty products and for making alcohol today?

    Lucy asked with a sparkle in her eyes. I had always emphasized the importance of this while keeping the particrs a secret so I she couldnt help but be curious.

    Thats right. Itll be near the mountains. Ive been looking forward to it for a while. Its something amazing that we cant collect any other time except now.

    As expected, you wont tell me yet.

    Of course, youll just have to look forward to finding out.

    Lucys shoulders drooped in disappointment.

    Well, it wasnt really a big deal if I told her, but I had dragged it on this long already. Id have her wait until she saw the real thing.

    Cyril-niisama!

    The Fire Foxes seemed to be ready as they emerged from the building. As usual, my three little sisters leapt over and clung to me as I patted their heads.

    I felt a gaze and looked over to see Lucy smiling and giggling a bit. Thank goodness these girls werent subject to her jealousy. Even Lucy found these young Fire Foxes to be adorable. It makes you want to pat their heads to make their tails wag.

    Thank you for waiting Cyril-kun. Our preparations areplete.

    Roger, lets set off. Its cold and our load will be heavy, but lets do our best.

    Ou!!

    I called out and received and energetic cry in response as we began to pick up the jugs and the hoses with sharp metal tips. The hoses were made out of deer intestines that I had cleaned and treated so they wouldnt rot.

    In the end, we had made 140 jugs. It was forty more than I had requested.

    The Fire Foxes had truly worked hard toplete their task.

    Each jug could be carried by a strong man, and two weaker people could carry one together. The weakest of them carried the hoses as we set off for the nearby mountain and the location filled with maple trees.

    The weather outside was still cold and harsh, but the Fire Foxes naturally warmed the air around them and the Elves didnt allow the warm air to disperse so the climb ended up being rather pleasant.

    It was also due to this that the Nettle Snowy Mountain Hell Training was easier than I had initially intended and that made me regret things a bit.

    Now, weve arrived. Everyone ce one jug in front of a maple tree. Maintain a distance of at least 5 meters between each jug.

    They all followed my orders, cing down their jugs ordingly. Then one out of every three people got a 40 cm iron stick and a long sharp drill.

    Go around and find a tree with a thicker trunk than the stick I gave you and begin collecting sap from it. You will use this to collect it.

    I took out one of the hoses with 5 pointed metal pipe jointed on the end of it.

    If we chose young trees with less than 40 cm of diameter the sap would be low in quality and quantity, plus it would be bad for the tree so I prepared 40 cm iron sticks to measure.

    First you will use the drill I handed you to open a hole in the trunk. Once again, only choose a tree that is wider than the iron stick I gave you. If you use enough strength the drill will make it through the trunk. The drills have a marking on them, so only drill your way in up to that mark.

    I said as I demonstrated, twisting the drill around until it entered the tree. After about 7 cm, the marking on the drill finally touched the interior of the tree.

    Once you open the hole, take the pointed end of the hose and insert it into the drill.

    I took one of the pointed ends and stuck it into the open end of the drill. The two parts came together tightly and stuck there. The drill and hose fit perfectly together since I had made them out of the same piece of metal.

    I made the hoses with plenty of length so take the other four ends and stick them into other trees and leave the output end inside a jug. Thispletes the set up. In about five days each tree should produce about 30~40 liters of sap. This will then be turned into our specialty product which can be used to either make alcohol or sweet syrup called maple syrup.

    Next to sugarcane and sugar daikon/beets one of the major sources of sugar from nts was maple syrup. This was what I had been waiting for anxiously.

    In my opinion, just considering taste, it was better than sugar beets or sugarcane.

    I had been overjoyed once I saw the maple trees when exploring around Erucy.furthermore they were sugar maples that producedrge amounts of delicious sap.

 Book 3: Chapter 8-3: Maple Syrup

    Book 3: Chapter 8-3: Maple Syrup

    Chief, are these tree juices really that good?

    It will be unbelievably refined and delicious. A high ss good almost iparable to regr sugar. Plus it has some nutritional value and will make you more energetic.

    Maple syrup was deliciously sweet, but it didnt leave a cloying aftertaste.

    It had minerals, potassium, polyphonol, and half the calories of sugar.for Erucy that wascking in high calorie foods that was a bit of a minus, but on Earth that made it even better.

    Oi oi, are you being serious?

    Roleau said in disbelief as he looked at the sap dripping drop by drop into the jug. He stuck his finger in and took a lick.

    Hmm, it is sweet like you saidbut its not nearly as sweet as I thought.

    Well.yeah of course

    Chief, you were the one who just said it was super delicious!

    Wellit wont be delicious if you just eat the raw sap. We need one more trick to get it to taste great. Kuu, please help me out for a minute.

    Okay, what do you need?

    Wait a second while I get this ready.

    I said as I pulled out a cup I had made for the purpose of showing this off to the people who were curious. Then I patiently waited as the cup slowly filled until it had around 100ml of sap inside it.

    Kuu, heat this up until just before the boiling point. Hold it there until I say you can stop.

    Easily done~

    Kuu utilized her power and heated the maple sap. As the water from the sap evaporated into the air, the clear sap began to turn a golden color.

    It was faster to just boil it, but doing so would ruin some of the nutritional value and vor.

    Thanks, you can stop now.

    Most of it disappeared huh

    From the 100ml of sap only a few drops remained.

    Maple syrup was made by concentrating maple sap by around 40 times so it couldnt be helped.

    Roleau sample this. This is concentrated sap. The sap that you licked just a bit ago was only the raw materials. This is the maple syrup we will use as our specialty product.

    Then Ill give it a shot.

    Roleau stuck his finger in the cup.

    The sap had been watery, but now it had be sticky syrup. Roleau took it and brought it to his mouth.

    The moment he tasted it, his eyes flew open in surprise.

    So good! Delicious! I want more!

    He said so fast that I barely understood him before he stick his finger back in the cup and tried to get as much syrup as he could. Still unsatisfied, he took the cup and licked the inside clean.

    It was such an unseemly sight that everyone else fell silent.

    Wes you can see an adult man lost his sense of propriety after tasting it, so its truly delicious. Thats why we can make money off of it and make our food more delicious.

    I said as Roleau returned to his senses and blushed deep red. Even if you blush like that seeing a man do that wasnt cute at all.

    Sweet things were extremely precious on this continent. Because produce like sugar beets that could be grown in the cold hadnt been discovered yet, and because sugarcane that grew in warm climates had to be imported, sugar and sweet items were extremely expensive.

    Since this world had not cultivated fruits over generations to be sweet and delicious, most natural fruit was quite acidic andcked in sweetness. Because of this, people sought out honey for their sweets. As a result of them unthinkingly going after honey bees, they ended up over-exploited and most of them died out causing honey to be rare.

    When I investigated the price of sugar in the Commercial City Erin, I found that it was sold at 1 gold (60,000 yen) per 500g. Even so, it was selling rapidly. Inparison, the maple syrup we would make could probably be sold for 1 gold per 500ml.

    But Cyril, if we just need the sap from these trees then couldnt we take them anytime? Why did we have to wait til the end of winter?

    Thats a good question Lucy. It is because if we took the sap at any other time, the sweetness would be very weak. Maple trees use nutrients they gathered in the fall to survive the cold of winter and increase the sweetness of their sap. Once winter ends, the high sugar sap is sent around the tree to feed it. If it doesnt ovee the winter then the sap will not be sweet. Furthermore, if we try to collect the sap in a season where the sweetened sap isnt circting throughout the tree, then we cant collect it at all.

    Plus the sweet sap wontst forever. The sugar content will end up getting used quickly.

    So that means theres only a little time where we can collect the delicious sap?

    Yup, this year it should onlyst around 3 weeks.

    Each year only three weeks..thats really extravagant. But you said that every 5 days one tree will produce 40L right? Over three weeks we should be able to get 160L then.

    Wellunfortunately we can only collect 40L from a single tree. Any more than that and we could cause permanent damage to the tree and it could die. Every five days we have to switch to new trees. We cant let this chance pass us by. So everyone hurry and prepare the collection tools. If we dont fill up the jugs then we cant move on to the next trees.

    I called out and everyone started getting busy.

    There were those who looked over with clear desire to taste the syrup, but that was something that would have to wait til 5 days from now.

    By then the jugs we had set up today would be filled with sap.

 Book 3: Chapter 8-4: Maple Syrup

    Book 3: Chapter 8-4: Maple Syrup

    The work was finallyplete after around 3 hours.

    All the hoses were inserted into trees and each jug had a hose flowing into it. All that was left was putting up barbed wire so animals wouldnt disturb the jugs and we would be finished.

    The members of Nettle did their best andpleted the job.

    Im looking forward to trying such a delicious thing that made Roleau-san go into a daze. With so much here then well be able to eat as much as we want and then still have enough to sell I think.

    Kuu said as she finished cleaning up.

    Well unfortunately thats not the case. Before I had you evaporate the water from the sap. Just to make 1 liter of syrup you need to use around 40 liters of sap, so even after using a big jug well end up with 4~5 liters each. Since we have 140 jugs well be able to get 700L if were lucky. If we split this evenly among the poption of Erucy then everyone would get a little more than 2 Liters. Do you think 3 liters of syrup once a year is enough for everyone to be satisfied?

    Every year you can only harvest the syrup for 3 weeks, and each tree only produces 1 liter of syruptruly a luxurious item.

    Each person only having 2 liters makes it uneptable for daily use. If we sold these 700L in 500mL batches then we could possibly make 1,400 gold (84 million yen) for a piece of truly delectable business.

    If things went well, that much money was more than enough to purchase an entire year of food for Erucy.

    Even better, maple syrup was very hard to imitate.

    Even if someone noticed the smell of maple from the syrup and tried to copy it, they would only be able to gather it next year. Plus, because of the trial and error involved in making the product, they would waste that years sap harvest by testing how to create the syrup.

    But if we have three weeks and can collect every five days, then cant we do this three times more at least? With that well each have around 10L each. That should be enough for all of us.Well thats true. Thats only if everyone works properly and safely collects all the sap possible. Right now Im prioritizing the acquisition of foreign currency, so if we dont gather enough well lose the portion for making alcohol since we need to use part of it for selling and part of it for eating.

    I wanted to secure at least 1,000 liters to sell. Our own portion woulde only after that.

    Ill do my best! If its for sweets then Ill do anything necessary!Thats the spirit. Well, thats about all there is for today, we can wrap this up.

    The members of Nettle had finished setting up the barbed wire and returned. Everyone else was watching the sap drip into the jugs as they chatted and rxed.

    Everyone listen up. Thank you for your efforts today. Thanks to that everything proceeded well and we finished up for the day. All we need to do is wait for 5 days to pass ande back for the full jugs.

    I looked around at them and saw one unifying expression on their faces

    .please let us try a bit of maple syrup.

    I can see that after witnessing Roleaus dazed disy that you all want to try some maple syrup. I understand why you feel that way.but please be patient.

    I said and saw that they all looked disappointed.

    Well, if we wanted enough for them all to try it then it would take a long time to wait for it to gather.

    Plus, I needed them to be motivated for the next task.

    Of course, I wont say you have to hold out this entire time. In five days, well reconvene here, collect the sap, and insert hoses into different trees. At that time Ill treat you to some maple syrup. All of you make sure to bring some bread! Ill pour plenty of delicious maple syrup on top of it!

    I called out and saw their depressed expressions light up in an instant. Most likely none of them had experienced proper sweetness besides for when I gave Lucy her donuts.

    I was sure that it would be delicious enough to make them cry out.

    Cyril-niisama! I have a question!

    Kurone the ck fox cried out as she raised her hand high in the sky.

    What is it Kurone?Do we have to bring a piece of bread?

    Kurone asked as her tail wagged while awaiting my answer.

    I was a bit troubled. The Fire Foxes had very little wheat and usually only ate potatoes and barley. There was no way they could prepare two pieces of bread just for that day. This girl was probably thinking that if she gave up her meal the day before then she could possibly get two pieces of bread for syrup.

    It was a situation where she would hold back for one day to get extra happiness the next day. Im sure she would show me the cutest little smile I ever saw. I wanted to see her happy.

    However, if I gave an OK here then I suspect it wouldnt end with just one or two. She would cut out certain meals in her day in exchange for bringing more bread here. There was no limit to a girls passion for sweets. If I let her cut out meals like that then it would have a negative influence on her growth.

    Be that as it may, I couldntpletely betray the glittering hope in my cute little sisters eyes.

    If its only two then thats fine. More than that is no good.

    After considering everything, I decided that a single day wouldnt cause too much harm and gave the OK.

    Got it Cyril-niisama

    Kurone said and thanked me before throwing her diminutive chest out in pride as she whispered her secret n to Kemin and Yukino.

    I saw the three of them get happy and excited as they praised Kurone. It was an adorable sight and my lips couldnt help but curl into a happy smile.

    Well, thats it for today. Ill be waiting here for all of you in five days.

    I said bringing things to an end as everyone started chatting and gossiping.

    Surely, everyone here would spend the next five days feeling anxious and excited.

    They would anticipate the delicious sweet treat within their hearts.

    Now, its about time for me to get some letters. I wonder how the reconnaissance party is doing.

    I gazed at the sky.

    It was just in time as I saw arge pigeon in the sky with a piece of paper tied to its legit was one of the pigeons I raised during the winter. It was flying back to the coop I had set up.

    It wasnt only the reconnaissance party, the special squad was working hard too.bonus,

    Commercial City Erin Price List

    This is the price list made by Cyril in Chapter 2.

    Item name Quantity Price Price (Japanese Yen conversion)

    1 piece of nk paper 10 copper coins 400

    1 book 30 silver coins 36,000

    Drama (standing) 1 seat 20 copper coins 800

    Theater (free seat) 1 seat 2 silver coins 2,400

    Theater (special seat) 1 seat 1 gold coin 60,000

    Horse-drawn carriage (Regrmercial route to the vige) 1 seat 10 coins 12,000

    1 cotton cloth 9 silver coins 10,800

    Outerwear (for in people) 15 silver coins 18,000

    Skirt/trousers (for in people) 10 silver coins 12,000

    Shoes (for in people) 5 pairs of silver coins 6,000

    Pumpkin 1 piece Copper coin 15 pieces 600

    One turnip, eight copper coins 320

    Beef (for meat and dairy cattle) *If it is crushed for agriculture, half price or less 1kg Three silver coins 3,600

    1kg of pork 2 silver coins 2,400

    1 kgmb and 1 silver coin and 20 copper coins 1,800

    Goat meat 1kg Silver coin 1,200

    1 kg of sugar 2 coins 120,000

    1 kg of salt 1 silver coin 1,200

    One stall soup (with noodles) 10 copper coins 400

    1 kg of wheat 1 silver coin 1,200

    Barley 1kg Copper coin 20 pieces 800

    1 prostitute 10 silver coins 12,000

    ve bor man) 1 person 30 coins 1,800,000

    ve (woman under 20 years old. Standard) 1 person 20 gold coins 1,200,000

    ve (woman under 20 years old. Beautiful) 1 person 40 gold coins 2,400,000

    ve (Lucy ss * Can read and write, beautiful girl, virgin, good at dancing, elf) 1 person 500 coins 30,000,000

    Ale (poor) 1 bottle *1 L copper coin 20 sheets 800

    1 bottle of wine (poor) *1 L copper coin 25 sheets 1,000

    1 bottle of vinegar*1L silver coin 1,200

 Book 3: Chapter 9-1: Reconnaissance

    Book 3: Chapter 9-1: Reconnaissance

    When considering our war with the Empire, the importance of gathering information was paramount.

    The most essential part of this n was to stop the Imperial soldiers before they were able to reach the supply base. For that reason we had to know definitively whenno even before they departed so that the members of Nettle could deploy.

    For this reason I had split the members of Nettle into teams of four that would engage in reconnaissance in rotations of five days each.

    Your group got the short end of the stick, sorry about that Roleau.Its nothing big. Well, honestly Im disappointed that we couldnt have some maple syrup before we set off, but youll let us have some when wee back right?

    I was apologizing to Roleaus group of four who were set to leave in these early morning hours.

    I had wanted to let them try the fruits of theirbors before they set off.

    However, it was unfortunate that their destination was a small cabin near the Empires supply depot. This cabin was around 100km away so even using wind magic and Body Enhancement, it would take Roleau and his group from now until the sun was setting to reach it.

    Ill prepare plenty of it for you when you return. When you guyse back I should have been able to make some alcohol, so look forward to it.Ah well Im excited now. Well Chief, well be heading off. If we dont head off soon then Rek and the rest wont be able to get home in time.

    And so Roleaus group headed off.

    They wore the hip belts I made, a rucksack, and some heavier clothes to stay warm.

    Inside their rucksacks they had enough food and clothing for a week, plus they were carrying one of the special made birdcages that the homing pigeons would fly to.

    Even this was training, they would engage in reconnaissance while only subsisting on cookies and what they could find in the forest.

    The reconnaissance mission itself wasnt particrly difficult, but the mental burden was quite heavy.

    Has the Empire made a move yet?

    As I saw Roleau off I waited for the next letter from the scouts.

    What was written were the number of carriages entering and exiting the supply base. Furthermore it recorded which ones came from the Empires direction and how many moved from Erucys direction.

    As expected, theyll engage in full scale transport once things get closer to engagement.

    A while ago I had headed to the area around the supply base to set up some of the supply areas for Nettle. I ced food and spare supplies along with a well at each location.

    While I was there I spied on the supply base to check and saw that they had not yet prepared enough enough weapons or food for 5,000 soldiers.

    In short, that meant they would have to increase the items in storage before the war began.

    Periodically the base would receive and send supplies, once the amount increased significantly it would be a sign of the impending battle. Once that was confirmed and ryed back to us, we could set off for the front before the army even managed to arrive.

    The Nettle teams were hiding in a nearby cabin while keeping watch over the supply base with a telescope. They watched all day keeping count of the number of carts entering and exiting the base.

    Thankfully they were able to rotate so they didnt have any issues yet.

    Finally back again?

    A pigeon flew over with a note attached to its leg.

    A pigeon would be released at dawn every day with the report from the reconnaissance team so it would return to my roost.

    In this era without radiomunication there were very few efficient means ofmunication.

    The weakness of this was that it was only one sided.

    The pigeons werent heading here on purpose though. I was making use of their homing instincts that led them to return back to their nests.

    Once the reconnaissance team sent theirst pigeon they wouldnt be able tomunicate any further information, plus back at Erucy we couldnt send any information back to them.

    Thats why it was necessary to send a new team every five days with fresh pigeons.

    ording to the regtions of Nettle, if a pigeon is not sent back for 2 consecutive days then we will take it as if they have encountered trouble and send a rescue team.

    Well thenI guess its time for me to get to work as well.

    Today was the day we would harvest the maple syrup.

    Im sure that everyone was looking forward to eating the delicious sweet syrup.

 Book 3: Chapter 9-3: Reconnaissance

    Book 3: Chapter 9-3: Reconnaissance

    I had them line up in front of the jugs of maple syrup.

    Each jug had 2 Fire Foxes serving and one of them was served by me and Kuu.

    Nenku-san, would you like your bread toasted?

    Kuu asked a homely looking male elf at the front of the line.

    Kuu had taken the time to talk to man elves and made herself better known. Plus, once she talked to them, she never forgot a name. Thats why she was able to so easily call them out when she saw them here. It was something small, but left an impression.

    Kuu clearly understood that as the Fire Fox representative, her appearance would affect how the Elves perceived her people.

    Ah, well, please if you could.Then please hand it to me.

    Kuu said patiently as she took the bread from his hand with a smile.

    Kuus smile and the slight touch of her hand caused this simple Elf to blush a deep red. Ahhe already fell for her.

    ..first was Roleau, now its this guyKuu might be a devilish woman. Id heard that Kuu was fairly well liked amongst the elves.

    Okay, please pour it Cyril-kun.Yeah, leave it to me.

    I took the savory baked bread from Kuu and poured plenty of maple syrup on it. Eating this with their hands was sure to make them sticky, but no one in Erucy was they type to care about that.

    Okay, here you go...thank you.

    As I handed over the syrup covered bread I could read the disappointment in the mans eyes. I was sure he wanted to touch Kuus hand again. Taking the sticky syrup from Kuus hand and licking it, thinking it was the sweet taste of Kuu-chan he would definitely do thatunforgivable.

    As I was brooding the next one came up.

    For some reason the line in front of my jug was abnormally longpared to the others.

    There were guests who aimed to meet with Kuu and guests who aimed to meet with me. It was the case with these three kids

    Cyril-niisama! Please give me some sweet syrup to Kuro! Put lots on!

    Kurone said with an innocent smile as she shouted out her desires.

    Kurone, dont be so shamelessbutcould you pleaseput some more on mine too.

    Kemin said while standing on her tiptoes and pretending to be adult-like.

    Cyril-niisama!

    Yukino didnt say much, but her sparkling eyes and how she nced at the syrup conveyed her meaning. Give me lots of syrup!

    The three of them had all prepared two pieces of bread. One of them was from their breakfast this morning, and the other was from the meal they had skipped yesterday, or so Kuu had told me.

    One of them they had baked, and one of them they had left cool. They intended to try it two different ways.

    Okay, then give me your bread.

    They stared at my hand as I scooped out the syrup with absolute concentration.

    I wanted to grant their wishes, but no matter how cute they were I couldnt show such special treatment in front of everyone else.

    I simply gave them an amount that could be called plenty and handed the bread back.

    Uwaa, so much syrup. Mmm, so delicious. Kuro loves Cyril-niisama!PICTUREWow so much!! Thank you Cyril-niisama!Cyril-niisama, Yukino will follow you forever.

    The three of them had their hands and faces covered in maple syrup as their tails wagged so hard I wondered if theyd fly off. They were so happy that they seemed to want a big hug. Really how adorable. They were so sweet that I suspected they would be sweeter than the maple syrup.

    The three of them happily stuffed their cheeks with bread as they ran off.PICTURE

    At this moment I wanted to just give them the entire jug, but there will still people waiting for me to pour syrup on their bread.

    UmmCyril-kunI know. Even you want to treat them gently right? We need to neatly make a distinction between private and public...So even Cyril-kun has this kind of personality. Actually its quite relieving.Hm? I dont get it, but we still have people here. Lets leave aside chatter forter.Thats true. Ah, Hameru-san. Its been a while. Would you like to bake your bread?

    And so the line shortened.

    Cyril this is really yummy.Im d you like it Lucy.

    Finally we finished providing everyone with their maple syrup and I took Lucy with me on a short walk away from everyone to enjoy our own bread.

    The Elf vige really changed when it became Erucy. Normally around this time wed be at home trying to stay still so we wouldnt feel hungrier since we ran out of food.

    Usually we would not have produced enough food and then the Empire would tax us, causing us to be worried if we could even survive til the first harvest.

    Yeah. Last year I was cuddled with Lucy watching the sun rise while we were hungry. How nostalgic.But this year we ended up with plenty to eat and plenty of new delicious things to eat. Able to have luxurious foods and great things. Sometimes I thinkIm too happy and this is all a dream.

    Lucy said wistfully as she stuffed her cheeks with sweet bread.

    Its not a dream, we all worked together so hard and finally reached this point. I wont let you turn the fruit of our efforts into a dream.CyrilIbeing here with youIm d I fell in love with you.Why are you saying this so suddenly?

    When I asked that she looked a little sad for a moment.

    WellrecentlyI sometimes feel like youre not my Cyril, and youve be everyones Cyril instead and I feel a little lonely. I used to be the only one who knew your good pointsbut now everyone days. I used to think that was great, but from now on more and more people will learn how good you areand maybe one of them will steal you away. Sometimes I worry

    The only one who continued to believe in me even while I rotted away in despair after witnessing my fathers loss was Lucy. It was this Lucy that I adored.

    No matter what girl appears, my number one is Lucy. Well also when you say that I noticed that there are plenty of pests.Ehem, I mean guys who like Lucy too.Unthere are. But youre much cooler than them so dont worry.Well, then you should know that Im the same. There will never be a cuter or stronger girl than Lucy in my heart so theres no need to worry.

    I confessed and Lucy smiled. Her smile was so beautiful that my heart squeezed and beat rapidly.

    Un, as I thought this is a dream. Theres no way such a wonderful day could exist.

    Lucy murmured dreamily as she pinched her cheek.

    It was so silly that I couldnt help but snicker.

    If you say that then Ill be troubled. Im looking to make Erucy even better in the future. I want to make you love me even more, ande to love you even more as we go on. Well talk to more people, make alcohol and party. Well win against the empire, sell our maple syrup and make money. Well hold a grand marriage ceremony and celebrate with everyone. Well make new products and raise animals to make even more delicious foods. Erucy will get bigger. Then we will live happily until we die together of old age in the end.

    That was my dream, the dream I wanted to see through with Lucy.

    Ahaha, thats wonderful. Just thinking about it is enjoyableun, the best kind of life.You dont believe me?

    As I was about to speak further Lucy put her finger to my lips.

    You wouldnt say it if you couldnt do it, right? Ive heard those words from you so many times.Thatspletely right. So believe in me.UnI will. I love you after all, and I want that dream toe true from the bottom of my heart.

    The two of us finished eating our bread before returning to the group and had the group carry the maple syrup jars back down the mountain.

    I had expectations for the next batch so I decided to divide up this portion into those for the citizens and that which I would use to make alcohol.

 Book 3: Chapter 10-1: Eve Before Deployment

    Book 3: Chapter 10-1: Eve Before Deployment

    Alright, it turned out well. The sake came out right.

    I was inside the Chief Residence that I had yet to sleep in. I had modified one of the rooms into a brewery.

    Today was the day to sample the sake brewed using maple syrup.

    You did it!It really worked!sake, sake~

    Upon hearing my words the Fire Foxes cheered. I was just sad that my three little sisters couldnt be here. I couldnt allow young girls to participate in brewing or drinking sake.

    Can sake really be made this easily?

    Kuu said with surprise as she looked at the sake I had made through different means than usual.

    It might be easy for you Fire Foxes, but for others it is difficult to keep things at just the right temperature. If it were just elves making this, then it would be verybor intensive.

    The sake this time had been created using primitive methods.

    You pour yeast solution made from dried cranberries and melted snow to dilute the maple syrup into a jug and leave it to ferment for five days.

    The yeast would cause the sugars in maple syrup to break down into alcohol. Then when the alcohol reaches 12% concentration, the yeast dies causing the purification to stop.

    It took four days for it to ferment and one day for the yeast to finish dying, so the production time was around 5 days.

    The work itself was extremely simple, but yeast doesnt ferment well when the water is too cold, and will die if the water is too hot. We needed to maintain the water temperature for 5 days so the Fire Foxes cooperation was essential to making things run smoothly.

    Umm Cyril-kuncould I ask something? Can we try some?

    Kuu was clearly asking what they all wanted to know. Fire Foxes love alcohol just like Elves do. This was further amplified by the fact that the ingredients and creation of the sake were all provided by their own hands, it was obvious how interested they were.

    Ill taste a bit and think about it, I have to do a little more before you do.

    I smiled as I took a bottle and filled it halfway with maple syrup before shaking it and tasting. Mm, very nice.

    As the sugar broke down into alcohol, the finished sake lost most of the vor. Thats why I had to add a bit of syrup at the end to vor it properly. Since the yeast was dead, there was no issue even if I added more sugar and the sweetness would not disappear.

    I thought about it, and no you cannot taste it early. Well be unveiling the alcohol this afternoon so hold on until then.But you tasted it Cyril-kun! Not fairWell I had to do it in order to adjust the taste. Im not trying to bully you. Dont you want to share your first experience tasting this with everyone? So hurry up and start bottling it so we can head out..un, I guess youre right. I do want to try it with everyone. I cant wait for this afternoon. But still these bottles look borate

    I felt happy that Kuu had recognized the craftsmanship that Id put into these bottles.

    The surface of the bottle was engraved with a crossbow entwined with a cranberry vine and a fox tail.

    I want this sake to be symbolic of Erucy after all. I had to make a symbol for us. First I took the symbol of us Elves as the crossbow, the cranberries that supported our livelihoods in the past, and finally the fox tail of our newly gained partners. I think it turned out well.

    Plus, when we finally won our battle with the Empire I nned to turn it into our national g.

    Yep, its really cool and cute. By the way, what will we call the sake we made?I havent thought of a nameif we went straight with it then wed call it maple wine. But that doesnt sound as good.hmmm

    The sake was made from the snow melt around our vige, the cranberries from our mountains, and the maple syrup from our treesit could be said that it was the taste of Erucy. So if were to be named something it would be.

    Erucy Wine. Alcohol that cant be made or found anywhere but here.

    As I said that Kuu snickered a bit with a small smile.

    Is it weird Kuu?No, its a good name. I was just thinking of something Lucy said to me. Even though you always think and act so rationally, at your heart your really quite the kind romanticist.

    Saying that straight to my face was a bit embarrassing.

    Romanticist huh.that might be true. Does it not suit me?No, we love that part of you Cyril-kun. It wouldnt be fun to be around someone who was righteous but cold. Its because you act this way that we want to be with you and believe youll make us happy.

    I couldnt help but let out a bit of a wryugh after hearing what she said.

    Certainly, I did emphasize rationality, but it seems that I really took emotions into consideration. Rationality excluding emotions would instead lower efficiency. In order to build a proper country, the emotions of the people had to be taken into ount.

    Moreover, this kind of path was far more enjoyable and happy. If we couldnt be happy then why even make the effort?

    Even so, hearing this kind of thing face-to-face made me feel a bit shy. Now I had to make Kuu feel just as shy

    Im also happy to be with such a cute, attentive, and strong girl like you Kuu.

    As I said that, Kuus face blushed a deep red as her ears shot up. The other Fire Foxes were gossiping behind her. It seems like they really liked talk like this.

    It was partially because they liked the both of us, and partially because they were hungry for love stories. At the moment they were unable to find partners which could only be solved with time.

 Book 3: Chapter 10-2: Eve Before Deployment

    Book 3: Chapter 10-2: Eve Before Deployment

    Hey everyone, would you have any interest in some marriage meetings? Of course I wont let Kuu participate no matter what though.

    I called out to the confusion of the Fire Foxes. It seems I needed to exin a bit better.

    The Elves have more men than women and our culture only allows the Chief to have more than one wife, so many of the Elven men are bachelors. If you want I could arrange some meetings to get to know them before things proceed.

    Of course, there were more Fire Foxes than there were single men..furthermore some of the men were single for various reasons. However, there were several among them that were like Roleau, good men who had missed their chance.

    I dont mind being the third, I like Cyril-sama.Me too~.youd all best stop there. Kuu-sama has an amazing look on her face.Kuu-sama were joking~ its a joke. We cant put our hands on Cyril

    Upon seeing Kuus face the rest of the Fire Foxes yed it off as a joke and I couldnt help but nce over as well. Kuus cheeks were all puffed up as she pouted and when I met her eyes she turned away in a huff.

    Normally when my three younger sister foxes said theyd marry me in the future she wouldugh it off, but now that women of simr age were saying it she couldnt easily ignore it.

    Kuu dont worry. I dont n on getting another wife. Id rather not fall in love anymore than hurt you and Lucy..it might be weirding from me who came after Lucy-chanbut that makes me happy. Truly as a girl I cant feel happy about the thought of you finding more women

    Upon hearing our conversation the Fire Foxes were gossiping again, but Kuu just smiled happily.

    Well it looks like the blind date talks were off the table for now

    Later I should check their reactions and if theyre amenable to it Ill set it up. Im sure both sides would end up happy if such an event went well.

    In the afternoon we had set up a tasting for our new Erucy Wine, but it was no simple tasting event.

    Tomorrow was the day that Nettle set off for the battle front so this was also a farewell party as well.

    After a while of observing the supply lines of the base, we had finally discovered changes. The number of wagons from the Empires direction were increasing by arge amount. It went on for a few days before returning to normal.

    Because of that event I went over and kidnapped a soldier out for patrol and used drugs, magic, and illusions to extract the information about the armys expected arrival and the amount of supplies stored.

    After that I had killed the soldier to keep things quiet. You had to be careful of using tactics like this since any leakage of information could cause disastrous consequences.

    For this reason I had to steal the enemys information once it was almost certain or it would be useless. By counting the influx of wagons we were able to guess the timing.

    By understanding the supplies I could calcte that the enemy army was around 4,500 soldiers strong. It was around 1.5 times the amount of soldiers that Lurvish had threatened me with.

    In order to reach the army with some time to spare it would be best to set out tomorrow. I had conveyed that to them already. For that reason I wanted them to drink and be merry on thest day before they had to set off.

    Everyone, thank you for gathering here today. First ept this sake, as nned we will try our newly made alcohol and send off the member of Nettle with a smile.

    Everyone including the Fire Foxes were crowded into the vige square.

    We hadnt prepared much food. For the members of Nettle it was far more important to spend time with their loved ones here rather than mess around. So the party here would start and end with tasting the new sake.

    The Fire Foxes used their hands to warm the Erucy Wine and hand it out to the Elves.

    The snow had melted and the weather warmed a bit, but this would make the sake easier to drink.

    For the smaller kids we had prepared alcohol that was half diluted with water and mixed with maple syrup to make it light and sweet.

    The sake you hold in your hands now was a result of the cooperation between Foxes and Elves. The maple syrup, cranberries, and water melted from ournd. A sake made by us and from our country. So for that reason I named it Erucy Wine.

    I announced loudly seeing people look at the alcohol with more care than before.

    However, if we had only wanted to get ourselves alcohol there was no need to make it ourselves.

    One jug of maple syrup could only make 5 bottle of Erucy Wine. However selling maple syrup would us a gold per bottle.while a single bottle of cheap ale was only 20 copper so it was worth far less.

    Even knowing that I had made this Erucy Wine because.

    This wine is the vor of ournd, the taste of Erucythe taste of home. Keep this taste within your hearts and minds. Especially those in Nettle who will be heading to the front.

    What I had wanted was a taste of our home. Something that would remind you of Erucy when you were far away. I wanted to nt the foundations of that with this sake.

    The members of Nettle nodded with serious looks on their faces.

    Oi, Chiefkeeping it in our hearts is nice and all, but is it delicious?Roleauonce you drink this youll feel that it would be a waste to die on the battlefield before getting to drink it again.Well then Im looking forward to it! Im getting tired of talk Boss~ lets hurry and raise our sses Chief!

    Roleau cheered raising the spirits of the member of Nettle.

    Everyone raise your sses! Pray for the safe return of our brave soldiers and the preservation of our happiness! Cheers!!Cheers!!

 Book 3: Chapter 10-3: Eve Before Deployment

    Book 3: Chapter 10-3: Eve Before Deployment

    They cried out and clinked their sses together.

    Then several surprised voices echoed out.

    Un, its really good!

    The maple syrup had a smooth and delicious taste, while the cranberries gave it some sourness, and was supported by the purified mountain water. Those vorsbined and spread through your mouth.

    It was something you felt like you could keep drinking.

    Cyril this sake is great. It has a really smooth taste. I feel relieved just drinking it.

    I looked around and smiled.

    The friends and family of the Nettle members were gathered around themughing, crying, and talking.

    For example Kuu

    Around her were many Fire Foxes and some elves that were getting along well as they chatted.

    Yukino

    She was talking with Kemin and Kurone as they held back their tears and showed a smile.

    Roleau

    He was talking dirty with the men of the guard squad as theyughed and bumped fists.

    Theyre all looking to the future

    The members of Nettle didnt seem tragic in the least. They held a strong will to return and a fierce spirit that wished to defend their home.

    Before I realized it, I had also been surrounded by a crowd of people.

    Many of them were people I had saved when acting as doctor, people I had made my subordinates, girls who admired me, and my friends.

    I could feel once more thatI was loved. That I had to return here no matter what.

    Then, the time for the send-off drew to a close.

    I spoke some parting words.

    We Nettle, will surely obtain victory and return. So please greet us with smiles and drink with us when we arrive. Each and every one of us without exception.

    That was my vow. To win and not let anyone die.

    If we were able to deal a heavy blow to the Empire this time, then they would settle down for a short time. If they wished to do a follow up attack afterwards they would have to remove soldiers from other fronts that were defending against other kingdoms and I was certain that they were unable to do so.

    Besides, as we achieved victory I would set up several things as well. It was possible to create a situation where the Empire was unable to take time and deal with Erucy.

    As the party ended I sent everyone off with a bottle of Erucy Wine. Im sure that those who hadnt had enough would enjoy themselves with their loved ones.

    Of course, I intended to do so as well. I would spend the day with Lucy and Kuu. I would convey my feelings properly and show it definitely.

    As the rest finished leaving I saw that Kemin and Kurone had stayed. Yukino had been whisked away by the other Fire Foxes back to the warehouse for a Fire Fox only send off party.

    Whats wrong girls? Dont you have to get back with the others?No, were fine.Rather than that, Kuro and Kemin have to have an important talk with Cyril-niisama.

    The two of them spoke with great seriousness.

    Then the two of them bowed low and spoke.

    Cyril-niisamaplease. Please protect Yukino.Kuro asks this too. Yukino is trying too hard and its scary. Please stop her if she tries to do something too dangerous. Youre the only one that can save her if she goes off by herself.

    I seethe three of them were always together so they had seen danger signs in Yukinos behavior and couldnt help but worry.

    Alrightdont worry Ill protect Yukino and everyone else as well. I said it before, I wont be letting them die.

    The both looked at each other and nodded.

    Then thats a promise Cyril-niisama. Youll protect Yukino properlyIf you keep your promise properly then well give you our most important thing.

    The both of them grasped my hands tightly and I could feel them shaking a bit.

    Yes, I promise. Ill protect her. Plus, to me she is my cute little sister so of course Ill protect her. So dont worry, I dont need any kind of reward for that.

    I said confidently, but the two of them shook their heads.

    Thats no good. We cant let go of a promise so easily. Kuro will give my precious thing.Me too Cyril-niisama.

    They wouldnt budge. Thats what their eyes said. If they went this far then it would be unkind and rude to refuse.

    I understand. Ill protect Yukino properly so get your gift ready by the time I return.Thank you very much Cyril-niisama.Kuro loves nii-sama~

    They finally seemed to be put at ease as they hugged me.

    However, I couldnt help wonder what they were actually nning to gift me.

    I thought about it a bit as I headed back to my home.

    In a certain way I was getting worked up along the way back.

    I messed with the final product rings I had made after trial and error. These were the three that I had made to my standard.

 Book 3: Chapter 11-1: Nettle Departs

    Book 3: Chapter 11-1: Nettle Departs

    Good evening Cyril-kun, Lucy-chan.

    We had already been home for around two hours before Kuu arrived.

    Sorry to call you out like this Kuu, Im sure you wanted to be with your people a bit more.Well everyone drove me out saying itd be better for you to spend time with Cyril-kun. I wanted to spend some time with you as well

    I met Kuus eyes and we gazed at each other. I heard a slight cough from next to me.

    Sorry Lucy-chanI didnt mean anything bad its just I

    Kuu drew back upon hearing Lucy my first wife and apologized.

    No its okay. I know that youre also a candidate to be Cyrils wife so you dont need to be so cautious. In fact I do feel I was a bit childish thinking back. Sorry for that.

    Lucy must have instinctively cleared her throat to get our attention.

    Hmmyeah if I saw Lucy flirting with some random guy in front of me I might instinctively grab the knife on my hip and do something regrettable

    I had to be more thankful to the two of them for allowing me this kind of love.

    Tomorrow well be seeing off, so I wanted to take the chance and have us all be together. First offI have a present for the two of you. I have some clothes for the two of you in this bag so please change. Ill finish dinner while the two of you do so.

    I held out the carefully wrapped clothes.

    These were the high ss semi-order made clothes I had ordered back in Erin.

    Well coordinated outfits that I had asked to allow them to shine their brightest.

    Cyrilthese clothesWhen did you prepare these?

    They both opened the wrapping quickly and looked at the well tailored clothes in surprise.

    Dont worry about it, just put them on please.

    They looked at the clothes with joy and puzzlement as I pushed them into the room so they could change.

    As I looked at the outfits I could imagine how they would look when they wore them. I was certain Id be more overjoyed once I saw them in person. I couldnt help looking forward to this.

    As I was finishing the cooking the two of them returned.

    They peeked their heads out from behind the doorway.

    Both of youe on in. The foods going to get cold.Uuubut this is the first time Im wearing such cute clothesIm a bit embarrassed.Me toothe clothes are too cuteI dont know it they suit me

    They whined seeminglycking confidence. It was probably because the only fancy clothes they had ever worn was ceremonial outfits for festivals.

    KuuLucyyoure both the cutest ever so you dont even need to worry. Look, I did my best today and made a feast. I want you toe try it while its hot and ready.

    After I spoke up they managed to work up the courage and blushed as they stepped out.

    The shyly shuffled out while clutching their hands.

    The clothes really suit you girls. Lucy you look sweet and cute like a fairy.

    Lucy was wearing a frilly white one-piece. Overall it gave the image of a bright and cute girl that emphasized Lucys lovable side.

    Kuu you look beautiful and voluptuous in that outfit.

    Kuu was wearing a ck dress that emphasized her body line. If I had to describe it in one word erotic. It sharply enhanced her charming body.

    PICTURE

    When they heard what I had to say they let out a sigh of relief and smiled brightly. They then spun around and looked at each other while givingpliments joyfully.

    Most girls loved two thingslooking beautiful and eating sweets. No matter how old they were.

    Now take a seat, Ive prepared some of your favorites.

    I proimed and set out the rest of the dishes in a show of unusual luxury.

    Is thisdeer liver sashimi? Wow its been a while! I really love it. Thanks!I remember you liked it before so I prepared it for you Lucy.

    I had specially snuck out to go hunting this morning just for this.

    As far as I knew this was the dish that Lucy seemed to like the most.

    Unlike before, I had proper cookware and ingredients this time. I was able to heat the outsides and cover it in special sauce. I was able to make this using some of the herbs and spices I had bought in Erin.

    Is this deer stew? I really like the clean taste.

    Kuus ears stood up. Kuu seemed to really appreciate soup with deer stock. It seems she couldnt forget the first soup that I had given her when she first arrived here.

    This time I had fully dealt with the bones and sinew inside the meat and made a cream stew with dried mushrooms, marrow, wheat, and goat milk. It was well made if I do say so myself.

    Besides that I had baked bread, boar steak, and for dessert I had made pancakes with goat milk whipped cream.

    Whats going on Cyril? This is the first time Ive seen you whip up such a feast.Yeah, I was surprised too. I havent seen such a spread even when I was back in the Fire Fox vige.

    They eximed as they stared at the table covered in their favorite foods.

    They looked on the verge of drooling as they held back their desires.

    This is our dinner, just hold up your sses.

    In front of them were two tall and clear sses. On top of the table were some candles that gave off a strange feeling of elegance.

    This feels so weird like its not our house anymore.Today has been nothing but surprising.

    I poured some Erucy Wine into their cups and Lucy poured wine into my ss.

    To our health and happiness. Cheers!Cheers!

    We clinked our sses together.

    After that, Lucy and Kuu started eating. They were a bit hesitant at first, but soon the allure of the food took over and they continued to eat in a daze. That was just how appealing this feast was.

    The food and Erucy Wine paired well together and caused their appetites to increase.

    Before long the feast I had prepared was mostly gone, even including the dessert.

 Book 3: Chapter 11-2: Nettle Departs

    Book 3: Chapter 11-2: Nettle Departs

    Lucy youve got some cream on your cheek

    I scooped the cream off of her with my finger and put it in my mouth.

    Yum. I liked custard a lot, but the light and airy sweetness of whipped cream was good too.

    We usually greeted each other with a kiss, but such a slight action caused Lucys face to blush a deep red. No matter how much time passes, Lucy was weak to sneak attacks.

    Cyril-kun

    Kuu called out. I looked over and saw an unnaturallyrge clump of whipped cream on her face.

    I held myughter in at her obvious ploy and leaned forward to clean off the cream.but this time with my mouth. It was a slight prank and punishment for trying to trick me.

    Wh-whthats not fair

    As I thought, Kuu blushed deeply in surprise.

    I finally couldnt hold it anymore andughed heartily.

    Today you seem like youre having more fun than usual Cyril. Why did you put together such a feast today?Could it be that you did this since this could be ourst meal together?

    As the two of them questioned me, I shook my head.

    Thats not it. I dont have such subversive reasons. Today happens to be our anniversary.

    I said and that seemed to confuse the two by quite a bit.

    Lucywhat anniversary is it? I dont get it.I dont either. I cant think of any anniversary it might be

    It was no wonder. They wouldnt knowbecause I hadnt told them about it.

    Both of youhold out your left hands.

    They obeyed while seeming confused.

    I took out 2 silver rings with 1 carat diamonds on them and ced the rings on their ring fingers. Then I took a simr one and ced it on my own finger.

    This is so pretty

    Lucy murmured with a passionate sigh.

    Uu, I havent seen such a pretty gem before.

    Kuu was the same as they stared at the rings as if their souls were being stolen.

    Today, is the first memorial day for our engagement. The food and alcohol were all to celebrate this. These rings are the proof of our betrothal. In human cities they often give rings to their fiancee as proof of their bond. I imitated that. Women wearing a ring on their left hand appeals that they have promised their future to a man and should keep some vermin awa.ehem, it means something like that.

    It took a lot of effort in order to create something that I found satisfying. A diamond was just carbon crystallized with extreme heat and pressure so I was able to use Kuiros dwarven abilities to create them with magic. However, that was only uncut stones. The real issue was having to cut them into proper diamonds. That ended up being extremely painstaking.

    For three months I spent experimenting with different cuts until I finally found a method to make a satisfying gemstone. Other than that, I spent a ton of effort on make the silver rings emphasize the beauty of the diamond.

    Also, despite being able to create a muchrger diamond, I kept it at a 1 carat size since I believed it was much more beautiful for their delicate hands. If it were to berger I thought it would look a bit vulgar in some ways.

    I had set the stage. Now I only needed to tell them my true feelings without falsehood.

    LucyKuuplease marry me once we finish this war.

    Upon hearing my words Lucy had serious look as tears started to drip from her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak,

    CyrilIm so happy.yes Ill marry you. Imso happy. StrangeIm happy but I cant stop crying.

    She sobbed as she used the sleeve of her dress to wipe her face and smiled.

    It looks like she was truly happy.

    Imhappy too. So happybutcan I really be with you?

    Kuu murmured softly as she held her left hand to her chest and covered it with her right. It seemed like she was trying to make sure no one could take it from her.

    Of course. I love you too Kuu. Well all get married.Youretelling the truth right? Im the secondso I thought Id only be a mistressgetting married properlyI never thought thatd happen.are you reallyreally sure?I want you Kuu. But, I wont force you. If you really dont want toIll be really sad, but I will let you live your life.

    Kuu shook her head violently.

    Then began to cry just like Lucy.

    Im so happyI love you too Cyril-kun. But, is it okay Lucy-chan?

    She couldnt hide her uneasiness and called out to Lucy with a frail voice.

    Its okay. I know you fell in love with him. Plus its you were talking about Kuu. If it was another girl I wouldve been much angrier.Im sorry Lucy-chanandthank you.

    My greatest joy was seeing that they seemed to get along.

    Lucy, thank you for forgiving Kuu. Kuu.Im sorry for being so insincere and having you be the second, but thank you for loving me. I will put all my heart and soul into giving you two happiness for the rest of our lives.

    I spoke with great happiness and love as I stood and approached them.

    The two of them looked into my eyes and their expressions loosened.

    We wanted to kiss. I could see our emotions overflow. They epted me. So I hugged them tightly and gave them each a kiss.

    I then suggested that the three of us sleep in the same bed tonight and we spent a beautiful peaceful night hugging each other to sleep.

 Book 3: Chapter 11-3: Nettle Departs

    Book 3: Chapter 11-3: Nettle Departs

    Behind me Kuu and Yukino lined up double file with the Elven members of Nettle.

    At the front I was utilizing Wind Break and making the wind resistance nearly zero. The effect extended all the way to those in the back row.

    For those with normal magic power using Wind Break and Body Enhancement at the same time would run out of energy before long.

    However, since I had many times the amount of power of an average elf, I could undertake the usage of Wind Break for those behind me, leaving them to only need to use Body Enhancement themselves, the Fire Foxes didnt even need that as the physical prowess of their legs was enough to allow them to move at simr speeds.

    Lets raise the pace a bit.

    Having eliminated the air resistance was quite beneficial when moving at high speeds.

    For example, if you exerted enough energy to move at 40km per hour, half of the energy you put forth was utilized to fight against the wind pressure. For that reason the removal of air resistance was quite amazing. If you inferred the opposite, then you could say without air resistance you could move at the same speed with nearly half the effort.

    This made things even better since the members of Nettle could move at high speed with low energy consumption when using Body Enhancement.

    Of course, the real issue with Body Enhancement was that instead of it being harsh on your magic power, it was more harsh on your physical body itself since it would be forced to move at strength and speed beyond its normal limits. If you continued enhancing for 3~4 hours youd end up in shambles and have to copse on the floor.

    But, that wasnt an issue right now.

    Alright, here well take an hour break.

    Every three hours we would choose an open area and take a break. Everyone would sit on the ground, drink water, and eat a nutrient cookie while I went around and used Self Healing Enhancement on each of them to heal their hurting muscles.

    After an hour they had repaired their muscles, replenished their water, and ate some calories.

    If their muscles were in pain, then all I had to do was heal it. I had that capability.

    Thats the end of the break. We need to set off again.

    None of them disyed any unpleasantness. The reason for that was because they felt fine aside from having utilized some of their magic power.

    Until they ran out of magic power they would be able to move at high speeds. It was this sequence of events that supported our high speed movement.

    If the members of Nettle were in good health they could use Body Enhancement to move for three hours in two sets each. This means that as long as I was with them they could move 240km without being harmed.

    Before the sun had set we had moved a total of 200km and reached the supply cabin near the Empiresnd. From here it was only 20km to the Imperialnds.

    There was no evidence around here that a major armed force had passed nearby. This was fairly good proof that the Imperial forces hadnt arrived here yet.

    Around here there were paths to the Imperial supply bases and this ce had plenty of nutrient cookies, arrows, and a well dug for water. With these numbers the supplies here couldst for two months.

    This cabin made it easy to engage in multiple sneak attacks against them.

    Besides for the supplies, this ce had a telescope that I had specially made.

    This cabin would be very difficult to find as it was 800 meters deep in the forest away from the road. Additionally you could use the telescope with a range of 1km to keep an eye on the nearby roads without even having to leave the area.

    Once we reached the cabin the members of Nettle began taking shifts to watch the roads. While we still had the time, we hunted and gathered for our food instead of eating the preserved foods.

    Now, after three days of waiting.

    Chief, we spotted those Imperial bastards.

    Roleau had caught sight of the Empire while he was on watch.

    FinallyI was growing tired of waiting.

    Begin battle preparations. Were going to win for everyone back home!Yeah!

    We vigorously left our base and set off.

    And so the battle between 20 and 4,500 began

 Book 3: Chapter 12-1: The Gates of Hell

    Book 3: Chapter 12-1: The Gates of Hell

    We divided our main force into squads.

    The members of Nettle were normally divided into groups of four. I would lead 3 squads totaling 12 people and Roleau would lead 2 squads totaling 8 people.

    Yukino would be apanying my team and Kuu would join Roleaus.

    Kuu and I had the highestbat power so we needed to divide between teams. Thats how thisposition came about.

    Unless there was something really important or we were undertaking a final n like attacking the supply base directly, we probably wouldnt have a chance to work together.

    Roleau you takemand of that squad. Ill leave them in your care.Gotcha. Leave it to me Chief!

    I noticed throughout the training that Roleau had the disposition of a leader and the ability to bring people together.

    He had some issues in situations that needed very hard decisions, but other than that he aplished his tasks properly.

    You know the n?If anyone tries to take up positions behind or go for reinforcements, we need to prioritize attacking their horses and if possible take out their people?Thats right, dont let any of them through.

    Our main n was to halt their forward march and cause them to exhaust their supplies. Once the march started going poorly, they would surely send messengers back to the Empire to ask for help.

    A horse could run around 60km a day.

    These horses looked alright, but did not have amazing stamina. Even back in the legendary days of the Mongolian riders when they specially bred horses and rode them every day, the maximum distance they could move in a single day was 70~100km. Seeing the quality of both the horses and riders in the Empire it would be good if they could manage 60km in a day.

    If theypletely abandoned all their luggage and armor to lighten the burden on the horse they might manage 70~80km.

    However, that is still a threat to us. If they can reach a base 50km away and seek help from the Empire, a supply train could reach them within two days.

    In order to remove that possibility, Roleau and his team would eliminate all the riders that would be sent back to alert the supply base. Then they would ambush any wagons that attempted to move forward to resupply the army.

    The biggest reason why we would aim for the horses first, was that horses were much bigger targets and easy to take down. Even if a person escaped we would have gained ourselves a lot of time.

    ButChief are we just gonna attack anyone even if we dont check whether theyre trying to meet up with the army?

    Roleau said as his expression warped a bit.

    I made an unpleasant expression as I spoke up.

    Yeah, all of them.Butthere might be some unrted peopleThere are very few viges around Erucy that can bring out a horse and wagon, furthermore the timing is bad. Theres almost no chance of it being anything other than someone trying to meet with the Imperial Forces.Almost none? But what if.Even so.

    We cant hesitate. Hesitation reveals gaps.

    Roleau, we dont have enough people. If we dont do surprise attacks then theres no guarantee we can win. We cant crush our chances to surprise them just to go around checking everyone. What if someone you decided wasnt an Imperial Wagon got through by disguising themselves? Then, even if they werent part of the Empirewhat do you think would happen to people carrying supplies when they met with the starving Imperial Army? The oue wouldnt change.Thats

    Roleau was at a loss for words.

    I understood that those feelings were painful. I was telling them to attack people who may not be enemies.

    We cannot lose. We must not. If we lose then its the end of Erucy. They will take everything dear to us. So pleasebe demons. Only think of how to win. Please.

    I bowed my head.

    If possible, I didnt want to give them such a dirty job. I wanted to take on that responsibility. However, I couldnt leave the main force. When we attacked the Empires main forces then we would have to react to each and every move they made. I was the only one who could give appropriate orders in that situation.

    ChiefIm sorry I said too much. I know you dont like doing this kind of thing either. This nbut even so you decided on it because its necessaryeven knowing your thoughts I

    Roleau bowed in apology.

    Its okay. You getting angry in situations like this is why I can trust you. I want this to be thest time we do things like thisso lets win.I got it. Well win.

    Roleau resolved himself. How reliable.

    Then Kuu came up as Roleau walked away.

    Well, Ill be off Cyril-kun.Kuu, if something happens Ill be counting on you.Yes, leave supporting Roleau-san to me.

    Kuus job was to use fire magic in support of that team and if something irregr happened, she was to bebat strength used to turn the situation around. I didnt expect any serious fights, but there was always the chance of something going wrong. We had to be prepared for that.

    I had wanted to be with you Kuubut sorry.

    I murmured into her ear so that no one else could hear.

    Thats okay. Im sure you made the right decision without being misled by emotions. Thats why I like you and look to you as an example.

    I smiled back at her. I wanted to give her a big hug, but everyone was watching.

    May the fortunes of war be with you.Ill be praying for your safety Cyril-kun. Ill leave my precious friend and my little sister to you.Dont worry, Ill protect both of them.Im relieved. Then, let us meet again with a smile.

    And so our groups split to engage in our tasks.

 Book 3: Chapter 12-2: The Gates of Hell

    Book 3: Chapter 12-2: The Gates of Hell

    We ran through the trees.

    Then we hid in the shade of the trees beside the road while pursuing their vanguard.

    The information captured by Perception Expansion was processed by my temporarily enhanced brain so I could count their numbers quickly and ascertain their status. They hade with a force of 4,552 soldiers.

    There werent too many more soldiers than I had estimated based on the goods from the Supply Base. Still, it was impressive how they were able to get this number of soldiers out like this. It wasnt a number meant to conquer a vige of 250 people.

    Even so, these guys are pretty mismatched. Only around 3000 of them are proper

    The Imperial Army didnt have much unity.

    The main force was made of regr soldiers numbering 1500. Leaving aside the regrs, the rest were moving at different paces. The ones out of pace seemed to be the forces of the nobles who were travelingfortably in carriages.

    Then after that were around 1000 experienced farmer conscripts looking thin and walking in step. It looks like they had received some training by how they moved, but their true abilities were doubtful.

    Finally, there were 500 rough looking characters. They were wearing different gear than the Imperial troops and were looking at arge bearded man instead of at the head of the army. I suspected they were arge scale mercenary group. Even so, they were tightly controlled appearing to be fairly skilled.

    That was all of the ones who looked proper.

    The other 1500 are out of the question.

    In the end the other 1500 were people clearly not used to moving as a group. There were clearly untrained peasants, bandits, and small-scale mercenary bands.

    They tentatively followed the soldiers orders, but each of them were more focused on each of their own leaders.

    In summary, this was now an army that had multiple leaders inside of it.

    They must have pushed themselves pretty hard to obtain enough people.

    Thisll be easy to take advantage of.

    Nothing was more fragile than a divided army. If we just poked them a bit, there were many groups that would move for their own sake rather than the forces as a whole.

    Everyone listen! Dont aim for the soldiers wearing proper armor and weapons! Aim for the sloppy ones marching near the front!

    The tidy ones were clearly the regrs. We would put those off forter.

    I wanted to utilize the mish-mash of motivations. The army is using us like shields the army abandoned us easily. I wanted to emphasize those feelings. They should slowly umte then explode. If things went well they might even steal food from the supply as they retreated.

    Got it Cyril. Is this the same as our sniper practice?

    Thats right. Well snipe while constantly using Perception Expansion. Keep a distance of 200 meters from the targets, when they approach within 150 meters you will retreat. Repeat this until it bes too hard to maintain your perception, then retreatpletely. Never snipe if theres no cover nearby.

    This would be our tactics for today. Shave off their fighting power while keeping risk as low as possible.

    Everyone are you ready!?

    Yeah!

    They all readied their crossbows.

    The snow had just melted so it was still very cold out. Their hands would grow numb with cold lowering their uracy. This would obstruct their ability to snipe them.

    However, the air around them was warmed.

    Everyone do your best!

    Thanks Yukino, Ill leave this to you.

    Un, I can do it. I cant use a bow, but I can still help.

    Yukino was the one who warmed up the air. I used magic to make sure the warm air wouldnt escape the area while the feeling in my hands returned.

    I had brought Kuu and Yukino to blow up their food supply, but this was also a great help.

    In order to hide our locations we could not light any fires.

    This cold weather made long operations out in the field painful. The cold would sap your strength and will the longer you dealt with it. However, with Yukino here we could remain warm even without lighting a fire and even drink hot liquids. This benefit was unexpectedlyrge.

    From now on you will make individual decisions about your shots. Now lets begin.

    And with my words our attack began.

 Book 3: Chapter 12-3: The Gates of Hell

    Book 3: Chapter 12-3: The Gates of Hell

    Our arrows pierced the leading soldiers as if it was natural.

    My specially crafted poison arrows didnt have much killing power, but they took effect immediately and caused extreme nerve pain throughout the body for at least a week. Any soldier that was hit let out inhuman screams.

    Huuurts hurrttss

    GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

    S-someone take it ooooout

    We ignored those screams and readied our next volley.

    The unharmed soldiers looked at the screaming soldiers in shock and confusion, they hadnt noticed us yet.

    Second shot, third shotmore and more were wounded.

    The Imperial Soldiers were slowed to a halt. They nced around nervously, but were unable to spot us hidden within the trees many meters away.

    After the fifth round of shots the Imperial Soldiers managed to identify the direction of our attacks and sent soldiers to investigate.

    Over there! Those bastards are hiding over there! Get em!

    Why are Elves out here!? Didnt they always stay in their vige?

    Cowardly bastards Ill kill all of you!

    We had time to fire off two more rounds before we retreated quickly and safely.

    *********

    Our fast attack created 50 people worth of burden.

    Thanks to our urate shots and sneak attack, in a single sortie we were able to make 50 soldiers incapable ofbat.

    If you thought about how their army would copse once a full third of them were incapacitated then we only had to do this 30 more times and we would winbut they would surely have countermeasures and things wouldnt go as easily next time.

    However, our true objective was to slow them to a crawl so these issues didnt matter to us.

    Those Empire guys are slow as hell.

    Yup, if we didnt wait for them then they wouldnt be able to keep up at all.

    Because they werent used to moving in the forest, the soldiers moved very slowly.

    We were able to track their movements with Perception Expansion, but their movements were so slow that it was silly.

    Our sniping rule was to maintain a standard distance of 150m, but within a forest we changed that distance to if there are not 10 enemies within 100 meters we would take them all down individually.

    Cyril, there are some soldiers taking a detour to try and surround us.

    So we take care of those first.

    It kind of feels like hunting in the mountains. Hide in the trees and attempt to surround the prey from both sides. What a shallow tactic. Trying meaningless things despite being seen so clearly.

    We just needed to move ahead of the soldiers taking a detour and catch them off guard.

    We hid our presence, moved 20 meters behind them and fired our crossbows. Im sure they had never dreamed they would be attacked from behind. They looked around with horrid expressions on their faces.

    It wasnt possible to snipe from long distances because of the tightly packed trees which made us lose one of the best features of the crossbowbut as long as we did a surprise attack from behind then we could attack safely.

    Even for the members of Nettle, they couldnt snipe through the trees using small gaps like I could.

    The enemies screamed as they tried to face us, but as they were trying to herd us there was quite some distance between the groups and it would take time for them to arrive. Until our Perception Expansion sensed the arrival of new enemies, we would make sure to poison every single one of this rear unit.

    Our senses captured their direction and location so we were able to hunt them freely from any direction.

    Movement and senses, we overwhelmed them in both categories so there was no way for us elves to lose in a forest.

    Move through the forest to the other side of the highway, dont let your guard down.

    Okay!

    How could I? Chiefd kill me if I did haha

    The sessful attack raised the mood of Nettle. It was a good sign.

    ***************

    Our group escaped the forest at a location ahead of the army and crossed over into the forest on the other side of the road where we hid.

    Then we waited for the Imperial Forces to approach once more and once they were within 200 meters we took up sniping positions.

    The soldiers were desperately searching the forest area that we had previously been in because the forces they had sent in were missing.

    There were still soldiers on the road and they were clearly wary of the location where we had initially attacked from.

    Seeing them move exactly like Id hoped felt amazing.

    Loose!

    Once again the arrows Nettle fired struck the soldiers in the forward ranks.

    Im sure they hadnt expected an attack from the exact opposite side of the road as they seemed panicked and fearful.

    From here it was a rey of what happened earlier. We shot them as much as we pleased and once they sent forces to pursue us we would escape once they got closer.

    We would then move around them and defeat the forces we could. Today we were able to safely deal damage to the Empires forces without endangering ourselves.

    ************

    The sky had grown dark.

    Once the sun began to set, the soldiers who had desperately searched for us had to retreat even if they didnt want to.and they had to carry their injuredrades as well.

    I was using a telescope to spy on their movements from about a kilometer away.

    Thanks to the fact that the army had to wait for the forces that went into the forest to search for us, they had been unable to advance.

    They had to begin preparing to camp out the night now.even while fearful of getting hit by an arrow from the darkness.

    Despite this, the higher ups didnt seem to feel a sense of urgency. They were discussing methods to counter bows.

    One of those seems to be making sure they kept fires to a minimum to reduce visibility. Were they thinking that we couldnt shoot them if it was too dark? They dimmed their fires so we couldnt snipe themhow amusing.

    However, that was a bad move. All of us could use Perception Expansion and see them despite everything. What a wonderful situation.

    Darkness dominated the surroundings and besides for a few guards left on lookout, almost everyone was in their tents.

    Compared to daylight we were able to approach more boldly since they wouldnt be able to see us anyways.

    I signaled with my hand.

    Arrows struck the guards instantly.

    They let out horrifying screams and caused the soldiers in the tents to run outside in a panic.

    We obtained more targets.

    The darkness caused the soldiers to move slowly and clumsily. The Nettles fired arrows freely into them.

    Screams emerged one after another and despite that they didnt light fires. Did they think things would be worse if we could see clearly?

    In the end, after a good number of casualties piled up they finally lit the mes.

    Upon seeing that we retreated.

    From now on, none of you will get the opportunity to rest.

    When they advance they would be fearful of arrows from the surrounding forest, and at night they would be afraid because it was even more dangerous.

    Fearful of arrows suddenly striking them 24 hours a day. Such mental distress would be unthinkable.

    A parting gift for you

    While withdrawing I took out a normal bow that I had taken from one of the Empire Soldiers we hunted. I covered the arrowhead with oil and tied a bottle of oil to it. I had Yukino light it ame before firing it.

    That arrow flew into a wagon carrying food supplies and exploded into mes burning the supplies to ashes.

    Now, well slowly grind you to dust.

    Today is only the first day since theyve entered the gates of hell.

 Book 3: Chapter 13-1: Where Did I Go Wrong?

    Book 3: Chapter 13-1: Where Did I Go Wrong?

    *From the perspective of Imperial Commander Lurvish

    Where did I go wrong?

    I asked myself for what felt like the hundredth time.

    Its been four days since we sent for reinforcements and resupply. Has the supply troop really not reached us yet?

    No, they havent.

    Have any of the messengers returned?

    .they have not.

    I had asked the second question with some hope, but the answer didnt change despite my hope.

    We had expected a distance of about five days from the supply base, so I had ordered us to bring 8 days worth of food so we could have some leeway, but its already been a week since we left the Empires borders.

    Yet, we had not seen a sign of the resupply even after all this time.

    At this rate we would starve before the resupply reached us.

    In order to prevent this, I had sent out the request for resupply the day after the first Elf attack. If there were no issues, then the message would reach the base within two days, and in another two days the supply carts would reach our army. The messengers were also ordered to return immediately after informing the Empire of our situation.

    Despite thatnone of them hade back, meaning trouble had definitely befallen them.

    Damn Elven cowards. This is all because of their foul tricks and cowardly attacks.

    Uncivilized savages! Not even knowing the conduct of a war!

    Absolutely, I agree Baron Lurvish.

    War was a beautiful thing. Designating a time and ce for both sides to show their full power and wage battle against each other. Lining our troops against the other, nominating representatives, and finally waiting for the signal to begin.

    As the sun sets so does the fighting, recognizing each others strength, establishing rules for prisoner exchange, reparations, and possession rights. The rules are necessary <strong>because</strong> it is a battlefield. If not then things would be a mindless ughter.

    Despite all that they hide in the bushes and only do surprise attacks.

    I heaved a sigh as I looked at our soldiers in the vanguard.

    Their eyes were surrounded by dark circles as they nced around fearfully even though there were no enemies. They turned their heads fitfully as they hid as much of their bodies behind their great shields as they could. I couldnt feel a bit of fighting spirit from them.

    In the first ce these shields had been prepared as measures to counter their bows. Those terrifying bows that had the power to pierce metal armor. They would still be able to pierce these shields, however they would stop short of their bodies. We nned to use these shields to charge them in an instant and settle the battle.

    I hadnt brought them thest time because they took time to make and equip, but this time I had brought them.

    I had thought that they were lucky thest time. That we could oppose their bows.but that thought was naive.

    How slowis our army a turtle?

    Even in the night those bastards would attack constantly not allowing us to sleep. Our endurance dropped, we had to maintain caution while moving forward during the day causing our nerves to fray, and they had to carry heavy shields. The soldiers couldnt move even half their normal speed.

    Furthermore.

    Those bastards! Theyre here!

    Block it! Hide behind your shields!

    GYAAAAAAAA oww. IT HURTS

    The Elves attacked over and over.

    As usual we couldnt even see them. They were shooting from an unbelievable distance, hiding behind cover without letting us see even a hint of them.

    At first the soldiers had gotten fired up and chased them into the forest to take revenge, but those who entered only ended up screaming and crying on the ground.

    They had eventually given up on such things. Even if we chased them into the forest they would escape. Even worse, if we entered too far we would get shot. Now, if they werent ordered otherwise, the soldiers would endure the Elven attacks by squatting down and hiding behind shields.

    The arrows continued to rain down. Many of them were blocked by the great shields, but not everyone had one. Only soldiers on the outside of the formation who were likely to be shot carried shields.

    Those without shields would be shot in the shoulders and legsalmost never was a fatal shot given. Those arrows were dipped in poison causing them to scream.

    that poison gave them constant never ending pain. No one in our corps wants to be hit by such a thing. Seeing the effects it was clear how fiendish that poison was.

    I had thought that it was coincidence that no fatal shots were givenbut as things went on I thought more logically.

    Rather than killingsthis is more advantageous for them.

    Id rather they killed them. Injuries were simply a huge burden. Burden of treatment, transport, and provisions. Even worse, their constant screams lowered the morale of the rest of the army.

    Many times I had considered killing the injured soldiers and putting them out of their misery.

    But this situation did not allow for it.

    Factions. This army had factions within it. If it were regr soldiers who had fully pledged their lives to the Empires service then I would unhesitatingly end their suffering and lower our burdens. However, most of the injured soldiers were those from different factions that would turn against us if I killed their soldiers.

    Even without that, their were suspicions that the Imperial Army had been using them as shields since our regr troops didnt have nearly as many casualties. If I killed them in this situation I would have a full on insurrection on my hands.

    After them! Theyre over there!

    A little whileter a small captain gave orders to chase in the direction of their arrows.

    Its useless anyways. Was the feeling I got from his voice.

    Their speed was faster than ours and they would not hesitate to escape.

    Far from catching them, our soldiers hadnt managed to catch sight of them.

    However, if we didnt chase them, they would continue to fire arrows until we did. Before I realized it, the orders to catch or kill them, had turned into orders meant to drive them away. I want to cry

 Book 3: Chapter 13-2: Where Did I Go Wrong?

    Book 3: Chapter 13-2: Where Did I Go Wrong?

    Casualty report.

    Seeing the soldiers disappear into the forest after the Elves I asked my adjutant to describe the casualties.

    Yes, we have no deaths and 20 injured.How many have been injured in total?252 people. Around 5% of our total forces.I see. We havent even reached our destination and things are like thisEven so, after we pulled out the shields our injuries have dropped by a lot.

    Thats when I realized something wrong.

    Whyare we still having injuries after protecting the perimeter with great shields?Thats because they skillfully aim for those soldiers behind the shieldbearer.Why are our injuries decreasing if they have the ability to do that?Isnt it because they have differences in skill with the bow?

    No, thats not it. They wanted us to believe the shields were effective. Thats why they purposefully hit the shields sometimes.

    Waitnot I think I understand. The number of casualties was too high and it blinded me to their true aim. Starvation tactics. Slow us down, prevent us from informing the supply base, and let us die of starvation.

    Im sure they were overjoyed to let our soldiers slow themselves down carrying those great shields.

    How horrible they are.

    Collect the shields back from the soldiers.We cant do that sir! Even now they struggle with each other to be a shieldbearer!.I see.

    Normally these shields wouldnt be useful and no one would want to carry them. But, now the soldiers with shields werent being shot with arrows. This gave birth to faith in them.

    In truth, they were simply not aiming at the shieldbearers. In fact even when arrows hit the shields, it was to give off the impression that they had saved the bearers life. They would then spread that information.

    If at this point we were to try and retrieve the life-saving shield then they would struggle with all their might.

    These were archers who could urately pierce your shoulder or thigh. If they felt like it, they may even be able to hit those hiding behind a shield.

    Adjutantwhat do you think we should do? They attack from so far away and if we approach they disappear. If we send in an ambush team into the forest, they are discovered and ambushed instead. Even if we wanted to attack them in their sleep, we cant find their base of operations since they move around so much. Even sending out arge hunt into the mountains for two days we werent able to catch a nce of them.

    Range, ability, and scouting. They had the absolute advantage in those three areas so there was no way for us to catch them. We werepletely suppressed.

    I do not know.I thought not. But think a bit more. There is a correct answer.

    My serious adjutant thought deeply for a bit, but responded that he still did not know.

    Ill tell you then. It is to fight in a situation where they cannot escape. For example if we invade their vige they will have nowhere to go.Then we should hurry and get to their vige and attack!Its far.

    I covered my eyes with my hand.

    their vige felt endlessly distantand we hadnt reached the supply area to be able to turn around.

    The troops sent to drive them away came back with some injured.

    I no longer felt angry since this happened every time. The forest, with its poor line of sight and difficult movement was their home field. If we carelessly entered this would be the result.

    Baron Lurvish! Two wagons from the rear!The supplies have arrived!

    I unconsciously eximed.We had only three days worth of food even if we scrimped.

    If the supplies didnte by tomorrow we might have to kill and eat our horses since they would be out of feed as well.

    Whats worse was they were warhorses. Specially raised as our partners for many years. Even so, it was better than starving to death.

    No, thats not it. Theyre probably merchants.

    I swallowed my spit and hesitated for a moment.

    Lets trade. Buy everything edible. If they refuse then attack and steal.

    I said.

    This was the Empire. We had the duty to upholdw and order. But if we didnt do thiswed be wiped out.

 Book 3: Chapter 13-3: Where Did I Go Wrong?

    Book 3: Chapter 13-3: Where Did I Go Wrong?

    In the end we didnt negotiate. When they saw bloodthirsty looking soldiers charging towards them, they abandoned the carts on their own and ran away.

    Well gratefully take the cargo.

    Inside the wagons was a small food supply, a lot of dried hay, and water. With this much we could feed the horses for three days.

    Oh heavens, I thank God for their grace.

    I was truly happy that we would be able to go on without killing the horses.

    Well wait for relief tomorrow, if it doesnt arrive, then well kill some animals for food, but thankfully we can still choose from among the pack animals. I prayed to god, who I rarely spoke to, in thanks for the unexpected bounty.

    We set up camp for the night.

    Despite the darkness of night, the camp was abnormally bright.

    Those bastards attacked us when it got darker. Thanks to that our fuel consumption was quite high. Plus, there was a limit to how much fuel we could obtain locally. Oil and dry wood werent abundant in this area.

    Low on food, low on water, and low on fuel. Low on everything.

    This was the first time Id gone through such an excruciating war.

    The soldiers looked around with dead eyes.

    Thanks to the screams of their allies and the fear of arrows in the night, many of them ended up not sleeping at all. Even worse we were forced to cut back on food.

    The burden of keeping watch while never letting the fires fade was fairly heavy.

    If we kept the fires lit they would note attacking. On the other hand, once the fires extinguished they would immediately attack. They were like demons. Its hard to understand how creatures could be so cruel.

    Even so, we high level officers and nobles were better off. We could sleep in our carriages. Unlikemon soldiers in cloth tents, we could sleep without worrying that an arrow would kill us in our sleep.

    Sleep tight. Otherwise we couldnt survive the next day.

    Dawn. I jumped to my feet after hearing amotion outside.

    What happened!?

    I emerged from my carriage and saw a horse going wild while screaming.

    I saw it kicking and trampling soldiers under its hooves.

    It was running over tents, kicking carriages, and doing all manner of wild things.

    If it was only one or two then I could ept itbut looking around I saw almost all the horses going wild.

    What the hell!? What is going on here!!?

    Two hoursterthemotion abated with many soldiers wounded by the rampaging horses. I looked out on a field of dead and dying horses.

    Tell me! What caused this!?

    I grabbed thepel of the soldier in charge of caring for the horses as I screamed.

    The soldiers face was so pale it was almost blue as he shook unceasingly.

    I dont knowwe massaged the muscles like normal and gave them plenty of foodI did everything like usual.Then what the hell is all this!? Tell me anything that was different. Even the smallest thing! Was there anything out of ce??..if I had to point something outthen they ate much more food than usual and there was more avable.that

    That wagon was a dastardly Elven trap.

    It was clear that theyd mixed poison with the animal feedWhat the hell was I thinking? No matter how I thought of it, it was impossible for such a convenient wagon toe along at this time!

    I must have gone crazy

    UmmBaron Lurvishwhat should we do with the dead horses? Should we use them for food?Are you stupid!? These horses died from poison!!

    Our absolute final emergency rations had been taken from us.

    Im sure those bastards had been waiting for this opportunity. Now we were far from any vige and even the nearest one was 20 km before the supply base.

    We couldnt backtrack. We were in trouble without the horses transport. They must have predicted I would use the horses as emergency food, so they had chosen to use poison. If I were to say it more urately, we were like a performing monkey dancing and jumping around in a cage.

    Give me a break here

    I let out a bitter moan from the bottom of my heart.

    My headaches increased.

    Baron Lurvish! Whats happened? Why is my favorite horse dead!?How much do you think a horse like this costs!?Whos going to pull my carriage from now on???

    Almost all of the high and mighty nobles came over crying and moaning.

    They were a group who had brought their own food and were enjoying a slow and luxurious journey. Furthermore they were higher in position than me. Normally I would be bowing and scraping while apologizingbut

    Shut it! Youll be walking from now on! Take what luggage you can carry. Anything else I will be seizing for public use!

    As I shouted back, the noble bastards started screaming with red and purple faces.

    If I got back to the Empire I may be killedbut if we didnt move now then all of us will die.

    You, do you know your ce!?If I told papa then your neck would beShut your damn mouths you pigs! Im themanding officer. If you whine any further Ill have you executed!

    They were so annoying and loud that I sent them flying.

    I felt a bit refreshed since I was able to relieve some of my pent up anger.

 Book 3: Chapter 13-4: Where Did I Go Wrong?

    Book 3: Chapter 13-4: Where Did I Go Wrong?

    Three days have passed since then.

    Those bastards havent ceased their attacks. Our food supply has finally run out. Weve reached our limit even after rationing.

    Almost all the injured soldiers have killed themselves. The rebellious soldiers were also killed. There were also quite a few who tried to escape with food. Some managed to escape and others were caught and killed.

    After our numbers went down the food situation improved a bit, but the soldiers are already worn-out. Every day they were afraid, couldnt sleep, and their friends died. They had to carry the goods from the carts so their burden was extreme.

    Their hearts and bodies were breakingmany deserted.

    Wed run through practically all our fuelthe night was dark once more and the Elves went wild with their attacks. Even then, they refused to deal killing blows to the soldiers.

    The big nobles were the first to breakdown and fall. Thank goodness. Now I could pretend the Elves had killed them. It saved me the effort of killing them myself.

    We still hadnt killed a single elf, but our numbers had dwindled by 2,000.

    No responsefrom the supply base or messengers?How many times will you ask? Neither have been seen.

    Wed sent messages many timesbut neither supplies or the messengers had returned.

    Well, the soldiers were in the worst condition especially since they no longer had horses. It was suspect if they could even reach the Empire even if there was no sabotage.

    Right now we were aiming for the vige 20km away from the Supply Base. We would secure supplies there.

    It was a vige of 100 people with no emergency supplies, they lived off of what they grew. Even if wed lost soldiers, we still had 3,000 troops. There was no possibility of obtaining enough food.

    However, if we couldnt resupply there, then all that awaited was death. We had already starved for a day.

    Again one of ours was shot?

    I heard the screams of a soldier. The soldiers behind the injured one simply had nk faces as they trampled over the screaming soldier and continued forwards. We no longer had any leeway to save anyone.

    We didnt have the stamina to chase away the elves either. We could only allow them to fire on us as they pleased.

    We finally reached the vige.

    We hadnt eaten in two days and wed run out of water the day before. We were inplete shambles.

    Well well, if it isnt the Empires Soldiers? What brings you here today?

    I sent my adjutant inside the vige and he came out with the Vige Chief. The elderly man shook as he greeted us. The rest of the soldiers surrounded the vige like starving wolves.

    We have left the Empire on an expedition. You have the duty to supply food.

    I no longer had the mindset to bandy about words. I directly stated my desires.

    We ourselves would truly love to offer you food, but even this winter we had people starving. Now that it has passed we have nothing left! Please have mercy!!

    He cried out and knelt on the ground begging for forgiveness.

    What a pathetic bastardeven knowing that we risk our lives for the Empire and for this little vige he refuses to cooperate.

    If they had any sense then they would bring out their food with a smile.

    In shortyoure saying you wont aid with the Empires battle?No I want to! Please! Butwe cant give what we dont have!!!I see. If you dont have any food it cant be helped. If you dont have any.

    The Chief let out a sigh of relief.

    I smiled and slowly walked forward until I reached the vige storehouse. Then I suddenly swung my sword and destroyed the door. I ran inside and grabbed a jute bag I found.

    LIAR! You have food right here!Thats the grain for renting our crops this year! We cant eat that! Thats the entire future of this vige! Even if we cry and starve we cant use that precious!

    I beat the screaming Chief to the ground.

    This lying traitor! Liar! Liar!! LIAR!!!AHHH, forgive me! FORGI

    I hit him overand over.

    He stopped moving, but I continued to hit him.

    The soldiers surrounding the vige became infected by my maddened cries and started chanting.

    LIAR! LIAR! LIAR

    The entire vige was drowned in our voices.

    Soldiers! This vige deceived Imperial Forces and rebelled! Seize all their goods for the Empire! This is a Crusade!UUUOOOOOOOOOOOO!

    As I cried out the soldiers flooded into the vige. They swarmed the warehouses and the huts. Stealing food, killing men, and raping women.

    We had kept losing and losing. Our rage and hate was smoldering and finally exploded onto the weak. No matter what it was, we needed to release our desires.

    This shitty little 100 person vige probably only had two days of food.

    We would regather our strength today. As long as we had a days worth of food we could reach the supply base. Once there we could recover using the supplies.

    Thats rightwe can kill those cowardly elves!!

    Thats rightwinwin..win. We can kill those elves. As long as we reach the baseas long as we reach it.

    That was the hope that supported us. Just a bit further. A little more and we would reach it.

    Once we did, the elves would be nothing to fear.

    That day was amazing. We slept together in a huddle, but finally we could sleep under a solid roof. There werent enough women, but we passed them around.

    As long as it was a woman it didnt matter if they were old or young.

    There were also some well supplied hearths. Finally we could spend a peaceful night with a good fire.

    There was also some alcohol. There wasnt enough for everyone so we distributed it ording to rank. I got to have my fill.

    This pathetic vige didnt have much, but at least we secured two days of food so we could reach the base.

    The elves also stayed quiet and we got a good nights rest.

    What a beautiful morning.

    Butfor some reason I had a foul premonition.

    Yesit was simr to the day all our horses died.

    I stepped outside just like that day.

    I saw the soldiers rolling around on the ground, squatting, and discharging diarrhea.

    It cant be!? Poison again??

    Impossible. We hadnt eaten anything except food from the vige. Werent they living fine?

    Plus, I was alright. What was different between me and them?

    Oi are you okay!?

    I called out to one of the soldiers rolling on the ground.

    It hurtsmy stomachhurts.

    He groaned in cold sweat as he clutched his stomach and moaned.

    Other soldiers gathered around. The only safe ones were the higher ranked officers. The only difference between what the officers and themon soldiers had to eat was

    The water!

    I hurried to the well. Then I peeked inside.

    I saw something floating in there. We pulled it up a bit and saw it was a corpse. Most likely someone had thrown it in after our Crusade yesterday.

    Pull it up. Those who are okay help out!

    We worked together and pulled it up.

    Then

    Oeeeeeeeee

    I threw up.

    It was the corpse of an Imperial Soldier. It was rotting with festering skin and boils.

    This was something that could have rotted in one or two days. Noit didnt look like it rotted naturally either.

    Someone had collected the corpse, nted some kind of disease and let it ferment for a few days. A true mass of ill-will.

    If such a thing is sunk in a well, pathogens will continue to increase endlessly.

    A chill ran down my spine. This wasnt something that could have been prepared in a day or two. In that casethey must have predicted we would attack the vige and spend the night. It cant be. This is like they were actually a demon

    The calctions, the cruelty, and the merciless attacks driving us into a corner.

    The safe members! How many are there!?

    I desperately checked.

    Half of the people who drank from the well were in serious condition. Rather, I had to be thankful that it was only half. If I let them be, they would die.

    But what do I do? Carry them? Impossible. If I did then we wouldnt reach base within a day. Furthermore, there was a chance of transmitting the disease as well.

    I dont want to kill them. They were true soldiers with spirit and will that had endured all the way here. I couldnt abandon them.

    .leave a days worth of food for them. Well send the medical team from the base so persevere.

    It was there that Ipromised.

    We had to reach the supply base as fast as possible.

    The final 1,500 desperately moved forward.

    Our stamina had been recovered somewhat and we had enough food for the day.

    We only had a third of our original number left. But as long as I had these true Imperial Soldiers we could still win. As long as we reached the supply base.

    The base was our hope. Just a bit further. A bit closer.

    We could save those we left behind.

    We hadnt seen the Elves once today.

    They may have given up.

    We endured with iron will!

    We overcame those demons!

    Oi everyone you see it!? The supply base. Theres food and beds!

    As the sun began to set we finallyy eyes upon the supply base. It had been so longbut finally we reached it.

    OUUUUU!Finallyfinally.Take that you f***ing Elves!

    The soldiers hugged each other as they cried.

    It had been so painful to reach this point.

    Everyone full speed to the base!

    Rank and filethey didnt matter. We set off running for our paradise.

    We were the best!

    Just 100 metersafter just a hundred meters we saw a giant pir of fire erupt.

    A huge pir of fire stretched into the heavens.

    The soldiers looked on in confusion but I realized what had happenedI could see that the fire wasing from where the food supplies was meant to be stored.

    Ahhhh.

    I copsed to my knees as tears fell down my face and a broken voice leaked from my hanging lips.

    AaaaaaaaaaaAAAAHAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

    It was burning. Our hope was burning. Finally the mes disappeared. And everything was ash.

    Finally I asked myself the question I had asked many times before.

    Where did I go wrong?

 Book 3: Chapter 14-1: Kuu’s Brilliance

    Book 3: Chapter 14-1: Kuu��s Brilliance

    Dawn, I was monitoring the Imperial Forces in the vige nearby the supply base with my telescope. Many people had fallen because of the poison and they were busy ascertaining the extent of the damage.

    We were now in the hideout nearest to the Supply Base.

    Finally, wed entered the final stages of the n.

    The abandoned vige n had also seeded and reduced the soldiers down to only 1,500.

    From the start, even if we had only reduced them to around 2,000 soldiers we could still defeat them with sacrifices if they reached Erucy. At this point you could say we had exceeded the minimum threshold of sess.

    The poison I had used on them was something concocted by a previous me in another vige. Rather than poison, it was more urate to call it a biological weapon. I had cultured it and imnted inside the corpse before throwing it in the well.

    It wasnt airborne and could only be transmitted orally, it would die quickly without enough nourishment, but once someone was infected they would fall ill and die within two days if not provided the vine.

    Even this was only a fragment of knowledge from one of the 5 me that I had sealed away.

    Just this fragment had allowed me to produce the medicine, poison arrows, and the biological weapon that we had used.

    Most likely that me was a poison specialist. A being that could destroy a country or two with atrocious disease and poison. I suppose thats why that version of me was sealed away.

    Cyril-kun!

    As I was thinking, the squad with Kuu in it returned.

    We had reached the closing moves of the n so I gave the order for us all to regroup.

    Everyones alright? Im d.

    I let out a sigh of relief after I saw that no one had been lost or injured. Their squad had to keep constant watch to prevent messengers from getting through and in some ways, shooting their crossbows to kill was a tougher job than ours.

    However, since we had not seen hide nor hair of a resupply, that meant they had done their job perfectly.

    Of course. We have safelypleted our mission. Ehhen~

    Kuu stuck out her chest with a prideful look.

    No, I bet it was dangerous.

    Well yeah. At first there were only a few soldiersing through, but then a hundred horsemen made a break for it and I thought wed be in trouble.

    However, the squad behind Kuu had taken care of it.

    A hundred at once huh.good job blocking them.

    I was sure that those horsemen would attack back desperately if they were shot at while trying to escape. Usually horses would travel at around 15 km/h but if you pushed them to their limits they could run at 40 km/h for a short while.

    Trying to chase all 100 of them while sniping them off their horses was an extremely difficult task.

    Well Roleau-san and the rest were like demons catch and release, rip and tear.

    Thats not how it went Kuu-chan

    Roleau waved his hands quickly and denied what Kuu said.

    Chief, Kuu-chans amazing~. We thought that wed lose a few of them after they got past us, but Kuu-chan dropped back and dashed as fast as she could before release a hu~ge wave of me which burned some horses and made most of the soldiers who got past fall to the ground. They all started falling down like dominoes.

    Sounds like shed forced herself pretty hard. WellI was the one who requested her to do it..I had relied on Kuus outstanding abilities to make sure that no one would make it through.

    Thank you Kuu. If you werent there then things might have gone poorly.

    I patted her head as I praised her. Ahh, her soft hair and fox ears feel amazing.

    For a moment Kuus face ckened as she looked joyful, but she quickly stiffened her expression back to normal.

    Well that was my job after all.sowhere is Yukino?

    It appears she was worried for her little sister Yukino.

    Shes resting inside the cabin with the rest.

    If it was simply keeping watch then I could do it alone.

    Right now I wanted them to rest as much as possible. They hadnt had many opportunities to rest in a building with a roof.

    During the operation we had wrapped ourselves in a nket from our backpack, leaned against a tree, and slept. The cold was kept at bay by Yukino, but even so it was ufortable and tiring.

    It may appear that we had been overwhelming in this fight, but because of our small numbers a single loss would signal our destruction.

    Compared to our opponents who could lose thousands and still seedit was horribly lopsided.

    Unustomed environment, nerves from battle, nutritional but tasteless food, and frequent outdoor sleepingit was a mental and physical attack on their well-being.

    Thanks to their own motivation and the dopamine released into their brains when they obey my orders they hadnt copsed, but they were close to the limit.

    Everyone looked tired and could not hide it, no matter which squad they were in.

    I see, then may we take a break as well? Everyone is tired.

    Un, go ahead. Well be setting off in 3 hours just me and the Fire Foxes.

    We didnt need to attack the Imperial Soldiers anymore. Our finishing blow would be invading the supply base and burning their food supply. There was no need to hurry, we could rest up and then put the finishing touches on our n.

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 Book 3: Chapter 14-3: Kuu’s Brilliance

    Book 3: Chapter 14-3: Kuu��s Brilliance

    Kuu and I set off running.

    On route we passed by the Imperial Forces that had set out before us.

    It was far easier for a smaller number to sneak into the Supply Base, so we left everyone else at the cottage. Everyone else was to interfere with any attempts to resupply. Lucy was left behind to take care of Yukino.

    If we sessfully burned their food storage then a total of 1,800 people, including those staying at the Supply Base, would starve to death.

    We would interfere with the regr supply deliveries as well and make sure they died hungry. They may forcefully attack surrounding viges for food, but doing so would be as if pouring water on a hot stone.

    On the contrary, doing so would only increase the chances of revolt.

    Kuu, our goal this time is not simply victory. Our goals are further aheadto create an enemy of the Empire. An Elven Vige revoltI want to make it much bigger than such a small issue.

    I announced to Kuu as she ran beside me.

    Ah, so thats why youre going to all this trouble.

    Soldiers who deserted could not return to the Empire. The punishment for deserting was death.

    In that situation they could only be ouws and bandits that attacked viges. The soldiers would copse and attack the viges near the Empire. That would be a huge stain on the Empires honor.

    Then whats worse, is that the main Imperial Forces had ced false charges on a vige and destroyed it. I had disguised myself as one of the soldiers and threw a corpse into the well and also let as many people from the vige escape as I could.

    Their evil deeds would spread like wildfire.

    Therefore we needed to destroy the food and halt their supply runs. They would then be forced to mess with other people in the area.

    They would make enemies on both Erucys side and the Empires side, plus even the people arriving at the supply base would starve. Until then we would have to spend a few weeks in the cabin preventing resupply.

    After sending out such arge force, they wouldnt be able to put together a proper army for quite some time. It was highly unlikely that the supply line would have enough guards to drive us away.

    Plus once the Supply Base empties out we can use it as a forward base.

    Cyril-kun youre ying dirty.

    Of course, there would be a good number of refugees caused by the soldiers going wild.

    I could gather those refugees, ce them in the empty supply base, provide some money for food, and set up the basics of self-sufficiency. I would probably only be able to handle around 300 or so refugees.

    As long as I provided food and lodging then I could easily guide them.

    The Imperial Supply Base has strong walls on all sides, enough space for thousands to live, and enoughnd to nt some crops and wells to provide water. It was the perfect ce to ept refugees.

    If we cant set up a self-sufficient colony quickly enough it was possible to support it with the money on hand, and if not I could earn more money. Once we did that, then the base that existed to attack Erucy, would change into a base that defended it instead.

    This ce would take a long time to siege down, it would cost the Empire its soldiers, and it could be used as a lookout point.

    You wont send them to Erucy?

    Thats a bit hard. Unlike the Fire Foxes it is a bit suspect if well be able to discuss properly and theres the issue of public order. This is the best we can do for people who we cant trust.

    In exchange for food and a ce to live, they would be our wall.

    That was the decision I had arrived at.

    ***********

    I already knew theyout of the Supply Base.

    Unlike when I had assaulted the base as Deet, I did not break down the front gate, but instead I used wind magic to jump over the 5 meter wall with Kuu in my arms.

    And so we silently made our way to the center of the base while taking out the guards we couldnt avoid.

    Kuu, are you ready?

    Im good to go.

    Kuu took out her ne from her clothes and gripped it in her hand. On the end of it was a gorgeous blood red gem.

    It was the magic stone from her big brother.

    I had killed all the guards around the food supply and made sure that no one else was nearby with Perception Expansion.

    Please start

    Okay

    Kuu held the gem in front of her chest as if she was praying.

    I saw red light begin leaking from the gaps between her fingers. The light was enchanting and heartrending.

    The gem began to crack and even more light shone.

    Onii-sama, please lend me your strength. We will strike down our familys enemies.

    Kuu murmured softly as she stroked the gem gently before throwing it.

    The red light flew forward beforending next to the supplies and finally broke.

    zing Pir of Purgatory

    A gigantic pir of mes shot into the sky as if it did not belong in this world.

    The pir of mepletely engulfed the storehouse and some of the surroundings.

    What was more stunning about this pir of mes was its brilliance. The temperature of the mes wasnt extremely high, but what stole your breath away was the deep crimson ented with golden light that could not exist naturally. The amount of magic power poured into this was something that even I could not take lightly.

    Even so this fire was beautiful. Im sure this was Kuus brilliance. Her light.

    Even so I did not feel the heat despite how close I was. It was likely that the pir maintained its shape because of a barrier that kept all the explosive heat inside and burned everything within.

    Kuuits finished.

    The food storehouse had disappeared without leaving a single trace.

    Yesit is. Thank you Cyril-kunfor letting me take my revenge for everyone.

    Kuu smiled as if a weight had lifted from her, and was about to copse. Her immediate revenge had been aplished.

    Lets get out of here, people are gathering. Also I need to say something important.

    What is it?

    I can see that youre looking satisfied with this revengebut you cant be satisfied yet. From now on this fight will not be of vengeance, we will be fighting to ensure our happy lives from now on.

    Isnt it okay to take a little break?

    No. We have to be happier. We dont have time to dwell on the past. So please, run with me Kuu.

    I extended my hand to her.

    And she

    Yes

    Grasped my hand with a smile as we set off.

 Volume 3 Epilogue Part 1: Triumphant Return

    Volume 3 Epilogue Part 1: Triumphant Return

    I finally returned to Erucy after nearly two months.

    First I headed to the Chief House to receive any information I had missed in my absence. I had messaged that I would returned today, so I was frankly a little disappointed that no one came out to greet me.

    I had received some information about the situation back home through letters, but there was plenty to worry about. Both I and Roleau had to leave the vige for this n, so I had chosen a secondary representative and trained them over the winter. They were fairly open and honest so I didnt think theyd do anything weird.

    We wereteing back because we needed to thoroughly crush any supply lines that approached and it took 2 weeks for all of the soldiers to starve. After that it took us 3 weeks to empty out the base and gather refugees to live there.

    As I had expected, the soldiers who escaped on the way, the soldiers from the supply base, and the soldiers that had arrived there all turned to banditry and went wild creating quite arge number of refugees.

    Their evil deeds spread around and I managed to gather around 300 people who were willing to listen to me ande to the base to start a new life.

    Some of the refugees food was covered by the things we robbed from the iing supply chain. However, that wasnt enough and I had to use 1 ton of wheat that I had bought from the city Erin as emergency supplies.

    After Kuu had burned the grain in the supply base, we divided the members of Nettle into two teams of 9 elves and 1 Fire Fox that took weekly shifts returning back home. They were all at their mental and physical limits so they had to rest.

    Unfortunately, as I was the one negotiating and leading the refugees, I had been unable to go home even once.

    The supply transports had no guards at first, but after the second time they started to have escorts. Thankfully there werent arge number so we could deal with them. Perhaps the status of the invasion force and the supply base hadnt been properly conveyed back to the Empire.

    Ah I might cry, Im so happy. Its the same old Erucy, but after being away for so long it feels so heartwarming

    Cyril, thank you for your efforts. You never returned even once did you

    Lucy said as she walked beside me.

    Its already spring huh

    The weather had warmed and green returned to ournds. The hard long winter had finally passed.

    Now well have to harvest the turnips nted by the Fire Foxes and rece them with potatoes and wheat.

    I wonder if everyone at the base will be alright?

    Kuu itll be fine. I left them enough food for two months and gave them seeds and potatoes for nting. That base was originally half military and half agricultural so they have the soil and water to maintain a farm. Its already spring so we can find even more things to eat in the forest so we can deal with it. Even those people have been living out in thesends for all their lives.

    It was a secret to everyone, but the soldiers had purposefully ruined the farmnd before they left so we couldnt use it. However, I turned into the dwarf Kuiro and used my earth magic to return it to the optimal nting condition. If they couldnt seed after I made that much effort, then they were doomed to fail from the start.

    It may be cold to say, but I could only go so far.

    As expected Cyril-kun is amazing. You saved that many people and for free!? I respect you!

    Its not for free though.

    I smiled wryly at Kuu who was looking at me with reverence.

    The potatoes and seeds will have to be returned two-fold after theyre harvested and the Supply Base goods left by the Empire are ours as well. Plus if the Empire attacks they will have to contact Erucy and hold out in a siege. I will be using those people as Erucys shield. This is simply the oue of a fair deal.

    Some of those people had experience from being conscripted in the army, so in between nting they would teach the others how to fight.

    The Empire should have been dealt heavy damage in this invasion, so they couldnt put together a new army soon. They would have time to learn to fight.

    A siege battle would favor the defenders unless an army several times asrge attacked, even if they did manage to invade it would gain us enough time to formte countermeasures.

    The biggest thing is that they didnt have another supply point near Erucy. If they wanted to attack us again they would have to bring double the food supply and double the equipment.

    Elves and Fire Foxes couldnt permanently man that supply base, it would be preferable for the refugees to stay there even if it cost food and money.

    Mm, but Cyril is still kind. Those terms are fair and honest I think. Youre even giving them free food.

    Its just like Lucy-chan says~ Theres lots of ces that would have said give us 5 times the amount of food back!

    Kuu and Lucy are well educated amongst the others in the vige so they were probably right about that.

    As they said, I could have definitely squeezed them for morebut

    I needed to create a bond of gratitude. If I went this far, they are very unlikely to betray us..normally. Plus like this we can squeeze more money without actually squeezing them.

    Exploit?

    From who?

    They didnt understand my intentions? I thought of the mark.

    The one weve caused so much trouble for, the loser Empire of course.

    But theres no way theyll ever pay us.

    Certainly shes right. In order to get war reparations we would have had to takend from the Empire or set things up for a third partyboth of these were impossible for Erucy at the moment.

    If theres coteral then theyll dly pay for it. So well have them buy the things from the supply base.

    Cyril are you talking about their equipment?

    Thats exactly right. Their Iron equipment. Rather than making new equipment they would much rather purchase it back from us.

 Volume 3 Epilogue Part 2: Triumphant Return

    Volume 3 Epilogue Part 2: Triumphant Return

    We had burned the food for all the soldiers, but most of their equipment was still perfectly usable.

    As expected, even when the soldiers were starving they had the presence of mind to steal the money and easy to carry things, but there was no way they would carry heavy equipment away.

    We could sell this armor to other countries, but transporting this heavy equipment to Erin would be a harsh task.

    Because of that, it would be far easier to wait for the Empire toe attempt to purchase the armor instead. We would be able to set the location of the trade, so we cany a trap in case they try to steal it back by force.

    If I were to imagine a situation in which we couldnt ovee them, it would be if the three Dukes (princes) that guarded the other directions came together with their full armies. Well, if that happened then I would have to use my final trump card, but against a force of that magnitude it would be a worthy trade.

    I think theyll buy the equipment, but I dont think we need to return their weapons.

    Thats right I think its dangerous~

    That depends on how you think of it. In our case their iron weapons arent that scary. Its more than enough for us to rip off their mary and military power. Ill be ripping them off to the point where buying back the iron equipment is barely profitable. I have a lot of things I want to do with that money.

    The base has enough iron equipment for 3,000 soldiers. Their full force was around 4,500 so it seems they couldnt procure enough for everyone.

    Even so, if we sold it all we would have enough money for Erucys operations for several years. Actually there seems to be amotion ahead.

    I felt the presence of people in the town square.

    Is there some kind of event going on?

    Fufu, I dont know~

    Yup, I dunno either.

    They said, but I could see the impish smiles on their faces. They definitely knew something.

    I entwined our arms together tightly so they couldnt escape.

    Then we entered the square and.

    WELCOME BACK!

    Yo, its the return of a Hero

    Cyril-sama! Marry me~!

    Im jealous youve got two beauties on your arm.

    Thank you!

    I was greeted by warm words and a round of apuse.

    The people of Erucy all gathered together with alcohol and cups on arge table.

    So this is why they didnte to greet me? I felt feelings welling up in my heart as I looked around.

    Lucy and Kuu moved to push me onto a short stage set up in the center.

    At that moment Kemin and Kurone appeared.

    I stopped moving forward and knelt down to match our height.

    Whats up girls?

    Thanks for keeping your promise Cyril-niisama. Kuro is happy that Yukino-chan came back safe.

    Im grateful too. Also this is from everyone in Erucy.

    The two of them took out two nes made with flowers and put them around my neck as I heard apuse break out.

    These were made with the first flowers that bloomed in spring. A sweet smelling scent wrapped around my neck.

    Well even so, I didnt watch over her properly and she copsed. Im not qualified to receive your thanks for that.

    If I had kept my eye on her properly, I could have discovered her abnormal state. I had be too absorbed in the battle and let my field of view narrow.

    No, Yukino-chan is thankful to Cyril-niisama. So thank you anyways.

    Kurone said and the two of them moved around and gave me a kiss on both cheeks.

    An adorable kiss from two adorable girls. Was this the most important thing they were talking about?

    Im happy, thank you. Is this the most important thing you mentioned?

    Uh-uh, not this. Well send you our most important thingter. It might fight a bit, but well deliver it. Reallynot honest.

    Just look forward to it! Well pack it up nicely and send it. So now you have to do your best elsewhere.

    I couldnt imagine what these girls were talking about.

    They sent me up to the stage and everyone focused on me.

    I took a deep breath and opened my mouth.

    I think youve already heard, but we are victorious! Erucy has defeated the 4,500 soldiers the Empire sent to crush us! They wont be able to prepare another attack for quite a while so were safe for now!

    Everyone cheered loudly. The difference in our strength had been overwhelming and we overcame that.

    We won because of the desperate battle waged by Nettle, the Fire Foxes Kuu and Yukino, and the support of all of you. Thank you all!

    They were sweet words, but they matched the situation so I could say them with confidence.

    Let us celebrate our victory with a toast! Everyone raise your sses!

    They had readied cups of Erucy Winebut no one moved.

    Why? I tilted my head in confusion.

    Then I heard Lucy and Kuu giggle next to me.

    Everyone its just like we thought. Cyril tried to say things like this.

    Cyril-kun, you left out someone who worked harder than anyone else. You know who that is, right everyone!?

    Kuu called out and everyone nodded. The most important one?

    Then everyone all at once

    Lucy shouted as silence spread.

    Thank you Cyril!!!

    A cry of thanks for me echoed through the square.

    As you said Cyril, everyone worked really hard, but the one who did the most out of everyone was you.

    This isnt just our opinion. Everyone agrees. Sothank youand good work Cyril-kun.

    I started blushing deep red. I think this may have been one of the most bashful moments in my life.

    I felt tears threaten to fall from my eyes so I quickly wiped them away with my shirt.

    Now lets toast! Hurry up and toast! Im so embarrassed. Hurry up and let me get off of here.

    I shouted in embarrassment. ButI didnt feel bad.

    Surely this development had been nned by Lucy and Kuu, but I could feel that they werent lying to me. Their true thoughts were conveyed. I couldnt hold back the boiling emotions inside of me.

    This time everyone raised their sses.

    Cheers!

    The sound of sses clinking together spread.

    Then we all enjoyed the taste of our hometown wine.

    I took a sipand even though it was only the second time I could taste the nostalgia.

    Well even soto think I got done in by those two. I had to get them back somehow. In order to pay them back for the incredible embarrassment I felt up herethis is a good chance.

    Everyone, now that the battle is finished for now I have an important announcement to make. You can keep drinking while you listen.

    Once again everyone focused on me. Lucy and Kuu seemed puzzled.

    So I quickly held them and brought them close.

    Kyaa, Cyril whats this?

    Umm, why so suddenly in public

    They were shocked at my sudden actions but it was too early to be shocked!

    I will be getting married. I use the Chiefs rights to marry both of these girls. Ill be holding a grand ceremony so look forward to it!

    PICTURE

    I cried out and kissed the both of them. I heard various shouts from the crowd.

    A high pitched scream at the most famous people in Erucy getting married suddenly, a mans voice crying about the two most beautiful women getting taken, and a woman yelling because she had been aiming for me as well as several that wished us well.

    The two of them were blushing bright red as they quietly mumbled smallints.

    Serves you right~

    How mean Cyrilmy heart wasnt ready for that.

    Me either. My heart is still pounding.

    Honestly I feel the same.

    I said and they looked stunned for a moment before I giggled.

    That was so embarrassingbut it didnt feel bad, right?

    They looked nkly at each other before slowly shaking their heads. They were so adorable. Ill do my best from now on to live happily with them.

    Epilogue End

 Volume 4 Prologue 1: Return of Everyday Life

    Volume 4 Prologue 1: Return of Everyday Life

    What a wonderful morning.

    Yesterday was so lively. The celebration for our victory and my wedding announcement ovepped and we spent the night partying.

    Thanks to that most of the supply of Erucy Wine set aside for our private use was emptied. That alcohol is quite strong, but its taste is so smooth you end up drinking one cup after another.

    One of my weaknesses is alcohol. Once I drink enough I always act up.

    For examplest night I let loose with Lucy and Kuu.

    Usually Im more cautious. Kuu normally lives apart from us so I to keep it quiet when I head over and stay the night in the workshop with her. No matter how well they get along usually, as the husband of two wives I need to take their feelings into ount.

    Ive made Lucy wait too long.

    I gently stroked Lucys cheek as I watched her sleeping next to me.

    We were yet to hold the ceremony, but since we publicly announced our engagement we finally became onest night. Truly notying a hand on her for so long was agonizing, and Im sure she felt simrly. I asionally saw her gazing at Kuu with envy.

    I want to have children soon. I need to make a safe and stable country for us so that dreames true.

    As I was daydreaming I heard a quiet knock on the door.

    Good morning Cyril-niisama

    Morning!

    Kemin and Kurone said cheerfully as they entered the room carefully.

    Wed finished our tasks yesterday and decided today would be a rest day, so I wonder why theyre here?

    Whats going on girls?

    I asked and the two suddenly said

    Tada!

    and pulled arge jute bag inside.

    The bag was wiggling and shaking. As expected of Fire Foxes, even young ones can carry such a big bag.

    This is our most important thing.

    Their very nice. Good at learning housework, smart, and a genius that can learn most things after doing them once. And they look for Cyril-niisama tokya!

    Kemin imagined something and blushed deep red as she shook her head.

    After things progressed this far I basically understood. I broke into a cold sweat as they took out a girl from the jute bag. I saw the silver Fire Fox Yukino gagged with a cloth and tied up with some rope. They had purposefully not tied up her tail so she wouldnt be hurt.

    PICTURE

    nn, nnn~nnn

    Yukino red at Kemin and Kurone as she shook and wiggled.

    Cyril-niisama, please be gentle with Yukino-chan.

    Well leave you alone so make sure to report back to us Yukino-chan.

    You might be a mother Yukino-chan.

    If you have a child with Cyril-niisama Im sure itll be cute. Im looking forward to Kuu-anesamas child ass well.

    If its a boy then Kuro will take him as a husband. Hell be the prince of the Fire Foxes.

    Isnt that no good considering your age?

    If Kuro waits til hes grown Ill only be 25. Its barely okay.

    Ill be 26 huh? It might work.

    nn, nnnnn~nnn

    Kurone and Kemin kept chatting happily as Yukino desperately protested.

    In my mind getting married in your twenties was still young enough, but in this world where people lived to around 50 they get married earlier.

    That look in Yukino-chans eyes is dangerous. Its the same as when Kuro used her tail as a pillow and drooled on it

    Mmmthose eyes when Yukino secretly with Cyril-niisamasun lets run away.

    And as quickly as they came, they left. Yukinos revenge may be frightening.

    I got up, took the gag out of Yukinos mouth, and untied her.

    Puwa~, thank you Cyril-niisama.

    I looked at her and saw she was still in her pajamas. Looks like she was kidnapped as she slept.

    My condolences Yukino.well ummmI can treat you to breakfast if youd like. Right, you can tell me what you think of these crepes I tried making with some maple syrup. We can talk a bit too.

    As expected even if someone tries to give me a person as a reward I cant say Then Ill be working you hard, and of course at night as well gehehehehe.

    Itd be nice if an honest and hardworking girl like Yukino lived with us, but that would be decision only she could make for herself.

    Crepe?

    Oh, youve never had one? Its a delicious baked sweet made from wheat. I was thinking of various goods to help sell our maple syrup and that was one of them.

    Even if we made a great product it was still unknown if it would sell. Unless we marketed it well no one would desire it. Even if we imed it was sweet and delicious no one would believe it unless we let them sample some and there was still the issue of what to use to allow the greatest number of people to try it.

    One idea I had was to make something like a dessert crepe.

    Yukino, sorry but could you give me a hand?

    Un, okay Cyril-niisama.

    We moved to the kitchen and I grabbed my special made saucepan, poured maple syrup in it, and had Yukino heat it. Then I purposefully burnt it slightly.

    As the viscosity of the syrup thickened, so did the vor. As it burned a bit, it released an intensely sweet smell.

    Doing this made the taste slightly bitter, but deeper, and the smell was highly appealing. This smell and vor would show the appeal of maple syrup hundreds of times more than simple words. Sweet goods were precious in this era and there was no one who would be able to ignore such a sweet scent.

    Making caramel sauce, selling the sweets, and selling the raw maple syrup to those who were interested.

    I had thought of the easiest food that drew out the charm of this sauce. The crepe.

    Not using eggs made the dough weak, but I could use mix wheat and potato to make a more starchy flower which would give the crepe a springy texture.

    I took the wheat flour and potato starch and poured them into a bowl with water, then I added a small amount of maple syrup so it didnt reduce the sweetness when topped with caramel sauce. Then I dropped it in the pan.

    I cooked it until it was ready and ced it on a te with plenty of caramel sauce on top.

 Volume 4 Prologue 2: Return of Everyday Life

    Volume 4 Prologue 2: Return of Everyday Life

    Uwaa, how pretty and delicious smelling

    Yukinos eyes sparkled. It was like her unhappy face from a while ago had never existed.

    Cyril I smell something good. Are you making something?

    It smells so good that my stomach woke me up.

    Lucy and Kuu entered the room rubbing the sleep from their eyes, drawn by the sweet fragrance.

    Hm Yukino? Did youe to y?

    Kuu-anesamaummwell

    Kuu noticed Yukino and called out, but Yukino seemed awkward.

    Girls lets talk about Yukinos storyter. Lets eat breakfast first, Im sure youre hungry.

    As I spoke Lucys stomach growled.

    I smiled and hurried along to finish the rest of the crepes.

    ****

    Cyril this feels weird in my mouth. Its so springy and soft, but it sticks in my mouth.

    I cant get enough of this burnt maple syrup. Ill get addicted to this bittersweet vor.

    Looks like my crepes were a great sess. Im sure that I could use them to gather customers even in Erin. I prepared a slightly bitter mugwort tea to match with the sweet crepe. It was something I had picked from the mountain and dried.

    Does it suit your tastes Yukino?

    Cyril-niisama its really delicious.

    Her voice was calm, but her tail was wagging wildly.

    You think we could sell this girls?

    With such a delicious smelling product people wont be able to hold back.

    I think so too. The smell will lure them over and once they try it theyll want more. We can sell as many as we have.

    Even for a whole silver coin.

    Selling such a thin crepe for a silver would be a rip off, but in a city like Erin where sugar was precious a price like that was fair and honest.

    Its expensive, too expensivebut I think Id buy it too.

    Yup, this delicious smell is cheating

    Although this is merely a tool for attracting customers, I still expect to profit from it. One jar can make enough caramel crepes for 35 people.

    When selling the syrup you could sell it anywhere between 50 silver or a gold, but you have to think of gathering customers first.

    Yukino-chan did youe here to visit me?

    After we ate, Lucy asked Yukino as she gave her a hug.

    Lucy likes cute children and hard workers. Since they had plenty of time to interact over the length of our military operation, Lucy began to really like her.

    She was small, beautiful, and hard working. Yukino was right in the middle of what Lucy loved.

    Yukino also let down her guard around Lucy since she took care of her when she fell ill. Even when she was suddenly hugged she didnt look unhappy about it.

    I wont grab it, so can I pat your tail a little bit?

    .if you just want to touch it then okay.

    Yukino said and Lucy reached down to touch her tail, but as she tried to touch it her tail nimbly twitched left and right, evading her.

    Fire Foxes value their tails highly. Only those who theyre really close to can touch it, and those who can grab it are only their parents and their husband or wife.

    Lucy is fascinated with her fluffy silver tail, but subconsciously Yukino doesnt seempletelyfortable letting her touch it. Even I only enjoy touching it once every three days when she lets me brush her fur.

    And so, why did youe visit Yukino?

    Kuu finally brought things to a head.

    WellKurone and Kemin tried to turn her into a present for me. They tied her up, put her in a bag, and brought her here. They said it as if she would being here as an indentured servant

    In this world indentured servitude was mostly being a live-in maid. A house that cannot afford to feed a child entrusts them to a rich home. The child providesbor in exchange for food, clothing and shelter.

    Eh? Yukino will be our child? How nice. Its been hard for me to clean this house and the Chiefs house while still training with Nettle. Having Yukino-chan help would be great.

    Thats been an issue. The Chiefs house is used as a meeting ce for Erucy so it always has to be kept clean. At the moment only Lucy and I take care of it, so things have been difficult.

    Having a helper would be really great. Even better that shes a Fire Fox which eliminates the need to chop firewood for keeping the house warm, using the stove, and making a refrigerator. I wanted one to stay and help so much.

    If Lucy-chan is okay with it that might be good. From now on she could use her time outside of caring for goats and training to help Lucy-chan. In exchange she wont have to do other jobs. Cyril-kun is the chief so I agree that he should have one or two maids.

    It seems like the Fire Fox representative Kuu is also in agreement. Now I have both my wives permission.

    All thats left is what Yukino wants.

    Yukino doesnt want it.

    Do you not want to unnecessarily increase your workload?

    No, Im happy to live with Cyril-niisama so I dont mind the extra choresbut Kurone and Kemin also think the same as meYukino staying alone would be unfair.

    Yukino said as she shook her head.

    It looks like she didnt like the idea of being treated specially. Maybe thats why Kurone and Kemin tried such a forceful method.

    Youre the one to choose Yukino. I wont force you if you dont want to. However, dont say its unfair. Even if you be a live-in helper you might end up being lonely.

    Lonely?

    Un, tomorrow well be heading to Erin. We have to sell our maple syrup and earn some money so we can buy emergency supplies and items for Erucy.

    Even though we won the battle today was the only day I would be rxing. Theres far too many things I have to aplish. There were four things I needed to do quickly.

    First, I need to sell the maple syrup in Erin and buy our necessities. That would start tomorrow andst for a few days.

    Second, I needed to prepare for our marriage. I had to order special wedding dresses and get ingredients for a wedding cake as well as buying new livestock.

    Third I had to get war reparations by selling the armor. I had sent a letter to the Empire regarding this, but Im sure they would take some timeing to a conclusion.

    Fourth, I had to increase Erucys defensive power. The n this time was a one off sess. I had to prepare multiple schemes. Just in case I had to enhance our defenses against a frontal attack.

    If you were to live in with us youd have to watch over the house. Wed be gone for at least a week. Could you watch our home? Dont think its unfair, rather I think itll be painful instead.

    Thatd be helpful. After leaving the house for a week itll be hard to clean up.

    Not unfair.itll be hard

    Yukino thought about our words. She was a nice girl who thought it was mean of her to take advantage, but as soon as she heard it would be hard her feeling of guilt weakened.

    Yukino thought for a bit beforeing to conclusion and speaking.

    Cyril-niisama.Mrs. LucyIll be in your care.

    Un, good to work with you Yukino.

    Yukino-chan Id prefer if you call me like you do Cyril and Kuu-chan. Id like you to call me Lucy-anesama.

    Understood Mrs. Lucy.

    It seems like she was stuck thinking of Lucy like that

    Well, now my house has a cute maid.

    Now I had something else I had to buy from Erin. I had to buy her a maid outfit.

    Also Yukino, you dont have to live here all the time. If you want to go back you can do so at any time.

    She looked relieved as I said that. No matter how much she likes me, Im sure her friends were first in her mind. After all, Kurone and Kemin had said she was their most valuable person as well.

 Book 4: Chapter 1-1: Carriage

    Book 4: Chapter 1-1: Carriage

    At the break of dawn I would set off for Erin with Lucy, Kuu, Roleau, Kona, and one Fire Fox that Kuu had rmended.

    I nned on having a long term business rtionship with Erin, so as the Chief I couldnt head out of Erucy every time we wanted to trade. So for that reason I would be teaching them the ways of business so Roleau and the rest could handle it in my stead.

    The reason I was using two members from Nettle, was those I chose required the ability to protect themselves or things would go poorly. Elves and Fire Foxes were in danger whenever they left their viges so I would makemerce a job for Nettle to handle as well.

    We had to set off early so I wanted to go to sleep quickly, but I couldnt help but worry about the situation next to me.

    I-it hurts

    I heard Yukino groaning.

    Lucy was sleeping peacefully while tightly hugging Yukino to her chest. She looked extremely satisfied. Originally Lucy had been very doting on her little sister Rikka, so it was possible that she was ovepping Yukino with her image.

    Yukino had an expression that showed how ufortable it was so it appears she was being hugged too tightly.

    The moment Lucys grip weakened, Yukino made her escape. She shook her body roughly and rubbed her eyes. Then she quietly entered my futon and hugged my arm. Then, happily smiling, she promptly fell back asleep. Even her tail was coiled around my leg. I could feel the wonderful softness of it rubbing against my skin.

    I should warn Lucy to be more gentle with Yukino

    Its fine that she cares for her, but if she came on too strong then she might end up hated.

    Yukino was a delicate girl so you had to pay attention properly.

    Someday shell grow up and find someone she lovesIll have to protect her til then.

    I patted Yukinos soft silver hair and went to sleep as well.

    She was my precious little sister and without a doubt one of the pirs of the next generation of Fire Fox.and Erucy. Someone who we needed.

    As her elder brother I had the duty to guide her.

    *****************

    Chief were all set to go

    Un, were alright to head out any time.

    The carriage sat in the entrance of the vige and was filled with maple syrup, Erucy wine, our food and water, bags of money, and horse feed. Roleau and young blooming Fire Fox Rera called out to me.

    Good work. Are you alright with a long journey Rera?

    Yes, Im used to it. I used to be a singer who traveled to many different viges after all.

    She had a veryid back manner of speaking. Rera was a gray Fire Fox who was around 19 years old. She was quite voluptuous and various parts were more grown than Kuu. Her eyebrows were thick and sloping, giving off the impression of a gentle youngdy.

    ording to Kuu, despite her appearances she was quite sharp and could be trusted enough to even take on Yukinos responsibilities despite not being a special silver fox as well as being dependable for practical matters.

    Thats good. Youll have to go out fairly often because of this.

    Cyril-kun, you dont have to worry. If its Rera then we can leave it to her. Shes my master. Both her knowledge and hand-to-hand fighting ability is above mine.

    Ara~, Kuu-sama youre being too humble. I no longer teach you, Im sure youve already surpassed me.

    Whether youre better than Kuu or not, its relieving to hear that you were her Master.

    If Kuu trusted her that much then it should be fine.

    Fighting arts that may surpass Kuu and someone with greater knowledge. Despite that she chose Yukino to participate in the war instead most likely because Rera was only a gray fox.

    The amount of magic power and Fire Magic suitability was determined by their hair color. Kuu and Yukino who were gold and silver had outstanding abilities, but Rera was a gray fox whose power fell behind. Such a difference wasnt something that could be overturned with simple effort.

    Well, everyones gathered.

    Un, everyones here Cyril.

    Shall we set off Cyril-kun?

    As nned Lucy, Kuu, Roleau, Rera, and Konna were all here and ready to set off.

    Cyril-niisama do you best

    Can I look forward to a souvenir?

    Kuro, will be a good girl and wait!

    My three little sisters hade to see us off. Looking a bit more I could see that both Kemin and Kurone were sporting red foreheads. It looks like Yukino had taken her revenge.

    Id have to properly think of some souvenirs for my cute sisters.

    Thats when I felt some difort. I felt as if someone was directing a wicked gaze towards Yukino

    Roleau, lets go

    O-okay

    Roleau panicked as I called out to him.

    it cant be. Alright, lets check the carriage.

 Book 4: Chapter 1-2: Carriage

    Book 4: Chapter 1-2: Carriage

    First of all we had the women riding in the carriage. Roleau and I as men would be the coachmen driving it.

    Chief, isnt this carriage too crazy good? Its weirdly fast and its toofortable.

    Well I did my best making it after all.

    This carriage was specially made. First I had made it a 2 horse carriage, it was made with rust-proof lightweight metal, and highly precise parts. The weight was reduced to half and the friction of the parts was reduced as much as possible.

    I was very particr about the wheels as well. I made it as close to a perfect circle as possible while maintaining its lightness and rigidity. I couldnt get rubber so I refined oil from animal carcasses and worked on it until I could make a sort of stic tire.

    By using these tires I could absorb the shocks from the road, improve thefort of the ride, increase our speed, and allow the carriage to grip the road more firmly.

    Not just the carriage, those horses are crazyare they even horses? Theyve been running like crazy but they arent tiredactually just looking at the muscles or the way their legs lookarent they different creatures?

    Its thanks to careful care, delicious food, and plentiful exercise.

    By using some of Arch Mage Suzinas homunculus research I had modified the horses. I was able to imnt them with imitation magic stones and modify their bodies.

    More urately, what were now pulling our carriage were technically not horses, but something horse-like. Their endurance and horsepower were more than double that of regr horses, and their ability to transform food into nutrition was much higher so they only needed to eat half as much.

    This carriage and these horses would allow us to reach somewhere within two days if it normally took five.

    This speed was important. I didnt want to have to spend more than a week away from Erucy.

    In the future there will be more chances to get in contact with fast horses. It was a necessity for us to obtain high quality horses.

    Amazing, you can even do this Chief?

    Well I only learned how to do it recently.

    The knowledge to modify horses or the knowledge to create oil/petroleum did not exist in my mind until recently. It was only after the battle that these thoughts and ideas floated into my mind.

    most likely I had sealed them off until then. I can imagine why it was sealed. For petroleumit was a dangerous existence, if I used it properly I would be able to massacre huge swathes of people.

    The reason why I had released that knowledge must be because the situation changed in some way. Whats more it must be in a bad direction.

    Even if I tried to ask me about his intentions I wasnt answered. This was the first time I had not even received a reply.

    I dont get it.

    Dont worry about it. Its enough that we can get there quickly.

    Well, yeah I guess. Talking to Chief sometime makes me feel like Im going crazy.

    Hey thats mean

    Well. Whatever.

    Roleau, youhow old are you now?

    Thats randomIm 26 this year.

    I seedont you think its about time you make a family?

    Even youre saying that Chief?

    Roleau looked moody.

    Could it be about Kuu?

    .Chiefyou realized that I liked Kuu-chan?

    Well, somewhat.

    Roleau sought Kuu. He was getting merry with her at the first party, chasing after her during training, and sometimes he looked at her with dirty eyes that made me want to dig them out.

    Are you angry Roleau?

    Im frustratedbut Im not angry. Kuu-chan chose you Chief. Thats all there is to it. Even if its a mistake and you were flirting with a beauty like Lucy all the time you reached out your hands to Kuu-chanand even then youre still popr with other womenand having young girls call you Onii-sama and getting carried awaywanting even a tenth of that popritynope I havent thought of that.

    O.ohhhh

    I pulled back a little after hearing the outpouring from Roleau.

    Lets leave that for next time. Right now Im being serious. As one of the leaders of Nettle its a bit troublesome for you to be all alone, I think its best if you get married. Youre at a good age and you should consider having some kids.

    Then you can love your bride, have a small child, and stop looking at young girls with that wicked gaze.

    Well in that case ChiefI have a girl Ive been thinking of. Id like it if you could introduce me?

    Un, if I can, then I will.

    Thank goodness. At least he has someone proper in mind, I wonder who?

    I was thinking of Rera or someone like her. Of course I had gotten permission from both Kuu and Rera. Rera is beautiful and erotic, any man would feel dizzy from her attentions and she was someone even Kuu respected.

    Roleau is also a good guy with a bright future.

    Roleau and Rera were a good match and having the boss of Nettle be tied with the Fire Foxes would further the friendship between our people.

    ChiefIwas on the brink of my heart being broken. Once I saw your announcement of marriage I could see that Kuu-chan waspletely in love with you. Every day I could only stare after her unable to confess.

    Suddenly Roleau started telling me his story.

    Once, I even thought of forcefully taking Kuu-chan and running away with her.

    Im d you didnt try it. If you did that then there would be no forgiveness. I would hate to lose you like that

    ButI didnt want to steal away Kuu-chans smile. I tried to give up, but Kuu-chans tail haunted my every day and even my dreams. At that time I met a fairy

    Roleau had such a dreamy smile on his face that it made me want to look away.

    It was when I entered the mountains by myself. I heard the sound of water and headed to the river and saw some innocent young girls bathing. The sunlight washed over their pure skin, their sparkling smiles, and their beautiful tails.

    Roleau closed his eyes happily. Im sure he was remembering the sight.

    Among them a beautiful girl with a silver tail that wouldnt lose to Kuu-chan stole my heart in a moment. Then after that, each night I remember that scene and.ah what am I saying. Im embarrassing myself.

    Im revolted to the depths of my beingare you serious?

    I had to tell the three of them to refrain from bathing in the river.

    Im serious. Even during training my eyes chase Yukino-chan, my silver fairy. I fell deeper and deeper. She was a hard worker who cared more than anything about her friends. Shes also grown up for her age. Plus that tail is amazing. I want to fluff it. Sometimes I think when its waving in front of me that its inviting me to grab it? Wouldnt it be rude if I didnt!?

    THERES NO WAY! Only parents and spouses can grab each others tail, you cannot do it without permission. Itd be the same as rape, and youd be cast out of Erucy.

    If I marry then I can fluff it all I want.that tail.*gulp*Yukino-chan treats Chief like an older brother right? If you introduce me to her then Im sure shell say okay!

    I was now grateful from the bottom of my heart that I had not brought Yukino with us on this trip. If he was with her in such a close space like the carriage I had no idea what hed do.

    So please Onii-sanallow me to have your little sister. Ill definitely make her happy.

    He gazed straight into my eyes. They were very handsome looking.

    So I said.

    Absolutely not. Think about the age. Shes still too young.

    I rejected. I couldnt hand over my cute little sister to a beast like this.

    Then what if I wait for two more years?

    If she epts when shees of age then maybe.

    Ehehe, I cant wait for these years to pass.

    let me tell you something, dont forget that Yukino has to ept. Plus if you touch her even once in before these next two years are up I will never forgive you.

    Ou, Im a gentleman. Id never do something so barbaric.

    Also make sure that you properly talk to an adult woman properly. Match with a beautiful woman. Im sure you will change your mind.

    Ahh, even if I do that my feeling for my fairy wont change.

    Well even if he says that, Roleau was a guy who barely talked to women and then instantly fell in love with Kuu. Kuus master would easily take him down.

    As long as Roleau had someone to keep an eye on him Im sure hed change.

    Roleaus a pretty good guy, but also very disappointing. That belief was even stronger than ever.

    ******

    Then two days passed as we arrived in Erin. I left the line and baggage check to Lucy and the rest, headed to the inn first, and started preparations for opening our business.

    I had to get permission to open a store first, if we didnt get it, then all our cargo would be confiscated and we would be fined.

    We have to sell this cargo. I started moving with enthusiasm.

 Book 4: Chapter 2-1: Secret Maneuvers

    Book 4: Chapter 2-1: Secret Maneuvers

    I have returned Ojou-sama

    In the City of Eriny a conspicuouslyrge mansion, within one of the fancy rooms a woman bowed. She was in theter half of her twenties and wearing mens formal wear.

    The one she bowed to was a girl wearing a dress.

    Wee back Jii. Now I do wonder what the spy uncovered while they were in the Empire? (TN: Jii is shorthand for old man or gramps or second inmand.)

    The girl had long blue hair and a strong-willed look. She looked as if she was in thetter half of her teenage years. She had pointed ears, though not as long or as sharp as those of an elf.

    An expert in water arts as should be evidenced as she was a member of the water spirit race.

    On this expedition the Empires forces were wiped out. They dispatched an army of 4,500 soldiers, but only 300 returned. Furthermore, the Elf Vige not only won, but they captured the Imperial Supply base, migrated 300 or so refugees into it, and strengthened their defenses against the Empire.

    Upon hearing that the blue haired girls eyes lit up with a glitter of curiosity.

    The vige in question rebelled with only 200 citizens correct?

    It appears so.

    And their opponent was an army of 4,500 correct?

    It appears so.

    The one who led the army wasnt some foolish spoiled noble child, but Baron Lurvish with an established military career correct?

    It appears so.

    Every time the woman nodded the girl looked happier.

    So how did the Elves win?

    Well that is unknown at present. The Empire also attempted to extract that information from the soldiers that returned, but their minds were too broken and they kept screaming incoherent things.

    So it was so severe as to cause mental illness. How funhow amusing~ Jii, this is the first time Ive been so thrilled since being driven from my country to Erin. Thank goodness I was about to die from boredom. You can dissolve the troops gathered.

    Yes, I shall obey. FurthermoreOjou-samaplease dont call me Jii like an old man. I am a woman.

    However, I am leaving you work as my retainer far beyond that of anymon maid. Thats what makes you Jii.

    At least call me Secretary instead.

    Nope. Itll lower my ojou-sama power. I have no intention of having anything besides a Jii or a maid.

    mou.fine as you wish.

    It is good as long as you understand. Fufu, my intuition is telling me that I can finally hit it big.

    Finally hit it big.in only five years since Ojou-sama began governing Erin it has be far more prosperous. Commerce has increased by three times. Youre creative and managerial ability has been recognized by anyone who knows of youI rather think youve hit it big already?

    At those words the blue haired girl simply wagged her finger with a tsk, tsk, tsk.

    It was this location and this environment. Even if left alone this city would grow. I only elerated it a bit, its not as if I created it myself. But using that Elf Viges power well I could see something never seen before. I want itthat strength they have.

    Certainly the Elf Vige has been out of the ordinarytely. Truthfully they should have been destroyed by that first force of 500 that attacked.

    The girl nodded. The Empire was the only powerful country with practical iron manufacturing technology. A force of soldiers wielding all iron weapons was fearsome. To think that a smaller force of 100 Elves could defeat a well equipped army 5 times their size was impossible to believe.

    The second time around the difference in their forces was almost 50 times. At that point victory was even outside the realm of dreams.

    I heard that the first time the Elves won, it was because they were extremely well prepared and wielded bows with even better metal crafting than that of the Empire. What happened during the second battle? Im curious. I want to talk to the new Elf Chief at least once. Itd be nice if I could scout him. He seems like a person who shouldnt end his life as the Chief of a small vige. Ah thats right, I could have him take care of the port city. Ill leave it to him and watch what he does. History should move if a sessful port city appears.

    All the changes in the Elf Vige had urred after the appearance of the new chief.

    ording to a report from a spy, he is an excellent leader with charisma, and at the same time, he is good at tactics, good in agriculture and industry, and is making various inventions and reforms. All of them seem to lead to enriching their lives.

    What surprised her was that when he epted the survivors of the Firefox vige destroyed by the empire, they maintained a good rtionship without deteriorating security. If we were to ept arge number of people with different customs in a short period of time, various conflicts would ur. From that, we can see the excellence of the new chief.

    Ojou-samaare you certain? Its an elf after all

    And what do you mean by that? Is it not obvious to desire an excellent person when considering governance?

    That is so butit would relight the embers

    Thats fine. Plus there is enough merit not to concern myself with such an issue. If I were to gain the iron working knowledge that surpassed that of the Empire for Erin, then I could equip our army and sell to foreign countries. Id love to see 1,000 of our troops equipped with those bows that allowed the elves to fight an enemy 5xrger than themselves.

 Book 4: Chapter 2-2: Secret Maneuvers

    Book 4: Chapter 2-2: Secret Maneuvers

    If she were to learn even just the iron-working technology she would even be able to manipte the international power bnce to some degree. Her country the Colline Kingdom with greater national power would be able to fight the Empire at an advantage if such weapons were acquired.

    The scarier thing was that this knowledge could be sold to other countries instead. If that urred then a strong military nation could be created within a few years.

    Up until now the Empire had ruled the Elf Vige on paper and she was reluctant to interfere because it could possibly reignite the mes of war with the Empirehowever after recent events the Elves had obtained independence and interaction with them was far easier. After such a crushing defeat it was impossible for the Empire to still im that they ruled over them.

    She had snuck some soldiers a short distance from the Elf Vige so they could secure the refugees under the excuse of protecting them. In reality they would take custody of them and extract any useful knowledge they hadhowever these preparations had gone to waste.

    This new Elf Chief surely has a good sense for economics. If he thoughtlessly dered independence from the Empire then the vige would starve and copse. That didnt happen, and on top of it they were able to fight a second battle without starvation and even had enough leeway to help refugees. Quite the capable person.

    The blue haired girl put her thoughts into words and began to desire the Elf Chief even further.

    Shed heard they were quite young as wellpreferably

    Might not be terrible to consider them as a spouse. Well thats something I could only decided after meeting them. If theyre not good looking I wouldnt want them.

    Think about your position please, if they were to be your husband then they would be the countrys.

    That shall not be. I did not desire that so I epted exile. My siblings back home will take care of that, it will never be my turn. So dont call me (Ohime-sama) Princess Jii, keep calling me Ojou-sama.

    Seeing the girlugh so indifferently caused the womans face to warp slightly for a moment, however she returned to her usual smile shortly after.

    .if that is what you desire Ojou-sama. Ojou-sama I have prepared a small tidbit of information regarding Elves as an apology for being unable to learn what you wished on this asion.

    The woman snapped her fingers and signaled as a maid opened the door and entered.

    She carried a te over to the desk and ced it down. The te held some baked goods and a brown syrup plus two bottles.

    What might this be?

    Yes, as a matter of fact Elves have entered Erin to do some mercantile business using these. Considering the booking at the inn they will begin in earnest tomorrow.

    How considerate. Even so Im surprised to hear they will be doing business. I was under the impression that the only goods they had to sell were fur, leather, and dried meatthen I must give this a try.

    The girl took the baked treat and cut it with a fork and knife before cing it in her mouth.

    After a single bite her eyes opened wide and she quickly ate up the rest of it leaving the te empty.

    That was delicious. Thats the first time Ive had food with that kind of texture and wonderful sweetness. It has a bit of bitterness unlike sugarsuch a delicious treat would sell as much as they wanted.how much is it?

    One for a silver.

    Such a delicious thing is only a silver? Theyll sell like mad.

    Yes they are very alluring. They give off a delicious smell that makes you stop. Its delicious when cold but even better when hot and you cant help but have another.

    Yes, Jii had two of them in an instant.

    Well! Lets leave that aside! The other two are also amazing.

    The woman said quickly as she broke into a slight cold sweat.

    One of them is the brown sauce that was on the baked treat. Its called syrup and it sells for a gold.

    So its around the same value as sugar.

    Yes, but I bought it after realizing the appeal of the baked goods. I even bought two bottles for myself.

    I didnt askbut truly it is delicious. It has a high ss vor. Even if its a gold then I would buy 100 bottles. Even the bottles are amazing. Theyre so clear like crystnd theres a design of a bow, some ivy, and a fox tail? How cute. You cant even make these in Erin, its a work of art. Even the bottle alone I could see selling for a gold.

    The merchants also thought that and tried to gather to buy some in a fuss, but you are only allowed to buy 2 per person. The total amount to sell is predetermined and if you let the chance go tomorrow then you would have to wait til next month for a new delivery.

    The blue haired girl ced her hand on her chin as she thought.

    Was it because they couldnt make enough at once? Or was it?

    It should be an attempt to build a brand. Rather than selling everything they have all at once they are limiting the amount sold to raise their recognition. The quality of the bottles must be a part of that as well.

    I agree. Finally we have alcohol. It appears to use the syrup as raw materials and is called Erucy Wine. This one costs 20 silver.

    Quite the confident price. Even a single silver can afford a fairly good wine.

    Even so I am expecting good things. As expected I could not sample it while I was on duty.

    Is that so? Then just watch as I enjoy it.

    Ojou-sama would you truly drink alcohol while you still have work to do?

    Even if I drink quite a bit, my body isnt that weak as to be affected. Plus it is something I need to taste from the Elves. This can be considered work. You can drink some too Jii.

    The woman smiled wryly and poured the alcohol into some sses.

    It smelled sweet and sour with a scent that struck you deep in your chest.

    They clinked their sses together, cheered, and enjoyed the vor slowly.

    What a good drink. Even this I could see spending 20 silver on. Its sweet but that disappears naturally. The aftertaste is incredible. It is just acidic enoughthis should be from cranberries. Even the water used is delicious and fresh. A clean refreshing alcohol I could drink forever. Jii, buy a lot, I like it. If they only allow two per person then bring 10 servants and buy some. I can keep it for gifts as well.

    The blue haired girl was truly surprised.

    She never expected for these three products from the Elves to be so incredible. Never would she imagine such attractive products from them.

    If this is the case, a small amount of luggage can be transported and used to generate huge profits in a short period of time. A small Elf Vige could be fed even if they only sold goods once per month.

    I wonder how much knowledge the new Elf Chief can possibly have. Truly deliciousa small vige can do what even our city cannot.ah, Jii you went to buy these goods yourself right? Did you see someone who seemed like the chief?

    Yes, I bought the goods from a man that they called Chief, so there should be no mistake.

    Handsome?

    She asked, and the woman answered reluctantly.

    Yes, hes handsome. However, he seems even younger than you Ojou-sama. He couldnt be any older than his teens.

    Well I quite like younger men. Im starting to want him more and more, Ill definitely obtain them.

    Thenwhat if you were refused?

    War

    At that single word the woman froze.

    Are you crazy? Youd fight against a monster who could wipe out a force of 4,500 Imperial soldiers?

    The blue haired girl smiled impishly upon hearing those words.

    Well theres not just one way of fighting a war. We can invade them culturally, or even utilize a trade war. Those are both splendid battles. Furthermore Erin is absolutely in the advantage. Without the City of Erin then the Elf Vige cant continue on. Well, lets make our preparations to go to their vige.

    You wont call them here? Theyve already arrived after all.

    Firstly I want to see the elf vige, and I think it''s better to go there since itll give a better impression, right? I have to adjust my schedule so that I can be away for a few days.

    As the blue-haired girl whistled, she began to think about how to scout the Elven Chief.

 Book 4: Chapter 3-1: Hemp

    Book 4: Chapter 3-1: Hemp

    Sorryd, for taking the four gold as wellthats a half month of profit for me.

    Well its an appropriate price. Of course I would have to pay a certain value in order to do business in such a location.

    Okay alright! Then for the next two days ya can do as you please.

    I was paying 2 gold per day to get a location right next to the rich district. The shop-keep was also strangely macho.

    In themercial city Erin, there were many people who wanted to open a store. Even if you only wanted to open a stall you needed an expensive title deed. You couldnt buy such a prime spot even if you threw money at it.

    Erucys business was irregr in that it would only take 3 days in a month so it wasnt worth the price to obtain a deed, and even if we did apply it would take too long to get approval.

    Thats why I called out to shops in good locations that didnt seem to be making much profit. I asked for two days of business rights and was finally able to find this spot.

    So, what will ya be sellingd?

    Something like sugar, delicious snacks, and some alcohol.

    Yer selling high ss stuff boy, well its good to stretch yer wings.

    And so Id like to give you a small gift for our acquaintance.

    I smiled and took out some Erucy wine before offering it to him.

    Well thats mighty kind. Can I take a sip right here?

    Go ahead, please tell me your opinion.

    Well then, I wont be holding back.

    He took a hearty swig of the bottle and downed nearly half of it in a single go.

    Damn thats good. Ill pay cash so could ya sell me some? One bottle aint enough for me. Here, how much can I get for this?

    He asked and held out 20 silver.

    Id advise you to stop. This is high quality alcohol for rich people so just a bottle is 20 silver.

    Ahh, well thats a bit tough for my iebut, its worth the pricedamn you shouldve told me firstI would have drank it more carefully. Still, give me one more!

    Well I dont mind.but is it alright?

    Yeah, todays my wedding anniversary. I thought itd be nice if I brought some home to my wife. Just this half a bottle aint enough for the two of us, plus we gotta be fancy once in a while. I got some extra cash too.

    I smiled and handed him the new bottle and epted his payment.

    Have a nice night.

    Sure will. Ah, are you married too boy?

    Well I did just recently. I came here to get supplies and items for the ceremony. Once I head back to my home well definitely have the ceremony.

    I hope yer business goes well. Do your best in both business and your home life. If yer wife gets hold of the reigns in the marriage theyll never let go

    I smiled wryly and transcribed the permit while also getting his contact info in case I needed the real article at some point. Finally I had him introduce me to the best tailors in town, but I couldnt help butugh when I saw it was the same store we had bought our clothes in on thest trip here.

    ***************************

    Chief Im sick of waiting in lines

    Yeah. We got to Erin a little after noon, but the sun is almost about to set. I should have gone ahead with Cyril too

    Roleau and the rest had finally gotten through the line and the customs check to enter the city.

    We had been taxed 2 gold to bring in our goods. We had brought 150 bottles of maple syrup and 50 bottles of Erucy Wine. The tariff was all for the alcohol.

    Two gold for tariffs, 10 copper each for standard tax rates, and renting a stall cost another 4 gold. So everything cost us over 6 gold which was quite a lot of money for just starting to do business.

    If we add the amodation fee for 2 nights and 3 days, we will be in the red if we don''t earn 12 gold coins (720,000 yen) within 3 days.

    We used the same inn asst time so stabling the carriage was included in the costs.

    Although it was expensive there, they provided a warehouse, took care of the horses, and had good food and perfect service. I didn''t feel like choosing another inn.

    This time we have 3 rooms. Me, Lucy, Kuu in one, then Gray Firefox Rera and Kona in another, and finally Roleau.

    I had considered dividing rooms based on male and female, but to be honest Id much rather stay with Kuu and Lucy than with Roleau.

    So Cyril-kun. What are you going to do today?

    First, I''ll order food. Ill be gone til the evening for the next two days so Ill have them deliver it. Then I''ll go to a clothing store. I have to buy Lucy and Kuu''s wedding dresses and some clothes for Roleau.

    When I said that, Lucy and Kuus eyes glittered. Both of them like fashion, so I think they are looking forward to their wedding dresses.

    Oi Chief, I understand why youre getting the wedding dresses, but why are you getting me clothes?

    Well even if you stand around in that outfit you wont sell anything. Dont you remember what I said before we left? Bring your best outfit on the carriage and change into right before we enter Erin.

    Following my instructions Lucy and Kuu had brought along the high quality outfits I had bought for them and wore them, Rera was wearing one of the good outfits that I had bought for the Fire Foxes, and Kona was wearing a nice outfit crafted out of the new cloth I bought before winter hit but she looked a bit countrified.

    Except for Kona, everyone was gathering attention because of how beautiful they looked.

 Book 4: Chapter 3-2: Hemp

    Book 4: Chapter 3-2: Hemp

    However, Roleau was wearing his usual worn out clothes. Well, at least he had washed them as if to excuse his choice.

    I know that Roleau had good clothes since I had instructed the women folk to make him a stylish outfit from the cloth over the winter.

    Well, pretty clothes like that make my shoulders stiff. No one even cares what I look like anyway

    I see, then if that unwashed beggar over there opened up a shop selling items, could you buy it happily? Then what about if he was selling food??

    I said while indicating the beggar leaning against the wall, wrapped in rags covered with dirt.

    Roleau frowned heavily.

    I dont look that bad.

    Well thats only from our point of view. However, our main customers will be rich people. If those people were to look at how you are now, they would only see a filthy beggar. So, Ill have to pay to get you a decent outfit.

    Because of me we have to spend unnecessary funds.Im sorry Chief.

    I can forgive this simple slip up. I was also wrong for not informing you of the reason.

    In the case of repeating the same offensesthe first time I can forgive with augh, the second time Ill get angry, and the third time I will wash my hands of it.

    Yeah, Ill be careful.

    Roleau unusually said something admirable and bowed his head.

    *****

    After that its wheat, barley, and potatoes. I also asked them to fit as much vinegar on the cart as they could and deliver it to the inn since we were running low. Im d we could buy potatoes. With this many we could fill up the greenhouse entirely.

    After we harvest the turnips wed have to do our best and nt these.

    Cyril you look to be in a good mood.

    Of course since I found a bargain! Im d I came here.

    Are you talking about those seeds?

    Yes those seeds! These are hemp, I dont know of a nt with more usefulness than this one.

    I saw a good amount of hemp seeds for sale so I bought them wholesale. I could have the refugees at the base cultivate these. Now instead of just supporting them, we would get a work force.

    I had used the power of the Dwarf Kuiro to the limit to create farnd for the supply base. The seeds I had given them were not enough to fill up the empty plots.

    In a little while the supply base will be covered in green hemp nts.

    Hemp was great, a fast growing annual nt that can be nted whenever and harvested quickly.

    It had arge number of uses including making cloth, ropes, baskets, and materials that Erucycked. The leaves and seeds were also nutritious and could be made delicious while being preservable. You couldnt overlook the oils from it as well.

    It was also possible to use as material for medicines. It was especially useful for making painkillers so I wanted to stock up.

    From the partially released seals of one of my unknown selves I knew how to craft some drugs and perform gic modification on the seeds so that I can adjust the most useful parts to be more effective. After looking at these current seeds I could see that they were a bitcking in certain elements.

    Using this I could weaken the Empire while earning money at the same time. Itd be in the units of tens of thousands of gold.

    Covered in greenerysounds pretty. I think Id like to see it.

    Me too. Its a nt that Cyril-kun praises so highly after all.

    Un, thats fine. Once the harvest is ready the three of us can go take a look. It truly is a vibrant and beautiful shade of green that will spread across thend. Even now Im looking forward to it.

    In the case of international conflict just killing one or two wouldnt cause an issue. Even for the Empire, losing those 5,000 soldiers wasnt fatal since they could recover in a few years. Once that happened we would once again have to wage war with our existence on the line.

    However, I could now make a weapon that could influence their Empire as a whole. Furthermore, these kinds of things hadnt been circted before so they wouldnt have any countermeasures in ce.

    In fact, once it was released some people would still want to use it and spread it even if they knew that they should stop.

    If the top leaders became stupid in the head, then I could anticipate secondary disasters as well. Im truly d I came to this shop.

    *************************

    We separated from Rera and Kona and headed towards the clothing shop.

    Before parting I handed out 60 silver each. Since we hade to the city I wanted to let them have some fun. I thought that these kind of side benefits were fine.

    Kona didnt know how to read, write, and calcte so I sent Rera with her to look after her so they would spend their money properly.

    Reras great, she can read, write, and do calctions?

    Yes, shes my Teacher after all.

    Normally, reading, writing and calction are taught only by the children of parents who have some power in this era. But Rera is a bit strange because she was born into a normal family. Also sometimes she turns a sharp discerning eye to Kuu.

    Ill have to talk with her more in depth. Theres the matter with Roleau as well.

    True, Rera is beautiful, kind, and smart but because she is only a gray wolf many of the vige avoided her. But still, I think Roleau-san will be able to see her good points.

    Hmmmmm

    Whats wrong?

    Well.nothing.

    Kuu was gold, the type of Fire Fox with the greatest power, andpared with the gray fox that had the weakest power.Im sure she had manyplicated feelings about this.

    But, thats not the only issue.

    Roleau, why are you trying to hide?

    Im not good with ces like this

    Certainly the shop was pretty and filled with a more refined aura. Roleau stuck out like a sore thumb.

    Juste on in.

    However, we didnt have time to waste and it was necessary for him to get used to this kind of atmosphere. I grabbed his hand and forcefully dragged him inside the shop.

 Book 4: Chapter 3-3: Hemp

    Book 4: Chapter 3-3: Hemp

    Wee! Ahh, its the husband from before, so youve returned?

    Well I liked the clothes I boughtst time.

    Thats excellent, I was quite moved to see your wivesing through wearing our clothes.

    Howd you figure out we were married?

    Obviously you can tell just by looking at the mood. Well, what matters have brought you to our store today?

    The shopkeep smiled pleasantly as they approached.

    I have two matters for today. First, I need you to choose some clothes for this man. Well be engaging in business with wealthy clients so Id prefer a clean and pleasant impression. Id also like you to make sure that the clothes are not easily worn out. The budget is one gold.

    I understand. I think clothes that dont cling too close would be good. Tom, Ill leave this to you. Coordinate this outfit to the best of your abilities.

    Roger that Boss!

    The shopkeep called an employee over and he apanied Roleau into the store.

    We were being treated well since he saw us as a valuable customer.

    What would the second request be?

    Before long Ill be getting married, I need to prepare the best dresses for the two of them.

    Well well, looks like well have to put some spirit in. Such beautiful girls need wonderful dresses that match each other and that will fill their hearts with joy when they remember that wonderful day in the future.

    Lucy and Kuu were acting bashfully at the praise theyd been receiving.

    For that Ill have to believe in your senses. I wont add any conditions, just make dresses that will draw out their absolute beauty. Is that okay girls?

    U-un, thats fine.

    I-I dont mind either.

    Youre acting too nervous. Rx, rx

    Well even if I said that they didnt seem any calmer.

    Well then Husband, what kind of budget were we looking at?

    10 gold each. If thats not enough then you may consult me. The deadline is in two days in the evening before we leave. Can you make it in time?

    This time I had brought Roleau, Kona, and Rera to teach them business so Kuu and Lucy honestly didnt need toe. The only reason I had brought them was for this.

    I see, with that much budget I can promise you the very best. The deadline is honestly quite harsh, but even if we have to put our other work on hold I shall bet my pride onpleting it.

    The shopkeep replied with a motivated voice, I looked at Kuu and Lucy to see their eyespletely widened.

    C-Cyril ten gold!?

    Th-that much!? How much wheat would that buy.

    So it was the amount of money that was making them swoon.

    Well if we have money its best to use it, plus this money ising from my own savings so dont worry.

    ButI feel its a waste.

    Im rea~lly happy, but I think its too much.

    I want to see it so Im paying for it. A wedding ceremony is a once in a lifetime event so I dont want to skimp on the budget and see the most beautiful versions of you. You dont need to think too much about it, as long as you show me how cute you are itll be worth it.

    I said and they blushed before whispering to each other for a bit. They then turned to the shopkeep and bowed.

    Well be in your care.

    And so began the creation of their wedding dresses.

    *********

    Later that evening I delivered Roleau, Kuu, and Lucy back to the inn since they were mentally exhausted from the visit to the clothes shop. After doing so I headed out to a weapons shop to sell three swords that I had crafted as Kuiro to make some money.

    They were able to evaluate the prices properly so I could sell it for a high price. It allowed me to fill in the gaps in the budget caused by the wedding dresses. They wouldnt know how I got the swords or how I made them, plus only three of them would not affect any kind of military force.

    However, I was worried about whether it would fall into suspicious peoples hands.

    Since entering Erin we had been tailed by around 3 people. They werent just following me, they had asked the owner of the inn, the clothing store, the weapon smith, and the owner of the stall what I had bought and done. Even that weapon store I had just gone into, they entered it and bought the swords I sold.

    I continued to pretend I hadnt noticed and used Perception Expansion to gather counter-intelligence.

    As I listened to what they spoke with the owners about, I could find out they werent technically suspicious people, but working for someone well respected and trusted in this city.

    However, I had no idea of their objective. I had continued to hide my ears when in town so I didnt think they should know I was an elf.

    In the first ce, even if they thought to kidnap me they wouldnt follow me like this and do this much extra. There was no reason not to make their move when I went by deserted areas.

    Nowwhat is your purpose

    It was possible to capture them myself, but they hadnt harmed me so I decided to just leave.

    It was only three days til I left Erin. I need to remain cautious.

    **************

    Then two dayster, the ones following me.for some reason a mid twenties woman wearing male clothing came and ate three of our crepes with a pleased look and bought 2 bottles of maple syrupthen a few hourster came back with ten people to buy Erucy Wine that was limited to two per customer.

    While she was at it she devoured another two crepes.

    Now once again shed returned, but alone this time.

    As I thought I have to buy some for myself! Its expensive though!

    She cried out while mming 40 silver on the table and taking away thest two bottles of Erucy Wine before skipping awayI couldnt help but feel ridiculous.

    Being cautious of them for the past 3 days seemed like a stupid joke.

    What did they even want in the first ce???

    I was mildly grateful as I nkly murmured those words. The maple syrup hadpletely sold out, but there had been half of the Erucy Wine left and they had just bought it all.

 Book 4: Chapter 4-1: Omen of a New Battle

    Book 4: Chapter 4-1: Omen of a New Battle

    In Erin some people who followed me gathered my information and a strange customerboth of them ended up being the same person, but I was able to sell all of my products.

    The goods I had brought from Erucy were all safely sold and even the crepes I made from ingredients I bought in the city were sold for a healthy profit. In total I had made 140 gold and 1,180 silver in profit.

    This amount was more than enough for three days of business.

    While I was at it, Roleau and Kona were drilled in hospitality and were also taught how to make crepes by Rera. The three seemed to be doing well, so I think itd be fine to leave this business to them next time.

    The food, liquor, vinegar and other seasonings that I had bought inrge quantities had arrived safely at the inn, and the wedding dress had beenpleted, and Lucy and Kuu were going to pick them up with pleased looks on their faces.

    What was disappointing was that they wouldnt let me see them yetit seems they wanted me to look forward to the day of our wedding.

    I had also requested a ck dress with an apron for Yukino as a present for watching the house. I had gotten some popr essories as gifts for my little sisters Kemin and Kurone.

    Cyril where are you going now?

    Roleau and the others are readying our luggage in the carriage so I was thinking to go buy some chickens. You ate the egg dishes at the inn right? Well I asked where they got eggs from and they introduced me to a poultry farm so I wanted to see if they would sell me a hen.

    That sounds great, I think itd be wonderful if Erucy gets to have eggs.

    Un, it might be a bit expensive, but I think its worth it.

    In this age eggs were expensive. Even just three of them would cost a silver.

    I definitely wanted to buy a hen, but the issue was that since eggs were expensive, chickens that were stillying eggs would be even higher in price.

    A chicken thatys an egg every day would earn you a gold every half a year, so owners wouldnt want to part with them easily.

    The price for a single hen could easily reach 2 gold in price.

    Thinking of how many people were in Erucy, I wanted to buy at least 50 of them, but if I did that then all of our profits from sales would disappear in an instant.

    Eggs? Theyre delicious. I love them so you have to get some chickens for sure!

    Well thatll be up to luck. Even if I offer money there is a chance they wont sell to me.

    If they had a surplus of chickens they would surely sell above market price if I offered, but if they did not have enough chickens to continue to increase their flock, then I highly doubt they would sell a single one.

    However, I was headed to thergest poultry farm in Erin so I thought they would have some leeway.

    Itd be nice if you could buy themif Cyril-kun cant then Ill use all my pocket money to buy them as souvenirs for the kids back home!

    Itd be better if you didntthe carriage sways and theyll break before we return.

    Itll be fine if I wrap them in my tail!

    Then youll only be able to bring enough for a few people

    Uuuu, if only my tail was more splendid

    I smiled wryly. For her not to be satisfied with such a beautiful tail despite being the envy of all the Fire Foxeshow luxurious.

    Ei

    Kya!

    I quickly grasped Kuus tail causing her to jump in surprise.

    PICTURE

    What are you doing!?

    Well I suddenly wanted to grab your tail. Didnt you say that its alright for your spouse to hold it?

    Please choose an appropriate time and ce! To do so in publicits embarrassing

    Kuu murmured in a low voice as she blushed bright red. If she reacts like this then Ill start to feel guilty.

    I still dont really understand the sensibilities of Fire Foxes.

    How nice CyrilI want to grab Yukinos tail like that

    .I know it doesnt sound convincinging from me, but youd best give up on that idea if you dont want her to hate you.

    It seemed that Lucy was in a trance thinking about grabbing the tail of her new little sister. Most likely if she did grab it then the usually quiet Yukino would get seriously angry. Though it wasnt good, it was definitely something I was interested in seeing.

 Book 4: Chapter 4-2: Omen of a New Battle

    Book 4: Chapter 4-2: Omen of a New Battle

    You wanna buy some chickens? Well we hatched lotsa chicks this year so its finebut its expensive? Does yer family even have enough money?

    After handing over the letter of introduction from the inn to the boss of the poultry farm, he looked skeptical.

    Un, itll be fine. Just tell me how many can you sell?

    Well lets see.thinkin about how many we gotta sell to our customersId say around 20 or so. More than that we wont sell even if you bring out a ton o cash.

    Twenty huha shame. I wanted more.

    Well thinking about it another way, it was a number where I could simply put them in padded boxes and bring them home rather than using Samsara Recursion to transport them.

    How much are you selling each of them for?

    Well they introduced you soIll go for 2 gold each.

    I had expected that much. They were twice as expensive as goats.

    Ill buy all twenty so could you lower it a bit? What do you think of 30 gold?

    Fer that price you can forget it. If I leave em, I can make that much money just from the eggs they make.

    Yeah hes right. I dont think bargaining further would have any meaning. Furthermore, I had found something even more interesting.

    The chickens the boss wanted to sell me were older than a certain age and wouldnt have too many years of eggying left in them. But there was something more attractive there as well.

    I understand. I will buy 20 of them for 40 gold. Well, could you throw in that chick over there as well? How much would you charge for it?

    Next to the adult chickens there was a pile of yellow chicks.

    There were two groups of them, one was neatly organized and kept, while the other was group were just piled together in a clump. I pointed to the second group.

    Ya; mean the ones we left after sorting out the girlies? Well we were just gonna raise em for meat anyways. Ya gave me more than 20 gold, Ill just make it a little bonus. Even chicks are delicious if you cook em right.

    Well then, Ill go ahead and choose some.

    They would hatch some eggs to keep their number of chickens rising. After they had grown a bit, they would sort them and categorize, but actually judging them was very difficult.

    Even someone who was a professional would have several failures. There were even some chicks that were girls that looked like boys.

    However, I was able to differentiate based on magical reactions. Whether it was people or animals, male and female creatures had a different feel to their magic power.

    I think this is plenty.

    I had chosen 21 chicks from 200 or so.

    Youare those possibly all females?

    Of course not, how could I know that?

    Y-yeah, coursethen youll be takin em on yer carriage? Ill find ya a nice box so just wait a bit.

    He said as he went off.

    Cyril, are they really all female?

    Truthfully, they arent all females. I made sure to pick 3 males as well so we can increase our chickens, the rest are female. The chicks are about two weeks old, so in around 3 months theyll start toy eggs and we can get even more chickens.

    For a while wed only release a few eggs at a time until we eventually spread it throughout Erucy.

    By the time the chicks grew up we would be able to eat eggs once a week, and eventually we would be able to have eggs daily.

    You really have a lot of specialties huh Cyril-kundont you have the talent to seed even outside of Erucy?

    Yeah, if its Cyril then I get the feeling he could do so much more, but I wonder if were holding him back from time to time.

    Lucy and Kuu said with a lonesome look on their faces.

    As they had said, even if I was alone in Erin or the Empire, I could craft arge business and obtain riches, women, and fame.

    I think I could. However, I am happy as I am right now. I have cute wives, good friends, good food, and I canugh happily. I dont wish for more than that.

    Those were my true feelings. It was fine as long as I was wealthy enough to live a good life. I had enjoyed the fruits that extreme wealth afforded for many lifetimes. At this point the lifestyle in Erucy was more attractive.

    Cy~~ril

    Lucy jumped over and hugged me tight.

    Whats this all of a sudden?

    Un, nothingI just felt like it.

    The heart of a woman is mysterious. I once again thought as such.

 Book 4: Chapter 4-3

    Book 4: Chapter 4-3

    After stuffing the chickens in, I regrouped with Roleau and the others and set off for Erucy.

    The chickens had a terrible stench and were loud on top of that, severely decreasing the enjoyment of the trip, but the prospect of being able to eat eggs allowed everyone to endure the torture.

    The luggage rack of the carriage now heavier than usual, even with all of its magically modifiedponents and the horses it still took three days to finally reach Erucy.

    As we reentered Erucy, I made sure that Rera talked to Roleau.

    Rera at least did understand the necessity of settling down, and her marriage to Roleau would lead to the development of Erucy. Roleau himself would grow from this. Most importantly, if Roleau was left to his own devices, then Yukino would be in trouble.

    But thankfully, the two of them were beginning to loosen up quite a bit and Id started seeing them enjoy many conversations together. I could rx now.

    As we were gathered around the fire keeping watch and chatting, Roleau said with a grin,

    Rera has such a big rack. Im not even exaggerating. Its huge, Chief.

    He would also say with a smug face,

    That girl definitely has a thing for me. Think shell let me have a round with her? Ah, but I already have my fairy, yeesh. Being adies man is rough, yknow?

    He would also strike a cool pose, saying

    Chief, Ive decided. Im going to trust my feelings. Im going to give her a real bad time.

    He said plenty of other things, but for the sake of my mental health, I let the rest of what he said pass through one ear and out the other, so I barely remembered anything else.

    Kuu and Rera, go ahead and let the chickens into the extension tower next to the goat pen. Lucy and Kona, let everyone in Erucy know that were back.

    Roleau and I will load food into the storage at the mayors house and hear from Kurao about what happened when we were gone, and once all the works done, we disband for the day. Its been a long trip, so make sure to rest up.

    After arriving in Erucy, the group assigned roles and split up.

    Roleau and I arrived at the mayors house, heading for his room. We noticed as we walked around that the house was being cleaned regrly. In fact, this was an even better job than when Lucy and I had cleaned it. Yukino must be working very hard. Id bettermend her for thatter.

    As we entered the mayors room, a man who had been doing desk work looked up.

    He looked to be a bit older than Roleau, a slender-faced schr of an elf who was rare for his race.

    Oya, Cyril-sama. I am pleased to see you back safe and sound atst. I, Kurao, have waited ever so impatiently for this day toe. Now, please bestow your wisdom upon this humble Kurao!

    Good to be back. Thanks for holding down the fort. And Im not sure what you mean about wisdom, as I have nothing left to teach you.

    Nay, there is much more to learn. Until now I have but followed Cyril-samas teachings without fully understanding them, so I wish to hear the true meaning hidden in each and every one of them!

    Roleau and I had be increasingly absent from the vige, so Kurao was taking over as the stand-in for the newly appointed vige leader.

    Roleau had left his position as the stand-in, officially serving as themanding officer in Nettle. This would make him the third most powerful person in Erucy.

    Yeah, but that would take a while, so maybe another time.

    Please, please do consider. I, Kurao, await your visit always!

    Ah, uh-huh.

    I didnt even mess with his head, and Kurao still sees me as this role model to the point of being a fanatic.

    I would tell him about the duty as a stand-in whenever there was a break from instructing everyone on Nettles training.

    I didnt have time back then, so I used some valuable paper and made a manual with the basic essentials on being a leader for him. It was really only guidance with a greatly simplified exnation due tock of time.

    But then this guy went and read the manual hundreds, thousands of times, all so that he could memorize not the contents, but the literal lettersone by one. All this in spite of the fact that I, a perfectionist, had already crammed small letters that would normally fill over a hundred pages onto one paper so as to not waste it.

    Thanks to that, Erucy was operating just fine in my absence.

    Im always grateful for your hard work. Kurao, its because youre here that I can leave this ce in good hands.

    Haha, you need not waste such words on me, sir.

    But, well, Kurao did have a knack for being extremely weak to trouble. He couldnt actually do anything that wasnt written in the manual. This has nothing to do with his intelligence or adaptability. He just fears to the extreme any action that goes against what I want.

    For most situations, I just leave him be and tell him to wait until I get back, but if, by any chance, therees a pressing situation where my instructions cant reach him in time, I do feel concern over what this man will do.

    Anything happen while I was gone?

    Indeed, something did. An envoy from Bell Erucy brought us a letter from the empire.

    Ill take it now, then. Thanks. Ill read itter.

    Bell Erucy is the current location of their supply base in this region, and its essentially treated as the vige that governs Erucy.

    I assume the letter contains the answer regarding whether the empire is willing to buy armor and swords from us.

    Anything else

 Book 4: Chapter 4-4

    Book 4: Chapter 4-4

    Nothing that need trouble you, sir. My younger sister alwayses to this house to ask to borrow a room, so I ept her request on the condition that she cleans up everything properly. She appears to be using it with her friends, you see.

    Yukino is? If she needs to go so far as to borrow a room here, she must be doing something in secret.

    It would seem that way. I do in fact hear some endearing singing and other noises from that room.

    Ah, so thats whats going on.

    I basically understand the gist of it.

    Chief, is my fairy here now? Lets go meet her.

    What about Rera?

    What are you talkin about? I told you yesterday, Chief.

    Sorry. I was only throwing in interjections and wasnt paying attention in the slightest.

    Reras lovely. I really was about to fall for her. But thanks to Rera, I realized something more important.

    Oh? Lets hear it.

    Falling for Rera means that no matter how far past her prime she is, I can always love my fairy, Yukino-chan. My love was proved to be real!

    I was at a loss for words. I dont know if theres any hope left for Roleau.

    Rera is neen years old. And he says shes past her prime. I thought his inability to get married was due to being too manly, but it would appear theres a different reason.

    The door of the room that Yukino is borrowing was slightly ajar, so I peeked in through the gap.

    If my prediction is correct, Im thest person that she would want to see her room.

    Roleau casually joined me, peering inside.

    I get to see the fairy in the flesh after so long

    The three in the room were all wearing light clothing in anticipation of how heated up they would get. They were breathing a little heavily and everyone was sweating.

    But why is Roleau breathing heavily too

    We have to perfect the song for Cyril-nisama and Kuu-nesamas wedding! Lets do it all one more time

    The leader of the three, Kemin the yellow fox, was dishing out orders to Yukino the silver fox and Kurone the ck fox in a voice that was more stiff than usual.

    Kemin, do you really want this song? Yukino doesnt want it. Yukino wants something more cool or pretty.

    No. You try approaching in that manner and Kuu-nesama wont look as nice inparison. But if we use this song then we can fight on our own terms. Kuu-nesama wont bepared to us.

    But Yukino doesnt like the flirty, throwing yourself away vibe that this song gives off. Yukino doesnt even know what the lyrics mean.

    Kuro doesnt like it either. Kuro isnt just ck around the eartips, okay.

    Quitining. This song is a perfectly honorable and traditional fire fox song, okay.

    Traditional? This is the song that Kuu-nesamas onisama gave her for her fifth birthday. It hasnt even existed for a long time.

    The song that Kuus older brother made for her? Indeed, that would be perfectly fitting for Kuus wedding.

    Still, Kuu-nesama was able to keep singing that song every year until she became 11 years old. I totally get that even she would be too embarrassed to continue singing it after that, of course.

    Okay, and Yukino is 12 years old. So if Kuu-nesama cant do it at that age then why should Yukino try?

    Thats exactly why we need to, Yukino. Show Kuu-nesama that you can beat her record.

    Okay. Ill do it

    The three of them had finallye to an agreement, it seemed.

    They lined up to the side and the song began at Kemins signal.

    Heigh-ho Fox, Bark bark bark

    The three of them began singing in adorable voices full of spirit.

    Hands outstretched and hips dropping and rising fiercely, they shook their bodies from side to side.

    Wag your tail, Bark bark bark

    Next, they energetically swerved around with their backs facing the door, putting their hands on their hips and wagging their tails as they shook their hips.

    Only the tips of my ears, are ck

    They crouched, hands to their fox ears and looking up from the ground.

    The tip of my tail is, white

    Putting their bodies into a hanmi stance (stance with legs in an L-shape, with one leg bent in front and other extended behind), they lifted up their tails and disyed them for an audience to see.

    Heigh-ho Fox, Bark bark bark

    And as all choruses should be, they were back to the same song and dance as the beginning.

    Fluffy fluffy soft soft, Bark bark bark

    Their backs now facing the audience, the girls shook their tails and hips.

    Bark

    To finish things off, they leaped into the air with all their might and shrieked excitedly from the bottom of their hearts before ending.

    Umm, wow, so that was ridiculously cute. It was so cute that I lost all myposure for a moment there.

    The song could not have done a better job at pulling out their sweetness. Kuus brother might actually be a genius.

    Fah, fah

    Roleaus eyes were wide open and he was trembling.

    I want to fooooox

    Letting out a shriek, he motioned to pounce on the girls.

    What does I want to fox even mean? What is he nning? I didnt really get it, but I did feel that Yukino was in danger so I grabbed his cor and pulled him over to my side before sturdily pinning down his carotid artery and dropping him within five seconds.

    Huh? Thought I heard someones voice.

    Voice, more like scream.

    It was a little scary.

    The three girls walked in our direction after hearing Roleaus scream.

    They clearly wanted to surprise meter on, so in order to hide my viewing of all this, I silently walked off, leaving Roleau behind.

    Once he wakes up again, Roleau will regain hisposure, and even if he tries something, as long as its not a sneak attack then Yukino should be able to knock him down from the front, so I think itll be alright.

    By myself again, I opened the letter from the empire.

    These idiots never learn, do they.

    The empire would be bringing over arge amount of troops in order to take back its armor, swords, and fortress. They even added that they would spare our lives if we handed everything over meekly.

    Alright, looks like you need to experience some pain.

    And they will, because I have more than enough weapons for aplishing that.

 Book 4: Chapter 5-1

    Book 4: Chapter 5-1

    I now found myself preparing to leave again after loadingrge amounts of food, salt, hemp varieties, and weapon prototypes into the carriage. Who would have thought that I would have to be on the move so soon after getting back from Erin?

    I was even going to prepare for the wedding, but those ns were ruined.

    Why didIrestrict so much of my knowledge

    I mutter to myself while getting ready for departure.

    One of these preparations included loading the new weapon into the carriage. I wouldnt have been able to make such an invention in the past.

    One of the pieces of knowledge that I got ahold of again was something called the Haber-Bosch process.

    To put it into simple terms, by solidifying the nitrogen in the air, you can use water, quicklime, and the air as ingredients to make a nitrogenpoundin other words, niter.

    If I were to try such a method without using magic, then it would require an exceedingly high level of industrial technology, but making tools with the dwarf Kuiro and then reverting back to Cyril and using wind magic with the help of those tools, this process suddenly became a walk in the park.

    Nitrogenpounds serve many purposes. In wartime they transform into gunpowder and explosives, and in daily life they be chemical fertilizer.

    Back when I was still relying on natural niter, a war broke out over mining rights and the economy of a single country was able to be sustained simply by exporting this expensive and precious material.

    If I had known this from the beginning, I sincerely believe that I could have fought an easier fight against the Empire as well as not struggle so much with makingpost.

    Cyril, were finished on our end.

    At some point Lucy had approached me from behind.

    Lucy, Im sorry. It looks like Im going to bete to the wedding.

    You dont need to apologize, Cyril. I mean, yeah, I do think its a bit of a shame. Just finish up quickly so you can get back here, okay?

    Lucy said with a joking expression on her face.

    But it is weird. They were thoroughly beaten and now theyre suddenly on the offensive again.

    It wasnt just the letter, but also a report from the Nettle members I had stationed in the vicinity. The Empire is legitimately trying again. They number around a thousand, but thanks to that, their speed will be faster than before. I imagine theyll get to Belle Erucy in around three days.

    This amount of speed wouldnt allow the same scale of manpower asst time.

    In addition, ording to Nettle, the soldierscked power and their equipment wasnt even all togetherthey didnt even have the necessary siege weapons to topple the fortress. Without some sort of crazy strategy, the Empire could forget about destroying Erucythey probably couldnt even take down Belle Erucy, the old Empires supply base.

    This action of theirs is more than recklessI can only define it as suicidal.

    Those at Belle Erucys gates could simply close the entrance and drop stones or shoot arrows down at the intruders for an easy victory.

    Cyril, Ive been wondering about this for a while, but isnt Bell Erucy a terrible name

    Dont worry about it. Only educated elves would understand the meaning, and it would be difficult to grasp the meaning if I were to attach a name to it that differed too much from reality.

    Bell Erucy. That was the name I gave to the vige in charge of Erucy.

    Bell is one of the characters thates up in elven folklore saying Leave this to me and go on ahead Ill be right behind you! as he charges at arge group of enemies.

    Cyril, sometimes you say very scary things.

    But its a fact that I invested food for 300 as well as my time. I need Bell to protect itself. Thats going to be our lifeline you see. Erucy wouldnt even stand a chance if it were invaded, after all.

    The elf vige is surrounded by nothing but trees, and the workshop that the fire foxes live in is outside of the enclosure. The moment the imperial soldiers arrived would spell our downfall.

    We have to make a proper outer wall, but there arent currently enough people to handle that.

    Once the spring sowing ends, I want to begin construction and make something practical by the time the harvestes up in autumn.

    When that timees, the selection of personnel at Belle Erucy will have ended and they should be able to lead a group of respectable people who can help withbor.

    Cyril-onisama! Sorry for beingte.

    Yukino rushed over, out of breath.

    This time, we set off with every member of Nettle, in addition to Kuu and Yukino.

    Belle Erucy always had four members per team, so I called over members who werent in the bracket.

    Yukino, you dont have to wear that clothing outside of work.

    No. Ill always wear it unless Im washing it.

    Yukino decided to go against my words for once and shook her head.

    She was wearing abination of a navy blue dress and a frilly apron, aka an apron dress. I had sent out very specific orders for the right articles of clothing so as to suit both the performance as well as my tastes. I made this clothing for whenever Yukino would help out with housework.

    The contrast between the navy blue and the silver hair and tail was absolutely fantastic.

    Wow, didnt know you liked it so much.

    Thats because Cyril-nisama was the one who picked out and bought the clothing.

    Yukino has taken a real liking to the apron dress since the day I presented it to her wearing it all the time. Even after washing it, she would immediately dry it with magic and wear nothing until the drying procedure wasplete.

    But it might get dirty or tear. Are you sure?

    If its dirty then I can just wash it, dont worry. It wont tear either. Yukino wont ever let it get caught on anything or let anyone touch it. I vow this by the honor of the silver fire foxes.

    Those words had quite the intensity to them, leaving no room for contradiction.

    But shes right. When Yukino gets serious, I doubt theres anyone who can so much as touch her.

 Book 4: Chapter 5-2

    Book 4: Chapter 5-2

    Cyril, ever since Yukino-chan started wearing that clothing, shes always dodged me whenever I try to embrace her. And I wanted to squeeze her so tightly, too

    Lucyined in a teary voice.

    And then Lucy suddenly jumped at Yukino from behind, only for Yukino to dodge this dead angle embrace with minimum movement in a nonchnt manner.

    Until now she had allowed these advances, but now I guess Yukino is doing her best to dodge Lucy and protect her clothes.

    Even now, her silver-colored fox ears were wiggling around, paying close attention to her surroundings.

    Ei

    I decided to try and embrace Yukino, just to see what would happenand okay, I guess that she just let me do that. I thought she would dodge me too, so I was embracing her a little more boldly than I normally would. She feels soft and has a nice scent too.

    I see you dont try to dodge me, Yukino.

    Cyril-nisama is an exception.

    Yukino actually was the one approaching me for a hug this time, nuzzling my chest with her nose and sniffing me while she wagged her tail.

    Ugh, Cyril, no fair!

    If Yukino really liked that clothing so much, I should get her more outfits as a present. Its too sad to see her only using one outfit. Im sure I wont get found out if I can sneak out and buy something.

    As all this was happening, finally everyone gathered and they set off.

    There wasnt a need to use the magically modified carriage this time around. If anything, the members of Nettle were much faster on foot.

    Thats why I let the team handle the carriages full of weapons and food provisions as I took the lead for the rest, pushing the objective and managing to reach Bell Erucy in half a day.

    As we approached the security guards at the Erucy side of the castle wall gates, I spoke to one of them.

    Thanks for your hard work. Do you remember me

    Of course I do, sir. Theres no way I could forget the face of my benefactor. Cyril-sama.

    The man keeping watchughed in a merry voice. He was a strong, reliable looking man in his early thirties, as well as the chief of the kobolds who had gotten their vige messed up by the Empires remnant forces.

    He had dark brown hair all over his ears and tail.

    Sorry for the sudden notice, but Id like you to get the Five Great Generals.

    Yes, right away. Ill contact them, so please feel free to wait in the strategy room, Cyril-sama. Hey, Vianna, show Cyril-sama and his friends to the room and prepare the highest quality tea and snacks.

    Understood. Johann-sama! Now, if the fine elves and foxes would make their way over here

    The female kobold who had been working security under orders from the kobold chief led us to the strategy room. She was about the same age as Johann, with a rxed attitude.

    I hear that theyre a couple.

    I thought couples would be a little more equal in their positions, but apparently this was the way the kobolds did it. The family structure had a clear hierarchy.

    How are you enjoying your new life

    I figured I might as well make conversation as we walk.

    Its actually been very hectic, what with all these peopleing from all sorts of ces, so everyones idea ofmon sense ispletely different, every day is full of scuffles and arguments and fistfights, division of food and work always leads to conflict that blocks progression, and many of these viges were already at odds with one another before evening here

    Those discontent words fired out of her mouth like a machine gun.

    I smiled wryly. Its impressive how bold she was with her grievances in front of me, considering my position.

    But I like this straightforward approach much better than if she would have tried to pretend like everythings fine and there are no problems.

    After some moreints, Vianna said one final thing slowly.

    But despite all of that, were eating well, we have work, we have a warm ce to sleep, and we dont have to worry about the next day. So were extreeemely thankful.

    Im d to hear that. Ill do my best to make sure that lifestyle can continue, and I want all of you to give it your best as well.

    Yes, that goes without saying. Bell Erucy has be our hometown now, after all.

    We made it to the strategy room.

    I kept Roleau with me and had the other members rest in the guestrooms. The only people who needed to think deeply today would be the two of us.

    Chief, talking is such a frickin drag. Why do we have to do this? All you have to do is give the order and itll be done, yeah?

    Roleau listlessly sipped his tea and ate todays snack, which was dried chestnut.

    Bell Erucy is under Erucys control, but it does also have autonomy. Everyone has to have a say in this or its no good. No one would want toply. And this time around were even dealing with other races. It wont be the same as dealing with elves or fire foxes. Plus there are multiple leaders, not just one.

    Bell Erucy was originally a vige of refugees.

    As a matter of course, there was still ack of proper unity. No matter what I try to decide from the top, no one will listen.

    Currently, Ive been barely maintaining the directive system by having the five biggest vige poptions send out representatives to absorb the smaller viges with whom theyve had prior contact with and seeing that they take on the responsibility of supervising and governing.

    As of right now, if these five people continue to work together, Bell Erucy will have a decent management.

    Besides, even if I were to say Okay, elect one leader!, most people would just ignore that, and even if that one leader was elected, it could lead to civil unrest.

    In addition, anyone who got into power could also start prioritizing their own race. No matter how troublesome it sounds, there was a need to split the number of leaders.

 Book 4: Chapter 5-3

    Book 4: Chapter 5-3

    We give them food and a ce to live and this is how they respond? Cheeky little punks.

    They barely escaped their former viges alive and made it here. Of course theyll be perplexed and anxious. And besidesI didnt simply give them all this for no reason. These people are necessary, so I made the investment.

    Were equal, see. Them living here will connect to Erucys safety. Had they not begun living here, this area would already be taken by the Empire. Its not actually possible to protect this supply base from the Empire with elves alone.

    After hearing all this, it seemed that Roleau finally acknowledged the necessity.

    Kurao back in Erucy was quicker on the uptake with these sorts of issues. Roleau also has a fairly good head on his shoulders, so he was able to understand what I meant as long as I spoke with patience.

    Also, this is actually where Im going to set the base of operations that will fulfill my dreams.

    I havent told anyone yet, but in the future, I want to straight up turn this ce into amerce city like Erin.

    I made this location in the first ce with the intent of simultaneously blocking the Empires invasions and collecting taxes from the neighboring viges, so the outer wall is sturdy and easy to defend from its position, centered between many viges and easy to have trade along its perimeters.

    In addition, we are currently spearheading the achievement of having every kind of race living together.

    I dont know whether it will take five, or ten years, but I will make sure that this ce bes the center of culture andmerce.

    Cyril-sama, we apologize for the wait. The Five Great Chieftains have all assembled.

    After a little while, the kobold chief Johann brought over four men, ranging from middle-aged to slightly middle-aged.

    The five who had control over Bell Erucy had now gathered.

    In addition to Johann the kobold, there was a human, a white rabbit, an ape man, and a tiger man. These five species made up the majority of this town.

    Thanks foring, everyone. You know why were all here today, I presume.

    Of course, Cyril-sama. The hateful Empire and its cronies areing to take thisnd of repose that we finally managed to secure, yes?

    Those punks trampled all over Cyril-samas mercy.

    Anyone who tries to take advantage of our leader Cyril-samas kindness deserves a thousand deaths.

    Ill ughter everyst one of them

    The Five Great Chieftains each spat out hot-blooded words.

    Uhh, did I mess with them a little too much

    I questioned myself inwardly.

    It was essential to enlist the help of multiple races in order to operate Bell Erucy.

    They were in a pinch at the time, and when I told them they could live here, that food and clothing would be provided, and that I would provide farnd and seed rice, they jumped at the opportunity, saying they would cooperate.

    However, I couldnt fully trust them. For instance, they might switch sides without resistance if emissaries from the Empire were to arrive. Another possibility is that they would care only for their own race and chase out everyone else. There was a good chance that we would have to spend more time and effort in quelling factional disputes than in actually developing Belle Erucy.

    There was simply anxiety after anxiety when thinking about this.

    That was why I tampered with the heads of the chieftains and their assistants, making sure they became members of Nettle.

    I also made them a little stronger than the regr members.

    There were three main areas in which I modified them.

    Inting their hatred toward the Empire

    Increasing their happiness when following my orders

    Decreasing their happiness when disobeying my orders

    Just these three areas. With this safeguard in ce, I would be able to perceive them as allies and turn my back infort, and I would be able to dislose important information as well.

    Everyone, lets calm down and have a constructive conversation. We currently estimate the enemy to arrive in three days time. The soldiers are a thousand in number and are geared toward quick movement, so they dont have the kinds of weapons that can break through the walls of this base. Theyll likelytch adder or something onto the wall and attempt to climb up.

    As expected of a fortress originally built to protect the vital point of the Empire, it was impossible to break the walls of Belle Erucy with normal equipment. You had no choice but to scale the walls.

    Since youre here, Cyril-sama, that means we can enlist the help of the elves, right

    Johann raised his hand to ask that question.

    Thats correct.

    Then Im not sure that we need a particrlyplicated n. Because as long as we have the power of wind from the elves, the soldiers on the wall will not fall.

    If any soldiers were totch adder or rope against the wall to climb up it, they would bepletely helpless, guaranteed. Aiming for that weakness from our side would be easy. In order to prevent such an oue, the general idea in battle is to kill the soldiers on the walls with the bow-and-arrow, or perhaps keep the soldiers in check so that they cant move, but as long as elves are in the vicinity, their wind magic would block the arrows, and any attempts made by archers would have little effect.

    The elves simply being here already meant that defense would be several times more solid.

    For that reason, we always have four people from Nettle stationed in Bell Erucy.

    Thats correct. This battle will likely be won just by normal effort. But giving it only normal effort means that the fight willst longer than it should. That would damage the already fragile state of affairs in Bell Erucy. Everyone came here to escape from the Empire, so theyve got to be worried about this battle. Just this once, I want us to win with ease and instill the belief in everyone that everything is going to be alright.

    Cooping ourselves up in the walls and intercepting attack after attack every day?

    No, that would be extremely tiring and a waste of time.

 Book 4: Chapter 5-4

    Book 4: Chapter 5-4

    Then shall we go out to intercept them right away? Its possible to attack if we fire from above, but inflicting damage would be difficult with the angle of elevation if they shield their heads. Its true that we still need to hit them with a simr method regardless, butI think it could also be difficult to fight a thousand without the help of the fortress to protect us.

    Were fine on that part. The carriage is on its way back loaded with new weapons.

    The artificially made potassium nitrate weapon prototypes that we secured in mass bulk.

    We gain an advantage from their overwhelming force as well as the low cost, ease of mass production, and the ease of handlingeven a monkey could do it.

    Oh, are you referring to the weapons you mentionedst time you were here, Cyril-sama? Are they finished?

    Ho, now thats encouraging.

    As long as we have that, then even if the elves arent around, we can handle them by ourselves, aha.

    Everyone got into good spirits.

    I had indeed shared the concept of the new weapon when we were talking about defensive measures in the case of my absence.

    They must have remembered that.

    Cyril-sama, with those weapons of yours, perhaps even a regr strategyclose the gates andunch the weapons from the walls, or perhaps tie them to arrows, which would immediately deal a huge blow to the enemy, enabling us to bring the fight into a decisive battle of brief duration.

    Yeah, thats fine. Dont try anythingplicated. You five have done a good enough job strengthening yourselves, but overall skill is still low. You wouldnt be able to carry outplicated orders even if I were to try and give them.

    And thus, the conference regarding the uing battle with the Empire had concluded.

    Thats all I have to discuss about the Empire. Next, lets talk about the management of Belle Erucy. I took a look inside when I came here. The poption has increased, yeah?

    Thest time I came, there were around 300, but this time it had increased to 400 people.

    The base was originally made for a few thousand in mind, so there wasnt any problem with space.

    Yes, it is just as Cyril-sama says. Somehow or other, we had settled in here and found work as well, so these neers must have heard the rumors and made their way over. Other than the remnants from the viges that were ravaged, there are also appear to be people from poor vigesing here for that reason.

    And the rules are still upheld, yes?

    Of course. For those who can write, we have them make a register that states which chieftain theyre affiliated with, and if there are any problems in their conduct, we chase them out.

    Do you think there will be more people toe

    No,tely its calmed down.

    Very well. Then as nned, ept only up to the 500th person. Anything from that point on, you will have to close your heart and cut them off. We wont be able to foster any more than that.

    Right, as you wish.

    We could only handle a maximum of 500 people living here this year.

    Its almost time to sow seeds. There isnt enough seed rice to feed more than that many people at the moment, and even if we were to nt hemp in all the empty ground, there would only be up to 500 people who could tend to it.

    We wont be able to allot any more work than that in Bell Erucy.

    Any work that involved something other than growing crops would be a little further ahead. We can increase the number of people once were able to put those industries on the right track.

    Were likely to have too many workers for seed sowing if the number of people increases. I have crop seeds that Id like you to nt using all the remaining farnd. You may take any fruit or leaves you get from them that you are able to eat, but anything that remains after harvest, I would like you to have the workers give back to Erucy.

    We will follow whatever decree Cyril-sama mandates, owing you a great debt, but are you asking the workers to do this for no pay? Im not sure how I would go about exining this to them.

    The kobold chief was perplexed. He had no issue with returning the favor that was graciously given to them, but reassuring everyone from the viges who was already doing their best to survive every day was an entirely different problem.

    Nah, I wouldnt tell you to do any of that for free. I already paid you in advance and loaded the carriages with lots of wheat, barley, some salt too that I brought over, and even some goats that were bornst spring. Does that sound good?

    You would go that far for our sake! Please allow us the honor of epting such gifts! To bepletely honest, we were driven by anxiety not knowing if wed be able to maintain our food supply before harvest time if the number of people were to increase.

    Ill do it too.

    As will my ce. Ive always been fine with doing Cyril-samas will for free.

    Look at you, getting all cocky, punk.

    Thanks. The five of you can decide on the allocation of farnd and rewards after you look at the seeds that arrived here. Make sure you discuss this with one another when you decide, okay?

    All five of them nodded when I said that. Thats when the discussion began.

    As expected of chiefs who already had the achievement presiding over vige affairs, all I had to do was give them a guideline to follow and they would move the conversation along without me having to do anything further.

    There were also many amongst the ranks of the five vige groups who had experience in battle, and they were regrly bridging the gap between races by cooperating and practicing together under the five chieftains, so there was no doubt that their proficiency would be increasing given enough time.

    It was a good trend.

    At this rate, we should get arge amount of hemp in three months. Yes, the hemp of devils that I tampered with.

    Well, lets just hope that the Empire doesnt have any tricks hidden up their sleeves.

    The meaning of why, at this timing, the Empire chose to charge in with small numbers despite the existence of the fortress of Bell Erucy

    That was the one thing I didnt quite get, and it was also the one source of anxiety in me.

 Book 4: Chapter 6-1: The Forbidden Fruit

    Book 4: Chapter 6-1: The Forbidden Fruit

    It had been four days since I arrived in Bell Erucy.

    The arrival of Imperial soldiers was dyed more than nned. They probably pushed themselves too hard along the way.

    I sent reconnaissance missions multiple times, but the soldiers appeared lifeless, and many seemed to be wounded.

    They were given only minimal food, and there were also deserters. Each time, they made examples of them, but it didn''t seem to deter others.

    During my free time, I taught the people of Bell Erucy how to cultivate hemp and instructed them on using the new weapons.

    Today, I was having a discussion with the members of Nettle in a room they were given. Members who had been sent on reconnaissance had returned, and we were sharing the results.

    Roleau, what do you think after hearing the reconnaissance report?

    I don''t understand.

    I was prepared for a long battle, but they might starve themselves to death on their own.

    Looking at the situation alone, it seemed like they had deployed their forces without allowing them to recover from thest battle.

    Leader, regardless, if theye attacking, we''ll just repel them. It''s pointless to overthink it.

    That''s certainly true.

    Roleau, due to his straightforwardness, had a knack for stating simple truths. No matter howplicated we made things, our actions wouldn''t change. We just had to deal with the imminent threat.

    But, Cyril, This situation cant continue. Even if it''s easy to win, being constantly attacked is hard.

    You''re right. If they keep attacking us even after suffering such losses this could go on until we''re wiped out.

    Lucy and Kuu murmured with unease.

    Their concerns were valid. In a country like Erucy, where human resources werecking, one defeat could be fatal. But the Empire, with its vast poption, could recover from a loss of five thousand soldiers in a few years.

    The fundamental problem was the overwhelming poption difference that prevented us fromunching an offensive.

    I''ve been thinking about that, and I''m preparing something to make the Empire focus on something other than war. The cannabis seeds I brought today are part of that n.

    Will nts harm the Empire?

    Yes, I n to create medicine and distribute it.

    As part of a strategy to harm the Empire, we were growing cannabis here. The target was drug contamination. In a world where drugs weren''t readily avable, we could potentially cause significant damage. Cannabis was used as raw material to produce marijuana. Of course, simply scattering marijuana wouldn''t do much damage.

    Marijuana itself had little effect. Its effects were simr to alcohol, causing mild intoxication, and it was less addictive than coffee. It was also less harmful to the body than alcohol or tobo.

    Bing addicted to marijuana required a high threshold, equivalent to emptying a bottle of sake every day and bing an alcoholic.

    Cyril-kun, are you going to distribute medicine? Not poison?

    It''s just a medicine that makes you feel good. No one would want to drink poison, right? Even if one or two people died from drinking it, it wouldn''t serve any purpose. But if it''s a medicine that makes you feel good, everyone would want it, right? However, once you get used to the pleasure of this medicine, you won''t be able to live without it, even if you have to sacrifice everything. Eventually, people will fight to the death over it. If you reduce the supply of the medicine at that point, the country will descend into chaos.

    The true power of marijuana is unleashed whenbined with other drugs. In a state of marijuana-induced intoxication, the body''s resistance decreases, and all senses be heightened, increasing the absorption rate of other drugponents.

    Fortunately, simr nts to ephedra and hallucinogenic mushrooms grew in the mountains. Both could individually break a person, but it was difficult to cultivate them by hand and securerge quantities. However, by blending a small amount of them with marijuana, we could achieve mass production of a potent drug.

    The drug was based on a powder containing tetrahydrocannabinol, the narcoticponent of marijuana, methamphetamine extracted from ephedra, psilocybin extracted from hallucinogenic mushrooms, and a small amount of powdered alcohol. When processed into tablets, it produced an overwhelming pleasure that made people want to give up everything, sending them into a high state of euphoria and hallucinations, erasing their rationality in an instant. The most dangerous drug imaginable.

    What made it even more troublesome was that this drug created extreme addiction. After using it just five times, it would cause self-poisoning due to excessive endorphin secretion in the brain, and the user would think of nothing but the drug.

    Cyril-niisama, Yukino doesn''t understand. Even if a drug makes you feel good, Yukino wouldn''t want to kill people for it.

    That''s because Yukino has judgment. This drug first takes away the mind the capacity to feelpassion. People be like beasts. They no longer see others as people, but as obstacles to be removed. If someone gets in the way, they''ll kill them, believing it''s the fault of the one who interfered.

    Cyril-niisama, that''s scary. Yukino doesn''t want to use something so scary.

    Yeah, I don''t want to use it either. But once I''ve used it, I probably won''t be able to stop.

    Producingrge quantities of this drug and releasing it in a country with over a hundred thousand people would create a hellish scenario.

    Furthermore, the victims would be innocent civilians. They would break without any awareness, harming others. It would result in creating thousands of such individuals.

    Cyril, I''m scared too. Let''s not do this after all.

    Even so, if the fighting continues, we have to take action. If we keep fighting, we''ll eventually lose. I value the people of Erucy more than tens of thousands of the Empire''s soldiers. That''s why I''m hoping the Empire won''t corner us any further.

    We needed to prepare the drug. If the Empire hasn''t given up on Erucy by the time the drug is ready, I will use it without mercy.

    Two more days passed, and the Imperial soldiers finally reached Bell Erucy.

    As they approached, we closed all the gates and positioned our troops on the high ground. We had to be very careful with the cement of our troops.

    Bell Erucy, which was taking in refugees, had the problem of easily harboring enemies. While there probably weren''t enough enemies inside to cause a major problem, Imperial spies had undoubtedly infiltrated. Perhaps even from other countries.

    While keeping an eye on the Imperial soldiers, we also have to be aware of our rear. That''s why, apart from the trustworthy individuals specified by the five leaders, we didn''t ce anyone else near the members of Nettle.

    I was positioned on a certain hill with Lucy, just the two of us.

    It seemed they had learned from thest time, as this time the Imperial soldiers were charging forward without announcing their names. There were no surrender offers either.

    Several people carrieddders to hang on the outer wall, while others withrge shields surrounded them. They weren''t wearing armor.

    They''ve thought it through.

    Yeah, it makes things a little difficult.

    Wearing armor wouldn''t make much difference since crossbows could prate it. Large shields could withstand piercing, so it made sense not to wear armor. Besides, despite their reduced numberspared to our previous encounter, a thousand soldiers remained a formidable force. The fact that we couldn''t incapacitate them in a single shot posed a significant challenge for us.

    In fact, the arrows fired by Bell Erucy''s soldiers and even the arrows fired by the members of Nettle were unlikely to cause fatal injuries.

    Being on high ground had its advantages, but the limited firing angle made it difficult to make effective attacks against the shielded troops in front of thedders.

    Everyone, keep them engaged for a bit longer!

    The distance was about 100 meters.

    I didn''t want to use the new weapons in a rush. Until now, only about twenty Bell Erucys soldiers had been trained to use them.

    If mishandled, we could end up wiping ourselves out, so we had to be careful and only entrust them to individuals we could trust.

    Ranged soldiers, get ready!

    Following my instructions, twenty Bell Erucys soldiers took out metal cylinders the size of rugby balls. The surface was made of thin metal, with a metal core inside, and the remaining space was filled with a ck sand-like substance and sharp metal fragments.

    The shouts of the Imperial soldiers were getting closer.

    They were about fifty meters away.

    Fire!

    At my signal, the soldiers of Bell Erucy simultaneously hurled cylindrical metal objects the size of rugby balls. Due to their considerable weight, they threw them like shot puts.

    Despite the weight and throwing technique, Bell Erucy''s soldiers, thanks to their strength and the elevated vantage point, sessfully propelled them fifty meters through the air.

    The metal cylindersnded where the Imperial soldiers had passed through. Unfortunate soldiers who were struck directly were killed instantly, and those who managed to shield themselves still suffered broken bones from the impact.

    However, the tragedy was just beginning.

 Book 4: Chapter 6-2: The Forbidden Fruit

    Book 4: Chapter 6-2: The Forbidden Fruit

    Everyone, cover your ears and open your mouths halfway! I shouted with all my might. The metal cylinders that had collided with soldiers and shields rolled on the ground, and in the next moment, they exploded with a tremendous roar. The entire area was covered in dust and smoke. This is terrible. Moments before, the scene had been filled with soldiers, but now there was no one. Some had been mangled by the explosion, and countless metal fragments had pierced others. As far as I could see, there were corpses everywhere, and those who had survived were severely wounded or fatally injured. Even the Imperial soldiers more than a hundred meters away were kneeling and gasping in pain, as metal fragments had pierced their bodies. Even those without physical injuries were staggering in agony due to the deafening explosion. The damage extended beyond just humans. Trees had been uprooted, holes pockmarked the ground, and numerous metal fragments had embedded themselves in the sturdy walls. Cyril, what is this? It''s too powerful. It''s absurd how easily people are dying. Even Lucy was trembling in fear. It was the first time we had witnessed its power. The power was so overwhelming that we couldn''t conduct a test fire. This is a hand grenade, It''s a weapon that, as Lucy said, I''d rather not use on people. What I had created was a hand grenade. Inside the iron cylinder was a simplebination of a fuse ignited by extreme impact, arge amount of ck powder, and countless small metal fragments. Upon the first explosion, it blew up a radius of about 20 meters, killing a significant number of people instantly. Furthermore, the metal fragments mixed with explosives scattered around 10 to 100 meters, and each one had the power of a gunshot, resulting in more casualties than the explosion itself. Twenty of these were thrown at evenly spaced intervals. There was no living creature that could withstand this. It was an indiscriminate weapon of mass destruction. While it was challenging to use without causing self-harm, due to the need to keep the point of impact within 50 meters of the wall, in terms of defense, there was nothing more effective. The beauty of the hand grenadey in its simple structure, making mass production easy. No maintenance was required either. Materials were readily avable. There was an abundance of iron taken from the Empire. Gunpowder could be made with saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur. Saltpeter could be produced with water and air, charcoal from burning wood, and sulfur from corpses. Since we only used it for defense, I intentionally designed it to not explode unless mmed into the ground with full force, making it safer. In an era where dense formations were prevalent, there was no weapon more cost-effective and efficient at killing people. Nettle, pursue them! The troops who had been held in reserve were frozen in ce due to the situation. It was understandable. In an instant, over a hundred people had died, and more than twice that number were seriously injured. However, we didnt show any mercy. The Empires soldiers believed they were safe as long as they didn''t advance, so they didn''t try to escape. We needed to correct that perception. Prepare the special arrows! Upon mymand, arrows were fitted to crossbows. But these arrows were different from usual. They were slightly longer and had attachments at their tips. We attached small hand grenades to them. Normally, attaching something like this to an arrowhead would disrupt its aerodynamics, causing it to veer off course and significantly reducing its range due to increased air resistance. However, with the elf''s [Wind Shield] magic, even with such attachments, the arrows could aim for long distances without being affected by the wind. Fire! At my signal, the members of Nettle simultaneously released their arrows. The target was 100 meters away. When Nettles members got serious, arrows with hand grenades could reach up to 150 meters. These arrows hit the densely packed soldiers. Once again, multiple explosions rang out. The scale was smaller than before, but still, a dozen meters were blown away by the st, and countless metal fragments scattered. In just one volley, nearly a hundred casualties urred. Combining the attributes of elves, crossbows, and hand grenades created this astonishing tactic. The Imperial soldiers began to flee en masse. I picked up their voices on the wind. Run away! There''s no way we can win against that! Why are they reaching us from so far away!? I don''t want to die like that! It was understandable. At any moment, we could blow up an area around the target, killing with deadly metal fragments scattered within dozens of meters. No one would approach us after witnessing this. Until now, we had only been attacking one person at a time. That gave the Imperial soldiers hope because they thought they were safe. But thebination of crossbows and hand grenades shattered even that hope. Don''t flee! Run, run, and break through the outer wall before they strike again! A passionate nobleman was shouting from behind. There was a considerable distance from here, and aiming for him was impossible. Despite the nobleman''s efforts, all the soldiers, except for a few, had started to flee. Only the elite guards remained. Why aren''t they fleeing? As I tilted my head, a group of well-dressed knights on horseback charged towards us. Were they waiting for reinforcements? The nobleman was smiling and trying to wee the knights with open arms. Oh, reinforcements! We appreciate it. Then, in the next moment He killed him? The man beheaded the nobleman. The surrounding soldiers tried to protest, but the other knights silenced them. The knight ced his sword on the ground, held the nobleman''s head in his hands, and slowly walked toward us. Listen, elves. This attack was not the Empire''s will. It was the unteral action of Duke Florandy, who sought to redeem his own mistakes. The Empire had already decided to retrieve the iron equipment with gold coins. When the knight reached a position where his voice could be heard clearly, he shouted earnestly. His voice seemed sincere, and he conveyed a sense of regret. As proof of my sincerity, I have purged Duke Florandy. Please consider this. Can we negotiate again? I, an envoy from the Empire, Voldeck one of the Four Dukes, request an audience. I am Cyril, representative of Erucy. Very well, we understand your position. The negotiations will take ce in a room in Bell Erucy, this former Imperial supply base, which is now a vige under Erucys control. You may bring only onepanion. Thank you. Elf Chief, I appreciate it. I felt a certain level of interest in his audacity but also increased caution. Above all, what caught my attention was that, despite his humility, the man had referred to me as the leader of the elves, not the leader of Erucy. This was undoubtedly an expression of his refusal to acknowledge the existence of the elven nation.

 Book 4: Chapter 7-1: Lies

    Book 4: Chapter 7-1: Lies

    Please, this way.

    I guided one of the Four Dukes of the Empire, Voldeck, to the reception room. This ce, being the former base of the Empire, had elegant rooms prepared for when important guests arrived.

    Please, have a seat without any hesitation.

    I politely suggested he take a seat, maintaining a friendly demeanor on the outside.

    I appreciate your kind words.

    Voldeck returned my smile and took a seat. His attendant stood behind him, hands sped behind his back, constantly watching us. Neither Voldeck nor his attendant wore armor, and they had no weapons on them.

    If I wished, I could kill them both at any moment. Yet they remained rxed.

    To be honest, I was surprised. The Empire viewed elves as uncivilized savages. The very fact that we were sitting here for negotiations, trusting that we couldmunicate, was abnormal.

    I apologize deeply for this inconvenience, Elf Chief. The jurisdiction of Duke Florandy and mine are different, and I waspletely unaware of his actions.

    While I was lost in thought, Voldeck bowed his head.

    We won''t hold it against you, since there haven''t been any casualties on our side. However, in the recent battle, we did end up killing a considerable number of your soldiers. Do you have any thoughts about that?

    The Empire probably had more than just their interests at heart in this conflict with Erucy. Emotions were likely involved. In our pursuit of victory, we had killed too many.

    It''s a matter of deep-seated resentment, I suppose. Many of myrades from my officer training days have died. Well, it''s mutual. We''ve killed plenty of elves ourselves. Although it was inevitable, we also destroyed the fire fox Vige. Let''s not dwell on that. The lower ranks are one thing, but us leaders arguing here won''t lead to any progress.

    I appreciate that sentiment. There are few opportunities like this, so I was hoping for a constructive conversation.

    Elf Chief, it seems we might get along well. Here''s a gift.

    Although their swords and armor were confiscated, there was one leather bag he was allowed to bring. From it, Duke Voldeck took something out.

    It''s a gesture of apology. This is the formermander of thest battle. He has been severely punished. I hope this can ease your grievances somewhat.

    It was the severed head of Lurvish. It bore multiple signs of torture, and his expression was contorted in agony.

    This man had different jurisdiction from Duke Florandy and imed not to know what was happening. However, he had captured Lurvish and extracted information from him.

    We should assume that some information about us has been leaked. Especially considering that Lurvish had extracted a lot of information from the spy he nted on Erucy. It was reasonable to assume that all that information had been passed on to Duke Voldeck.

    We''ll ept your sentiment, but we elves don''t have a taste for the kind of cruelty that finds joy in receiving severed heads like humans.

    This gesture was Voldeck''s way of showing his intentions. It wasn''t because they were in a difficult situation that they had changed their ns. He wanted to convey that they hade here for negotiations from the beginning. So, I acknowledged his sentiment.

    That''s unfortunate.

    Voldeck closed the topic with a difficult expression. Then, we exchanged smiles, but the atmosphere remained heavy.

    In the midst of this, the door opened, and Kuu and Yukino entered, carrying tea and sweets.

    I had instructed them to bring mugwort tea and cookies. The two of them carefully ced cups in front of Voldeck and me and put a small bottle of maple syrup in the center of the table.

    We might have a long conversation, so please enjoy some tea.

    That''s much appreciated! By the way, I had heard that fire fox women were beautiful, but I had no idea they were this stunning! You two are both exceptionally beautiful.

    Voldeck praised Kuu and Yukino extravagantly. The two of them became more cautious, their fox ears stood erect, and the fur on their tails bristled.

    I''ve always wondered. How did the troublesome fire foxes managed to be epted by the elves? If it were just for the Wind Magic Stones, the conflict wouldnt have escted so much. The fact that we''re still fighting is because the elves epted the fire foxes, you understand, right?

    While he was questioning the two, he clearly had some other intention. I red at Voldeck.

    But seeing you two, I understand why now. epting beautiful young women like you, how could one resist? Well, both of you, do you ever feel guilty about using your beauty to gain eptance among the elves? Do you realize you''re causing trouble for the entire vige by being there?

    Kuu and Yukino were visibly shaken, and they looked at me with worried expressions. My inner frustration reached its peak.

    These two are my wife and sister. Any insult to them is an insult to me, the Chief of Erucy.

    I apologize deeply.

    Both of you can leave now. And Kuu, make sure you never speak of what you heard here to anyone.

    Yes Cyril-kun.

    Kuu''s voice trembled, and Yukino gripped the hem of Kuu''s clothing, her face on the verge of tears. Although Kuu and Yukino might have contemted this before, hearing it directly from a human of the Empire made it more painful.

    Was that intentional? Did you want to anger me?

    I realized I had returned to my usual tone rather than using formalnguage. But I didn''t mind. He was the one who had been disrespectful first.

    Not at all. I was just curious. I never thought they were your family. Out of curiosity, I have one more question. Do you ever feel guilty about risking the entire vige for personal emotions as the Chief of the Elves?

    I had asked myself that question repeatedly. And the answer had long been clear.

    We epted them because we needed their abilities for Erucy''s development. In fact, Erucy has prospered thanks to their abilities, and it will continue to do so. I am prepared to bear minor troubles for that. That''s all.

    Minor troubles, you say.

 Book 4: Chapter 7-2: Lies

    Book 4: Chapter 7-2: Lies

    Voldeckughed as if amused.

    I see, you''re quite bold. You''re amazing! A genius, I''d say. As far as my research goes, you have ironmaking technology that surpasses our country, you''ve crafted bows with unbelievable performance, and you''re a military genius who has defeated our forces repeatedly despite being vastly outnumbered. Even when twenty of our best attacked, you single-handedly fought them off! On top of all that, you''re quite the businessperson. Didn''t you make a fortune in Erin?

    Well, yes .

    That explosion you showed us this time was also incredible. Two hundred and fifty people died in just a few minutes. I was truly amazed. If the Empire had attacked with full force without knowing about that, it would have been a disaster.

    You seem to want to say that knowing it once means you can prepare for it.

    I don''t think such a thing! We have no intention of attacking your vige.

    Duke Voldeck shook his head in an overreaction.

    I see, then you dont mind if we capture the soldiers you sent to the Empire to ensure the information is urately delivered in the event of your death?

    Countless soldiers saw this attack.

    However, even if those troops returned to the Empire, urate information would not be conveyed. Everyone was in a state of madness at that time. There was no trace of calmness.

    Some limited individuals could convey objective information such as the actual range, power, and quantity. Perhaps the only ones who could do it would be the subordinates of Voldeck, who had decided from the beginning to observe behind the Duke of Florandys army, who were trampled and in a panic.

    For a moment, Voldeck''s eyes narrowed as he listened to my words.

    It''s a joke. We haven''t done anything. It''s alright. Those soldiers will reach their destination without interference on our part. In the first ce, I n to return you safely. There''s no point in silencing you.

    You have a bad personality.

    I get that a lot.

    Mainly from my two wives. Their words are filled with affection, though.

    Don''t you have any ambitions? Like trying to dominate other viges or even taking over the Empire?

    I have no such intentions. As long as I have Erucy, that''s enough for me. Actually

    I paused my words for a moment.

    I want to obtain what I want by my own hands. I don''t want to take from others. So, don''t try to take from us.

    That''s my true feelings. Voldeck raised the corner of his mouth and then spoke.

    We''ve gone off on a tangent. Well then, Elf Chief, let''s get to the main topic. It''s about the return of the iron equipment stored in this base. A full set of armor is four gold coins (240,000 yen), and a two-handed sword is two gold coins (120,000 yen). So, the total for about three thousand sets is 18,000 gold coins (1080 million yen), as the condition for the return, right?

    Thats the price we offered, yes.

    As for the Empire, if the armor is priced at three gold coins (180,000 yen) and the two-handed sword is at one gold coin (60,000 yen), we are willing to ept the request. So, a total of 12,000 gold coins (720 million yen).

    You''re haggling quite a bit.

    The losses from the previous defeat, the cost of replenishing troops, andpensation to the families of the fallen soldiers have all cost a lot of money. The amount that can be paid by the Empire is that much. It''s also a headache for me to take care of all of Florandy''s territory now that he''s fallen from grace.

    I see, the logic is sound. In that case

    Let''s return 2,000 sets for 12,000 gold coins (720 million yen). Well keep the rest. There are plenty of people outside the Empire who want Imperial-made equipment. We only called to the Empire because we just didn''t want to go through the trouble of transporting them.

    Outside the Empire, Erin would be the primary market, but the road there had only enough space for a single carriage to pass through, and it was a mountain path. I didn''t want to make multiple trips to transport heavy iron weapons.

    Using [Samsara Recursion] would result in me being absent from Erucy for a long time. The restriction of carrying four tons and the limit of once every twenty-four hours were strict. Even if I tried my best, it would take four to five days for one round trip.

    Even so, I would rather refuse than be haggled down like this.

    I can''t refuse when you put it that way. Alright, that''s fine. Three days from now, about ten carriages wille here with the gold coins. How will the handover be? Can we enter the base with the carriages to load them?

    That''s not eptable. On the day of the handover, all the armor and swords to be handed over will be ced outside the gate.

    Understood. Then, the contract is established. I''m d everything ended without any problems.

    Duke Voldeck extended his hand for a handshake, and I responded to it.

    Then, I escorted him and his retainer outside.

    On the way, many hostile and murderous nces were directed at Voldeck.

    Everyone here had been driven out of their viges by the Empire. They harbored deep hatred.

    Elf Chief, let me give you a final warning. If you continue like this, the elf vige will eventually be destroyed. Your weapons and tactics are excellent. But once something is out in the world, no matter how advanced it is, others will catch up and replicate it. Countermeasures will be developed. When that happens, the elf vige, outnumbered, will be finished in an instant.

    That is the truth.

    No matter how advanced the technology, once it''s known, it will eventually be reproduced. Finding the concept is the most difficult part, and it spreads every time I create something.

    Perhaps each time, you might create something new. But that''s only as long as you''re alive. The moment you''re gone, what you''ve created will easily crumble.

    What are you trying to say?

    Why don''t you stop being so stubborn? You can gain significant concessions due to your efforts so far. I believe Lurvish has also asked you, but would you consider using your skills for the Empire? We won''t treat your vige harshly, either. For starters, if you hand over half of the fire foxes, that would suffice. We''ll also provide somepensation. Your contribution and half of the fire foxes. With that, the Empire will protect you. The elf vige will be safe. You will be remembered as the hero who saved the elf vige. If you give us some of them, you will be able to save the fire foxes you like; its all advantageous.

    There''s no need to consider such conditions.

    Those can''t truly be considered concessions. The only magic stone exchange I can ept is after the natural passing of the owner, the magic stones can then be exchanged for appropriatepensation.

    Magic stones are said to be retrievable only while alive, but its possible to crystallize them within a few minutes after dying. Retrieving magic stones immediately after death as a keepsake is a custom among both the elves and the fire foxes.

 Book 4: Chapter 7-3: Lies

    Book 4: Chapter 7-3: Lies

    The negotiations are broken then. Honestly, you''re clever, but you''re also a fool.

    Im fine being a fool. Above all, when dealing with a liar, I onlymit to things that have tangible, physical evidence.

    An exchange of gold and armor like this time. There''s no way to lie about that.

    But I won''t get involved. Promises can be broken at any time.

    Liar? What are you talking about?

    Duke Florandy sent troops without authorization. I tried to stop him, but I couldn''t make it in time. I hurriedly caught up and carried out the original negotiation.

    That''s correct. There are no lies in those words.

    Voldeck said with a smile.

    That''s not true, Duke Voldeck. You instigated Duke Florandy. You whispered that if he didn''t regain this ce, he would fall from grace. Maybe you even told him that your troops would reinforce him.

    Duke Florandys joy when Voldeck came was bizarre. Without any suspicion, he saw the forces of one of the Four Great Dukes, who should not have interfered, as allies.

    For what purpose?

    If Duke Florandy falls from grace, his territory will be yours. Your power within the Four Great Dukes will increase. Furthermore, it also means that you will eventually lead the expedition to conquer Erucy. Therefore, you wanted to rush the already doomed expedition and make it even more desperate, that way you can expose our trump card and wear us down.

    There is no way Ill do that. It will reduce the troops that will eventually belong to me.

    Thats of no concern for you. Unless you exhaust the territory controlled by Duke Florandy to the point where self-governance is impossible, you, the outsider, won''t be able to intervene easily. Someone else from within the same territory will take over. So, youll probably say something like this, due to Duke Florandy''s failure, the territory is in a state where it can''t even defend itself unless its integrated with yours.

    Duke Voldeck''s eyes widened.

    Then he pped his hands.

    Amazing, that''s an excellent answer. Yes, that''s right. I couldn''t take over unless it was inplete disarray. Thanks to that, I''ll have to spend a lot of money and manpower to rebuild, but I''ll eventually recover everything.

    By defeating Erucy and gaining magic stones with it.

    I told you, I don''t intend to pick a fight with the elf vige.

    With that, we finally reached the gate.

    Well, Elf Chief, thank you for the meaningful conversation today. I''m too busy to attend the handover in three days, but we will definitely meet again.

    I hope it''s somewhere other than the battlefield.

    With that, Duke Voldeck and I parted ways.

    Voldeck''s Point of View

    A luxurious carriage was heading towards the Empire.

    Duke Voldeck, how was it meeting him in person?

    He seems smarter than I imagined.

    Voldeck, who had been smiling just moments ago, now had an expression as nk as a mask. His young subordinate, seemingly unfazed by this change in demeanor, spoke to him.

    As you said, it was a quick victory, but thanks to that fool Florandy, we got to see their trump card. It would have been a disaster if we charged in without knowing anything.

    That seems to be the case. However, it appears that having countered their strategy doesn''t necessarily guarantee safety.

    What do you mean?

    The Elf Chief doesn''t seem to consider the information leaking as a significant setback. It''s not just bravado; it''s genuine. So, there must be more to their trump card, or they could have even more cards to y.

    That''s impossible!

    I''d like to say the same. But you see, it''s probably true. That thing is a monster. From the way he talks, it''s clear that he expects to win against the Empire as a matter of course. In fact, it seems like he''s more concerned about how to win. I expect that what happened today was only the tip of the iceberg.

    Those words left the young soldier stunned.

    His master''s insight is remarkably urate. If the Elf Chief isn''t aplete fool, it means there are still more weapons like that.

    What surprised me the most was how incongruous he was. I once tried to provoke him to see the real him, and I was astonished by his childishness. Despite his intelligence, knowledge, and even experience, at his core, he''s like a child. It makes no sense. I''ve never seen anything like him.

    Even if he''s a child, with intelligence, knowledge, and experience, wouldn''t he be invulnerable? How do we win then?

    Probably, his confidencees from reverse engineering the Empire''s capabilities that he knows. So, to win, we need to deploy forces the Empire has that he doesn''t know about. Something like a Hero.

    Our Hero is still missing. The other one can''t move due to the Emperor''s protection. Where could that brat be, just wandering around?

    She''s probably been killed. Most likely by him. If you analyze the information we extracted from Lurvish, the period when he was absent from the vige and the region he headed to, align with the time and location where the hero went missing.

    A monster that defeated the Hero!? Then we''re even less likely to win!

    Don''t be hasty. Now is the time to be calm and prepare. Fortunately, we have an ace up our sleeve. A beautiful girl who is the natural enemy of all attribute magic ising across the sea.

    That monster? The one who''s been alive for centuries and traveled the world?

    Don''t call her a monster; that''s disrespectful. I saw her when I was a child. She was truly a beautiful girl. And she''s probably still a girl.

    Voldeck closed his eyes, recalling the memory. A girl with golden hair and emerald eyes, fantastically beautiful. A smile unconsciously appeared on his expressionless face.

    That face is creepy. You''d be better off staying expressionless.

    You''re so harsh. Changing the subject, there was a time when I couldn''t help but burst intoughter.  I want to obtain what I want by my own hands. I don''t want to take from others. So, don''t try to take from us.'' It''s really foolish, isn''t it? Doing nothing just gives the other party time to act.

    With those words, Voldeck closed his mouth and silently began his paperwork.

    With nearly twice the territory, there was plenty of work to do.

 Book 4: Chapter 8-1: Bath

    Book 4: Chapter 8-1: Bath

    Afterward, we went back to Erucy, leaving only three teams under Roleau''s leadership. We kept two extra teams there alongside the one that is permanently stationed, as a precaution.

    Since Roleau and the others had a significant number of small grenades, there shouldn''t be any major issues if a defensive battle were to ur.

    Lucy was out for training today, leaving only Yukino and me at home.

    Yukino, you seem down. What''s wrong?

    Yukino was cleaning in her usual maid outfit but seemed more somber than usual. Her fox ears drooped slightly.

    Cyril-niisama, is it true that the fire foxes are causing trouble for the elves? Are you having trouble because of Yukino?

    She asked in a voice that seemed to be squeezed out, clearly worried about what Voldeck had told her when serving tea. I sternly told Kuu and Yukino to never mention outside what they had heard. Most of the elves wouldn''t me the fire foxes for it, but some would undoubtedly harbor ill feelings. Besides, I didn''t want to burden the fire foxes with it too much, because theyll begin acting as Yukino is now.

    Well, it''s true that the Empire can''t give up because of the fire foxes.

    Yukinos small back trembled. It''s easy to tell a lie here, but that lie would eventually be revealed, hurting her even more.

    .

    Yukino didn''t say anything and tried to run away. I caught up with her and hugged her. Her fox ears stood up.

    But you know, you dont have to be troubled by something like that. This is my responsibility.

    And that''s the truth, too.

    I knew that this might happen when I epted the fire foxes. I knew it and epted it.

    Even though you knew it was dangerous, why did you ept Yukino and the others, Cyril-niisama?

    She asked with a delicate voice.

    It''s because I thought that with only elves, Erucy wouldn''t prosper. There were so many things I wanted to do, but I knew that elves alone couldn''t achieve everything. Because of the fire foxes, we were able to collect a lot of maple syrup. Because of the fire foxes, we could make delicious alcohol. Because of the fire foxes, we had the resources to raise goats and chickens. Because of the fire foxes, we had a bountiful harvest of turnips and potatoes in the spring. All of this was possible because the fire foxes could use their fire magic. It''s thanks to their abilities that Erucy is so prosperous now.

    But you could still survive without them.

    We could survive, yes. But it wouldn''t be fun. Besides, elves are generally introverted, If the fire foxes never came, the elves wouldnt have known the outside world. That''s the most important part. They would have lived their lives quietly in the vige, which is beautiful but boring.

    It''s significant that the first outsiders toe to Erucy were the fire foxes, with whom we already had some interaction. If it had been apletely unknown species, the elves might have rejected them more strongly. They''ll have to get used to it because we''ll have more interactions with other species in the future.

    Cyril-niisama, but

    Even as I continued speaking, Yukino didn''t seem convinced. So, I tightened my embrace, trying to reassure her.

    It''s okay. Also, this isn''t just about the elves; I also got some benefits. I got such a cute little sister. That''s more than enough.

    Cyril-niisama, do you regret it?

    Of course not. If I had abandoned you and the others, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life. Besides, we only caught the Empire''s attention, right? Do you think the Empire can do anything to Erucy or me?

    Yukino shook her head repeatedly.

    No, Yukino can''t imagine Cyril-niisama losing.

    Yeah, I won''t lose. Not before, and not in the future. But to win, it''s not enough to rely on just the elves. We need tobine the power of elves and the fire foxes. Of course, your power too, Yukino. That''s how we''ve managed to win until now, and I''ll need your help even more. So, Yukino, it''s not the time to be feeling down and crying.

    Not crying.

    Your voice is trembling.

    Yukino is not crying!!

    Yukino turned away and buried her face in my clothes. She was probably wiping away tears.

    Cyril-niisama

    What is it?

    You can squeeze Yukinos tail.

    I was taken aback. Allowing someone to touch their tails is a sign of familiarity for fire foxes, but when ites to gripping it, it holds a much deeper meaning. Only their parents and mates are allowed to grip their tails.

    Yukino, I don''t think that''s a good idea.

    You can squeeze it all you want.

    She insisted, despite my hesitant denial.

    Do you not want to squeeze Yukinos tail?

    Yukino, who had her face buried in my chest, lifted her head and looked up at me with a pleading gaze.

    She was strongly appealing to my big brother instincts.

    I want to squeeze it, but you can only say those words to the person who loves you most in the world. I cant be that person.

    Upon hearing this, Yukino shook her head.

    No, Yukinos not asking for that. Yukinos not talking about marriage. When fire foxes let their tail be held only by their parents and their mate, it means entrusting their everything. Yukino decided to give all of Yukino to Cyril-niisama. Even if Cyril-niisama doesn''t choose Yukino, Yukino has decided to be with Cyril-niisama forever. So, please squeeze Yukino''s tail and ept Yukino.

    TN: Yukino talks about herself in 3rd person in a slightly childish way, she is alsoconic, so her speeches across as a little weird. I tried to keep her character the best I could in my trantion. If it makes it hard to read, please tell me and Ill do my best to fix it.

 Book 4: Chapter 8-2: Bath

    Book 4: Chapter 8-2: Bath

    Yukino must have made up her mind in her own way. So, I had to respond to those feelings. I swallowed hard and reached out with trembling hands to her tail, not wanting to waste her courage. And I grabbed it. My hand sank into the soft fur, and the core beneath it resisted. As I applied more pressure, it molded to the shape of my fingers. Mmm. Yukino let out a heated sigh. Cyril-niisama is squeezing Yukinos tail. Now Yukino belongs to Cyril-niisama. Even though she should be quite young, she had a strange allure about her, making me feel strange. I released her tail and let go of the hug. Yukino, who had been crying moments ago, now had a smile on her face.

    It''s strange. Even though Cyril-niisama let go of Yukinos tail, it still feels like you''re squeezing it. She tilted her head, wagging her tail from side to side. It was extremely cute. Cough, I''m d you''re feeling better. But can I ask you for a favor that requires the fire foxes'' help right away? Is it something only fire foxes can do? Yes, we need the power of fire magic for this. If it works out, I think everyone in Erucy will be very happy. It''s a challenging task, but I want to ask for your help. Yukino will do it! Yukino happily agreed to my proposal. Since she was feeling down thinking she was causing trouble, I thought it would be best to provide her with a job that could help Erucy. I had prepared something using [Samsara Recursion] yesterday that required the fire foxes'' abilities. Do you know what a bath is? Dont know. It''s where you fill arge tub with lots of water and soak in it. It''s reallyfortable. However, preparing arge amount of hot water requires a lot of firewood, and it''s difficult.

    So, it''s your turn, Yukino. With the power of the fire foxes, you can easily prepare hot water, right? We could secure water using a pump, but turning it into hot water required arge amount of firewood. In this era, hot water is precious. It would be impossible to prepare enough hot water for arge bath. Is soaking in hot water really that pleasant? Yukino has never heard of it. Yukino wants to try. Sure, it''s a deal. I''ve already made a prototype of a small bath in the house. We can heat the water in that and give it a try. Get in together with Yukino, Cyril-niisama. That''s not a good idea. You''ve invited me to take a bath several times before, but it''s time for you to develop some modesty. I''ll take a bathter. I turned down Yukino''s proposal with a heavy heart. While I do want to watch her grow as her older brother, seeing Roleau, who is infatuated with Yukino, made me realize how shallow I am. Together is fine, Cyril-niisama doesnt want to take a bath with Yukino? Of course, I''d love to. I''m looking forward to bathing with Yukino. Once again, I found myself agreeing immediately to her pleading gaze. I couldn''t refuse my cute sister''s request. The prototype bath I added next to our house was quite borate. I''ve installed two pumps to draw up groundwater. One simply brings up cold water and pours it into the bath, while the other has a tank underground where water can be stored. This tank serves a role simr to a thermos, keeping the stored water at the same temperature for several hours when heated.

    Yukino, put your hand in that metal cylinder. I first filled the tank with water, sealed the part where the water rises from underground to prevent any leaks, and had Yukino put her hand inside. Cyril-niisama, it''s cold. Should Yukino turn it into hot water? Yes, please make it as hot as you can. Okay, it''s hot now. Great job. Now take your hand out. Got it, Cyril-niisama. When Yukino withdrew her hand, I sealed the lid tightly to keep the heat from escaping. The preparation is done; now it''s time to test it. I first used the tankless pump to fill the bath. Then, I operated the pump with the tank, allowing the hot water stored in the tank to mix with the water already in the bath. I installed a simple thermometer next to the bath, so I could roughly gauge the right temperature. I adjusted the temperature by bncing the cold water and hot water. With this setup, as long as we converted the water in the tank into hot water a few times a day, we could adjust the temperature at our convenience without the need for a constant fire, allowing the fire fox to do other things. It''s a great sess, Yukino. I petted Yukino''s head, and she smiled with narrowed eyes. Cyril-niisama, now that everything''s ready, let''s take a bath. Thus, I ended up taking a bath with my lovely little sister Yukino.

 Book 4: Chapter 8-3: Bath

    Book 4: Chapter 8-3: Bath

    Cyril-niisama, the bath feels so good.

    Yes, it''s been a while for me too. Baths are always nice.

    After pouring hot water over ourselves, we were now soaking in the spacious bath I had built. I spread my legs and leaned my body against the bath wall, letting my whole body rx. I believe this is the proper way to enjoy a bath.

    Yukino''s skin, as white as snow, had a flush to it as she nestled between my legs, leaning against my back.

    Yukino is feeling good.

    Yukino had rxed her entire body even more than I had. Despite it being her first time, she seemed to understand how to enjoy a bath.

    I''m d you like it.

    Cyril-niisamas hard stomach and strong arms make me feel secure when sticking together.

    Whenever I had free time, I spent it using magic to train my body. I efficiently broke down muscle tissue and then used healing magic to forcefully regenerate it, so underneath my clothes, I''d developed quite a bit of muscle.

    I''m actually quite strong, Yukino. I''ll protect you properly, so you can rx.

    Cyril-niisama''s feelings make Yukino happy, but that''s not enough. Yukino wants to protect Cyril-niisama.

    Whether Yukino protects me or not, you''ll have to be stronger than me to do that. I look forward to the day when that happens. First, you have to get a clean hit on Kuu.

    Yukino thinks that she can manage that soon. But Kuu-neesama is so unfair. Just when Yukino thought she could catch up, Kuu-neesama suddenly got stronger.

    I see, in that case, you''ll have to get stronger faster than Kuu does.

    Yukino will do her best.

    Kuu and Yukino trained every day. In essence, they were members of Nettle so they trained both their minds and bodies. Kuu yed the role of a strict instructor, acting as a wall for Yukino. Recently, Yukinos efforts were starting to pay off, and ording to Kuu, in another year, she would have to take her seriously.

    By the way, about what we were talking about earlier. I was really happy when Yukino said she would give everything to me, but if you ever find a better manstronger, kinder, and more reliable than methen at that time, you don''t have to worry about me. I want you to be happy.

    She had a future ahead of her. I shouldn''t tie her down forever. That''s how I felt when I said those words. However, Yukino smiled and shook her head.

    You don''t need to worry about that at all. There''s absolutely no one stronger, kinder, or more reliable than Cyril-niisama. Cyril-niisama will always be Yukino''s number one.

    She said something so cute that I ended up hugging Yukino. Today Ive been hugging Yukino a lot.

    We got out of the bath and drank mugwort tea.

    After changing into her clothes, Yukino hurriedly headed towards the vige chief''s house. Her work there was also important.

    Since the bath was a great sess, we should definitely let everyone enjoy therge bath as well. It would be troublesome to separate male and female baths, so we''ll have to use a time-based system.

    While I was thinking about that, Kuu appeared. She came out of nowhere, surprising me.

    Cyril-kun, thank you for encouraging Yukino.

    Kuu, were you watching?

    Yes, actually, I was worried about Yukino and came to see her. That''s why I stayed hidden because I didn''t want to interrupt while you were with her.

    I broke into a cold sweat. Did I say something wrong?

    Im a failure. I''m supposed to be her big sister, but I didn''t know what to say to cheer her up.

    No, it''s understandable. You''re also dealing with the same problem.

    Yes, even though I heard it while I was eavesdropping, I was really happy for your words. They meant a lot to me.

    Those were my true feelings. I''ve always thought it was a good thing to ept Kuu and the others.

    Good. It seemed she wasn''t bothered by the excessive physical contact between Yukino and me. But in the next moment, I could feel the atmosphere change.

    By the way, Cyril-kun, you''re a wonderful big brother. I was a little jealous of Yukino.

    Yukino is my darling little sister after all.

    I''m d you only see her as a little sister. If, by any chance, I found out that you were taking advantage of my little sister''s ignorance and doing anything weird, I might have been a little, just a little, angry.

    Kuu was smiling, but her eyes weren''t. At that time, I decided to continue watching over Yukino as her older brother.

    There was a knock at the door.

    What''s wrong, Kurao?

    I opened the door, and it was Kurao, the acting viges chief.

    Excuse me, Cyril-sama, something important needs your attention.

    Could it be that the handover of equipment to Roleau and the others failed?

    No, it''s not that.

    Kurao, who was not good at handling sudden incidents, was flustered and couldn''t get to the point.

    Kurao, calm down. Take a deep breath, breathe in, keep breathing until I say it''s enough Alright, now exhale.

    He had been inhaling for so long that Kurao seemed to be in pain.

    But his efforts paid off, and he seemed a bit calmer.

    Let me ask again. Kurao, what happened exactly?

    Well, Cyril-sama, a traveling merchant arrived! And she asked if she could do business in this vige for half a day.

    What? Here? Let''s meet and talk to her directly.

    Cyril-sama! I''ll apany you!

    Kurao looked happy as he followed me.

    But selling goods in Erucy? Except for a few, most elves in the vige didn''t even grasp the concept of currency. It shouldn''t be profitable at all. I spected on the true identity of this traveling merchant as Kurao and I headed to meet her.

 Book 4: Chapter 9-1: The Arrival of the Young Lady

    Book 4: Chapter 9-1: The Arrival of the Young Lady

    It seemed that the traveling merchants hade from the direction of Erin.

    We should have received advance notice from Bell Erucy if someone hade from the Imperial direction, and we also had guards prepared.

    However, we hadn''t been monitoring Erin''s direction.

    ording to Kurao''s information, it seems they were waiting at Erucy''s entrance. Erucy was covered with a simple wooden fence, and the entrance was limited. Although, if someone really wanted to, they could easily cut it down, so we need to enhance security as soon as possible.

    Kurao, what are their numbers?

    Cyril-sama, there are three carriages.

    That should be about the limit.

    One reason we hadn''t been cautious about the Erin direction was because the road from Erin to Erucy was a terrible, rough path. It winds around and requires crossing a mountain, and the road was barely wide enough for a single carriage. It was very challenging to send arge number of troops. Also, if ites down to a small-scale battle, it was impossible for Erucy to lose, so we didn''t devote much effort to surveince.

    Do you know where the traveling merchants areing from and what their purpose is?

    Well, I was quite flustered so

    This time it''s fine, but in the future, gather the information I want and report it beforehand.

    Yes! I''ll remember that, Cyril-sama.

    Kurao always kept his word, so it should be fine. In fact, he tended to follow my instructions too obediently, to the point where I worried.

    After a five-minute walk, we arrived at Erucy''s gate on the Erin side. There were three carriages parked there. They werent adorned, but judging by the precision in the making of the wheels, they seemed to be quite high-quality.

    About five people had exited the carriages and were talking to Lucy, who was standing guard outside. Normally, members of Nettle didn''t take on this kind of work, but they were called upon in case of emergencies. Since this was covered in the manual, Kurao had probably given the order.

    What do you mean we can''t go in? As I''ve been saying all along, I''m not here to cause trouble. I just want to sell my goods.

    One of the women, with striking blue hair and a loud attitude, protests to Lucy.

    Sorry, but I can''t make that decision on my own. We''ll have to wait for a decision from the higher-ups. They should be here soon.

    Among the five who arrived in the carriages, the young woman with the extravagant dress and blue hair was causing a scene. She appears to be in herte teens.

    Do you understand who are you talking to? I

    Stop, Ojou-sama! You''re saying too much! You were boasting on the carriage about giving away Erin''s cutting-edge products at a low price, letting the ignorant elves experience their greatness, and then revealing your true identity. Don''t you remember?!

    The young woman who was about tounch an attack was now being reprimanded by another woman dressed in elegant men''s clothing.

    Jii, I appreciate you stopping me, but you are revealing everything.

    I''m sure this one is just a small fry. The conversation won''t go higher up.

    That''s right. She may have good looks, but her appearance is shabby, and she doesn''t seem to live a good life.

    Yeah, yeah, just a small fry, nothing more. Just the wife of the vige chief.

    It became a problem after all!

    Is it true that Cyril-kyun is married? Why didn''t you report that?

    If I did, you''d throw a fit. That would be a hassle. And, Cyril-kyun? What''s up with that? Don''t do that stuff in public. Keep that in the bedroom. Don''t kyun'' in front of people. I''m cringing.

    Unnoticed, the blue-haired woman''s anger had shifted from Lucy to the woman in men''s clothing.

    Id rather not get involved with her.

    But it couldn''t be helped. I steeled myself and spoke.

    I apologize for the wait. I am Cyril, the chief of Erucy. Thank you foring today.

    Since they didn''t seem to be immediately resorting to violence, I''d decided to treat them as customers for now.

    As soon as I addressed them, the expression on the blue-haired woman''s face changed. She suddenly appeared more refined and somehow exuded an air of intelligence.

    Well, well, you''re quite polite. Please forgive our sudden and brash visit. I am Azul, and I manage a shop in Erin. I heard rumors about the delicious syrup and the finest liquor that''s making waves in Erin, so I came to purchase them. But that''s not all; I''ve also prepared items to sell here. So, I''m here to introduce myself to the syrup and liquor producers and to request the right to do business in the central square.

    She said this and extended her hand for a handshake. For some reason, she seemed flustered.

    Meanwhile, the woman in men''s clothing behind her was subtly moving her lips.

    I read her lips using lip-reading techniques.

    Wow, Ojou-sama is in a good mood. She''s really into those younger guys. She''s practically panting at him; I wouldnt be surprised if she tried to assault him at night. She''s still a virgin, but she might make a move this time. Even though she''s a princess, shes not regal at all. If that happens, a lot of people will be angry. I might lose my head, and not in a figurative way. I wonder if I''ll get a severance package? Otherwise, my little sisters might starve to death. I shouldn''t have been so careless, buying two crpes in a row. The money I spent on those could have been a week''s worth of food I''m such a pathetic older sister.

    I sent pitying nces to both Azul and the woman in men''s clothing.

    Ahem. That''s quite impressive. Setting up a shop in Erin is no small feat. It must have been quite challenginging all the way from Erin.

    It was indeed. The road is narrow, bumpy, and the carriage shakes a lot. Wolves appear too. The only constion is that the road isn''t popr, so there are no bandits.

    Do you think it''s worth it to travel such a road?

    I do. I''ve seen the goods myself after all.

    By the way, you purchased our sweets twice, didn''t you?

    I smiled at the woman in mens clothing, As I said so Azuls expression darkened

    Jii, you didnt buy just one?

    I certainly did. They were delicious.

 Book 4: Chapter 9-2: The Arrival of the Young Lady

    Book 4: Chapter 9-2: The Arrival of the Young Lady

    And you also bought a knife. How''s its sharpness?

    It''s amazing. It slices through fish effortlessly. After cooking, if you swing it in the air, it goes shh'' and blood and fat fly off, sparkling. I can''t live without it now Ouch!

    The woman in men''s clothing hurriedly covered her mouth.

    I don''t sell knives at the stall. I sold them personally to a weapons shop. This woman, who had been tailing me, bought everything I sold.

    In addition, shed been collecting information on everything I purchased. Food, sulfur which was sold as essories in Erin, and even the wedding dresses. She''d got information on everything.

    Jii, your tailing has beenpletely exposed.

    I apologize, Ojou-sama. But this person didnt seem to be aware of my presence at the time.

    You will be punishedter. Also, you will get a two-month pay cut.

    No wayy!

    The woman in mens clothing wailed as if the end of the world hade.

    Please don''t be too hard on her. She was the best of them all. Compared to the others, she was quite skilled. It''s not her fault; it''s the mistake of the person who ordered her to tail someone like me.

    I see. I suppose you''re right. Jii, you''re off the hook for this.

    For this?

    Yes, if I recall correctly, I instructed you to gather everything the elves were selling, right? So why are you using the elves knife to fillet fish?

    Uh, it was just an impulse! I was nning to buy everything properly within the budget. But when I saw it, you know, it sparkled in the sun, and I thought, maybe I''ll just buy it myself, and pretend that someone else bought it. Hehe

    Jii, a three-month pay cut.

    Kill me already!

    She copsed and started writing on the ground as if it was the end of the world.

    Lets be clear here. Do you really intend to insist that you, who were tailing me right after I entered Erin and have been following me, are just ordinary merchants?

    There''s no way that was true. It might make sense after I started selling maple syrup, but tailing me right after I entered and knowing the state of the elves despite being far away from Erin means they had information about us from the start.

    The fact that they recognized my true identity even with my ears hidden means they had information about my face as well. It goes beyond the scope of information a simple merchant could possess.

    Hmm, the n has gone awry. There''s no use in continuing the act. I am Azul Fell Colline, the mayor of Erin, themercial city of the Colline Kingdom. Today, I havee for negotiations with the elven vige.

    Im surprised. I had predicted something along those lines, but I never expected the mayor herself toe.

    Well, normally, I wouldn''te to a remote ce like this. It takes a week for a round trip because of the bad roads. My absence for a week is a significant disadvantage for Erin too. Nevertheless, I came because I believed it was necessary.

    If you had sent a letter, we would havee to you.

    Well, that wouldn''t convey my sincerity. I am the one making the request, after all.

    Azul wore a confident smile. She was a self-assured and strong-willed type, quite different from the people of Erucy.

    While I don''t mind doing business, unfortunately, in Erucy there are not many who have the capability to do calctions and handle currency. So, it will be me, the representative, who will ce the orders.

    In this era, it wasmon knowledge that if you had the time to study, you should be tilling the fields. Elves and fire foxes, unless theye from families with some power, hadn''t been taught how to read or calcte. We had around 250 elves and fire foxesbined, but among them, less than 20 could handle currency.

    I don''t mind. I''ll send you a list of what we''ve brought and the unit prices, so pleasepile a list of what you want. However, there''s a condition. I want the product deliveries to be on an individual basis.

    I found those words interesting.

    That''s fine. It''s actually more convenient for me.

    I wanted to use opportunities like this to increase the number of elves who take an interest in the outside world.

    Hmm, it''s an interesting building.

    You can call it simple.

    I guided Azul and her two guards to a room in the vige chief''s house.

    The vige chief''s house was the most decent building in Erucy, and there were rooms for Imperial soldiers to stay in, so it was convenient for their overnight stay.

    As I opened the door, Yukino, holding a broom, was desperately reaching out and stretching on her tiptoes to clean.

    Oh, Cyril-niisama, guests?

    Yes, theyre guests. You can stop cleaning here, go clean the guest room we rarely use, please.

    Understood. Yukino will do her best.

    Yukino made a cute gesture and left the room.

    Hey, Cyril-kyun I mean, Cyril-san. That girl is cute.

    Azul said that while watching Yukino''s tail as she left.

    Certainly, Yukino was beautiful, and her outfit suited her perfectly, making her look incredibly cute. She was my proud little sister.

    I''m d you think so. She''s my little sister, after all.

    Can I convince you to entrust her to us? We can hire her. We''ll provide her with a proper education, and she can have a better life with us than in Erucy. We''ll even pay a dowry.

    There''s no way I would sell my family members. Besides, she''s a fire fox. She can''t be happy anywhere else but in Erucy.

    There are countless people who would dly sell their family members if it meant making money. As for thetter well, I see your point. I apologize. Elves and fire foxes are too well-known. In Erin, you never know when someone might attack you for magic stones.

 Book 4: Chapter 9-3: The Arrival of the Young Lady

    Book 4: Chapter 9-3: The Arrival of the Young Lady

    That tone of yours made me suspect it, but are you a water sprite by any chance?

    Correct. My ancestors, a rare branch of water sprites, founded Colline on the surface. Water sprites rarely appear in public, and their only distinguishing features are their blue hair and slightly pointed ears, which aremon to other races as well. Our most unique feature, the ability to breathe through our skin underwater, is not visible.

    Water sprites were one of the four races that housed magic stones within them, but they were considered mythical. They rarely appeared in public because they lived under the sea.

    Because of that, there was very little information about their appearance.

    That''s enviable.

    Even so, I believe it''s only a matter of time. In the future, the sea will be the main battleground for trade. When that happens, the water sprites, who have remained hidden underwater and are rarely seen, may be eradicated as they start attacking ships passing through their territory, iming that their habitat has been disturbed. Then their bodies will be exposed, and their appearance will be known, leading to them suffering the same fate as the elves and fire foxes.

    Attacking the water sprites underwater seems unlikely.

    For now. This is only my pet theory but, For now'' is a word that can be added to everything people can''t do. The more people want something, the sooner for now'' can be removed. It''s only a matter of time before they are eradicated. I''ve been trying to convince those stubborn ones, but they refuse to listen. For them, the world ends in their narrow territory under the sea. With the water sprites'' power used properly, they could be the dominant power in the age of major trade!

    Bing the dominant power in the age of major trade That goal was so ambitious it left me stunned.

    The sea as the center of trade is indeed a fascinating idea. Ignoring the numerous checkpoints onnd means lower taxes. The amount of goods that can be transported at once is much greater than bynd, and trade partners can extend beyond other countries to other continents. The sea holds many dreams.

    That''s right! That era will definitelye. Right now, all the wealth, goods, and people are gathering in ind cities at the crossroads of various towns, but when I die, all that will gather in port cities!

    The performance of ships is still poor, and human navigation skills arecking. Once both of those improve, it will happen sooner rather thanter.

    That''s where the water sprites can shine! They can manipte water currents to make ships travel safely and fast, even with inexperienced ship crews and low technology. If I could persuade those thick-headed ones, a trade revolution would be feasible.

    That''s interesting. In that case, the elves might be able to help. We can predict the weather fairly urately since we can read the wind, and we can avoid storms and heavy rains. With sails, ships will move much faster with the power of the wind than just manipting water.

    That sounds great. I want to get my hands on that as soon as possible.

    The conversation between us had be quite animated.

    Cyril-san, you''re more knowledgeable than the rumors suggest. I''m d someone like you can follow my conversation. But can you understand the risks in what I just discussed?

    Well, if numerous countries start thinking about obtaining wind and water magic stones rather than relying on the power of elves and water sprites, it''s certain that we will be targeted even more than we are now.

    As the need for the power to melt iron increases and the demand for Fire Magic Stones has risen, there is indeed a possibility that the value of Wind Magic Stones will soar in the future.

    That''s true. So, I think that all the races capable of housing magic stones, the elves, water sprites, and fire foxes, should cooperate.

    The conversation was starting to take a serious turn.

    So, are you suggesting that Erin will protect Erucy?

    Yes, even though we have diverged a lot, that is the reason I came here.

    Please tell me more details.

    I know Erucy is bringing together refugees in a captured imperial fortress. But I still think it''s not good to have only amateurs. Erin will send three hundred professional soldiers to be stationed there. They will take care of the refugees'' education and maintain security during peacetime.

    We have enough defensive capacities. We recently repelled an attack from an imperial force of over a thousand soldiers.

    Upon hearing my words, Azul let out a sigh and an expression of admiration.

    Gathering people below amateur level and managing to handle an attack of that caliber is quite impressive.

    That''s why there''s no need to rely on Erin''s help.

    If you say so, it must be true. But that''s not the only issue. Food production still hasn''t caught up with the poption. Do you not need supplies from Erin?

    That was certainly true. Originally, I had nned to eventually increase the poption to five hundred, but it was unexpected that the poption would swell to four hundred at this stage.

    During the time until the harvest, we''ll manage with the food we have in Bell Erucy, but the calctions show that it''s just enough for the current number of people. If the poption increases further, we''ll need to make purchases at some point.

    Are you trying to threaten me with that?

    I don''t have such intentions, but if you want to see it as a threat, then yes. If you refuse Erin''s protection, we''ll refuse entry to elves in Erin and ban anyone who has dealings with elves from conducting anymercial activities in Erin in the future. How does that sound?

    This woman is capable of doing something like that.

    Currently, all the viges in the direction of the Empire are poor. They likely don''t have much in terms of stock to sell. There are several viges in the direction of Erin from here, but all of them have deep ties with Erin.

    There are no viges that would cut off ties with Erin just to sell to the elves.

    Bell Erucy is like a refugee camp. As long as there''s food, we can maintain basic order, but if it runs out, chaos will ensue.

    It might evene to the point where they consider defecting to the Empire. We''ve made the five chiefs a safety measure by manipting them, but it''s entirely possible for starving people to kill the five chiefs.

    Protecting Erucy alone has no benefit for Erin. What do you intend to demand in return for protection?

    I''ve heard about Erucy''s iron arrows. I want you to share your iron-making technology. If possible, I''d like you to take care of setting up a workshop as well.

    Im surprised, are you nning for war?

    War or not, we need military strength for anything we do. The quickest way to get that is to equip ourselves with iron weaponry. Besides, iron has uses beyond just weapons.

    Is that all?

    One more thing. I''m thinking of entrusting you with developing a port town. Originally, it was meant as a joke, but after talking with you, I feelfortable leaving it with someone like you who sees things from the same perspective as me.

    Developing a port town did sound interesting, and I had a genuine interest in it. However, I wasn''t willing to do it at the expense of leaving Erucy.

    I can''t give you an answer here. I''ll give you a response during your stay here. How many days do you n to stay?

    I''ll be here for three days, including today.

    During your stay, I''ll offer you the best hospitality.

    I''m looking forward to it.

    Azul cleared her throat after saying that.

    Now, let''s put an end to the big talk and settle the small one. Here''s the list of the goods we brought this time. The prices are honestly below cost, but consider it a service to understand Erin''s excellence.

    After making such unreasonable demands, your ability to switch gears so calmly is impressive.

    That''s how it goes. This is my role as the mayor of amercial city. Quick adaptability is a must for a merchant.

    And so, that day was spent adjusting the sales numbers and prices for maple syrup and Erucy wine.

    Gathering everyone who could do calctions, we determined a budget and, as much as possible, listened to the individual requests of each person in Erucy to choose what to buy. Before we knew it, the day hade to an end.

    It''s time to prepare dinner now.

    If we serve something of poor quality here, Erucy itself will be disrespected. I put in even more effort than usual as I started preparing the meal.

 Book 4: Chapter 10-1: Compromise

    Book 4: Chapter 10-1: Compromise

    Dinner had concluded, and we were enjoying post-dinner tea. I couldn''t help but feel relieved that I had managed to avoid displeasing anyone during the meal.

    I''m pleasantly surprised. I never thought we could have such a feast in such a remote ce.

    That''s right, Ojou-sama. It''s even better than the mansion''s cuisine. I overindulged. I should have stopped after two bread rolls.

    At the dinner table, Lucy, Kuu, and I were representing Erucy. On the opposite side, were the visitors from Erin Azul and the woman called Jii. The rest of Erin''s group had declined the invitation, and, regrettably, I hadn''t invited Yukino.

    Compared to Lucy, who had been raised as an elven priestess, and Kuu, the daughter of the fire fox n''s chief, Yukino had somewhat questionable manners when it came to interactions with outsiders, especially in diplomacy.

    I had prepared Yukinos portion as well, packing it in a bento box for her to enjoyter.

    I''m delighted you enjoyed it. It was worth the effort.

    Did Cyril-san make this dish?

    Yes, I put a lot of effort into making it.

    Today''s menu featured bread rolls baked to perfection with plenty of goat butter and yeast, sauted goat meat, duck stew, and a turnip sd.

    I used a young male goat for this meal. As goats grow older, their meat bes tougher and develops a stronger taste. Meat from goats that are about to be weaned is very tender, has no strong odor, and tastes great. Ideally, I would have let it grow bigger even if it lost some vor before cooking it, but the sudden arrival of the guest made this impossible. I paid meticulous attention to the cooking time and sauce to entuate the exceptional quality of the meat.

    Cyril-san is quite skilled.

    Yes, Cyril is amazing. My proud husband.

    When the word "husband" was mentioned, a slight twitch appeared at the corner of Azul''s mouth.

    We also have dessert prepared for after the meal, so please indulge.

    I brought out arge metal cylinder. Inside it was filled with ice and saltwater, with a smaller metal cylinder contained within. Opening the smaller cylinder revealed white chunks clinging to the outer wall, which were, indeed, ice cream.

    The process was simple: Ibined goat milk, cream made from the milk, Erucy''s syrup, and egg yolks inside the inner cylinder. Then, I ced that cylinder within arger one filled with ice made by Yukino, and I rolled it for a solid thirty minutes. This allowed the ice cream to freeze while incorporating a significant amount of air, resulting in a soft and creamy texture.

    Since ice cream wasn''t something that could be found in Erin, I expected them to be surprised.

    I''ve never seen this before. What is it?

    It''s called ice cream, a cold and sweet treat. Scoop some with your spoon and give it a try.

    I served the ice cream onto tes, and Azul cautiously pierced her spoon into the white dessert. Intrigued by the soft sinking sensation, she eagerly tasted it.

    This is amazing! It''s cold and sweet, and it melts in your mouth. I''ve never had anything like this.

    I love this treat too. Lucy, Kuu, don''t hesitate, try some.

    The two who had been watching us attentively finally dug into the ice cream after my invitation.

    Cyril, this is incredible. I might like it.

    It''s so refreshing; I could get addicted to this. Why didn''t you make it sooner?

    It requires egg yolks, and we only recently acquired chickens.

    Eggs open up a whole new range of culinary possibilities. However, at the moment, we were prioritizing hatching more chicks to increase our chicken poption. So, I couldn''t use eggs casually. It was a situation where we couldn''t afford to do so unless it was a special asion like this.

    Actually, this is the simplest version of ice cream. There are other variations. One has cranberry juice added for a sweet and sour refreshing taste, and the other one incorporates Erucy wine for an adult ice cream with a hint of alcohol. Feel free to try them based on your preferences.

    The cranberry version was rtively easy to make, but the alcoholic version required some ingenuity. Alcohol didn''t freeze like water due to its lower freezing point, so I had to use gtin extracted from deer bones to solidify it before mixing it into the ice cream.

    Of course, we''ll have both, inrge portions!

    Azuls servant eagerly volunteered.

    Jii, don''t embarrass me.

    Well, you see, this is um it''s like a poison test, making sure mydy can eat any of them safely! I''m doing a safety check for all of them!

    Jii, do you realize how rude it is to do a poison test in front of our host?

    I I mean, well, there''s that, but, you know, It was only a thought. Don''t mind me!

    For some reason, the woman in men''s clothing was smiling at me, thumbs up and all.

    By the way, Jii, you didn''t touch the turnip sd, did you?

    I''ve always disliked turnips, even as a child.

    I ate it without any issues, but didn''t you n to conduct a poison test on everything so I can safely eat anything?

    Hahaha, I hadplete faith in our elven friends; I knew they wouldn''t poison anything.

    In many ways, Jii was quite disappointing. She had dug herself into a hole so deep that she didn''t know where to stop. Azul smiled kindly and then spoke slowly.

    Jii, your pay cut has been extended for another six months.

    N-No way

    And with that, Jii copsed. She devoured her ice cream between tears, letting out sighs of both happiness and resignation.

    Im sorry for showing you an embarrassing disy. I apologize on her behalf.

    Don''t worry about it.

    We exchanged wry smiles.

    In the elven vige I mean, in Erucy, do the vigers eat such delicious food every day?

    Azul''s lips curved into a smile, but her eyes began to show a serious glint.

 Book 4: Chapter 10-2: Compromise

    Book 4: Chapter 10-2: Compromise

    Today''s feast is for our honored guests. We can''t afford such avish meal every day; we only eat like this a few times a year, during festivals.

    I see, that''s good.

    There arent many reasons why she would be happy that Erucys living standard was low.

    By the way, I heard a story like this once.

    Pretending to engage in small talk, I decided to probe.

    Long ago, there was a poor vige. This vige had been guarding a family heirloom for generations. It was of great historical value, and many people from the neighboring big city came to try to buy it, offeringrge sums of money and wonderful things, but the vigers refused no matter how much wealth or treasures were offered. They said they couldn''t sell what their ancestors had left them.

    It was a story from a vige I had visited in the past.

    One day, a merchant from the neighboring big town arrived. This merchant didn''t mention the heirloom at all; instead, he started giving away soft bread, wine, and lovely,fortable clothes as if they were nothing.

    Initially, the vigers were delighted. Their previously harsh and impoverished lives suddenly became prosperous. The merchant''s visits continued for about two months, approximately once a week.

    And then, once he had gained their trust, the merchant suddenly started demanding the heirloom in exchange for the goods he had been giving. If he had made such demands from the first day, the vigers would have refused. But the vigers, having grown ustomed to luxury, couldn''t bear to return to their old way of life. They wanted white bread, pretty clothes, and delicious wine. After the vige''s representative refused, the vigers snuck into the vige''s storage and stole the heirloom, selling it.

    People can endure when they dont know any better. Once they be ustomed to luxury, they can''t bear to go back.

    After that, it followed the usual pattern. After selling all the heirlooms, the vigers had nothing to pay with, yet they still desired what the merchant offered. They sold their ancestralnd for next to nothing, bing serfs to the wealthy people from the prosperous town that the merchant was from. Young people left the vige in droves, and they began selling themselves into very under harsh conditions. And so, the vige was effectively conquered without the need for any violence.

    Cyril-san, you are quite knowledgeable. That was an interesting story.

    As I thought, she hadnt shown any changes in her expression, although the woman in men''s clothes next to her was another story, I could even hear her inner voice.

    Awawa, Ojou-sama, he has caught on to us, he read uspletely!

    I wonder why she keeps this disappointing girl at her side. Does Azul''s trust in her stem from her abilities as a bodyguard? Her abilities while tailing me were indeed exceptional; if it were anyone other than me, she wouldn''t have been discovered.

    This story has a lesson for leaders: do not underestimate culture. You must know that culture can be a form of invasion. To prepare against external threats, you need not only military strength and food reserves but also to improve the lives of your people.

    I agree with that. Erin''s development is also due to culture. Peoplee to Erin because there''s everything there. The people who gather bring wonderful things, and these new things attract even more people. It''s a positive cycle that drives Erin''s development.

    It''s an enviable story.

    Where there are people, more people gather. When neighboring viges sell goods, they naturally have to buy goods in return. So, no matter how you look at it, Erin, with itsrge market, is the top choice.

    In fact, I use all the money I earn in Erin. Erin will continue to prosper.

    If you ept my offer, Erucy, too, cane under Erin''s protection and receive the same benefits. As I mentioned at lunch, we''ll provide soldiers for defense and efficiently manage Erucy''s operations. We''ll also arrange for regr visits by merchants. We won''t engage in underhanded practices like you mentioned. Even if we wanted to, we couldn''t do it. We''ll sell at fair prices. If there are other appealing products besides maple syrup and Erucy wine, I''d be willing to buy them. With the payment, you can buy what you want, and we both can be happy.

    That''s a very wee offer. In the future, I n to producerge quantities of paper from the leftover hemp leaves and stems left from making the medicine. Hemp is an excellent material for paper, so if we can process it and sell it in Erin, Erucy will be even wealthier. In addition, I n to make lightweight stic from hemp in the future.

    Even so.

    You asked for my answer before you departed, but I would like to give you my answer here. Erucy does not intend toe under Erin''s protection.

    I decided to reject Azuls proposal.

    Is that so? If you refuse, you won''t be able to do business in Erin from now on.

    Yes, we''ll figure something out.

    For now, I''ll send the potatoes and turnips that I made the fire foxes grow in the sshouse during winter to Bell Erucy to solve the immediate food problem. In the first ce, those were surplus food, I nned to process them into long-term reserves for in the event we find ourselves under siege after we build Erucys walls, but Ill have to give up on this n.

    With the time earned from this, I''ll make ns to increase food production. Right now, in Bell Erucy, weve started growing hemp. We may need to convert some of Bell Erucy''s fields into potato fields.

    In addition to the food production n, I''m considering having a third party handle the purchases on behalf of Erucy in Erin and providing money to people in viges near Bell Erucy to try to make purchases from the Empire.

 Book 4: Chapter 10-3: Compromise

    Book 4: Chapter 10-3: Compromise

    That''s surprising.

    You didn''t think I would agree, did you?

    No, I thought you mighte with a show of force.

    No way. You are free to decide who you want to sell. We arent barbarians who would attack Erin simply because you dont want to sell to us.

    If Azul threatened us with military force, I might have responded in kind. But she is only saying she wont sell to us, in these circumstances if Erucy attacks Erin, Erucy would be the aggressor.

    The war against the Empire is based on Erucy standing against the tyrannical Empire, thanks to that pretense, refugees flock to Bell Erucy. If we were to attack Erin, we would be the same as the Empire, losing our just cause would only worsen our standing with the other viges.

    Furthermore, if we were to attack, it would be extremely difficult. Erin is a city of ten thousand. It''s enormous. The end of the battle would be nowhere in sight. We can massacre the city''s inhabitants, and even kill Erin''s top officials. But that doesn''t guarantee they will surrender.

    If the Empire attacks while were stuck dealing with Erins resistance, Erucy will fall. Dealing with both the Empire and Erin is a nightmare in itself.

    Won''t you reconsider? You seem to be collecting gold coins from the Empire, but apart from buying in Erin, there''s hardly any use for currency, right? All the wealth you''ve gained so far will be in vain.

    What she was saying was correct. Barter was the main form of trade in the viges around Erucy, and currency hadnt spread at all.

    Right now, Erucy has arge amount of gold coins, but if we cant use them, they''re about as valuable as ordinary stones. If we can get closer to the Empire, the currency might be epted there, but that''s also difficult.

    If I may borrow your words, for now,'' Erucys gold coins will lose their value. But, do you know that I''m gathering refugees on Bell Erucy, the site of the Empire''s supply base? I intend to make Bell Erucy like Erin. Collecting specialty products from various viges and making it a center ofmerce. By that time, the money we have will regain its value.

    Originally, numerous viges were forced by the Empire''s policies to grow a single crop intensively and produce things like alcohol and vinegar in great numbers. Negotiating with each of these viges one by one is not impossible.

    It''s quite a long-term n, isn''t it?

    I''ll make it happen in five years.

    It''s a pity. With your talents, you could have achieved much more if you joined me and gained power and money.

    I don''t need money or power. Those things can be obtained anytime if you set your mind to it. I can''t afford to lose something more important.

    Erucy is my dream. Like I would entrust it to someone else, dont joke with me. And Erucy is Lucy''s and Kuu''s home.

    There''s still time. Let me know if you change your mind.

    I''ll keep that in mind. And one more thing. I don''t intend to be under your umbre, and I don''t intend to be your subordinate myself. But I don''t mind sharing the iron-making technology.

    To my words, Azul opened his eyes wide.

    I can''t provide on-site guidance, but I can at least create drawings of iron-making methods and workshops. Looking at the Empire''s armor, I can get a rough idea of their iron-making process. I promise to provide something more efficient than that.

    Teaching our iron-making technology to a country that may be hostile is quite dangerous. But if there''s a point ofpromise, this is the only ce.

    I see a considerable value in you personally, which is why I made that offer, but if it''s just the iron-making technology, the conditions change. What do you want in return?

    If Erucy is going to do business in Erin, I''d like the permanent abolition of tariffs and a conste that can also serve as a shop.

    My words made Azul wear a stern expression.

    Ojou-sama, that''s quite a deal! Having iron-making technology greater than the Empire''s for the cost of just one house. The tax the elves would pay is pocket change, we should agree. You''re just wasting time being stubborn with the elves! How many days did you work overnight to settle your work just to spend a week away from Erin?

    Jii, this is a very dangerous discussion. Especially because I cant predict what Erucy would do next. You''re not very smart, so I''d be happy if you''d just be quiet.

    You are meaner than usual!

    And then, after thinking for a while, Azul slowly spoke.

    Give me some time. This time, I''ll think it over. Can I ask you one thing? If I were to receive your iron-making technology and then break the contract, you would have no choice but to give up, don''t you think?

    A merchant who lies in a contract is third-rate. And you said it. To be the leader of Erin, you need to be the best merchant in Erin I believe that the best merchant in Erin is not third-rate.

    Hmph, really, this is the most enjoyable meal I''ve had in a while. My stomach is full now, may I be shown to my room?

    Yes, I''ll have towels and hot water deliveredter.

    That''s appreciated. Let''s go, Jii.

    Eh, already!? Yes, Ojou-sama.

    With the youngdy, and the woman in mens clothes who had a headache from gulping down all the ice creams in the room, I left the room.

 Book 4: Chapter 10-4: Compromise

    Book 4: Chapter 10-4: Compromise

    After guiding the two of them and leaving the room, I went outside. I wanted to breathe in the fresh air after using my brain more than usual.

    Then, I saw Yukino''s back, holding a bag with a bento box in her hand. I ordered her to clean the room that I had lent to Azul and the woman in men''s clothing and told her to go home when she finished, but she must have worked hard until thest minute.

    I was about to call out to her, but Kemin, the yellow fire fox, and Kurone, the ck fire fox, who had been going around the houses collecting empty milk bottles, ran towards Yukino, so I reflexively hid.

    Yukino-chan, I''m d you''re feeling better.

    I was worried because you seemed down recently.

    As the two of them said, Yukino had been feeling down about what Voldeck had told her in Bell Erucy. They are not her best friends for nothing.

    Sorry for making you worry, both of you. Yukino is fine now.

    She said it with a certain pride. She seemed to want to say something.

    Yukino-chan, did something happen with Cyril-niisama by any chance?

    When Kurone asked, Yukino''s ears twitched.

    That reaction, maybe, just maybe, but really, just maybe, did you, fox with Cyril-niisama?

    Kemin asked tentatively, and Yukino blushed slightly as she slowly nodded her head.

    Today, Yukino foxed with Cyril-niisama.

    Kyaa, kyaa, kyaa!

    Kurone and Kemin pranced around, making high-pitched voices. Yukino''s face turned even redder. Fox? I had been curious about what it meant for a long time, but I might find out here.

    Yukino-chan, you''re all grown up.

    As expected of a silver fox, you''re a bit different from us.

    Both of you, you''re exaggerating.

    It''s not an exaggeration at all. You did fox,'' Kuro is envious.

    Did you kon kon yet?

    Not yet.

    Kyaa, kyaa, kyaa!

    The two''s excitement had been at its peak since a while ago and didnt seem like they would calm down soon. A new strange word has appeared, what is kon kon? The mystery of the fire fox deepens.

    Kurone, we need to find a darling soon.

    Kuro would like to be with Cyril-niisama too.

    I think Cyril-niisama''s hands are too full already. Besides, he''s going to marry Kuu-neesama, so doing fox with him would be

    Kuro doesn''t want to die. Yukino-chan, you''re amazing. You''re like a kamikaze, aren''t you?

    The moment Kurone said that, Yukino broke into a cold sweat. When I thought about it calmly, I started to get scared too. We might have crossed the line if I had made the wrong move.

    Yukino is sure it''s okay. Yukino was only foxed, Yukino didnt fox Cyril-niisama. Yukino only became Cyril-niisama''s, Yukino didn''t receive Cyril-niisama. So, Yukino doesn''t think Kuu-neesama will be angry. I''m sure Kuu-neesama has been foxed a lot by Cyril-niisama.

    Feeling relieved after saying that, Yukino immediately became aware of the disparity between her and Kuu which made her feel a little depressed. I had received her feelings, but I also clearly told her that I saw her as a little sister. She must have remembered that.

    Yukino-chan, do your best. Mom used to say, Men are pitiful existences that may say only a little at first, but once they start, they''ll always go all the way.'' Cyril-niisama will probably go all the way in the end.

    Kurone, your mom was that kind of person, huh? But Yukino is cute, so I''m sure it''ll be okay.

    Yukino nodded, pondering the words of the two.

    Even if that day neveres, Yukino''s feelings won''t change. But even so, Yukino hopes that dayes But Cyril-niisama seems to be devoted to his wives and won''t take any more brides.

    Kurone walked over to Yukino and patted her on the shoulder.

    Don''t worry about it. Mom used to say, Truly reliable people never cheat.'' Cyril-niisama has epted Kuu-neesama. People who cheat once will find reasons to do the same thing over and over again, especially smart people who are good at justifying themselves. Cyril-niisama is the type who cheats a lot. He takes after Dad, so I know it well.

    Kurone''s words, who I had thought of as the most innocent among the little fire foxes, pierced my heart. The worst was that there was a part of me that was convinced of it too.

    Kurone, don''t say that in front of Cyril-niisama or Kuu-neesama.

    I won''t say it. Kuro is smart, so I choose the right time and ce when I do or say dangerous things.

    You''re surprisingly devious.

    Because Kuro is a ck fox, after all.

    The three little fire foxes, focusing on Yukino, chatted excitedly.

    When you did fox, how was it?

    It was normal, just a little rough, and it hurt, but the pain was warm.

    Blushing with embarrassment, Yukino said that, and Kurone and Kemin nodded in agreement.

    Kurone, let''s reenact it.

    Roger.

    Then they walked over to the wall of the nearby house, and Kurone leaned against it.

    Yukino, my cute little fox, I want everything from you.

    Kyaa, Cyril-niisama, that''s so embarrassing, but Cyril-niisama has Kuu-neesama

    Then Kemin approached Kurone as if to cover her, and then mmed the wall with her right hand.

    Kuu doesn''t matter. Let me hear your honest feelings, Yukino. You want that, don''t you?

    Yes, please, Yukino wants it.

    Come on, tell me what you want.

    Fox I want to fox.

    That doesn''t tell me anything. I might just leave, you know?

    Fox me Cyril-niisama!

    You''re a good girl. I''ll fox you.

    And then, Kemin stroked Kurone''s tail and squeezed the air. It was probably a gesture of squeezing the tail. Fire foxes don''t squeeze each other tails even while ying around. I finally understood. For fire foxes, squeezing the tail is fox.

    Kyaa, Yukino-chan, you''re so bold.

    My tail felt strange too.

    Yukino''s face turned as red as a boiled octopus as she was teased by Kurone and Kemin.

    Yukino won''t share. Yukino won''t share the feast Cyril-niisama gave Yukino. Yukino will eat it all by herself.

    With that, she dashed off while holding the lunchbox I made.

    Sorry, Yukino-chan. Kuro wants to eat Cyril-niisama''s cooking too.

    My bad. I teased you a bit too much.

    Yukino was being chased with all their might by the two. I reflected on it a little. It seems that Yukino always divides the bento and gives some to the other two. Next time, I''ll make sure to prepare enough for all three of them.

    Those kids are something else.

    I felt a little lighter. In two more days, the battle without weapons that would determine Erucy''s future would begin. I''ll put all my strength into it.

 Book 4: Chapter 11-1: Secret Meeting

    Book 4: Chapter 11-1: Secret Meeting

    That night, I decided to stay at the vige chief''s house. My purpose was surveince and gathering information.

    As a guest, Azul and the woman referred to as "Jii" were staying in guest rooms, while the rest of their retinue were sleeping in their carriages.

    The guest rooms at the vige chiefs house were made for soldiers and were designed for multiple people, but Azul and Jii wanted private rooms, so there weren''t enough rooms. We offered to arrange additional rooms outside the vige chief''s house, but they declined.

    Iy in my bedroom, closed my eyes, and focused on the wind''s mana. [Perception Expansion] was a magic Im good at. Within a radius of 300 meters, I could obtain visual and audio information in any space with air.

    Peeking at a woman was against etiquette, but I needed information. It seemed that Azul and Jii were both rxing in their rooms.

    What kind of authority and information does that youngdy have?

    Thinking logically, Azul''s actions today seemed irrational. First, she threatened to unterally stop trade, which was possible because it fell under Erin''s jurisdiction. But then, she went further by threatening to ban allmercial activities in Erin for anyone who had traded with the elves. This was an extreme economic sanction.

    Furthermore, if we didn''t want that to happen, she demanded that Erucye under Erin''s protection, provide technology and that I, as Erucy''s chief, be her subordinate. She even inquired about our intentions regarding the use of force, which could be interpreted as a deration of war.

    If this was Azul acting on her own, it could be seen as the mayor of Erin, a city that was just a part of the Choline Kingdom, starting a war with Erucy without authorization, which could lead to sanctions from the homnd. However, if Erucy was considered a settlement that didn''t belong to any country, it could be argued as within the scope of autonomy.

    Even so, it''s not wise to provoke an opponent with considerable strength. She should know we defeated five thousand Imperial soldiers.

    In the first ce, doesn''t she have any sense of danger? It''s possible that we have no intention of letting Azul return safely. We have the option to massacre everyone here and im that Azul and her party never arrived. Later, we could dispose of the bodies in the mountains to make it look like the work of bandits or beasts.

    This time we didnt take immediate action because the negotiations could potentially benefit Erucy.

    There''s also the option of brainwashing, but that''s just a form of magic that involves giving pleasure and pain in a certain pattern and is less effective on individuals who can separate their emotions from their actions.

    The people of Bell Erucy and Nettle members epted that magic easily because they already had a sense of gratitude and affection towards me. However, it might be noticed by others who don''t share such sentiments.

    Hmm hmm hmm, that was a lovely bath.

    Jii was happily speaking to herself in her room. She seemed delighted as she wiped her body with the bucket of hot water Kuu brought. She had changed into thefortable nightwear provided by us.

    I had been fixated on her attire, but Jii was actually quite attractive. She was in herte twenties, with a well-toned body, although not particrlyrge breasts. Her chestnut-colored hair was wavy and reached her shoulder des.

    That Cyril-san, he''s cute. I wish I had a little brother like him. Oh, but, on second thought, no, no. Despite appearances, his personality is just not right. I wouldn''t want any private dealings with him.

    It seems she had a rather negative impression of me.

    I wouldn''t mind being called Onee-chan'' by that cute face if I could overlook his personality. But he was surrounded by such young girls, mostly in their teens. Is he a lolicon? Hmm, but they''re about the same age, so maybe it''s normal. It might be impossible for that child to understand the charm of an adult like me. No, Hell surely fall for me! Because I''m still young, and oh, a mirror!

    She noticed the mirror that was provided in the room.

    That mirror was the prototype of one I made for Lucy and Kuu. It was taking up space in the workshop, so I had it moved to one of the empty guest rooms. It seems that when Yukino was cleaning the rooms, she mistook it for one of the ornaments and left it behind.

    That''s impressive. It''s a perfectly smooth ss with no imperfections, covered with a thinyer of even silver. How can something like this be made? I can''t even imagine the process. Well, I''ll report it and let mydy think about it. But more importantly

    With a sly smile, Jii stood in front of the mirror.

    I have a mirror here, so I should try a few things.

    She took a hairband from her belongings.

    Since Cyril-kun is a lolicon, I guess I''ll have to change my image a little.

    She began styling her hair with the hairband. The end result was what''smonly known as twin tails. Twin tails in one''ste twenties. It looked rather ridiculous.

    I thought this hairstyle was a bit childish, but I can make it work! Frederica is too cute. Im so young that I can fit right in as Cyril''s wife! No problem at all!

    I had to restrain myself from makingments.

    My hair is so shiny, not to mention the firmness of the skin,pared to those girls Well, I guess I can''tpare myself to them. Not only in terms of age but also race! Well, it''s not about appearance; it''s about what''s inside! It''s about the IN SI DE!

    I wanted to tell her not to try so hard to look younger. I agree that what''s inside is more important. Personally, I think the ratio of appearance to character should be about 40 to 60.

    After posing alone in front of the mirror for a while, Jii suddenly became serious and untied her twin tails. She tidied up her appearance.

    I heard the sound of someone knocking on Jii''s door.

    I''ve been waiting for you, Ojou-sama.

    She immediately adopted a serious tone. It was aplete change from her earlier behavior. She must have sensed that Azul wasing, she has some impressive sensing abilities.

 Book 4: Chapter 11-2: Secret Meeting

    Book 4: Chapter 11-2: Secret Meeting

    I''ll be intruding.

    Azul''s expression was tense. She seemed quite nervous.

    Jii, is this ce safe?

    Most likely. I''ve conducted soundproofing checks, so unless we raise our voices considerably, sound won''t leak out. There are no eavesdropping devices, and there are no signs of anyone nearby. If someone approachester, I''ll know if theye within a 5-meter radius.

    Good, then we can talk here without worries.

    Azul''s words were unexpected. I had thought that Azul never consulted with Jii and made decisions on her own.

    Jii, what was that earlier today? I did suggest luring them off guard, but you went too far. It''s starting to look suspicious.

    I apologize, Ojou-sama. You see, if I let my guard down, I tend to mess things up, so I tried to stick to our usual n but I''m reflecting on it now.

    From tomorrow, please be a bit more cautious. And about that knife, what were you thinking? I dont mind the other things, but I''m genuinely angry about that.

    There is a reason for it. Ojou-sama entrusted the knife to the cksmiths'' Association, but there are things that only I can investigate.

    As she said this, Jii took the knife I had crafted from her belongings.

    Something that a professional cant understand but you can Is it rted to magic?

    You see, there were distinct traces of highly advanced fire magic and earth magic used on this knife. It carries the scent of high-quality mana associated with fire and earth.

    I almost let out a gasp. Estimating the magic used from the finished product? Even I couldn''t do that. I could guess the process by looking at the finished product, but I couldn''t pick up the magical residue like Jii mentioned.

    Fire magic is understandable because of the fire foxes, but earth? Elves are not proficient in earth magic, and fire foxes, at best, have the aptitude of humans, right?

    Yes, that''s why I thought there must be individuals skilled in earth magic coborating with them. However, whether it''s the spies you nted in Bell Erucy, the Empire''s double agents, or the investigation we conducted today, there''s no evidence of individuals proficient in earth magic.

    Well, that''s odd. To think something like this exists.

    I thought it was impossible as well. So, I kept silent until I could gather substantial evidence.

    I see. So, you''re telling me because you found something?

    Yes, indeed. I found a workshop on the outskirts of this vige where there were frequent and extensive traces of earth magic use.

    She was probably referring to the workshop I had created.

    I had heard from Kurao that they didn''t enter the workshop, but they visited it while he was guiding them around the vige.

    Frequent and extensive. If it is to that extent, can''t you pick up the traces of the Odo that used the mana using your ability?

    With just this one knife, I couldn''t do it, but with something on that scale, I can pick up the residue.

    So, by following the scent of that Odo, can you find the coborator?

    Tracking the Odo that was used to summon the mana necessary for attribute magic! Even detecting traces of attribute magic alone is already abnormal! Who is Jii, really? Even within my knowledge, I can''t find any species that matches that woman''s abilities.

    As a matter of fact, I''ve already found him.

    Well done, Jii. If Cyril-san isn''t the one smelting the iron, but his coborator is, it''ll be easier to negotiate. That fact could be a powerful weapon against Cyril-san!

    Unfortunately, Ojou-sama, it seems difficult.

    Why is that?

    Undoubtedly, Cyril-san''s Odo (internal mana) was the one that summoned the earth mana. Besides, Cyril-san has been using magic of all attributes at a high levelearth like a gnome, fire like a fire fox, and wind and water like an elf. At first, even I doubted myself, but there''s no mistake.

    That''s unbelievable! Using magic of all attributes, especially such powerful ones, isn''t something an elf can do!"

    Probably, that person is not an elf. Something simr to an elf. Think of him as belonging to the same category as me, the Hero, and the Golden Demon.

    That description was quite close to my true nature. While I myself am undoubtedly a normal elf, I summon various versions of myself through [Samsara Recursion].

    Even so, if that''s the case, why were they under the Empire''s control in the first ce? If someone as powerful as Jii is here, they could have done something sooner!

    I don''t know. But, Ojou-sama, let me offer a word of caution. If you don''t want to die, never stay more than 2 meters away from me. I can''t guarantee your safety if you''re any farther.

    Jii said this in a calm and matter-of-fact tone.

    Hey, Jii, can Cyril-san kill me?

    That''s a difficult question. First, emotionally, that person can kill without problems. By the way, he''s the type of person I hate the most.

    Jii, stop with the roundabout way of saying it.

    Ordinary people tend to view murder as something special. They either dislike it unconditionally, enjoy killing people, struggle with it as ast resort, revel in being the one to make the judgment, or get intoxicated by the idea of themselves making that judgment. But people like Cyril-san see it as something light, if they consider it necessary, they kill without any afterthought. If Ojou-sama is considered a harmful existence, he will attack you without a doubt.

    You know him well.

    Its rare, but you find his type sometimes, hes also extremely secretive. Today, I asked his subordinates about Cyril-san''s background, but no information came up.

    Maybe theyre just tight-lipped?

    No, it''s different. There''s no sign of them hiding anything, and, in fact, nobody knows anything about Cyril-san. Not even the girl who ims to be his wife or his little sister.

    That person doesnt trust anyone! When it goes that far, it bes creepy. He looks good from a distance, but it''s detrimental to my sisters'' education, and I don''t want to get closer to him.

    Jii''s words hit me hard. I hadn''t told anyone about [Samsara Recursion], my past life knowledge, or where Erucy is heading. I''m sure if I spoke, Lucy and Kuu would ept me. But I didn''t want to. Speaking would mean being recognized as a different existence.

    I''ll make use of that information. But, since I came here today and saw Erucy, I''m convinced. His technology is necessary. The sshouse where crops grow in the cold, the well pump, and the incredibly efficient carriagethere are so many wonderful inventions here that could enrich Erin!

    That''s another reason why I''m bing more cautious.

    I can''t find fault with his technology.

    Technological inventions don''t just appear out of nowhere. You have to build upon existing knowledge. There should be numerous prototypes and failures before the final product. But there are none. Only refined finished products are seen in Erucy. This is impossible.

    But those things are right in front of our eyes.

    I''m sure Cyril hasn''t been inventing anything at all. He''s just creating what he knows. But the source of that knowledge is unknown. Elves haven''t had any contact with other races for over a decade. One day, a young elf named Cyril was killed, and someone with extensive knowledge took his ce. That seems more convincing.

 Book 4: Chapter 11-3: Secret Meeting

    Book 4: Chapter 11-3: Secret Meeting

    My wariness towards Jii continued to grow. What is this? How is that clueless woman so adept at figuring me out?

    Jii, I understand that he''s suspicious enough. Still, I want him. I''ll use him for Erin''s sake, even if it means taking risks. I won''t let Erin, whom I''ve raised, be stolen by my foolish siblings. Thats why I took the risk ofing here.

    Ojou-sama, your intentions are marvelous. However, please keep in mind that you shouldnt overestimate me. Ojou-sama, in the deep of your mind you believe that you dont need to worry abouting to Erucy because I''m here. You believe that we can win in case of war because I''m here. That''s why you took such a strong stance in the negotiation today. But that''s a mistake.

    Dont tell me that even you cant win against him!

    I have ten times his magic power, thirty times his instantaneous release amount, and there''s no way I should lose in a normal fight. But still, I have a feeling that something might happen. It''s possible to escape with Ojou-sama, but I can''t promise I''ll win if we fight.

    At that moment, Azul takes a deep breath. It seems she had a lot of faith in Jii in terms ofbat. Based on the conversation so far, she should have somethingparable to a Hero''s power.

    I''ll remember those words.

    So, what will you do? Will you settle for just iron?

    I''ll try to gain a little more. For tariffs, Ill try to change them every five years or so. That''s probably their bottom line. But it might be best to give up on forcibly recruiting Cyril-san.

    That''s a reasonable judgment. In the case of maple syrup, it doesn''t directlypete with existingmerce, but there''s no guarantee it won''t in the future. Even if Erin starts making iron, there could be a situation where even better-quality iron is imported inrge quantities from Erucy.

    I rmend trying to avoid a war at all costs. They probably don''t want a fight either, so they mightpromise. Fortunately, Erin has a lot of things that Erucy would appreciate, and if you offer more, it should work.

    Jii, you''re unusually sharp today.

    Well, I''m desperate here. I''d rather not fight someone who might be able to kill me. Depending on the situation, I might even defect to Erucys side to avoid a showdown with Cyril-san.

    It''s just like you to say that in front of your employer.

    I don''t think it wille to that. But if it does, it will be when Ivepletely lost faith in you, even if ites to it, Ill do my best so you dont die.

    I see, then I won''t do something like killing the children at the orphanage you run even if you betray me.

    Wow, a hostage deration!? My cute little sisters are being used as a shield!?

    You''re the one who started the fight, remember?

    They say harsh things, but their voices are filled withughter. It seems neither of them is entirely serious.

    Ojou-sama, you''re terrible. It was just a little joke.

    Hey, why did youe to me? Even bringing shackles in the form of orphaned children.

    Well, it was just a whim. I''ve lived a life where I could just beat up and steal what I wanted, and I''ve killed anyone who opposed me. Then one day, everyone around me disappeared, and to ease my loneliness, I randomly picked up an orphan. It felt wrong to raise a child that way, but I couldn''t think of any other way to live, so when I was looking for a job where I would be appreciated for beating people, I found you. That''s all.

    For such a reason?

    Don''t people usually ask about that before hiring someone?

    At that time, any reason would have been fine, and I had no choice but to jump at the opportunity. My life was hanging by a thread.

    I hope you''ll be grateful to me and stop cutting my pay.

    That''s a separate issue. I''ll use the money I cut to send toys or sweets to the orphanage.

    Noo!! Those kids will be spoiled!!

    Since you''re spending recklessly, it''s okay once in a while. And tomorrow, put some effort into it. Depending on your attitude tomorrow, I might shorten the pay cut period.

    Understood, Boss.

    After some more casual conversation, Azul left the room. Then, with a snap, Jii pped his hands.

    Well, Cyril-san, you were listening to our conversation, weren''t you? Just to be clear, Ojou-sama has no intention of resorting to violence, so please rest assured. Ill subtly stop her. So please don''t use direct methods too much. If you intend to target Ojou-sama, then we might also target someone other than Cyril-san. You wouldn''t want something unfortunate to happen to your beloved brides and sister, would you? So, let''s both interact peacefully.

    Wait, did she notice my presence?

    Heh heh heh, did you think I didn''t notice? I''ve been sensing Cyril-san''s scent mixed in with the wind mana since earlier. I was wondering how you realized I was following you in Erin. Then I realized there was no other option besides magic, so I''ve been focusing on mana ever since I entered this room.

    She did that twin tails charade even knowing I was watching!?

    I dont want you to see my sleeping face, it puts a maiden''s pure heart in danger. So please spare me. Have a good night. You can peek at Ojou-sama if you want.

    I release the wind mana around Jii.

    I continued to monitor Azul. In the worst case, they might have a secret conversation after the surveince is lifted.

    The next day, as nned, the trade took ce.

    The cargo of two wagons was spread out all at once in Erucy''srgest square.

    The items to be purchased were predetermined, and the payment for the goods had already been made in advance.

    All that was left was to receive the goods in the order announced yesterday.

    All work was suspended, and almost all adult elves and fire foxes were gathered with shining eyes.

    Each person had a budget of one gold coin (60,000 yen), so they could indulge themselves quite a bit.

    The highlights were undoubtedly the beautiful fabrics that couldn''t be made in Erucy, distilled alcohol, various seasonings, and beef. essories made with urban sensibilities were also popr.

    I bought arge quantity of herbs. I was running low on thyme and sage, so this was a great help.

    How about this? This is the power of Erin. All of these are things that Erucy can''t produce.

    Azul said with pride.

    I agree. It was the best event for Erucy, which has few forms of entertainment. Thank you very much.

    I truly thought so. The best part this time was that they could choose everything for themselves. Until now, when shopping, we could only buy necessary items, but this time, everyone was able to get what they liked.

    Well, don''t forget this favor.

    Its a problem if you think that we are receiving your favor unterally. Were selling you maple syrup, and the ice cream recipe I taught you should turn into money as soon as you start shelling it.

    Oh, you never shut up. That''s why I wanted you.

    Have you reached a conclusion?

    Yes, I have. We''ll leave tomorrow. Before that, let''s start the final negotiation.

    Azul said that with a relieved expression.

 Book 4: Chapter 12-1: Negotiations Concluded

    Book 4: Chapter 12-1: Negotiations Concluded

    Azul, the youngdy with blue hair, announced the start of thest round of negotiations.

    Our card in these negotiations is the provision of iron-making technology, while their card is tariffs andmercial rights. If we can''t reach an agreement, it will be very difficult to secure food for Bell Erucy, and we''ll have to reduce the hemp harvest.

    If Azuls servant, Jii, is truly as strong as a Hero, using force would also be difficult.

    After bing enemies with Erin, if Jii arrives at the vige when Im not here, Erucy will be destroyed. But, if I be too wary of Jii, I wont be able to leave Erucy. This is a problem because we dont have anyone suitable for external negotiations, and Erucy wont be able to develop any further.

    Cyril-san, before the negotiations, I''d like you to guide me through Erucy. Yesterday, I had the acting viges chief guide me, but I couldn''t get most of the answers I wanted from him, so I''d like to ask you.

    I was lost in thought, contemting things on my own, when I was called back by Azul''s voice.

    Of course, I don''t mind. I''ll answer any questions you have.

    First, I''d like to see the archery training grounds.

    Shall we go there now?

    As requested, I guided Azul and Jii to the shooting range used for crossbow training. There were wooden targets with imperial helmets set up at 20m, 50m, 100m, and 200m distances.

    The targets are quite far, aren''t they?

    Elves have a talent for archery. Right now, almost everyone can hit targets up to 100m, and about a third can aim for 200m.

    Except for Nettle members, the other vigers continued their morning training every three days. In war, numbers matter. We needed to increase the number of fighters as much as possible.

    It''s unbelievable. With a regr bow, hitting a target at 100m is already challenging, and aimed shots are only possible at 50m or so. Is it the quality of the bow or the shooter''s skill?

    It''s both. Do you have any experience with bows?

    No, I don''t.

    Well then, would you like to give it a try?

    I said that and took out the crossbow. I had someone bring it when she expressed her interest in seeing the shooting range.

    This was a recently developed improved version, designed to be easier to use by reducing the power required to draw the string while ensuring the minimum force needed to prate imperial armor.

    It''s impossible. Normally, it takes years to be proficient with a bow.

    That''s true for a regr bow.

    Bows might seem simple, but they were very challenging weapons to master. The grip, draw, release timing, and any deviation from proper technique could result in the arrow missing the targetpletely. As Azul said, it took several years to train a new recruit into an archer.

    But with this crossbow, all you have to do is pull the trigger.

    I ced the crossbow on the ground and pulled the string, setting an arrow.

    Go ahead, take aim at the closest target, which is 20m away.

    As I instructed her, Azul, looking a bit nervous, aimed the crossbow at the target.

    Then, there''s the trigger. Pull it.

    Oh, alright.

    She pulled the trigger, and the arrow was released. It missed the target, but it flew quite close.

    Hey, Jii, I did it! I shot the bow!

    Ojou-sama is a genius. If you can shoot a bow in three minutes after starting, then we''ll have to reduce the pay of Erin''s soldiers if they can''t do it in three minutes. It would be a shame for a professional fighter like them to be worse than Ojou-sama who''s only sitting at her desk. And please allocate the saved money to my sry.

    Jii, your true intentions are showing.

    I apologize for my rudeness.

    I''m surprised. It seems quite easy to shoot. Shall we start with setting the arrow next? I watched the process, so I know how to do it.

    Please, go ahead.

    Azul enthusiastically set arrows into the crossbow and repeatedly released them, increasing her smile as she saw the arrow prate the helmeted target.

    This is impressive. The number of citizens directly affects our military strength. If the Choline Kingdom, with arger poption than the Empire, were to use these extensively, it would be incredible.

    I didnt think you would be able to pinpoint the crossbow''s biggest advantage so soon.

    Of course. With crossbows, anyone can be trained to kill in a day. The city''s civilians could be archers in no time. Regr bows take years of education, and they can''t be quickly replenished. But with these, you can produce as many as you want. If we equip new recruits with these and have them line up in rows to fire in unison, even seasoned imperial soldiers in iron armor would be easily defeated. Just imagining it makes me shiver. I want these.

    I understand your enthusiasm, but I think it''s impossible.

    Why? Cant we make them with your iron-making technology?

    Obtaining good iron and being able to process it are two separate issues. With Erin''s engineering technology, yes, you could make them. But this level of precision would take around thirty years, I''d say.

    In addition, the metal used for the spring was not iron; it was an alloy with better flexibility, and the string that could withstand this immense tension was made of carbon fiber. I didn''t believe either of these materials could be produced in Erin. That''s why I could safely reveal our iron-making technology.

    So, how did you make this crossbow then?

    I used magic for the processing. While you can substitute industrial technology for the iron processing part, magic is required beyond that.

    I told the truth since there was no point in lying. And it meant that no one else could make it.

    When using earth magic for processing, the more massive the object, the more challenging it bes. For something like iron, it would require a gnome with an earth magic stone or a dwarf-ss earth magic aptitude that doesn''t exist in this world.

    Gnomes were such reclusive creatures that their existence was questioned, and they weren''t known for their intelligence. Finding a gnome, then giving them extensive education, was not realistic.

    Jii.

    Ojou-sama, Cyril-san is not lying.

    I see I understand. But I really want this. However, the arrows seem to wobble quite a bit. Why can the elves hit distant targets so urately?

 Book 4: Chapter 12-2: Negotiations Concluded

    Book 4: Chapter 12-2: Negotiations Concluded

    Azul can hit the target 20 meters away sometimes, but there''s no sign of her hitting the target 50 meters away.

    Elves have wind magic, you see. They''re not affected by wind resistance or influence at all. Crossbows have shorter arrowspared to regr bows, so they don''t have as much inertia, and they can only use small arrow feathers, which reduces their straight-line uracy and makes them vulnerable to the wind. Long-distance sniping with a crossbow is a feat that only elves can aplish.

    Well, it''s a minor issue.

    Azul fired the crossbow at a 45-degree angle, and the arrow flew in a graceful arc. Despite being affected by the wind, the arrow still had enough power to prate the ground. It flew for 300 meters.

    Anyone can shoot this far with this much power. It''s more than enough. Unlike the elves, we rely on numbers to create a barrage, so its not a problem. Cyril-san, how many can you make in a day if you have the materials?

    Let me see, in a day I suppose twenty would be the limit?

    Could we purchase four hundred of them per month on an annual contract? I''ll pay five gold coins for each one (300,000 yen). We''ll provide the materials. That''s a deal for 24,000 gold coins (1.44 billion) annually. Not a bad deal, I think.

    Ojou-sama, is it really okay to just casually offer such arge sum of money!?

    It''s fine. Compared to the cost of raising someone for several years, five gold coins (300,000 yen) per unit is nothing.

    Her decisiveness was so manly that a smile involuntarily crept onto my face. Indeed,pared to the cost of training soldiers, there was a significant cost advantage.

    In the first ce, we''re on the verge of losing the ce to spend that money, so it doesnt matter how much you pay for them.

    Of course, if you sell us the crossbows, we won''t stop the trade.

    I see, understood. We''ll decline.

    I immediately refused. The crossbows I made were too dangerous. If there was distance, elves could deflect arrows with wind magic, but due to the overwhelming initial velocity of the crossbow, they couldn''t deflect arrows shot within 20 meters.

    Furthermore, unlike regr arrows, you could move around with the arrow set, making it highly effective for ambushes.

    I dont mind Erin creating inferior products with the iron technology they have obtained today. The resulting products would have significantly lower power and uracy. However, it was inconceivable to give them the same thing made in Erucy.

    I thought that showing us the crossbow meant you intended to sell it.

    Our only card is the iron technology, so I only showed you the crossbow to let you recognize the value of this iron. Even if you can''t make the same thing, I think you can make inferior ones.

    It''s a shame. But I''ll take this idea.

    Yes, please do.

    Her demand for iron seemed to have increased.

    I oppose introducing such a thing to Erin.

    However, Jii interjected.

    Jii, what do you mean?

    This bow kills too many people. Until now, not that many people have died in wars, right? Soldiers in armor fight until sunset, and arrows can''t easily prate armor.

    What Jii said made sense. In wars of this era, not many people died. Since only the Empire had proper iron equipment, most arrowheads were made of copper or stone, which couldn''t easily prate thick leather armor. Those who fought with swords couldn''t inflict fatal wounds easily either. It was possible to spend the entire day fighting the same opponent with swords and finish the day unscathed.

    But if this crossbow bes widespread, everything will change. It will prate all the current armor. It kills when fired. Hundreds of people in an instant. The number of people who die in a single war will increase hundreds of times. The meaning of going to war will be much heavier. Such a thing should not be on the battlefield.

    In a sense, wars between countries with power were like sports. There were casualties, but not many. They determined the rights and guarantees through negotiations after fighting at a set time and location.

    However, as Jii said, if crossbows became widespread, there would be no such leeway. People would die easily in an instant, and countries would suffer damage that could destroy them in a single war.

    Jii, I understand that. But crossbows are already out in the world. The worst thing would be if a country different from Erin''s gets a weapon like the crossbow first. If Erin had to fight against a country that had already acquired a thousand crossbows, Erin would definitely be destroyed.

    My apologies Ojou-sama, I spoke out of turn.

    Jii bowed to her. Neither of them was wrong.

    Well then, shall we leave it at that? Is there anything else you want to see?

    Could you show me the sshouse?

    After that, I guided them to the sshouse and I was exposed to a barrage of questions.

    She seemed to have a lot of interest in the sshouse. A stable food supply regardless of weather conditions was one of the aspirations of any ruler, after all. When I remarked that this sshouse had a track record of raising potatoes year-round, she got extremely interested.

    And the carriage. When she made her horse pull the carriage that I had made, she seemed impressed. With half the weight of conventional carriages and stic wheels for shock absorption, it had increased speed and off-road performance and provided afortable ride.

    As the head of Erin, she would have more opportunities to use carriages, so she would definitely want a high-performance carriage.

 Book 4: Chapter 12-3: Negotiations Concluded

    Book 4: Chapter 12-3: Negotiations Concluded

    Thank you for hearing my request, I learned a lot.

    We gathered once again in the meeting room at the vige chief''s house. This will probably be thest meeting.

    From Erucy''s side, in addition to myself, Kurao, Lucy, and Kuu were present. From Erin''s side, as usual, there are only two people, Azul and Jii.

    In regard to the offer we received yesterday. If you are willing to provide the iron-making technology and workshop blueprints, we will not stop the trade, and we will also allow the establishment of a shop-cum-embassy. We will also prepare a suitable location for it. However, we cannot allow the exemption of tariffs. The onlypromise we can make is to limit the change in tariffs to once every few years and inform you in advance. As a service, we will not charge any tariffs for one year.

    It was the expected reaction. Just limiting the change of tariffs to once every few years was already quite helpful. It would provide a considerable buffer against interference in business by tariffs. It would still be possible to make a profit until then. Without this, it would be easy to heavily tax Erucys maple syrup, reducing our profits considerably. After all, is a luxury item that sells for one gold, so its strange that its taxed the same as cheap alcohol.

    In that case, let''s pretend this conversation never happened.

    But I rejected their proposal confidently. This is the reason I showed them the possibilities of our iron technology.

    I don''t intend to end it with just these conditions. I request one of Erucy''s carriages and three crossbows, in addition to the iron-making technology and workshop blueprints.

    It was within my expectations. If there''s a model, it''s easier to imitate. I can understand they want them. But

    Are you serious? You''re asking for more even when we''ve already refused the current conditions.

    I am serious. As were making additional requests, we''ll also increase what we offer. It''s what you, Erucy people, want the most.

    Azure smiled confidently.

    If you can ept these conditions, I, Azul Fer Choline, a member of the Choline royal family, promise that the Choline Kingdom will officially recognize the Erucy vige as a country and establish friendly rtions, we will also make this known to neighboring countries.

    Azul!

    Jii stood up and shouted angrily. For the first time, she didn''t call her "Ojou-sama" but used her name, Azul.

    Jii, I still have that much power.

    You probably can!! But if you do such a thing

    I know. But it''s an investment necessary for Erin.

    Alright, if you''re determined, I won''t stop you.

    Thank you. It might inconvenience you too.

    The two on Erin''s sidemunicated silently. Meanwhile, I pondered the meaning of Azul''s words. Being officially recognized by the Choline Kingdom as a real country.

    This was of significant importance. Erucy was still iming to be a country, but in reality, we were seen as a vige under the empire''s control, against which we had rebelled.

    A country is only treated as such when recognized by other countries. The Choline Kingdom was a highly-ranked country, second only to the empire. Moreover, unlike the human-centric empire, it had good rtions with many races and was widely trusted.

    To obtain such approval from the Choline Kingdom. This was an opportunity that might note again in a lifetime.

    But there was a problem

    Is that really possible? It''s like picking a fight with the empire, you know?

    I''ll make it happen. If you don''t believe me, you can pay me after it''s done.

    Azul''s confident voice and expression made me want to believe her.

    Alright, if we can get such conditions, there''s no reason for Erucy to refuse. Let''s go with these conditions. However, we can''t hand over the crossbows until there''s official recognition from the Choline Kingdom. We can give you the carriage today, though. You can hitch the horses and ride back home from here.

    Thank you. With this, I can return a day earlier than nned. So, the contract is settled?

    Yes, it''s a deal.

    Azul stood up and extended her hand for a handshake, and I shook it in return.

    For the prosperity of both countries, let''s cooperate from now on.

    And so, the provisional contract waspleted. Today, Erin''s side would prepare the contract document, and once it was signed and sealed, it would be a formal contract.

    The conversation ended here after deciding on the details of tariffs. Regarding the iron-making technology, once the budget andnd acquisition were secured, construction would begin soon. I would visit once, give instructions for about three days, and then check and provide training once a month.

    Oh, and Jii, bring that thing.

    Yes, right away.

    Jii left the room in a hurry.

    Do you have more negotiations to discuss?

    Not exactly. If I had to say, it''s a symbol of friendship.

    After about five minutes, Jii returned. She brought her subordinates with her, each holding arge pot with green nts growing inside.

    No way, is this?

    That''s right. It seems you were quite interested in them in Erin, so I had these prepared. Consider them a symbol of our friendship.

    I was trembling with joy. Inside the pots were seedlings of sage, thyme, and basil. All of them were high-quality herbs that could be used for cooking and medicine. For example, with sage, you could improve the taste of almost any meat dish by just throwing it in.

    Are you really giving these to me?

    Yes, please take them.

    I''m really happy. Whenever I went to Erin''s market, I couldn''t find any seedlings or even seeds.

    I had been desperately searching for seeds and seedlings on every visit to Erin, but I couldn''t find any and always returned disappointed. But now that I had seedlings, I could increase their numbers and, more importantly, use fresh herbs in cooking.

    I made a mistake. If I had known you''d be so happy, I should have used them as negotiation material.

    If you had, I might havepromised sooner.

    Azul and I smiled at each other.

    That was a missed opportunity. By the way, Cyril-san, are you nning to celebrate your wedding soon?

    In the near future.

    In that case, I''d like to be invited. As a representative of Erin, I want to attend the wedding of Erucys chief.

    I''d be delighted.

    And so, after a long negotiation, we established a friendly rtionship with Erin. We had obtained quite attractive conditions for Erucy which was a relief.

 Book 4: Chapter 13-1: Promise with "Me"

    Book 4: Chapter 13-1: Promise with "Me"

    Negotiations with Erin seemed to have reached a temporary resolution, and early in the morning, I bid farewell to Azul and her group. We informed them about the uing wedding three weeks from now, Azul wille to celebrate our marriage and also receive a guidebook on iron-making techniques and the workshop blueprints.

    Today, Roleau and the others were supposed to return. The fact that there had been nomunication so far meant that the delivery of equipment to the Empire had likely beenpleted safely.

    I feel unusually tired.

    I had been working in the workshop, trying topile the documents to give to Azul as soon as possible, but a strong wave of sleepiness overcame me. I had a strong resistance to physiological needs, but this was unbearable. So I decided to give up work and take a nap.

    Hey, it''s been a while.

    In an empty white room, a young man I had never seen before, who looked like "me," spoke to me. It was another encounter with "me" in my usual dreams. The current appearance of "me" was likely one of the five sealed within me. I could understand the sudden drowsiness now. This guy had called me.

    I thought you had gone missing, and now this sudden summons What have you been up to all this time? It couldn''t have been anything good.

    For the past two months or so, "me" hadn''t initiated any conversations or even responded when I called out. This was the first time something like this had happened since I became aware of "me."

    You''re being quite harsh. I did my best as a decoy, masking our soul''s wavelength, and trying to gain as much time as possible.

    To escape from that girl back then, huh? What exactly is she?

    I asked, but the answer was quite predictable. The one I had summoned through [Samsara Recursion] was Suzina, the great sorcerer. He was the only "me" that I could ess, that had his memories sealed. Also, Suzina''s name was the same as the sorcerer who had once saved the world alongside the high elf ancestor Shurano. They were undoubtedly the same person.

    Strangely enough, this idea had never urred to me until now. Perhaps "me" had been interfering.

    You already know, right? Suzina was born in this world and saved it. That girl is Suzina''s legacy. She''s a girl created from the woman he loved, his blood, and the Yggdrasil once guarded by the elves.

    I understood the reason for the strange nostalgia I had felt when I heard the voice of that girl. Those were emotions that had leaked out from "me."

    Apart from that, I had questions as someone involved in magic.

    Is it really possible to create a person with magic?

    My magic couldn''t aplish something asplex as that. Even when I summoned Suzina, all I could do was manipte the mind to some extent. But what "me" was talking about was in the realm of fairy tale magic.

    Magic is more powerful than you think. But it''s probably beyond your capabilities right now. I''m not being mean by imposing limits. If you had unrestricted knowledge, you''d probably try it, and it would lead to irreversible consequences. Think of it as a father worrying about his son. In fact, as soon as you gained our knowledge, you started making plenty of dangerous things.

    I was momentarily speechless. It was as Me said. As soon as I received the knowledge, I started making saltpeter, producing gunpowder, and preparing drugs. I was also involved in various other activities.

    It was necessary! It was for Erucy to be stronger and prosperous!

    Is that really so? Couldn''t there have been other ways? Did you really gain so much that it was worth unleashing a weapon that could kill thousands of people? It seems to me that you were blinded by immediate gain and sowed the seeds of future destruction.

    He looked at me with the eyes of a teacher watching a student.

    Why did you release the knowledge, then? Tough at me when I fail?

    No way! I''m on your side. Haven''t I helped you many times? That knowledge is to counter Ashno. That child can do everything a high elf can.

    If that''s true, Erucy will be finished if she bes an enemy.

    Count on it. I don''t know the reason, but that child intends to cooperate with the Empire, and despite your threats, the Empire is diligently preparing for war.

    Did you find that information through magic?

    That''s a secret. That''s why I made sure you could prepare weapons to fight arge army without magic while you still had time.

    What if I never tried to make gunpowder?

    I knew you would make it, youre too straightforward.

    High elves have various traits, but their directbat abilities are not much different from Heroes. What''s troublesome is their absolute dominance over mana of all attributes.

    Within the perception range of a high elf, all mana obey them. In other words, only the person a high elf gives permission to, can use attribute magic in their vicinity.

    Currently, we are using wind magic to increase arrow uracy and range, and we rely on it for scouting as well. If both of those are blocked, we won''t be much different from humans. The fire foxes have fewer disadvantages due to their superior physical abilities, but it would still be a losing battle.

    In such a situation, defeat would be inevitable in no time.

    Wait,e to think of it

    What if we convince her to be an ally? She''s originally your daughter, right?

    Turning her into an enemy is terrifying, but if she became an ally, there would be a no better ally.

    If Me bes the primary personality, its possible. Can you stop being Cyril and be a part of Me?

    Obviously I cant! I decided to live in Erucy with Lucy and Kuu as myself .

    I agree with your decision to remain independent, and that is why I support you. But you see, Ashno only wants Suzina, not you.

    Ashno doesn''t know about reincarnation. If she ever realizes, you might just be a treasure chest to her, one she wouldn''t mind breaking to get to the treasure inside.

    Imagining being held captive by Ashno and slowly breaking down sent a shiver down my spine.

    In that case, how about I impersonate Suzina? If I have Suzinas memories, I could at least mimic Suzina''s behavior.

    That might work. But you see, that child is jealous and lonely. To her, I''m a father, a brother, a lover, and a friend. She won''t tolerate someone else taking her ce. At the very least, she has to be the most important.

    What would happen if she can''t tolerate it?

    She''ll resort to force.

    If what Me said was true, then my lovers Lucy and Kuu, and Yukino, who I thought of as a sister, were in danger. Even Roleau who I more or less consider a friend could be in danger.

    By the way, why does Me want to help me? Me base is Suzina, isn''t it? Isn''t she more important than Cyril? Doesn''t Me want to crush Cyril and live as a father with the daughter Me loves as Suzina?1.

    The "Me" who had been relentlessly pursuing mastery of magic had changed after a fateful encounter when living as Suzina, but since then, "Me" had stopped taking over that era''s "Me" and had be a behind-the-scenes figure. In other words, the true identity of "Me" was undoubtedly Suzina.

    True, I love Ashno more than you. But I want to free that child from my curse.

    The Me who likes tough and look down on me, for the first time, looked at me with a serious expression.

    Throughout my thirty reincarnations, the biggest mistake I made was when Suzina was on his deathbed, I made a promise to Ashno, who cried and begged me not to leave her. Don''t cry, I''ll be reborn someday ande to see you again.'' I made that promise.

    The promise that only I in the world can fulfill. If someone else tries, it bes just a lie.

    I''ve regretted saying those words for a long time. That child, with no lifespan, believed in those words and waited for me. For a very long time. Thest time we met, I almost died from guilt when I heard that child''s voice.

    Five hundred years! Five hundred years! During that time, I''ve kept that child bound to me. And I''ll keep meeting and binding her in the future. Because I kept my promise, she''ll continue to expect the next meeting. That child will continue to chase my shadow forever.

    In thirty-one lifetimes, Me must have parted with people countless times. But I''m sure Ashno is the only one who had kept bound to me even after the me of that time had died.

    Its time for that child to let go of her father.

    Is that why you dont want to see her?

    Even if it took more than five hundred years, I believed that someday, she would think my words were a lie.

    TN: Its like this in the Raw, Cyril is talking in a detached way about his personality, not about himself.

 Book 4: Chapter 13-2: Promise with "Me"

    Book 4: Chapter 13-2: Promise with "Me"

    At first, upon entering this white room, "Me" began to request my assistance for someone, but stopped short. That one must have been Ashno.

    Today, I called you to make a request. If you are only interested in Erucy and your loved ones living in it, and you''re willing to forget about everything else, use [Samsara Recursion] to call the destroyer of worlds, Gluttonous Silver Dragon, Falve.

    With that, you can kill that child. Among those you can call now, Falve is the only one who can defeat that child.

    I swallowed hard.

    Among those sealed within me, Falve was undoubtedly the strongest force, no questions asked.

    It was an intelligent, 50-meter-long Silver Dragon, capable of consuming mana and utilizing super destructive breath attacks using mana''s copse phenomenon. It didn''t rely on controlling mana but devoured it, making a high elf''splete dominion irrelevant.

    Calling Falve? That''s too dangerous.

    The breath using mana''s copse phenomenon surpassed any magic in power, causing massive damage, it is ssified not as anti-army but as anti-nation magic. I was so strong that fine control was impossible. Moreover, it destroyed the nearby mana, reducing the total mana in the world.

    There were other problems as well. Calling such a creature would put a heavy toll on me. Even now, I could only hold it for two seconds. Using a soul of that rank and releasing in an instant a burst of so much magical power, would end in me being bedridden for a month, suffering from magical aftereffects and rendering me unable to use magic properly.

    Falve is a lesser evilpared to the five who are sealed. In the worst case, only a nation or two will fall. I''ll cooperate with controlling it. I''ll make sure you dont suffer any aftereffects.

    In other words, even if Me cooperated, Me couldn''t guarantee anything else.

    Falve is the easiest solution. But, if you have any sympathy for that child, I would like you to win against Ashno as Cyril and make her give up on me. Make her understand that Suzina no longer exists. For that, I''ll unlock the method of fighting without using magic.

    Apart fromplete dominion over attribute magic, high elves didnt have other useful abilities forbat. Even if they controlled mana, you could counter it by destroying arge number of magic stones and using their stored magical power. In the meantime, it was possible to defeat the Empire''s troops by engaging them in non-magicbat.

    You said if possible''? Are you really okay with me using Falve to defeat Ashno?

    It''s sad, but I think that way could save her as well. Only we can put an end to that child.

    Me words carried various emotions.

    Can I ask three questions? ording to my memory, that child is currently maintaining a barrier that suppresses erna. Are you sure it''s okay to kill that child?

    It''s a minor issue. In about ten years, countless monsters will likely emerge. You remember what that child said, right? She said, Dad broke his promise, so Ashno will do whatever she wants.'' Since then, she probably hasn''t been maintaining it, so it''ll likely end the same way.

    It''s not a minor issue at all.

    In a world with mana, erna would appear, and erna would turn into monsters. That wasmon knowledge in many worlds. Suzina had erected a barrier to prevent that, and Ashno had been maintaining it. If such a thing suddenly appeared in a world without preparation for monsters, it would plunge the world into chaos.

    Second question. Did Ashno think of Suzina as her lover? Did youy hands on your own daughter?

    There''s no way that happened. At most, it was a kiss.

    That was a relief. If Me were a pervert whoid hands on his own daughter, I wouldn''t be able to cooperate due to the overwhelming disgust.

    Third question. Do you want Ashno to live?

    Me said that he wanted Ashno to be free, even if it meant release through death. I wanted to know Mes true wish.

    Simply being alive is worse than being dead. I want that child to live with a smile. That''s my wish as a parent.

    I understand. Let''s make a promise. I''ll tell Ashno everything about me and then make a bet. If Erucy wins the next war, Ashno will give up on Suzina. If the Empire wins, I will destroy Cyrils personality and will hand over my body to Me. This bet will be made with the use of Suzina''s Pledge'' magic to enforce it. Based on what I''ve heard, Ashno is the type to ept this, and as long as she can''t kill me, she can''t refuse. After winning, I''ll make her give up, and then I''ll greet Ashno as Suzina''s friend.

    That''s very kind of you.

    Not really. I''ll fight with all my might. But if things get dangerous, I''ll call for Falve and have Ashno and the Empire''s soldiers killed. That''s the most I can do.

    I have a responsibility as Erucy''s chief. In the end, I can''t prioritize anything over Erucy. This is just my maximum effort with insurance.

    That''s enough. Thank you.

    No need for thanks. If it weren''t for your assistance, I would have lost my most beloved person. So, this is my way of repaying Me. Besides, Suzinas feelings leaked from Me. Your feelings for Ashno made me do it.

    Compared to the favors, knowledge, and experience I''ve received so far, this is trivial.

    It''s time. You''re waking up. Goodbye.

    I forgot to mention something. Please release Suzina''s memories, if possible, I want some information about Ashno.

    Unfortunately, I can''t do that.

    Why?

    There are many things in this world that are better left unknown.

    And so, the conversation with Me that I hadn''t seen in a long time ended.

    I suddenly woke up.

    I had fallen asleep with my face buried in the blueprints. My body felt strangely warm.

    When I looked behind me, I saw a nket had been draped over me.

    Lucy, did you put the nket on me?

    Yeah, I heard you were going to work here today, so I brought you some refreshments.

    You should have woken me up.

    You looked sofortable sleeping. Were you having a good dream?

    I wish it had been a good dream.

    As if that could be a good dream. My workload has increased significantly.

    Lucy, have Roleau and his squad returned already?

    I look outside, and the sun is beginning to set. It seems like I''ve been sleeping for quite a while.

    They''re back. Everyone is safe, and the exchange went well.

    Good. Then, I''m sorry to ask this right away, but could you call Roleau, Kurao, and Kuu to the vige chief''s meeting room?

    What are you nning to do?

    It''s a strategy meeting for Erucys future. I want to do something a bit bold now that we have a friendly rtionship with Erin.

    If my conversation with Me is true, there are many things we need to do right away. To do that, I need to give instructions as soon as possible.

 Book 4: Chapter 14-1: Defensive Wall

    Book 4: Chapter 14-1: Defensive Wall

    I''ve gathered you here to discuss a change in Erucy''s management policies. In the usual meeting room were: Roleau as Nettle''s captain, Kuu as the representative of the fire foxes, Kurao, whom I entrusted Erucy to in my absence, and Lucy. Cyril-sama, could you please specify what you mean by a change in policies? Kurao asked with great interest. Up until now, we have always focused on bing prosperous by increasing crops and breeding livestock. However, for a while, we will prioritize strengthening our defenses. Until now, Erucy hadn''t allocated resources to the military to the extent that it burdened the entire vige, except for Nettle. However, as long as there are opponents with abilities like the high elves, we can''t afford to continue that way. Cyril, what do you mean by strengthening defenses? Lucy asked anxiously. We''re going to build a defensive wall that covers all of Erucy. It needs to bepleted within at least three months. For that purpose, all malebor will be diverted to the construction of the wall. Cyril-kun, if we do that, we won''t be able to grow wheat, the only crops well be able to grow will be the potatoes the fire foxes are raising. Yeah, I''ve given up on that. We''ll expand the sshouse, have the fire foxes work even harder on the low-maintenance potatoes, and for wheat, we''ll reduce the cultivated area to a third and have only elven women work on it. As for goats and chickens, they can remain the same as before. Leader, with that n, we won''t be able to sustain everyone in Erucy. We won''t make it through this winter. Roleau''s concern was valid. Since all the malebor in Erucy would be directed towards building the wall, it was a natural consequence. That''s why, three weeks from now, before Erin''s mayor, Azul, arrives for the wedding, we''ll buy arge amount of food at Erin and process any excess into preserved food. We''ll prepare enough preserved food for everyone in Erucy tost at least a year. For at least the next three weeks, trade with Erin is guaranteed. Even if Erin were to betray us in the future, there''s no way they could do so during these three weeks when I''ve explicitly stated that I need this time to create the manuals and blueprints to pass them our iron-making technology. I believed in Azul. However, countries and cities were unpredictable monsters. They could easily crush individual intentions. That''s why I wanted to create a safety during a period that seemed safe and certain. With a year''s supply of preserved food, even if we couldn''t replenish food in Erin for some reason, we could achieve self-sufficiency in food for all of Erucy before running out. Even without the current situation, I had already decided to start stockpiling preserved food. Cyril, why are you doing this? I think it''s fine to defeat the Empire when theye, like we didst time. Of course, I''m not saying we don''t need the defensive wall to protect Erucy, but let''s take our time and build it without overexerting ourselves. It''s still unconfirmed information, but there''s a possibility that the next battle may involve a troublesome opponent who can negate elemental magic. We have been winning against the Empire thanks to our overwhelming scouting abilities and long-range sniping capabilities with wind magic. Without being able to utilize those strengths,unching an attack from our side with few numbers would be suicide. Indeed, that''s scary. Even the arrows from the Empire that we used to not fear can be a threat now. Cyril-kun, where did you get this information? Is it from the double spies? Kuu referred to the double spies we had within Bell Erucy, spies that the Empire had infiltrated. Since Bell Erucy had epted a considerable number of refugees, spies from countries and cities suspicious of Erucy had infiltrated as well. These Empire spies were broken with magic and drugs and then turned into double agents by providing them some incentives. There were other spies from Erin as well, but for now, we were making good use of them by controlling the information they had ess to. Kuu, it''s not from them, but the credibility is quite high. However, I n to verify the details. Looking at the faces of those present, there was a significant sense of crisis. That was only natural. Our advantages had almost disappeared. Without the ability to interfere with arrows using wind magic, the barrage of arrows sent by the enemy would reach us. Additionally, our arrows no longer had the same uracy and range as before. We would also have to be wary of ambushes, as we wouldnt be able to detect them as easily. Our only advantages were the power of our arrows and the fact that all of Nettle could use body enhancement magic. If we loaded hand grenades onto the crossbows and fired them, we could exhibit more firepower than the Empire. However, if dozens of times the number of our people fired arrows simultaneously, we would be overwhelmed, and without wind magic, the range within which crossbow arrows could be urately aimed was less than 50 meters. That was also within the Empire''s arrow range. Leader, can we win? We can. If we have the proper facilities and equipment. To be frank, I think we have no chance of winning except in a defensive siege where we can utilize the terrain advantage. That was the reality. If there was no difference inbat power between us and them, then the number difference would be the decisive factor. And there was no way we could win against the Empire in numbers. To bridge the gap in strength, we had to fight in advantageous locations. This is just my personal sentiment, but I don''t want to rely on purchased food. Leader, I agree with that. Ultimately, doesn''t this make us vulnerable to Erin? Doesn''t it make us dependent on them? Lucy and Roleau''s words were unexpected but showed they were thinking on their own. Lucy was concerned about the decrease in food self-sufficiency, while Roleau pointed out the danger of giving Erin control over our lifeline. You''re both not wrong. I don''t n to do this permanently. It''s just for one year. From next year, we''ll grow our own food properly. But right now, we''re short on time andbor. What we''re buying isn''t food; it''s time. I believed it was the best course of action at the moment, and there was no other way. But I still felt it wasn''t enough. I was even considering bringing dozens of people from Bell Erucy to securebor, even if that resulted in worsening Erucy''s public safety, multiplying the possibility of trouble.

 Book 4: Chapter 14-2: Defensive Wall

    Book 4: Chapter 14-2: Defensive Wall

    Cyril-san, please tell me. Are you considering Erucy''s defense because youre assuming that Bell Erucy will fall?

    It''s highly unlikely that it will fall. You saw the power of those hand grenades, right? Plus, the defensive wall''s strength is incredible since it was built as a fortress. To capture it, they would need to prepare for significant casualties. The Empire will likely choose to bypass it.

    Bypassing it means that Bell Erucy isn''t that useful after all, right?

    Not quite. The fact that they need to bypass it is meaningful. Trying to bypass it would be quite treacherous, requiring them to traverse a narrow, treacherous path. Moreover, if they march with arge army carrying heavy baggage, their progress will be dyed by two to three weeks. With the dy, they''ll need more food and water, and their baggage will increase, further slowing them down. Bell Erucy is keeping the Empire in check just by existing.

    To add to that, the fact that we control the fortress in that location is of the utmost importance.

    I understand its a dangerous situation, but if Cyril is willing to go that far, the information muste from a very reliable source.

    Yeah, he may have a bad personality, but he doesn''t lie.

    Me has never lied before. Me may provide fragmentary information that can lead to misunderstandings and act in a suggestive manner intentionally, but Me does not lie, or so Me says.

    As I said before, I want to confirm it thoroughly.

    How are you going to confirm it?

    I''ll disguise myself and sneak into the Empire. If I can see the situation there with my own eyes, I''ll know if they are preparing for battle or not. If they are still willing to fight after such a defeat, it means they have a definite chance of victory, so I''ll consider it confirmed.

    The Empire has already suffered three major defeats and significant losses. If they are willing to continue this war, it means they must have a certain chance of winning. This would only be possible if they were able to recruit someone like Ashno or a Hero.

    Leader, I understand. As the captain of Nettle, I agree with your opinion. If there''s someone that dangerous, we need to fortify our defenses thoroughly.

    Yeah, we must protect Erucy.

    Lucy and Roleau had determined expressions. Amidst this, Kuu seemed somewhat uneasy.

    Kuu, what''s wrong? Are you worried?

    Yes, I am worried.

    I won''t lose. We''ll win again this time.

    No, I have no doubts about that. After all, my husband is the most dependable person in the world.

    Kuu''s casually spoken words embarrassed me.

    Cough, can you save the flirting forter?

    It was not Lucy but Kurao who inexplicably seemed jealous of Kuu. Why would a man like him be jealous of Kuu?

    What are you afraid of, Kuu?

    I''m afraid of winning without using attribute magic.

    At first, I didn''t understand what Kuu meant.

    So far, Cyril-kun''s creations and tactics have relied on our unique abilities, like wind magic or fire magic, things that only we can do. But this time, it''s different. Cyril-kun will provide weapons and tactics that can defeat an enemy with hundreds of times our numbers without using attribute magic. That means it''s a technique or tactic that anyone can use, something anyone can replicate. That''s what really scares me. It might be directed at all of us in the future.

    I was momentarily speechless. I couldn''t help but imagine the fear of what mighte after our victory.

    Oh, sorry. Please forget what I said. It''s too early to think about it. If we don''t win, it''s all over. It''s too soon to think about whates after winning.

    No, Kuu is not wrong. We should think ahead and prepare. Thank you, Kuu.

    Yes, I''m honored if I can be of any help.

    Kuu smiled modestly.

    Okay, let''s quickly tell everyone about this. If we don''t convey the information soon, the seeds will be wasted, and we might give them unnecessary work.

    Lucy spoke cheerfully to dispel the heavy atmosphere.

    Kuu-chan, it''s a shame. The wedding will be dyed again. It''s not the time for that after all.

    Yeah, Lucy-chan is right. God can be so mean.

    My two brides looked dejected. So, I smiled and spoke up.

    On the holiday three weeks from now, we''ll have the wedding as nned. I''ll prepare the best feast I can for you both. Infiltrating the Empire and gathering information can wait until after that.

    As soon as I said that, both of them smiled brightly.

    I''m happy, Im really happy but, are you sure?

    Yes, it will only take one day, and I''ve already informed the mayor of Erin. Plus, I can''t wait to see both of you in your wedding dresses as soon as possible. I won''t let the Empire dy that.

    I wanted to get rid of any regrets.

    Afterward, we discussed the specifics of fortifying the defenses and stocking up on supplies and then adjourned the meeting.

    After leaving the meeting room, I called Kuu over.

    Kuu, would you spar with me for a bit?

    Sure, but it''s unusual for you to suggest it, Cyril-kun.

    I have something I want to test. How has our past record been?

    I''ve won twelve times, and you''ve won twenty-two times.

    In reality, I had only won five times using pure martial arts. The rest were victories obtained by using abination of [Program] and [Perception Expansion] to increase information and determine optimal actions.

    I don''t like to rely on them too much because it doesn''t contribute to my personal growth. However, if I don''t use them, Kuu gets upset, thinking that I''m holding back, so I try not to engage in sparring matches too often.

    Without magic, Kuu was stronger. That''s why this would be an interesting experiment.

    Kuu,e at me with your full strength.

    What''s with the sudden request? I''ve never held back against you.

 Book 4: Chapter 14-3: Defensive Wall

    Book 4: Chapter 14-3: Defensive Wall

    We each wrapped cloth around our hands. If we swung our fists with full force, it could be lethal. So, we had the rule that once a hit connected cleanly, the fight would end.

    [Maic Field Generation], [Internal Current Enhancement]

    I activated a new magic. Thanks to Me consuming the Hero, I had learned and gained ess to a new form of magic involving the conversion of my internal magical power (Odo) into electricity.

    In the battle against Ashno, someone with power equal to that of a Hero, simply winning against the imperial soldiers without using magic wouldn''t be enough. It was necessary that someone hold her in check.

    The only one who could do that was me.

    With just my internal magical power (Odo), I could activate [Program] and [Perception Expansion] , but that alone wasn''t enough. In my previous battle against the Hero, I had also used wind magic, [Perception Enhancement] to vastly increase my information-gathering abilities, and [Wind Armor] to further enhance my physical abilities. Only after doing all this, I was able to fight on equal terms

    At the very least, I have to be able to activate magic that can substitute for [Perception Expansion] and [Wind Armor] solely with my internal magical power (Odo). Otherwise, I wouldn''t even be able to fight.

    I''m going.

    Kuu''s figure disappeared, a swift step so quick that it seemed to vanish from sight. And then, the right-hand strike from Kuu, who attacked in the shortest distance possible, directly and without any wasted movement. It couldn''t be captured by the eye.

    However, my body reacted.

    Shi.

    My right hand flicked up, deflecting Kuu''s strike, as if she had foreseen it. Kuu, who had crouched low to vanish from my line of sight, skillfully avoided my low sweep kick with minimal steps. Her exceptional flexibility and explosive eleration allowed her to materialize behind me in an instant. Without turning to face her, I swiftly intercepted the attack from behind, grabbing her hand and twisting it at the joint.

    Once again, I lost. I always think this, but Cyril-kun''s reaction speed is strange. It doesn''t seem human.

    Yeah, I''ve been trying some differentbat techniques this time, but how was itpared to the usual me?

    It was still like facing a monster, but your monstrosity was toned down a bit.

    I guess so. I want to get more used to it, so would you mind spending some time with me today?

    Of course not. I''ll do anything for you, Cyril-kun.

    Thanks, that helps.

    I indulged in Kuu''s words and sparred with her multiple times.

    [Maic Field Generation] is a magic that generates a maic field, just as the name suggests. Iron powder is scattered within it, and the area''s external forces affect the iron powder, causing changes in the maic field. From these changes, information is fed into [program] that controls the optimal movement of the body.

    It stillcks the same precision and reaction speed as using [Perception Expansion], and its range its inferior. Furthermore, it consumes a lot of magical power. When using wind attribute magic, using ones internal magical power (Odo) to summon mana would typically return ten mana. However, due to the limitation of using only internal magical power, the consumption increases tenfold.

    In addition, Ive to use other magic inbination with [program], like [Internal Electrical Current Enhancement], which speeds up the electrical signals sent throughout the body and uses them to enhance my physical abilities. Of course, this also consumes a significant amount.

    While fighting Kuu, I continued to explore a style ofbat using only internal magical power (Odo).

    Kuu, thanks for the help. Thanks to you, I''ve gained a much better sense of things.

    I''m losing confidence. I wish I could win at least once.

    I''m using a lot of tricks with magic, so don''t worry too much.

    Can I use magic too? I think I can win if I turn everything in my sight into a sea of fire.

    Then, martial arts wouldn''t matter anymore, right?

    Kuu was feeling down due to her consecutive losses. However, I had to get ustomed to the new style, so it was necessary.

    But still, it was inferior to my previous style. This needed to be resolved.

    Cyril-kun, please let me say something I couldn''t say before.

    If it''s a request from Kuu, I''ll listen to just about anything.

    Please don''t infiltrate the Empire. Can''t you leave that to someone else?

    I can''t do that. There''s no one better suited than me. Besides, as the chief of Erucy, I need to see the current state of the Empire.

    Then take me with you!

    Im sorry, but thats impossible, the fire fox''s physical characteristics are too eye-catching, disguising your tail and ears for a long time its impossible.

    I have a bad feeling about this. If you can take me with you, I don''t mind cutting off my tail. I can easily hide my ears.

    I was genuinely surprised. For a fire fox, the tail should be more precious than anything else. I had seen her dedication to it up close.

    I don''t want you to do something like that. Isn''t it even more important than your life?

    Surprisingly, it''s fifth in importance for me. In order of importance, it''s Cyril-kun first, skipping one, my sisters third, my life fourth, and my tail fifth.

    Kuu''s eyes didn''t lie. She seemed ready to cut her tail off at any moment.

    Even so, cutting off your tail is not an option. I love your tail, Kuu.

    You''re so mean, Cyril-kun. Even though I''ve been requesting you so much, you won''t stop going, and you won''t take me with you. It''s cruel.

    You rarely ask for anything, so I want to grant your request. But I can''t give in on this.

    This visit to the Empire wasn''t just for preparing for battle. If the Empire still intends to oppose Erucy, we''ll crush it by any means necessary, this will involve a lot of nobatants We absolutely cannot make the wrong decision here. That''s why I have to go.

    I want you to stay in Erucy, Cyril-kun. Because no, it''s nothing.

    Kuu said that while rubbing her belly.

    Please promise me you''lle back. I don''t want to be a widow just after getting married.

    I promise. I''ll swear it on Yggdrasil and the Elven Ancestor.

    You don''t seem like you''d believe in that, Cyril-kun, so please swear it to Lucy-chan.

    I definitely can''t break that promise. But what should I swear to when making a promise to Lucy?

    At that time, swear it to me.

    I burst intoughter at Kuu''s words. No matter what happens, I must return to Erucy, where Lucy and Kuu are.

 Book 4: Chapter 15-1: Artificial Magic Stones

    Book 4: Chapter 15-1: Artificial Magic Stones

    The day after the meeting, the full-scale construction of the defensive wall that would epass all of Erucy began.

    With this, new homes for the fire foxes were also being prepared within Erucy. Expanding the defensive wall to where the workshop was located would be wasteful, and it was bing increasingly inappropriate for the fire foxes to continue living outside of Erucy.

    It had been six months since the fire foxes had arrived, and the barrier between the elves and fire foxes was starting to fade away.

    Lately, probably spurred by my marriage with Kuu, we had started to see couples forming between elves and fire foxes. Until now, such couples had lived separately, but it seemed like cohabitation should be encouraged in the future.

    Despite this trend, the crucial first interracial couple, Kuu and me, wasn''t doing well. It''s not that we disliked each other, but she had started refusing any intimate moments between us, and she wouldn''t exin why. No matter how many times I asked Kuu, she would simply say,

    It''s not confirmed yet, so I cant say. Im sorry.

    As a result, I was getting pent-up. Lucy didn''t refuse me, but on the days when she was tired from training with Nettle, I held back, and with Yukino living together with us, opportunities didn''te easily.

    Yukino is so cute.

    I whispered as I gently stroked Yukino''s head from within my futon.

    She had her long, fluffy tail threaded through her legs as she hugged it while sleeping. I held her tightly, feeling her warmth and scent spreading within my arms, filling me with a sense of happiness.

    Yukino hugged me back while still half-asleep and nuzzled her face against my chest. She had truly grown attached to me. As our closeness increased, I began to feel various emotions besides happiness.

    No, that''s not right as a person.

    I scolded myself for having impure thoughts. Yukino was like my little sister. She trusted me enough to show her vulnerable side like this, and I couldn''t betray that trust. I looked at her adorable sleeping face and channeled all my brotherly instincts.

    As soon as morning came, Yukino slipped out of my futon and crawled into Lucy''s futon next to mine.

    She always slept in Lucy''s futon, but because Lucy hugged her so tightly, it made it difficult for Yukino to sleep, so she would escape to my futon after Lucy fell asleep.

    However, Lucy would get upset if she woke up and Yukino wasn''t there, so Yukino returned to her futon before Lucy woke up. It seemed that Yukino cared for Lucy enough to go to such lengths.

    Yukino is quite considerate, isn''t she?

    She was attentive not only in her work but also in the little details of daily life. When Lucy and I were in the mood, she would discreetly leave and return to the workshop where the fire foxes lived.

    Maybe I was causing problems by making her be so considerate. I needed to improve myself as well.

    Kurao, Lucy, how''s the progress of the construction going?

    I inquired as I checked on the progress of Erucy''s defensive wall construction. Kurao, the acting chief, was in charge of the site, with Lucy assisting him.

    Initially, I had been overseeing the construction myself. However, once I finished teaching them how to read blueprints, I started visiting the site only asionally.

    It''s progressing smoothly as per the blueprints you provided, Cyril-sama. We''re actually about three days ahead of schedule.

    It had been three weeks since the construction had started. While it was far frompletion, it was beginning to take shape.

    I decided to prioritize the building of the defensive wall due to the information I received from Me, but the fact that there wasn''t any wall in the first ce is strange.

    For example, in Japan on Earth, there were many walls to protect castles, but there were hardly any city walls that covered the entire city. This was because the Japanese archipgo was inhabited by a single ethnic group, and the residents there epted their new rulers without much problem if they didnt change their lives substantially.

    For rulers, the residents were a resource, so there was no need to harm them, and it was enough to protect only the castles where the rulers resided.

    However, in the ident, there are still several defensive walls that encircle entire cities. This is because the continent was home to multiple ethnic groups, and the residents were not quick to ept changes in leadership. As a result, the residents became targets of invaders, and if they were invaded, they would be killed or enved.

    It was essential to safeguard the residents, who were the city''s valuable assets. For this reason, relying solely on walls that protected only the rulers was insufficient. As a result, it becamemon practice to encircle the entire city with defensive walls.

    Erucy is, of course, in a situation more simr to ident. The people of Erucy are an attractive asset, and enemiese to attack in order to seize it.

    Is that so? Everyone is working hard. I''m grateful.

    Yeah, everyone is really giving their best. I''m sure they love the changes you introduced in Erucy.

    Lucy said some delightful things.

 Book 4: Chapter 15-2: Artificial Magic Stones

    Book 4: Chapter 15-2: Artificial Magic Stones

    Building a defensive wall like this was straightforward but incredibly monotonousbor. It required both motivation and perseverance to make progress. I was amazed that they had progressed that far with just over a hundred people.

    The defensive wall we were constructing was first built with wooden frames. Then, a mixture of y, sand, and stones was packed in andpressed, and finally, it would be hardened with the fire foxes'' fire. It was a very simple process, but just transporting the materials needed to enclose all of Erucy from the forest day in and day out required an exhausting amount of effort.

    But Cyril, is this defensive wall enough? The defensive wall in Bell Erucy was much higher.

    This height should be sufficient. Even if it''s not that high, it''s still difficult to scale a 4-meter wall.

    But it''s strange. Despite not being very tall, it''s incredibly thick.

    The importance of height and thickness depends on what you prioritize. Lucy, do you know why we''re making the defensive wall thick even though it''s not very high?

    Higher walls make it more difficult to climb and from a higher vantage point, bows, arrows, and projectiles have increased range and power, right?

    That''s correct. On the other hand, if it can''t be easily scaled, there''s no need to make it very high. Also, if we can ensure sufficient range and firepower without excessive height, then height isn''t necessary. Moreover, the taller it is, the more challenging and time-consuming the construction bes. The people of Erucy don''t have the technology to build walls over 20 meters high.

    The defensive wall I designed was only about 4 meters high, but it had a thickness of around 10 meters. In the Empire and Erin, the typical defensive wall had a thickness of 2 meters and a height of about 20 meters. Erucys wall followed apletely different construction concept.

    Topensate for theck of height, we incorporated various other features We designed it in a trapezoidal shape to make it harder to climb. Additionally, we nned to install barbed wire capable of discharging high-voltage electricity in emergency situations. Attempting to remove the barbed wire, whether with armor or bare hands, would result in electrocution. We also implemented small tricks like lowering the ground around the defensive wall to effectively increase its height.

    The battery connected to the barbed wire wasn''t based on science but on magic. It featured an artificial magic stone that contained magic within itself without leaks. By engraving the electric conversion runes used by the hero onto the magic stone itself, the stored magic was released and converted into electricity.

    Currently, even with my knowledge and the skills of the dwarf Kuiro, the artificial magic stone can only hold about five times my total magic power.

    This artificial magic stone can be used as a direct weapon against Ashno, but due to the time limit of [Samsara Recursion], it takes five days to create just one. So, we only have two, one for regr use and the other as a backup

    There are some drawbacks to this design that I didnt exin to the others. For example, with a low wall, there''s a risk that attacks following a parabolic trajectory, like those from catapults, can ovee it andnd inside the wall. I n to tackle this issue using means other than the defensive wall.

    This is thest question. Do you know why we''re making the defensive wall thicker?

    To prevent it from being prated, right?

    That''s correct too. Right now, a thickness of about 2 meters is considered sufficient, but in the near future, such a wall will be easily pierced. I cant rest easy unless it''s at least 10 meters thick .

    Fortunately, Erucy is situated in the mountains without a properly maintained road, so it would be quite a challenge to transportrge-scale siege weapons here. It''s unlikely we''ll face an attack with siege weapons.

    However, this is only true for now. Highly portable and prative weapons will soon be developed.

    What concerns me the most are cannons. Since gunpowder has been introduced to this world, it''s only a matter of time before cannons make their appearance. When cannons were first introduced on Earth, most of the existing defensive walls were easily breached and rendered obsolete.

    However, if the wall is ten meters thick, cannons won''t be able to prate it easily. y mixed with stone and sand not only has hardness but also absorbs impact. The slope that increases difficulty in climbing also has the effect of deflecting the impact.

    Cyril could probably pierce it even if it''s 10 meters thick.

    I responded with a wry smile.

    It could actually be done. As Cyril, it would be impossible, but if I use [Samsara Recursion], there are several Me who could destroy it.

    And, the enemy this time, Ashno, should have power of that magnitude. The fundamental premise of this operation is for me to keep her upied. Can I really do that?

    Lucy, how would you feel if I suddenly lookedpletely different, like I suddenly turned into something else, like a monster from a fairy tale, for example?

    Cyril, what''s gotten into you all of a sudden?

    Lucy looked puzzled by my random question.

    Sorry, it''s nothing. Just a joke.

    I had never used [Samsara Recursion] in front of Lucy or the people of Erucy, and I hadn''t even told them that I had memories from my past life.

    It was truly terrifying. To cease being the Cyril Lucy loved and be something else. There were moments when I questioned whether I was still the same Cyril, or if I had been altered by Me'' into someone else.

    I think I would be really surprised.

    I I see

    My voice trembled a bit due to anxiety.

    There mighte a time when I have to use [Samsara Recursion] in front of Lucy and the others, if she rejects me then

    But no matter what form you take, if I look into your eyes and hear your voice, I believe I''d still recognize you.

    However, her next words dispelled that anxiety.

    Thank you, Lucy. Hearing those words makes me feel relieved.

    At that moment, I thought I could tell Lucy my secret someday.

 Book 4: Chapter 15-3: Artificial Magic Stones

    Book 4: Chapter 15-3: Artificial Magic Stones

    In the workshop, I infused magic into the artificial magic stone I had created.

    The more souls I devoured, the more magic I could store, and the faster it would recover. However, it wasn''t as simple as in a game where you could recover all the magic you used overnight.

    In my case, even in ideal conditions, it would take seventy hours to fully recover once my magic was depleted.

    This magic stone could hold the magic power of five of me, so it would take approximately two weeks to replenish it to the maximum. Since it took five days to make one, that meant a total of three weeks.

    Still, I needed to prepare it because it would be my trump card against Ashno.

    Instinctively, I sensed that my magic capacity had reached its limit, restricted by the capacity of my soul, after devouring hundreds of humans and the hero. It was impossible to expand it any further. No amount of training could significantly increase the amount of magic I could release instantly. As for my skills, I had inherited experiences from my past life, and I had already reached a teau. Bing any stronger would be difficult.

    What I needed to counter Ashno was a weapon. For example, this artificial magic stone couldn''t enhance the effects of attribute magic like a real magic stone, but by instantly releasing the stored magic and converting it into electricity, equivalent to the magic power of five of me, it could be a powerful weapon.

    After Me unlocked a part of Ashno''s information, I was able to recognize how undoubtedly extraordinary an existence she was. Even this artificial magic stone would only be able to dy her.

    I still need more. I want to be stronger. A way for me to be stronger as Cyril I want my own magic that only I can use.

    I could create this magic stone because Kuiro had a unique magic, Kuiro''s own magic.

    Kuiro was skilled, favored by the mana of earth and fire, and had a genius sense for crafting tools, but these were just traits of the dwarf race.

    Kuiro''s unique magic was the embedding of universal magic forms into his creations. It didn''t support attribute magic, but if it was a universal magic he could use, almost all of it could be inscribed into his own creations.

    This allowed the creation of items that would trigger specific magic when magic was poured into them. It wasn''t due to the power of the dwarves but was simr to [Samsara Recursion], a unique magic of Kuiro alone.

    Kuiro''s wish was to leave something that only he could create for future generations and make a name for himself in history. His insatiable desire gave Kuiro''s existence a direction, and after decades of specialization, Kuiro had finally obtained [Magic Inscription].

    Obtaining unique magic wasn''t something you could get just because you wanted it.

    In fact, I didn''t have that many Me with unique magics. Only about thirty percent of the total.

    But did I have the qualifications to desire something so desperately?

    Just thinking like this probably meant I didn''t have the right to do so.

    I should stop asking for the impossible. Right now, I need to prepare weapons, as much as I can.

    With the artificial magic stone, the possibilities of the style of fighting without relying on mana would expand. Handling high-output electricity has many versatile applications.

    I even made the difficult decision to sacrifice our food independence, requiring everyone in Erucy to contribute to building the defensive wall, even though it could have been easily constructed with Kuiro''s power. Their hard work gave me the chance to secure freedom, time, and magic power. I need to use those to create even the slightest chance of victory.

    Cyril-kun, may Ie in?

    After pouring all my magic power into the magic stones and enduring the fatigue, I was summarizing weapon ideas on paper when Kuu knocked on the workshop door and spoke.

    You cane in, Kuu. It''s been a while since you came here.

    Yes, well, I onlye here to do that.

    It would be awkward to do that in the workshop where fire foxes live, the vige chief''s house, or Lucy''s house. So, Kuu and I had a rule that we only expressed our love for each other in this workshop or outside.

    What made youe today?

    Um, I have something I want to tell you, Cyril-kun.

    Kuu looked at me straight in the eyes with a serious expression. There was anxiety in her eyes, I thought about what could make her so anxious to talk to me about.

    In my mind, I envisioned myself being abandoned by Kuu. Maybe that was why she had been recently avoiding me It might be an inevitable oue. After all, I openly confessed that I loved her second most. Naturally, Kuu would desire someone who loved her above all else.

    I see, Kuu, I''m sorry. Don''t worry; I''ll take care of fire foxes even if you and I separate. I won''t let personal feelings interfere.

    Cyril-kun, what are you talking about!?

    Kuu''s face turned bright red as she confronted me.

    With the wedding getting closer you started to think about it and decided that after all you dont want to marry me, right? But you were afraid that fire foxes would be mistreated if you fell out of favor with me, so you kept quiet. I understand even without you saying it. I''m sorry for not noticing.

    In three days, the three of us were getting married. I had entrusted Azul''s invitations with Roleau and the others, who were sent to hoard supplies to Erin. If Kuu wanted to stop the wedding, now was the time.

 Book 4: Chapter 15-4: Artificial Magic Stones

    Book 4: Chapter 15-4: Artificial Magic Stones

    How can youe up with such an off-target answer!? I''m getting angry!

    I was wrong then?

    Obviously! I''ve been saying it over and over. I love you, Cyril-kun. I wouldn''t let someone I dont love touch my tail or embrace me.

    If its for the sake of the fire foxes, I think you would do it, wouldn''t you?

    I won''t deny that, but it''s different. I decided to stay with you because I love you, Cyril-kun.

    Kuu valued others more than herself. If it were for the sake of her younger sisters, she might have obeyed even a vulgar man if he epted them in return.

    Then why do you keep refusing me?

    I really nned to keep quiet. I didn''t want to get too excited prematurely. But Yukino kept saying, "Cyril-niisama is feeling down because he thinks Kuu-neesama hates him. Kuu-neesama, do you hate Cyril-niisama? She asks me every day during training, looking like she is about to cry. So I decided to tell you everything.

    It seems that the ever-attentive Yukino has been working behind the scenes. Next time, I should pamper Yukino to the fullest.

    By the way, the reward I promised during the war with the Empire has remained unimed because Yukino hasn''t demanded anything. Maybe I should decide on something on my own and do it for her.

    Well , Imte. It hasn''te in a month.

    What hasn''t?

    I might be pregnant. My period hasn''te.

    Kuu blurted out in a mosquito-like voice as she turned beet red, she looked as if she had reached her limit.

    Thats why I wanted to avoid doing that for a while! What if there are adverse effects? Besides, I was afraid that if I said it, and it turned out to be just a missed period, you would be disappointed. I couldn''t say it!

    For a moment, everything went white in my vision. Before I realized it, I had walked up to Kuu, picked her up, and spun her around.

    I see, our child, huh? Well done, Kuu!

    I started spinning around,ughing. Kuu widened her eyes, starting to panic. Even in this state, she was adorable.

    S-Stop, Cyril-kun, it''s scary.

    It''s okay; I won''t drop you.

    No, I''m not scared of that. I''m scared of a miscarriage.

    In an instant, I regained my senses and gently put her down.

    I''m sorry, Kuu.

    No, I''m happy that you''re pleased. I didn''t say it because I felt guilty that I got pregnant earlier than Lucy-chan, and I was worried that I might be told to abort. After all, you''re the chief of Erucy, and I''m the second wife.

    Do you think we would do such a terrible thing, Kuu?

    Normally you wouldn''t, but you''re the chief!

    At times, a person''s position may sh with their own will. But things are different in Erucy.

    It''s okay. In Erucy, I am the rule.

    I feel a little uneasy when you say that so confidently.

    It''s just a joke. I''m not serious. But no one would care about such things, so rest assured.

    A child, huh? What should we name it? If it''s a boy

    Also, it might be a false rm; it''s just that my period hasn''te for a while. I''m happy that you''re pleased, but if it''s not true, I''m really sorry.

    I should be able to confirm it if another half month passes. Let''s make an official announcement then.

    Please wait until thest moment for the announcement.

    Why?

    Its only a possibility but, if it''s really known that I''m pregnant and the other fire foxes find out, they won''t let me go outside.

    They love you a lot.

    Yes. Several people will always be around me, making it very difficult for me to move freely. They probably wont let me train Yukino anymore. Yukino is at the stage where she''s growing the most, so it''s really fun. Yukino is amazing. Yesterday, she got me with a clean strike. Other than Cyril-kun, only my big brother and Rera have done that.

    Kuu, let Rera take care of Yukino''s training.

    Why did I have to open my mouth!? Cyril-kun, you''re too overprotective.

    Fire foxes'' training was in realbat format. This could be bad. If a clean strike hit Kuu''s belly, it would be a disaster.

    I hope it''s a girl.

    Do you like girls better?

    No, if it''s a son of both Cyril-kun and me, there might be fiercepetition among the fire foxes to marry him.

    I imagined that scene andughed.

    Come to think of it, Kurone and Kemin joked that if Kuu''s child was a prince of fire foxes, they would marry him. If a boy is born, he''ll probably face more romantic difficulties than I do.

    I really hope Kuu is pregnant.

    Kuu''s eyes sparkled when she heard my words.

    Yes!

    She nodded, and for the first time in a while, we flirted a little. In a way the child wouldnt be affected.

 Book 4: Chapter 16-1: Blast Furnace

    Book 4: Chapter 16-1: st Furnace

    Thank you foring.

    I smiled and extended my hand for a handshake with Azul, the blue-haired girl who served as the mayor of Erin, themercial city of the Choline Kingdom. However, she appeared quite worn out.

    It''s the head of an allied nation''s ceremony. I''ll participate no matter what.

    As expected of you, Ojou-sama, so devoted even though he rejected your advances!

    Jii, what are you saying? Do you want your sry reduced again?

    Oh, no, just joking. It''s about the job, you see. I''m talking about the failed headhunting.

    That''s enough. This is for you.

    Azul took out an envelope and handed it to me. The paper was of exceptionally high quality, with the Choline Kingdom''s seal pressed into it. I took out the letter that was inside.

    Can you read themonnguage?

    No problem.

    Since the Empire and the Choline Kingdom were originally a single country, theirnguage and script were almost identical. Therefore, what was used in both countries was widely referred to as themonnguage, being able to read generally meant being able to read themonnguage.

    The contents stated that the Choline Kingdom officially recognized Erucy as a nation and established diplomatic rtions. It was signed personally by the King of the Choline Kingdom.

    If this letter were a forgery, everyone involved in its cirction would face a crime so severe that their heads would literally roll.

    I''m impressed, Azul-sama. I never anticipated that you would be able to realize it.

    Normally, Azul would have been killed.

    Establishing diplomatic rtions with Erucy was synonymous with antagonizing the Empire. To be hostile to the Empire was to make enemies of their supporting nations as well.

    If a representative of a single city were to make such a decision independently, they would undoubtedly face severe consequences. Even I would have to resort to drastic measures if Kurao, the acting chief, suddenly dered war on a neighboring country one day.

    My father is too lenient with me. I worry about a king who rules a country with favoritism toward family members.

    My presence had some convincing power too. Ojou-sama, didn''t you end up threatening your father?

    I didn''t do anything so terrible. That was just negotiation.

    When you said that you would defect to Erucy, taking me and Erin with you if they didn''t ept the proposal, I thought, Ojou-sama is dead.

    I''m still alive.

    I killed a dozen assassinsst week. They all kept their mouths shut, so I couldn''t find out who hired them, but they were probably sent by your siblings, Ojou-sama. Thanks to that, I''ve been sleep-deprived and my skin is a mess!

    Those people are cowards, so it can''t be helped. I even gave them properpensation. Why are they dissatisfied?

    Arent they dissatisfied that Ojou-sama is still alive?

    I see, you are unusually correct, Jii.

    Did you go that far?

    I inadvertently raised my voice. What could have pushed Azul this far?

    And why was Jii so loyal to Azul? Azul had been able to survive like this because of Jii.

    The value of an individual with the power of a hero was extremely high. Even if she couldn''t kill all the soldiers, if she decided to go all in, she could easily take the king''s head on her own.

    That''s why the Empire always had a hero by the emperor''s side.

    Not having a hero put one at a significant disadvantage in negotiations, and countries that possessed heroes didn''t easily go to war with each other. Because if heroes shed, there was a possibility of losing their own hero, and in that case, they would be annihted by a country that still had one.

    Considering how far Azul had gone, Jii might be the only individual in the Choline Kingdom with hero-level abilities.

    If that is the case, Jii should have received countless lucrative offers. It is hard to understand why she is apanying this troublesome girl while being threatened with a pay cut.

    Is she being ckmailed using her orphaned sisters as hostages? Thats unlikely. If something as obvious as that were a weakness, Azul''s enemies would have long since kidnapped them and used them to threaten Jii.

    Cyril-sama, you''ve been staring at me since earlier. Could it be that you''ve fallen for me? Oh my, stealing the groom''s heart on the wedding day, Im frightened of my own beauty. My aura as a capable woman is terrifying. Ugh, but I''m sorry. I like your appearance, but I get shivers only thinking about it.

    No, I have no such intentions.

    I couldn''t help but feel downcast at being told that she hated me to that extent. Come to think of it, Jii had a bad impression of me from the beginning and had hurled various insults at me. Maybe there was a reason for it.

    Jii, he is an allied nation''s leader, be careful with your words.

    I apologize, Ojou-sama. My true thoughts just slipped out.

    Are you doing it on purpose? Cyril-san, although I used a somewhat forceful approach, it''s not something you need to worry about. The Empire, with its human supremacy beliefs, and the Choline Kingdom, which advocates the coexistence of multiple races, have always had a difficult rtionship. This recognition was necessary to achieve my goal of creating the country that I aim for. I kept my promise because I also benefited from our deal.

    Naturally, I shall uphold my promise as well. I have prepared the iron-making technology and the workshop blueprints. I shall ensure the utmost efficiency attainable within the limits of Erin''s industrial technology. Following the wedding, I shall journey to Erin and offer guidance for three days alongside the staff you have arranged. Subsequently, I will provide support for three days each month.

    I designed a basic st furnace and utilized Kuiro''s power to establish a miniature version right next to the workshop. I believe that demonstrating it would leave a stronger impression, and I also needed it to conduct practical experiments. The reason I opted for a st furnace instead of other approaches was due to Azul''s information  there was a nearby mine in Erin, making it easier to obtain iron ore than iron sand.

    That''ll be a big help. The staff I''ve prepared is excellent. They''ll absorb your guidance right away.

    Thank you.

    They probably intend to surpass the technology I teach them. Erin is vibrant, and new things are being created one after another. It''s only natural for such thoughts to arise. I''ll have to be cautious.

    You don''t doubt me?

 Book 4: Chapter 16-2: Blast Furnace

    Book 4: Chapter 16-2: st Furnace

    Are you inquiring whether I have any doubts about whether the contents of that envelope have genuinely circted to foreign countries?

    Yes.

    I hold the belief that you wouldn''t lie in this instance. You''re not one to act so recklessly.

    We have been gathering fragmentary information through spies who had infiltrated Bell Erucy. Although they didn''t provide detailed information, we received hints suggesting that the Choline Kingdom would initiate diplomatic rtions with Erucy.

    Thank you. I''m d you said that. Also, you can drop the formalnguage. I consider us equals. If you continue with that tone, I''ll have to respond in kind.

    My apologies. I''ll speak in a more casual tone from now on.

    It''s more rxing for me like that too.

    Jii, bring the celebratory gift.

    Understood, Ojou-sama.

    Jii brought several wooden boxes from the carriage and opened one right there, to disy its contents to me. Inside, I was greeted by brilliant and mesmerizing blue porcin. Despite its striking appearance, there was also a certain calming quality to it. At first nce, it was evident that this was a masterpiece. A single piece of this porcin could be worth an entire castle.

    Though it may be amon gift, these are married couple teacups. I got four because you have two brides, and your sister needs one too.

    Thank you. I''ll cherish them.

    Huh? Are you really going to use them? Shouldn''t you keep them safe?

    Jii, tools have meaning when they''re used. Even works of art.

    I agree with that sentiment. Tools shine when they''re put to use.

    We''ll hold the wedding during lunchtime. Since we have some time before the ceremony, would you like to visit the experimental workshop I''ve set up? I assume you''d prefer to see the ironworking process firsthand, right?

    I''ll take you up on that offer By the way, did you really build a workshop just for the demonstration?

    Normally, I use magic to create things, so I was uneasy about handing over ns without testing.

    Kuiro the dwarf, hadplete control over earth and minerals. He could make any ceramic or metal item with the correct blueprints by using earth and fire magic.

    Hey, Cyril-san, instead of going through the trouble of handing over ns, couldn''t you just create a workshop with your abilities in Erin?

    If having one workshop forever is okay with you, then sure, I''ll do that. It would save me the trouble of teaching for three days as well.

    I said that, but I didn''t want to use [Samsara Recursion] in enemy territory. It consumed most of my mana, and with the limitation of once every twelve hours, calling Kuiro and then being attacked by Jii would likely result in my death. It''s always good to have a backup n.

    That''s true, it was a silly question. Having the knowledge to create as many workshops as you want is more valuable than having just one.

    I''m d you understand.

    But, for now, it would be nice to have at least one sooner rather thanter.

    If you promise to permanently abolish the tariffs, Ill consider it.

    I presented a condition to Azul that would make her give up.

    Too bad, I should have set these conditions from the beginning.

    Azul raised both hands andughed, giving up.

    After that, I led them to the st furnace I had built next to the old workshop I used as a storeroom and demonstrated iron smelting using iron ore and limestone.

    The furnace was primarily made of refractory bricks, with a tall chimney. I showed them the process of creating a sword by pouring molten iron into a mold. It was a simple process of melting iron ore, removing impurities, and pouring the molten iron into the mold.

    It didnt take much time, as all you had to do was light a fire and put the lime and iron ore into the furnace.

    I used coal as fuel since it was avable in this era and was avable in Erin as well. I had Roleau buy it when he went to buy food supplies for the siege.

    It was possible to use wood charcoal, but it was highly inefficient, and there was a risk of creating extended deforestation like in the Empire.

    You can get an iron sword so easily.

    Ojou-sama its incredible, even making a copper sword involves moreplicated steps.

    I wonder how much ingenuity has been put into this furnace to make it so easy.

    You can understand that by reading the documents.

    But we need coal for this. It''s quite expensive. And this ck smoke, Erin might get dirty because of the soot, and it seems poisonous. Can''t we use something like wood charcoal?

    It''s possible, but it''s more cost-effective to send someone to mine coal, and with wood, you would need too much, and the good mountains near Erin would quickly be deforested.

    I see, not everything can go as nned. Is there any affordable fuel option that doesn''t produce soot and keeps Erin clean?

    Theres no way something like that exists. I rmend building the workshop on the outskirts of Erin.

    This furnace was designed to minimize the emission of smoke and dust as much as possible.

    However, there were limits. Achievingpletely pollution-free ironworking without magic was impossible. You either burned coal and scattered ck dust or cut down arge amount of wood.

    Cyril-niisama, Kurao-sama is calling for you to get dressed.

    Yukino the silver fox appeared. She was wearing the maid outfit I had designed as usual but had added a cute hair ornament. She was probably dressing up for my wedding.

    Yukino, thanks foring to get me. I''ll be there in a little while.

    Yeah, hurry up.

    Yukino stood beside me and tugged at my sleeve. Almost unconsciously, I stroked her head, and she wagged her tail, narrowing her eyes.

    Cyril-san, I know your cute little sister came to get you, but can you demonstrate one more time?

    I don''t mind, but unfortunately, we''ve run out of coal We''ll have to use wood charcoal instead. It will take more time, though, is that okay?

    Yes, that''s fine.

    In that case, I''ll go get some wood charcoal. Please wait a moment.

    I left the area for a moment.

 Book 4: Chapter 16-3: Blast Furnace

    Book 4: Chapter 16-3: st Furnace

    When I returned to the furnace, the fire was already lit.

    Why is the fire lit? No way, Yukino!?

    Cyril-niisama, if they want to see the process, Yukino can do it. Yukino doesn''t need coal, and it''s much faster. This way, Cyril-niisama can prepare for the wedding faster.

    Yukino tossed iron ore and limestone into their respective chutes and started the furnace, using her own magic to ignite the mes, not coal. Yukino had been watching me work, so her movements were fluid. Yukino''s mes burned with even more intensity than coal, melting the iron in an instant, and the furnace efficiently removed impurities. The molten iron was poured into the mold.

    I felt a headacheing on. This was my mistake. I shouldn''t have left Yukino alone.

    Amazing. This way, the cost is almost nothing, and Erin stays clean.

    Azul stared at Yukino and the furnace with a gaze filled with more emotion than before.

    Cyril-niisama, we''re done. Shall we go?

    Just a moment, Yukino. I want to talk a bit more.

    Iposed myself and began to speak slowly.

    Azul, I understand what you''re thinking, but I absolutely won''t allow it.

    What do you mean by it''?

    Using the fire foxes power. Let me make it clear: only the golden and silver fire foxes, which possess exceptionally strong power, are capable of providing the stable heat required for the st furnace. Yukino and my wife, Kuu, are the only ones with that kind of power, and I have no intention of letting go of either of them.

    That''s only when using one person, right? If several people take turns, it should work.

    Certainly, if three people work together to generate mes and rotate every hour, such a method should be feasible.

    Moreover, even without the fire foxes, it would be possible for ordinary humans to do it if they prepared arge amount of fire magic stones.

    Calm down; I''m not nning to abduct anyone forcibly. However, there might be some fire foxes who want to live in Erin, if thats the case I might offer them jobs.

    Fire foxes can''t live in ordinary towns. Sooner orter, they''ll inevitably suffer. I won''t tolerate any strange temptations.

    That''s just your prejudice. As a water sprite, I''m living happily in Erin, and I''ll protect them properly.

    Azul has power, and besides, the water sprites themselves are a minority. If youy a hand on Erucy''s people, our cooperation will be over.

    Youre cruel. You know how hard I had to work for Erucy to be recognized as a country, and now you want to break your side of the deal.

    Even so, that''s how it is. I won''t allow it, even if it means going to war with the Choline Kingdom.

    Fine. I won''t try to recruit anyone, even if its to get an alternative to coal and charcoal. I don''t want to make an enemy out of you.

    I shall believe those words.

    At the very least, Azul isnt the type to casually break promises. It should be safe to trust her for now.

    In one of the vige chief''s rooms, Kurao was helping me change clothes.

    Apparently, there was a ceremonial dress passed down through generations in the elf vige, which my father had also used. However, due to its structuralplexity, I couldn''t put it on by myself. It was predominantly green and ck in color, and I couldn''t discern its material.

    I hadn''t seen such material, not even in my past lives. The only thing I could tell was that the material was alive.

    Kurao was adjusting the size to fit my body.

    The strange thing was that he had never measured my body before, yet it fit perfectly. It didn''t even look like he had forcibly adjusted the size at thest moment. It appeared brand new.

    Just how much determination and patience did he put into making this dress?

    Cyril-sama, it suits you well. Since hearing that Cyril-sama was getting married, I worked tirelessly every night, but it was worth it.

    Thank you, Kurao. I''m always being helped by you. Someday, I''ll have to repay you.

    No, no, not at all. I''ve received many teachings from Cyril-sama, so there''s no need for thanks.

    That''s not how it works. Those who work hard deserve appropriate rewards. It''s also part of a leader''s job.

    Erucy has many hotheads, so the only individuals I can entrust with significant positions are Kurao, Lucy, Kuu, and Kuus master, Rera. I refrained from granting important positions to my two wives because I feared I might end up pampering them. Even if Lucy or Kuu were tomit a crime, I''d likely forgive them.

    I have asked Rera several times to assist Kurao, but she has declined every time. I couldn''t give up because I felt her wisdom and knowledge during our conversations. I desperately wanted her help.

    In that case, could I ask for an advanced edition of Cyril-sama''s teachings as a thank-you gift? I received Cyril-sama''s basic teachings for leaders, if theres a basic edition there should be an advanced edition.

    Indeed, I was nning to create it, but isn''t it more of a reference material for work than a reward?

    No, it''s a reward. Please, please, Cyril-sama, while you''re away on your journey to the Empire, I''ll cherish the advanced edition of your teachings and use it to fill the void in my heart.

    Kurao began to kneel. I sighed. If he wanted it so much, Ill have to prepare the advanced edition. I had originally nned to do so. If my knowledge could be of some use, there was no reason to hesitate.

    It would also serve as a guide for those who will be left in charge after I am gone.

    Kurao, after the wedding, I''ll finish the advanced edition during the trip to Erin. I''ll return to Erucy briefly after that and give it to you before heading to the Empire.

    Cyril-sama, thank you very much. For changing your ns just for someone like me. I''ll think of the advanced edition of Cyril-sama''s teachings as Cyril-sama and wait for your return.

    Kurao shed tears and clung to me. I had to change the topic; otherwise, he wouldn''t leave.

    I wonder if Lucy and Kuu have finished getting ready.

    Lucy and Kuu were changing clothes in another room. I hadn''t seen their wedding dresses yet, as they wanted to keep it a secret until the day of the ceremony. I was really looking forward to it. If possible, I wanted to make the most of them even at night.

    They''ve been preparing for quite a while, so I think they''ll be fine. Cyril-sama is a bit unusual, working until the day of such an event.

    Because I''m the chief.

    Opportunities for Azul and the others toe here were rare, and I couldn''t keep them tied up for long. I really wanted to finish the inspection before the ceremony.

    Also, Cyril-sama, there''s something I''ve been thinking about for a long time.

    What is it?

    Cyril-sama, you have a nice scent, you know.

    I felt genuinely threatened for the first time in a long while. Why are people like Roleau, Kurao, and the other men of Erucy so entric?

 Book 4 Epilogue-1: The Wedding

    Book 4 Epilogue-1: The Wedding

    <strong>Volume 4 Epilogue-1: The Wedding</strong>

    Unusually, I found myself with spare time. I was alone in a room at the vige chief''s house, waiting for my turn.

    Lucy and Kuu were waiting in another room, Kurao was preparing at the venue and Yukino was finishing today''s dishes with a few of the fire foxes.

    We hadpleted the preparations for the dishes the night before, but I entrusted the final touches to them to ensure the meals retained their just-cooked freshness. Yukino had been learning cooking from me whenever she had spare time since she came here, so I had no problem leaving it to her as long as she had the recipes.

    Am I a good chief?

    I asionally questioned myself. Erucy had be strong and prosperous, but whether I was a good leader was another matter. My ideal chief was my father.

    My father once told me that the most crucial quality for being a good chief was the ability to inspire people with a vision. It meant that if everyone followed this person, they could believe in a happier tomorrow. He encouraged me to aspire to be a chief like that.

    I had always aimed for that ideal, but at times, I felt anxious about whether everyone in Erucy truly believed that they would find happiness by following me.

    And

    Can I be a good husband?

    I had two amazing brides. Was I a man worthy of them?

    I loved Lucy and Kuu from the bottom of my heart. But no matter how I tried to justify it, the fact remained that I was involved with both of them.

    If they were honest with themselves, they probably wished to be the sole recipients of my love. But I wanted both of them. I didn''t want to give them up to anyone else. I couldn''t bear the thought of another man touching them.

    I didn''t regret my decision. So, I had to make them both happy with all my might and never betray them again. That was my duty.

    Cyril-niisama, the wedding is starting. Pleasee .

    Yukino, the silver fire fox who was like a little sister to me, entered the room.

    She was still wearing her usual maid outfit, but today she had added a stylish hair essory just for the asion. And her tail was tidier at the tips than when I saw her this morning. She must have brushed it.

    Is the food ready?

    Yes, just as you taught me, Cyril-niisama .

    She said proudly, puffing out her still-small chest.

    As expected of you, Yukino. You look even cuter today than usual. The hair essory suits you well .

    Yukino really likes this hair essory. Kuu-neesama gave it to me. It''s a keepsake from Yukinos mother. Yukino only wears it on special asions .

    The fact that she wore it today meant that she held my wedding with Lucy and Kuu in high regard.

    What about Lucy and Kuu?

    Kemin and Kurone are going to get them. Yukino wanted toe get Cyril-niisama so they left you to me .

    I see. Thank you, Yukino. Im also happier that you came to get me. It''s a secret between us, okay?

    I couldn''t help but favor Yukino among the three of them. We had spent a lot of time together, and I had grown attached to her.

    No, that wasn''t it. Watching Yukino work so hard to learn cooking and housework, Nettles training, and Kuu''s practice made me want to support her more and more. I genuinely liked hardworking people like her.

    Yukino will never tell Kemin and Kurone. It would make them sad. It''s a secret between Cyril-niisama and Yukino .

    When she said it was a secret between the two of us, Yukino''s tail wagged happily from behind. I found her asional childlike moments endearing.

    Shall we go? We shouldn''t keep everyone waiting too long .

    The elves and fire foxes at the venue were probably eagerly awaiting the start of the wedding.

    I stood up and started walking. Then, Yukino hugged me from behind.

    What''s wrong, Yukino? It''s hard to walk if you hug me like this .

    I''m sorry, Cyril-niisama. Yukino doesn''t know. Yukino couldnt help it .

    Her hands around me trembled.

    Yukino felt that Cyril-niisama would go away, Yukino felt lonely and sad and Yukinos body moved on its own .

    I think, you might unconsciously worry that if I get married, you won''t get my attention anymore. But don''t worry, even after we''re married, I''ll still be here for you, just like before .

    No, Cyril-niisama, Yukino didn''t mean No, it''s nothing. Yukino is sorry for stopping you .

    Yukino''s hands slowly let go. I couldn''t help but smile at her adorable selfishness.

    Don''t worry about it. I''m happy that youre so attached to me. But soon youll have to start behaving like an elder sister. Its a secret but, we''re getting a new family member .

    I had been checking Kuu''s condition every week since hearing about her pregnancy. Last week, I finally confirmed it. She was about one month pregnant.

    I had informed her, and at that time, Kuu had covered her mouth and cried tears of joy, repeatedly saying how happy she was.

    A new family member?

    Don''t tell anyone yet. Kuu is carrying my child .

    That''s amazing! A child of Kuu-neesama! A new fire fox will be born!

 Book 4 Epilogue-2: The Wedding

    Book 4 Epilogue-2: The Wedding

    <strong>Volume 4 Epilogue-2: The Wedding</strong>

    That''s amazing! A child of Kuu-neesama! A new fire fox will be born!

    The fire foxes had been saved after escaping to Erucy and receiving help from the vigers, but they had always feared that their species would be extinct.

    A new life, and especially the child of the chief, Kuu, was a cause for great celebration.

    However, I must be away for a while. So, I have a favor to ask of you, Yukino. Please protect Kuu .

    Yeah, Yukino will do her best. Yukino will protect Kuu-neesama no matter what, even if the imperial soldierse or a hero arrives. Yukino will protect her at any cost .

    Seeing her determination, I could rest easy. Although I dont want her to risk her life.

    Thank you, big sister .

    Big sister?

    Yes, I want you to take care of Kuu''s child as well. Would you be the big sister to the child who''s about to be born? I can trust Yukino with this .

    Leave it to Yukino, Cyril-niisama. Yukino will raise Kuu-sama''s child into a top-notch fire fox warrior. Kuu-neesama''s way is too lenient, so Yukino will use the stricter Rera method .

    Isn''t that still a bit premature?

    Since we learned that Kuu might be pregnant, Yukino''s training had been entrusted to Rera, Kuu''s master.

    Kuu''s training had been quite Spartan, but what kind of torture was Reras training for it to be considered "lenient"?

    Shall we go now?

    Yes, Cyril-niisama .

    Yukino reached out her hand, and I took it, letting her lead the way.

    At the exit of the vige chief''s house, Lucy and Kuu were waiting in wedding dresses.

    Both of them had surprisingly light makeup on. But more than anything else,

    Both of you look so beautiful .

    In pure white silk dresses, the two of them were incredibly stunning. The dresses themselves were very simple, with minimal decorations. However, the simplicity highlighted the meticulous craftsmanship, the use of the finest silk, and, above all, the charm of the two women wearing them.

    Surely, if you looked at the dresses individually, there might be better ones. But when Lucy and Kuu wore them, there was no dress in this world as beautiful.

    I couldn''t help but be amazed by the skill of the owner of Erin''s clothing store.

    Cyril looks handsome too. Is that the ceremonial outfit passed down in the elf vige?

    It suits you well. But why didn''t Cyril-kun get his outfit tailored at Erin''s too?

    Kuu''s question was somewhat justified. The ancestral outfit I was wearing was made of a mysterious material I didn''t even understand, so it wouldn''t deteriorate. Still, itcked some ir. It would have been better to have it tailored in Erin''s for the wedding.

    However, the reason I chose to wear this outfit for the wedding wasn''t because I was being frugal.

    My father, the elf chief of two generations ago, wore this outfit for the first time at his wedding and said, Now that I''m the leader, I''ll make my wife happy, but I''ll also make all of you happy.'' I grew up listening to my mother tell me this love story every day. So, it''s been my dream since I was a child. To wear this outfit at my wedding and say, I''ll make everyone happy .

    It was a dream I had given up on once.

    Cyril, you''re really a romantic .

    But I like that about Cyril-kun .

    Lucy and Kuu smiled at me with affectionate eyes.

    There''s something I want to say before the ceremony begins. Lucy, thank you for not giving up on me when I had given up on everything .

    Back when I had given up on everything and was a worthless man, Lucy was the only one who believed in me.

    That''s why I was able to stand up. And now, Erucy exists because of that.

    But that''s not all. When I was about to give up, Lucy was always there to push me forward.

    Kuu, thank you for being with me even though I said I loved you the second most. Thank you for loving this insincere man .

    When Kuu said she loved me, I told her that I loved Lucy the most but also loved Kuu and didnt want to lose her. She epted that, and she still loved me.

    I''m grateful for that.

    She helped me with the rule of Erucy, too. Even after losing her family and friends, she worked hard to support me. If it weren''t for her, we wouldn''t have won the second battle.

    Lucy and Kuu, both are the best brides for me.

    Cyril, thank you too. Thank you for continuing to be you. Because my husband is Cyril, I can be the happiest bride in the world .

    I feel the same way. Only Cyril-kun would ept such a troublesome girl like me. I''m thankful to Cyril-kun, not just for myself, but also for all the fire foxes you''ve helped. Without Cyril-kun, we wouldn''t have understood the meaning of our fathers'' fight or been able to avenge my brother and the rest of our brethren .

    The three of us naturally embraced each other. It was a gentle hug. Just that was enough to fill our hearts.

 Book 4 Epilogue-3: The Wedding

    Book 4 Epilogue-3: The Wedding

    <strong>Volume 4 Epilogue-3: The Wedding</strong>

    We walked out of the vige chief''s house and headed for the square.

    In addition to Erucy''s citizens, there was Azul, the youngdy from Erin, the beautiful woman dressed in a male outfit, Jii, and the five leaders from Bell Erucy.

    A path had been opened in the middle of the crowd, and a red cloth was spread out on it. Yukino, Kemin, and Kurone each held our hands as we walked.

    As we walked, cheers and apuse from the crowd echoed on both sides.

    We arrived at a slightly elevated stage, where Yukino, Kemin, and Kurone let go of our hands, and only Lucy, Kuu, and I stepped onto the stage. I stood in the middle, with the three of us in a row.

    At that moment, the voices and apuse ceased. On the stage, Kurao, dressed in fine attire, stood.

    Today, under the blessing of Yggdrasil, we will celebrate the wedding ceremony.

    An elven wedding blessing passed down through generations began.

    Groom, Cyril. Do you pledge to love and be with both Lucy and Kuu, even in the face of the raging winds of adversity, the gue of hunger, and the ravage of illness?

    I do.

    I nodded. I would never let go of their hands, no matter the circumstances. My feelings would never change.

    Bride, Lucy, Kuu. Do you pledge to love and be with Cyril, even in the face of the raging winds of adversity, the gue of hunger, and the ravage of illness?

    I do.

    I pledge.

    Lucy and Kuu both dered, their voices filled with emotion.

    Now, kiss the brides to seal the vows.

    I kissed Lucy first and then Kuu. In my mind, the only thought that crossed was that their lips felt different.

    With this, the vows are sealed. May the three of you be happy forever.

    Kurao concluded, and Yukino and the others took the stage, handing the bouquet to Lucy and Kuu. As they received it, apuse and cheers erupted.

    Thank you all foring to our ceremony. I pledge here: I will be a good husband and make Lucy and Kuu happy. And as chief, I pledge to make everyone in Erucy happy.

    The apuse intensified. Perhaps it was because they believed in me. Was I truly a good chief? The answer to that long-standing question finally came to me, and my heart swelled with warmth.

    We have a piece of happiness to share with all of you.

    Everyone,e forward.

    Please ept the happiness.

    As I spoke, the men and married women took a step back, and the unmarried women moved forward.

    It was time for the bouquet toss. Strangely enough, elves and fire foxes had a tradition like this too. Whoever caught the bouquet was said to be the next one to get married.

    I nced at Yukino and saw her looking at the eager women with a cold expression while she refrained from participating.

    I thought she was interested in marriage because she had mentioned wanting children, but maybe she wasn''t?

    As I pondered this, the bouquet was released from the hands of Lucy and Kuu. Lucy''s bouquet, drawing a parabolic arc, was snatched by a young elf girl, Konna, who jumped desperately. It seemed like the results of her training with Nettle showed themselves.

    Kuu''s bouquet, on the other hand, was fiercely contested by women trying to catch it in mid-air. It bounced out of their hands several times and by a miraculous chancended squarely in the chest of Yukino, who had been standing idly in the back.

    Yukino''s eyes widened, and she hugged the bouquet, wearing aplicated expression.

    The ceremony is over. Now it''s time for the party. We have prepared a sumptuous feast on the tables over there. And, Azul, who came from Erin, has sent some rare and exquisite liquor. Enjoy yourselves to the fullest.

    Cheers erupted, and everyone headed towards the tables with food. They were eager to taste the special dishes and the delicious liquors.

    At the request of the fire foxes, we had prepared the same menu we prepared for their wee party, venison soup, herb-vored goat meat hamburgers, wild boar steak, roast chicken, chard steamed inside a hand-rolled crpe, and, of course, Erucy wine, along with the premium liquor sent by Azul.

    Today would be a grand celebration.

    Finally, my dream hase true.

    A dream I have been pursuing since childhood, to be a chief like my father. A dream I have once given up on. It has finallye true. And I have the best partners in life by my side.

    From now on, I have to protect and build upon the happiness I have found, no, I have to be even happier.

    Everyone, look at this.

    Two hours into the party, as the dishes were starting to run out, I proudly revealed the ultimate weapon: the wedding cake.

    It was a three-tiered, extrarge cake, big enough to be shared with everyone in Erucy. Unlike the British style, there was no particr significance to the tiers; it was just for the visual appeal.

    Usually, only the cutting part was real, and the rest was fake. But this one was all real. I didn''t even use a base for stability.

    To prevent it from copsing, I made a sugar ze from potatoes and coated the surface, then stacked theyers and decorated them with cream made from goat''s milk and maple syrup. The finishing touch was the intricate sugar art.

    Wow, this is amazing. I''ve never seen anything like it, even in Erin.

    Azul eximed surprised by the intricacy of the cake.

    Lucy, Kuu, it''s the first joint effort of the newlyweds. Let''s cut and distribute this dessert to everyone.

    Cyril, I was wondering where you were at night, so you were making this.

    It looks like a tower made of sweets.

    The two seemed half impressed, half fed up, but I understood that on the inside they were really happy.

    Lucy, Kuu, and I cut the cake together for the first time, smiling. This was the beginning of our life as a married couple.

 Book 5 Prologue-1: The Day Before Departure

    Book 5 Prologue-1: The Day Before Departure

    <strong>Volume 5 Prologue-1: The Day Before Departure</strong>

    The wedding was over, and I was now officially wedded to Lucy and Kuu.

    A day had passed, and my spirits were high. I felt like I could do anything now.

    Yesterday was so much fun.

    At the banquet after the ceremony, Yukino, Kemin, and Kurone performed songs and dances for us.

    The threes "Yokkora fox" performance was so cute that I couldn''t help but smile.

    During their dance, there were some incidents where some unruly individuals lost their minds and tried to intrude on the stage, but we were able to apprehend them, and their dance ended without any further trouble.

    Kuu blushed deeply and muttered as she watched the "Yokkora fox" performance.

    Those kids sang such an embarrassing song for me I''m happy, but It''s opening old wounds!!

    Next to her, Lucy and I enjoyed watching the swaying tails of our three little sisters.

    There were also musical performances by Konna and other elves, acrobatic shooting by some of the hunters, and for some reason, Jii performed an impromptu magic show, keeping the festivities going until dawn.

    Cyril-niisama, is this okay?

    Yukino, the silver fox, asked me as I thought about yesterday''s events. We were now in a furnace on the opposite side of the one we showed to Azul and Jii. This was a different furnace, a coke furnace.

    We hadn''t shown this one to them, and we had no intention of doing so in the future. Tomorrow, we would depart for Erin, so I nned to teach the group who would remain in Erucy how to handle this coke furnace before leaving.

    Yes, this level of heat is just right. Any other issues Neel, increase the wind a bit more.

    Alright, Cyril-sama.

    Neel, the elven girl, was startled by my request but increased the strength of the wind. As expected of sisters, her character was quite simr to Konna''s.

    Cyril-niisama, you''ve only put coal in, what are you making?

    Yukino asked while keeping the fire going.

    This furnace here, it''s for refining coal into coke. You see, when we make iron, using raw coal as it is, gives us less heat and a bunch of impurities, which isn''t great for the quality of the iron. So, we''ve got to purify the coal first, and whates out of that is what we call coke. That''s what we''re making right now.

    Coal contains sulfur, coal tar, pitch, and more, with sulfur being particrly detrimental to iron, making purification necessary.

    To achieve this, you need to heat the coal to over 1300C for several minutes, which separates impurities from the coal. This process also enablesbustion at higher temperatures than regr coal.

    Normally, using coal as fuel to process coal would be wasteful, but we have the power of the fire foxes in Erucy. With their help, the fuel problem is solved.

    Additionally, by using the power of the elves to provide airflow, we can evenly heat the inside of the furnace and obtain good-quality coke.

    Cyril-niisama, why are you making this? Yukino and the others can make iron without it.

    That''s true., but we''re not making this coke for our own use. We''re going to sell it to Erin; as a specialty of Erucy.

    You can indeed make iron from raw coal, but using coke is more efficient and produces higher-quality iron. Without a doubt, Erin would want this product.

    Furthermore, it takes time for them to figure out how to turn coal into coke on their own, and facilities for purifying it efficiently won''t appear for decades. During that time, it will be an important source of ie for Erucy.

    Also, take a look at this.

    I took out the sulfur that had umted in a depression in the coke furnace. This furnace was designed to collect impurities generated when making coke.

    Cyril-niisama, what''s this?

    Sulfur, it''s used to make gunpowder.

    Gunpowder, the one Cyril-niisama used before that went boom''?

    Yes, while making coke, we can also collect a lot of this. It''s a way to make money and replenish our weapons at the same time. Pretty nice, right?

    Yes, Yukino thinks it''s great that nothing goes to waste.

    Until now, we had been making gunpowder from animal carcasses and sulfur sold in Erin. But from now on, we can secure sulfur quickly using this coke furnace.

    As for coal procurement, when I consulted with the five leaders of Bell Erucy, one said that near his old vige, a rock that burned could be mined. So, I had the residents of Bell Erucy start mining it.

    Since we n to sell the coke in Erin as high-quality coal rather than a processed product, it was fortunate that we could obtain coal without buying it in Erin. Buying arge amount of coal in Erin might attract unwanted attention and suspicion.

    Cyril-niisama is naughty. Didn''t you promise to teach the people of Erin about iron?

    I''m keeping my promise. It''s just that we found a better way to process it.

    Even with raw coal, they can make something better than the Empire''s. That''s not a lie. Im just leaving room for us to profit from it.

    Cyril-niisama, it''s ready.

    Let me see Yes, it''s done well.

    Thanks to Yukino and the others'' efforts, the coal had turned into pure coke. After it cooled down a bit, I touched it; there were no impurities, and it was well-made.

    Yukino, while I''m away, I''ll leave the management of this coke furnace to you. From now on, more coal will be brought from Bell Erucy, so work with the elves to turn it into coke and stockpile sulfur as much as possible. Can you handle it?

    Yes, leave it to Yukino, Cyril-niisama.

    Thank you, Yukino. I feel bad for asking you to do so many things, like training as a member of Nettle, taking care of the house and the vige chief''s house, looking after the goats, and now this coke furnace.

    It was quite a workload for a twelve-year-old girl. But as a silver fox with special abilities even among fire foxes, we had no choice but to rely on her power.

    It''s okay. Yukino is happy to be relied on by Cyril-niisama. Yukino will do her best, so when youe back, please praise Yukino a lot. Also, Yukino would be happy if you could grant Yukino''s request.

    Of course, I''ll do anything I can for you.

    In that case, Cyril-niisama, make a child with Yukino.

    Anything other than that.

    Cyril-niisama is a liar.

    Someday, I will have to give Yukino proper sex education. Kuu and Lucy would probably run away, so I might ask Rera, Kuu''s master, for help; she seemed to have a lot of experience.

    Forget about that for now. Before I depart, I want to give you this. It''s a little gift for you, Yukino. I never got around to thank you properly for all your hard work during the war with the Empire, so I hope you''ll like it.

    Yukino had worked so hard that she got sick with a high fever, so I wanted to reward her with something.

    I had asked Yukino what she wanted, but she hadn''t given me an answer, so I decided to choose a gift on my own.

    It was an elegant choker made of leather with a chic color scheme. It had a ruby-like red gem in the center. I wrapped it around Yukino''s white, slender neck. The chic choker looked quite nice against her silver hair and fox ears.

    Cyril-niisama, thank you! Can I go outside for a moment?

    Why do you want to go outside?

    Because I can''t see it since it''s around my neck. I want to look at the reflection on the water.

    Why don''t you just take it off?

    Even though Cyril-niisama put it on me, Yukino doesn''t want to take it off before seeing it. It''s absolutely not allowed.

    Yukino was stubborn in strange ways.

    I have a handheld mirror; you can use that.

    I took out a folding mirror from my pocket.

    Since Azul and Jii liked the mirror that was in their rooms, I nned to give this one to Azul as a return gift for the wedding present.

    Yukino eagerly looked at her neck in the mirror. When she saw the red gem, her silver ears stood up, and her tail wagged.

    Beautiful. Cyril-niisama, Yukino will treasure it forever.

    I''m d that you like it.

    After affectionately stroking the choker, Yukino ced the mirror on the desk and then hugged me tightly. I was happy that my sister was pleased.

    This choker has magic on it. Only one time, even if we''re far apart, Your voice can reach me if you use it. When you''re really, really in trouble and can''t do anything else, hold onto the gem on the choker and call my name.

    Only once?

    Yeah, it''ll shatter after one use, so you can only use it once.

    Yukino won''t use it, ever.

    Yukino took some space and held the choker in her hands protectively, scared something invisible would snatch it, her fox ears were twitching cautiously.

    It was so cute that I smiled unconsciously.

    You have to use it when it is really necessary, if youre ever in danger use it.

    No matter what?

    Yes, definitely. No matter how far away I am, Ille to help you.

    Understood. When Yukino really, really, really has no other way, Yukino will call for Cyril-niisama. Yukino will have to be much, much stronger so Yukino doesnt have to call for Cyril-niisama.

    Yukino burned with determination, thinking that if she became stronger, she wouldn''t need to call me and risk breaking the choker.

    You''re just too much, Yukino. I worry when you push yourself too hard.

    I muttered with a wry smile.

 Book 5 Prologue-2: The Day Before Departure

    Book 5 Prologue-2: The Day Before Departure

    <strong>Volume 5 Prologue-2: The Day Before Departure</strong>

    The lecture on how to use the coke furnace ended in the morning. I moved to the old workshop where I had called Kuu, we were alone together.

    Kuu, I''m sorry for calling you out.

    Cyril-kun, it''s not good.

    Kuu showed clear wariness and kept a step farther away from me than usual.

    I''ll ask just in case, what''s not good?

    We cant do it. It''s a delicate stage right now.

    Ever since she got pregnant, Kuu had started refusing intimate activities. It seemed she was afraid of harming the child.

    I don''t have any intention of doing that, you know.

    Is that so? Every time you call me here, it''s for that reason, so

    True, but

    I couldn''t bring myself to engage in intimate activities with Kuu in Lucy''s house, and it was impossible in the vige chief''s house where someone was always present, or in the workshop where the fire foxes resided.

    So, inevitably, we used the storage room converted old workshop for our encounters.

    Our child is precious to me too. I won''t force you into anything.

    I''m sorry for doubting you, Cyril-kun.

    No need to apologize. It''s my fault for being like this.

    I had done quite a lot of things with Kuu. I loved her so much that often I lost control of myself.

    Why did you call me here then?

    I wanted to talk about our children.

    I looked at Kuu''s face with a serious expression.

    Kuu, I have a technique to make the child a genius by modifying them before they are born.

    By continuously exposing the fetus to a specific wavelength, its ability to use magic and its bodys adaptability to magic will be increased. The smallest mistake controlling this wavelength could cause disabilities or even lead to death, but I wouldn''t make such a mistake.

    Magic is affected by the practitioner own''s mind. It grants subconscious desires to a certain extent. Although minimal, the umtion of these desires can''t be underestimated.

    It''s amon instinct for people to desire strength, intelligence, and physical beauty. These desires are, to some extent, fulfilled by one''s own innate magic, even before birth.

    It can be observed that individuals with high magic aptitude tend to have enhanced appearance, intelligence, and physical abilitiespared to others. Examples of this can be seen in individuals like myself, Lucy, Kuu, and Yukino.

    Furthermore, it''s worth noting that the earlier magic affects the body, the more effective it bes. By enhancing a child''s magic cirction and adaptability during the fetal stage, it''s possible to give birth to a child prodigy.

    One of the past Me had been ordered by the country Me worked for to conduct research into this subject. After decades of investigation and thousands of sacrifices, Me was able to establish the method to mass produce child prodigies.

    Cyril-kun, that''s not a natural method, is it?

    Correct. It''s a magical technique. Magic alters the child before birth.

    That''s dangerous, right?

    I won''t deny that it''s a risky magic. If it fails, there''s a possibility of leaving disabilities or causing a miscarriage. But I won''t fail. Please trust me on that.

    I don''t want to. I don''t want to do such a thing to our child. I can love a child born naturally, even if they''re ordinary or less gifted than others. I don''t want to do this.

    Youre right, Im of the same opinion.

    If the child is capable, I would be happy, but it doesnt mean that I wouldnt be able to love them if they were not, I would prefer if they could be born normally.

    Why did you bring this up then?

    Because I want our child to be happy. Its true we would be able to love the child independently of their abilities, but if a normal child were born to us, theyre sure to have difficulties, theyll always bepared to us.

    Indeed, that might be true.

    Both Kuu and I are considered geniuses and are well-known figures. No matter what, our child will bepared to us.

    In Me memories, there are several Me who experienced parenthood, and some of their children were crushed by the excessively high expectations of others and the constantparison with their exceptionally talented parents.

    You also have to consider that as our children, they probably won''t be able to live a peaceful life.

    Just by virtue of having us as parents, our child may face more danger than an ordinary child. They might be targeted as a hostage or, as they grow, pitted against their own siblings or even me by ambitious individuals seeking power in Erucy.

    If we protect them, theres no problem!

    Of course, that''s the n. I will protect our child. I will create an environment for them to grow up in peace. But, Kuu, if nature takes its course well die before them.

    Kuu was at a loss for words.

    Kuu, heres what I believe. It would be unfortunate if our children were born ordinary andcked the means to protect themselves. That''s why I want a strong child to be born.

    I I

    Kuu''s heart wavered.

    I want to love the child just as they are, in their natural state. It was a natural feeling for a mother.

    Kuu, you''re the one giving birth. So, I won''t force you into this decision. If you don''t want it, I''ll never bring it up again. Thats why Im asking you, what do you want to do?

    I I

    Kuu took a deep breath and made her decision.

    Ill give birth to a strong child. Someone who can protect themselves even when we''re not around. So please, Cyril-kun, cooperate with me.

    Thank you for deciding. Before I leave for the Empire, I''ll use the magic.

    Are you sure it''s safe?

    Yeah, trust me.

    I nodded and started preparing the magic.

    I summoned Suzina using [Samsara Recursion]. Without Suzina''s expertise in magical control, this magic couldn''t be realized. With more focus than ever, I meticulously crafted the magic.

 Book 5: Chapter 1-1: [Peaceful Blessing]

    Book 5: Chapter 1-1: [Peaceful Blessing]

    With preparations for the [Samsara Recursion]plete, I spoke to Kuu.

    Kuu, I''m going to perform magic on the child inside your womb. It''s important that you remain still, so I apologize, but could you please sleep for a while?

    Um, Cyril-kun, what do you mean?

    Before Kuu could finish her sentence, I ced my hand on her neck and infused her with electricity-converted magical power.

    In an instant, Kuu''s body trembled, then copsed. Now, she wouldn''t wake up for a while. I could use magic without any worries.

    Release, my soul. Traces left behind in the distant past,e to me.

    I activated the magic, as I strongly called to the depths of my soul.

    What I desire is the great magician who illuminated a world in despair. Your name is

    I spoke aloud the name I once useda name from the past, a name filled with nostalgia.

    Suzina! [Samsara Recursion]!

    My body was enveloped in light. The unique magic, [Samsara Recursion], activated.

    After the light subsided, I found myself dressed as a magician, donning a robe. In my grasp, I held a ceremonial staff embellished with four magic stones, each from a different element: earth, fire, wind, and water. My long white hair was secured with a silver-crafted hair ornament. I now appeared as a human in my mid-thirties.

    As I thought, Suzina suits me the best.

    I flowed magic through my magic circuits to check my condition. My cheeks rxed as I felt a clear flow of magic within me.

    Originally, it was Felina, my fifteenth reincarnation, and not Suzina, who conducted research to produce exceptional children. However, I had called upon Suzina because he possessed the best magic control among Me. Suzina had been born as an ordinary human, but at that time, Me, who was solely focused on mastering magic,pletely took over his body when Suzina recalled his past memories, thoroughly transforming it into a vessel optimized for magic.

    Incorporating elements from Yggdrasil and various non-human races, Suzina''s very existence underwent a profound transformation and optimization. His brain experienced a series of enhancements, including theplete activation of dormant regions, intricate calctions facilitated through pseudo-virtualization using magic, an exponential boost in processing capabilities with the removal of the brains limiters, and the introduction of an automatic repair mechanism to counter overheating-induced damage. Even his thought processes were reengineered into a specialized algorithm. It was a modification that defied reason and could only be described as sheer madness.

    As a result, when it came to controlling magic using internal magical power (Odo), Suzina was unrivaled.

    While the magic I was going to use was developed and practicalized by Felina, its control was extremely challenging. If Felina used it, the sess rate was only around seventy percent. However, with Suzina, I could approach near-perfect uracy.

    This time I dont hear Ashnos voice.

    Suzina''s daughter, Ashno Last time, she reached out to me as soon as I summoned Suzina. If she hasn''t contacted me yet, it can only mean that Me'' has taken some action.

    Excuse me.

    I apologized to Kuu before reaching into her clothing and cing my hand directly on her lower abdomen. One reason I had made Kuu lose consciousness was that unexpected movements during the delicate procedure could endanger both mother and child. Another reason was that I didn''t want Kuu to see Suzina.

    I could feel Kuu''s body temperature through the palm of my hand.

    Analysis.

    Suzina''s specialty: analysis. I flowed probing magical power into the subject''s body, obtaining detailed information about every nook and cranny. It was a magic that could also be used as Cyril, but with Suzina, the amount of information I could gather was several orders of magnitude greater, even reading gic information was possible.

    I see, twins.

    I didn''t realize when I used the magic as Cyril, but the children inside Kuu''s womb were a pair of twins. They were only about a month and a half into the pregnancy, but they were already beginning to develop as fetuses. Their growth was faster than anticipated.

    ording to Kuu, fire foxes like her had shorter pregnancy periods than elves or humans, giving birth in about five to six months. As a result, the children born were somewhat premature, weighing around 2000 grams.

    Thanks to this faster development, the children inside Kuus womb were at a stage equivalent to a two-month pregnancy, making this the most suitable time for using this magic.

    Nice to meet you. I''m your father.

    I confirmed the condition of the children inside Kuu. They were fraternal twins, a boy and a girl. I could sense it through the flow of magical power.

    The boy showed almost no talent for magic at all. Most of his magical circuits were closed, and his body rejected magical power. Thetent magical power within him was extremely weak.

    Conversely, the girl could be considered a genius. In terms of the number and quality of magical circuits, the total amount of magical power, and innate talent, she surpassed Kuu and Lucy. Having observed nearly a thousand children in the research to create exceptional offspring, I had never seen a child as exceptional as her.

    Twins, one ash-colored and one golden. The boys life is going to be challenging if they are born like this.

    I examined Kuu''s condition with Suzina''s abilities. It turned out that a fire fox''s abilities weren''t determined by the color of their fur. Rather, their fur color was determined by their magical power. In Kuu''s case, she wasnt strong because she was a golden fire fox, her fur color was golden because she was strong. However, strangely, there were no elements in Kuu''s genes that would turn her fur silver.

    Perhaps silver was a mutation after all? Kuu and the others referred to silver foxes as special foxes, and I finally understood why.

    [Peaceful Blessing].

    And then, I activated the magic that Felina, my fifteenth reincarnation, spent her life developing.

 Book 5: Chapter 1-2: [Peaceful Blessing]

    Book 5: Chapter 1-2: [Peaceful Blessing]

    Felina was born in a world slightly more advanced in civilization and magic than the world where I existed.

    In Felinas world, no demi-humans existed, and humans fought amongst themselves. A great war had been raging for over a hundred years.

    Just like with Suzina, as soon as Me awakened, he took control of Felinas body and sought a high position that was convenient for his ambition of mastering magic

    She was entrusted with the nation''s most vital project, the Artificial Genius Project, designed to put an end to the enduring war. Its objective was to bolster the country''s strength by crafting exceptional individuals from the ground up, with the ultimate goal of bringing about the resolution of the war in the next generation.

    The Me that was Felina was overjoyed. At that time, Me had been on the verge of finalizing research on the transference of one''s soul to a chosen destination. If Me could transfer his soul into the body of the genius he created, Me magic research would progress even further.

    Toplete the research on the transference of one''s soul to a chosen destination, human experimentation was inevitably required. Me had hoped to obtain experimental subjects for this from the Artificial Genius project.

    Using this cursed magic on my own children It''s unforgivable.

    The research was extremely difficult. First, what defined a genius needed to be rified. Fortunately, since children with high magical power excelled in all aspectsphysical abilities, appearance, and brain processing capabilitiesit was assumed that obtaining the desired talent would be possible by increasing magical power.

    So, what were the conditions for producing children with high magical power? Was it gics? Environment? Effort made after birth?

    Years of research followed, with gics and environment being identified as the most important factors. It was discovered that children who were exposed to magic from a very young age had slightly higher magical power levels than the average.

    Based on this assumption, babies who had just been born were continuously exposed torge amounts of magical power in a special facility.

    The research achieved some results. The children from that facility had slightly higher magical power levels than the average. And indeed, children with higher magical power were exceptionally talented, but in hindsight, the effects were only moderate.

    To further advance the research, Felina began to examine the type of magical power to be infused next. It was then discovered that enhancing a specific wavelength dramatically increased its effectiveness. Furthermore, the younger the subject, the more effective it became. Housing them in a facility from the prenatal stage further boosted the effects.

    Still, it wasn''t enough.

    Felina had managed to create exceptional individuals, but they were far from being geniuses.

    That''s when Felina came to the conclusion that perhaps if she directly infused the fetus inside a pregnant woman with magical power of a specific wavelength, the effects might be even greater.

    Felina conducted experiments using a hundred pregnant women, the results were sixty-two miscarriages, thirty-six malformed children, and two geniuses were born.

    The country demanded the mass production of these two geniuses. However, a sess rate of only two percent was uneptable. To increase the sess rate further, no matter the sacrifices Felina didn''t hesitate.

    To find a more effective magical wavelength, Felina sacrificed an additional hundred and three lives. To determine the appropriate magical power intensity, she sacrificed another hundred and twenty-five. Finding the optimal timing for magical power irradiation took forty-seven more lives.

    It took countless sacrifices and thirty-four years to finallyplete the magic that would birth geniuses.

    However, even after the research wasplete, controlling magical wavelength and intensity remained challenging. Even Felina, who achieved the highest sess rate, could only seed around seventy percent of the time. Her assistants, some of whom were the grown-up geniuses she had created, had a sess rate of only sixty percent. Nheless, Felina continued to cast the magic, which carried a thirty percent mortality rate, on pregnant women throughout the country as demanded by the nation.

    In the end, Me doesn''t know if the country won the war or not. Felina died the year shepleted this research. Killed by the two geniuses who survived the first experiment.

    Let''s begin. Optimization based on the individual''s magical wavelength. Calcte the optimal intensity from the current state and forcefully open the magical circuit.

    I deliberately spoke out the instructions to enhance my concentration and visualization.

    Sweat beaded on my forehead. I started with the one who needed this magic the most, the boy.

    Forcibly infusing magical power into his body could lead to his death. So, I carefully opened his magical circuit, a process only possible during the fetal stage. As he grew, his magical circuit would be unalterable.

    I increased the number of circuits to the maximum limit and enhanced their quality. Even with Suzina''s brain processing capacity, this was a task that pushed his brain to its limits.

    Magical wavelength conversion, intensity calction, adjustment, and connection to the target magical circuit, supply.

    The maintenance and expansion of the magical circuits were sessfullypleted. At least this boy now had a magical circuit superior to mine. Next, I moved on to the process of enhancing magical power.

    After transforming my own magical wavelength into the correct wavelength, I started to channel it into the boy''s magical circuit. I kept a vignt eye, gradually raising the intensity while closely monitoring the boy''s condition. His very existence appeared to strain and distort, teetering on the brink of copse

    My heartbeat sounded unnaturally loud due to the tension. And just before reaching the breaking point, I gradually began to lessen the power. If I were to suddenly stop at this point, the boy would undoubtedly die.

    After a painstaking effort, Ipletely stopped the flow of magical power.

    The boy was safe.

    Phew, somehow, it worked.

    Growing within Kuu''s womb, he would heal the scars on his soul and be born with an extraordinary amount of magical power.

    I recall Felina''s memories. In those memories, she had shown no concern for the feelings of the mothers and children who became sacrifices.

    But surely, those children must have desired to be born, and their mothers would have grieved. It was through the sacrifices of hundreds that this magic hade into existence, persisting in creating geniuses, including my own child.

    Next is you. I hope you grow to be simr to Kuu.

    I spoke to my daughter who didnt yet have a name.

    The girl would require less intervention than the boy. Her magical circuit was already ideal, and tampering with it might do more harm than good. She also had a high adaptability to magical power, so the procedure wasnt as delicate as the boys.

    Nevertheless, there was no room for errors. I steeled myself before proceeding with the operation.

    Kuu, good morning.

    I smiled at Kuu, who had just regained consciousness. Of course, [Samsara Recursion] had already been deactivated.

    Good morning, Cyril-kun Wait, where am I? Oh, I remember now! Why did you do that!?

    For a moment, Kuu seemed disoriented upon waking up and then suddenly protested, recalling that I had made her lose consciousness.

    Sorry, sorry. I told you before making you lose consciousness, but I used a very delicate spell, if you had moved or spoken to me it was possible that it could have failed.

    Even so, surprising me like that is not nice.

    Yeah, I''ll make sure to let you know I''m going to make you lose consciousness next time, and then I''ll do it.

    That doesn''t sound much better.

    Kuu tilted her head with a puzzled expression.

    How did the magic go, Cyril-kun?

    It went well. Strong children will be born.

    That''s good. While I was unconscious, I had a dream. I dreamed that you failed, and the child in my belly died, and I became unable to have children.

    Kuu shivered while hugging her own body. Indeed, that would be a terrible nightmare.

    Kuu, that''s a bit too pessimistic.

    The possibility of that happening wasn''t zero, but with Suzina''sputational ability, I believed that mistakes would be rare, so I used the magic.

    Cyril-kun, you said a lot of scary things. Maybe that''s why I had that dream. And Cyril-kun, what do you mean by children''?

    I found out today that twins, a boy and a girl, will be born.

    Kuu put her hand on her mouth, overwhelmed with emotion.

    I''m so happy! I said I''d prefer a girl, but secretly, I wanted a boy too. If there''s a girl, the next generation of fire foxes will be secure, and if there''s a boy, I''m sure he''ll be a great leader. The fact that both a boy and a girl are going to be born is the best news I could have hoped for, Im so happy that I cant believe it yet!

    I''m happy too if it makes you happy, Kuu.

    Yes!

    Kuu was in high spirits, apparently having forgotten about me making her lose consciousness.

    By the way, what about their names?

    The children of the fire foxes are born five to six months after pregnancy, the twins could be born as early as four months from now.

    We need to decide on names soon.

    About that, please let me decide on the boy''s name. And I want Cyril-kun to decide the girl''s name.

    Sure thing. But can I have a little time to think?

    When Cyril-kunes back from the Empire, please tell me.

    I should be able to find a good name if I have that much time, have you already decided?

    I''ve already decided on the name for the boy. But I won''t tell you until youe back. So make sure toe back, okay?

    Kuu spoke with an upward nce, gently cing her hand on top of mine. I squeezed her hand in return.

    Right. I''ll definitelye back to hear the name you''ve chosen, Kuu.

    Also, if you donte back, your daughter will be born without a name.

    Thats even more important. My cute daughter would be in trouble without a name. I definitely have toe back.

    I can leave my daughter without a name. But choosing a name for a girl, huh? I have to find one that is not only cute but also befitting of a fire fox. I have to do my best.

    As I contemted this, Kuu, with a somewhat bashful expression, spoke up.

    That''s right. If you don''te back, both the children and I will be sad. So make sure toe back, Its a promise.  Dad.

    The word "dad" that Kuu casually uttered made me blush intensely. I suddenly felt how important Kuu had be to me, and I couldn''t help but hug her tightly as we exchanged a kiss.

 Book 5: Chapter 2-1: Departure

    Book 5: Chapter 2-1: Departure

    I continued to talk with Kuu for a while, and she eventually grew tired and fell asleep. [Peaceful Blessing] puts a strain not only on the child but also on the mother''s body. It''s no wonder Kuu fell asleep.

    The procedure was not yetplete; this magic needed to be performed multiple times with a month in between. The magic strengthens the magic circuits by irradiating a specific magic wavelength to mutate and destroy them andter recover them, but without a month''s break, they would breakpletely. That month is necessary for the magic circuits to heal, and you can''t speed up the recovery with magic. By repeating this process regrly, you can increase the subject''s magical power to its limit.

    I covered Kuu with a nket, enjoyed her peaceful sleeping face for a while, and tried to hear the sound of the heart of my soon-to-be-born children by cing my ear on her belly. After that, I left a letter beside Kuu''s pillow and left the workshop.

    Yourete. Are you ready?

    Erins mayor, the blue-haireddy, Azul, asked me wearily.

    I''m a little early, actually.

    I had arranged the meeting time, ensuring there was plenty of leeway after refining the coke and Kuu''s treatment.

    You might be right. But I was bored.

    What a demanding person. Although she had Kurao attending to her, it seemed that wasn''t enough. After probably being bombarded with questions, Kurao seemed exhausted.

    I had to do some preparations.

    I waved my hand and summoned the elves, including Lucy. In their hands, they held sacks filled to the brim with something.

    What is this?

    These are special products to sell in the Erucy conste that you prepared for us. This is fertilizer.

    Fertilizer?

    Yes, when you sprinkle this on the soil, crops grow well.

    We used magic to reproduce the Haber-Bosch process to extract nitrogen from the air and crystallize it. This time we used it for fertilizer instead of gunpowder.

    The demand for this fertilizer should be high. It can supply the essential nitrogen and potassium for crop growth.

    Usually, when making farnd soil, nitrogen and potassium were supplemented with manure, but forrge farms, it was impossible to produce enough manure for all fields. Therefore, the soils quality rapidly degraded. This fertilizer that can easily improve the soils quality should be in high demand.

    May I open it for a moment?

    Please.

    Azul opened the bag, took the ck soil in her hand, and sniffed it.

    Does this really work?

    I guarantee it. Just don''t overuse it. That sack is enough for one field of the size of the one at your right. Sprinkle it, and the wheat''s harvest will increase from 1.5 to 2 times.

    That''s amazing. Whats the price?

    Twenty silver coins per sack (24000 yen).

    That''s less than a quarter of the price of traditional fertilizer. If it has that much effect, it''s quite an attractive purchase I''ll buy them all.

    For what purpose?

    To experiment with it. I''m going to divide my fields in half, with one side using this fertilizer to grow this year''s crops. That way, we can demonstrate its effectiveness. If it works, it will be clear at a nce. If it''s effective, I''ll gather the influential people for a presentation.

    Im grateful, but why are you doing all this?

    Because it benefits Erin. If it''s effective, it needs to spread as quickly as possible. If you sell it normally, itll take several years to reach all the fields. That''s a loss for Erin.

    Do you trust me that much?

    Yes, at the very least, you''re not a third-rate who would lie in a transaction.

    She returned the words I said to her the other day. I gave a wry smile.

    Erin''s mayor is going to promote it personally. What are you asking in return?

    Lets see, can you keep the price the same for three years?

    A very reasonable request.

    Originally, I nned to sell it cheaply for one silver coin and then raise the price once the effect was recognized. By doing so, I could secure a profit even with low sales. However, if Erin was serious about promoting it, selling it at a low margin would be enough to secure profits.

    If this fertilizer were to spread explosively in Erin, the price of food would drop overall, and that would be a plus for us as well.

    Nearly 90% of Erucy''s expenses were spent on food. Lowering the price of food would bring in a significant profit. In addition, Erucy''s food purchases were expected to increase in the future. This year, Erin had a good harvest, but there were always years with bad harvests. In such years, Erucy, who depended on buying food in Erin, would be in trouble.

    To prevent that, it was necessary to increase Erins food production.

    Now, everyone, start loading.

    Elves loaded the carriage with various items, including the fertilizer. This time, I was going to teach them how to read blueprints and exin the workshop''s mechanisms, but we also had another purpose: to visit the Erucy conste, where we could conduct business freely with Erin citizens.

    For that reason, we had also prepared a carriage. Apanying me were the vige''s strongest individual and captain of Nettle, Roleau, along with two Nettle members. Kuu''s mentor, the ash-colored fire fox Rera, would also apany us. Rera made eye contact with me, and I remembered the conversation I had with her early in the morning.

    On my way to Kuu, an ash-colored fire fox in herte teens, Rera, who exuded adult charm, approached me.

    Chief, may I talk to you for a moment?

    I don''t mind, but we don''t have much time. Can I listen to itter?

    It''s an important matter. It''s about Kuu-sama.

    Understood. Ill hear you.

    If it was something important about Kuu, it couldn''t wait.

    If you were to have a child with Kuu and that child turned out to be ash-colored, would you still love it?

    It was a question about children. Apparently, as her mentor, Rera had noticed Kuu''s pregnancy. Ash-colored fire foxes were looked down upon by their peers, thanks to their lower innate abilities. Rera hade to ask me if I could love a child like that. The response was obvious.

    Of course, I would love the child.

    Good, it seems youre different from that man. I hope you continue to think like that. If that was a lie, I won''t forgive you.

 Book 5: Chapter 2-2: Departure

    Book 5: Chapter 2-2: Departure

    Why do you care so much?

    Isn''t it natural for an older sister to worry about her younger sister? Well, it''s not like I was recognized, and Kuu-sama doesn''t know, but

    ording to Rera, Kuus father refused to recognize her because of her being ash-colored. To protect his position as chief, he had her treated as being born in a rtives family.

    She said that bing strong was her way of gaining her father''s recognition. She worked diligently and excelled in everything, surpassing even the prodigy Kuu in various aspects, except for the quantity of magical power. She believed that by demonstrating her abilities, he would finally notice her.

    Did you hate Kuu?

    I did. Not in the past tense. Even now, I hate her. Just because she was born golden, she got everything I couldnt obtain, even after working so hard that I vomited blood. Even the fruit of my efforts was used to make her stronger due to that man''s orders. I felt so much hatred during her training. She effortlessly learned things that took me a month to learn. Both her position and abilities made me feel like I was going crazy with jealousy.

    Her eyes were ring, and her words contained innumerable thorns. If she hated her so intensely, why was she so concerned for her? As I silently pondered this, her words continued.

    Still, the only one who didn''t look down on me and didn''t pity me was that child. With sincere eyes, that child said she loved me. So, even though I hate her, I love her and I want her to be happy. That''s why, if you ever me Kuu-sama for birthing an ash-colored child, I will never forgive you.

    I promise. I won''t me Kuu even if the child born is ash-colored, and I will love the child.

    You made a promise, Ill make sure you Keep it.

    With just those words, Rera bowed and left.

    The shback ends.

    Rera spoke as if the birth of an ash-colored child was a certainty. And what Kuu carried in her womb were twins, one golden and one gray. Is this a coincidence?

    I answered that I would love whatever child was born. However, in reality, I manipted things to ensure a strong child would be born. His increased magical power would likely manifest in his fur color, making him golden like Kuu.

    In the end, I might not be much different from Kuu and Rera''s father.

    Cyril, we''ve finished loading everything.

    Lucy loaded the final bag onto the elf''s carriage. We can depart anytime now.

    Cyril-san, do you still have stock of fertilizer?

    We have more, but the carriage is full.

    After all, we were opening a shop at the Erucy Conste, besides fertilizer, we dealt with several other items, so there wasn''t much space.

    In that case, please load as much as you can onto Erin''s carriage. I want the experiments to be as extensive as possible. Of course, I''ll buy all of it.

    I''ve thought about this before, but you are not afraid of spendingrge quantities of money.

    My motto is to invest quickly and to the maximum extent.

    You can''t say that if you don''t have confidence in your instincts and analytical abilities. She''s quite bold.

    Understood. Everyone, bring as much as you can from the warehouse.

    I gave instructions to the elves and had them prepare as much fertilizer as Erin''s carriage could carry.

    Lucy, I''m going now. I''m entrusting you with the rest.

    The time to depart had finallye. I would be riding in Erin''s carriage, not Erucy''s, as I needed to discuss the future with Azul and Jii.

    Before that, I took a little time to say my final goodbyes.

    Cyril, are you really leaving?

    Yeah, because it''s a job that only I can do.

    Teaching about st furnaces for iron-making production and conducting surveince in the Empire were tasks only I could perform.

    Normally, as the chief, I should stay in Erucy and maintain a dignified presence, but there wasn''t that much time.

    Can Ie with you, Cyril?

    No, you can''t. I told Kuu too, but if something goes wrong in the Empire Itll take all my power to stay alive. I can''t take any baggage with me.

    Then, it''s okay if I go to Erin, right?

    That''s also a no. Erin is not guaranteed to bepletely safe. When I leave Erin, you''ll have to stay in it for a while. I don''t want Lucy to be in a dangerous ce when I''m not around.

    After all, we were conducting business at the Erucy conste. Leaving in three days wasn''t an option.

    But it wasn''t possible for Lucy to go back alone either. I wanted Lucy to stay in Erucy for her safety.

    Roleau, Konna, and Rera-san are also in danger, right? I''m also a Nettle member, and I can do business better than anyone here.

    Thats true, I cant deny that.

    Lucy was pleasant and shrewd. She was undoubtedly the best at handling business in Erin. She was also one of the strongest among the elves, making her suitable for the task.

    If were sending someone to Erin, I think I''m the right choice. If there''s a reason not to choose me, it''s just your personal feelings, Cyril.

    Yeah, it''s my personal feelings. I want to keep my most beloved Lucy away from any danger. That''s why I won''t let you go to Erin.

    I admitted it without hesitation. Trying to lie would only lead toplications, and I wanted to convey my true feelings to Lucy.

    What if I refuse?

    This is an order from the chief. Please follow it.

    I said it firmly. I couldn''t yield on this, no matter what anyone said.

    Cyril, you''re abusing your authority.

    This much falls within my discretion as the chief. So please, stay in Erucy so I can be at ease. It''s painful for me to conduct surveince in the Empire while worrying about you.

    If you put it that way, I can''t refuse. The pain of worrying about someone you love in a dangerous ce is something I understand all too well, all because of you.

    Thank you, Lucy.

    I hugged Lucy and cherished her softness and scent, etching it into my heart.

    Cyril,e back safely. I worry about you as much as you worry about me.

    Yeah, I''ll definitelye back.

    I promised that to Kuu and Yukino too. Above all, I made that promise to my beloved Lucy. No matter what happens, I''ll return.

    Also, Cyril, when youe back, pamper me a lot. I, too, want a baby like Kuu-chan. I''ll work harder than ever.

    You knew?

    Yes, it was difficult to not notice it, you know? Kuu-chan often stroked her belly and looked very happy.

    Women seem to be more sensitive to these things than men.

    I want a child with Lucy, too. Let''s work hard when I get back.

    I''ll be looking forward to it. Well then, have a safe trip.

    Lucy stood on her tiptoes and asked for a kiss, and I obliged. Kissing Lucy was special. No matter how many times we did it, I never got tired. Each kiss made me feel happy.

    I''m off.

    I said that to Lucy and got on Erin''s carriage this time. As the carriage started to move, I waved my hand until I couldn''t see Lucy anymore. I had regrets. I didn''t want to be away from Lucy and Kuu. But if we wanted to continue living like this, it was necessary.

 Book 5: Chapter 3-1: The Consulate

    Book 5: Chapter 3-1: The Conste

    After several days of being rocked in a carriage, we arrived in Erin. Erucys carriage had to adjust its speed to match Erin''s, which made the journey longer than usual. Despite having provided Azul with a specially designed carriage, the horses pulling it were still ordinary, so it moved more slowly than ours. Considering future interactions, it might be a good idea to gift Erin with some upgraded horses.

    This time, there was no need to wait in line to enter the city. We used the special entrance for dignitaries. Azul informed me that Erucy''s delegation could use this entrance whenever necessary. It might not be anything extraordinary, but it''s incredibly convenient.

    As we entered Erin''s town, the lively atmosphere remained unchanged. People and goods filled the streets, and smiles adorned the faces of the residents.

    This is a lovely city.

    Yes, it''s my pride and joy. There are plenty of problems, though, like some of my foolish siblings aiming for it. I''ve worked very hard to develop it so far; I won''t hand it over so easily.

    Azul replied, running her hand through her blue hair. Her voice carried a mix of pride and fatigue.

    You have your own challenges here, it seems.

    Well, it''s not as dire as in Erucy, but the troubles are endless.

    Indeed. Being in a leadership role involves a continuous stream of decisions. Sometimes, you''re forced to make judgments without having all the necessary information.

    Being at the helm of arge organization often means that you receive limited information. You are detached from the actual operations, and subordinates sometimes conceal inconvenient facts. Most of the time, decisions have to be made with only forty percent of the required information. Waiting for all the information to arrive would often be toote.

    It''s scary sometimes, wondering if your choices were right.

    I feel the same way. In the end, we have to make efforts to make those choices right. At the very least, we won''t make you feel that our deals ended up being detrimental for you or Erin.

    That''s reassuring. Our dealings with Erucy carry a particrly high risk.

    I chuckled. Azul was taking an unimaginable risk to recognize Erucy as a nation. Given the circumstances, it was a wonder that she was still alive.

    First, I''d like you to take a look at the conste we''ve prepared for you. We''ve arranged it in themercial district, just as you hoped.

    As we entered the city, the carriage continued at a good pace. This was possible due to the well-nned grid-like streets, which made navigation easy and minimized detours. Thanks to the wide and straight roads, the carriage could run smoothly. In an ordinary city, they would have to navigate through narrow, winding streets, and the luggage would need to be unloaded and carried manually once outside of the main streets.

    Thank you for prioritizing our business first.

    You''ll only be here for three days after all. I want you to finish all your other business first, I want you to focus on teaching your iron-making technology and exining the workshop ns you''ve prepared. I doubt you''ll get much sleep during these three days.

    Azul grinned with a yful expression.

    It''s fine if it''s only three days. I can maintain my focus for that duration.

    I''m relieved to hear that, although even if you had protested, I had already nned to make you do it all the same.

    She sure likes to make ridiculous demands, but I didn''t intend to resist since I already received amplepensation.

    I''ll make sure to shatter the pride of your precious cksmiths thoroughly, so be prepared.

    Thats exactly what I want. Its time they realize that there''s always someone better.

    The state of the city and the quality of the goods disyed suggested that Erin had highly skilled cksmiths. Teaching them would be rewarding.

    Good. I''ll crush their pride to the point where they won''t even be able to hold a hammer again.

    Perhaps you could go a bit easy on them.

    Azul responded to my jest with a very serious expression.

    This is our conste, huh?

    We were led by Azul to a location right in the center of themercial district, the best possible spot. Surprisingly, there was even a garage adjacent to the building, capable of amodating two carriages. The building had ample space and seemed to have been designed with the intention of opening a shop. It featured a wide entrance and was constructed of sturdy brick. It was a two-story building, with the second story usable both as an office and for residential purposes.

    I''m amazed that you could arrange something like this. It''s perfect.

    I eximed in admiration. I couldn''t have hoped for anything better. It was three ranks above what I had imagined. To purchase a building in this location in Erin, one would need thousands of gold coins, and it was difficult to find one for sale even if you had the money. It was that kind of building.

    This was intended to be a branch for a certain major merchant.

    Why did that merchant relinquish it?

    He was an imperial merchant who conducted business across various countries. He got used of being a spy in the empire,nded in prison, and had all his assets confiscated. He already possessed thend deed, and business rights, and paid the construction advance payment, but, in the end, he couldn''t pay for the expenses required after the construction was finished. So, the city seized it and has held it ever since.

    Is the Empire going that far?

    Indeed, it seems a lot of things are happening there. Not just that person alone, but they are using every trick in the book to squeeze money from wealthymoners. There are rumors that the shrewder Empire''s merchants are all fleeing at once. Although, it seems like most of them were caught before they could escape.

 Book 5: Chapter 3-2: The Consulate

    Book 5: Chapter 3-2: The Conste

    Is the empire really that foolish?

    Merchants who could earn significant sums were stable sources of taxation. It was more sensible to let them continue to prosper and collect taxes regrly than to seize their property by using them of vague crimes.

    Furthermore, if such rumors spread, it would deter future merchants froming to the empire, leading to economic turmoil.

    They probably need funds urgently now. In the long run, it might be a loss, but they need money they can use immediately. Can''t you guess the reason?

    There''s only one reason they need money so urgentlywar.

    I agree. But I don''t understand it. Even if you win, if you destroy your country in the process, it''s meaningless.

    Due to repeated military expenses, the treasury had dried up, making war impossible under current circumstances. Hence, they resorted to desperate measures, selling off the future.

    Throughout history, there have been countless examples of resorting to such methods. However, those are only viable when they can immediately gain profits exceeding their losses upon winning.

    Even if Erucy were to be annihted, obtaining magic stones doesn''t instantly convert them into gold. Even if they use the Fire Magic Stones for iron smelting, it would only trante to long-term gains and cannot serve as a quick remedy for revitalizing the economy.

    I wonder if the Empire doesn''t mind copsing.

    My own words made me remember something. Copsing might not be a concern. On the contrary, the real purpose might lie beyond it.

    Azul, by any chance, is this happening across the entire Empire?

    Even though it''s called an Empire, it''s actually arge nation where five cities havee together. Four major dukes independently govern the cities in all directions, and there is an imperial capital in the center, protected by the four cities.

    No, just two of the four major cities, and they are the ones that have deep ties with you.

    I see, so it''s that man doing

    This is valuable information. Thanks.

    The surveince of the Empire is more important than ever. Also, with this new information, the goal has changed from finding their willingness to fight to finding their weakness.

    Roleau, move that ornament a bit to the right.

    Konna, rearrange the fur products away from direct sunlight.

    Rera, you can decide the cement of syrup and alcohol ording to your taste.

    We were given a two-hour preparation time, so I started setting up the merchandise. The roughyout is outlined in the blueprint, but I want to do as much as possible while I''m here.

    Fortunately, the ce was clean, and shelves and tables were readily avable. A few adjustments were all that was needed to start disying our goods.

    This store will be mainly managed by Rera. She was the only one skilled in arithmetic and could keep the books.

    Roleau came today, but usually, we''ll dispatch other members of Nettle. Obviously, we couldn''t have the Nettle''s leader stationed here for a long time.

    Excuse me, Cyril-sama, is there anything I can help with?

    A girl in herte teens with blue hair approached me with a smiling face.

    Not particrly. Just take a break.

    But I''ve been instructed by Azul-sama to assist you.

    What was your name again?

    Natasha.

    The blue-haired girl lowered her head. Her courtesy was almost too much.

    In that case, I''ll take you up on that offer. Natasha, please consult Rera over there for instructions.

    Understood!

    The girl with blue hair ran over to Rera and started chatting with a cheerful smile. She was the caretaker that Azul sent. We owed the tidiness of this store to her.

    ording to Azul, she''s good at calctions, is knowledgeable about the city''s taxes and finances, and also has enough connections to be of help when buying supplies in the city, making her a valuable asset for any serious business.

    Well, what do you think? Isnt she a good girl?

    She''s a really good girl. A really good girl whose way of walking alone sets her apart from regr people; she''s been trained extensively. Also, it''s not the training of a soldier but more like the training for espionage or assassination.

    I didn''t mean it in that way.

    She''s here for surveince, right?

    I won''t deny it.

    As expected, we wouldnt haveplete free rein in Erin.

    She was a piece Azul prepared to monitor our movements. She might not be as exceptional as Jii, but she was undoubtedly quite skilled.

    Well, it was only natural. I''d do the same if I were in Azul''s position, always have surveince in ce.

    What products do you n to sell in this shop?

    First, Erucy wine, maple syrup, fur products made by the elves, and surplus preserved food. Sausages might be popr too.

    The members of Nettle, as part of their training, hunted for prey, but they hunted too much, and it was bing difficult to consume everything they hunted with Erucys poption alone. We''d put some limits in ce to ensure the ecosystem didn''t get disrupted, but with no natural predators, the deer poption in Erucy had been growing out of control, so those limits hadnt been enforced yet.

    I considered sending the excess to Bell Erucy, but I decided it would be excessive. If we did send it, it would be in exchange for hemp or other products. Otherwise, they might be too dependent on Erucy.

    Sausages, you mean the firm minced meat products we had as a treat in Erucy?

    That''s right.

    Good. Maybe I''ll buy some for dinner.

    Please do. You''re our first customer. We''re also nning to set up a stall at the store''s entrance and sell crpes.

    This shop will surely be popr.

    It''s a crucial base for seasonal work, so it needs to seed.

    Operating only one week a month is a waste. It should be open every day.

 Book 5: Chapter 3-3: The Consulate

    Book 5: Chapter 3-3: The Conste

    We can''t produce enough Erucy wine and maple syrup to sell every day. Even limiting the quantity we sell at once, that''s the maximum. Thats why we n to shift to stable supplies like fertilizers in the future.

    I didn''t say it out loud, but we also n to sell coke, made from refined coal. It''s bound to be a popr item. By the time I return to Erucy, Yukino will have umted a significant amount of coke.

    I, personally, would like you to sell crossbows and the hand projectiles that repelled the Empire in Bell Erucy.

    Azul seemed to have obtained information about the hand grenades from Erin''s intelligence operatives in Bell Erucy. Those weapons would undoubtedly appeal to any ruler.

    The powered-up hand grenade, which had been erged and contained more explosives, demonstrated considerable effectiveness for defensive purposes after all.

    It wouldn''t be a good idea to sell crossbows and hand grenades here. If anyone can get their hands on them, not just us, but Erin too, would be in danger. The hand grenades are especially dangerous, using them in the city would result in dozens of casualties.

    Indeed, that''s a valid point. I''m not asking you to sell them here.

    It seemed like she epted my reasons for now, but shell probably try to buy them again in the future, this time as a transaction between countries.

    Before I forget, this is the promised item. Weve just finished unloading it from the cargo, so I''ll give it to you here.

    I took a crossbow out of the luggage.

    The agreement was to recognize Erucy as a nation in exchange for this, with this the deal isplete. I hope you have luck with your research.

    I appreciate that.

    Once known and with enough samples, someone else will eventually reproduce the crossbow. However, that was quite a long way off. While crossbows appeared to have a simple structure at first nce, their firing mechanisms were intricate assemblies of precisionponents. It would take several years to create a perfect one. During that time, they would need to build a force that wasn''t dependent on crossbows. Ultimately, weapon development was always a cat-and-mouse game.

    Afterward, I followed Azul to the construction site of the workshop, leaving behind the other members who hade from Erucy.

    Since this was a st furnace powered by coal, it inevitably produced pollution such as smoke and ash. Id set up mechanisms to minimize pollution as much as possible, but it was impossible to nullify everything. That''s why Id rmended that the workshop be built in the less-popted areas of Erin.

    Now, this is the nned location. Is the space sufficient?

    This ce is more than enough. So, where are the cksmiths?

    Follow me.

    Following Azul, we arrived at a hastily constructed wooden building.

    These are provisional barracks. Once construction begins, you''ll stay here. It''s a waste of time to have youmute from the residential area. Are you ready? I''ll open the door.

    Azul opened the door, and about forty muscr men all turned their attention toward us.

    Everyone from the cksmiths'' Union, this is Cyril-san. He''ll be instructing you here for three days. Hes probably the world''s best cksmith. Learn well from him.

    The moment they heard the words "the world''s best," their hostility toward me increased.

    Cyril-san, these are the ones we gathered from Erin''s various workshops, theyre the second and third best of their respective workshops.

    They were young, skilled, and full of dreams, aiming to have their own shops. In other words, they were at the mostpetitive stage of their careers. To them, an Elf who had been living in the woods,pletely out of touch with the world, being introduced as the world''s best cksmith wasn''t the least bit interesting.

    If I didn''t do something about this, they wouldn''t listen to me at all.

    Nice to meet you all. I''m Cyril, I came from Erucy the country of elves and fire foxes. I was invited by Azul, Erin''s mayor, to teach you various techniques over the next three days. However, I''m sure you all have doubts about my abilities.

    Everyone remained silent, but their eyes affirmed my words.

    So, let''s introduce ourselves, in a way you can understand who I am.

    I handed over two knives I carried for self-defense, a crossbow, and the blueprints I had prepared for today to the cksmiths in the front row. There was no need for words with these cksmiths.

    By showing them what I could create, they would understand my abilities. The cksmiths examined the items I handed them from various angles, touching them and letting out astonished sounds.

    The more skilled they were, the better they''d understand the value of these items.

    Even after thirty minutes, they still hadn''t let go of the items I handed them.

    I''m sorry to disturb your fascination, but this won''t end anytime soon. So, what do you think? Are you ready to ept my guidance?

    I asked, and the cksmiths exchanged nces. Among them, a particrly imposing,rge man slowly spoke up.

    Without a doubt, you''re the best cksmith here. It''s only three days, but let us call you Master''.

    I don''t mind. Nice to meet you.

    Thank you very much, Master!

    And thus, my three days of instruction began.

    In reality, I had a hidden agenda I hadn''t revealed to Azul. It was to recruit cksmiths. There was no need to resort to anything underhanded, as long as I demonstrated overwhelming ability and showed them the potential benefits of following me, they would join on their own. Azul would try to retain them, but in a free city like this, it was impossible to stop them if they really desired to move.

    Erucy was severelycking in cksmiths. I had considered teaching them myself, but starting from scratch with amateurs would take too much time. However, if I could bring trained cksmiths with me, I could leave their education to them. With this ambition hidden in my heart, I began my instruction.

 Book 5: Chapter 4-1: Farewell

    Book 5: Chapter 4-1: Farewell

    How many times do I have to say it? Your forge isn''t hot enough.

    Yes, Master!

    And you over there! No good. You don''t understand the blueprints. With this kind of foundation work, it will crumble in no time!

    I raised my voice as I stood at the construction site. It was now dusk, and under my guidance, forty elite cksmiths were bustling about.

    Today marked the promised third day. While the sun was high, the cksmiths performed practical work at the construction site following my instructions. As the day waned, we would gather in the barracks to focus on theoretical learning.

    I gazed up at the sky. The setting sun was about to dip below the horizon.

    All right, everyone, that''s it for today! Wrap it up at a good stopping point. We''ll have a meal in thirty minutes, then we''ll get into the theory. Make sure to wash up and change clothes promptly!

    Understood, Master!

    The cksmiths responded with enthusiasm. Despite several sleepless nights, their eyes were shining brightly. They seemed eager to learn new things.

    As expected of Azul''s carefully selected cksmiths, they all had the necessary foundation and the ability to absorb knowledge. Their swift understanding and internalization of my techniques were truly impressive.

    Alright, everyone! Today is the final day. Make sure to make the most of it, so you have no regrets!

    The young man, who had assumed the role of leader among the cksmiths, motivated them. I smiled wryly. Initially, I had intended to leave as soon as we finished our meal, but I chose to stay with them until dawn.

    Master, we won''t let you sleep tonight.

    Hehehe, well make sure you spend plenty of time with us!

    As soon as we finished eating, the cksmiths gathered around me with great enthusiasm. They held papers with their questions written on them. Over these three days, I had only slept for three hours a day, and they had written these questions after I went to sleep, so most of them had been working these three days without rest.

    Having already taught them the basics of creating a st furnace and interpreting my blueprints, I now allowed them to ask any questions freely.

    Even I, overwhelmed by the questions from forty people, couldn''t answer them all at once. So, I began by reading all the questions, categorizing them, and calling a few individuals at a time to provide exnations.

    First, Alec, Epona, Lolita, and Somane,e here.

    These four had questions about the flexibility of iron, so I called them all at once. They rushed over, and the remaining thirty-six formed a circle around them.

    The reason others were listening was because, even if they didn''t ask the questions themselves, they believed there might be something to gain by listening. Their eagerness was palpable. I aimed to provide concise answers, but discussions often followed, leading to lively debates. I didn''t mind this atmosphere; in fact, I appreciated it. I admired those who put their full effort into what they loved.

    As I resolved question after question, night fell, and the day began to break.

    Good work, everyone. This is as much as I can teach you for now.

    I opened my mouth with a wry smile.

    Master!

    Are you leaving us, Master?

    For some reason, tears began to flow from the cksmiths. They had grown up in a strict hierarchical society, and their respect for those in authority was evident.

    I''m not leaving you. Remember, my promise with Azul was to teach you for three days. From here on, you''ll need to manage on your own. I''lle once a month to check your progress and perform maintenance on the st furnace. You can ask any questions you have during those visits.

    I had taught them the basics, but the practical application was now in their hands. As per the contract with Erin, I had agreed to make regr visits to ensure that the workshop and the st furnace were built to specifications. During those visits, I could also take the opportunity to teach them more.

    Master, won''t youe to Erin? With your skills and knowledge, you''ll be weed anywhere, and you can make a fortune.

    Right, Master. It''s a loss for the world that someone like you is hiding in the forest.

    Let''s liven up Erin together! With you, Erin can get independence from the Choline Kingdom and even be the strongest nation!

    The cksmiths'' words became more passionate. They had a point. If I went to Erin, I could have all the wealth and power I wanted, and with Erin''s resources and abundant talent, they could indeed achieve independence from the Choline Kingdom and be the strongest military power. However

    I can''t do it. I want to build up Erucy with the people who are important to me.

    I chose Erucy, where Lucy, Kuu, and Yukino lived. Elves and fire foxes couldn''t live in Erin. I was determined to create a prosperous country where we could live in peace. It was a promise I had made to myself.

    I see, your determination is strong, Master. It''s a shame; we still wanted to learn from you.

    Ugh, Master

    Don''t cry. It''s not thest time we''ll see each other. Besides, if you want to continue learning from me, there are other options besides meing to Erin.

    Upon hearing my words, the cksmiths leaned forward. I''ve taught them a lot in these three days, but there''s still much they want to learn.

    Now, let''s see if I can achieve my goal.

    Its impossible for me to abandon Erucy. But if you want toe with me, I''ll pass on my knowledge to you.

    What?!

    That''s

    The cksmiths were shaken, which was only natural. Their talents had been recognized in Erin, and they held a considerably high status in the city. Moreover, being in Erin meant they had numerous opportunities to have their skills acknowledged.

    Coming to Erucy and receiving my guidance would provide fewer chances to showcase their skills. If they wanted to be my disciples, they would have to abandon the status, honor, and money they would gain otherwise in Erin. It was the ultimate choice.

    It''s a decision about whether to leave Erin. You don''t have to answer immediately. You''re all cksmiths, and you can''t give up the construction of the st furnace you''re currently working on. Finish that first, and then make your decision. If you still want to follow me and learn, Erucy will wee you.

    Silence nketed the surroundings. In the midst of it, one man spoke up.

    I will follow you, Master. Once the st furnace construction isplete, I will definitely go to Masters ce. It''s the fastest way I can think to be the greatest cksmith. Master, please take care of me in the future.

    I understand. I''m looking forward to it.

    In the end, three more individuals immediately expressed their desire to join me. The rest of the group appeared to be in a dilemma. With some regret, I bid farewell to the cksmiths and left the barracks.

 Book 5: Chapter 4-2: Farewell

    ��Poaching our future master cksmiths, huh? You''re a real heartbreaker, Cyril-san. I might have to give Azul-sama a little heads-up about this, you know.��

    ��Jii, huh?��

    Azul��s attendant, a beautiful woman dressed as a man, called out to me from behind. Her presence-blocking technique was so skilled that I wouldn''t have noticed her if I didn''t possess wind magic.

    ��Do as you please. She''s probably prepared for that, and she''s probably thinking about poaching them again after they improve their skills in Erucy.��

    If you��re not able to do this much, you��re not qualified to be a leader. Being a city mayor is not much different from being a mafia boss.

    ��Tsk, you��re not cute at all. It��s boring if you don''t show some surprise.��

    ��It would be a problem if I were as cute as you, do you know that you have cranberry jam on your lips? That��s from our new cr��pe. Were you sneaking out for a snack while working again?��

    ��Ha wa wa wa����

    Jii hastily wiped her mouth. The cr��pes we were selling this time used not only caramelized maple syrup but also jam, made from simmered cranberries and maple syrup.

    By doing that, we could prevent customers from getting tired of the vors, and it also helped save maple syrup by using cranberries.

    ��Keep it a secret from Azul-sama, okay?��

    Jii lightly ced her index finger on her lips. Her gesture was so funny that I had to stifle augh.

    ��That��s why����n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    I was about to speak while stifling augh, but I was interrupted. Jii had a knife pressed against my neck. I hadn''t seen her movements. She used the short moment I rxed my guard due to our ridiculous conversation. In an instant, as my gaze shifted away, she withdrew a knife with the hand she hadn��t been holding near her mouth and closed the distance with no preliminary movements.

    ��Did you let your guard down, Erucy��s chief? Do you remember my position? I am Ojou-sama��s attendant, bodyguard, and the captain of Erin''s spy unit.��

    The knife touched my skin, and a thin stream of blood appeared. Jii was using a knife I had made and sold in Erucy.

    ��You got me. Was that goofy attitude of yours until now an act?��

    ��No, that��s my normal behavior.��

    I got an immediate response from Jii.

    That��s a relief. If that had been an act, I would have be a misanthrope. Jii sighed softly and took three steps back.

    ��If I had been serious, you would be dead. Don''t let your guard down in the Empire. There are even more monstrous beings than me there. If you''re careless, you''ll die in an instant.��

    Jii sheathed her knife and gave a smile.

    ��Was that an attempt to warn me?��

    ��Yes, Azul-sama ordered me to give you some encouragement before you depart.��

    ��That''s very kind of her.��

    ��Well, we''d rather you not die yet. Azul-sama ordered me to be your bodyguard, but I can''t really do that. So, I''m giving you this advice.��

    ��I''ll take it to heart. Since you''ve given me advice, can you tell me about the ��monstrous beings'' you mentioned? Are you talking about Ashno?��

    Ashno was a homunculus created by the insane mage Suzina using part of the body of the girl he once loved, Shurano, Yggdrasil, and his own cells. Ashno''s name had the meaning of ��mock Shurano.''

    ��You even know that name? It''s surprising. She is famous as a hero under another name, and her real name should be known only to close people.��

    ��I know a lot about her. To be honest, I even suspected that you were Ashno in disguise.��

    Jii had imed she had no aptitude for any elemental magic. Such a being could only be a hero. But it was clear that she wasn''t a hero. There weren''t many exceptional beings other than heroes. Therefore, I had predicted that Ashno, who would be discovered as a High Elf if she used her powers, was pretending not to be able to use them.

    The timing of our encounter, some time after my conversation with Ashno, supported that theory too.

    ��I am Ashno-sama? Haha, that''s an amusing joke. No, thank you. Please don''t associate me with that person. If you know Ashno-sama, it��s not an issue if I tell you a little, right? I am a prototype of a human, designed to cope with the age when monsters revive. I��m a doll made by Ashno-sama, using her abilities as a foundation.��

    ��A prototype?��

    ��Yes, Ashno-sama believed that one day the great barrier created by the great mage Suzina would fail. She made me as a prototype to demonstrate how humans could survive in the post-Erna world. In the end, after creating me and nine others, she gave up on that n. Her idea was that if the Erna returned and the world was filled with monsters, we only needed to create superhumans. If humans became stronger, there would be no need to worry. It''s an interesting concept, isn''t it?��

    Erna was the power born as a counterforce when using Mana, when it umted, it manifested as fearsome beings, monsters. Suzina had created arge sealing spell to prevent Erna from spreading, and Ashno had been protecting it.

    ��The seal has reached its limit?��

    When Ist spoke with Ashno, she mentioned breaking her promise. I assumed she meant she would stop managing the seal, but had it already gone beyond her control?

    ��Yes, it seems monsters will overflow into the world in ten or twenty years. To prepare for that, Ashno-sama is now focusing on researching how to change the world''s rules and elevate the strength of people worldwide. When using magic, it distorts the world''s physicalws on a small scale. If applied properly, it''s possible, or so she said thest time I saw her.��

    ��What is she trying to do����

    If the seal was really beyond hope, I would have to take action as soon as possible. Even if it meant giving ��Me�� free rein.

    ��But if you know Ashno-sama, it''s a little reassuring. She values those close to her. Well, either way, be careful. The Empire is a dangerous ce. There might be others like me there.��

    She waved her hand as she turned to leave.

    ��Why did you tell me so much?��

    ��Well�� If you know Ashno-sama, it''s like we''re siblings, isn''t it? Even the creepy feeling I get when I see you can be exined if you��re rted to Ashno-sama. Well then, good luck.��

    ��One more thing, Jii. Why are you siding with Erin?��

    ��To maintain the bnce of the world. If there are two heroes in the Empire and no countermeasures in other countries, the Empire will continue to conquer the world with the power of heroes. So, I who could stop the heroes, became the enemy of the Empire�� Well, that was the starting point, some time ago, I became friends with Azul��s mother so I decided to remain in the Choline Kingdom while her legacy lived.��

    ��What about the orphanage?��

    ��I thought that by showing my weaknesses, that strong-willed girl would feel more secure, so I deliberately created a vulnerability. However, now that has be important too. It''s frustrating, isn''t it? The more you interact with people, the moreplicated things pile up.��

    Jii disappearedpletely this time. I waved farewell to Jii and clenched my fist. My list of concerns was growing. The Empire was on the path to destruction, and the Erna''s seal was reaching its limit. Something was undoubtedly starting to happen in the shadows, and I was unaware of it.

 Book 5: Chapter 5-1: Cannabis and Tears

    Book 5: Chapter 5-1: Cannabis and Tears

    After parting ways with Jii, I headed to the conste and woke up Roleau and the others, who were still asleep, to inquire about the shop''s situation. I felt bad for disturbing them, but I didnt have much time.

    The shop seemed to be running smoothly. Kuu''s master, Rera, and the girl provided by Azul were managing it, and everything was going well. Maple syrup and crpes continued to be popr, and this attracted sales for fur products and preserved foods as well.

    After hearing this, I gave some instructions to Roleau and the others and then parted ways with them. I ordered them to stay until the merchandise ran out, inform everyone about the next schedule, and then return to Erucy.

    Now, all that''s left is for Azul to get the chemical fertilizer approved, and we should be secure for the next few years.

    This, I had to entrust to Azul''s expertise. I handed over the fertilizer and gave precise instructions on how to use it. If it was determined that it increased the yield, she would be able to sell it to influential merchants herself. There shouldn''t be any failures in this regard, so I could expect good results.

    I was running towards Bell Erucy. I did want to return to Erucy at least once to see Lucy and Kuu''s faces, but I couldn''t afford the detour. I had to put aside my lingering feelings and just keep running.

    Thanks to that, I managed to reach Bell Erucy in two days. I knocked on the gate, which was built even sturdier than Erins gate, as expected of a former Imperial base, it was a very reliable gate.

    Its you Cyril-sama! Wee!

    The gatekeeper who greeted me was a familiar face. It was Johann, one of the five leaders governing Bell Erucy and the leader of the kobold tribe. He always had a friendly smile and gave a reliable impression.

    I''m sorry for not sending a message in advance.

    No, Cyril-sama is always wee.

    I''m d to hear that. Johann, how is the administration of Bell Erucy going?

    It''s going well, though I can''t say it''s perfect. But at least there are no residents starving to death, and the soldiers are improving their training.

    I appreciate his honesty. It''s best not to hide problems. When they''re hidden, they be even more troublesome, as there''s no way for others to help.

    As expected, theres a ton of problems, huh?

    It cant be helped. Originally, people from different ces with different backgrounds came here to live together. Naturally, there were disputes. We''ve grown used to it now, but it was challenging at first.

    Johann said this with a cheerfulugh. As he exined, Bell Erucy was home to various races, each with its own set of rules. The five leaders had formed a council, and through discussions, Bell Erucy''s rules had been established and were widely known. However, it still took time for them to be ingrained.

    Johann, do your best. The real challenges are just beginning. When people are on the brink of starving, they endure, but when they have the means to livefortably, they be less patient. That''s when problems start piling up.

    Nevertheless, the fact that Bell Erucy was able to function was due to themon understanding that they could only survive there, and they would copse together if they didn''t cooperate.

    As life became morefortable, people started looking beyond survival. Bell Erucy was approaching that stage.

    As expected of Cyril-sama! Youre correct. Small quarrels over trivial matters continue to appear without end. Some races had to be driven out of Bell Erucy because of it.

    You have it hard.

    No, thanks to Bell Erucy, we''ve managed to survive. At least, my kobold tribe will never forget that debt. We''ve made the decision to serve you for the rest of our lives as Bell Erucy citizens, Cyril-sama.

    Thank you. Your loyalty is reassuring.

    As expected of the kobold tribe, which had characteristics simr to dogs, they were very loyal. Among the five leaders, I trusted Johann the most. On the other hand, there were tribes nning to unify Bell Erucy under their own race and seek independence from Erucy. Having ambition wasn''t necessarily a bad thing; those individuals possessed a strong passion for governance and were quite intelligent. As long as the loyal tribes maintained enough power to control them, they could be used effectively.

    Johann, I''m here today to check on the growth of cannabis and to confirm the current situation. Has anything changed recently?

    Johann thought for a moment before answering.

    As for changes the number of refugees who had been decreasing has started to increase rapidly.

    Are they from the Empire?

    That''s correct. Many refugees areing from viges close to the Empire that were supposed to be rtively well-off.

    I''m sorry, Johann, but could you arrange for me to speak with someone among the refugees who came from a vige near the Empire? If they have some level of literacy, that would be even better.

    Of course. We have someone responsible for cannabis cultivation who can help with that. We''ll call him after the inspection of the fields.

    Thank you. That would be much appreciated.

    Then, let me guide you Vianna, you can take over the gate here.

    Yes, have a safe journey, Cyril-sama, Johann-sama.

    Johann led me into the heart of Bell Erucy.

    I''m surprised by how lively it is here.

    There are so many people after all.

    Inside Bell Erucy, various races were bustling around, carrying farming tools. Some had bows in their right hand and game in their left.

    When I looked around, I saw people who appeared to be setting up stalls with various products spread out on arge piece of cloth on the road.

    It seems that some shops have been opened here.

    Yes, we''ve been distributing the food we received from you in exchange for the cultivation of cannabis to those who grow it. However, hunters and fishermen began exchanging that food for their catches, and the clothes the women made started to be traded in the same manner. With the increase in poption, relying solely on agriculture became insufficient, so we adopted this approach.

    Indeed, the fact that it''s happening on its own is a good sign. I see some unfamiliar crops too.

    Among the refugees, there were some who brought seeds and livestock with them when they fled their viges. While it''s still gradual, the variety of crops we can grow is increasing. People from different viges havee together, so they can share their knowledge with each other.

    I see. I''d like to get some seeds for crops that aren''t avable in Erucy. Especially those red ones.

    I pointed to tomatoes. Those were difficult to grow from seeds, so I preferred to get them as seedlings.

    For Cyril-sama, I''d be happy to do that.

    Bell Erucy can''t rely on supplies from Erucy forever. It''s clear that such dependence will lead to a dead end. Moreover, even though they are refugees, all the tribes present have survived on their own strength until now.  It''s because they fully understand the meaning and the dangers of entrusting their fate to others that they are so desperate.

    Well, even though we''re still reliant on the seeds and food you''ve provided for now, once the autumn harvest is over, we should be able to secure seeds for the next year. With that, we should be able to sustain ourselves.

    That''s great to hear.

    Johann''s eyes were filled with enthusiasm and hope. His enthusiasm made the effort to create Bell Erucy and help the refugees worthwhile,  even if it was initially meant as a shield to protect Erucy from the Empire.

 Book 5: Chapter 6-1: The Imperial City

    Book 5: Chapter 6-1: The Imperial City

    I finally arrived in the Empire, to be precise, I reached one of the four cities that guard the Imperial Capital.

    On the way here, I passed by several viges, and they were in a terrible state. Most of them were like ruins. What the refugees living in Bell Erucy had told me was indeed true. Everyone had given up and abandoned their hometowns.

    ��I guess this disguise will do.��

    I put on earmuffs and dyed my hair ck. The current Empire considered elves as their enemies. It''s better to avoid unnecessary trouble.

    The imperial city was surrounded by walls on all sides, and there were guards at the gates. It seemed they were more vignt than usual, and a few people were turned away at the gate.

    It would likely be impossible for me to pass through here without any form of identification. I concealed my presence and carefully moved around the walls to a ce devoid of people.

    ��[Perception Expansion]��

    I connected my senses with the mana in the air, gathering information from within a 300-meter radius.

    ��All right, I can jump now.��No one was aware of me right now. I put all my strength into a vertical leap, and then��

    ��[Gust]��

    I summoned a gust of wind, lifting myself into the air. I easily cleared the city walls and infiltrated the city. I had already confirmed with [Perception Expansion] that there was no one behind the city walls.

    To avoid hurting my feet, I used the wind to reduce the impact just beforending.

    ��Now, let''s take a look inside the city.��

    This is how I managed to infiltrate the imperial city that governed this part of the Empire.

    ��It''s terrible.��

    The view inside the city was depressing. Most of the shops were closed, and the streets were filled with shabby buildings and women offering their services.

    Whenever they spotted someone who seemed to have some money, the women and beggars would flock to them. I was fortunate that no one had their eyes on me, given my worn-out cloak.

    ��I need to grab a bite to eat.��

    I rubbed my stomach as it grumbled. I had run quite a distance to get here, and my stomach was now protesting loudly. I searched for one of the few open shops and entered.

    However, I was surprised when I saw the merchandise inside. The selection was limited, and the quality was poor. I reluctantly picked up a withered apple and handed it to the shopkeeper.

    ��Hey, buddy, you got some coin, right?��

    ��Of course. I want this apple. How much is it?��

    ��One silver coin.��

    I was taken aback by the high price. If I were to pay one silver coin in Erin, I could buy six fresh apples. Normally, I would suspect that I was being ripped off, but given the state of the city, this price seemed reasonable. I took a silver coin from my wallet, ready to pay.

    ��I��m sorry, buddy. These coins are no good.��

    ��What?��

    ��Don''t you know? The currency in the city has changed, only the new coins are epted. The old coins are no longer valid.��

    ��Since when?��

    ��Since an edict was issued two months ago. ��You have to exchange the old coins for the new imperial coins. A month from now, transactions with the old coins will be prohibited.�� It said.��

    ��Why would they do that, throwing away amon currency that can be used in many countries?��

    The current currency was created during a time when this continent''s nations were unified, and they could be used in many countries, including the Empire and Erin. Their convenience was immeasurable. It made no sense for the Empire to introduce a coin that could only be used within their borders.

    ��If these coins can''t be used, there''s nothing I can do. Sorry, I''lle back some other time.��

    ��Wait, buddy. The country is still epting coin exchanges, so I''ll sell it to you this time. But I''ll need five copper coins as a fee.��

    ���� Fine. Here you go.��

    I reluctantly handed over the one silver and five copper coins and purchased the low-quality apple at more than six times its usual value.

    I strolled through the city, idly munching on the withered apple, with my destination set for the exchange office. If the old currency wasn''t epted within the city, there had to be an exchange office hidden somewhere. Without a ce to trade the old coins for the new ones, visiting merchants from other regions would face difficulties in making purchases. Furthermore, the imperial merchants would struggle to obtain foreign currency for transactions outside the Empire.

    After walking for some time, I finally reached my destination, the exchange office. There, I exchanged several gold and silver coins after paying the exchange fee.

    ��As expected.��

    I knew as soon as I held the gold coin in my hand. They were adding impurities. The previous gold coins were about 95% pure gold, but these new coins contained only about 70% gold. The rest was cheap metal.

    ��Are they going this far?��

    Hypothetically, by collecting all the old gold coins for exchange, they could increase their gold coin reserves by about 30%. The apparent amount of gold would increase, but these new coins would not be epted in other countries.

    ��Hey, mister.��

    The exchange office''s female owner called out to me as I was about to leave.

    ��We have a great deal for you. If you have old gold coins, you can buy six of these imperial bonds with five of them. How about it?��

    She presented six pieces of paper. The text on them guaranteed the value of one gold coin and allowed free exchange with gold coins after a year.

 Book 5: Chapter 6-2: The Imperial City

    Book 5: Chapter 6-2: The Imperial City

    Okay, give me six. That''s incredible. To gain a gold coin in just a year.

    Right? It''s a huge profit. There''s no other deal like this. Buy more, mister. Nowadays, many people in the city are doing business with these bonds. After all, you can exchange them for gold coins in a year, and you don''t have to carry heavy gold coins around.

    I''ll pass.

    I declined politely. I had only wanted them for research purposes, and I didn''t expect to make a profit from this. Moreover, at the current gold ratio, the bonds were worth less than five old gold coins. Also, in a year when they could be exchanged for gold coins, there was a high chance that the coins gold content would be further reduced.

    In short, it was a contract that would result in long-term losses. However, for the Empire, it represented an opportunity to amass a significant amount of gold in a short period. A yearter, when exchanged, they could further diminish the gold content, thereby increasing their earnings even more. This was a way to take money from the citizens, no different from taxation.

    This imperial bond, is it selling well?

    Of course, they''re flying off the shelves. If you don''t buy some soon, they''ll be gone.

    I''m fine. I don''t like to take risks.

    I left the exchange office with a bitter taste in my mouth.I continued to explore the city for a while. Theck of vitality was obvious.

    I understood the reason. By thoroughly squeezing money from the merchants, the residents they employed lost their jobs. Without jobs, there was no money.

    Without money, the economy wouldnt move. Hearing this, it''s likely that fewer merchants from outside woulde here, and even those who came unaware will limit their transactions due to the currency change.

    If there''s nothinging from the outside, they''ll have to produce their own food. However, the continuous wars had already taken a toll on the poption, and production had been on the decline due to the increased taxes, causing people to flee the countryside.

    It had reached a point where it was impossible to recover. It seemed like the Empire was intentionally trying to crush this city.

    Not being able to understand what the Empire intended to do, scared me more and more.

    We''re recruiting soldiers! Today, there will be a simple test. If you''re interested,e along!

    When soldiers appeared and began recruiting, the townsfolk followed them in droves. The people who had lost their livelihoods lined up to join the recruitment drive. It was a bizarrely long line that seemed to consist of almost every man in town, even those who didn''t appear fit forbat, like merchants and overweight men.

    It was understandable that they needed soldiers. However, recruiting soldiers alone wouldn''t solve the issue if there was ack of food.

    Could it be that''s what they''re up to?

    To confirm my suspicion, I poured magic into my legs and sprinted.

    My destination was the gate on the opposite side of where I entered.

    The Empire wasprised of the capital and the four surrounding cities established to protect it. Therefore, thoseing from the opposite direction of Erucy would mainly be from the capital.

    What I saw there confirmed my suspicions.

    As I thought.

    Arge quantity of food was being transported on wagons.

    In other words, the Empire

    Are they nning to use this city as disposable and use all its citizens as pawns for the war?

    It all made sense now.

    The Empire had four big cities in addition to the capital. As ast resort, even if the other four cities were destroyed, the Empire would continue to exist as long as the capital remained intact.

    The entire sequence of events within the Empire was clear:

    First, they systematically extracted money from the residents of the cities close to Erucy. Prominent merchants were arrested, their properties seized, and the general popce burdened with increased taxes. Additionally, under the pretext of changing the currency, they forced people to trade their coins for inferior ones.

    Moreover, by distributing bonds with the seemingly advantageous promise of exchanging it for more than its face value within a year, they managed to collect all coins with genuine worth. Consequently, the economy was in ruins, and people could neither afford to buy food nor produce it themselves.

    During this challenging period, the country initiated a recruitment drive for soldiers. Joining the military became the only viable option for survival. Even those who initially hesitated to be conscripted willingly volunteered. All of these new soldiers were ready to endure any form of training if it meant they could survive, rather than resigning themselves to starvation and death.

    The food for the soldiers was sourced from the money collected from the citizens, which the Empire used to purchase provisions from other cities within its territory.

    The other imperial cities would dly sell their excess food to the Empire at higher prices, making them gain a solid profit.

    I see, this allows them to increase the number of soldiers in a short time and secure provisions at the same time.

    I shuddered at the thought.

    The entire process was nothing short of appalling and inhumane. Selling the future and gambling it all on a single battle seemed like sheer madness.

    Then, a girl''s voice interrupted my thoughts.

    As expected, you noticed it, didn''t you? I thought you would, but it''s a bit surprising that you did on the first day.

    Wee to the Empire, Erucy''s Chief. Do we need to do introductions? You probably know me well.

    The breathtakingly beautiful high elf girl said, her emerald eyes sparkling.

    Just to be polite, I haven''t met you before, after all. Nice to meet you, Ashno.

    When I said that, the otherworldly beautiful high elf girl smiled.

 Book 5: Chapter 7-1: Contract

    Book 5: Chapter 7-1: Contract

    ��This is the first time we''ve talked like this. I''m Cyril, Cyril from Erucy.��

    I turned around and spoke to the woman who had been standing behind me. She appeared to be in herte teens, with a slender and well-proportioned figure, bright golden hair, and above all, the characteristic emerald eyes, a sign of a High Elf�� Jade Eyes. My elven instincts were urging me to kneel before her.

    We had never met in person, but an overwhelming sense of familiarity surged through my chest.

    ��Nice to meet you. I''m Ashno, a hero of this world and its guardian.��

    She bowed politely, presenting a very dignified appearance.

    ��I''m impressed. You said you didn''t expect me to catch on to the Empire''s intentions so quickly, but I didn''t expect you to find me this fast either. I was on my guard, but still����

    I turned my hair ck and concealed my ears. Not only that, I had used magic to disguise my soul and the wavelength of my magic.

    ��So you were trying to hide, you didn��t do a very good job though. So, tell me, what are you? What are you to my dad, the great mage Suzina? Don''t lie to me. If you lie about my father�� I can''t guarantee I''ll be able to control myself.��

    A chilling killing intent emanated from Ashno. I carefully chose my words; one wrong move and I would die.

    ��I am the reincarnation of Suzina. I��m just a stranger who has his memories.��

    That is the truth. I have Suzina''s soul and memories, but so what? I��m not the mage who began this reincarnation circle, Shouji, nor I��m Ashno��s father, Suzina. I��m Cyril. I have lived as Cyril, and I will continue to be Cyril.

    ��I see. So you''re not my dad. I sensed a familiar scent from your soul so I thought that maybe����

    For a brief moment, Ashno looked like a child who had been separated from her parents and was on the verge of tears.

    ��Me�� had told me about the promise to meet again that Suzina made to Ashno five hundred years ago. My words confirmed that Suzina was dead. How much despair Ashno must have felt after believing in that promise for five hundred years.

    ��I am Cyril, not your father.��

    ��I understand. Cyril, let me show you something. Come with me.��

    Ashno turned her back, and I silently followed.

    ��What is this ce?��

    ��It''s the Empire''s training grounds. More than ten thousand soldiers are training here,bining new recruits and veterans. We''re doing our best to turn them into capable warriors in just two months.��

    Ashno brought me to a hill that overlooked the Empire��s training grounds. The intensity of the soldiers could be felt even from here.

    ��What is this eerie atmosphere?��

    ��Everyone is desperate. You should listen.��

    I used [Perception Expansion] to pick up the sounds from the training grounds. And my spine chilled.

    ��This is�� what the����

    Voices filled with resentment echoed through the training grounds.

    ��Kill the demons! Kill the elves!��

    ��Eradicate them!��

    ��Kill! Kill! Kill!��

    Several soldiers with bloodthirsty eyes were striking wooden mannequins dressed as elves with their swords. Their actions were driven by pure hatred, devoid of reason.

    ��What do you think? Surprising, right?��

    ��What is this����

    The soldiers'' actions were not being forced upon them; it was their genuine feelings that fueled such hatred.

    ��Don��t you understand? Until now, Erucy has killed too many Empire soldiers. Of course, the soldiers have families and friends.��

    ��I understand that. But this is still abnormal.��

    ��Well, this is the result of the Empire''s effort, you could say.��

    I understood the situation with that one word.

    ��Propaganda, huh?��

    ��Exactly. Paper has finally be cheap, and literacy has increased somewhat, so it was easy to do. For the people of this city, this war has been portrayed as an invasion by the savage elves, and they are fighting desperately to defend their city. The citizens think that all the casualties were made to protect the city.��

    It''s a ridiculous story. There''s no reason for the elves to attack this city. We fought because we didn''t want to be destroyed. The Empire was the aggressor, and now it''s as if the roles have been reversed.

    ��There has to be more to this.��

    ��Yes, of course, there is. The people of this city believe that their difficult life is all the fault of the elves. As long as the elves exist, this hell will continue. By eradicating the elves, they believe they can be happy. The people training here are trying to be stronger with a burning desire to protect their loved ones and to find happiness. The morale of these soldiers is on apletely different level than the imperial soldiers you fought in the past It alsopensates for their low training level.��

    In the past, I had used the elves'' hatred for the Empire in the training of Erucy��s citizens, this was the same but on a muchrger scale. To be honest, it was scary. An entire city had be an enemy.

    ��Tell me, Ashno. Did you orchestrate this? Do you want to destroy Erucy?��

    ��No, that''s not it. I knew about it and didn''t stop it, that��s all. The one who created this scenario is, someone you know well, Voldeck, one of the four dukes.��

    That man, huh? I remembered the face of the shrewd man I met in Bell Erucy some time ago.

    ��And I promised to cooperate in this war. Do you understand the meaning of that?��

    ��Over ten thousand highly motivated soldiers areing with an abundance of supplies. Moreover, we won''t be able to use attribute magic, which gave us an edge in our past battles against the Empire.��

 Book 5: Chapter 7-2: Contract

    Book 5: Chapter 7-2: Contract

    Ashno was a High Elf, and she could use her innate ability, [Mana Complete Control]. In her domain, earth, fire, wind, and water, all mana obeyed her. In front of her, elves and fire foxes would lose their ability to manipte mana, and their advantage against humans would disappear.

    ��You have no chance of winning, you know?��

    ��Why? Why would you side with the Empire!?��

    ��To destroy you and see Dad one more time.��

    Ashno shed a translucent, beautiful smile.

    ��The truth is, Cyril, I had a hunch about your true identity. When I first sensed Dad and spoke to you, I didn''t think you were him. But it was undoubtedly Dad whoter showed up and interfered.��

    Did Ashno really understand my situation with just that?

    ��So, Cyril, I hypothesized that Dad was within you. I dug through Suzina''s records one after another. I was convinced when I found that he had a sudden personality change at a certain age. I will break your heart and bring Dad out. To do that I will destroy everything you hold dear. I could have killed everyone while you were away, but that probably wouldn��t be enough. So, I nned to defeat you in your own arena, in a war, and make you feel extreme despair for not being able to protect anything.��

    Some time ago ��Me�� said that when I gave up on everything, Cyril would die, and ��Me�� would be the main personality. Ashno is cooperating with the Empire to do exactly that.��Cyril, I''m sorry. I waited for five hundred years. There''s no one but Dad for me. I know it''s cruel, but I can''t give up.��

    If I had lost Lucy or Kuu and I could get them back by destroying someone else��s life, I would probably have done the same as Ashno.

    ��I see, I understand Ashno''s thinking.��

    I took out a knife and held it in a reverse grip, pulling it towards my throat. At this rate, I would undoubtedly receive a fatal wound.

    ��What are you thinking?��

    Ashno said, enduring the pain, with cold sweat running down her face.

    The knife did not pierce my throat, but it was stuck in Ashno''s palm. She had put her hand between my throat and the knife. Red blood dripped from her hand.

    ��Let''s negotiate, Ashno.��

    I pulled the knife out of Ashno''s hand. She used magic on her hand to heal it.

    ��If I kill myself, you won��t be able to see your father, Suzina anymore.��

    I am like a treasure chest to her. She would do anything to avoid breaking her precious treasure. Even if it meant sacrificing herself.

    ��Are you nning to use your life as a shield to stop me? If I attack Erucy, you''llmit suicide?��

    ��I won''t say such a thing. I know you won��t ept a condition like that.��

    If she epted that, it would mean she could no longer meet Suzina either way. If it ended like that, it was possible she would take extreme measures. What I feared most was that Ashno would never give up. Even if I overcame this time, she woulde back again and again, and eventually, I would give up.

    The only way to prevent that was through one method.

    ��I have a proposal. Let''s have a war. However, whether one wins or loses, there will be no senseless ughter. If I surrender, use your power to save as many of Erucy''s people as possible.��

    The imperial soldiers hate the elves and fire foxes with all their heart, if we lose the war, they will be ughtered. But a hero like Ashno who is revered like a goddess can stop them.

    ��What''s the benefit for me in this arrangement?��

    ��If I lose, I''ll relinquish my body to Suzina. On the other hand, if you try to force Suzina to surface in any way other than that, I won''t let Suzinae to the surface, even if I have tomit suicide.��

    ����So if I want to meet my father, I have no choice but to ept the conditions. And what happens if you win?��

    ��If I win, you''ll have to forgo seeing your father again forever.��

    ��So if I win, I can meet Dad, and if I lose, I won��t be able to see him at least while Cyril is still alive. Okay. I swear. You can use [Soul Covenant], right?��

    ��Of course.��

    [Soul Covenant] is a magic developed by Suzina. It engraves a contract on each other''s souls, and breaking that contract results in death.

    ����[Soul Covenant].����

    The both of us activated the magic at the same time. There were three contract terms.

    1- Ashno and I will do our best to prevent senseless ughter. 2- If Ashno wins, I will surrender my body to Suzina. 3- If I win, Ashno will give up on her father. The contract magic was sessfullypleted.

    ��The final war will be three months from now. Let''s settle it then.��

    ��I understand. I''ll prepare by then.��

    Three months. It seemed long, but it would quickly pass if we were prepared for war.

    ��Ashno, this is a message from Suzina. Forget about me and find your own happiness. You don''t need to protect the world. Be free.��

    In a dream, ��Me�� told me that he wanted to free Ashno. This was the first and only time ��Me�� had spoken to me with total seriousness.

    ��I can''t. I couldn''t do it for five hundred years. So I''ll keep doing it. I��ll keep waiting for Dad.��

    I parted ways with Ashno. The next time we would meet would be on the battlefield. I made up my mind. The imperial soldiers were a greater threat than I had expected. The Empire distorted the truth and turned almost all the people of the city into soldiers. Paradoxically, it meant that there was no need to show any mercy to normal people.

    I will no longer hesitate. I will cross the final line. I will use any means necessary to protect the people I care about.

 Book 5: Chapter 8-1: The Empires Weakness

    Book 5: Chapter 8-1: The Empire''s Weakness

    I was packing my belongings in a shabby house in the Empire''s slums. Today was the day I would leave. It had been about three weeks since I arrived in the Empire. During that time, I had focused mainly on gathering information. Although there was no interference from Ashno, I could constantly feel that I was under surveince. I also negotiated with various viges and towns that opposed the Empire, and the results were promising. There was surprisingly strong resentment against the Empire. Curiously, I felt the surveince over me disappear when I left the city, allowing me to negotiate with the Empire��s opposing forces. Perhaps the Empire had some secret they wanted to keep hidden. The individual who had been tailing me inside the city felt oddly simr to Jii, she was supposed to be attending to Azul in Erin, so they were probably a different person. Surely another of her kind that Jii had warned me before. If they were deployed during the war, they would pose a significant threat. One or two I could handle, but if dozens of monsters of that ss were toe, they would be nearly impossible to counter by ordinary means. The fact that they did nothing more than surveince probably meant they were part of Ashno''s personal forces, but I couldn''t afford to be careless. ��This war is going to be difficult.�� I was reminded once again of the severity of the uing battle. I''d been gathering information while being wary of their presence. Though I could escape if I needed to, it had been mentally draining. ��However, I''ve gained a lot.�� I began to see a way to bring down the Empire. They had started using bonds, which could be bought with five gold coins and exchanged for six gold coins the following year. Surprisingly, these bonds had started to circte as paper money. Although the general public was suffering, the economic activity between some major merchants and the nobles who had escaped the Empire''s exploitation was surprisingly thriving. Paper money was lightweight and didn''t take up much space, making it more convenient. Moreover, even if temporarily, the volume of gold in cirction was increasing. The total amount of money written on the bonds was greater than the original amount in gold coins. This effect was now being recognized, and they seemed to be nning to expand the bond system to other cities as well. The system initially designed to extract gold from the poption had unexpectedly generated positive side effects. ��They''ve discovered the benefits of paper money. I''ll have to make sure they suffer the downsides of depending on it too.�� Paper money was one of humanity''s greatest inventions, but it had also caused countless disasters and repeated failures. The only reason these pieces of paper could be treated as valuable as gold coins is due to the promise that they could be exchanged for gold coins next year, and the trust in the Empire that was guaranteeing the exchange. The moment that trust copsed, the value of the paper money would copse as well. ��At this rate, it''s only a matter of time before even the lower sses start using bonds as currency.�� If you could use it just like gold coins and could even buy a bond worth six gold coins with five, it''s only a matter of time before everyone started converting all their gold into bonds. By my estimation, this would happen in about two months. That would be the perfect opportunity to crush the Empire��s economy. I held up a bond I had bought for research purposes to the light. ��They seem to have made some effort against counterfeiting, at least.�� The bond had watermarks, embossing, and even a special ink unique to the Empire to deter counterfeiting. However, not many nations would be capable of producing such a thing in the first ce, given the advanced paper-making and printing technology required. But�� ��I can easily counterfeit these. As for the watermark and embossing, I can easily reproduce them if I use Kuiro��s abilities, and I''ve already analyzed the ink ingredients and formtion too.�� I grinned. Destroying the value of paper money was easy. Just circte enough fake bonds that the Empire can��t exchange them for gold anymore. The moment people realize this, the paper money would be rendered worthless. The Empire''s popce, unaware of the consequences, would likely convert all their gold into bonds. If those bonds lose their value afterward, the economic damage would be incalcble. This would likely lead to panic and riots, greatly weakening the Empire''s national power. I would soon get arge amount of the raw material for the paper. The ink, which didn''t take up much space, could be bought in the Empire. Along with spreading the counterfeit bonds, I would also distribute a drug that makes people forget their worries. Those seeking to escape reality would fall right in. If all went well, the Empire would be ruined before the war even started. I finished all the necessary shopping and left the Empire. As I was leaving, I felt a gaze on me and turned around. A girl with emerald-colored eyes was waving goodbye. We didn''t exchange words; it was better for both of us that way. After a week of traveling, I finally arrived in Erucy. On my way, I stopped at Bell Erucy to check the growth of hemp and found it to be extremely promising, it should be ready for harvest next month. The weather had been favorable, and the fertilizer had worked well, but most of the credit probably went to everyone in Bell Erucy who had diligently taken care of the fields. ��Ah, I''m finally back�� I found myself murmuring as I looked at the state of Erucy. Though it had only been a month, it felt incredibly nostalgic.

 Book 5: Chapter 8-2: The Empires Weakness

    Book 5: Chapter 8-2: The Empire''s Weakness

    The outer walls of Erucy were now bolstered by hastily constructed defenses. Most of the basic construction work had beenpleted, and it appeared that things were proceeding ahead of schedule, but without any corners cut, which was quite reassuring.

    As I was about to pass through the gate and was thinking of calling out to one of the elven gatekeepers, a silver shadow burst out from the gate at an incredible speed.

    ��Cyril-niisama!��

    Almost simultaneously with her voice, a young girl with silver fox ears and a fluffy tail hugged my waist. The red gemstone ne suited her well.

    ��Cyril-niisama! Cyril-niisama! Cyril-niisama!��

    She rubbed her cheeks against my abdomen and wagged her tail as she kept repeating my name. I couldn''t help but feel fond of her. I patted her head and she narrowed her eyes.

    ��I''m home, Yukino. You''ve be quite the clingy one while I was away, haven''t you?��

    ��Wee back, Cyril-niisama. Yukino was lonely without you.��

    Yukino blushed as she said this, then let go of the hug. She lined up beside me, holding my hand shyly.��How did you know I wasing back?��

    ��You sent a pigeon from Bell Erucy. Considering the pigeon''s speed, the weather, and your expected departure time, rest frequency, and pace, Yukino calcted when you would arrive and was on the lookout.��

    ��As expected of my number one disciple.��

    When I praised her, Yukino stuck out her head as if saying "pat me more," so I roughly patted her. This seemed to please Yukino greatly, and she leaned into me.

    ��Were there any issues while I was gone?��

    Although the gemstone on her ne��a medium for disposablemunication magic��was still intact, which suggested no major issues had urred. I couldn��t refrain from asking.

    ��Not particrly. Yukino burnt some bandits and deserters from the Empire who attacked us, a pack of wolves, from another mountain, that attacked our goats, and Roleau-sama because he was annoying. Yukino burned a lot of other things too.��

    ���� I would say that''s not exactly ��nothing''.��

    I really could rely on this younger sister of mine.

    I would have to discipline Roleauter. For the gentle Yukino to resort to using force, he must have done something quite troublesome.

    Looking at Yukino, I felt like she had grown a lot, even though I''d only been away for a month. Girls her age really do grow up fast.

    ��Also, Cyril-niisama, Yukino made a lot of coke and properly divided and stored the sulfur. Yukino made twice the amount you asked for.��

    ��That''s a big help. We''ll use a lot in the uing war.��

    With magic being made unusable, we would have to depend more on science and technology for the fight. We could never have enough sulfur, which was a raw material for gunpowder. Grenades, cannons,nd mines��each one of them used gunpowder.

    Through the Haber-Bosch method, we could producerge amounts of nitrate, but sulfur could only be painstakingly separated from coal.

    Having Yukino prepare this without relying on Kuiro was a great help.

    ��I''ll have to reward you a lot for working so hard. Later, I''ll give you a good brushing. I actually got some great shampoo as a souvenir too. It''ll make your fur super glossy.��

    ��A princess tail! I love you, Cyril-niisama!��

    Yukino''s eyes sparkled with joy. She was truly adorable. As I looked at her, I thought about how I would surely cry when she got married.

    Yukino was already twelve years old. In just two more years, she could get married. A girl as good as her wouldn''t be overlooked by the men around her.

    ��Well, I have to go. I want to see Lucy and Kuu as soon as possible. We can do the brushing tomorrow night.��

    ��Cyril-niisama.��

    In a quiet voice, Yukino tugged at my hand softly.

    ��What''s up, Yukino?��

    ��Yukino wants her reward now.��

    Yukino spoke while lowering her ears and head apologetically.

    ��Why?��

    ��Once you get home, you''ll be so preupied with Lucy-sama and Kuu-neesama that you''ll forget about Yukino.��

    ��That��s not true.��

    ��It is!��

    Unexpectedly, Yukino raised her voice. It took me by surprise. She was probably waiting at the gate because she wanted to monopolize my attention��a possessiveness characteristic of children. I could understand that sentiment.

    ��I''m sorry, Cyril-niisama.��

    She looked a little down, probably surprised at her own outburst.

    ��But, can you be Yukino��s exclusive for a little longer? Can you be with Yukino until the reward is over? �� Is that bad?��

    With upturned eyes, Yukino pleaded. I let out a wry chuckle.

    ��Alright. Let''s go to my workshop then. I''ll brush you there. But only for a bit, okay? I have work to do.��

    ��Thank you, Cyril-niisama! Yukino is sorry for being selfish.��

    She must have been feeling out of sorts from being apart from her beloved big brother for a month. It wouldn''t hurt to indulge her in such a cute request.

    ��It''s fine. Being a little selfish is a child''s prerogative, and it makes me happy, too.��

    ��Is Yukino a child? But because I''m a child, Cyril-niisama is ����

    Upon hearing my words, Yukino made aplicated expression for a moment before reverting to her usual smile.

    ��Let''s go, Cyril-niisama!��

    Yukino led the way, holding my hand.

    Today, I decided in my heart that I''d give her a thorough brushing.

 Book 5: Chapter 9-1: The Boundary that Protects One’s Humanity

    Book 5: Chapter 9-1: The Boundary that Protects One��s Humanity

    ��Cyril-niisama, that feels good.�� I was brushing Yukino in my workshop. Yukino was lying on myp, dressed in her underwear to make it easier to brush her. She wore a thin tank top-like undershirt and low-rise string panties on the bottom, designed to let her tail free. Half of her white buttocks were visible. Her silver, fluffy tail felt great to the touch, and I couldn''t help but feel happy just by stroking it. ��I remember where you like to be brushed, Yukino. Look, if I do this here���� I focused my attention on Yukino''s weak point, the underside of the base of her tail, lightly touching it. ��Hafuu, Cyril-niisamaaa���� In response, Yukino shivered all over, and I could feel her trembling through my hand. She was sensitive, and her reactions were amusing. ��If you want me to do more, just say so.�� ��It��s fine. If Yukino feels any better, Yukino will lose her mind.�� Her voice was sultry. I felt my heart skip a beat, just a little. ��Ahem, by the way, Yukino, how is Kuu doing?�� I''d been concerned about the pregnant Kuu since I left. I hoped she hadn''t had anyplications while I''d been away�� ��Her health is fine, but Yukino is worried. Kuu-neesama lost her appetitetely.�� ��I see, she''s three months pregnant now, so she may have entered that phase.�� At this stage, the physical changes caused by pregnancy started to be more noticeable. It was also the period when pregnant women were most anxious, as the peak of morning sickness coincided with this time. I felt guilty for being away at such a critical moment. ��I need to think of foods that are light, easily digestible, and nutritious, which Kuu can eat even now.�� While brushing Yukino''s tail, I started pondering Kuu''s diet. Soup should be the main dish. The venison jerky I''ve made from deer meat should be nicely aged by now; making broth with it could yield something delicious. ��Yukino has a recipe that Kuu-neesama can eat even now, Yukino will teach it to Cyril-niisamater. Yukino is proud of it. It uses the clear goat milk left from making cheese, with added cranberry juice and maple syrup. You solidify it with potato flour and chill it. It��s cold, wiggly, and delicious.�� ��That sounds delicious and nutritious as well.�� Let��s analyze Yukino''s dish. The ��clear goat''s milk'' must be whey. Cheese was made by solidifying the fat content of goat''s milk; once the fat was removed, what remained became transparent. Whey was rich in protein and calcium, and since the fat had been removed, it lost its gamey smell and became easier to drink. Adding cranberry for tartness and maple syrup for sweetness bnced out the vors. Lastly, potato flour acted as a substitute for gtin to solidify the liquid. This would result in a nutritious and refreshing sweet and sour jelly��perfect for the pregnant Kuu. ��You''re amazing, Yukino. How did youe up with such a recipe?�� ��Kuu-neesama was suffering, and Yukino wanted to do something for her, so Yukino remembered everything you taught her about cooking, and after thinking very hard about ingredients and cooking methods and trying a lot, Yukino did it.�� I was really impressed. She had been able to apply what she had learned, which meant she hadn��t just memorized the recipes but had understood the rationale behind each cooking step and the properties of each ingredient. ��Would you make that dish for me next time, Yukino? Hearing about it made me want to try it.�� ��You''ll eat it, Cyril-niisama? Yukino will do her best!!�� ��Thank you. I''m looking forward to it.�� Yukino was also my disciple in cooking. I was curious to see how much she had improved; knowing how hardworking she was, she must have made significant progress while I''d been away. ��By the way, Cyril-niisama.�� ��What is it?�� ��Yukino wants to talk about Kuu-neesama too, but now is Yukino''s reward time. Please don''t talk about Kuu-neesama or Lucy-sama now. Only think about Yukino.�� ��You''re right, it''s Yukino''s time now. I''m sorry. I''ll focus only on you now.�� ��Mm.�� Her words were curt, but her tail wagged energetically, clearly showing her happiness. I wasn''t prepared for the sudden movement and ended up dropping the brush. ��Yukino, I can''t brush you if you wag your tail like that.�� ��So-, sorry, Cyril-niisama.�� Yukino immediately stopped wagging her tail, but it was obvious she couldn''t contain her joy. Now her ck-tipped, silver fox ears started to twitch. Come to think of it, Kuu enjoyed having her fox ears nibbled on, but what about Yukino? Once the thought crossed my mind, I couldn''t stop focusing on those twitching fox ears. I had to try it. ��Hamu.�� I gently nibbled on Yukino��s fox ears. A shiver ran from the top of her head all the way down to the tip of her tail. It was a little funny. ��Kyaa.�� She let out a small scream and jumped off myp, ring at me with teary eyes while holding her ears. ��Cyr-, Cyril-niisama, what was that for?�� She looked at me with resentful eyes, filled with tears. She was clearly angry. ��I''m sorry. I didn''t think you''d be so startled. Kuu likes it when I do that, so I thought you might enjoy it too.�� My prank failed; Yukino really didn''t like it. I should have asked her beforehand, I felt bad. ��Yukino feels icky being bitten on the ear�� Cyril-niisama, you��re cruel.�� ��I''m truly sorry.�� ��Do you like to bite ears?�� Yukino asked timidly, her tone filled with caution. If I was asked if I liked it or not�� ��I like it, maybe?�� I found the fox ears on Kuu and Yukino cute. I liked to y with those cute ears. ��Well�� if it''s Cyril-niisama, Yukino will endure anything. If you want to bite Yukino��s ears, go ahead.�� Yukino offered her head, trembling as she clenched the hem of her undershirt with both hands. She must have really disliked it. At this point, my guilt outweighed my curiosity. ��I won''t do anything you dislike, Yukino. I really didn''t expect you to hate it this much. I��m sorry, please forgive me.�� ��You won''t bite my ears?�� ��I won''t. Soe here.�� ��Alright, Cyril-niisama.�� She climbed back onto myp. ��Yukino, I''d like to make it up to you. What would you like?�� ������Fox me. Yukino will forgive you if we fox.�� ��That doesn''t count as an apology, you know. I want to do it too.�� ��But Yukino wants to fox.�� ��Alright then, let''s fox a lot.�� ��Okay, Cyril-niisama!!�� After that, we foxed until Yukino was utterly exhausted.

 Book 5: Chapter 9-2: The Boundary that Protects One’s Humanity

    Book 5: Chapter 9-2: The Boundary that Protects One��s Humanity

    I had nned to spend thirty minutes, but I ended up spending about an hour with Yukino in the workshop. After parting with Yukino, I headed for my and Lucy��s home.

    As I arrived at the house, I called out as I entered.

    ��I''m home, Lucy.��

    I felt a strong sense of nostalgia, even stronger than when I arrived in Erucy. The moment I stepped into the house, I wasforted by Lucy''s scent. I realized at that moment that I''d always been surrounded by this scent.

    ��Wee back, Cyril.��

    Lucy came to the entrance to greet me. Then came a gentle embrace. Compared to the hug I got from Yukino, this one was a calm, lover''s hug. Lucy rose onto her tiptoes and looked up; our lips met naturally in a kiss. After a few seconds, our lips parted.

    ��I only feel like I''ve trulye home when I see you, Lucy.��

    ��What''s that?��Lucy chuckled, amused.

    ��It''s just that Erucy might be where I''m from, but you''re where my heart is.��

    ��Cyril, that line is a bit cheesy.��

    Lucyined, but her tone was yful.

    ��Being cheesy is just the usual for me, right?��

    ��That��s true�� So, was it worth going to see the Empire?��

    ��It was. They''re seriously nning to attack.��

    ����So, it��s war again.��

    ��It''s unfortunate, but unavoidable.��

    Now that they''d fanned the mes of hatred and gathered troops, the path from here on was a straight line to war. There was no stopping the conflict now.

    ��What will you do, Cyril?��

    ��Well, I n to train Erucy''s troops more rigorously than ever before. That probably won''t be enough, so I''ll also prepare various new weapons.��

    For example,ndmines. As we were outnumbered, we would have to rely on ambush tactics. Due to Ashno''s presence, we were also deprived of our superior vision and range, so we needed to put more emphasis on traps. Landmines fitted these requirements perfectly. They were buried in the earth, making them hard to detect, and could be mass-produced at low cost.

    Alternatively, we could use a coil gun that employed magic stones to generate electricity. Ashno''s ability had a maximum range of 300m. If we attacked from beyond that distance, she couldn''t interfere. While a crossbow bolt might be easily blocked or deflected, the tremendous power of a coil gun couldn��t be blocked as easily and had a muchrger range, if we used our ability to reduce air resistance to zero, our shots could maintain uracy even over ultra-long distances.

    We could even create arge hybrid modelbining gunpowder and electricity, its projectiles should exceed twice the speed of sound. The time it would take for the projectile to reach its target after being detected by Ashno''s sensors would be too short; she probably wouldn''t have time to react. She might be able to protect herself, but safeguarding her allies would be impossible.

    We could also consider using poison gas. We could release a tasteless, odorless poison gas from upwind. "Me" had unlocked some recipes for this, so we could use those. If Ashno detected it, she could probably disperse it instantly using wind magic. However, if we used a toxin with an incubation period, even she would take time to notice. The aim was to create a situation where it was toote to act by the time the symptoms manifested.

    ��But what if arge armyes? If they have enough numbers, they might overwhelm us.��

    ��That''s why I had everyone work hard to build the ramparts.��

    We couldn''t engage in a head-on battle given our numbers, so we would chip away at them with guerri tactics, force them to exhaust themselves, and then fight a siege in Erucy. Given Ashno''s [Mana Complete Control] range of 300m, even withndmines and coil guns, our guerri tactics would be less effective thanst time. A siege in Erucy was almost certain to ur and would likely be the main stage of the war. Anticipating this, I had given up on self-sufficiency for food and focused almost all of Erucy''s workforce entirely on building the walls, relying solely on purchases from Erin for this year''s food supply.

    ��Cyril, you''re being even more cautious than usual. Will the battle be that tough?��

    ��Yes, this battle will probably be the hardest.��

    It would undoubtedly be the most difficult battle we''d ever faced, and probably thest. If we won this battle, the Empire would likely recognize Erucy as an enemy they can never defeat.

    ��That''s why I n to use every trick in the book before the battle begins. I intend to hold a strategy meeting tomorrow.��

    The goal was to propose the mass production of counterfeit bonds and narcotics. Around the time Erucy��s ramparts werepleted, the cannabis cultivated on Bell Erucy should be harvested and on its way to Erucy.

    The seeds and leaves of cannabis could serve as raw materials for narcotics. Furthermore, cannabis leaves and stalks could also be used to produce high-quality paper, which could be used for the production of counterfeit bonds. In the little time we had left until the start of the war, we would produce as many of these two items as possible. I''d already arranged what to do with the counterfeit bonds and narcotics produced, during this recent reconnaissance mission.

    We would distribute them among the anti-empire factions surrounding the Empire. Using the counterfeit bonds, they would buy uprge amounts of food and precious metals. At the same time, they would sell the narcotics. For these transactions, only coins will be epted.

    The counterfeit bonds would destabilize the economy, and the hoarding would exacerbate the food shortage. Caught in this turmoil, people will sumb to the allure of the narcotics, spiraling into addiction and ruin.

    It was an inhumane strategy; I was fully aware of that. But we wouldn''t be able to win unless we went to such lengths. That was what it meant to fight a High Elf and an Empire bent on annihting us.

    I was still uneasy. Was there anything else that could be done?�� Contaminate all the rivers connected to the Empire with poison�� Now that I thought about it, poison gas would be more effective used in a town rather than in battle�� Or we could distribute nkets soaked with the smallpox virus in the slums�� If I called that guy with [Samsara Recursion], I could use his unique magic to change blood into poison, if we vinated the people of Erucy in advance�� Sure, it would also affect neighboring countries, but do we had the luxury to worry about that?

    ��Cyril, you''re making a scary face.��

    ��Haha, looks like I got a bit too fired up.��

    Lucy''s voice brought me back to my senses. My thoughts had definitely be too extreme. It was clearly overkill.

    ��Hey, Cyril. You can take it easy today, right?��

    ��Yes, I''ll begin working on the new ns tomorrow.��

    ��In that case, all housework and work are absolutely forbidden today. Your job today is to rest. Okay?��

    Lucy held up her finger and pressed the point without room for argument. I found myself nodding almost involuntarily.

    ��Excellent, I''ll prepare a feast for today. Also, let''s take a bath together. And tonight�� it''s been a while, so we should����

    While blushing, Lucy was smiling happily. Seeing that, I realized something. Because she was here for me, I stopped short of bing an inhuman monster.

    ��Lucy, thank you.��

    Those words left my mouth unimpeded.

    The reason I could stand up, continue fighting, and stay sane��it was all because she was here with me. That''s why I had to express my gratitude, no matter what.

    ��You''re wee. And also, thank you too.��

    The Lucy who said those words was so beautiful, it left me at a loss for words. As long as she was with me, I could be myself and aplish anything. I truly believed that from the bottom of my heart.

 Book 5: Chapter 10-1: The Forbidden Five

    Book 5: Chapter 10-1: The Forbidden Five

    After spending a passionate night with Lucy for the first time in a while, I was sleepingfortably. And yet��

    ��Sigh, I didn��t expect you''d even remember one of the sealed "Me".��

    I heard the voice of "Me" in my dream. The usual white room. There, I was confronting "Me".

    It seemed that ��Me�� no longer intended to hide it, "Me" appeared in the form of his main personality, Suzina. A thin man in histe thirties. Dressed like a great magician, his robe billowing, he wielded a staff embedded with four colored magic stones.

    ��What are you talking about?��

    ��You must have remembered, right? His ability�� The ability of the worst ��Me��.��

    My heart made an unpleasant sound. Yes, when I was talking with Lucy, I remembered a vicious ability from one of my past lives.

    ��Solute, a specialist in disease and poison. His unique magic allows him to store any disease or poison he has suffered in his body, and at any time, convert his blood into those stored diseases or poisons and release them. Not only that, but he can also modify and even create original diseases and poisons.��

    It might sound unimpressive at first. But there was a reason why "Me" had sealed him away. Even the ��Dragon of Destruction that Annihted the World��, which could obliterate a city in a single blow, wasn��t sealed as securely as Solute.��I understand why he was sealed. Solute can easily destroy an entire civilization.��

    The ��Silver Dragon of Destruction that Annihted the World�� could at most destroy a city. If done right, maybe even a country. But his power was ��only at that level��pared to Solute. That guy was different. His unique magic could easily destroy all humanity.

    ��Inside Solute''s body, there''s a stock of hundreds of types of epidemics, including the ck Death, typhoid, Eb, cholera, smallpox, and more. Some don''t even exist on Earth or in this world. In other words, diseases that no one in this world has antibodies against, and for which there is no cure, he can even create them.��

    That''s why "Me" sealed him. To make sure he never surfaced again.

    The worst thing about him was that, once Solute unleashed his power, even he couldn''t stop the destruction. He could create a specific cure or vine for the diseases he releases, but once they had mutated, these countermeasures would stop working. These diseases were from another world, as they interacted with this world''s environment and other various things they would mutate.

    It was possible to keep up an endless game of cat and mouse, continuously developing countermeasures, but whether that would contain the situation was left to chance. Even with the risks associated with it, Solute''s power was attractive. You could weaken other nations with a disease, if after that you offer them the cure for it, you could easily gain a strong position for any kind of negotiation. If you repeat this process you could easily be the ruler of the world.

    ��I know Solute is dangerous. But depending on how you use him, he could be a powerful weapon.��

    ��All the ��Me�� that thought that and tried to use Solute��s power ruined themselves without exception. Solute himself ended up making a mistake, lost everything important to him, was crushed by the weight of his sins, and handed his body over to "Me". That power is destruction itself.��

    "Me" gave a bitter smile. At the same time, the memories of my past lives who tried to use Solute power flooded into my mind. Some even tried to take countermeasures based on the memories of previous failures, but all ended in the same way; they all ended up drowning in Solute''s power and were destroyed. Nausea assaulted me. Because they were my own experiences, even the emotions from that time flowed into me.

    ��Then why did you let me remember? ��Me�� should have sealed Solute to prevent precisely that.��

    Hearing those words, "Me" shed a somewhat lonely smile.

    ��I never intended to release such a thing. But you remembered it by yourself. I said that the memories were sealed, but at most, I''m just hiding the memories in a drawer so as not to let you notice them. I can''t erase the other ��Me". And����

    "Me"��s expression became serious.

    ��The boundary line between "Me" and Cyril (I) is bing ambiguous. Cyril (I) is absorbing ��Me". It''s a natural result since "Me" am giving myself to you.��

    Hearing that, I started to pale. Am I not myself anymore?

    ��You don��t have to worry about that. You are the one in control. But, if Cyril (I) continues to absorb "Me", "Me" won''t be able to stop Cyril (I) anymore. ��Me�� won��t be able to restrict your ess to the memories. In the end, Cyril (I) will know everything about "Me". If that happens, Cyril (I) will have to resist the temptation of our power with only your own sense and reason.��

    I swallowed hard. All my past lives�� experiences and knowledge. That would be a very powerful addition to my arsenal. It was very tempting. However, if misused, it could easily lead to instant ruin.

    ��Why did this happen?��

    ��Cyril (I) have been overusing ��Samsara Recursion��. Each time ?��Samsara Recursion��? is used, Cyril (I) absorb ? more and more of ��Me��. It was inevitable that this would happen someday. But it has happened far too soon.��

    I knew what ��Me�� was referring to. Lately, I''d been continuously using the dwarf Kuiro. Even without that, I''d been relying on ��Samsara Recursion��too much.

    Or perhaps consuming the hero was the problem. The encounter with Ashno might have had some sort of influence too.

    ��Let me give you one piece of advice. The five individuals ��Me�� sealed�� the criterion for choosing them was�� whether they could destroy the world or not. Not just Solute, with his poison and disease. All the remaining individuals are of the same caliber, each one a potential bomb. Remember that.��

    I pondered those words deeply. Even if I acquired a new ��Me��, I decided not to use it recklessly.

    ��You''re unusually cooperative with your advice today.��

    ��It''s a modest token of gratitude to you (I), for promising not to kill my? daughter�� Ashno. Besides, after all, I do love this world. The world that I once saved with the woman I love. That''s why I want to protect it.��

    With that, ��Me�� waved a hand as if to say the conversation was over, and the white room began to crumble. There was still more I wanted to talk about. As I reached out my hand, thinking this, ��Me�� simply smiled and did not reply.

    For some reason, I had the premonition that I would never be able to have such a conversation with ��Me��? again.

 Book 5: Chapter 10-2: The Forbidden Five

    Book 5: Chapter 10-2: The Forbidden Five

    About a month and a half had passed since I spoke with ��Me�� in a dream. Since then, ��Me�� hadn��t spoken to me even once. In the meantime, the defense wall around Erucy was nearingpletion. Although it was only 4 meters high, oncepleted, it would be fitted with barbed wire, and in case of emergency, it could be electrified with a high voltage current, making it tough to ovee by conventional means.

    On the other hand, it was about 10 meters thick, so it was impossible to prate it, whether with a battering ram, a ballista, or even a cannon. And today, I went outside Erucy to gaze upon these nearly finished walls.

    Almost everyone in Erucy took the day off from work to look at the walls from their favorite spots.

    ��All the fire foxes, begin preparations to finish this up! The elves have worked hard to get it this far. We can''t let their efforts go to waste. Let''s give it our all!��

    ��We''ll do our best! Kuu-neesama!��

    ��Understood. Kuu-neesama!��

    ��Yukino will do her best!��

    When Kuu raised her voice, the fire foxes positioned evenly around the barrier responded in turn. They were about to give the final touch to the walls.

    Kuu''s belly had grown considerably. She was about five months pregnant. Compared to elves or humans, fire foxes had a shorter gestation period of about two months, so at the earliest, the children would be born in another two months. If it was the standard duration, the children would be born in about three months.Lately, the fire foxes taking care of Kuu had been clinging to her so much that even I couldn''t spend much time with her. Not only conjugal activities were out of the question, but even just talking for extended periods of time got me sent away, because ording to them, ��It makes Kuu-sama tired��.

    As it was the first birth of a new fire fox after their vige was destroyed, everyone was very nervous, and Kuu seemed to be stressed out because of their excessive care.

    There was strong opposition from the others about Kuu participating in today''s work, but she insisted. She adamantly stated that as the wife of the chief, it was her duty toplete the defensive wall protecting Erucy.

    ��Everyone is in position, right? Then, let''s activate the magic. Everyone, ?��Fox Fire��!��

    With Kuu''smand, nearly fifty fire foxes activated their me magic. A vast magical power was released, drawing the Mana of fire from all around, enveloping the walls in mes. Therge-scale magic performed by the fifty of them was both beautiful and awe-inspiring.

    ��Lucy, it''s a magnificent view, isn''t it?��

    ��Yeah, it''s really beautiful.��

    The red mes burned fiercely. This was the final stage of the walls'' construction. The walls were made by stacking a mixture of y and gravel on a framework of wood and stone. By baking it, its strength was increased.

    Rather than baking it piece by piece, baking it all at once reduced warping and increased strength. Hence, all of Erucy''s fire foxes performed this grand magic.

    I silently sent my admiration. Though it might seem like a brute force approach, this magic required both synchronization and delicate control. It was only possible because of these women who had always worked hard together, even during the toughest of times.

    The elven spectators were also captivated by the mes. Sweat dripped from the brows of the fire foxes, and they grimaced from the effort. Even for them, maintaining ��Fox Fire�� for a long time was tough.

    ��Just a little more. Keep it up.��

    I sent my voice on the wind to all the fire foxes. It was my role to signal thepletion of the barrier. Various responses came back from everyone. Among the younger fox group, the silver fire fox Yukino wagged her tail in joy, the yellow fire fox Kemin tried to act tough, and the ck fire fox Kurone looked at me with a tearful face as if saying, "Not yet?"

    I carefully assessed the state of the barrier. If the timing was wrong, everything would be for naught. Finally, the moment came.

    ��Great job, everyone! It''s done. Release your power slowly.��

    Relief washed over the fire foxes as they slowly weakened their mes, and then, when the mes finally died down, most of the fire foxes sat down, panting heavily.

    As expected, it was a massive-scale spell. Even the fire foxes, beloved by the mes, had to give their all. In the midst of this, Kuu and Yukino, the high-ranking gold and silver fire foxes, seemed rtively fine, while looking out for theirrades.

    I raised my voice after waiting for the fire foxes to recover.

    ��Everyone of Erucy, you''ve done well! With this, the walls protecting Erucy areplete. The elves built it, and the fire foxes finished them. These are the walls that will protect us!��

    Both elves and fire foxes looked up at the majestic walls, which were a culmination of months of effort. It was the first time any of them had worked over such a long period to create something of this magnitude, and a sense of aplishment swelled in each of their hearts.

    ��These walls won��t be easily breached by the Empire, nor by anyone else. It''s remarkable that you were able to finish such an impressive structure. As your chief, I thank you all!��

    The people of Erucy burst into smiles, sharing their joy with those next to them. Some even embraced each other. It had been a series of simple, but grueling tasks�� there should have been moments when their spirits almost broke, yet, everyone persevered, and in the end, theypleted their tasks magnificently. This coborative effort had undoubtedly deepened the bonds among all of Erucy''s people.

    ��I think it''s not enough to just express gratitude verbally, so I''ve prepared a feast for today. As soon as the sun sets, gather in the square. There will be plenty of food and drink! Now, you''re all dismissed!��

    Cheers erupted. Luxuries were not encouraged before a war, but today was an exception. It might be thest feast before the battle, so I wanted them to enjoy it to the fullest.

    Watching everyone head back to Erucy, I sensed a disturbance in the wind Mana. Wondering what it was, I turned around to see a carriage racing towards us.

    As I watched, a specially modified carriage, which I had enhanced so it could move and sustain twice the usual speed, was approaching us. Only three cities possess such carriages. It came to an abrupt halt in front of me.

    ��Cyril-sama!��

    The man who stepped down from the carriage was Johann, the leader of the Kobold tribe and one of the five leaders who govern Bell Erucy. His face lit up with a broad smile as he spoke.

    ��We''ve done it! I rushed here because I wanted Cyril-sama to see it as soon as possible!��

    ��Exin it so I can understand.��

    ��It''s finished!��

    ��What''s finished?��

    ��We have finished harvesting the cannabis you asked us for, Cyril-sama!��

    For a moment, I was stunned, then a sinister grin spread across my face. Lucy nced at me with a startled expression from beside me.

    Atst, the cannabis that would serve as a raw material for the counterfeit bonds and drugs had arrived. With only a month and a half left until the war, it seemed like we might just make it in time.

 Book 5: Chapter 11-1: Cannabis Cuisine

    Book 5: Chapter 11-1: Cannabis Cuisine

    ��So, the cannabis has been harvested. Then let''s head to Bell Erucy tomorrow. We have no time to lose.��

    Though I wanted to rx a bit, every minute and second is precious right now. I want to quickly obtain the cannabis and start developing the drug. It will take time to produce and distribute the drugs.

    ��There''s no need for that, Cyril-sama,��

    Johann, the kobold chief, stopped me while breathing raggedly. Then he waved towards the wagon, and the cargo bed opened, revealing a pile of harvested cannabis. It was lush green, with splendid flowers and fruits.

    ��This is the first batch. We''ve loaded as much as we could onto this high-speed carriage you gave us, Cyril-sama. More carriages are on their way. The rest will be delivered by them.��

    ��I''m grateful. This saves me the trouble of going there myself.��

    With so little time left to maneuver, such consideration was truly appreciated. Among the five leaders of Bell Erucy, Johann of the Kobold tribe was perceptive and fiercely loyal to me. He was a man I could really rely on. When the timees to wee races other than elves and fire foxes to further expand Erucy, I would start by weing people from Bell Erucy. I was thinking of entrusting him with the selection of people for that.

    ��Then, we��ll start moving it in immediately. Please grant us permission to enter Erucy.��

    ��Count on it. Also, Johann. We''re having a feast tonight. Would you like to join us? Of course, we''ll provide lodging for everyone who came today.����Us too!? Is that really okay?��

    ��Of course. The efforts of Bell Erucy citizens in mining coal and cultivating cannabis have been a great help to us.��

    Bell Erucy had always been a great support to Erucy. They mined and transported coal, and they had sessfully harvested the cannabis. We also received various information from the refugees who came to Bell Erucy, and it served as a bulwark against the Empire.

    ��Then, I''ll dly ept your offer. A feast hosted by Cyril-sama, I''m looking forward to it!��

    ��Look forward to it. I''ll prepare delicacies that you can''t eat in Bell Erucy. ��And, please keep it a secret, but I''ll also prepare some souvenirs. Please give them to your family.��

    ��My wife and children will be delighted!��

    I shouldn''t favor one of the five leaders too much, but this much should be fine. After thanking Johann, the kobold chief, I asked Yukino to arrange his guide and lodging, then left with as much cannabis as I could carry.

    I moved to the workshop. First, I separated the male and female cannabis nts. THC, the narcoticponent, is almost absent in male nts. Only female nts would be used for drug production, while male nts would be used for food. It was easy to tell them apart; the female nts have white fuzz on their stems. I carefully sorted them out. After all, the male nts were a valuable food source for Erucy. It would be a problem if I identally mixed in female nts.

    ��Well, that''s the sorting done.��

    I finally finished separating the male and female nts. It took quite a lot of time due to theirrge quantity.

    ��Maybe I''ll add one more dish to the feast.��

    Since Johann would be there, I should let him taste a cannabis dish. We grew as much cannabis as possible in Bell Erucy''s vast farnds. Erucy��s poption alone couldn''t consume it all. Although the female nts were dangerous and needed to be carefully handled, the male nts should be utilized as an additional food source in Bell Erucy too.

    However, it was clear that Bell Erucy''s citizens might be hesitant to use them as food, having never eaten them before. I should use this asion to help them understand the deliciousness of cannabis cuisine here. Today''s feast was a great opportunity for both the people of Erucy and Bell Erucy to try cannabis dishes.

    ��Cyril-kun, are you there?��

    I heard Kuu''s voice while preparing the food. I stood up and opened the door.

    ��Yeah, I am. Come in.��

    Kuu entered the workshop a bit formally. She gently held her belly, all her actions showed concern for the child within her. I apanied Kuu to where the cannabis flowers were.

    ��What brings you here today?��

    ��There��s no particr reason. I just wanted to have a rxed chat with you. So I slipped away for a bit. Everyone is tired today, and with their minds on tonight''s feast, it was easy to get away.��

    Kuu smiled and yfully stuck out her tongue. Come to think of it, I haven''t been able to spend time alone with her recently due to her attendants always being around.

    ��That''s right. I wanted to talk with you too.��

    I pulled Kuu into an embrace and kissed her, deeply, with my tongue. Her fox ears stood straight up.

    ��What are you doing all of a sudden?��

    Kuu blushed and protested when I released her from the kiss.

    ��I just felt like it. It��s been a while, so I couldn''t help wanting to kiss Kuu when I saw your face. Did you dislike it?��

    ����I didn''t dislike it. I also wanted to kiss you.��

    Kuu was so cute. I wanted to go further but held back. Kuu''s well-being was far more important than my own desires.

    ��Kuu, your belly has grown quite a bit, hasn''t it?��

    ��Yes. fire foxes have quick pregnancies. Also, recently, the children have started moving inside. I''m really looking forward to the birth now.��

    ��Yeah, I''m excited too. We need to make Erucy a peaceful country before these children are born.��

    For that purpose, I would be a demon. I won''t let anyone take away the happiness I''ve finally grasped.

    ��Cyril-kun, have you decided on a name?��

 Book 5: Chapter 11-2: Cannabis Cuisine

    Book 5: Chapter 11-2: Cannabis Cuisine

    ��I wish I could say I had, but I have two names in mind and can��t decide between them.�� Before departing for the Empire, Kuu and I promised that she would decide on the boy��s name and I would decide on the girl��s. I��ve been thinking about it the entire time I was away from Erucy, but I haven''t decided yet. ��First, can you tell me what you''ve decided, Kuu?�� ��Yes, I''ve decided to name the boy Ryna.�� ��That sounds nice. It''s an unfamiliar word to me; does it have a meaning?�� ��Yes, in the fire foxnguage, it means "courage" and "resistance." I decided to name him that, hoping he would grow up with those qualities.�� ��That''s a very Kuu-like way to choose a name. I like it.�� The strength to face any despair and never give up. If he grew up to have strength like that, he would surely protect Erucy. ��I thought of two names for the girl: Sora and Kuuna. I''m considering one of these. Sora, like the clear blue sky. I thought of this name because I wish for her to grow up bright, straightforward, and loved by everyone. Kuuna, on the other hand,bines "Ku" meaning air, and "na" meaning enveloping gently. While Sora symbolizes being loved and admired by everyone, Kuuna represents being a close presence that envelops and cares for everyone.�� Sora and Kuna. Names that meant being loved by people and loving people. I was struggling to decide which one to wish for our daughter. ��Both are beautiful names, Cyril-kun. In that case, let''s name the first one Sora. And if she gets a sister, we''ll name her Kuuna.�� ������ I was momentarily stunned, thenughed. ��Right, if I like both, I can use both. That''s quite a luxurious solution.�� ��I believe that Cyril-kun will make us happy enough to afford such luxury.�� ��I''m trusted quite a bit, aren''t I?�� ��Yes, because you''re my wonderful husband.�� Kuu and Iughed together. Could we really create such a future? ��Kuu, our children will be named Ryna for the boy, and Sora for the girl.�� ��Yes! I''m even more excited for their birth now!�� Thus, the names of our children were decided. �� �� It''s quite a repetitive task, isn��t it?.�� ��The effort will be worth it, so just have a little patience.�� Kuu and I silently continued with the preparation of the cannabis dish. First, we cut the flowers from the cannabis stalks. Then, we extracted the seeds wrapped in the flowers, breaking the outer shell to remove the contents. ��Phew, we got quite a lot, didn''t we?�� ��With this much, we can manage something for everyone��yeah, at least a piece each.�� In front of us was a pile of cannabis seeds with their shells broken. This amount should be enough to let everyone try the dishes. ��But we have a lot of leftover stems and leaves. Are we throwing these away?�� ��Of course not, the leaves and stems of cannabis are great for making high-quality fibers. They can be used for durable ropes, bags, and even clothes. We can make paper too.�� ��That''s amazing! We were struggling a bit with materials for clothes and ropes.�� At Erucy, we got most of our textiles by buying them from other cities, so cannabis was a great help. We could make clothes out of fur, but they were heavy and too warm for anything other than winter. hemp, on the other hand, was durable, breathable, and light. ��What are we going to do with the extracted seeds?�� ��They need to be crushed first.�� I put the cannabis seeds into a mortar. Then I grounded them, and a greenish-white emulsion started oozing out. Once a fair amount of emulsion umted, I wrapped it in a coarse cloth and squeezed it over a pot. The crushed seeds remained in the cloth, and the emulsion flowed into the pot. ��Kuu, try tasting it a bit.�� ��Yes!�� Kuu dipped her finger into the cannabis emulsion and tasted it. ��This is really delicious. Sweet and rich, it��s addictive.�� ��I''ll have a little, too.�� I did the same, tasting the cannabis emulsion. A gentle vor filled my mouth. If I had topare, it was simr to soy milk but even richer. This was not surprising, given the high nutritional value of cannabis emulsion. It contained more proteins and vitamins than soy milk, and while rich in fats, they were the kind that were good for the body. It was rich and had a strong sweetness, yet not overwhelming. Truly an ideal ingredient, both nutritious and delicious. ��I''d like to gulp down a full cup of this.�� ��Yeah, if we get more cannabis, let''s try doing that.�� I chuckled at the thought. Then, as I continued to crush the remaining seeds, I extracted more emulsion until the pot was filled with cannabis emulsion. ��Okay, let''s finish it up. Kuu, could you heat this pot? Heat it to near boiling temperature.�� ��Like this?�� ��Yeah, that''s perfect.�� With Kuu''s help, the cannabis emulsion reached the optimum temperature. Then, I added salt to the warmed pot for vor and started pouring in potato starch. The emulsion gradually thickened. I slowly added more potato starch until it reached the desired consistency. ��Kuu, thank you. You can turn off the heat now.�� ��Okay, Cyril-kun.�� After making sure the starch was well mixed and the mixture had thickened, we turned off the heat. Then, I poured the contents of the pot into a wooden box I had prepared earlier. ��Kuu, can you cool down the water in that bucket?�� ��Understood.�� The final step involved Kuu cooling the water and then submerging the wooden box into it. All that was left to do was wait. ��Cyril-kun, what did we make?�� ��That''s a secret for now. We just need to let it cool and it''ll be ready. No taste tests either. Save the surprise for the feast.�� ��Cyril-kun, keeping me in suspense like this is just cruel! I wonder how it will taste.�� Kuu looked at me with a slightly resentful expression, too cute to ignore. I decided to give in a little. ��Okay, I''ll reveal just the name of the dish. What we made today is called cannabis tofu.�� ��That''s a name I''ve never heard before. I''m looking forward to tonight.�� ��Yes, it won''t disappoint.�� After all, even though it was tofu, it wasn��t made with nigari but solidified with potato starch, giving it a more resilient texture akin to sesame tofu. Plus, it was made with cannabis emulsion, which had far more vor than soy milk. It couldn''t possibly taste bad. I would also make a special sauce. I was really looking forward to seeing Kuu and Lucy''s reactions when they taste this dish.

 Book 5: Chapter 12: The Drug "Shoji"

    Book 5: Chapter 12: The Drug "Shoji"

    The feast was extremely lively. The table wasden with delicacies, primarily wild boar and deer meat, all of thisplemented with ale purchased from Erin. It had been a while since thest feast, and everyone knew this could be thest one before the war, so they were trying to enjoy it more than usual.

    Elves and fire foxes were allughing together.

    Seeing such a scene warmed my heart. It reassured me that what I was doing wasn��t wrong.

    ��Everyone, I''m bringing out today''s special menu. Those who still have room in their stomachs, please take your tes ande get it. It''s a dish made with cannabis harvested in Bell Erucy!��

    I stood in front of a table at the edge of the za where the feast was unfolding, holding a giant wooden box.

    All the elves and fire foxes turned their attention to me.

    After confirming their gaze, I flipped the wooden box over, and the cannabis tofu I had made slid out smoothly from inside the box.

    The moment it was ced on therge te, the greenish-white cubic mass trembled. For added entertainment, I pped it with the t side of the knife, making the cannabis tofu tremble even more. As it was made with potato starch instead of nigari, it didn''t crumble like regr tofu. Its harder texture, simr to sesame tofu, allowed it to maintain its form even with a rougher maniption.

    Everyone watched the jiggling cannabis tofu with interest.��This dish is made with cannabis grown by everyone in Bell Erucy. Let��s eat it with gratitude towards the kobolds of Johann��s tribe who apany us today, as well as those from Bell Erucy who couldn''t be here.��

    As I said that, cheers arose from the elves and fire foxes, and the kobolds scratched their cheeks looking embarrassed. As soon as I finished speaking, the elves and fire foxes stood up and formed a line. Everyone wanted to try the new dish.

    ��Cyril-niisama! Yukino is first.��

    ��Ah, Yukino, that''s unfair. Or rather, you��re too fast.��

    ��As expected of a silver fire fox. But Kuro got second ce, so I don��t mind. Sorry, Kemin.��

    ��I was beaten by Kurone again������

    At the front, as expected, were the trio of young foxes: The silver-haired Yukino, the yellow-haired Kemin, and the ck-haired Kurone. Yukino was wagging her tail with a smug look on her face.

    She acted mature when she was with me or Kuu, but when the three girls were together, she let her guard down and acted more childlike.

    ��Girls, there are two types of sauce for the cannabis tofu. Let me know which you prefer, sweet or salty.��

    Beside the wooden box were two different pots containing the special sauces I had prepared.

    ��Yukino prefers salty.��

    ��Cyril-niisama, Kuro wants the sweet one.��

    ��I''d like the sweet one too, please.��

    ��Alright, understood.��

    I began cutting the cannabis tofu. If done normally, it would stick to the knife and lose its shape, so I took the knife and made quick and sharp slices.

    The three girls watched with shining eyes.

    Then, on Yukino''s te, I poured a sauce made from fish sauce purchased in Erin �C a seasoning simr to soy sauce made from fish, diluted with broth. For the other two, I poured a mixture of maple syrup, water and lemon juice, and finally, sprinkled chopped cannabis leaves on top.

    Both saucesplemented the cannabis tofu''s sweet and rich essence, their robust vors enhancing without overshadowing the tofu''s distinct taste.

    ��Mmm~ Delicious. Cyril-niisama. The rich taste goes perfectly with the fish sauce. It might be Yukino��s favorite. Teach Yukino how to make it next time.��

    ��Kuro also likes this. It''s fun how it sticks in the mouth.��

    ��The texture is interesting, but the vor is wonderful, very rich, and the sweetness of the maple syrup followed by the sweetness of this white stuff spreads out.��

    All three seemed pleased.

    The people lined up behind them looked expectant after seeing the three''s reactions.

    Let''s keep this up and introduce the deliciousness of cannabis to many more.

    ��Come on, everyone, eat up. We''ll have plenty of cannabis avable from now on. Remember this vor and share your experience with those who haven''t had the chance to try it yet.��

    After that, I continued cutting the cannabis tofu until none remained.

    I was relieved that the cannabis tofu was so well-received. Besides cannabis tofu, there were also cannabis butter, cannabis cookies, and various other dishes. Maybe next time, I would gather the housewives for a cannabis cuisine study session.

    ��

    The sess of the cannabis tofu alleviated some of the food worries in regard to the uing siege. After all, arge amount of cannabis seeds was expected to arrive from Bell Erucy soon. Furthermore, cannabis seeds could be preserved for over a year and provided vitamins that were difficult to obtain from ordinary preserved food, making them an excellent supply for a siege. Having good food would contribute to morale too.

    Before the feast ended, I mentioned that I had work to do and returned to the workshop alone. Lucy and Yukino offered to help, but I declined.

    The work I would be doing was a dark one. I couldn��t involve them in this.

    I''d sternly told them not toe near the workshop today, no matter what.

    ��Well, let''s see how this turns out.��

    In the workshop were the unused female cannabis nts: the ones containing narcoticponents and not suitable for consumption. There were also ephedra and Hikageshibire mushrooms which I had harvestedst fall and dried, and solidified alcohol extracted from liquor.

    ��Designer drugs. To my knowledge, these fit the criteria perfectly. They can be mass-produced cheaply, provide euphoria, and cause severe addiction.��

    I swallowed nervously.

    Marijuana had a notorious image, but it wasn��t very effective on its own. Its intoxicating effect was milder than alcohol, and its adverse effects on the body were minorpared to alcohol and tobo.

    The effects of marijuana were mild intoxication and heightened sensitivity and perception. Especially when eating, make you perceive the vors and texture more urately. When eating fruits, for example, one could experience an irresistible texture and melting sweetness. It enhanced the enjoyment of paintings and music, and sex became indescribably pleasurable.

    Yet, the threshold to be addicted to marijuana was high. You needed to ingest the equivalent of an alcoholic who drank a full bottle of sake a day. Generally, it was a beneficial drug.

    ��But, depending on how it''s used, it can be a heinous weapon.��

    The real power of marijuana shows whenbined with other drugs. The intoxicated state it induced lowered the body''s resistance and heightened all senses, increasing the absorption rate of the drug''sponents, and thereby enhancing the effects of anybined drug.

    Fortunately, there were species simr to ephedra and Hikageshibire mushrooms growing in the mountains.

    Simply put, ephedra was a central nervous system stimnt: simr to amphetamine. Hikageshibire mushrooms had hallucinogenic effects; they were simr to magic mushrooms, both had high addictive potential.

    Each could be destructive on its own. However, they were difficult to cultivate by human hands and challenging to secure inrge quantities. However, mixed with marijuana, even a small amount can produce more than the usual drug effect. With this, arge amount of drugs can be prepared.

    ��If I were to name this drug, what would it be? A drug made for cleaning up the empire. Maybe call it Shoji?��

    I organized in my mind theposition of the drug. A base of powdered tetrahydrocannabinol, the narcoticponent of marijuana, methamphetamine extracted from ephedra, psilocybin from Hikageshibire mushrooms, and a small amount of powdered alcohol. The resulting pill would offer overwhelming pleasure that makes one forget their humanity, instantly blowing away reason and making one extremely high, even causing hallucinations- a terrible drug indeed.

    Injections would be more immediate and effective, but if I wanted to distribute it widely, pills were the only choice.

    I used magic to process the ingredients, extracted the narcoticponents, and mixed them. Two hourster, about 1 kg of white powder was ready in front of me.

    ��I''d like to experiment, but how should I go about it? I don''t have any prisoners.��

    I would have liked to conduct various experiments on prisoners, but all had been released now. And I can''t use this on the people of Erucy.

    Should I use it on myself?

    ��No way.��

    I was a living bomb myself. I didn''t even want to imagine what would happen if I lost reason, and got high. I might identally destroy the world.

    There was no other choice. I would try it on the spies who had infiltrated Bell Erucy, the very ones I intentionally allowed to roam free.

    ��What rotten luck, after Johann took the trouble toe to Erucy, so I wouldn��t have to waste time����

    Probably, if I set my mind to it, I could make them addicted in a day. No matter how well-trained a spy they might be, once addicted, they would dly betray their cause. Yes, that was a good idea. Killing two birds with one stone.

    With these thoughts in mind, I continued to process the powder into pills.

    TN: Shoji in Japanese means to clean, the name of the drug is in hiragana �����`����, while the kanji for clean is ���߳���. It also sounds simr to Cyril��s first life Shouji.

 Book 5: Chapter 13-1: Improving the Drug "Shoji"

    Book 5: Chapter 13-1: Improving the Drug "Shoji"

    I had arrived in Bell Erucy. My purpose, of course, was to adjust and experiment with the drug. For that, I was working in a cell. Bell Erucy was originally a frontline base for the Empire, so it had plenty of facilities you wouldn��t find in a normal vige, one of those was a prison.

    ��Medicine, give me the medicineee!��

    Inside the prison, in a sturdy cell made of iron, a man with sunken cheeks and bloodshot eyes was clinging to the door, screaming. I was looking at the man from outside the cell.

    He was originally a very sharp-looking man, but now there was no trace of that. Perhaps because he had hit the door with his fists so many times, the bones of his hands were broken. Yet, he didn''t seem to feel the pain and didn''t stop hitting the door. He had scratched the walls so much that his nails had also peeled off.

    ��Do you want the medicine? Then, tell me everything you know.��

    ����N-no, I can''t tell.��

    ��Is that so? Then I can''t give you the medicine.��

    I turned on my heel. ncing back, I saw the man with a face like it was the end of the world, desperately reaching through the gap. Looking closely, his whole body was trembling.

    ��I''ll tell you! Everything, I''ll tell you everything. Medicine, medicine. Give me the medicineee!��I took out a white pill from my pocket, showing it off to him. It was the designer drug Shoji that I had made in Erucy.

    ��Good decision.��

    This man was an imperial spy. He sneaked into Bell Erucy, which was epting refugees, by pretending to be one of them.

    He had been acting like an ordinary person, but to the trained eye, his movements were too polished, a sign of someone who had received training. Furthermore, when this man entered the town, he imed to be "just a farmer, from a peaceful vige with no experience in warfare." It was unnaturally out of ce.

    The most telling sign was his overly calm reaction when he was approached by me. His attempt to appear nonchnt was so exaggerated that it became suspicious. In a situation where it would be normal to be agitated, his calmness stood out. That''s why I captured him and subjected him to the standard torture methods. Such methods would usually break a normal soldier, who would spill everything. But this man endured without going mad. At that point, I revised my judgment of him. He was not just a normal spy, but an exceptional one.

    That''s why he was a good subject for experimentation. It had been three days since I tested Shoji on him. The man who had withstood any torture was now reduced to a deplorable state, seeing nothing but the drug.

    I did think it was inhumane. But I wasn��t kind-hearted enough to show mercy to a spy. Depending on his actions, hundreds of people from Erucy could have been sacrificed.

    ��Hurry, ask me, I''ll answer, then give me, give me the medicine, quicklyyyy!��

    ��Here''s my questions. What��s your real name, your position and purpose, and who sent you here? Speak.��

    ��I-I am Lieutenant Relic, assigned to the Empire''s intelligence division, hi -my mission was to steal the elves'' new weapon and bring it back, and if there was any suspicious movement among the elves, to inform the Empire�� I was sent here on the orders of Captain Folie Markley. I don''t know who gave the orders to my superior, I don��t know�� It''s true! Those are the rules!! I''m not lying�� so please, please the medicine, give me the medicineee!��

    Fearing that he wouldn''t receive the drug for failing to answer my questions, the man kept repeating that he wasn''t lying.

    It must be true. If this was an act, then this man was the world''s greatest actor.

    ��Here''s your reward.��

    I threw just one pill of Shoji into the cell. The white pill rolled across the dirty floor. The man crawled like a dog, picked up the pill with his tongue along with the dust and rubbish, and put it into his mouth, his face melting into ecstasy.

    ��Ah aa, aha ha ha ha, hooray, long live the Empire!��

    As soon as he swallowed the pill, his trembling stopped abruptly, and he began tough loudly. With a vacant look, heughed heartily as if he was having the time of his life, and even started singing. It was the national anthem of the Empire. It was utterly ridiculous. A trained intelligence officer of the Empire, who was supposed to be concealing his identity in enemy territory, was singing his country''s national anthem. Unbelievable. I watched him for a good ten minutes to observe the effects of Shoji. Then the trembling started again.

    ��Hii, one pill isn''t enough, more, I need more!��

    Again, he began to beg for the drug. This man had developed a tolerance to it, and its effects were wearing off more quickly. Even if the effective duration shortened, the withdrawal symptoms did not ease. Once it had reached this stage, it was the end of the line for him as a person.

    ��Can''t be helped. Then, let''s add another question. Answer this and I''ll give you more medicine.��

    ��Anything, I''ll answer anything.��

    ��Alright, then tell me the names and characteristics of the other spies who came here, besides you. Every single one. Miss even one, and you won''t get the medicine.��

    Normally, even if I said I wouldn''t give the drug if he missed anyone, he would realize that there was no way for me to confirm whether there were any omissions, but this man no longer had the intelligence to realize that.

    ��Ah, besides me, there are four more. One is a woman, a toranje woman with red hair braided in three, slender, painted red nails, her name, Renifa. The second, a hobitoru, short, muscr, with brown hair, a man, his name, Naira. And then����

 Book 5: Chapter 13-2: Improving the Drug "Shoji"

    Book 5: Chapter 13-2: Improving the Drug "Shoji"

    One after another, the man betrayed hisrades. He seemed to feel no guilt about it whatsoever. ��This is everyone! Everyone! I told you, I told you everything, so please, the medicine, give me the medicine!�� ��Good boy. As long as you''re obedient, I''ll give you medicine.�� I tossed the drug at him, and the man lunged for Shoji once again. ��It''s also time for feeding. Here, eat.�� Like feeding a dog, I slid arge portion of foul-smelling leftovers through the bottom of the cell door. It contained scrap vegetables and meat discarded from making dried meat. Its preservation was poor, and it was oozing strange threads. It had been picked up from the garbage dump, so it was only natural. It was so foul-smelling it could turn your stomach. ��Wow, such a feast! Delicious, so delicious, I''ve never had anything so good!�� And with that, he gobbled up the garbage as if it were truly a delicacy. He devoured it like a dog with his mouth pressed against the te. As I watched him, I thought to myself. I made the drug a bit too strong. It was too destructive in this state. If I spread it in the Empire like this, it probably wouldn''t spread properly. I should adjust the concentration to make it weaker. Also, the hallucinogenic effect was too strong; that needed adjustment too. This experiment proved insightful. Initially, I nned to use the drug to control him and turn him into a double agent, but now he was beyond any use. Might as well use the other spies he ratted out to test the adjusted Shoji. This time, I needed to be careful not to destroy them entirely. ��Ouch, it hurts, it hurtsss, ah, it feels good. It feels goood. Ahahaha.�� The man, who should have been suffering from a stomach upset from eating rotten food, let out a voice of deep pleasure. Probably, in his state, he was actually happy. �� In the end, after various adjustments to the concentration and ratios of the drug, and tinkering with the intervals of administration, I finally seeded in making a double agent out of the third person. Moving forward, I would use him to disseminate false information and for gathering intelligence from the Empire. The one I turned into a double agent had reached the ideal state where he retained some level of rationality but couldn''t survive without regr doses of Shoji. As expected of a professional intelligence officer of the Empire, he was highly capable, and I had high expectations for his future contributions. The rest were rendered useless, but the gain was significant. Thanks to their sacrifice, I was able to adjust Shoji to an ideal concentration for distribution in the Empire. Afterpleting the adjustments, I mass-produced Shoji using the ingredients I had brought from Erucy �� ephedra, Hikageshibire mushrooms, powdered alcohol �� along with the marijuana from Bell Erucy. Each pill of Shoji was approximately 100mg, so with the 80kg of raw materials I brought, I could create a considerable quantity of it ��Are you leaving already, Cyril-sama?�� ��Yes, I''ve finally managed to create something satisfactory. Thank you for taking care of me during my stay in Bell Erucy, Johann.�� I was about to depart from Bell Erucy in a high-speed carriage. Johann, the leader of the kobold tribe, hade to see me off. The carriage was loaded with the drug and arge amount of counterfeit bonds. The counterfeit bonds were mass-produced in Erucy using cannabis leaves and stems as raw materials. Their quality was so good, that even I found it hard to distinguish them from the real thing. ��I heard that the elite troops from Erucy will be arriving soon. Why not dy your departure for a while?�� ��I can''t, there''s no time left.�� With just one month until the war started I needed to act now. The time left was short, but I still had enough, if barely, to inflict damage with the counterfeit bonds and Shoji. ��It''s unthinkable for you, Cyril-sama, to go alone to meet with those barbaric orcs!�� ��It''s precisely because they are likely to be the most troublesome that I must go. Besides, among the anti-empire forces, the orcs are second only to Erucy in terms of size, we can��t afford to fail to gain the orcs'' cooperation.�� We weren''t going to distribute the counterfeit bonds and Shoji directly. We would use the people from the viges surrounding the Empire. When I went on a reconnaissance mission to the Empirest time, I visited several anti-empire viges and met with their leadership. After our victories against the Empire, Erucy was seen as a beacon of hope for the anti-empire movement, so they weed me warmly. I had already discussed the counterfeit bonds with them. All these anti-empire viges were struggling financially, and their food situation wasn��t good either, so they would dly ept hoarding food using counterfeit bonds. At the same time, I would have them sell Shoji to the citizens of the Empire. Initially, it was just a drug that make one feel good. They would dly get hooked on Shoji�� unaware of the terror that came with dependency. First, I would go to the orcs, thergest and most violent group. And as additional batches of counterfeit bonds were made, Nettle, the elite troops of Erucy, led by Roleau, would visit other viges using the high-speed carriages. I''d instructed Roleau and the others to collect the Shoji that I finished adjusting in Bell Erucy too. This way, counterfeit bonds, and narcotics would simultaneously flood into the Empire from multiple viges. ��Why don''t you take some of the elite of the kobold tribe with you? They may not be as strong as Nettle, but they could be of help. The ferocity of the orcs is unmatched! Even for you, it would be too much to handle alone.�� Johann seemed particrly worried about me. But I was confident. ��I''ve already spoken with their leader once. There''s no need to worry.�� There had been some troubles, but I dealt with them, including using force when necessary, and everything turned out fine. I''m sure this negotiation will go smoothly too. They might be barbaric, but they are simple and straightforward. Far better than those who wear a smile but harbor ulterior motives. ��Ahhh, Cyril-sama, wait please!�� Ignoring Johann��s worried face, I spurred the horse into action and set off for the viges near the Empire.

 Book 5: Chapter 14-1: Covert Operations

    Book 5: Chapter 14-1: Covert Operations

    ��Hey, d you could make it, Elf.��

    I sat across from the chief of the orc tribe. Their vige, home to about a thousand, was several timesrger than Erucy.

    Their level of civilization was low, with crudely constructed mud and wooden houses sparsely scattered across the vastnd.

    ��It''s been a while, Chief of the Orcs, Lingaga-dono.��

    ��Ga-ha-ha, just Lingaga is fine. We arerades bound by our hatred of the Empire. Let''s get along, shall we? You are a warrior I recognize. I grant you the privilege of speaking as an equal.��

    ��Then I''ll take you up on that offer.��

    I dropped the formal speech and adopted a more brazen attitude. It would be foolish to show subservience here. It would only invite contempt.

    ��What did you say your name was?��

    ��Cyril.����Ah, Cyril, Cyril. Now I remember.��

    Lingagaughed heartily, his mouth wide open. I maintained my smile without faltering.

    Most adult orcs had green-tinged skin and were a race with enormous bodies over two meters tall, d in armor of rock-hard muscle.

    They are widely despised for their custom of abducting women from different races to bear their children. This custom developed due to a characteristic of their race: the inability to give birth to females. Generally, in mixed-race pregnancies, the offspring would be of the same species as the mother, but Orcs are a rare exception.

    ��So, what brings you here? Coming all the way from Erucy, it must be more than just a casual visit. I''m sure you don��t have time to waste. Of course, neither do I.��

    Lingaga smirked, lifting one corner of his mouth. However, his eyes conveyed a clear message: he had no interest in trivial matters.

    This guy might seem simple and rough at first nce, but he was sharp and quick-witted. After all, the orcs had an official peace treaty with the Empire. They had struck a secret deal using the formidable strength of the orcs as a shield: the Empire turned a blind eye to the orc��s raids on viges under its control in exchange for the orcs not attacking the Empire''s maind.

    The Empire could wipe out the orcs if it used all of its military, but a conflict with the strong orcs would result in significant casualties. Moreover, even if they won, there would be nothing to gain. If the damage was limited to the tributary viges and other countries, the Empire could afford to overlook it.

    While they were tentatively at peace, the Empire viewed the orcs'' raids on its tributary viges as a nuisance, and the orcs found it difficult to resist the tempting prey that the imperial maind represented, resulting in a strained rtionship.

    ��Of course, Lingaga. I have brought you a proposition that will surely satisfy you.��

    ��As one would expect from the man I acknowledged.��

    As Lingaga said this, one of the orc men behind him, who had been cautiously watching me, made a displeased face.

    ��Boss! Why do you allow such a scrawny guy to act so big in front of us!?��

    ��Murtaka! You lost to Cyril, didn''t you? He defeated you, the top warrior of the orcs. Cyril here deserves our respect. I��m sorry I forgot your name, it''s not that I underestimated you; my brain is just a bit slow. I��ve got more muscles than brains in here.��

    ��But!��

    ��When did you be great enough to talk back to me? Huh?��

    ����My apologies.��

    Thest time I was here, I had a duel with the man named Murtaka. The orcs respected the strong, so by winning the duel I was able to speak on equal terms with their leader like this.

    ��Cyril, I apologize for the disturbance caused by my subordinate. Please, continue.��

    ��Today, I''vee to deliver a gift. Please bring the sacks from my carriage here.��

    ��Oh, a gift, eh? Murtaka, Mumbaba, go fetch them now!!��

    ��Yes, Boss!��

    At hismand, two burly orc men who had been standing behind Lingaga hurried off.

    ��Cyril''s gift, huh? It must be something splendid.��

    ��Yes, I''m sure it will please you.��

    I smiled slightly. The item I brought today should be extremely beneficial for the orcs.

    ��Here, we''ve brought all the cargo from your carriage.��

    It appeared that not only Murtaka and Mumbaba but also others had been summoned to carry all the cargo.

    ��Thank you.��

    ��Hey, Cyril, can I open it right away? I''m dying of curiosity.��

    ��Go ahead.��

    As I said this, one of the sacks was ced on the table with a loud thud. Then, as the sack was torn open, bundles of Empire bonds spilled out, scattering onto the table.

    Lingaga''s eyes widened in surprise, and he shakily reached for a bundle of notes. Seeing his reaction, I was certain of it: the orcs had used Empire bonds as a substitute for gold coins before.

    ��How about it? Do you like it?��

    ��Are these really imperial bonds? Indeed, they all carry the guarantee of being exchanged for gold coins next year. With this amount�� gehehe.��

    ��These are indeed imperial bonds, but they are fakes made in Erucy.��

    ��Fakes, huh? Hey, Murtaka! Bring the bonds from the safe.��

    ��Yes, right away.��

    At Lingaga''smand, the real imperial bonds were brought from the vige''s warehouse. Lingaga then meticulouslypared my counterfeits to the real ones.

    ��This is incredible. They look real no matter how you look at them. Hey, you guys,pare these too. If you find even the slightest difference from the real ones, let me know!��

    The Orcs gathered around, thoroughlyparing my counterfeit bonds to the real ones.

 Book 5: Chapter 14-2: Covert Operations

    Book 5: Chapter 14-2: Covert Operations

    He was surprisingly cautious. Well, getting caught using counterfeit bonds would inevitably lead to severe punishment. His caution made sense. ��Have the orcs used imperial bonds before?�� I asked to confirm. The orcs primarily sustained themselves through hunting, agriculture, and plunder, but they also purchased what they couldn��t obtain for themselves from the Empire. Therefore, I was certain they were familiar with the use of the Empire��s bonds. ��Of course. In a year, five gold coins be six. Of course, we would buy them. Plus, they''re light. We have to buy food for a thousand people. The weight of gold coins alone is significant. If we can buy things with these light papers, there''s no reason not to use them.�� ��I see. When was thest time you used the imperial bonds for shopping?�� ��It was two days ago. Nowadays, almost everyone shops with them.�� ��I see.�� It seems these bonds were functioning more effectively as paper currency than I thought. The orcs'' exhaustive search for errors in the counterfeit bonds ended, and it seemed they were convinced that they could pass as real. ��So, Cyril, what do you demand in return for these sacks full of Empire bonds? I will pay a fair price.�� ��There are two misunderstandings here. First, who said it was just this sack? Please open all the sacks except for the two smaller ones.�� As I instructed, Lingaga signaled his subordinates to open the sacks. ��Boss, this sack is also full of bonds.�� ��This one too.�� ��Incredible, the one I opened is also full!�� Cheers arose from the orcs one after another. Indeed, except for the two sacks containing Shoji, all the others were filled to the brim with bundles of bonds. ��Wha�� What is this? With this much, we could live in leisure for years.�� Lingaga eximed with a dazed expression. ��Right? And the second misunderstanding: I never said anything aboutpensation.�� ��What!? Then what''s in it for the elves?�� ��Weakening the Empire.�� The excessive influx of counterfeit bonds would damage confidence in the bonds and eventually destroy their value, damaging the Empire��s economy gravely. Also, in the process of circting the fake bonds all sorts of items will be hoarded, leading to an unprecedented shortage of supplies. This would inevitably lead to great chaos. ��So all these imperial bonds���� ��Yes, I��ll give them all to the orcs for free.�� ��Really?�� Leaning forward, Lingaga eximed in astonishment. Well, his surprise was understandable, after all, no one gave something of value for free. I could probably ask for something big in return, but there was no time to lose, and doing them a favor here could lead to long-term benefits. ��It''s true. However, I have one request.�� ��A request?�� Lingaga visibly tensed, his wariness apparent. ��When you go shopping in the Empire with these bonds, could you also sell the medicine that is in the smaller sacks?�� ��Medicine, you say?�� ��Yes, medicine. Of course, I won''t ask you to buy them. I''ll give you these for free as well. But you must promise to sell them without using any. They are the devil''s medicine.�� As soon as I referred to it as ��devil''s medicine��, the expressions of the orcs turned stern. ��Does it kill you if you drink it?�� ��No, it makes you feel uplifted, increases your appetite, and makes food taste better. It even enhances sexual pleasure.�� ��Sounds like a good medicine.�� ��But the more you use it, the more you be dependent on it, and in the end, you will not be able to live without it. It''s fine if you use it once a week, but if it bes a daily habit, you can kiss your life goodbye.�� ��So, it''s alright if it''s just once?�� ��If it''s just once.�� ��Then, let''s give it a try.�� With that, Lingaga put some Shoji in his mouth and swallowed it. Due to being a pill, the drug takes a while to take effect. ��It takes some time for the medicine to kick in, so let me use a little magic. [Metabolic Enhancement]??�� I enhanced Lingaga''s metabolism to speed up the drug''s effect. His cheeks quickly turned red. ��Wow, this really works. I feel exhrated. Ah, this is great. Haha, this is good stuff. But man, I''m suddenly starving.�� Lingagaughed heartily, clearly enjoying the heightened mood. ��Try this. It''s a limet fruit.�� I handed him a fruit with brown skin. Peeling it revealed a bright orange flesh inside. A sweet and sour aroma filled the air. You could hear the sound of someone swallowing saliva eagerly; it was Lingaga. ��Wow, how delicious this looks. Who would''ve thought that a simple limet fruit could look this appetizing? Ha, I can''t stand it.�� Unable to contain himself any longer, Lingaga snatched the limet fruit from my hand and bit into it voraciously. ��Wow, delicious! What is this texture that clings to the tongue? It''s irresistible, sweet, so sweet, it''s like it''s melting. Hey, Murtaka, hurry up and bring all the fruits you can find, especially llimet! I want more!�� At Lingaga''s bellowingmand, his orc subordinates hurriedly began to bring in more fruits. He devoured them with a terrifying gusto, eximing their deliciousness. The fruits kept disappearing, and he must have eaten several kilograms before Lingaga finally stopped. ��Damn, that was the best I''ve ever had. Phew, after eating, I really got in the mood. This is insane. When was thest time I felt this excited? Cyril, I need to step out for a bit.�� ��Feel free to leave, but make sure toe back soon. We still have things to discuss.�� ��I''ll try. Hey, you guys, treat Cyril with the utmost respect. Use whatever he needs, no limits.�� �� About two hourster, Lingaga returned , looking quite refreshed, evidently having enjoyed himself. ��That was the best sex ever. That medicine is incredible, man!�� ��Yes, but you shouldn''t use it ever again, you��ll get addicted.�� ��Of course. If you say so, it must really be the devil''s medicine. It''s really dangerous. Ordinary people won��t be able to resist this pleasure even if they know the dangers. At the very least, my men can''t be allowed to use it. They would definitely break the ban and try it. To create and sell this�� are you really an elf? I would be less surprised if you told me you were a devil without a tail.�� Lingaga seemed to understand my intentions. He wore a wicked smile, knowing what would happen if this was released in the Empire. ��Alright, we, the Orc tribe, will take responsibility for selling this drug in the Empire.�� ��Thank you. Onest piece of advice, the orcs are not the only tribe we��re giving these counterfeit bonds.�� ����I see. So, we need to quickly dispose of our stock of Empire bonds, both the real and the fake ones you provided, or they''ll turn into worthless paper in no time.�� ��Exactly right. You''re sharp, Lingaga.�� I smirked. It saved me the trouble of exining. When too much money circtes and goods begin to disappear, the money��s value disappears as well. Eventually, the imperial citizens would realize that counterfeits had flooded the market, and that the guarantee of exchanging the bonds for gold coins no longer existed. At that moment, both real and fake bonds would be worthless paper. ��We need to spend all these bonds, both real and fake, while they still hold value. We have to do it before the other viges start acting. Men, prepare to head to the Empire immediately! Get all the carriages ready and load them with bonds. We''re going on a shopping spree! Food is the top priority, then we''ll buy up gems and iron.�� ��Yes, sir!�� Lingaga''s swift decision-making was impressive; he was indeed a man I wouldn''t want as an enemy. At that moment, members of Nettle were likely having simr conversations with the leaders of the other viges. Now, things were about to get interesting. This was the preemptive strike against the Empire.

 Book 5: Chapter 15-1: The Broken Empire

    Book 5: Chapter 15-1: The Broken Empire

    ~ Duke Voldeck''s Perspective ~ ��Exin this! What''s with this surge in prices? The market value of wheat has increased almost tenfold, hasn''t it!? And not only in the territories of Duke Florandi, which are exhausted as nned, but in all the other major cities of the Empire as well.�� Duke Voldeck, who was usually calm andposed, was shouting in his office located in his ducal residence within his territory in the Empire. On his desk were documents summarizing the situation in his territory. With less than a month remaining before the invasion was to begin, the collection of food for the expeditionary force had not progressed at all, so he had checked with the person in charge. The response was that the collection was not progressing due to the rising food prices. Hence, he ordered an investigation into the reasons for the price increase. While there were issues like the army''s stockpiles being stolen or soldiers diverting supplies, these were trivialpared to the extreme price surge. The hands of the three barons, who hade to report on the state of the territory, were trembling as they held the documents. Duke Voldeck was one of the Empire''s four great dukes, a high noble who absorbed the territory of Duke Florandi, who fell from power after being defeated in the war against the elves, and governed two of the Empire''s four major cities. He was in his forties, slender,bining a sharp appearance with intelligence, but his expression was distorted by anxiety. ��It appears that most of the food and other vital supplies within the Empire are being bought up and taken away by neighboring viges. These viges are buying everything, no matter how high the price, so merchants keep raising their prices. Moreover, this mass export has resulted in a shortage of food and other supplies throughout the Empire.�� ��Supplies are being bought up by outsiders from the viges? Impossible. How could they have such funds? You''re not trying to deceive me, are you?�� In Voldeck''s understanding, the surrounding areas were all impoverished viges under the control of the Empire, except for the neighboring vige of the Orc tribe. Any money they had would have been taken from them through taxes by now. If they had extra money, they would use it for no good. But being too harsh could cause them to rebel, so Duke Voldeck''s policy was to squeeze them, leaving just enough to keep them barely alive. Yet, a buyout so extensive that it raised prices in all four of the Empire''s major cities? That was absolutely impossible. Such a feat would be unachievable even for the renownedmercial city of Erin. ��It''s no lie, my Lord. For some unknown reason, messengers from poor viges are using arge amount of paper money to buy up food and jewels.�� ��Paper money?�� ��Yes! They are not using gold coins, but paper money.�� ��Could it be? Are counterfeit bonds circting?�� Duke Voldeck pondered. The paper money, the bonds, issued on the premise of being exchangeable for gold coins, was a scheme devised to legally extract gold from the peasants of the former Florandinds, with the end goal of impoverishing them so they could be managed more easily. However, its convenience was recognized, leading to its widespread adoption throughout the Empire. Being lightweight and easy to carry, and more importantly, being able to increase, even if fraudulently, the total amount of gold in the Empire at any time, the paper money was a revolutionary invention. Duke Voldeck was personally praised by the Emperor for this and envied by the other great dukes. Through paper money, Duke Voldeck gained stronger influence among the great dukes and earned enormous profits by managing this venture. At the same time, Duke Voldeck was aware of the dangers of paper money. Its value depended entirely on the trust that it could always be exchanged for gold coins within the Empire. This is why paper money would be worthless the moment this trust was lost. ��It''s unlikely to be counterfeit. We''ve seen a considerable number of the bonds circting in the market. All of them are identical to those produced in our territory.�� ��If you say they look the same, then they probably are.�� The credibility of paper money would be critically undermined by the cirction of counterfeits. If counterfeits were produced and circted more than the gold held by the Empire, the exchange of paper money for gold coins became impossible. Therefore, Duke Voldeck had implemented countless measures and prohibited the production of paper money in any workshop other than his own. Watermarks, special ink formtions, and intricate printing techniques �� all of these were supposed to be impossible to replicate outside of his state-of-the-art workshop. ��I''m going to inspect it myself. I want to see the situation in the city. We''ll need to bring along the most skilled craftsman from the paper money workshop. Arrange it immediately.�� ��Understood. There are preparations to be made. How about next week?�� Upon hearing this, Voldeck, unable to contain the anger welling up inside him, hurled the ss in his hand at his subordinate��s head. A dull thud sounded, and blood began to flow from the subordinate''s forehead. The subordinate crouched down, trembling. ��Idiot! Do you understand how critical the situation is right now!? We need to act as quickly as possible, and you suggest waiting a week!? Next time you say something so foolish, I''ll kill you!�� The subordinate prostrated himself and apologized repeatedly. However, even seeing this did not ease Duke Voldeck''s frustration. The reason was that the subordinate was merely showing fear in response to Duke Voldeck''s anger, without truly understanding the severity of the situation. Voldeck found it infuriating. He yearned for more capable subordinates. He remembered the Elf leader �� that one was good. Although a bit naive, he followed his own line of thinking. That man could have be his right-hand man. It was a pity that he needed to kill him. The golden and silver fire foxes who brought tea were also remarkable. He thought of keeping them as pets rather than turning them into magic stones, if he could get them alive.

 Book 5: Chapter 15-2: The Broken Empire

    ��At such a critical time, where has our savior, Ashno-sama, gone?�� ����I''ve heard that she went to repair the seal of Erna, as it''s be very unstable.�� ��The seal, huh?�� Voldeck pondered. Indeed, one of the eight seals of Erna in the world was supposed to be near the elf vige. She must have gone there. Why not simply destroy the seal? If it broke, the overflow of monsters would easily annihte the elves. The seal was already on the verge of breaking. Now should be easy to shatter it. But what was he thinking? If one seal was broken, it would lead to a chain reaction, unsealing all others. That would lead to the destruction of the world. He might be more exhausted than he realized. �� Duke Voldeck decided to inspect the city in his own territory, not the one in the ruinednds of the former Duke Florandi, which he deemed expendable. He deliberately wore a shabby cloak to conceal his identity, and he forced his escorts and subordinates to do the same. ording to the reports and his own predictions, he knew how dangerous it would be to reveal his true identity in the current state of hisnds. The city was in a dire state, with beggars and people selling themselves at every turn. The situation was bad in the territories of the former Duke Florandi before the introduction of paper money, but this was even worse. ��Unbelievable.�� Duke Voldeck sighed deeply, distressed to see his own territory, which he valued above all else, in such a state. And he became certain of something �� it was beyond the point of "needing to act immediately." It was already toote. What exactly happened? The damage was too great and too sudden. Who could have orchestrated such a massive disruption? With these thoughts, he continued towards his destination. ��Thank you foring today, my Lord.�� Duke Voldeck entered a shop under his influence. He knew that the merchant here was far more aware of the reality than his own subordinates. As he entered the store, he felt something amiss. There was an armed man, seemingly a mercenary, standing at the entrance, who usually wasn''t there. ��Do you have any of the bonds the orcs used when they came? I also want to know about the current state of the city.�� ��Understood. I will prepare them immediately. And I will answer any questions you have to the best of my knowledge.�� ��Thank you.�� ��Don��t worry about it, I am always at your service, my Lord.�� Despite the sudden visit, the shopkeeper greeted Voldeck with a smile and ushered him into the guest room. ��What do you think of this bond?�� ��Well, this bond�� it looks authentic.�� Duke Voldeck was showing the bond, thought to be fake, to one of the best craftsmen in his workshop. ��It looks authentic?�� ��Yes, it clears all the criteria for distinguishing between fake and real, including the watermark, the special ink form, and the hidden engravings.�� ��But it''s a counterfeit, right?�� ��Yes, its quality is too high. The printing is impably perfect, without a single w. Even the bonds we produce have slight variations. I can assert this: it was not made by us. It''s a fake surpassing the real thing, created by someone with greater technical skill than ours.�� Upon hearing this revtion, Duke Voldeck broke into a cold sweat, a sense of dread washing over him. Printing technology that surpassed that of the Empire, which boasted state-of-the-art techniques? That was impossible. The entire premise of creating paper money was based on the assumption that no one outside the Empire could produce anything of such quality. This premise was now shattered. Which country could possibly be behind this? Could it be the Choline Kingdom, that had themercial city, Erin? Or, could it be those damn elves? ��Hey! What do you mean you don''t ept bonds anymore!?�� As Voldeck was lost in thought, he heard a shouting voice from the entrance of the shop. It seemed that an Imperial citizen was trying to exchange bonds for goods, but the shopkeeper was refusing. ��No, absolutely not. We only ept payment in coins.�� ��I''ll pay double, even triple, just sell it to me!�� ��No way. Three gold coins for a bag of wheat. I won''t budge on that.�� ��How can I afford three gold coins? I''ll give you ten gold coins'' worth of bonds!�� ��If you don''t have gold, leave!�� The shopkeeper then drove the man away. Voldeck covered his eyes with his hand. This was like a nightmare. ��Shopkeeper, what''s the meaning of this?�� ��That''s because�� it''s difficult to say this to you, my Lord, but among merchants, there''s a rumor that the bonds won''t be exchangeable for gold coins next year. The shrewder merchants have already stopped transactions in anything but coins. The rationale is that there are too many bonds in cirction in the city, and it''s unimaginable that the Empire could pay out that much in gold coins next year.�� ��They doubt that the Empire will be able to return the gold, huh? I know the answer to that. Do you want to know if it��s possible?�� ��No, that''s not necessary. Any decent merchant can guess the total amount of gold the Empire possesses. Asking whether it can all be paid back is now a futile question. All we can do is to somehow hope that the bonds we hold can be exchanged for gold coins. If you promise us that, we will cooperate with you in any way we can.�� Voldeck smiled thinly. As one would expect of a merchant, his sense of money was keen. This man would probably survive even in the midst of this turmoil. ��Just for reference, how many times the Empire''s total gold coin holdings do the merchants estimate the current amount of bonds in cirction to be?�� ��Roughly twenty times. That''s how much counterfeit money is circting. This figure is very close to reality, and goods worth twenty times the Empire''s gold have already left the country. There''s nothing left in the Empire now.�� If the merchants realized this, they would never ept the use of bonds as payment for their goods. It was already toote. The bonds had no value whatsoever. The best the Empire could do next year, when citizens flocked to exchange their bonds for gold coins, would be to im the bonds were fake and refuse the exchange. Loss of authority, riots �C hellish scenes would unfold.

 Book 5: Chapter 15-3: The Broken Empire

    Book 5: Chapter 15-3: The Broken Empire

    ��If you will allow me, I would like to give you some advice, my lord. You are worried about the future, but the situation is not so lenient. I suggest that you go to an exchange office that still exchanges bonds for gold coins. Well, I''m rushing to give you advice, but we merchants were alsote in realizing it. Seduced by the convenience of paper money, we expanded our trade, failed to notice the counterfeits, got carried away thinking everything would sell, and exchanged our valuable goods for worthless paper. All that remains is a mountain of worthless paper, a stark reminder of our folly.�� The merchant let out a dryugh. The merchant''s eyes seemed like an endless abyss of darkness. �� Following the merchant''s advice, Voldeck headed to the currency exchange. When he arrived, the doors were closed, and the people were banging on them with farming tools, chairs, and various other objects. ��Come out! Exchange these bonds for gold coins, now!�� ��We can''t buy anything with this worthless paper! Give back our gold!�� It was like a riot. The citizens were swarming the exchange, demanding their gold back. Not long ago, people flocked here to buy bonds, grateful for the bonds�� ease of use and thinking that their gold would increase next year. Back then, reports from his subordinates indicated that the issuance of bonds was not keeping pace with demand. Now, the stark contrast with the current situation was appalling. Finally, the door was kicked down, and like a tidal wave, the residents stormed inside. Their voices echoed around, proiming that nobody was there, that the workers had fled. Those who came out of the currency exchange were each carrying items of value. Duke Voldeck could onlyugh. Citizens brazenly attacking a national facility. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that the soldiers who were supposed to stop them and maintain the order were also participating in the attack. Moreover, those waiting outside began to attack the people emerging from inside, starting to steal any valuable items they could get their hands on. It was utter chaos. ��The orcs are here! The orcs havee!�� ��The medicine of salvation! I can finally get the medicine of salvation!�� ��Hahaha, I''ve got the money! I can buy the medicine! Forgive Dad for selling you, Angie.�� ��Hehehe, I even sold my house for the medicine of salvation.�� As about five burly orcs arrived, the residents swarmed around them. Amidst this, an exceptionallyrge orc raised his voice. ��Line up! We have plenty of medicine. Payment is in gold coins only, one pill for one gold coin.�� Voldeck was astounded. One gold coin, (worth about 60,000 yen), was a considerable amount of money. With paper money losing its value, gold coins had be even more valuable. Despite this, one after another, residents lined up, thanking the filthy orcs for selling to them and happily paying in gold coins. These were not people with spare money. Their poor attire and gaunt faces showed they were struggling even to find food. asionally, someone tried to forcibly snatch the medicine from the orcs, but they were no match for the sturdy creatures. One of the orcs, half-jokingly, said, ��Ah, I was attacked again. We can''t do business in such a dangerous ce, eh? Maybe we should stoping here to sell the medicine.�� ��Yeah, we orcs are frail, after all.�� Just saying that was enough to provoke the crowd. ��How dare you attack the great orcs! They''re angels bringing us the medicine of salvation!�� ��Yeah, you ursed fool! You should die as atonement!�� ��Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!!�� The residents swiftly ganged up on the attacker, beating him relentlessly. Surrounded by dozens, the man who had attacked the orcs was eventually beaten to death, but no one seemed to care. After a while, the line thinned out. Those who had bought the medicine, fearing it might be stolen, quickly swallowed it there and then, their faces lighting up with ecstatic smiles andughter. Those who couldn''t buy the medicine murmured to themselves as they left. ��I need to get money for the next dose.�� ��There''s nothing left to sell���� ��I have to steal it�� Take it from those who have it���� ��Gold, not paper money, gold.�� Duke Voldeck was certain that a riot would break out soon. At the same time, he found himself slightly intrigued by a drug that could captivate people to such an extent. He turned to a subordinate next to him and spoke. ��What is that medicine?�� ��It''s a drug recently popr in the city, called ��Shoji''. It''s said to make one forget anxieties and feel incredibly happy, making everything from eating to�� intimate activities, unbelievably enjoyable. Many nobles are also fans of it.�� Indeed, among those who bought the drug from the orcs, there were servants of influential nobles. ��Are there any side effects?�� ��No. But the drug is so wonderful that people will do anything to get it. Even the army��s stockpiles were diverted by some soldiers desperate for money to buy it.�� ��I see. So it''s that remarkable.�� The idea of forgetting anxiety held an unbearable allure for Voldeck. Lately, he had been unable to sleep properly due to anxiety and irritation. If he could forget that suffering, even for a moment, relying on the drug might not be a bad idea. To him, a gold coin was a small price to pay. ��Follow those orcs and capture them as soon as they leave our territory. Find out the truth about the counterfeit bonds�� And as for the medicine, make sure there are no side effects, and if there are no problems, bring me some.�� Duke Voldeck gave these orders to his subordinates, deciding to conclude his inspection for the day. He was under a misconception. He thought the orcs were selling the drug just to make some pocket money�� unaware that in reality, it was a sweet poison spread by the elves to destroy the Empire.

 Book 05: Chapter 16-1: The War Begins

    Book 05: Chapter 16-1: The War Begins

    ��This�� this is the gratitude thou showest to one who hath delivered the world from peril?�� I shouted, clutching my daughter''s lifeless body in the royal castle''s underground, my white hair disheveled. My daughter had married into the royal family in an attempt to bridge the gap between vampires and humans. She was a bright and cheerful girl, but now she would never move again. At some point, the letters that had been regrly sent from my daughter stoppeding. Worried, I sent a letter to check on her, and a reply from her came back immediately. But that only fueled my anxiety�� The handwriting in that letter was a fake, imitating my daughter''s. Unable to stay put, I stormed into the royal capital, only to be struck by grief. My daughter had been killed. Vampire blood had the effect of slowing aging when consumed by humans. My daughter was merely used as a tool to produce this elixir of immortality and died due to a human''s "careless mistake" of draining too much blood. The prince, who loved my daughter and whom I believed would protect her, was betrayed and overthrown by his brothers, blinded by greed. He was killed before my daughter. Many soldiers tried to kill me as I followed my daughter''s scent to this ce. Maybe they were scared. Maybe they just wanted a new blood bag. Just a few months ago, I had been hailed as a hero who led the vampires to save the world, yet they did not hesitate to turn their des on me. Perhaps if it had been the fault of just a few humans running amok, and if there had been an official apology, I might not have been able to forgive them, but I could have swallowed my anger. But I wasn��t so much of a saint that I could smile and forgive after what had been done to me. ��Once, We too harboured dreams of peaceful coexistence. s, it seemeth that humans and our kind are destined to be forever at odds. Blood Realm Magic: [Crimson Moon, White Night].�� In the basement of the royal castle, I activated my unique magic. It created a different world ruled by a blood-soaked moon. It was a voracious magic that drained the magical power and souls of all living things within a radius of several hundred meters. The drained magic power and souls were absorbed by me, strengthening me, and the stronger I became, the more the radius of the magic expanded. Using such a spell in the castle, located in the heart of the royal capital would kill thousands, if not tens of thousands. But I no longer cared. Humans�� no, mere livestock perishing in droves were of no concern to me. I would devour every human in this city and use them as nourishment. ��Rise, O humans, for the hour hathe when thou shalt receive thyeuppance.�� And then I, who had killed the Demon King to protect the humans, would be the new Demon King to destroy humanity with my own hands. �� ��Hah, hah, hah���� I sat up. My heartbeat was painfully loud. This was my house in Erucy, shared with Lucy and Yukino. Next to me, Lucy and Yukino were sleeping peacefully, their breaths gentle and rhythmic. ��Another dream about one of my past lives, huh?�� Lately, I''d been dreaming about my past selves every night, always about tragedies or moments before death. The despair of the knight Deet, who was born into a game-like world, and after living a life adhering to the code of chivalry, ended up losing his beloved. The regret of the cksmith Kuiro, who continually crafted weapons too powerful and was feared for it. He never kowtowed to the powerful and sought only to create the supreme sword, only to be murdered beforepleting it. Thement of the vampire Gramdeal, who saved people, was betrayed by them, turned into the Demon King, and sought to destroy the world, only to be in by a hero. Their pain resonated within me as if it were my own. Was this what it truly meant to be one with my past selves? I wondered how long I could remain myself�� ��Lucy�� as long as I have Lucy, I''m sure it will be alright.�� I was still dreaming. I kissed Lucy on the cheek, and the pain that felt like it would tear me apart faded away. As long as she was with me, I should be able to remain myself. �� ��The reason I''ve called you all here today is none other than this: the final war is beginning.�� I had gathered the key figures of Erucy, including Kurao, the acting vige chief, Roleau, the captain of the elite unit Nettle, and Kuu, the representative of the fire foxes, to hold a meeting. A letter containing a deration of war from Ashno had arrived. It seemed that the Empire would depart in two days. They would likely reach Bell Erucy in about ten days. It was improbable that they''d break through that robust fortress head-on. If they took a detour, it would take an additional fifteen days from there. In other words, if there were no dys, they were expected to arrive in twenty-five days.

 Book 05: Chapter 16-2: The War Begins

    Book 05: Chapter 16-2: The War Begins

    ��We''ve greatly reduced the Empire''s strength, but they will still bring nearly ten thousand soldiers. We need to engage in a siege. If we fight outside the walls, we''ll be crushed instantly.�� Our operable troop count was at most a hundred, and a hundred archers firing bows would hardly make a difference. That''s why we created an imprable wall. Our only option was to stay inside the walls, focus on defense, and endure. ��Cyril-kun, I have a question. It''s fine to n for a siege, but can we win just by barricading ourselves in? In the previous battle, we struck at the enemy''s supply lines, but I suspect they will have countermeasures this time. If their supply lines are secure, we will run dry before the enemy does.�� Kuu, who participated as the representative of the fire foxes, raised a question. Her point was valid. A siege was essentially a test of endurance. Preventing an invasion was pointless if we ran out of resources first. There was no doubt they''d taken measures against our interference with their supplies. They could establish makeshift ry points or store food in viges they n to pass through in advance for example. I had been nning to counter their measures. I discovered which viges they nned to use and sabotaged their efforts, but there was little I could do about the ry points. I negotiated with the vige chiefs along their route, arranging for them to seize the Empire''s stored food and immigrate to Bell Erucy once the invasion began. Thanks to the recent abusive tax collection by the Empire and the rumors of Bell Erucy''s prosperity, negotiations were easy. ��We are trying to disrupt their supply lines, but it''s impossible to do sopletely. Kuu''s concern is valid. However, the Empire won''t be able to sustain the frontline for long either. Let me exin the current situations of both Erucy and the Empire.�� I took a deep breath and then began to speak. ��Regarding Erucy, we have prepared for this battle by storing over a year''s worth of wheat purchased from Erin, along with arge amount of dried meat. Although small-scale, we have been cultivating vegetables within the walls, and the potato harvest has been sessfullypleted. We have also prepared arge quantity of cannabis seeds. Our food reserves shouldst about two years if necessary. As for water, we can draw from underground sources, so there''s no issue there.�� The strength and weakness of Erucy lie in its small poption. Being about three hundred people made us strong in a siege. In contrast, the Empire''s expeditionary force alone numbers ten thousand. They needed more than thirty times the supplies we did. ��The Empire can''t expect much support from its homnd. In fact, it''s surprising they are still intent on fighting given their current economic state.�� I''d been gathering information from the viges around the Empire. The damage from the counterfeit bonds and the drug ��Shoji'' was greater than I had anticipated. The drug was being distributed efficiently, with the orcs being particrly instrumental in this effort. At first, they handed out Soji almost for free, then raised the price once people became dependent. For those without money, they even instigated the theft of military supplies. I had thought them mere brutes, but their cunning was akin to that of a mafia. ��That''s why they''llst at most two months. They''ll run out of energy around then. Right now, the Empire itself is devoid of both money and food. People are beginning to starve to death, even in the cities, with some cases already reported.�� ��What on earth happened to the Empire?�� ��I don''t know the details. Rumor has it that the Empireunched some policy and failed.�� I kept silent about the counterfeit bonds and Shoji. This information didn''t need to be shared. ��Cyril-sama, does this mean we won''t be making any attacks from our side?�� Kurao, serving as the acting vige chief, asked. ��No, that''s not entirely the case. We will engage in attacks as well, employing guerri tactics like those Nettle used in the previous battle, to dy their arrival and diminish their strength and stamina as much as possible. Thendmines I had Nettle nt are part of that strategy.�� I created numerous anti-personnel mines and instructed all members of Nettle to install them along the road from Bell Erucy to Erucy. Until this war ended, any interaction between Bell Erucy and Erucy was prohibited. Landmines could at least serve as a slight dy. Although Ashno, proficient in earth magic, might quickly devise countermeasures, the detection range of earth magic was limited, so it was probable she won''t be able to deactivate all the mines. Additionally, the fear of the mere possibility of encountering buried mines would slow down the enemy. And there was another reason why the mines were necessary �C to make use of another weapon. ��As expected of Leader! All of us in Nettle have be stronger than we were in the previous battle, all of us are itching to test our new skills.�� Roleau, the captain of Nettle, dered his approval of the attack when his turn to speak came. Roleau had grown to the point where I could leave Nettle''s training to him. Although he was once self-absorbed, he had matured significantly. ��Not all of you, this time only three from Nettle will be deployed.�� ��Why, Leader? The more, the better, right?�� ��This time, there''s a monster among the enemy. If we do the same asst time, we''ll be caught and annihted. The enemy can control all types of Mana within a radius of 300 meters. And they are stronger than me, even with my wind magic.�� My statement stiffened the atmosphere around us. The basic tactics of the elves were based entirely on wind magic. It was used for scouting and to increase the uracy of our arrows. Without both of those, we were not much different from humans.

 Book 05: Chapter 16-3: The War Begins

    Book 05: Chapter 16-3: The War Begins

    ��What are we going to do against such a monster, Leader?�� ��We''ll use this.�� I took a pair of binocrs out of my bag. ��With these binocrs, we can see up to 2 km away. We''ll use them to monitor the enemy and only target groups that are more than 1 km away from the monster. The enemy has ten thousand soldiers. Even if they march in two columns, their line will stretch for over 5 km. This way we can attack with rtive safety where she can''t see us. Hit them and then immediately retreat.�� Even if Ashno narrowed her search range in one direction, her maximum should be around 500 meters, there would always be areas out of her sight. We can ensure our safety by attacking those areas. ��Can��t we deploy all of our members with that n, Leader?�� ��No. The enemy is extraordinary. There''s always a risk. If anything happens, I can distract her only for a while, which means that I can only protect a small number of people who have the skill to escape quickly in a short amount of time. This operation is based on the premise that only those who have the necessary strength and agility, enhanced by magic, can participate. So the only ones who will participate in this operation will be me and three members of Nettle: Roleau, Lucy, and Yukino.�� Roleau, Lucy, and Yukino had exceptional physical abilities, including those enhanced by magic. Ideally, I wouldn''t want to involve Yukino, considering her young age, but given the operation''s potential duration, her fire magic was indispensable. ��But Leader, what can the four of us do? If we hit and run, we''ll only be able to shoot three or four arrows each, right? What��s the point of killing ten or twenty enemies with a surprise attack?�� Roleau''s question was pertinent. With the enemy numbering over ten thousand, eliminating merely ten or twenty soldiers would hardly make a significant impact. Moreover, the number of attacks would drastically decrease if we only attacked when Ashno was in sight. Crossbow attacks wouldn''t inflict much damage. ��I''ve thought about that. I''ve created a new weapon specifically for this operation. It''s prepared outside, let''s go take a look.�� Upon stepping outside, we saw four male elves from Nettle struggling to carry a massive iron sphere, approximately three meters in radius. ��This sphere has been concealed in twenty locations along the Empire''s anticipated route. It''s too heavy to carry around, so we''ll retrieve and use it on the spot as needed.�� ��Leader, is this ball a weapon?�� ��Yes. This weapon is called a cluster bomb.�� ��Cluster bomb?�� ��That''s right.�� I had created a weapon that was banned on Earth for being too inhumane. ��Inside this enormous sphere are hundreds of rudimentary hand grenades.�� I opened the cluster bomb to reveal it was packed with small iron spheres. ��Roleau and Lucy will use their wind magic to toss it above the enemy''s heads, and I''ll fine-tune its trajectory. Then, the mechanism inside this bomb will make it spin rapidly while exploding, scattering hundreds of hand grenades over a wide area. When these scattered grenades hit the ground or the enemy, each one will explode, sending out a multitude of iron shards. Furthermore, to increase lethality, I''ve made the grenades'' contents out of soft iron. It breaks inside the human body, expanding the wound and making treatment much more difficult.�� The iron shards were, in principle, equivalent to what was known as dum-dum bullets, another type of weaponry banned for being inhumane due to their destructive impact on the human body. ��Leader, from what I''m hearing, this sounds like an outrageous weapon.�� ��Yes, it is an outrageous weapon. With a single shot, it can kill or injure hundreds within a radius of several hundred meters.�� ��Are you seriously nning to use this thing, Leader?�� ��Of course, we must use it. Without it, we can''t win. Thendmines are just bait to lure out Ashno, who can use earth magic; this weapon is our real hope. If it doesn''t work, we can''t win.�� Once they realized there were explosive devices hidden in the ground, Ashno, capable of detecting them, would have to lead the march, constantly scanning the ground. This would leave their rear exposed, and that was where we''d drop the cluster bombs and deal a heavy blow to the imperial army. I''d held back considerably until now. However, in this battle, the gloves were off from the start. Landmines, cluster bombs, dum-dum bullets, counterfeit bonds, drugs �C all of these weapons were made only to kill or brutally damage the enemy without any regard for their circumstances. ��But Leader, isn''t this a bit too much?�� ��Roleau, I do have a conscience. But we can''t win without going this far. That''s the difference between Erucy, with just about three hundred people, and the Empire, which can muster ten thousand soldiers. I''d rather sell my soul to the devil and survive than fight honorably and die. I love Erucy and everyone living in it. I absolutely don''t want to lose anyone. So, please, lend me your strength, everyone.�� Baring my true feelings, I lowered my head. Any pretense now would only guarantee that no one would follow me. A brief silence enveloped us. ��Leader, raise your head. I shouldn��t criticize your decisions.�� ��Yes, Cyril-sama. Please look up. This Kurao will follow you, no matter what happens.�� Kurao and Roleau were convinced. Kuu silently nodded in agreement. ��From tomorrow, the four of us, including myself, will head to the battlefield. Roleau, you''re in charge of preparations, and Kurao, I''m entrusting you with overseeing things in our absence. Kuu, take care of yourself.�� ��Understood, Cyril-sama. I''ll make sure to guard everything in your absence.�� ��Take care as well, Cyril-kun.�� I ced my hand on Kuu''s head, and then our lips met. Without words, we just gazed into each other''s eyes. Some things weremunicated just by looking at each other. We will depart tomorrow. Now, the war begins.

 Vol 5 Chapter 17-1：Castle Siege Destruction Archery《Ballista》

    Vol 5 Chapter 17-1��Castle Siege Destruction Archery��Ballista��

    <strong>Vol 5 Chapter 17-1��Castle Siege Destruction Archery��Ballista��</strong>

    It��s been four days since we left Erucy. I hurried with Lucy, Yukino, and Roleau along the path to the Empire. Spotting some soldiers halfway there, we took some distance and hid in the forest while keeping close watch. The imperial soldiers seemed to be walking aroundparatively loosely. Most of them were regr citizens who had volunteered, so I assume the light armor was because they couldn��t handle heavy iron armor, plus there wasn��t even enough armor for everyone. Making them wear heavy armor like that and having them march to Erucy would only guarantee that they drop out.

    ��Seems like our enemies here are taking a detour, just like you anticipated, Chief.��

    Roleau remarked as he peered at the imperial soldiers from afar.

    ��So it��s just as I thought.�� ��Why would they take the long route?�� ��Because of Belle Erucy. Yes, only the Empire can topple such a durable fortress, but it would take time, and the casualties would be great. So they��re thinking that avoiding it would be quicker.��

    After all, this supply depot of the Empire��s that we seized was originally built all the way up by the Empire as a fortress to hold back enemies on the Erucy border, so it was made to be extremely solid.

    In addition, we even brought out the grenades in thest fight. I doubt they��re going to consider fighting from the front again.

    ��Thanks to Belle Erucy, huh. But hey, Chief, if they��re just gonna go around the long way, then it was meaningless to make Belle Erucy in the first ce.�� ��Not quite, Roleau. Even if they detour and avoid passing through Belle Erucy by traveling along the roads leading to Erucy and grouping up ahead, the distance they have to travel on foot would increase by 30%. Plus none of the detour roads have been properly paved. The path they��re about to travel is little better than an animal trail. Their feet will slow down, and they��ll get tired. That��s already a huge blow to the soldiers, since they originally were aiming for a decisive battle of brief duration.��Indeed. Belle Erucy only needed one road in the direction of Erucy, so we had never gone to the trouble of spending so much money on paving a road that we wouldn��t even be using. The imperial soldiers weren��t used to the forest or the mountains, and would end up wasting both their time and their energy.

    However, with the power of the high elf Ashuno, it was possible to break through Belle Erucy without any casualties. She could infiltrate Belle Erucy by jumping over the around 10 meter-high wall and kill everyone in there. Then she could revolve around from inside and open the door. Such a crazy stunt was more than possible for Ashuno. To tell the truth, that��s what I had feared the most. However, I had anticipated that she wouldn��t try that. I was the one who said I would be winning the ��war��, so it was unlikely that she would be bulldozing the way through with her high elven abilities. I was able toe to the realization of that weakness of hers thanks to Shujina��s memories. There��s no way I wouldn��t take advantage of that.

    ��Oh I see, Chief. You anticipated this and had all the refugees stay in Belle Erucy, didn��t you?�� ��That��s right. But, well, it��s not like that was the only reason. I also wanted to make amercial city like that of Erin.�� ��I could see you doing that, Cyril.�� ��Of course. Lucy. I will do exactly that, no matter what. And that, my love, is why we must win against the Empire.��

    Losing here would mean losing everything. Now was not the time to be discussing the future.

    ��At any rate��I don��t see no blonde-haired, jade-eyed elf walking around anywhere.��

    Roleau grumbled as he went back to monitoring the ranks of imperial troops through the binocrs.

    ��Keep in mind that we��re dealing with an opponent who numbers ten thousand. You shouldn��t expect to find one person amongst that many, my guy.��

    When you were dealing with ten thousand people, even if they formed two lines, the overall length from front to back would be 5 kilometers. It��s near impossible to look for one person among that many.

    ��Hey, Chief. You sure we can��t just get a move on them already? ��Very sure. As I said before we left, this monster, Ashuno, who surpasses me��if she finds us, we��re done. That��s why we absolutely can��t try anything until we get Ashuno in our sight, and no matter what, we don��t enter her 500 meter wind magic detection radius.�� ��Yeah, but what are we gonna do, stick our fingers in our mouths as we wait?�� ������Roleau, patience. The pieces are in ce. If finding her is difficult, then all we need to do is call her out here.��

    That��s what thend mines were for. We only have three days till we reach the minefield. That��s when the real battle starts.

    ��

    It��s been three days. We continued our surveince, but couldn��t detect Ashuno even once. Roleau��s discontent has umted a considerable amount, and he looks like he might explode at any moment. It��s gotten dark now, so the four of us are camping in the forest, sitting around a campfire.

    ��Cyril-nisama, I put the tea in.�� ��Thanks Yukino.�� ��Mm.��

    Yukino poured in warm tea with her magic. The weather was getting warmer, but it was still chilly at night. The warm tea spread throughout my body. I motioned for Yukino toe, and she quickly ran over to me and sat on myp with her small body. I caressed her head, and Yukino smiled in a pleased manner. ��Chief, I can��t take it anymore! I don��t even know why we came here in the first ce if we��re not going to make any moves!��

    Roleau stood up and yelled.

    ��Let��s calm down, Roleau. Cyril said everything has been set in ce, so let��s trust him and wait.��

    Lucy drank tea and made herselffortable as she admonished Roleau.

    ��Then how frickin�� long do we have to wait? At this rate, those punks are gonna get to Erucy without so much as a scratch on them! Chief is the one who said that we can��t win if that happens.��

    I regretted my decision a bit. It might have been too severe for the impatient Roleau to deal with this n. However, I needed his help no matter what.

 Vol 5 Chapter 17-2：Castle Siege Destruction Archery《Ballista》

    Vol 5 Chapter 17-2��Castle Siege Destruction Archery��Ballista��

    <strong>Vol 5 Chapter 17-2��Castle Siege Destruction Archery��Ballista��</strong>

    ��Roleau, calm down. You��re frightening Yukino.��

    ��Uh���� S-Sorry.��

    As he looked at Yukino clinging to me, rolled up like a ball, Roleau made an awkward face.

    Yukino had plenty of courage for her age, but even she probably found it scary to be in the vicinity of a big man like Roleau yelling angrily.

    ��Roleau, it��s a littleter than nned, but we��re almost there. We��ll be able to attack very soon. Wait for the ripe moment. One little mistake and we��re all done for.��

    ��I can trust you on that, right Chief?��

    ��Ha, of course. You can look forward to it tomorrow.

    ��Okay. Sorry. Got a little on edge there.����Can��t be helped. We��re in the middle of war��the tea that Yukino poured isn��t just tasty, it also has calming effects. Let��s drink it leisurely as we rx.��

    ��R-Right.��

    I smiled as I thought about tomorrow onward.

    Up ahead, there are numerousnd mines buried. Along with the members of Nettle, I made sure that this detour had heaps and heaps ofnd mines all the way along the road from Belle Erucy to Erucy.

    I��m beside myself with excitement to see just how tragic of a sight will unfold before me.

    ��

    The imperial army began its march in the early morning. They get an early move on and set up camp in the evening.

    The forest at night is dangerous. That must be why they nned everything so carefully.

    ��Okay guys, everything past this point is and mine field. Every location of everynd mine is in my head. Make sure you stay behind me at all times.��

    ��Okay, Cyril.��

    Lucy answered, and the other two nodded.

    Generally we had set upnd mines along the shoddily paved road that the imperial soldiers would be walking on, but we also set up a fewnd mines along the side paths.

    Stepping on them ourselves would be noughing matter.

    ��Chief, are thesend mines you speak of really all that dangerous? I mean, I didn��t think that t lump of iron looked anything like a weapon.��

    Come to think of it, I never demonstrated in front of Roleau and the others.

    I doubt they��d understand how fearsomend mines are just by me talking about them.

    ��They are dangerous, Roleau. I would rather not use these sorts of weapons, if possible. Seriously. I hesitated until the veryst moment on whether to use these or not.��

    ��These must be crazy weapons if even you��re talking about them that way, Cyril.��

    ��They sure are. They��re weapons of devilish proportion.��

    I focused on the vanguard of the imperial army with the binocrs.

    I searched my memory for the points where I buried thendmines.

    A soldier stepped on and mine. There was a clinking sound that emerged in my head.

    And the moment that the soldier moved their foot from thend mine��

    There was a rumbling sound. Thend mine had violently exploded.

    A shock wave, blowing up dust in its wake, trampled down the area. The soldier who had stepped on thend mine held down their thigh in agony as they let out a scream. Everything below the knees had been blown away.

    In addition, the surrounding soldiers had sustained burns and had many metallic fragments piercing their bodies all over.

    The soldiers began making noise as they saw the sudden casualties emerge in the dozens.

    ��This is how viciousnd mines are. I lessened the firepower on purpose so that no one would die. The soldiers who lost their legs will make for the most spectacr of crutches for the army. The remaining soldiers will need to carry more of a load than before. There will need to be healers and caretakers for everyone who has sustained these deep wounds, making it a two-man operation. And there��s no way that anyone within the vicinity of the sts would get off scott-free either.��

    Adding to this, the soldiers who had stepped on thend mines would have to live with one foot for the rest of their lives. Death would be preferable to such misery.

    ��And to top it off, we don��t need to risk any danger. We��ll get the greatest results with the lowest of effort, and from a safe distance. This weapon is indeed the weapon of devils.��

    Roleau and the others held their breath.

    As they were doing this, the imperial soldiers finished tending to the wounded and resumed their march.

    And then came the next round of explosions.

    Of course, the amount of mines nted wouldn��t have any effect if there were only ten or twenty.

    Land mines are exceedingly cheap weapons. They didn��t consume much iron or gunpowder, nor did they have muchplexity in their structure. Erucy already had plenty of materials stocked to make tons of these.

    After about five explosions in, the soldiers became careful. They began marching with their sheathed swords in hand, striking the ground as they progressed. The speed of their march screeched to a horrifyingly slow pace.

    I get their feelings. I��m sure they saw the state of theirrades who had their legs sted off and decided they didn��t want to suffer the same fate.

    But it would still bepletely and utterly futile.

    Yet another explosion. Despite having struck the ground with their sheathes, thend mines still activated mercilessly only when the soldiers stepped on them, bringing forth another round of victims.

    ��Cyril, what��s going on with those things? Aren��t they supposed to explode when you step on them?��

    ��No, actually. To put it more precisely, the mines explode once a certain threshold is reached in terms of weight. They won��t explode just from lightly tapping them.��

    Those mines have devices set up in them. A certain threshold of weight is reached, which causes the sticky metallic part to be warped, thus detonating it. I��ve set the necessary weight needed for detonation to be that of an adult male. A weak impact would not activate the explosion. A small weight or a momentary weight would also not activate it.

 Vol 5 Chapter 17-3：Castle Siege Destruction Archery《Ballista》

    Vol 5 Chapter 17-3��Castle Siege Destruction Archery��Ballista��

    <strong>Vol 5 Chapter 17-3��Castle Siege Destruction Archery��Ballista��</strong>

    There��s actually one more device. Its design is twofold. If the mine receives too strong of an impact, the hard and brittle dummy inside will break first, sweeping away the attack.

    In other words, it wouldn��t work even if you attempted to clean out all the mines at once with elemental earth magic. You could rupture all of them if you repeated the same attack again, but the concept of striking the ground twice isn��t something that most people would think of.

    This was truly apound of malice.

    ��Look, Lucy. They stopped moving.��

    ��Yeah, everyone��s scared, huh. I mean, even I wouldn��t want to walk in a direction where my feet would be blown off.��

    That was the true fear thatnd mines possessed. Not just the guarantee of more and more casualties. The fear that ��something might be buried up ahead�� was more than enough to paralyze everyone where they stood.

    This was also the first time they had ever seennd mines. No one would be able to make any decent progress at this rate.

    The Empire��s troops stopped in their tracks for maybe an hour.A girl appeared at the forefront.

    She had long, blonde hair, and the jade-colored eyes indicative of high elves. It was Ashno.

    As nned, we got her to take the bait.

    ��Everyone, we��re heading out!��

    ��Chief, are you going to use the Cluster Bomb?��

    ��No, before that, I was actually thinking of putting Ashuno on alert.

    I answered as I ran.

    We��re heading for a bungalow positioned on a slightly elevated hill. That��s the cache for my secret weapon.

    ��Chief, what the heck is this?��

    ��Cyril, this is the first time I��ve seen this. What a big bow.��

    Resting at the top was the castle siege destroyer bow, also known as ��Ballista��.

    It functioned the same as a crossbow. However, the size differed.

    It was a gigantic bow that dwarfed my height.

    ��This is Ballista. It was originally made for the purpose of destroying castle walls.��

    ��But what would you even use something like that for����

    ��We use it to attack Ashuno, of course. She��s 1.2 kilometers away from here. We��d be able to attack from outside of her field of awareness.��

    That��s why I made it.

    A normal crossbow would probably be a fearsomely arched trajectory from this range. Crossbows can at most go 100 meters per second. 12 seconds tond.

    With 12 seconds, the crossbow arrows would fly over 100 meters beforending.

    However, this Ballista has an overpowering kic energy twenty times that of a regr crossbow, and can fire the shots out at a rate of 360 meters per second.

    The trajectory at the range we��re at would be close to horizontal, not to mention impossible for Ashuno to detect before it��s toote.

    In addition, having more kic energy than a crossbow means that evading it with wind would be difficult. Depending on the distance, even Ashuno wouldn��t be able to twist the trajectory.

    The first thing I did was take out the special arrow and wipe off any dirt. This will be an attack of precision. Even the slightest deviation would be fatal.

    ��That��s a real thick arrow. It��s thicker than Yukino��s arm.

    Indeed, a big bow requires bigger arrows. There was a silent intent of murder hidden within the dull light of each huge arrow.

    ��Chief, can you actually fire this thing?��

    ��Of course.��

    This Ballista had stronger tension than it appeared to. Using materials that could manifest tension to the max with Kuiro��s power, I made the bowstrings out of carbon.

    Thanks to that, the bow wouldn��t even budge if both Roleau and I were to draw it.

    However, there were two cylinders attached to the parts.

    These cylinders made use of air pressure.

    I summoned wind mana with all my strength, passing the wind through the cylinders.

    When I did that, the cylinders activated from the air pressure, pulling the bowstring of the giant bow further and further out. It went all the way back, and then there was a clicking sound of a fastener.

    That��s where I set the arrow I mentioned earlier. There was no dirt or scratch on the runway.

    The reason why I chose the primitive Ballista instead of firearms was in fact to raise the shooting uracy. ck gunpowder would be too uneven with the st and would prevent any sort of sniping.

    ��Man, this is intimidating.��

    ��Yeah, I��m getting scared just thinking about it. Cyril, are you sure this willnd the hit?��

    ��Yeah, don��t worry, I��ve got this.��

    I first cast��Wind Protection��on the arrow.

    Then, I booted up��Program��.

    Normally, I would simulcast��Perception Expansion��, but this time, we were out of range, so I made do with calcting the visual information via the binocrs.

    I do have to be more careful now that the overall vision has be less urate, though. Repeating miniscule adjustments to the proper angle, I advanced until I reached the point where I could be confident of sess in hitting the target.

    This snipe of over one kilo was possible entirely because I drew out each part with perfect uracy.

    cing my hand on the trigger, I red in Ashno��s direction.

    She was using detection magic in the soil, concentrating on searching for the mines I had buried in the ground.

    Searching in the soil would be difficult, not to mention that she would have to search in as wide of a breadth as possible. Even with someone of her caliber, her attention would be focused on the search, and she would be significantly less alert.

    And that��s where we strike.

    ��Go����

    The Ballista fired its arrow.

    The gigantic arrow surpassed the speed of sound and flew in its target��s direction. Air resistance could be ignored due to the effects of��Wind Protection��. The other elements in the equation had already been revised in light of measurement errors.

    The arrow aimed straight for Ashno in the far distance, who only looked like a speck from this vantage point.

    500 meters away, and Ashno had yet to notice. 100 meters away from her, and Ashno finally noticed the arrow.

 Vol 5 Chapter 17-4：Castle Siege Destruction Archery《Ballista》

    Vol 5 Chapter 17-4��Castle Siege Destruction Archery��Ballista��

    <strong>Vol 5 Chapter 17-4��Castle Siege Destruction Archery��Ballista��</strong>

    If she were at full alert, Ashno would have likely noticed the arrow when it hit the 300 meter mark at thetest. But having her resources taken up by needing to concentrate the earth magic on the search, not only had Ashno had to cut down on her wind magic alert resource, but she also was facing down at the ground, and wasn��t poised to handle an attack from above. It made perfect sense why her response was dyed.

    Had she recognized the arrow at the 300 meter mark, it would have taken one second for it tond. With one second, she could just evade the attack, and could have possibly even stripped me of my��Wind Protection��, contorting the wind. But in the situation right now, there was only a 100m interval with 0.3 seconds left until impact. This distance was impossible to evade, try as you might.

    And with such an overwhelming kic energy at a 100 meter distance, the arrow would go straight through even in a typhoon. Not even a high elf couldn��t cause it to go off-course with wind. But Ashno��s eyes still had life in them. The jade-colored pupils sparkled.

    ��Don��t make light of me����

    I felt I heard a voice that I shouldn��t be able to hear. Ashno struck at the side of the Ballista arrow with a wind-covered backhand. She wasn��t able to flick it off, but the arrow did slide along her arm.

    The Ballista passed through, cutting into the surface of clothing, skin, and flesh before itnded on the ground, spraying a gigantic amount of dirt everywhere and making a roaring sound in its wake.

    Looking over at Ashno, she had been blown back by the impact of the arrow, copsed on the floor. The bones of her now-flimsy right arm were broken, with arge amount of blood flowing out, and she still managed to re in this direction.��Run.��

    I murmured. Using Down Burst with wind magic, I crushed the Ballista to pieces before blowing it away with the wind and breaking into a dash.

    Roleau and the others tagged along behind me.

    ��Chief, why are we running? Our opponent is weakened so now��s our chance.�� ��Roleau, if you think that breaking her favored arm is enough to win against Ashno, you��re seriously underestimating her.��

    Indeed, she was not the kind of pushover that was weakened by such a simple thing.

    ��But Cyril, can we even make a getaway from such a person?�� ��Yeah, if we get out of the range of her wind detection magic, all that��s left is to make enough distance between us and her in the forest, and it will be very difficult to catch us. Right now let��s focus on making a break for it.��

    Besides, even if we weren��t able to kill her, we had managed to curb her physical ability, plus that wound wasn��t anything to sneeze at. I doubt she would be able to run too much without stopping the bleeding. We dashed through the forest.

    ��Cyril-nisama, that huge arrow went to waste. It was so cool too.

    Yukino muttered, looking back. Yeah, I know. It wasn��t a happy decision for me either.

    ��Yeah, I did my best to make it, so I didn��t want to break it, but who knows what would happen if it were to be used again.��

    The imperial soldiers were guaranteed toe and search for that sniping point under Ashno��s orders. So that��s what I mean. They might take hold of the Ballista. Then it might very well be used by the enemy during the siege.

    ��But that was close, eh Chief? Just a little bit more and we could have eliminated her. Now I get why you wanted us to be careful. Who knew you��dunch such a monstrous arrow.�� ��Close? What are you talking about, Roleau? That was fortuitous if anything. I didn��t think we��d manage to actually crush her dominant arm. We have luck on our side.��

    Yes, we have the utmost luck today. It was a happy miscalction for Ashno to suffer a wound from that level of an attack, not to mention that I estimate she unmistakably has several areas that are broken and withplications like the bone fragments stabbing her flesh due topound fracturing.

    With magic, she could at most strengthen her self-healing process. If Ashno were to forcibly heal thepound fracture, her right arm would no longer be usable. She needs high-level surgical procedure in order to heal that. At the very least, Ashno��s right arm would not be of any use in this war. ��I��d understand if you saw killing her as good luck, but why are you freaking out over just wounding her? What even was your objective in all this?�� ��Well yes, you see, I only wanted to alert her to the presence of an attack that could kill her. That was enough, actually. In the end, thesend mines, the Ballista, and even the Cluster Bomb are just setting the stage for what��s toe, you see.�� ��That ginormous arrow was only setting the stage������ ��Yep, that��s right. First, Ashno has to be careful in order to search for the mines. In addition, as she searches for them, now she has to be wary of any potential ambushes like earlier. Her load has just been doubled. If an area far behind her reach gets surprise attacked, that��s going to cause her to reach her breaking point.��

    I��m sure that Ashno was more than capable of brushing aside mines, ballistas, and cluster bombs if they were concentrated on her one-by-one. But at the same time? Even she would crumble. Then there was the right-arm wound we managed to score on her. That would undoubtedly contribute to her loss of concentration. So that��s yet another burden. ��You see, Roleau, in order to defeat a hero, it��s effective to inflict several small burdens continuously and simultaneously. They will eventually fall with enough of that. No matter how strong someone is, they only ever have two hands. One slip-up and we can take advantage of that weakness and run with it. Heroes are not necessary to defeat heroes.��

    Defeat the strongest with the strongest. In a story, maybe that��s how it goes. However, deploying the strongest against them would imply potentially losing our trump card. We can��t afford to suffer such a risk. It��s important to tie them down so that they can��t work at full strength.

    ��Hey, Cyril.�� ��What is it, Lucy?�� ��I��m d you��re our ally, Cyril. Sometimes the ideas you have are scary.�� ��Not so much my idea as it is an irond rule in the battlefield.

    I wryly smiled as I picked up speed. Next up was surprise attacking the nk with the Cluster Bomb. Ashno was fixed to the vanguard, and was also ramping up the alert level around her. She��s not focusing on the rear at all right now. I imagine we��ll be able to get some guaranteed results now that she��s not looking over here.

 Vol 05 Chapter 18-1: Cluster Bomb

    Vol 05 Chapter 18-1: Cluster Bomb

    <strong>Vol 05 Chapter 18-1: Cluster Bomb</strong>

    From outside the range of her wind detection magic, I observed Ashno''s condition through the binocrs. Just as I had anticipated, she was considerably weakened. The blood-soaked bandage wrapped around her right arm was a testament to the damage she had suffered. She walked at the forefront of the Imperial Army, constantly using magic to search the ground. Whenever she found andmine, she would nt a g over it and instruct her troops to avoid stepping on it. She probably did this because it was difficult to detonate them safely. It was a careful and certain method, but because of this, the army''s advance was significantly slowed. From time to time Ashno showed symptoms of a migraine. The cause was probably the excessive strain on her brain. High Elves had the highestpatibility with all Mana, the Mana lends Ashno its power and makes her magic easier to perform and more powerful, but in the end, it was Ashno herself who had to perform the magic. As long as she continued to lead the march, she had to keep thendmine detection magic active. And with the danger of the ballista looming over them, she couldn''t afford to reduce the uracy of her wind magic. Even for Ashno, the burden of maintaining twoplex spells continuously was not something she could endure indefinitely. That''s why I could confidently proceed with the attack. ��Alright, let''s go. Everyone, head to the points where the cluster bombs are hidden.�� Seeing her situation, I felt reassured. Ashno wouldn''t be able to react if we kept our distance. �� The cluster bombs were hidden in several safe houses I had prepared. They were ced near the path the imperial army would take, and in locations with rtively few obstructions to maximize the bomb''s effectiveness, ensuring arge number of enemies would be within the killing range. This meant the points where we could set them up were limited. Our opportunities to use the bombs were limited. Especially this time, the initial attempt was critical, their guard was low so the chance of sess and the potential damage done was higher. It was imperative that this first attack was a sess. ��Leader, they''re really heavy.�� ��Yes. They contain a lot of grenades, after all, even if they''re small there are over two hundred of them inside.�� Enhancing my physical abilities, I carried a spherical cluster bomb with Roleau, each nearly three meters in diameter. Meanwhile, I entrusted the monitoring of Ashno to Lucy. ��By the way, Cyril, thendmines were surprising, but I''ve never seen cluster bombs being used before. Are they effective?�� While peering through the binocrs, Lucy inquired. ��Yes, they make the crossbows and the ballista look like toys. This is not an anti-personnel weapon, but an anti-army one.�� Even calling it anti-army was an understatement. The three-meter diameter cluster bomb was undoubtedly more than just a tactical weapon; it fell more into the category of a strategic weapon. This was a weapon that could change the nature of warfare. We hid at the top of a steep cliff and watched Ashno and her vanguard pass by. After about two hours of watching the five-kilometer long column of soldiers pass by, the rear group, the target we were aiming for, arrived. ��Lucy.�� ��Yes, it''s okay. Ashno shows no signs of returning,�� ��Got it.�� I took a deep breath. I steeled myself, ready to be a demon. ��Roleau, let''s do this.�� ��Understood, Leader.�� Together, Roleau and I exerted our full strength to throw the massive cluster bomb, letting it ride the wind. When it reached above the enemy''s heads, it began to spin rapidly. From the gaps in the sphere, more than two hundred small, simplified hand grenades rained down. They were meticulously calcted and adjusted to scatter efficiently. ording to my calctions, all the grenades would fall below the cliff, so we shouldn''t be affected, but just to be safe, I prepared a wind curtain. ��Everyone, get down, cover your ears, and keep your mouths slightly open.�� Lucy and the others followed mymand. Especially Yukino, with her sharp ears, desperately pressed down on her fox ears. Then, it started. Layers uponyers of explosions ovepped. Each hand grenade''s detonation sent shockwaves and shrapnel, decimating the Imperial soldiers. The cluster bomb''s effective range extended to a kilometer. The countless screams were drowned out by the sts. I activated wind magic and quickly assessed the damage to the Imperial forces. ��232 dead, 765 injured. Approximately one-tenth of the Imperial soldiers were incapacitated. Even the surviving soldiers were in disarray, screaming and yelling in anger at the sudden descent into hell. They couldn''t fully grasp the reality of what had happened yet. ��What is this, Cyril? Such destruction from just one bomb���� Lucy was at a loss for words. Roleau and Yukino were the same. In this era, nothing existed that could reap human lives so easily and in such numbers. Such overwhelming death was beyond their imagination. But I had created it. ��Let''s talk while we escape.�� I turned my back on the carnage and started to run. Lucy and the others followed me. ��There are several methods to increase the effective range of a bomb, one method is to purely enhance its firepower.�� I began to exin. ��But to double the effective range, you need eight times the firepower.�� Indeed, to expand the effective range of a bomb, its energy needed to be cubed. This approach was highly inefficient. ��That''s why the concept of using many small bombs scattered over a wide area was conceived.�� That was the inception of the cluster bomb. ��But there was an unexpected side effect to this approach. A bomb''s impact spreads out from its center. The enemy only receives the impact from one direction, so they can be blown away, dissipating the force, the power also diminishes if there are any obstacles.�� Bombs had less killing power than they appeared to have. The farther from the center, the more exponentially the power weakened. ��However, cluster bombs are different. They have multiple centers of explosion. Anyone within the effective range is hit by shocks from all directions �C front, back, left, right�� There''s nowhere to escape the impact. They are crushed by the all-epassing force. The st pressure and lethality within the effective range are tens of times more than a conventional bomb. Frankly, this weapon, once used, will inevitably lead to a massacre. It''s uncontroble. That''s the kind of weapon it is.��

 Vol 05 Chapter 18-2: Cluster Bomb

    Vol 05 Chapter 18-2: Cluster Bomb

    <strong>Vol 05 Chapter 18-2: Cluster Bomb</strong>

    After some time, we reached a ce that seemed safe, so I leaned against a nearby tree and sat down. Everyone was trembling as they listened to my exnation. ��What the�� What is this!? Why does something like this even exist?�� Roleau shouted, overwhelmed with fear. The cluster bomb, which so easily decimated hundreds of lives, terrified him. And the act ofmitting such an unreal level of killing had wounded his heart. ��Roleau, I exined from the beginning what kind of weapon the cluster bomb was. Control yourself.�� I reprimanded him calmly. However, Roleau seemed unconvinced, looking at me as if he had something to say. Amidst this, Yukino stood between me and Roleau. ����Roleau-sama, you don��t want to use this? Are you afraid of killing so many people?�� Yukino quietly questioned Roleau. ��Wha- Yukino-chan�� I mean, I���� Roleau became flustered, feeling used by Yukino, whom he was in love with. ��Don''t want to, right? Then Yukino will. Yukino will help Cyril-niisama instead of you. Yukino will kill many people from the Empire.�� Roleau froze at Yukino''s words. ��Cyril-niisama said we can''t win without using the cluster bomb. Then we have no choice but to use it. Yukino knows what happens if we lose to the Empire ��Yukino��s friends who went to another vige were all killed, their magic stones and tails taken. Yukino absolutely doesn''t want everyone in Erucy to suffer the same fate. Yukino will do horrible things if necessary for that.�� Yukino had always been afraid of Roleau, intimidated by hisrge physique and loud voice. Yet now, she looked directly into his eyes, dering her readiness to fight. I remembered Kuu saying that Yukino had be a fine warrior. I gently ced my hand on Yukino''s head. ��Roleau, what will you do?�� ����I''ll do it. Mypanions are important to me, too.�� ��Alright, thank you.�� I paused for a moment, letting a brief silence fall over us. ��Let''s talk about whates next.�� Everyone looked at me with serious eyes. ��The best scenario is if the Imperial troops get scared of the cluster bomb''s power and flee. After all, two hundred died and seven hundred were injured. Even if the Empire has over ten thousand soldiers, this is not damage they can ignore.�� They suffered a ten percent loss of their forces. Conventionally, a thirty percent loss would mean the annihtion of their forces. And most importantly�� ��Roleau, you said you''re afraid of a weapon that kills so many at once. But think about how much scarier it must be for the enemies who have to face it. If it were me, I''d run.�� There would undoubtedly be deserters, and even those inmand might want to flee. ��Cyril, what if they don''t run away?�� ��In that case, we have no choice but to fight. We''ll use the cluster bombs to the fullest until they lose the will to fight.�� We had six more points where we could deploy the bombs. If the strategy worked well, we could reduce their numbers by another four thousand. ��We''ll keep hitting them, weakening them, and when they reach Erucy, we''ll make one final stand in a siege.�� ��Understood, Cyril. Let''s go with that n.�� ��I have no objections, Leader.�� ��Mm, Yukino trusts Cyril-niisama�� Each of them responded in their own way. With their support, it seemed we could manage. I let a smile cross my face. There was one thing I didn''t mention, though. The minimum condition for the siege to work was that someone had to hold Ashno back. If she was free to move, Erucy could easily fall. I believed that if anyone could hold her back, it would be me. Should they reach Erucy, my n was to challenge Ashno to a one-on-one duel. Depending on her condition, I might end up beingpletely overpowered. How much I could weaken her was deeply linked to the oue of the battle. �� For a month, we continued to fight, keeping our distance from the Imperial soldiers. We sessfully executed two more cluster bomb attacks. Thanks to that, the Empire had suffered over a thousand deaths and more than three times that number in injuries. Additionally, by targeting the rear, we destroyed their food supplies and rendered a significant number of their supply wagons unusable. This significantly slowed them down. Ashno, leading the front, was nearing her limit. She was trying various methods to counteract the cluster bomb attacks, but these efforts only increased her burden. I began to hope that maybe we could annihte them before they reached Erucy. But then, something unexpected happened while we were preparing for the fourth attack. ��Cyril, Ashno has disappeared from the front. I have been searching, but I can''t find her anywhere.�� Lucy said with a puzzled tone while looking through the binocrs. ��But they��re still advancing, right?�� Removing Ashno from the front would mean the Imperial Army was vulnerable to thendmines, could the Empire really ept such a situation? And then, the answer became clear as an Imperial soldier stepped on andmine and was blown away. ��Leader, aren''t they afraid of thendmines?�� ��No, it''s different. Look closely.�� I handed Roleau a spare pair of binocrs. ��What the��! How can they do this!?�� The wounded were being forced to walk at the front, with Imperial soldiers holding spears standing a short distance behind them. They were using the injured, now considered a burden, to trigger thendmines, simultaneously disposing of them and clearing the mines. It was an effective tactic, indeed. But was it really possible that Ashno herself had devised such an inhumane strategy?? That question was quickly answered. Behind the group forcing the injured to walk was one of the Empire''s four Dukes, Duke Voldeck. It made sense. He wouldn��t doubt to issue such an order. ��What should we do? Leader, do we attack?�� ��No, let''s give up on this point. It''s okay, we''ve achieved the minimum goal.�� We had caused more than thirty percent casualties. Additionally, we had significantly slowed down the enemy and weakened Ashno. This expedition could be considered a resounding sess. ��Everyone, from here on out, if we find Ashno, we��ll attack. Wait for the chance and only attack when you��repletely sure.�� With that, we continued towards Erucy, keeping watch over the Imperial soldiers. �� In the end, on the way to Erucy, there were only two opportunities to use the cluster bombs. One of them was shot down by Ashno using a bow from a kilometer away, greatly reducing its effectiveness. However, due to their inhumane tacticsbined with the fear of the cluster bombs, there were many deserters among the soldiers. We managed to reduce their unscathed troops to about four thousand. Thanks to our thorough dy tactics, we managed to postpone the Empire''s arrival at Erucy by two months. By the time they arrived, the Imperial soldiers were exhausted and low on supplies. The leading group of the Empire was visibly stunned when they saw the massive defensive wall protecting Erucy. They had not expected Erucy to have built such a fortification. Now, the siege battle would begin. And with it, my direct confrontation with Ashno.

 Vol 05 Chapter 19: Return

    Vol 05 Chapter 19: Return

    <strong>Vol 05 Chapter 19: Return</strong>

    After about two months of expedition, Roleau, Lucy, Yukino, and I had returned to Erucy. We arrived just a few hours before the expected arrival of the Imperial soldiers. The expedition could be considered a sess. Thanks to our tactics fully utilizingndmines and cluster bombs, we sessfully reduced the number of unharmed soldiers to four thousand. It was also significant that we left them with thousands of injured soldiers. Along the way, we took the opportunity to destroy every supply carriage we found, reducing their provisions and increasing the fatigue of the soldiers. The only miscalction was the imperial army''s decision to ignore thendmines, preferring to preserve Ashno at the cost of sustaining damage. As a result, Ashno wasn��t as worn out as I hoped, and the cluster bombs were less effective. Upon entering Erucy, all the vigers came out to wee us. ��Wee back, Cyril-kun.�� Kuu was the first to rush out from the weing group and hugged me. ��I''m back, Kuu. Have you been well?�� ��I''m fine physically. But it was very lonely without you, Cyril-kun. Two months is a long time.�� I gently stroked Kuu''s head as she clung to me. ��I missed you too, Kuu.�� During these two months of expedition, not only my body but also my heart had be quite exhausted. As I embraced Kuu, I felt the weariness melt away. �� However, I was slightly bothered by Kurao, the vige''s acting chief, who was looking enviously at me and Kuu. When I nced towards Lucy and the others, I saw a crowd had formed around them. ��Yukino-chan, Kuro is so happy you''re back!�� ��It- It''s not like I was worried or anything! I believed you woulde back safely�� Yukino!!�� Yukino was being hugged tightly and jostled around by Kurone, the ck fire fox, and Kemin, the yellow fire fox, both of whom had their faces wet with tears and runny noses.

    ��So you made it back safe, Roleau!�� ��Of course I did. My training is different from yours.�� Roleau was surrounded by the particrly boisterous members of the Nettle group,ughing heartily with them. Lucy, too, was happily chatting with her close elf friends. We spent some time enjoying thepany of everyone in Erucy. It was a brief respite.

    �� ��Cyril, there''s no movement from the enemy.�� ��Maybe they''ll keep quiet today.�� Lucy and I were monitoring the Imperial soldiers. From atop the outer walls encircling Erucy, we peered at the Imperial soldiers'' encampment through a telescope. Countless tents were lined up, and the mes of campfires illuminated the night sky. It seemed that the Imperial Army''s attack would begin tomorrow; theirte arrival, coupled with the unexpected factor of the outer walls surrounding Erucy, must have thrown their ns into disarray. They would need time to formte a strategy. ��Hey, Cyril. Starting from tomorrow, the Imperial soldiers will attack to destroy Erucy, right?�� ��The real battle starts tomorrow. We managed to reduce their numbers to just about what we can handle thanks to thendmines and the cluster bombs, but they are still dangerous. Right now, our chances of winning are about seventy percent.�� ��Cyril, your confidence is amazing��believing that Erucy, with less than three hundred people, can defeat four thousand Imperial soldiers. But then again, we might just win with you alone.�� Lucy gave a wry smile, her voice filled with trust in me. Even so, there''s still a thirty percent chance we''ll lose. If we fought ten battles, Erucy would be destroyed in three of them. That''s the limit of what I can do. It makes me hate my ownck of power.�� Lucy looked surprised as I spoke. ��I''m shocked. Even you can show weakness.�� ��Are you disappointed?�� ��No, I''m actually a little happy. Your showing weakness to me means you''re relying on me.�� Lucy smiled beautifully, then took my hand. ��If your strategy can''t cover the remaining thirty percent, then the rest of us will work hard to fill that gap. We''ll perform much, much better than you think. That way, we can surely cover the thirty percent, right? So you should act with all your might and believe in our victory.�� Her words were incredibly reassuring. Overwhelmed with gratitude, I felt a surge of happiness and warmly embraced Lucy''s shoulder. ��Thank you. That''s right, isn''t it? I''m not the only one working hard.�� It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. From now on, I''ll ce more trust in the people of Erucy. They''ll surely meet my expectations. �� As we continued our vigil, a paper airne fluttered towards us. Its movement, clearly manipted by wind magic, was unnatural. It was undoubtedly Ashno''s doing. Seeing no immediate danger, I decided to observe. The paper airnended at my feet. I picked it up and saw that there were words written on it. I unfolded the paper to read the message inside. It requested a meeting, just the two of us, away from the campsite in a secluded area of the forest. Considering her personality, it was unlikely to be a trap. She probably had something she wanted to convey. ��Lucy, can you keep watch alone for a while?�� ��Where are you going?�� ��Just for a walk. I won''t do anything dangerous.�� ���� Don��t do anything dangerous alone.�� ��I promise.�� Saying so, I jumped off the outer wall and started running towards the forest. �� Upon reaching the designated spot in the forest, Ashno was there. At a nce, she appeared to be a normal girl, with blonde hair and the characteristic emerald eyes of a High Elf. However, her appearance was closer to that of a human than an elf. Despite her beautiful appearance, the sight of her wrapped in blood-stained bandages was painfully striking. ��I''m sorry for calling you out so suddenly.�� ��I didn''t expect you to start with an apology. What''s the reason for calling me out here?�� As I asked, Ashno''s expression turned serious, and she looked straight into my eyes. ��Surrender now. Otherwise, terrible things will happen. Duke Voldeck has lost his sanity.�� Ashno spoke in a panicked tone. ����Why should I care if Duke Voldeck has gone mad? I''m more afraid of you than I am of Duke Voldeck.�� If Duke Voldeck wanted, he could increase the number of Imperial soldiers even more and make them fight to the death, but that was already taken into ount in my ns. ��He ns to break the seal of Elna if the battle goes in your favor.�� ��That can''t be possible! If the seal is released, even the Empire won''t escape unscathed.�� Once, this world was overrun with monsters. The source of this chaos, Erna, was sealed away by the great sorcerer Suzina, and only a fragile peace has been maintained since then. If that seal were to be broken, the world could be destroyed. ��He''s serious. Right now, he has ordered some of his people to go to one of the seals nearby. He''s really lost it. If he does this, not only the Empire but the entire world will be in danger.�� ��Can''t you stop him?�� ��Maybe I can, maybe I can''t. If he''s serious, he could break all the seals.�� I was speechless. There were eight seals, and over the centuries, they had all weakened. If even one of those seals were to break, it would lead to aplete copse. It was impossible for Ashno to defend them all alone. ��That''s why you should surrender. Before it''s toote. I don''t want to destroy the world that my father protected. I can offer you the utmost leniency.�� Her argument was reasonable. But still�� ��I can''t ept that proposal. I will win.�� ��What will you do if the seal is broken?�� ��I have a n for that situation, too.�� If I could harness the power of Suzina within me, it might be possible to reseal it. And there was another solution �C to kill Duke Voldeck swiftly before he could order the destruction of the seal. ��I understand your thoughts. Then, I will have to defeat you fair and square. From now on, you''ll be fighting with the weight of Erucy and its people on your shoulders. Don''t expect to be able tounch surprise attacks like before.�� ��That''s my intention.�� I had expected the final battle to take ce here. Therefore, I had not neglected my preparations. Ashno left, as if to indicate that the conversation was over. A new factor had been introduced, not only did I have to defeat Ashno, but I also had to think about protecting the seal.

 Vol 05 Chapter 20-1: Defense Battle

    Vol 05 Chapter 20-1: Defense Battle

    <strong>Vol 05 Chapter 20-1: Defense Battle</strong>

    ��Everyone, take your positions!!�� The attack from the Empire had begun early in the morning. Elves stationed in various directions for surveince struck the rm bells at the watchtowers, waking the citizens of Erucy with their morous ringing. Both the elves and the fire foxes hurried to their designated posts. The Empire was not concentrating its forces but rather dispersing them, implementing simultaneous attacks from all directions. The defense of Erucy was conducted from atop the outer walls. Proper footholds had been prepared inside the walls. Additionally, wiredmunication devices had been installed, enabling contact across all fronts. However, these devices were primitive, essentially on the level of string telephones. I was issuing instructions to each front while stationed at the southern front, where the attacks were most intense. Commanders ced at the east, west, and north fronts followed my orders through themunication devices and directed their respective people. As the Empire''s troops approached within 150 meters��the range of a crossbow��Erucy''s forces finally finished preparing to counter-attack. ��Everyone, draw them in sufficiently before firing. Grenade use is prohibited until I give the order. Use only the standard arrows for now!�� Obeying mymand, the elves on each front began sniping at the Empire''s soldiers approaching the outer walls with their crossbows from the high ground. Everyone was using wind magic at the moment. Ashno''s control over mana could only extend to about 300 meters. She couldn''t handle all fronts, so there was no need to hold back unnecessarily. As a precaution, the use of grenades and cluster bombs in this battle was forbidden until I authorized their use. If Ashno were to emerge and repel the cluster bombs or grenades with wind, causing them to explode inside the walls, the resulting damage would be catastrophic. If interference with the wind magic was detected, I had instructed all fronts to immediately contact me using themunication devices. This would confirm Ashno''s presence in that area. If that happened, I would rush over. I was the only one who could possibly stop her. While I was engaged in battle with Ashno, the ban on the grenades would be lifted. While I attracted Ashno��s attention, the others would engage in an all-out battle using grenades and other weapons meant for wide annihtion. ��All right, everyone, give it your all!!�� ������Yeah!������ The lead group of Imperial soldiers, charging toward Erucy, screamed as an explosion blew them away. They had stepped on and mine. Countless mines were buried a short distance from the outer walls. Ideally, this would have made the rest of the soldiers pause and approach more cautiously. Unfortunately, despite the casualties, the Imperial troops continued their advance, undeterred. They had remarkable courage, but it was this very courage that led to massive casualties. ��Fire! Keep firing!!�� Shooting from a higher position was overwhelmingly advantageous. Moreover, the outer walls, equipped with holes for crossbow firing, allowed us to shoot from behind their protection. Additionally, by using wind mana to create downward gusts, enemy attacks couldn''t reach the wall, rendering assaults from outside the walls almost meaningless. ��Cyril-sama, here''s your next bow.�� ��Thank you.�� I received the crossbow from an elven boy. This time it was an all-out war. For children whocked the strength to draw a crossbow, we had distributed hand-cranked assistance tools that allowed even the physically weak to set crossbows. The children were tasked with setting arrows in the spare crossbows while the adults shot them. I had also assigned the other nonbatants various other tasks like messengers, meal preparations, and more. By doing this, everyone in Erucy could contribute to the battle. In amunity with limited numbers like Erucy, we would be quickly overwhelmed without the support of all our citizens. The elves proficient in shooting could now ignore the time lost on drawing arrows, allowing them to continuously fire their crossbows. By reducing the Imperial soldiers'' numbers withnd mines and further showering them with arrows, we were inflicting one-sided damage. However, the numerical difference was too great, and gradually, the Imperial soldiers began to close the distance. In groups of several dozens, the Imperial soldiers began pushing carts carrying giant logs sharpened at the tips. In the carts were battering rams. The elves prioritized targeting the soldiers pushing the cart, but their efforts were in vain. The battering rams struck the outer walls of Erucy. However�� ��The outer wall was built considering cannon fire. It won''t budge with just that.�� The battering rams shattered upon impact with the wall. The outer walls of Erucy, though modest in height at about 4 meters, were 10 meters thick and had been hardened by the fire foxes'' efforts. Such attacks would not even make it budge. The gates were slightly less sturdy, but they too were incredibly robust, made of giant iron tes with ayer of soft, shock-absorbing y in the middle. It was unlikely they could be breached. Reports wereing in from all fronts besides the southern front, where I was stationed. It seemed they were being attacked in a simr manner, but they were managing to defend sessfully. Having given up on breaching the walls with the rams, the Imperial soldiers started their charge, carrying huge woodendders. Indeed, a 4-meter wall could easily be scaled withdders. ��It''s almost your turn. Are you ready, everyone?�� ��Yes, Cyril-kun, all the fire foxes are prepared.�� Mixed among those setting arrows in the spare crossbows, Kuu and the other fire foxes raised their voices. They had three roles: the first was to keep setting arrows to increase the rate of the elves'' shooting. The second was to activate the trump card, but it was still too early for that. And the third role was to eliminate the enemies clinging to the walls. ��Fox Fire!��

 Vol 05 Chapter 20-2: Defense Battle

    Vol 05 Chapter 20-2: Defense Battle

    <strong>Vol 05 Chapter 20-2: Defense Battle</strong>

    The fire foxes initiated their me magic in groups. As long as they had visual contact, the fire foxes could cast magic on any target within range. Peeking at the Imperial soldiers through the holes made for crossbow firing, they activated their magic while remaining hidden behind the wall. Thedders quickly caught fire, and the Empire''s soldiers climbing them fell. The fire foxes'' abilities proved more efficient in dealing with close-range targets. There was also the option of using wind to knock down thedders. However, if several people were holding them down, it would require considerably strong magic and that would be a considerable drain on our mana resources, and more importantly, we wanted to burn thedders to prevent their reuse. The battlefield reached a stalemate. No, we were slowly being pushed back. We couldn''t withstand their sheer numbers. Fatigue began to show on both the elves firing arrows and the fire foxes burning the enemies clinging to the walls. There was also a limit to our arrow supply. ��Everyone, hold on for now. Don''t use the trump card yet!�� I issued instructions to all fronts through themunication device. There was one thing prepared that could turn the situation around. I desperately resisted the temptation to use it immediately. It had to be used at a more critical moment. �� Time passed. It had been about three hours since the battle began. Everyone''s concentration was waning. We were starting to show symptoms of fatigue. The uracy of the elves firing arrows was dropping, and the fire foxes were struggling each time they cast their me magic. The physically weaker ones, who had been continuously loading arrows, had trembling hands. They desperately tried to keep up, but their pace was clearly slowing down. Yet, there was no sign of the Empire''s momentum stopping. Multipledders were propped against the outer walls, and the fire foxes couldn''t keep up with disposing of them. Sensing they were close to breaching the walls, the Imperial soldiers were emboldened, and the Imperial army��smander started pouring more forces into the fray. At this moment, the area around the outer walls was swarming with the most Imperial soldiers it had seen all day. It was a moment of dire crisis, but also an opportunity. We had been waiting for this moment! ��We��ll use the trump card, those in charge, hurry with the preparations!�� ��Northern front is ready anytime. Yukino will do her best.�� ��Eastern front is also good to go. Kuro and the others are ready whenever.�� ��Cyril-niisama, the western front is also prepared. We are ready whenever you are.�� Using the phone, I gave the go-ahead to use the trump card on all fronts. Responses came from Yukino, Kurone, and Kemin, who led the fire foxes in their respective areas. On the southern front, where I was, Kuu and the other fire foxes began to move frantically. The fire foxes descended from the outer walls and ced their hands on the ground. Now everything was ready. ��Start the countdown. On my signal, use that magic simultaneously�� 3, 2, 1. Activate!�� As I gave themand, a rumbling sound began to be heard. Building a tall wall with a thickness of ten meters was challenging. So, we did the opposite. We dug around the walls to a considerable depth of ten meters, spanning three meters wide, and solidified the ground surface. With that, we achieved the same effect as building high walls. Fortunately, fire foxes were skilled in earth magic second only to fire magic. They were able to dig such arge hole in a short period. Looking at the hole, an idea urred to me. It could be used not only to enhance defense but also as a trap. For that, we piled up soil over the hole and hardened it thoroughly. We hardened it so thoroughly that it wouldn��t copse under any weight, except when all the fire foxes used their earth magic at the same time. This was for dealing maximum damage to the Imperial soldiers at the most critical moment. It would be problematic if it copsed under a minor load. And then, the ground split open. Imperial soldiers were being swallowed into the earth one after another. ��Cyril, it��s a great sess,�� Lucy, who had been shooting arrows next to me, said with a sigh of relief. I smiled back. ��Yes, the n worked perfectly.�� ��They have received terrible damage, do you think the Empire��s people will retreat?�� Just as Lucy said, the soldiers clinging to the wall, along with theirdders, fell into the pit, many of them dying instantly. Those who survived were severely injured. Additionally, those who didn��t fall into the pit were stunned by the carnage inside, and the realization that what they thought was a near victory had not only reset to the beginning but had be even more difficult. This would probably make them retreat for today. The morale of their soldiers was devastated, and they needed to rescue those who were still alive. My only concern was thepleteck of movement from Ashno. Hopefully, she wasn''t plotting something worse�� ��The Empire''s people are retreating.�� ��Yes�� All units, snipe at will. Leave enemies outside of the sure-hit range alone! Don''t pursue them too far! Remember, we have a limited number of arrows.�� As we chased the fleeing soldiers, today''s battle came to an end. I let out a long sigh. ��All fronts, except for the guards on watch, withdraw and rest. As nned, we''ll switch shifts every six hours.�� The lengthy first day had ended. The siege battle was just beginning. From tomorrow, the Empire, having learned from our defensive tactics, wouldn''t rely solely on brute force and numbers. They woulde with some sort of strategy. We couldn''t let our guard down yet. And above all, the absence of Ashno, who hadn��t shown herself at all, was eerily unsettling.

 Vol 05 Chapter 21: Duel

    Vol 05 Chapter 21: Duel

    <strong>Vol 05 Chapter 21: Duel</strong>

    It had been a week since the siege began. The Imperial soldiers who had been attacking us were clearly exhausted and so were we at Erucy. In fact, it was worse. Our numbers, being too small, had increased the individual workload. To make matters worse, despite being bombarded with arrows, the Imperial soldiers had managed topletely fill the moat in front of the walls over the week. They even threw corpses into it at one point. Their change in tactics was painful for us; They no longer rushed in as they did on the first day, the Empire''s attacks had be more sporadic, attempting small-scale infiltrations instead of all-out assaults. This approach had significantly increased the fatigue on our side. The Empire could afford to attack day and night and give their soldiers time to rest thanks to their ample manpower, but we could not, increasing our fatigue by the day. ��Several times, we were forced to use the cluster bombs, risking a counterattack from Ashno. The situation had be so dire that we had to use them despite the risk. ��Now they''re using catapults?�� The Imperial soldiers were targeting us with a spring-powered giant catapult. It seemed they were trying to attack Erucy''s interior by lobbing stones over the walls. The catapult looked like a massive bow, using the force of a spring tounch huge stones. However, its range was only about 100 meters. Mounted on a cart, the Imperial soldiers pushed it forward to close the distance, but one of our elves shot a tire of the catapult cart, causing it to dramatically overturn and crush the soldiers pushing it. ��Really, they''re too thoughtless.�� However, there was something strange about it. Using a catapult wasn��t a bad idea per se. Making use of a parabolic attack to ovee the solid but not tall outer walls of Erucy made a lot of sense. If Ashno had been guarding the catapult, it could have caused significant damage. With Ashno around, our arrows wouldn��t reach the catapult, and it would have been impossible for us to shoot down a stone of that mass with arrows without using wind magic. It wasn��t just with the catapult; if the Imperial soldiers had coordinated with Ashno, they could haveunched many effective strategies. But for that entire week, Ashno hadn''t shown up, and they kept failing with impromptu tactics. There was an instance when Imperial soldiers had tried to dig a tunnel to bypass the walls, but we noticed it due to the tremors and buried them alive with the fire foxes'' earth magic. However, if Ashno had participated, they could have easily seeded. Thanks to Ashno''s absence, we had some respite, but the situation was still dire. ording to my estimates, we had one more week left at most. The people of Erucy wouldn��tst longer than that. ��If we want to turn this situation around, there are two options.�� The first was to use another trump card we had prepared, different from the pitfalls. ��This was our genuinest resort. I''d prefer to save it. The second was for me to find Ashno and attack her. If we could defeat Ashno, we could fully utilize grenades and cluster bombs. That would turn the tide of battle in an instant. ��Hey, Cyril, a girl ising here. She��s alone, could it be a trap?�� Lucy, who was on watch with me, warned me. ��Just when I was thinking about her, she appears. It''s not a trap. It''s an enemy.�� Ashno walked straight toward the south wall where I was. Her approach seemed reckless,ing alone with no escort. The archers defending the wall attempted to snipe her, but the arrows veered away from her unnaturally. Unrest began to spread among the elves. It wasn��t surprising. They couldn��t believe that arrows enchanted with [Windbreak], which should prevent them from being affected by the wind, were flying out of course. ��Don''t shoot any more arrows! It''s useless against her. Magic conjured by mana doesn''t work on her.�� When I shouted, the shooting abruptly stopped. Ashno''s approach didn''t halt. With 200 meters left, Ashno stopped. ��Chief of Erucy,e down. If you don''t, I will run straight towards your wall and crush it with earth magic.�� Her voice, likely amplified by wind magic, resonated, in every direction. The elves and fire foxes of Erucy looked at me in shock. To others, her im might seem a bluff, but knowing Ashno''s capabilities, I found it terrifying. True to her word, she began to run. ��I''ll be going, Lucy.�� I stood up. In my hand were gauntlets and a high-frequency cutter. I had also changed into clothing suitable for this fight. Additionally, I carried ten magic stones, each filled with my magical power �C that was all the equipment I could carry. ��No, Cyril. That person is the monster you''ve always talked about, right? The one whopletely controls all attributes of mana. If it��s in front of that person, you can''t use wind magic, right? An elf without wind is just a human. No, don��t go. Let''s all fight together.�� Lucy grabbed my sleeve, pleading. I slowly shook my head. ����You heard what Ashno said. I have to go.�� Lucy gasped. Then, instead of me, she aimed her crossbow at Ashno. Naturally, it was deflected by the wind. ��Everyone, shoot her! If we don''t take her down, Cyril will go. We''ll lose. I don''t want that! We have to take her down!�� The other Elves began to fire arrows in quick session. The fire foxes frantically supplied the Elves with arrows for their crossbows, desperately trying to keep me from heading into danger. But Ashno, unbothered by this, kept running. I gently ced my hand on Lucy''s head, who was continuing to shoot her crossbow. ��It''s okay, Lucy. I will win, so don''t worry.�� ��But, an elf who can''t use wind magic, and moreover, facing someone who can use all attributes, how can you possibly win���� Tears were welling up in Lucy''s eyes. So, I smiled mischievously. ��Lucy, what do I always say?�� ����I only say I can do what I can do. ���� Lucy''s voice ovepped with mine. Tears still in her eyes, she smiled. ��You ruined my cool moment. I can''t win against you, Lucy.�� ��I''m your wife, after all. ��Yeah, that''s right. If you say that you will win, I��ll believe you. I��ll believe in you and protect Erucy. So, win against that person.�� I nodded. Then, I gathered all my strength. ��Of course. I''ll win, Lucy.�� I kissed Lucy and jumped off the outer wall. �� Ashno halted her advance when I jumped off the wall. ��Cyril, you are deeply loved, aren��t you? I understood that during the fight. This is a good country. Every single citizen is desperately trying to protect the country they love.�� ��I''ve built it�� no, we''ve all built this treasure together.�� ��Is that so, a treasure�� Sorry, but that treasure ends today.�� Ashno''s magical power intensified as she prepared forbat. Even if she couldn''t use her right arm, how far could I go against this monster? ��Can I ask you one thing? Why didn''t youe forward for a whole week? If you had been in front, the Empire would have had an easier fight.�� ��If I had won by brute force using my power, it wouldn��t count as defeating you in war. I wanted to win with just the Imperial soldiers'' strength.�� ��It''s still early to give up on that, I think. You are somewhat advantageous now. If it continued like this, you might have overwhelmed us.�� ��Maybe. But you have another trump card, right? If you use it and it turns the tide, this war will be a nasty quagmire.�� ��Well, who knows? It would be nice if there were such a convenient thing.�� ��Also, Voldeck is at his limit. He seems ready to break the seal at any moment.�� I chuckled wryly. So, she knew about my trump card. The Duke of Voldeck growing impatient was bad news. I had to deal with it somehow. ��So you gave up on everything but winning and protecting the seal.�� ��Yeah, so I''m sorry, but I''ll have to overpower you with my strength. That way, at least, the seal won''t be broken.�� Quite a terrible situation. ��There''s an easier way to protect the seal. You just have to take Voldeck''s head. Then the fight will end, and the seal will be protected.�� ��No way. Then I''ll lose the bet with you and won''t be able to meet Dad. I will cut down both you and Erucy with my power. That way, the seal will be protected, and I can meet Dad. So don��t get in the way�� Or will you surrender and hand over your body to Dad?�� ��In your dreams.�� ��I thought you would say that. I��m the same, the two of us have something we can give up on. So, let��s settle this with our fists from here on.�� There was no point in more words. All that was left was to settle it in battle. ��I couldn��t use ??��Samsara Recursion��in this fight. If Voldeck breaks the seal, and I don''t have ��Samsara Recursion��??, I won��t be able to redo the seal. Besides, I had to defeat Ashno with my own strength for it to mean anything. I absorbed magical power from the magic stones, circting it through my body as I red at Ashno.

 Vol 05 Chapter 22-1: Conclusion

    Vol 05 Chapter 22-1: Conclusion

    <strong>Vol 05 Chapter 22-1: Conclusion</strong>

    I confronted Ashno. It seemed that neither the Imperial soldiers nor the people of Erucy intended to intervene in our battle, merely watching from a distance. I took the initiative. Aiming the gauntlet, I had developed specifically for this battle, I used the magic of [Lightning Strike]??.

    [Lightning Strike] was a magic derived from the power of transforming electric and maic fields that I acquired when I devoured the hero''s soul. Unlike spirit magic, which borrows the power of mana from the atmosphere, this magic depleted my internal magic power (Odo) considerably. Ipensated for this by extracting magic from the magic stones created with Kuiro''s power. These five magic stones I carried with me were my lifeline.

    A short arrow flew out of the gauntlet at a speed faster than the speed of sound. This gauntlet was a special device that transformed into a coil gun that fired arrows when electrified.

    My opening move was an unexpected attack that exceeded the speed of sound. The distance between Ashno and me was about twenty meters. The time it took to reach her was less than 0.1 seconds, the limit of human reflexes. Against a normal opponent, it would have been a decisive hit.

    ��Figures, you''de at me with everything from the start. In that aspect, you''re really simr to Dad.��

    The supersonic arrow was deflected. A tremendous barrier of wind swirling around Ashno, dense like a typhoon, had repelled the arrow. The mana of wind around her was whirling like a storm.

    Two things surprised me about Ashno''s response. The first was the sheer strength of her power. How much force would she have to put into mere wind to block a coil gun arrow that surpassed the speed of sound? And the second surprise was that she had anticipated my opening move. Her timing was too perfect to be the result of reacting after seeing my movements.

    ��There''s no time to be surprised. Now, it''s my turn.��Sensing the movement of the earth''s mana, I leaped backward. Being an elf, I couldn''t wield mana other than wind and water, but I could still perceive it. Spears of earth sprouted from the ground where I had just been. If I had remained standing there, I would have been impaled.

    ��So persistent!��

    I shouted, twisting my body in mid-air. A follow-up attack was aimed at mynding point. Even as I avoided it, more spears kept emerging. I desperately dodged them, rolling around, as I enhanced my physical abilities with [Physical Ability Enhancement]??.

    ��You''re very nimble. How about this?��

    Walls rose high on both sides and behind me, effectively trapping me. She was clearly aiming to leave me with no escape.

    ��Don''t die on me just yet, okay?��

    Ashno extended her hand straight out. In her palm swirled abination of wind and fire mana.

    ��Damn it.��

    I clicked my tongue. Trapped with no way to escape, I was now the target of a fire magic amplified by the wind. It was like a storm of mes. Ashno alone was aplishing what would normally require the cooperation of an elf and a fire fox. As she released her magic, I fired the coil gun. The coil gun could deliver a fatal blow faster than Ashno''s magic could reach me. However, it was thwarted by the barrier of wind. I had hoped that it would be impossible for her to use high-powered offensive magic and defensive magic simultaneously, but it seemed that I was mistaken.

    ��[Maic Field Generation].??��

    If escaping forward, backward, left, or right was impossible, then the only option left was to go up. A storm of mes passed right beneath me. I had preemptively equipped powerful mas in the soles of my shoes. By stepping on the generated maic field, I could use its repulsive force to leap upwards.

    With ??[Maic Field Generation] and these shoes, I could perform high-speed, three-dimensional maneuvers as if the air itself were my foothold. I moved swiftly through the air, kicking off the invisible tforms. From above Ashno, I fired three shots from the coil gun. If her wind barrier was a typhoon protecting her from all sides, an attack from directly above should be effective.

    But she reacted as if it was natural, merely stepping aside to dodge. Not only did she have her overwhelming magic ability, but her reaction speed and crisis management skills were also really good. Moreover, the direction of the wind''s mana was now heading in my direction. It seemed like she was trying to crush me by manipting the air pressure. I kicked off the maic field again and tried to escape the wind controlled by Ashno. Her attacks showed no mercy.

    ��Ashno, you seem intent on killing me with all your might. But if I die, you won''t be able to meet your father, you know.��

    ��I''m aware. But I know you can handle this much. If I don''t attack with the intent to kill, I''ll be the one getting killed. Herees another one!��

    Ashno activated another magic. With surprising skill, sheunched bullets of earth, propelled by explosions of fire. And to make them harder to evade, she turned them into a scatter shot.

    I kicked off the maic field to dodge, but some of the shrapnel grazed my arm, drawing blood. As expected, it was really difficult to avoid every single piece of a scatter shot. I felt a growing sense of panic within me. She had no weaknesses.

    Her attack power, defense, speed, the scale of her magic, and her processing speed��she surpassed me in every aspect.

    And on top of that, her mileage was better than mine due to her being able to use mana for magic. The longer the battle continued, the more I was heading towards my loss. One of my magic stones shattered. The consumption of magical power was intense because I couldn''t use mana.

    Four magic stones remained.

 Vol 05 Chapter 22-2: Conclusion

    Vol 05 Chapter 22-2: Conclusion

    <strong>Vol 05 Chapter 22-2: Conclusion</strong>

    ��What should I do now?��

    As I withstood Ashno''s continuous attacks, I continued to ponder. I had a lethal strike in reserve. But it could only be used as a surprise attack, and only once.

    If I missed, any chance of victory would disappear. I wanted to aim for Ashno''s bandaged right hand, her weak point, but the moment I got into close range, I would be instantly killed by the high-density wind surrounding her.

    ��You''ve been aiming for something since a while ago. Do you have a trump card?��

    ��Well, who knows?��

    It seemed she had even read that I had a trump card. While leaping over a wide-ranging wall of mes that Ashno had just conjured, I converted an entire magic stone into a lightning strike. However, just as I had once defended against the hero''s lightning, Ashno increased the air pressure around her, turning the air into an instor to block it.

    It looked like I had no choice but to rely on my trump card. But thisplex magic required time to concentrate on the calctions. 1.3 seconds. That was all I needed.

    ��1.3 seconds against Ashno�� feels like an eternity.��I clicked my tongue while dodging the subsonic scatter shot fired by Ashno. Then, a barrage of arrows came flying at me. It wasn''t Ashno''s doing. They were arrows fired by Imperial soldiers.

    Arrows filled the sky, too many to count. Normally, I would have used wind to block them, but this was Ashno''s domain. Trying to control the wind here would be futile.

    I pulled out two knives from my pocket, including the spare one, and shed away only those arrows on a direct collision course. However, it was impossible to avoid them all. I managed to dodge the fatal shots, but several arrows still pierced my body, causing blood to spill.

    ��Voldeck! Why are you interfering in the battle?��

    Ashno shouted in anger, her face contorted with fury. Looking in the direction she faced, I saw Duke Voldeck standing with hundreds of his subordinates, his eyes bloodshot.

    ��Lady Hero! Now is the time! Your opponent is weakened! Quickly, kill that demon! A monster you couldn''t kill with ease! We can''t let it live!! Hurry!!��

    I couldn''t help but let out a bitterugh. That was one way to look at it. To the Empire, an opponent that even Ashno, their strongest, couldn''t kill was indeed a threat.

    ��Ashno, why are you so surprised? This is war, not a duel. I don''t n on calling it unfair.��

    I told her this while pulling the arrows out of my body.

    ��But this is����

    Ashno was visibly shaken. It was a fundamental misunderstanding. Duke Voldeck''s decision was correct. But in this instance, it turned out to be a mistake. I should thank Voldeck. The range of those arrows included Ashno, and she had to rx her offensive in order to defend against them. Moreover, it distracted her attention. That gave me enough time to concentrate on my calctions. The 1.3 seconds I couldn''t possibly have secured while fighting Ashno one-on-one were finally mine. I used up another magic stone and unleashed my magic. Two magic stones remained.

    ��[Microwave Irradiation]?.?��

    I released microwaves, further increasing their intensity, creating a magic that heated the entire surrounding area with microwave radiation. Simply put, it was like throwing the opponent into a microwave. Due to its uniqueness, the spell required 1.3 seconds for the calctions.

    As expected, Ashno immediately reacted. She sensed my magic power grow to its limit, so she activated defensive magic of earth and wind. Earth walls rose, and the density of the wind barrier increased. It was a quick response.

    ��But this time, that won''t be enough to stop it.��

    The force I unleashed was microwave radiation, making both the earth and wind barriers ineffective. Ashno''s left hand, which she extended to activate her defensive magic, was rippling. Her blood was nearly boiling.

    Ashno leaped backward trying to stop the rest of her body from receiving the effects of the magic. Microwaves spread easily, so distancing herself was the only correct response. Her instantaneous decision limited the damage to just one hand. However, the intense pain robbed Ashno of her freedom. Shended and, overwhelmed by the pain, clenched her teeth and fell to her knees. That was the moment I had been waiting for. The moment tond my other trump card with certainty.

    ��[Charged Particle Cannon]??!!��

    The ??[Charged Particle Cannon]?? was actually simpler in terms ofputational load than [Microwave Irradiation]??. But against someone like Ashno, it would almost certainly never hit. And because it required arge amount of electrical power, it could only be used in a situation where it was guaranteed to hit.

    And that time was now. I used thest two remaining magic stones to activate the magic. I elerated heavy ions to near-light speed and shot them. It was the fastest and strongest attack I could perform at that moment.

    ��I won''t let you!!��

    Ashno concentrated all her magical power into creating a focused wind barrier. Concentrating all her magic into her most proficient element, wind, she formed the ultimate defense. My ??[Charged Particle Cannon]?? collided with Ashno''s wind barrier, light and wind shed and fought for dominance. I gritted my back teeth and poured the remainder of my magical power into the [Charged Particle Cannon]????, increasing its force.

    ��And finally, I overpowered her. Most of its force was negated, but the ????[Charged Particle Cannon]?? ultimately caught Ashno. When the light ceased, there was nothing left. Only the gouged earth remained. Was Ashno dead? I searched the area with wind magic, but I couldn''t sense any trace of her. All I knew was that she was no longer here.

    ��Ah!! The legendary Hero was defeated!?��

    ��Is that elf stronger than our Hero!?��

    ��A monster, he''s a monster!!��

    The Imperial soldiers fled in terror. Ashno seemed to have been almost a deity to them. It was our victory, only one task remained. The enemymander was foolish enough toe this far forward. I couldn''t let such negligence and carelessness go unpunished. Killing him here would also protect the seal.

    ��[Lightning Strike]??!��

 Vol 05 Chapter 23-1: ??Samsara Recursion

    Vol 05 Chapter 23-1: ??Samsara Recursion

    <strong>Vol 05 Chapter 23-1: ??Samsara Recursion</strong>

    I, in the form of a Silver Dragon, soared through the sky. My destination was the northern mountains. ording to Yukino, monsters should have already begun to emerge there.

    ��Even with my support, this form won''tst long. Settle this problem with full force.��

    ��I know.��

    Unable to speak in this form, I responded with my thoughts. With ��Me??��s�� support, the strain on my magical circuits was minimized, and the damage to my soul was kept to a minimum. With this, I wouldn''t be rendered unable to use magic the moment [Samsara Recursion]?? was released. Still, calling upon the [Silver Dragon of Destruction]?? in my current state was a significant strain. About twenty seconds was my limit.

    From a single point in the mountains, hundreds, thousands of monsters continuously spawned. They mimicked animals, yet had bizarre mutations, some had three arms, others had des integrated with their bodies, and others had unnaturallyrge horns �C all of them were grotesque beings. Men who appeared to be Imperial soldiers were being swallowed by these monsters. They must have been attacked after breaking the seal. I felt no sympathy for them.

    The mountain itself seemed to have be a monster, such was the volume of the creatures. The situation was just as I had imagined, which is why I chose the [Silver Dragon of Destruction]??. I would go all out from the start.

    ��GRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!��

    I unleashed the anti-nation ss magic [Silver Dragon��s Roar]??. A single strike of it was capable of destroying a nation. A forbidden magic. Compared to this, even the [Charged Particle Cannon]?? felt like a child''s toy.I forcibly gathered all the mana within a two-kilometer radius. Then, I devoured it and made the structure of its particles copse, with this I was able to harness all the destructive force of the mana.

    A band of light struck the center of the seal, spreading out in a circr fashion. The effective range extended to several kilometers in every direction. An entire mountain vanished, leaving tnd in its wake. However, there were no residual effects. The power generated by the copse of mana was a force of annihtion. Everything touched by the light was obliterated. With this single strike, over a thousand monsters were wiped out.

    But some monsters, using theirrades as shields, survived. Furthermore, after the discharge of the ??[Silver Dragon��s Roar], more monsters emerged, and in a few moments, their numbers increased to over a hundred. The Erna that was provoking this had been umting for centuries. It wouldn''t run out that easily.

    I tried to unleash another [Silver Dragon��s Roar]??, but the surrounding mana was depleted by the previous strike, and I couldn''t gather enough power.

    ��Then, it''s time for a different approach!��

    I pped my wings and dove rapidly towards the source of the enemies. Uponnding, I crushed the foes under my forelegs. My tail swept away the surrounding enemies. When arge monster appeared, I bit through its throat.

    I released the next spell, ??[Roaring Lightning], this one used my own magical power instead of mana. A rain of lightning strikes enveloped the surrounding several hundred meters. My fangs, tail, and the lightning obliterated everything around. I had no idea how many thousands of monsters I had in. Yet, the monsters continued to emerge incessantly, such was the immense quantity of Erna suppressed by the seal.

    Then, I reached my limit. The Silver Dragon, possessing immense power, also bore an enormous burden on both magical power and soul. Even for me, who had consumed the souls of thousands, a few tens of seconds was my limit. Four seconds remained, in these four seconds, I would have to eliminate as many as possible��

    ��Don��t do that. If you use all the time left, you won''t have enough magical power left to initiate the next?? [Samsara Recursion] after this one is released.��

    All strength drained from my body. And then, I returned to my original form in the middle of a horde of enemies.

    ��What!? What do you think you are doing, ??��Me��!? Even if I have magical power left, I can''t perform ??[Samsara Recursion] again!��

    I shouted at my inner self. Indeed, thanks to Suzina''s support, I had been performing [Samsara Recursion] efficiently??, so if I released it at this timing, I could preserve enough magical power to initiate a second round.

    But, the bacsh from calling upon the Silver Dragon left my soul in tatters. In this state, I couldn''t possibly withstand ??another [Samsara Recursion].

    ��What if there''s a way to use ??[Samsara Recursion] without burdening your soul?��

    Such a method existed? I was astounded.

    ��The problem is that we have been supporting the burden of [Samsara Recursion] with the whole soul. As you know, we have gained strength by consuming souls, we can cluster some of the consumed souls and embed the personality and soul called from [Samsara Recursion] into them. That way, when these clustered souls reach their limit and break, we can detach it. That way, the main soul remains unharmed.��

    I understood the logic. But that would mean��

    ��If we do that, the ��Me�� who was called upon by [Samsara Recursion]?? would����

    ��Be destroyed. Completely. That personality will never be able to perform [Samsara Recursion]?? again. It��s obvious, we will be separating that part and discarding it after all. The ��Me�� that was called upon will disappear.��

    I was left speechless.

    ��What are you concerned about? We''ve already died once, and we''re just clinging on to a false life.��

 Vol 05 Chapter 22-3: Conclusion

    Vol 05 Chapter 22-3: Conclusion

    <strong>Vol 05 Chapter 22-3: Conclusion</strong>

    I extended my gauntlet and fired the coil gun. Now that Ashno was gone, I could unleash its full power. With [Windbreak]??, the coil gun faced no air resistance, maintaining its initial velocity and allowing for more precise sniping.

    A steel arrow deeply pierced and went through the back of the fleeing Voldeck. The Imperial soldiers didn''t even nce at Voldeck''s body as they continued their escape.

    ��Why?��

    A bad premonition crept over me. Even if hecked virtue, he was still a noble. His body shouldn''t have been left ignored. After the Imperial soldiers had left, I went to check Voldeck''s corpse.

    From a distance, it wasn''t clear, but�� this wasn''t Voldeck. A body double, perhaps?

    ��Cyril-niisama!��

    I heard Yukino''s voice directly in my mind. It was thanks to the power of the ne with a magic stone I had given her.

    ��From the mountains visible to the north where Yukino is, there are lots of strange animals, like the monsters from legends, lots are pouring from the mountains. Yukino can��t count them all. Tens? Hundreds? So, so many����At that moment, I realized that Voldeck had intended to break the seal since before my duel with Ashno. He had deliberately used a body double to prevent Ashno from interfering. Yukino''s voice faded. The effect time of the pendant had ended.

    ��Thank you, Yukino.��

    I expressed my gratitude to Yukino for using the ne just when it was needed. She must have treasured that ne more than anything, yet she used it when it was needed.

    This early warning of the anomaly was significant. I wouldn''t waste the few minutes that Yukino had given me.

    If the seal was truly broken, centuries worth of Erna would have erupted, releasing an unimaginable number of monsters all at once.

    It wasn''t just a threat to Erucy; it was a danger that could destroy the world. I was the only one who could stop it.

    ��Cyril, you are wounded. Are you okay?��

    ��Cyril-kun. Let me treat you.��

    Worried about me, Lucy and Kuu climbed down the outer wall and rushed towards me.

    Of all times, it had to be now.

    ����Lucy, Kuu.��

    I smiled at them.

    ��There''s something I''ve been hiding from you both.��

    I had always concealed ??[Samsara Recursion] from them. I didn''t want them, of all people, to see me as a monster. But now, I couldn''t hide it any longer.

    ��I''m a monster. I can borrow the powers of my previous lives. The sess of Erucy wasn''t due to me. It was achieved with the powers of my past lives. I''ve been cheating all this time.��

    Lucy and Kuu listened to my words with serious expressions. Then, Lucy spoke.

    ��I always thought you were hiding something, but it was just that?��

    ��Yes. I thought it was something even more incredible.��

    Lucy and Kuu smiled.

    ��No matter what powers you have, it''s you who decides how to use them, Cyril.��

    ��That''s right. You said you��re cheating, but you used such powers to make everyone happy. I''m proud of you, Cyril-kun.��

    A warm feeling welled up in my chest.

    ��Both of you, I''m about to be a monster now. If you ever be afraid of me, please tell me. I won''t me you for it.��

    As I said this, both of them puffed up their cheeks.

    ��Cyril, thinking I would stop liking you over something like this is terrible!��

    ��Yes, it''s impossible for me to dislike you. It makes me sad to think you trust us so little, Cyril-kun.��

    I felt relieved. I was d I had married these two.

    ��I see, thank you. Then, I''ll be going.��

    I concentrated my magical power. I had always considered it a forbidden move. I chose the greatest purebat force avable to me.

    ��Are you really going to use ??the [Silver Dragon of Destruction]?��

    ��It''s been a while, ��Me��??. Yes, defeating the monsters that have emerged is the top priority.��

    ��I find that ��Me�� is a bit too much for you to handle ??as you are now. If you summon it, you''re going to copse.��

    I knew that. The time I could sustain it was at most a few seconds. And after using ????[Samsara Recursion], I would likely suffer damage that would prevent me from using magic for several months.

    ��I understand. I''m aware of the consequences.��

    ��You''re underestimating this. A few seconds won''t be enough to handle it. Plus, you have a big job after clearing out the monsters. No choice then. I''ll support you. That should make it somewhat easier.��

    ��Thank you, ??��Me��. Or should I say, Suzina? Aren''t you angry about Ashno?��

    ��She''s my daughter. She won''t die from something like that.��

    ����I see. Then, let''s go!��

    I began to assemble the ??[Samsara Recursion]?? magic. With Suzina''s support, the magic construction was smoother and stronger than usual.

    ��Release, my soul. The mirage left behind in the sands of time, manifest here and now.��

    I began the incantation, speaking to the depths within myself.

    ��What I call forth is the Silver Dragon of Gluttony that destroyed the world, its name is����

    I recited the once familiar name.

    ��Falveniir!! ??[Samsara Recursion]!??!��

    My body was enveloped in light. The unique magic of ? ??[Samsara Recursion] activated.

    As the light subsided, my body had transformed into a Western dragon, over fifty meters in length, covered in silver scales that gleamed like metal. And then, I spread my wings. The raging wind tousled Lucy and Kuu''s hair. My massive form leaped into the sky.

    From this height, I could see both the Imperial soldiers and the people of Erucy. Both groups were struck with fear at the sight of the gigantic silver dragon. Lucy and Kuu stared straight at me, shouting something with all their might. I couldn''t hear them from this distance, but I felt like they were telling me to do my best, even in this form.

    I flew towards the northern direction Yukino had informed me about. Let''s go. To protect what''s precious to me.

 Vol 05 Chapter 23-2: ??Samsara Recursion

    Vol 05 Chapter 23-2: ??Samsara Recursion

    <strong>Vol 05 Chapter 23-2: ??Samsara Recursion</strong>

    I knew their pasts. I had be emotionally involved with them.

    ��Moreover, it''s not only you who has to decide. By separating the soul, the control of the body will also be handed over to the ��Me�� who undergoes ??[Samsara Recursion]. The ones who will lend their strength are only those entrics who agree and are willing to assist you. There''s no need to worry.��

    ��Is there really a ��Me�� who wants to sacrifice himself like that?��

    ��Yes, there are a few. They are saying they''re willing to lend you their strength and are fine with ending it all. Now, choose. What''s more important to you? The ghosts from your past lives, or those who are supporting you now? For the sake of the future, show that you can discard your past selves!��

    I clenched my back teeth and looked forward. I wanted to protect Erucy, Lucy, Kuu, Yukino.

    ��I ask you, my past selves, please die for my sake.��

    I spoke to ��Me��. Emotions of a me who wasn''t me welled up from within.

    ��Understood. We will cooperate. There are four ��Me�� who will assist you.����Of all people, these four, huh? That''s reassuring.��

    I gave a wry smile. They were reliable ones. I already had decided which ��Me�� to choose as the vanguard.

    ��Release, my soul. The mirage left behind in the sands of time, manifest here and now.��

    I began the incantation, speaking to the depths within myself.

    Unlike usual, my chant was ovepped by the voices of the ��Me�� I was calling upon.

    ��I desire the greedy king who ruled the world of the dark night, his name is����

    An old name. I recited the nostalgic name loudly.

    ��Gramdeal! [Samsara Recursion]??!��

    My body was enveloped in light. My unique magic, ??[Samsara Recursion], activated. When the light subsided, my body was d in a pitch-ck coat, my hair and eyes dyed ck, and long fangs grew in my mouth. My body had transformed into that of Gramdeal. This was a Samsara Recursion using a detached soul. Therefore, I didn''t be Gramdeal, but rather, it felt like I was observing from afar a body that had turned into Gramdeal. Gramdeal initiated the magic.

    ��Crimson Moon.??��

    The entire area was enveloped in a dark night, with a blood-red moon floating in the sky. This was Gramdeal''s barrier. A barrier of a scalerge enough to cover an entire city. As long as any living creature was within the barrier, they would continually have their souls and magical power consumed by Gramdeal.

    Consequently, the monsters were devoured one after another, turning into corpses. The still living monsters were steadily weakening. In contrast, Gramdeal was reinforcing his soul and growing exponentially stronger as his magical power filled up.

    The magical power that had been nearly entirely spent when I underwent ??[Samsara Recursion] as the Silver Dragon was rapidly recovering.

    ��This era''s us�� no, Cyril. I disliked thee.��

    Gramdeal, strengthened within the barrier, decapitated the remaining monsters and spoke to me.

    ��Thou art too soft. Despite having the power to single-handedly subjugate the Empire if thou so desired, Thou soughtst a path of coexistence. Even after thy kin were killed. Thy naivety disgusts us.��

    Despite overwhelming the enemies with his formidable power, there was a certain grace in Gramdeal''s manner. Perhaps it was because he was a true noble of the night.

    ��When thou didst call upon us for the first time, we deliberately refrained from advising thee. As a result, thou almost wert devoured by the hero. That was intentional. We wish thee dead, for we find watching thee most distasteful.��

    The moon summoned by Gramdeal grew even redder, and his movements became more fierce.

    ��However, we realisest something. Despite our disdain for thy softness, thy surroundings were always filled with smiles. It was thy kindness that made it so. Watching thee walk the path we had given up on, we started to want to see whaty beyond it.��

    Gramdeal''s form blurred for a moment. He was reaching his limit. The detached soul carrying Gramdeal''s personality was about to meet its end.

    ��Falter not. Continue thy way with thy kindness intact. We will be the stepping stone for that. Farewell.��

    And then, my body transitioned from being Gramdeal back to my own. Not a trace of Gramdeal''s soul remained. I shed tears for the vanishing Gramdeal. Ruled by the thirst for vengeance, he dedicated everything to destruction, his life was one I could have easily reproduced if some of my decisions had been different.

    ��There''s no time for sorrow.��

    Thanks to Gramdeal, the number of monsters had significantly decreased, but still, over a hundred remained and continued to increase. I understood what I needed to do. I Initiated another [Samsara Recursion]??.

    ��Release, my soul. The mirage left behind in the sands of time, manifest here and now.��

    This was my third Samsara Recursion today. Again, I decided which soul to use as the base for this third time, I separated it, selected it, and imprinted the personality onto it. My voice ovepped with a deep, resonant one.

    ��I desire the cksmith who forged steel and, above all, himself in a world of steel and scorching heat, his name is����

    Once, I reincarnated in a world where alchemy was abnormally advanced. It was a world constantly colored with mes, smoke, and iron. In that world, I was born into the race most versed in metal, honing my skills for a lifetime. My name at that time was��

    ��Kuiro! ??[Samsara Recursion]!��

 Vol 05 Chapter 23-3: ??Samsara Recursion

    Vol 05 Chapter 23-3: ??Samsara Recursion

    <strong>Vol 05 Chapter 23-3: ??Samsara Recursion</strong>

    Kuiro, a name I had called upon many times. A muscr giant of a man, a dwarven cksmith with arge hammer. However, the appearance of Kuiro this time was unusual. He was summoned along with twelve swords.

    ��??Golem Transmutation.��

    As Kuiro activated his magic, thirty golems emerged from the ground.

    ��Cyril, you''ve only used my power to make sneaky and frivolous things, but my true forte is making swords. These are my twelve greatest masterpieces. Thanks to Gramdeal, my magical power is full. With this much magic, I can recreate them as ��my equipment.''��

    Several golems held back the enemies, while the sword-bearing golems attacked the monsters with their des.

    ��Despite being able to use my techniques, which were honed for the pursuit of the ultimate sword, you ended up creating crossbows, household items, agricultural tools�� To be honest, it was quite frustrating. My skills were meant for creating the supreme sword, not for making such trifling things.��

    Kuiro stroked his beard with a displeased expression.

    ��However, the things you''ve made have brought happiness to people. People with smiles gather around you. Seeing that, I realized that''s what being a cksmith is truly about. Looking back, those around me either feared me, hated me, or were possessed by the desire to own my magic swords. Watching you, I felt envious. That''s why I decided to lend you my strength.��He grinned.

    ��Mind you, I don''t intend to deny my pursuit of the ultimate sword. If there''s any regret in my life, it''s that I never reached that ultimate sword. Did you know, Cyril? Originally, cksmithing was associated with festivals. And war is a festival for beasts! So, let''s liven up this festival with all my power. Come on, engrave this, once-in-a-lifetime festival, into your soul!��

    The golems swung down their magic swords. The swords spat fire, stirred up the wind, caused decay, sliced through dimensions, and multiplied infinitely. The monsters were trampled, and only Kuiro stood there alone.

    ��This is the power of magic swords, the power I spent my life creating. Can a youngster like you create a sword of this caliber? Show some respect for your predecessors

    .��

    Kuiro murmured contentedly, his rugged smile beaming. And then, Kuiro''s existence shattered into pieces.

    ��Thank you, Kuiro,��

    I murmured, as if squeezing the words out.

    There was a change in the surroundings. Unlike before, the Erna miasma stopped mass-producing monsters. Instead, it began to concentrate into a single beast.

    The Silver Dragon Falveniir, the Vampire Gramdeal, and the cksmith Kuiro. With theirbined strength, most of the Erna was extinguished. And now, it seemed to have recognized me as a dangerous entity. The Erna began to shape itself into a single dragon. It bore a resemnce to the Silver Dragon Falveniir. It was not a foe to be taken lightly.

    ��Release, my soul. The mirage left behind in the sands of time, manifest here and now.��

    A young man''s voice ovepped with mine. I was summoning the ��Me�� I trusted the most, the first ��Me�� I ever summoned, and along with Kuiro, the one I used the most.

    ��I desire the knight who remained noble in a world of vanity, his name is����

    An old name. I recited the nostalgic name loudly.

    ��Deet! [Samsara Recursion]??!��

    When the light subsided, my body had transformed into a knight, equipped with armor a helmet, and with a two-handed sword. The first time I became Deet, I was equipped with beginner''s equipment, simple iron armor. But now, filled with magical power, it was different.

    The armor was made of orichalcum, engraved with magical runes, and the magic sword was crafted from the fang of a divine dragon. At level 99, the strongest knight specialized in one-on-onebat stood there.

    Deet, holding his sword, red at the enormous dragon formed by the hardened Erna. The dragon roared and spewed a fireball. Deet charged forward and shed through the fireball.

    ��Gramdeal and Kuiro said they disliked you.��

    Deet said with a slight smile.

    ��Actually, I also dislike you.��

    The dragon tried to sweep Deet away with its tail. Deet used his sword as a shield to catch the tail. But this wasn''t just defense. Deet positioned the de edge. The sword bit into the tail. When Deet poured fighting spirit into the bitten tail, it swelled like a balloon and burst.

    ��GRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!��

    The dragon screamed. Deet''s sword glowed, and spirals of magical runes enveloped the de. He sped past the dragon, shing its Achilles tendon in the process. The dragon lost its bnce.

    ��I am a knight. I strove to be the most righteous knight. From my perspective, your actions are too much to bear. Despicable, vile, and servile.��

    Deet began to channel magical power and fighting spirit into his sword, preparing to unleash a deadly technique.

    ����But, you were desperate to protect the ones you love. I''ll give you that. Obsessed with chivalry, I was bound by meaningless obligations and failed to protect the one I loved most. Only after failing did I realize what a true knight should protect, and it''s not the rules.��

    Deet jumped into the sky. The magical power and fighting spirit he had infused into his sword were released. The de was enveloped in light, transforming into a sword of light over ten meters long. He swung down from above and then shed horizontally. A cross-shaped sh deeply engraved itself into the dragon, causing an intense explosion where the two cuts ovepped. The dragon vanished without a trace. Simultaneously, Deet''s unique ability absorbed the dragon''s soul and magical power, restoring the lost magical energy.

 Vol 05 Chapter 23-4: ??Samsara Recursion

    Vol 05 Chapter 23-4: ??Samsara Recursion

    <strong>Vol 05 Chapter 23-4: ??Samsara Recursion</strong>

    The presence of the Erna disappeared from the surroundings.

    ��Don''t live in a way you will regret.��

    And then, Deet vanished. I gritted my teeth, enduring the sense of loss. Their sacrifices would not be in vain. With the sacrifices of three of my past selves, I had managed to halt the initial eruption of Erna.

    ��It''s too early to rx.��

    ��Yeah, I know.��

    What had just happened was merely an outburst of umted Erna. If the broken seal was left unattended, Erna would soon umte and begin producing monsters continuously again. In addition, Erna from other seals around the world would flow into the broken seal restarting the eruption. There was no time to waste. If I was going to reseal it, it had to be done immediately.

    ��Can ?? ��Me�� perform the resealing?��

    ��It''s possible.����You knew this would happen, didn''t you, ��Me��?��

    ��Of course. That''s why I made you believe you could always reseal it without any risk.��

    I had always thought that resealing was a straightforward task without any risks, and that was because ??��Me�� made me believe so.

    ��Is it okay?��

    ��I''m prepared. It''s about time for me?? to disappear. The remaining ��Me�� aren''t as kind as ??me, so be careful.��

    I closed my eyes. Reflecting on it, ��Me��?? had always toyed with me and had fun at my expense. But I didn''t dislike it.

    ��Release, my soul. The mirage left behind in the sands of time, manifest here and now.��

    My voice ovepped with that of a middle-aged magician. I invoked the magic, speaking strongly to my inner self.

    ��I desire the mad archmage who lit a light of hope in a world filled with despair, his name is����

    An old name. I recited the nostalgic name loudly.

    ��Suzina! ??[Samsara Recursion]!��

    My body was enveloped in light. My unique magic, [Samsara Recursion]??, activated.

    When the light subsided, my body had transformed into a figure befitting a magician, d in a robe and holding a ceremonial staff adorned with earth, fire, wind, and water magic stones. My long white hair was held back with a silver jewel-encrusted hair ornament, transforming into the appearance of a man in his mid-thirties.

    Only Suzina could perform the resealing. And in this situation, the only way to call upon Suzina was to call him unto a separated soul. Suzina knew that it woulde to this.

    ��I should say this at least once. I liked you, Cyril. You''re interesting, a good person, and a bit like me.��

    I hadn''t expected to be praised by Suzina.

    ��I''m starting the resealing now.��

    Suzina spoke and raised his staff, amplifying his magical power. But then��

    ��Dad!��

    A girl rushed in. A beautiful girl with golden hair. The only one in the world with the [Jade Eyes]??, that mark her as a High Elf.

    ��So she was alive after all.

    ��It''s been a while, Ashno.��

    Ashno hugged Suzina and burst into tears.

    ��I''ve always wanted to see you, Dad.��

    ��I wanted to see you too, Ashno. I''ve always been worried about you.��

    ��That''s a lie. You''ve been running away.��

    ��It was for you, Ashno. You needed to be independent. If we met, you''d expect a next time. I''m already dead, after all.��

    ��But you came back like this.��

    ��Yes, I am grateful to the gods that I could hold you like this,��

    Suzina gently stroked Ashno''s head, smiling warmly. It was a beautiful smile, one of a father full of love for his daughter.

    ��But there''s no time left. In less than three minutes, I will be gone. No reincarnation, no continuation. A true end. Last time, I could say we''d meet again, but there won''t be a next time.��

    At Suzina''s words, Ashno''s expression turned sorrowful, as if she was about to cry.

    ��Dad, isn''t there anything we can do?��

    ��There''s nothing that can be done.��

    Suzina asserted firmly. Then, Suzina and Ashno looked at each other and nodded.

    ��Dad, I''ll help.��

    ��Thank you, Ashno.��

    ��My final act of filial piety. I couldn''t do it alone, but together with you, we can do anything.��

    ��Yes, there''s nothing we as a family can''t do.��

    The magical power of Suzina and Ashno surged. The magic they wove was breathtaking. The ultimate in magical theory. Extremeputation speed, supreme configuration. I was captivated. It was a realm I couldn''t reach in my current state. Theirbined magicpleted, sessfully re-sealing Erna.

    Suzina''s form started to blur. It was the prelude to the soul''s dissolution.

    ��Thest magic. I enjoyed doing it together with you, Ashno. You''ve really improved.��

    ��Well, I''ve grown, haven''t I?��

    ��Yes, I''m happy to see my daughter''s growth.��

    Suzina''s voice began to fade.

    ��I''m reaching my limit, Ashno. Can I ask two things of you?��

    ��Anything for you, Dad.��

    ��First, help the current me. He''s still inexperienced and needs guidance.��

    ��Understood.��

    ��Second, be happy.��

    As Suzina finished speaking, his form shattered and I returned to my normal appearance.

    ��You could at least have waited to hear my reply����

    Ashno, looking at me, smiled through her tears and said those words.

 Vol 05 Chapter 24-1: The End of the Battle

    <strong>Vol 05 Chapter 24-1: The End of the Battle</strong>

    ��What is that monster!? Aahh, it''s insane! What have I been fighting against!?��

    In the dimly lit forest, Duke Voldeck was running, leading a small group of his subordinates. He no longer had the will to fight. His sole focus was on escape. He had ordered his subordinates to destroy the seal and had nned to watch from a distance as Erucy was overrun by monsters. But suddenly, a gigantic dragon appeared, sweeping away everything, even the mountains.

    After that, a storm of light and mes exploded, annihting every single monster, until the seemingly endless spawning monsters ceased to appear.

    Voldeck��s thoughts raced. There was no doubt about it, it was him, the leader of the elf vige had done it. He had thought him to be like a demon, but he never imagined he would be an actual demon. He needed to flee, or he would be killed.

    ��Where do you think you''re going?��

    In front of Voldeck, a beautiful girl with golden hair blocked his path. Her emerald eyes shone brightly. On the surface, she wore a calm face, but beneath it, Voldeck could sense bottomless anger.

    ��Ashno-sama! You are safe! We must flee quickly. Erucy has a monster that�� aahhh, it hurts!!��

    Voldeck crouched down, clutching his ear. Blood flowed from his hand, which was pressed against his ear. Ashno had cut off his ear with a wind de made of her magic power.��Voldeck, you know, don''t you? I have spent most of my life protecting the seal. By breaking it, you''ve made me your enemy, but did you do it knowing the consequences? I did warn you, thought.��

    ��Ah, aaahh, no, it''s not�� like that.��

    ��I was too naive. I never truly believed you would break the seal�� No, that''s not it. I thought you might do it, but I procrastinated. I should have killed you from the beginning.��

    ��What are you����

    Voldeck, without attempting to stand up, desperately tried to crawl away. But it was far toote. His subordinates didn''t even try to protect him. They knew how futile it was to oppose Ashno.

    ��I didn��t want to end the war, I hated the idea of making the bet void and not being able to see Dad again. I wascent, thinking that as long as we won, the seal wouldn''t be broken. Because of my stupidity, the seal was broken, and I lost Dad.��

    Voldeck, with tears streaming down his face, tried to put distance between himself and Ashno. The overwhelming aura of killing intent from Ashno made it clear what was about to happen.

    ��Please, help, forgive me.��

    ��That''s why, at least, I must end this properly with my own hands. You must die. Half of it is just taking out my anger. I''m sorry.��

    An invisible de of wind swung. Voldeck''s head was severed, rolling to the feet of his subordinates.

    ��Ah!��

    Voldeck''s subordinates screamed.

    ��You were Voldeck''s subordinates, right? Take his head back and report his death to the Empire. Also, I��ll have you ry a message. From now on, I��m siding with Erucy.��

    Hearing Ashno''s words, the faces of Voldeck''s subordinates turned pale.

    After all, in addition to the unidentified monstrous being, Ashno, the strongest hero in the world surpassing even the Empire��s Hero, had be their enemy. For the Empire, there could be no worse nightmare.1

    ��Wait, please. Ashno-sama, are you abandoning the Empire?��

    ��Abandon? I was only in the Empire because it was convenient for maintaining the seal. With things like this, there''s no reason for me to stay there�� Besides, Dad asked me to take care of ��him��.��

    With those final words, Ashno disappeared into the darkness. Voldeck''s subordinates stood frozen on the spot and eventually, cradling Voldeck''s head, began to trudge towards the Empire with heavy steps.

    ��

    ��Wee back, Cyril.��

    ��Wee home, Cyril-kun.��

    ��I''m back, Lucy, Kuu.��

    I dragged my battered body back to Erucy. The moment I arrived in Erucy, like a taut string snapping, I copsed forward. Lucy caught me and held me in her embrace.

    ��I''m d you''re safe, Cyril.��

    I heard Lucy''s relieved voice. I smiled in Lucy''s embrace. She was the same Lucy as always. Even knowing that I was a monster, she treated me the same as always.

    ��Cyril-kun, let''s go home quickly. The flow of your magic is irregr, and yourplexion is terrible. Aren''t you barely maintaining consciousness?��

    Then Kuu looked into my face with a worried expression.

    ��Yes, I pushed myself a bit too much.��

    Using [Samsara Recursion] repeatedly at the cost of sacrificing many ��Me��s��. After doing all that, it was impossible to remain unscathed. My magic circuits were overloaded and partly burnt out, and my soul was screaming in pain. I was hardly able to use any magic properly now.

    ��Then let''s go quickly, Cyril.��

    Lucy offered her shoulder to help me to our home.

    ��No, the battle isn''t over yet. I have to takemand����

    That''s right, the war wasn''t over. Though Ashno''s defeat had caused a temporary retreat, the enemy was still nearby. I couldn''t copse until the fight waspletely finished.

    ��It''s okay. You defeated the person who hadplete control over mana, right? Mana can be used normally now. We can take care of the rest ourselves. After all, you''ve taught us a lot about fighting.��

    ��Yes. No matter how numerous the enemy, if the elves and fire foxesbine their strength, we can manage.��

    Their words were reassuring, but I couldn''t rely on them. As I contemted this, a breeze caressed my cheek.

    ��This war is over. We have lost. After seeing the spectacle of the monsters being mowed down, all the imperial soldiers have started fleeing.��

    Ashno descended from the sky. The surrounding elves immediately aimed their crossbows at her.

    ��Everyone, hold on, let''s talk first.��

    I signaled the elves to lower their crossbows.

    ��Ashno, you said the war is over, but I can''t be sure if your words are true. It might be a trap to catch us off guard.��

    [1. TL Note: The first hero is eiyuu, and the second one is yuusha. As you probably know already, the two words can be tranted as hero in English, but have different connotations. The meaning of the two terms changes depending on the lore of the novel, but usually, eiyuu could be tranted as military hero, while yuusha would be more of a Chosen One.]

 Vol 05 Chapter 24-2: The End of the Battle

    Vol 05 Chapter 24-2: The End of the Battle

    <strong>Vol 05 Chapter 24-2: The End of the Battle</strong>

    ��Why would I do such a thing? You have exhausted your power destroying the monsters and reconstructing the seal. ording to my estimate, it will take at least a week before you can properly use magic again. If I wanted, I could kill everyone here by myself.��

    Ashno spoke as if it were a trivial matter. And it was the truth.

    ��But I won''t do that. It was my mistake that the seal was broken. Because of that, you had to sacrifice so much. I can''t exploit that. Besides, I lost the war and in our one-on-one duel. I won''t disgrace myself further. I ept my defeat.��

    ��Can I trust your word?��

    ��Yes. I killed Voldeck and told his subordinates that I''m siding with Erucy. After witnessing your power while destroying the monsters, with Duke Voldeck dead, and me as an enemy, there is no one in the Empire who would dare to continue to fight.��

    Given Ashno''s character, it was unlikely she was lying.

    ��What do you intend to do now?��

    ��It''s my responsibility that you are so beaten up and that the seal was broken. So, until you recover, I will protect Erucy in case of any unforeseen circumstances. If possible, I would appreciate it if you could prepare a ce for me to sleep within Erucy.��Everyone around us began to murmur restlessly. It was a natural reaction to such a request.

    ��Understood. We''ll prepare a ce for you to sleep.��

    ��Cyril, can we trust her?��

    ��Yes, it''s okay. We can trust her.��

    Ashno surely couldn''t break the promise she had made with Suzina.

    ��Ashno, let''s have a proper talkter. I want to know more about Suzina.��

    ��Alright. I also want to learn about you. And I need to update you about the status of the other seals.��

    I shook hands with Ashno. With this, the war was over. We had won. But there was one more task that needed to be concluded. I signaled Lucy with my eyes, asking her to step back, and stood up alone. I was still unsteady, but I gathered my strength.

    ��People of Erucy, listen! We have won this battle! The threat to Erucy is now gone!��

    Probably, the Empire would not attack Erucy again. They had invested so many of their troops and still hadn''t won; with Ashno on our side now, they would have no chance in any future conflicts. Everyone''s faces rxed with relief.

    ��And now, I have a confession to make. Many of you might already know this. I am a monster. I have the power to reincarnate and transform into my past selves. The dragon that blew away the mountain was me.��

    Everyone gasped. Those who were in the southern area had seen me transform and fly off. It was no longer possible to hide it. So, the only option left was to be honest.

    ��If you''re afraid of me, please tell me. Erucy can now survive without me. If necessary, I''ll leave.��

    I felt bad for Lucy and Kuu. In the worst-case scenario, I had even considered leaving Erucy, taking only the two of them with me.

    However, the moment I said that, a small shadow leaped towards me.

    ��Yukino doesn''t want Cyril-niisama to leave,��

    ��Kuro also wants Cyril-niisama to stay.��

    ��That''s right. I can''t stand the thought of Cyril-niisama not being here, and I won''t allow you to leave Kuu-neesama behind!��

    It was the three fire foxes who had grown attached to me�� Yukino, Kurone, and Kemin. They all clung to me, gripping my body tightly as if to say they would never let go.

    ��Hey, leader, so what if you are a monster? We already knew that. What''s the big deal about being able to transform?��

    ��Cyril-sama is what makes Erucy. This Kurao won''t ept an Erucy without Cyril-sama! If Cyril-sama leaves, I will apany you!��

    Roleau, who leads the elite unit, and Kurao, the acting vige chief, spoke their opinions while smiling. Thinking about it now, I have been greatly helped by these two.

    ��It''s not just us, everyone here feels the same! Everyone here is grateful to leader, and there''s not a single person who wants you to leave.��

    As Roleau shouted, everyone around nodded in agreement. Then, one after another, they pleaded with me not to leave. So, the things I had done up to now weren''t mistakes. I had truly been cherished by the people of Erucy.

    ��Cyril-kun, it''s irresponsible to say you''ll leave if everyone is scared.��

    ��That''s right. Cyril, you created the country of Erucy, so you have to take care of it until the end.��

    Lucy and Kuu teased me in a yful tone.

    ��Anyway, Cyril, what about you? If everyone had said they were scared, were you really going to leave? Is Erucy of so little importance to you?��

    Lucy''s words made my eyes widen in realization. Ah, that''s right. It was that simple.

    ��You are right, I love Erucy and everyone here. I want to stay here forever. Even if those around me say they want me to leave, I want to remain. There was never a choice to begin with.��

    The moment I said that,ughter filled the air around us. Amidst it, Kuu spoke up.

    ��Hey, Cyril-kun, I remember once asking you if you could have been more sessful and lived a luxurious life in Erin or the Empire if you were alone. Do you remember what you answered after agreeing with me?��

    I thought for a moment but couldn''t recall. I must have answered without thinking at that time.

    ��Sorry, Kuu. I don''t remember.��

    ��Then, let me tell you. Cyril-kun, you said this�� ��I am happy now. I have two lovely wives, good friends around me, delicious food, and canugh freely. I don''t wish for anything more.''��

    ��You remembered that well.��

    ��Yes, I came to love you even more after hearing those words. ��Is Erucy such a ce for you now?��

    There was no need to ponder. Yes, I already knew the answer.

    ��Yes, this is such a ce. It''s my ideal country.��

    I smiled. Yes, this is the ce (country) I wanted to create.

    ��Feeling relieved, I''ve be sleepy. Sorry, everyone, I''ll leave the rest to you.��

    And with a peaceful heart, I closed my eyes. As I drifted into sleep, the smiling faces of Lucy and Kuu filled my vision. It looked like I would have a good dream tonight.

 Vol 05 Epilogue-1: From Elf Reincarnation to Cheat Kingdom Founding Chronicle

    <strong>Vol 05 Epilogue-1: From Elf Reincarnation to Cheat Kingdom Founding Chronicle</strong>

    Several months had passed since the war with the Empire ended.

    ��Yukino, increase the firepower a bit more.��

    ��Like this, Cyril-niisama?��

    ��Stronger!��

    ��Understood, Yukino will do her best!��

    I was swinging the hammer in the newly established forge. I was forging a sword. Each time I brought the hammer down, sparks flew.

    With each swing, I imbued magic into the de. This was a magic technique modeled after the unique magic used by the dwarf Kuiro. While I couldn''t do it as skillfully as Kuiro, the swords I crafted were more than ordinary; they were bing true magic swords.

    ��Finally, it''s done.��

    ��How is it, Cyril-niisama?��

    ��It''s still not quite there.��

    I gazed at the twelve magic swords leaning against the wall, murmuring to myself. All these magic swords, resting against the wall, were summoned by Kuiro during thest ��Samsara Recursion��.

    Normally, the material summoned through ��Samsara Recursion�� would vanish after canceling the magic, but for some reason, these remained. It might have been due to the abnormal amount of magical power coursing through my body at that time, thanks to the power of the vampire Gramdeal.

    But I believe that these swords remained here because Kuiro wanted to entrust them to me. He said something in his final moments.

    ��Can a youngster like you create a sword of this caliber?��

    Surely, Kuiro left these as examples for me.

    ��Even though Cyril-niisama''s sword is so amazing����

    Yukino said, tilting her head while holding one of my forged magic swords. The magic sword gleamed dully. It was a sword imbued with an enchantment to strengthen shing attacks. Indeed, it was a fine sword.

    ��I think it''s a good sword. But I have to catch up with the maker of these. That''s why I��m not happy with my skills yet.��

    I picked up one of the swords Kuiro had left behind. In the presence of this sword, mine seemed insignificant. That''s exactly why it was worth striving for.

    ��Yukino will work hard too!��

    ��Yes, I''m counting on you.��

    I smiled at Yukino and stroked her head. Indeed, Kuiro''s existence had vanished, but his knowledge and techniques remained in my mind. Moreover, having experienced being Kuiro, my body distinctly remembered his movements.

    With the help of Yukino''s power over fire, I was slowly able to mimic Kuiro��s abilities to some extent. But it was still far off. Eventually, I will surpass Kuiro. Not just Kuiro, but Gramdeal, Deet, and Suzina as well �C I can''t let the proof of their existence disappear.

    ��Cyril-niisama, now that the sword is finished, teach Yukino cksmithing!��

    ��Ah, sure. I made a lot of progress thanks to you, after all.��

    Yukino''s eyes sparkled as she urged me on. I couldn''t produce the mes needed to forge a magic sword on my own, so I had been relying on Yukino''s power. In exchange, I promised to teach her my techniques. Yukino was talented; one day, she would surely be a fine cksmith on her own.

    ��But before that�� I have something I need to tell you. Thank you for using the pendant properly.��

    ��Yukino promised Cyril-niisama that she would use it when it was really necessary.��

    Yukino touched the ne, a hint of sadness in her expression. The ce where a gem had been was now empty. The gem in that ne was a one-time use magical medium formunication, and it broke upon use. Yukino had sacrificed this treasured ne for the sake of everyone in Erucy.

    ��To reward such a noble Yukino, I want to give you a new present. What would you like?��

    ��Yukino wants Cyril-niisama bab-�� no, Yukino wants a ring. One that won''t ever break this time.��

    Yukino said this with a smile, a tinge of sadness mixed in.

    ��Alright. I''ll make one and give it to you soon.��

    ��Yukino will treasure it forever, Cyril-niisama.��

    Yukino jumped into my arms and hugged me.

    ��Then, shall we start the cksmithing lesson?��

    ��Yes!��

    I was d to see Yukino so happy.

    I have to create a wonderful ring. I began preparing to teach Yukino cksmithing, but then I heard a knock at the door.

    ��Cyril-niisama, Kuu-neesama and Lucy-sama are calling for you!��

    ��It''s already time for your appointment. Please hurry.��

    Opening the door, I found the yellow fire fox Kemin and the ck fire fox Kurone. They hade to fetch me.

    ��Ah, that''s right, it was today. Yukino, I''ll teach you cksmithing another time.��

    I murmured while stroking Yukino''s head.

    ��Understood. Cyril-niisama, you promised. You must teach Yukino when you return.��

    ��Yes, I promise.��

    Leaving those words behind, I left the forge. Looking back, I saw Yukino waving at me enthusiastically.

    ��

    ��Good day, Cyril-sama.��

    ��Have you gotten used to life here?��

    ��Yes, Erucy is veryfortable to live in.��

    On my way to the gate leading to Erin, I was greeted by a man carrying a hoe. It was Johann, the chief of the Kobold tribe. He and several others had moved to Erucy from Bell Erucy. For now, they were just a few, but gradually, Erucy was starting to wee not only elves and fire foxes but other races as well. It was the first step for Erucy to be a nation where various races could coexist without discrimination.

    ��That''s good to hear. Keep up the good work.��

    ��Yes! You kindly invited us here. I will strive to meet your expectations!��

    Johann, chief of the Kobold tribe, cheerfully replied and, shouldering his hoe, ran off towards the fields, blending in with the Elves. Erucy would soon wee an increase in poption bing more vibrant in the days toe.

 Vol 05 Epilogue-2: From Elf Reincarnation to Cheat Kingdom Founding Chronicle

    <strong>Vol 05 Epilogue-2: From Elf Reincarnation to Cheat Kingdom Founding Chronicle</strong>

    ��Cyril, you''rete.��

    ��Yes, Azul-san is already here.��

    ��Sorry, I just wanted to finish the sword I was working on today.��

    As soon as I arrived at the gate leading to Erin, Lucy and Kuu, who hade to see me off, spoke up. I was about to leave with Azul and her retinue for the capital of the Choline Kingdom. I should havee with some time to spare, but I didn''t want to leave Erucy with the magic sword unfinished, so I worked until thest minute, and thankfully, the magic sword waspleted.

    ��Look, Raina, Papa hase.��

    Kuu spoke to the baby she was holding in her arms. Then, the child stretched out his hands towards me. He was one of the twins whom Kuu had given birth to, a boy with golden hair and fox ears just like Kuu. I reached out to him, and his tiny hand grasped my finger. An overwhelming sense of affection surged through me. For some reason, Lucy, standing beside us, started to panic.

    ��Uh-oh, waaaahhh.��

    Suddenly, the baby in Lucy''s arms began to cry.The other twin, a girl, also had golden hair and fox ears, just like her brother.

    ��Because Cyril only paid attention to Raina-kun, Sora-chan got upset.��

    ��Ah, sorry about that.��

    Lucy approached with Sora, so I extended my open left hand towards her. Sora stopped crying, then smiled and grabbed my finger.

    ��Cyril-kun, you''ve be such a good father.��

    ��Yes, Cyril is really adored by these kids.��

    I let the two children y with my fingers as they wished. A natural smile spread across my face.

    ��I also want to give birth soon.��

    ��That''s right, it''s only about half a year away now, isn''t it?��

    ��Yes, I''m excited. Cyril is thinking of names for the baby.��

    Lucy beamed with a full smile. Indeed, Lucy was also pregnant. Soon, our third child would be born.

    ��Ah, Raina and Sora have fallen asleep.��

    ��They really are adorable, even in their sleep. Both take more after Kuu. They''re truly cute.��

    The two children slept soundly, feeling safe and secure. I gently withdrew my hand, careful not to wake them.

    ��Well then, I''ll be going.��

    ��Take care, Cyril.��

    ��Pleasee back as soon as possible, Cyril-kun.��

    ��Of course, that''s the n. My beautiful wives and children are waiting for me, after all.��

    I kissed Lucy and Kuu goodbye, and then, watched by the two, no, the four of them, I stepped out of Erucy. Outside, I was expected to meet Azul, the mayor of Erin, and her attendant Jii.

    ��

    Once outside, I was scolded by Azul and Jii for beingte as I boarded the carriage. The carriage, with me inside, passed through Erin and reached the capital of the Choline Kingdom. In the capital, representatives of several friendly nations were reunited in a conference. The goal of the conference was the formation of an alliance.

    Previously, Erucy had been recognized as an independent country in a letter issued by the Choline Kingdom, but I had never had the opportunity to speak directly with representatives of other nations. Azul thought this gathering would be a perfect opportunity and invited me.

    ��

    The conference began in a room in the royal castle. Representatives of each country stood up one by one, dered their intent to participate in the alliance, and sat down once they had finished. The presence of national representatives, not just diplomats, highlighted the importance of this meeting. Surprisingly, Ashno was among them. After my wounds had healed, she had suddenly disappeared. I never expected to meet her here. After some time, my turn arrived.

    ��Nice to meet you. I am Cyril Erucy, the representative of Erucy.��

    In this era, only the nobility had surnames. It was considered unseemly not to have one in such a setting, so I adopted Erucy as my family name. Hence, I introduced myself as Cyril Erucy. It seemed the most fitting name for me.

    ��I am grateful to be invited here. Erucy wishes to join this alliance, aiming for coexistence and mutual prosperity.��

    Murmurs arose from the representatives of various countries, likely having heard rumors about Erucy. It was a miracle nation that, despite being a small vige, it had defeated the Empire. It was also known for having a monster that had wiped out the overflowing monsters after the Erna��s seal was broken and for having a legendary-level magician capable of repairing that seal.

    ��Those in favor of Erucy joining the alliance, please apud.��

    At the Choline King''s prompt, all attendees pped. I allowed myself a slight smile. With this, Erucy was fully recognized as an independent nation and had gained the backing of powerful countries. It was time to focus. I had another important task at hand.

    ��Thank you for weing us. I��m sorry for the abruptness, but I would like to make a proposal for the sake of world peace. It concerns the Seal of the Erna, originally ced by the great sorcerer Suzina. The reason this proposal is necessary is that the seal is soon to breakpletely.��

    My abrupt announcement stunned everyone except Ashno. After the initial shock passed, voices of doubt began to emerge.

    ��What this person is saying is true. I vouch for it.��

    Ashno''s words convinced everyone to believe me. As expected of the hero who had protected the seal for five hundred years. Everyone urged me to continue.

    ��To prevent damage when the seal is broken, I''ll suggest what we should do. The cooperation of all the nations present here is necessary, but it''s not impossible. Please, lend your strength.��

    I began to talk about the seal. During Ashno''s time in Erucy,bining the knowledge left by Suzina and Ashno''s experience, Ashno and I had discussed what to do about the seal in the future. I shared these conclusions with the assembly.

    To protect the hard-earned peace, a new battle was beginning. I would continue to protect and nurture Erucy, the country I love and have built with mypanions. There was a mountain of tasks ahead, but this challenge filled me with indescribable happiness.

 Nocturne Extra Vol 02 Chapter 4.5-1 Flirting with a Beautiful Elf Childhood Friend

    <strong>Nocturne Extra Vol 02 Chapter 4.5-1 Flirting with a Beautiful Elf Childhood Friend</strong>

    Lucy, my childhood friend who I lived with, had a strong sexual desire. She was a cute and petite blonde beautiful elf girl who usually acted prim and proper, but when the middle of the night came and she thought I was asleep, she started masturbating.

    Of course, I noticed, and today she was masturbating as always.

    ��Cyril! Cyril!��

    Lucy called my name while making wet noises. She tried to do it quietly, but she wasn��t very sessful at keeping her voice from being heard. I��d always pretended not to notice, but I had reached my limit. Every night, the girl I loved would masturbate by my side while calling my name. I wouldn��t be able to call myself a man if I didn��t do something.

    Gently, without making a sound, I slipped out of my futon and approached Lucy��s side. She was so engrossed in her act that she didn��t notice my approach.

    ����Nn, ah��nmph, ah, no��nnn��

    Lucy was stirring the inside of her vagina with her fingers with abandon, her voice was sultry, exciting me. I had never seen Lucy like this before. The contrast between thescivious Lucy before me and the usual Lucy, so prim and proper, who didn��t seem to have any interest in sex, fascinated me.

    Burying her face in the pillow to keep her voice down, shey on her stomach, her hips lifted. I couldn��t see her body, but the skin of her neck that peeked from the covers was flushed and trembling from the pleasure.��Ahhh�� I shouldn��t do this. At this rate Cyril will find out. But�� a little more����

    Suddenly her movements became more intense.

    ��Nnn, nmph�� ah, it feels so good. Nn, ah�� just a little more.��

    It seemed that Lucy was on the verge of an orgasm. I pulled off the covers and exposed her in one smooth motion. Her upper body was covered by her pajamas, but her lower body waspletely exposed. Her secret ce, covered only by a few wispy hairs, was glistening with her love juices. Lucy��s pussy, which had never known a man before, was tightly closed, making for an even more suggestive image. I swallowed hard.

    ��Cy- Cyril!?��

    With a jerking motion, Lucy abruptly lifted her face from the pillow, then, like a badly oiled machine, slowly rolled from her stomach to her back.

    ��Good morning Lucy, You were calling my name, so I came to see if you needed anything.��

    ��Wha- what? Cy- Cyril, this is not what you��re thinking, this definitely is not what you��re thinking, I wasn��t doing anything, anything at all!��

    Lucy��s face was red as a tomato, she was repeating incoherent excuses, iling her arms while forgetting to cover her naked lower half. She was in aplete panic. Ignoring her ramblings, I closed the distance until I covered Lucy��s body with mine, putting my right leg between hers to prevent her from closing them.

    ��You don��t need to feel embarrassed about doing it. We��re in our teens, it��s normal to feel horny now and then.��

    ��No! You��re wrong! I��m not naughty, I��m not that kind of girl! It just happened. I just happened to want to try it.��

    ��You just want to try it at least twice a week, right?��

    ��What!?��

    After hearing my words, Lucy��s already red face turned even more crimson.

    ��I noticed. But I kept quiet because I didn��t want to embarrass you.��

    ��Ugh, You��re terrible. Why didn��t you stop me? I wish you would have stopped me the first time, or at least pretended not to notice until the end.��

    Lucy was certainly right. That was my intention at first. But I couldn��t endure it anymore.

    ��Lucy, you haven��t cum yet, right? I��ll help you finish.��

    ��We can��t! Grandma said that we can��t have sex until we get married.��

    ��Don��t worry, we won��t do anything sexual, I��ll just help you masturbate.��

    ��You��ll help me masturbate?��

    ��Yes, there''s no sex involved, we''re just going to help each other masturbate, so we''re not going against Grandma''s teachings.��

    I gave Lucy my best smile and caressed her head, at the same time I used the leg I had between her legs to brush her pussy.

    ��You''re upset after being stopped just before you came, right? Don''t worry, I''ll make you feel good��

    I slipped my right hand under her clothes and ced it on Lucy��s petite breast, I began to caress it gently while stroking her nipple. Her breasts were about C cup size, a littlerger than the palm of my hand, firm and soft at the same time, with a beautiful color, they were perfect to arouse my more base instincts. My left hand reached up to Lucy��s pussy and slowly inserted my middle finger inside. Lucy��s pussy was incredibly hot inside, and probably because she was masturbating earlier, it waspletely soaked. Despite this, she was squeezing my finger really hard, every time I moved my finger, moans came out of Lucy��s mouth.

    ��Are you sure this isn��t sex? Won��t Grandma get mad?��

    Eyes filled with lust, Lucy had lost the ability to think clearly.

    ��Yes, don��t worry, this isn��t sex, you��re just using me to help you masturbate like you always do. It��s not naughty at all.��

    ��If you say so, then I won��t worry. Make me feel good Cyril, I always feel a tingle down there when I sleep near you, I always wanted to be one with you.��

    While saying this, Lucy put her arms around my neck. While caressing her breast and pussy, I slowly closed my head to Lucy��s and kissed her. Usually we just touch lips, but this time I inserted my tongue in full force.

    ��N-mmm chu, n-��

    Mine and Lucy''s tongues intertwined. Taking advantage of Lucy��s moans, I searched and teased her erogenous zones. Her breast, her pussy, her tongue, I searched everywhere for Lucy��s weak spots and gradually increased the precision of my caresses.

    ��N-chupa.��

    It became difficult to breathe, so we stopped kissing for a moment. Our tongues were connected by a bridge of saliva.

    ��Does it feel good, Lucy?��

    ��Yes�� It��s incredible�� this is the first time I��ve felt this good. It feels much better than when I do it myself.��

    Lucy responded in gasps as my fingers caressed her.

    ��I��m d you like it because I��m going to make you feel even better.��

 Nocturne Extra Vol 02 Chapter 4.5-2 Flirting with a Beautiful Elf Childhood Friend

    Nocturne Extra Vol 02 Chapter 4.5-2 Flirting with a Beautiful Elf Childhood Friend

    <strong>Nocturne Extra Vol 02 Chapter 4.5-2 Flirting with a Beautiful Elf Childhood Friend</strong>

    So far, I had been caressing her very gently because I was still searching for her erogenous zones, but seeing how excited she was, I could probably intensify my caresses a little more. The top of her pajamas was in the way, so I took them off, letting me see Lucy��s perky breasts and beautiful skin in all its glory. Lucy was a little surprised at first, but soon epted her nakedness with a smile. I began to put more strength in my caresses, increasing Lucy��s pleasure.

    ��Aaaahh!! Something is wrong with me�� I can��t stop my voice froming out!��

    Lucy voice became louder and louder as I increased my teasing of Lucy��s weak spots.

    ��There is only you and me here, you can be as loud as you want.��

    ��No�� no way, that��s embarrassing! So please. Aaah!��

    The sight of Lucy trying to stop herself from moaning was so cute that I couldn��t stop myself. I started by kissing her lips, then began licking her cheeks until I reached my destination, the long ears characteristic of all elves, and began biting them sweetly.

    ��Not my ears, Cyril! That tickles! Aaaah!��

    I ignored Lucy''s protests and continued to y with her ears, they were so soft and cute it made me really happy to be able to do this. After I had my fill of Lucy''s ears, I began to work my way down, licking my way to her neck, her corbone, and finally, to the breast I wasn''t fondling, where I focused on her nipple and bit it sweetly.��St- stop Cyril, you��re not a baby.��

    ��I am not a baby, but sucking a beautiful girl''s breast is every man''s dream. Besides, no baby sucks a breast in such a dirty way, right?��

    I was sweetly biting the nipple with my teeth while caressing the tip with my tongue, to change things up a bit, sometimes I bit it with a little more force producing a small amount of pain.

    ��Hyauu aaahh!��

    After letting out a loud voice, Lucy pulled back a little. She was on the verge of an orgasm. After seeing this, I concentrated on the hand caressing her pussy and increased the intensity of my caresses. Normally, that much intensity would only cause pain, but in the state of arousal Lucy was in, it was the perfect rhythm. Her soaked pussy made wet noises as I stroked it, making Lucy even more embarrassed, which in turn increased her pleasure.

    ��My insides are being stirred by your fingers! I��m going to go crazy! Ummm, hyauu, aaahh!��

    Unable to control herself, Lucy began to moan loudly, no longer caring about appearances.

    ��You��re so cute Lucy, you don��t have to worry about anything, just cum freely.��

    Since some time ago, the inside of her vagina was convulsing violently, trying to suck my fingers deeper and deeper.

    ��Hi, nku��aaaan, hin, ah, so intense, n, ah, aaan!��

    Lucy had reached her limit. A little more and she would have the biggest orgasm of her life. Lucy��s clitoris was still protected by its skin, I peeled it off and gently flicked it with my finger.

    ��Aaaaahhh�� I��m nking out! This is strange, I haven��t felt like this in all my life! What is this�� Aaaaaaahhh!��

    Lucy screamed and her whole body convulsed. Then she lost all strength in her body, her eyes were hollow, and her body convulsed again. This was probably the greatest orgasm of her life.

    ��It seems like you were able to cum properly.��

    ��Yes, it was incredible, it was the first time I felt something like that.��

    ��Can you help me feel good too?��

    Saying this, I grabbed Lucy��s legs and forcefully closed them, I was particrly interested in getting her thighs as close together as possible.

    ��You don��t have to do anything. I��ll borrow your body for a little while to make myself feel good.��

    ��Eh? Eh? What? What are you going to do, Cyril?��

    Instead of answering, I just smiled and pushed my penis between her thighs. The feel of Lucy��s smooth thighs felt really good, then my penis brushed the entrance of Lucy��s pussy.

    ��Cyril, didn��t you promise me we wouldn��t have sex?��

    ��We��re not having sex yet. Look, I��m not prating you. I��m just stroking myself with the surface of your thighs and pussy. This is just masturbation with Lucy��s body. It��s not sex.��

    ��That��s right. You��re right. It��s not sex so it��s okay.��

    Lucy gave her approval, so I increased the speed of my hips. The feeling of stroking Lucy��s thighs and pussy with my penis was the best. Lucy��s love juice and my pre-cum mixed into a lotion that made stroking even easier. I was brushing against Lucy��s entrance and clitoris so she seemed to be enjoying this as well.

    ��Cyril, Cyril!��

    The half-hearted pleasure made Lucy even hornier. So I started stroking her clitoris harder as I pushed my penis against her pussy. Then Lucy started screaming again. Lucy was so cute today that my son was harder than iron, I would soon climax too.

    ��Lucy, I��m going to cum soon!��

    ��I��m cumming, are you going to cum soon too?!��

    ��Yeah, That��s why bear with me for a second.��

    As soon as I said that, I turned Lucy over, so she was on all fours. It was easier to shake your hips that way. Also, this pose made me feel like animals mating which excited me greatly, and the fact that this pose showed me Lucy��s cute butt hole was a nice bonus too.

    ��Lucy, remember to squeeze your thighs together.��

    ��Okay.��

    Lucy was on all fours, her thighs pressed together. I got behind her, grabbed Lucy��s slender waist, and mmed my hips against her bottom. My head felt hot, and I was so excited that I thought that I was going crazy. Something hot wasing up. On the verge of ejaction, I turned Lucy around again, put her on her back, and held her legs against my penis, stroking it. That was when I reached my limit.

    ��I��m sorry Lucy, I��m cumming.��

    My sperm flew with great momentum. The white sperm sprayed violently onto Lucy��s stomach. I felt extremely weak, it was the first time I had ejacted so hard, if you didn��t count my past lives. Unable to gather any strength, I copsed next to Lucy. After resting in a dazed stupor for a while, we looked to the side at the same time, our eyes met, and then weughed. Now, with our lust satiated and our heads clear, we began to feel a little embarrassed and a little funny. At that moment we could see that we both felt the same way.

    ��Thank you, Lucy. That was great.��

    ��That��s okay, it felt good for me too. By the way, I don��t mind if you don��t want to but�� If you want, we could help each other masturbate sometimes, like today.��

    ��I would love to, Lucy. In fact, I would like to ask you the same thing.��

    In this way, the two of us, who couldn��t have sex until we were married, started helping each other masturbate. There was no pration so it was okay, and we didn��t do it that often, once every two days at most. We also started to dabble in all kinds of ys that didn��t involve pration, but that was okay. If there is no pration, it is not sex.

 Nocturne Extra Vol 02 Chapter 9.5-1 How to Discipline a Gentle Fox Girl

    <strong>Nocturne Extra Vol 02 Chapter 9.5-1 How to Discipline a Gentle Fox Girl</strong>

    Upon hearing Kuu''s tearful confession, I held her back and confessed my own feelings for her, telling her that I loved her too. Of course, it couldn''t just end there.

    Kuu had entered my futon in her underwear. It would be unmanly not to respond to that. Moreover, Kuu was irresistibly attractive. Although she was slightly under 160cm tall with a slender figure, she had what appeared to be E-cup breasts and wide, child-bearing hips. Her well-shaped fox ears and fluffy tail were exceedingly cute too.

    ��Kuu, you should already know, but entering a man''s futon in your underwear like this, won��t end well for you.��

    I embraced her and shifted our position, from lying beside each other to lying on top of her. Her eyes moistened while blushing.

    ��Um, right now, my mind is all over the ce, and my heart is full. I haven��t sorted out my feelings yet, so it would be helpful if we could postpone this kind of thing. Plus, I haven''t even cleaned myself yet.��

    ��But, I''m in the mood to do it now. After finally hearing Kuu''s true feelings and understanding what��s in your heart, I want to know your body next.��

    I gently blew into Kuu''s ears, enjoying her startled reaction before slowly touching her body.

    ��I''d like to have some mood at least.��Kuu''s voice and body were trembling. It wasn''t that she disliked doing this sort of thing with me; she was probably just scared.

    ��Kuu, are you scared of me?��

    ��Cyril-kun isn''t scary. But, this is my first time with something like this.��

    ��Is that so? Then, Kuu. Are you still scared after this?��

    I firmly grasped Kuu''s hand and gently kissed her. I could feel Kuu''s warmth and scent through the kiss.

    ��I''m a little less scared now.��

    ��Kuu is a good girl, after all.��

    While stroking her head with my right hand, I gently and rhythmically tapped the base of her tail with my left hand. Kuu then let out a heated breath.

    ��Hyau, somehow the way you''re tapping my tail feels naughty.��

    ��Is that so? I''m just cuddling with you.��

    I blew gently into her fox ears, and this time, I stroked her entire tail with varying pressure. Since fire foxes seem to have sensitive tails, I''ll take the opportunity to ease her a little.

    ��Still, your touch�� it''s naughty, something''s odd, this, this is strange.��

    ��Kuu, have you realized that you''ve been making suggestive noises since a while ago? I''m just petting your tail, not doing anything naughty, it seems that you��re prettyscivious.��

    ��No, that''s not true, I''m not like that, I wouldn''t make such�� kyau!��

    When I squeezed her gently stroked tail with more force, Kuu let out an especially high-pitched voice.

    ��That was just because it hurt. Female fire foxes have sensitive tails.��

    ��So, you aren��t feeling naughty at all?��

    ��That''s right. I''m not that kind of naughty girl.��

    ��Hmm, really? Then, what about this?��

    Saying that, I slid my hand inside her shorts-like underwear, tracing Kuu''s intimate area with my finger. The well-developed Kuu was different from Lucy; she had a faint but definite bush of hair, and as I traced the surface, I could feel the sensation of the hairs. Kuu''s secret ce was tightly closed, warm, and wet. I inserted my finger shallowly, scooping up her love juice.

    ��Look, your pussy is soaking wet.��

    Showing her the fluids that flowed from her, Kuu turned her face bright red and looked away.

    ��Are you really not feeling it?��

    ��Uh-uh, I''m not feeling it.��

    Kuu was stubborn. Well, there was no helping it then. I slid down Kuu''s shorts, exposing her intimate area, and then thrust my finger deeply into her. It was so wet, that it made a lewd squelching sound.

    ��Cy- Cyril-kun.��

    ��I want you to realize how naughty you are.��

    I continued to stir inside Kuu''s vagina with my finger.

    ��Ah, ahn, Cyril-kun, hah, ahn.��

    As I moved my fingers, Kuu let out moans in response.

    Taking advantage of Kuu being preupied with the new sensations she was feeling down there, I slid up her tank top-like underwear, revealing herrge, white breasts. Her breasts swayed in rhythm with my finger movements, which I found incredibly fun. I couldn''t resist burying my face into her breasts, nibbling on her cherry-colored nipples. It was incrediblyforting. Breasts are indeed wonderful.

    ��Cyril-kun, ah, don''t y with my, breasts, like that����

    Kuu protested amidst her moans as I yed with her, but I ignored her pleas. How could I resist when such a temptation wasid before me? Ivished her breasts, sucking and kneading them, thoroughly enjoying Kuu''s assets.

    I didn''t neglect to tease her pussy either. Gradually, I learned the spots that made Kuu feel good and kept increasing her pleasure.

    ��Hah�� ah, it feels good�� Cyril-kun, your rugged fingers are rubbing my sensitive spot����

    Kuu twisted her body, her face flushed red. Her moans grew more intense, a little more and she would reach an orgasm. That''s when I suddenly stopped my fingers.

    ��Eh, why?��

    ��What do you mean? You said you weren''t feeling it and weren''t in a naughty mood, right? So, I thought it wouldn''t be right to continue and was thinking of another strategy.��

    Of course, that was a lie. I knew Kuu was feeling it and was aware that I had left her on the brink, just sort of cumming.

    ��But, Cyril-kun, actually, I����

    ��Alright, this time, let''s try with my tongue.��

    ��Eh, ah, kyaa, Cyril-kun, that''s dirty!��

    ��If it''s Kuu''s, it''s okay.��

    I plunged my tongue into Kuu''s pussy, performing cunnilingus. I already knew Kuu''s sensitive spots from earlier when I teased her with my fingers, so I precisely targeted her weak points.

    ��This is, amazing. It feelspletely different from before, hyau, no, I can''t, this is apletely new sensation����

    Kuu let out an even more loud moan than before. I was surprised at how quickly she seemed ready to climax. As her moans grew louder and louder and she seemed on the verge of climaxing, I once again stopped my caresses.

    ��Yep, no good. Even this doesn''t seem to make you feel anything.��

    Hearing my words, Kuu made a face like a puppy that had been denied a treat, almost on the brink of tears.

 Nocturne Extra Vol 02 Chapter 9.5-2 How to Discipline a Gentle Fox Girl

    Nocturne Extra Vol 02 Chapter 9.5-2 How to Discipline a Gentle Fox Girl

    <strong>Nocturne Extra Vol 02 Chapter 9.5-2 How to Discipline a Gentle Fox Girl</strong>

    ��Cyril-kun, why are you being so mean, when you clearly know?��

    ��Know what? ��Neither hand nor tongue worked. Then, I guess there''s only one thing left.��

    Saying this, I lowered my pants. Kuu then stared intently at my very aroused penis. To Kuu, who was at the height of sexual excitement, it must have appeared incredibly enticing.

    ��But, Kuu doesn��t want to do it, right? You''re not a naughty girl, after all. And you don''t seem to feel anything when I touch you.��

    While saying that, I pressed my penis against Kuu''s pussy, intentionally sliding it on the surface.

    ��Hyah, ah�� it''s kind of, slippery����

    And so, without ever prating, I simply rubbed our genitals together slowly, just feeling each other''s shape, repeatedly sliding them against one another.

    Kuu''s love juices and my pre-cum mixed together.��Ah, ah�� ah, Cyril-kun�� hah����

    As we rubbed against each other, our genitals made a lewd, squishy sound. Kuu watched intently, her face filled with longing.

    ��What a pity. I��m sure it would feel really good if I could enter you, but you won''t allow it.��

    ��Cyril-kun, please�� prate me.��

    ��What''s wrong, Kuu?��

    ��Cyril-kun, I want you to prate me with your hard penis. Make me feel good. Please let me cum. I feel so horny. My mind''s going crazy. I don''t mind being a naughty girl, so please prate me!!��

    ��Thank you for telling me, good girl.��

    I patted Kuu''s head, then flipped her body over to make her get on all fours, and positioned myself behind her, aiming at her secret ce. This position was the least burdensome for the first time. Plus, I loved the feeling of conquest it gave. In this position, I could also see Kuu''s cute tail.

    ��Kuu, here I go.��

    I adjusted my hips to find the best position for easy movement, pressing the tip of my penis against Kuu''s pussy.

    ��Mmm�� yes, prate me, Cyril-kun����

    As I felt the sensation of my penis parting Kuu''s pussy, her body jerked, and even her tail tensed up adorably.

    ��Kyaa, fuu, aaahh.��

    My penis was halfway in, but thanks to my earlier teasing and caressing, Kuu didn��t feel the pain of the first time as much as she could have. She seemed to be more confused by the new sensation, one she was feeling for the first time, the sensation of being dominated from within.

    I put more power into my hips and continued to conquer Kuu��s insides.

    ��Does it hurt, Kuu?��

    ��I- I��m fine. Don��t mind me, please�� give me more.��

    ��I understand, good girl.��

    ��Ehehe.��

    When I patted her head, Kuu smiled like a little girl. She probably longed for a fatherly figure. As I thought, Kuu had a little fatherplex. It would be fun to do some naughty roley with me as the father next time.

    ��Hiii! Fuu, aaahh, it hurt-, aaahhhh!��

    Kuu��s pained voice echoed in the room, she tried to suppress it, but as expected, she felt some pain when I pushed my penis all the way in at once.

    Kuu''s vagina tightly constricted my penis. To ease the pain and distract her a bit, I started pinching her nipple and ying with the base of her tail.

    ��Hyauu, aaahh, hiuu.��

    Not only that, I began to wiggle my penis. Kuu��s voice became more sultry. The muscles of her vagina which had been tense from nervousness, began to rx.

    ��Kuu, the inside of your vagina feels great, it��s warm and tight. It��s the best feeling ever.��

    ��I��m happy, it hurts a little, but my chest feels warm, the pain is subsiding a little and I��m starting to feel good, but more than anything, I feel connected to you, Cyril-kun. I��m really happy.��

    Kuu��s words made me very happy. Our faces pressed together as if to merge, and we exchanged a kiss with our tongues intertwined. Kuu��s saliva tasted sweet. My hips were moving by themselves. Kuu��s vagina was adapting to my penis, changing to ept me more easily. The feeling of conquest for changing her body to my pleasure was intoxicating. It was time to give free rein to my lust.

    ��Kuu, I��m going to get serious now, let��s feel good together.��

    ��Yes, Cyril-kun.��

    I began to move my hips in big strokes, slowly at first, then increasing the speed little by little. Each time our hips collided, the wet sound of our bodies colliding echoed in the surroundings.

    ��Ah��ha, ah, ku��nnn, ah, haa��ah, ah, hiyau, n-nnn��huh.��

    Kuu��s sultry voice echoed in the room, she didn��t seem to be acting, so she really had to be feeling good. Then I didn��t need to restrain myself for her sake anymore. To satisfy my animalistic desires, I began to m my hips against her bottom with all my might. In response to my movements, Kuu��s voice became louder. She seemed to prefer being treated a little rough. Kuu��s tail wagged in front of me. I squeezed her tail tight.

    ��Kyaa.��

    Kuu let out a surprised squeal, her vagina squeezing my penis at the same time. I found it interesting, so while shaking my hips, I randomly squeezed Kuu��s tail tightly and every time she squeezed my penis. She didn��t seem to dislike it, in fact, she seemed happy.

    ��Aaahh, my tail! Cyril-kun is ying with it like it��s his toy!��

    Kuu��s cries were the cries of a female in heat. She had been cumming nonstop for some time. The vibrations of her body which trembled every time she came, were transmitted to my penis.

    ��Kuu, I��m going to cum soon. Don��t cum until I do.��

    ��No way! I can��t stand it.��

    ��If you don��t do as I say, I won��t do it with you anymore.��

    ��I��ll do my best, I can stand it.��

    ��Good girl.��

    I increased the speed of my hips even more. Kuu bit her lips, trying to withstand the waves of pleasure. Seeing her struggle so desperately, aroused my sadistic side. I too had reached my limit. I thrust hard, reaching the deepest part of Kuu��s vagina, and at the same time squeezed her tail with all my might.

    ��Nooo, I can��t stand it anymoreee! My tail is being squeezed, Cyril-kun��s hot penis has reached my deepest part and gotten even bigger. I��m cumminngg!��

    Kuu��s vagina squeezed my penis even harder than before, and her body began to shake violently. This became the final trigger for me as well.

    I ejacted violently, releasing an unbelievable amount of sperm into Kuu��s womb. Kuu��s womb entrance suddenly closed as if it did not want to let any sperm escape. My nowid penis slipped out from Kuu��s vagina, and with it, a mix of semen and love juice flowed from her pussy, making the scene even more erotic.

    ��Kuu, you were the best.��

    ��I felt really good too, but you were a bit of a bully.��

    Kuu pouted a little for my teasing earlier. But her eyes didn��t show any anger.

    ��Sorry, but it was your fault too, Kuu. You were so cute that I couldn��t stop myself from teasing you. Please forgive me.��

    ��It can be helped�� I��ll forgive you, Cyril-kun. ��You were a little cool when you were bullying me, too.��

    She forgave me while smiling, then we felt sleep as we were with our hands joined together.

 Nocturne Extra Vol 04 IF Chapter 5.2-1 Pranking the Little Sister

    <strong>Nocturne Extra Vol 04 IF Chapter 5.2-1 Pranking the Little Sister</strong>

    AN: This story is a possible situation that could have happened in the story. In the end, Cyril managed to restrain himself thanks to making full use of his rationality. Please take into ount that this story is unrted to the main plot. Where his rationality kicked in remains a secret.

    The arrival of Yukino, a silver fire fox who I doted on like a younger sister, had brought some changes, one of those was the instation of a bath in our house.

    In Erucy, preparing the firewood necessary to heat the water for a bath had always been a hassle, so I had been hesitant to install one. But with the fire fox Yukino around, that problem was solved.

    Today, I was taking a bath with Yukino. Lucy was out, and Kuu had mentioned she would cook for us, so we decided to bathe first before dinner was ready.

    Despite being twelve years old, Yukino showed no shame around me, which sometimes worried me as her older brother.

    ��Cyril-niisama, Yukino loves baths.��

    Yukino eximed in ecstasy as she poured hot water over herself before entering the bathtub.

    As I bathed with Yukino, I couldn''t help but think about how adorable she was.For her age, she was well-developed. She was slender overall, yet her chest seemed to be around a B-cup. Her height was on the shorter side, but she had a good figure, with just the right amount of flesh and a slender waist. She was the very picture of a young girl.

    ��It feels good, doesn''t it? Come on in, Yukino.��

    ��Okay, Yukino ising.��

    As I beckoned her while already in the tub, Yukino entered, wagging her tail as she joined me.

    ��Cyril-niisama, hug me tight.��

    Yukino said this whilefortably nestled between my legs, her back against me, in our usual bathing position.

    ��Alright, that''s fine.��

    I leaned over Yukino''s shoulder to hug her more closely.

    ��Cyril-niisama''s arms are so firm and strong, they''re reassuring.��

    She ttened her ears, a gesture she made when she waspletely rxed.

    Yukino, her face flushed from the bath, smiled broadly. She looked so adorable that it made my heart flutter a bit.

    ��Cyril-niisama, the bath feels so good.��

    ��Ah, yes, it feels good.��

    I replied, my voice slightly strained.

    Yukino seemed unusually alluring today, and I had been so busytely that I hadn''t done it with Lucy or Kuu for a while, which caused a certain physical reaction.

    Calm down, calm down. She''s like a little sister to me.

    ��Hmm, Cyril-niisama. Are you listening to Yukino?��

    Yukino pouted cutely when she saw me looking distracted. She tried to turn around to protest, pushing our bodies even closer. Her soft buttocks pressing against my growing son was especially hard for me. She definitely felt it.

    ��I��m listening, I��m listening so����

    ��Cyril-niisama, something hard and hot is poking Yukino��s butt. Yukino will change positions a little.��

    Saying that, Yukino lifted her hips a little and let them drop again. She must have thought that if something poked her from behind, she would just have to sit over it to tten it.

    ��Higii.��

    My son got pinned under her soft bottom. My desperate situation became even worse than before. Yukino, seemingly oblivious to my plight, continued to move her bottom, trying to find a morefortable position, all the rubbing was making my son feel even more pleasure, deepening my despair.

    ��Uumm, Yukino still feels it, but Yukino can endure if it��s like this.��

    Yukino stopped moving when my penis was under her left cheek, she seemed satisfied with this position.

    That was dangerous, I was about to go down a path no sane person should enter.

    ��You''ve said several times that you want a baby, right?��

    ��Yes, Yukino must have a ton of babies or the fire foxes will disappear.��

    ��Do you know how they are made?��

    This question had been on my mind for quite some time. Yukino had asked for a baby several times, but she did it so casually that I doubted she knew the process of making one. If she continued to be ignorant, she might one day be taken advantage of by a bad adult.

    ��Yukino doesn��t know. Some time ago, Rera said that you and Kuu-neesama were making babies in the old warehouse, so Yukino went there to learn to make them, saw what you were doing, but Yukino didn��t understand.��

    Some time ago, Kuu told me that she was being watched by Yukino, this must have been the reason. As expected, she didn��t know. I hated myself for getting horny with this pure child.

    ��Can you make babies by hugging together naked and going bam bam?��

    Yukino asked me with a smile on her face. She probably thought that if her hypothesis was correct, what we were doing would give her a baby eventually.

    ��Hugging is not enough.��

    ��Teach Yukino to make babies, Cyril-niisama.��

    ����You should have Kuu teach you. I stayed too long in the water and I��m a little dizzy. Let��s get out, Yukino.��

    I wasn��t brave enough to teach Yukino how babies are made, I would have Kuu teach her instead. I would have to make it up to Kuu someday. More importantly, I had reached my limit, I needed to go to the bathroom and masturbate.

    ��No! Yukino wants to keep talking with you.��

    It seemed that the princess wasn��t having any of it. She took my hand, which I had tried to keep away from her body, and brought it to her own chest. What a way to destroy all my hard work not trying to touch her in any weird ces! My hand touched Yukino��s breast sinking into it, a hard protrusion touched my fingers.

    ��Kyaa!��

    Yukino let out a small cry of surprise, and her skin took on a red tinge not unlike the flush of the bath.

    ��That felt good, Cyril-niisama.��

    She began to brush my hands against her chest, especially around her nipples.

    ��What is this, Cyril-niisama?

    Yukino didn��t know what she was doing, she only knew that it felt good. She didn��t have the knowledge but her body was mature enough to react to the pleasure. Her voice took on a certain sultriness, it was the first time I saw this side of Yukino. The little girl who I always thought of as my little sister, was masturbating in front of me. It was a very immoral and arousing scene. The sound of my saliva running down my throat loudly resounded in my ears.

    ��Yukino, I��ll help you wash your body.��

 Nocturne Extra Vol 04 IF Chapter 5.2-2 Pranking the Little Sister

    Nocturne Extra Vol 04 IF Chapter 5.2-2 Pranking the Little Sister

    <strong>Nocturne Extra Vol 04 IF Chapter 5.2-2 Pranking the Little Sister</strong>

    Stopping Yukino''s naughty game, I freed my hands and put them under her armpits to lift her up, allowing me to see Yukino''s naked body in all its glory. Yukino''s secret ce was glistening with something other than bathwater. I carried her out of the bath and sat her down on a chair, positioning myself behind her.

    ��You always refuse to clean Yukino��s body except for the back, why do you want to do it now, Cyril-niisama?��

    ��Just a passing whim.��

    After Yukino sat down, I took the soap, spread it over my hands and used them to wash Yukino''s body. Breasts, stomach, bottom�� I washed her body thoroughly. Sometimes I pinched her nipples, causing her to make little cries. Then, I gently squeezed and held them. Yukino squirmed, trying to run away from my hands.

    ��Cyril-niisama, your hands are weird.��

    ��I��m not doing anything weird; I��m just washing you like an adult.��

    ��Yukino is an adult?��

    ��Yes, you are a perfectly gooddy, you can act as an adult, right?����Mm-hmm, Yukino will endure.��

    Yukino must have been happy to be recognized as an adult because she calmed down and let me continue. I swallowed my saliva and washed her body even more enthusiastically.

    ��Yukino, get up, I��m going to wash your bottom next.��

    ��Understood, Cyril-niisama.��

    After getting my fill of caressing Yukino��s cute bottom, I inserted a finger in her butthole.

    ��Hyuuu.��

    Yukino''s mouth let out a strange scream and tried to escape. I stopped her with my left hand, which I used to squeeze her breast while I worked on her asshole with my right hand.

    ��You can endure this, can��t you? Any adult can.��

    ��Aahh, umm, Yukino will endure.��

    I searched for her weak points by gradually changing the area to be caressed. All I had to do was look at her reactions. Yukino moaned again. That was the jackpot. When I focused on that spot, her asional moaning became non-stop.

    ��Cyril-niisama, what is this�� Yukino doesn��t know this feeling, Yukino is scared, please stop����

    When I ignored her pleas and continued to tease her asshole�� She screamed loudly, losing her strength and only holding herself up with my left hand supporting her. Her legs were shaking too. She came for the first time with her asshole, she was also talented in sexual matters.

    ��Did it feel good?��

    ��Haa, haa, mm-hmm, it felt good.��

    When I freed her from my hands, she slumped to the floor. She tried to answer me, gasping for breath.

    ��To tell you the truth, there��s still something even more amazing.��

    ��Cyril-niisama, Yukino wants to feel even more amazing.��

    ��I see�� There is a ce in your body that I haven��t washed yet. Can you show it to me?��

    ��Mm-hmm��

    Without further prompting, Yukino opened her vagina with her fingers, her face flushed red and her eyes clouded with lust. She was so excited that she didn''t seem to be able to think straight. I was so horny that I was on the verge ofing too. Nevertheless, I began to search for Yukino''s weak points in the same way as before. Her vagina was soaked with her love juice, extremely hot, and clung to my fingers as if she did not want to let go. I stopped my fingers just before she came.

    ��Why Cyril-niisama? Why did you stop? A little more and Yukino would have felt ��that'' again!��

    Yukino protested.

    ��Well, I need to reach a ce that only my fingers cannot reach. I need a special tool to continue.��

    As I said this, I began tother my penis with soap. It was so hard that it was about to explode.

    ��With this, I��ll be able to wash Yukino��s deepest parts. I��ll make sure you are squeaky clean.��

    ��Mm-hmm, Cyril-niisama, wash Yukino thoroughly.��

    ��Good girl.��

    I stroked Yukino��s head, and moved my penis to her vagina, brushing her entrance with my son��s head.

    ���� Cyril��s-niisama��s is very hot.��

    Although it was her first time, Yukino was able to easily ept my penis in her vagina. She was probably able to do it so easily because she hade several times before, and was very excited because I had stopped her on the verge ofing earlier.

    The movements of my hips became rough, constantly attacking Yukino''s weak points. My thoughts began to fade. I stopped hearing any sounds. I could see nothing but Yukino. The sweet, my sweet Yukino was being pushed down by me, moaning loudly as she experienced a woman''s happiness for the first time. The unbelievable immorality of this scene only increased my excitement. While I continued to thrust my hips wildly, I squeezed her breasts violently.

    ��Aaaahh.��

    Yukino moaned excitedly. The masochist Yukino turned pain into pleasure. I pinched her clitoris hard. A normal girl would feel more pain than anything else, but Yukino came, she had a very strong orgasm, her vagina squeezed my penis with all its might.

    ��Cyril-niisamaaa, stop, Yukino��s heart is going to explode, Cyril-niisamaaaa!��

    I ignored Yukino who had alreadye and continued to thrust into her. As if I could stop when it felt so good, I began to devour Yukino''s mouth. I didn''t care about morality, my betrayal of Lucy and Kuu, or anything else. Nothing mattered, I just wanted to continue ravaging Yukino. My tongue vited Yukino''s mouth, the saliva of my little sister was very sweet. Aaahh, I should have ravaged her earlier, now that I knew what it felt like inside her, I''d never let her go. This girl was mine.

    ��Yukino, I��m cumming!��

    ��Yeeeesss, eh? Cyril-niisama?��

    Yukino didn''t understand what was happening, but that didn''t matter to me. I waited for Yukino''s next orgasm and then I came. I ejacted with incredible force, it was the biggest ejaction of my life. Yukino''s vagina clenched and tried to milk all my cum.

    ��You did good, Yukino.��

    I kissed her and stroked her head to thank her.

    ��Yukino did her best, wash Yukino��s body again Cyril-niisama.��

    ��I��ll wash you whenever you want.��

    I had finally eaten the forbidden fruit. I wouldn��t be able to control myself anymore.

    ��Cyril-kun, Yukino how long are you going to stay in the bath? The food is getting cold.��

    Suddenly the door opened. Kuu''s and my eyes met. Time froze. Kuu was the first to wake up, she saw me pinning Yukino down, my right hand kneading Yukino''s breast and Yukino''s vagina, which was leaking a white liquid, and she screamed.

    ��Lolicon!��

    ��Wait Kuu, you��re wrong!��

    ��What is wrong is your head! It��s impossible to mistake this!��

    ��I was only washing her body!��

    ��Kuu-neesama, Cyril-niisama was only washing Yukino��s body, but Yukino��s ce was too deep to wash with the fingers, so Cyril-niisama used his tool to clean inside.��

    Yukino tried to defend me, but it only added more wood to the pyre.

    ��How dare you trick Yukino with those lies! I will tell Lucy-san about this right away. Let''s go, Yukino!��

    Leaving those words behind, Kuu left, taking Yukino with her. I might have done it now.

 Extra Chapter 1: A Day Off for Cyril, the fire fox little sisters, and Mizuame Candy

    <strong>Extra Chapter 1: A Day Off for Cyril, the fire fox little sisters, and Mizuame Candy</strong>

    ��Hey, Cyril. What are you making?��

    ��Just a little sweet treat.��

    Today, for the first time in a while, I found myself with some free time, so I busily engaged in my hobby of cooking. I diligently grated potatoes, resulting in a milky-white liquid.

    ��The ingredients you''ve prepared are just potatoes and carrots, right? Can you really make sweet treats with them?��

    ��Yes, I can make an exceptionally sweet candy with these two.��

    ��Making sweet candy from unsweet sweet potatoes and carrots sounds like magic!��

    Lucy peeked in from behind with deep interest. Her hair brushed against my cheek, tickling me slightly.

    ��Magic, huh? It is indeed somewhat like magic. The candy I''m making is a bit unusual.��I continued with the cooking. I wrapped the grated potatoes in a fine cloth and squeezed hard, resulting in a brownish liquid.

    ��We have to let this squeezed juice sit for a while. How about we have some tea in the meantime?��

    I smiled and brewed some mugwort tea using dried mugwort. The pleasant aroma of mugwort spread around us. I poured some for myself and Lucy, and also set out three more cups for guests.

    ��Cyril, are we expecting guests?��

    ��Yes, some adorable guests. Today, Yukino is bringing Kurone and Kemin over to y. I had asked them to do a little job, and they did it well, so I promised to give them a reward.��

    ��Ah, those kids.��

    ��Should I not have?��

    ��No, not at all. Actually, I''m quite happy about it. I like little kids. Yukino is cute, but Kemin and Kurone are adorable too. They all have fluffy tails, and I''ve always wanted to touch them.��

    ��You might want to refrain from that. Fire foxes get really angry when their tails are touched.��

    After all, only family and their husbands are allowed to grab their tails. Even if it''s someone of the same sex, they''d likely get angry.

    ��That''s a shame. Maybe they''d let you touch them, Cyril.��

    ��That''s hardly likely.��

    I couldn''t admit that I often held Yukino''s tail. Admitting it could lead to all sorts of trouble.

    As I pondered this, there was a knock on the door.

    ��Cyril-niisama, thank you for inviting us.��

    A tense and stiff yellow fire fox, Kemin, greeted me politely.

    ��We''re here, Cyril-niisama. Kuro is really looking forward to your cooking!��

    The ck fire fox Kurone, with an innocent smile and a carefreeugh, greeted me energetically.

    ��Yukino was also looking forward to it. Yukino loves everything Cyril-niisama makes.��

    The silver fire fox Yukino seemed emotionless at first nce, but she was the most spoiled of them all. She immediately jumped into my arms, burying her face in my chest while wagging her tail.

    ��Ah, everyone wee,e in.��

    Lucy arrived and ushered the three of them inside the house.

    ������Excuse us for intruding������

    The three of them greeted us and entered the house.

    ��I''m going to finish making the candy, so why don''t you all have some tea and chat?��

    While I was busy with the final touches of the candy, I decided to let Lucy entertain the three of them. They were bombarding Lucy with questions, mostly about me, which made me feel a bit awkward. They were seizing the opportunity to ask things they couldn''t directly ask me.

    While keeping an eye on them asionally, I continued with the cooking. Looking at the potato juice I had filtered earlier, I noticed that the top part was a brown liquid, while the bottom had turned into a white substance. I carefully discarded only the brown part.

    This process left me with a lump of starch. Upon heating, it began to thicken and develop a sticky texture. I then added the squeezed juice from the carrots. This juice helped break down the starch into sugar.

    I kept skimming off impurities while letting the moisture evaporate, increasing the viscosity. Finally, I achieved the desired result: a thick, golden syrup called mizuame. I let it cool a bit, then tasted it with my finger. Yes, it was sweet. It was a simple process, but that was all, The candy was ready.

    ��Everyone, it''s ready.��

    Holding the pot, I headed to the living room.

    ��Wow, Cyril-niisama, what is this?��

    ��Kuro has never seen anything like this before.��

    ��It smells sweet. Yukino wants to eat it quickly!��

    The three little ones leaned forward eagerly to peek into the pot. Their fox ears twitched with anticipation, and their tails swayed.

    ��This is a candy called mizuame. You can eat it now. You wrap the mizuame around these two wooden sticks to eat it.��

    I distributed wooden sticks to my three little sisters and Lucy. Then, I demonstrated how to wrap the mizuame around the sticks, twisting and kneading it skillfully. The three girls watched with sparkling eyes. Mizuame was a simple candy, but in this era where sugar was a preciousmodity and everyone craved sweetness, it was a supreme luxury.

    Since our maple syrup stock was running low, I decided to prepare this instead. I hoped it would be to their liking.

    Then, each of the three girls yed with the mizuame on their sticks before tasting it.

    ������So sweet!������

    Holding their cheeks, they showed me their brightest smiles. Seeing them this happy made me, as their elder brother figure, feel delighted. It''s nice to have days like this. Catching Lucy''s eye, I realized she was thinking the same. And so, my day off passed by peacefully.

    Tomorrow, I''ll get back to work with renewed vigor.

 Vol 05 Extra Chapter 2: Erucy’s Future and Cyril and His Family Sometime After

    <strong>Vol 05 Extra Chapter 2 Erucy��s Future and Cyril and His Family Sometime After</strong>

    ��Father! Wee back.��

    ��I''m back, Kuuna.��

    A little girl with fox ears ran towards me. She was my youngest daughter, Kuuna. She inherited her mother Kuu''s beautiful golden hair and golden fox tail.

    ��Father, father!��

    She clung to my leg, then quickly climbed up my body. Before I knew it, Kuuna was sitting on my shoulders, wrapping her legs around my neck for bnce.

    Although she was only three years old, she possessed incredible physical abilities and a remarkable aptitude for magic. Kuuna could even use my magic just by watching me. She was always betraying my expectations, in a good way.

    In terms of raw talent, she surpassed all her siblings�� no, even me. She was a true prodigy, almost terrifyingly so.

    ��Kuuna, be careful.����I won''t fall if father holds my legs. Let''s go, father.��

    Kuuna, chirping happily, pointed towards the house. I smiled wryly and firmly grasped her legs as I began to walk.

    Then, an elf girl approached from the house. She appeared to be in her mid-teens, with golden semi-long hair and elf ears. She, too, was my daughter, born from my union with Lucy.

    ��Ah, Kuuna! You surprised me when you suddenly ran off!��

    ��I heard father''s footsteps, so����

    Surely, atop my shoulders, Kuuna was proudly twitching her fox ears.

    ��Don''t spoil Kuuna too much, Dad! She��s too free-spirited�� and doesn''t listen to anything I say!��

    Lushe puffed her cheeks, trying to sound like an older sister. But I knew well that her wordscked persuasiveness.

    ��Lushe, aren''t you the one who spoils Kuuna the most? Even the dress Kuuna is wearing today is yourtest creation, isn''t it?��

    Kuuna was dressed in a frilly pink one-piece. It was a very cute design, unmistakably Lushe''s work.

    She had always loved making clothes and had pursued that path. She went to themercial city Erin, and spent about three years there learning under the master tailor who made the wedding dresses for Lucy and Kuu. Afterpleting her apprenticeship, she returned to Erucy.

    Sinceing back, she had been running a clothing store, doting on Kuuna, and having fun dressing her up in various outfits.

    ��It''s not like I make them just to please Kuuna. She''s just my model for children''s clothes����

    ��Lushe-oneechan clothes�� are cute, I love them.��

    As Kuuna said this, Lushe''s eyes softened. She came over, lifted Kuuna from my shoulders, and hugged her. Kuuna iled her arms and legs, struggling for freedom, but Lushe didn��t seem to notice. Yes, Lushe definitely spoiled Kuuna the most.

    ��

    ��I''m back.��

    In the end, Kuuna was whisked away by Lushe. She''s probably being subjected to mannequin treatment in Lushe��s workshop right now. Kuuna had desperately stretched out her small hands towards me, pleading for help with her eyes and voice, but I pretended not to see. If I interfered there I wouldn��t know what Lushe would do to me next.

    ��Wee back, Cyril.��

    ��Wee home, Cyril-kun.��

    Lucy and Kuu greeted me. In the past, I had prepared homes for both Lucy and Kuu, deciding each day where to stay. It was a consideration to avoid making either of them feel ufortable. However, as we each had children, and the children became close, living separately became unnatural. So, we built arge house and started living together.

    ��I''m d you''re not injured, Cyril.��

    ��Yes, especially after you nearly diedst time, I was really worried.��

    ����Last time, I let it umte a bit too much. That was a mistake.��

    Since the seal on the Erna was broken and re-sealed at the cost of Suzina and the others'' sacrifice, I had been reducing the umted Erna regrly.

    If I allowed the umted Erna to overflow, I probably wouldn''t be able to contain it a second time. That''s why I created a system to process the Erna in a more manageable way.

    I built a device that attracts Erna in the lowest level of a maze-like structure, gathering it, and transforming it into monsters without letting it umte. Regrly defeating these monsters prevented the seal from breaking.

    ��Hey, Cyril, can you see properly with that eye?��

    ��I''m fine, Lucy. I can see. It took five years, but I''ve finally gotten used to it. In fact, I can see things that I couldn��t before.��

    My eye had transformed from its original blue to an emerald green.

    ��It''s hard to believe your eye is artificial, Cyril-kun, it looks so natural��

    I smiled faintly at Kuu''s remark. These were the symbol and mark of a High Elf, the Jade Eyes.

    Ashno had attempted to create a homunculus, continuing Suzina''s research. She managed to craft a body, but failed to create a soul. Using that technology, she prepared this Jade Eye for me as a recement for an eye I lost in battle against monsters. A normal eye would have been sufficient, but to gain enough strength so I never lose anything more, I was persuaded to have this Jade Eye transnted. That was five years ago.

    Thanks to that, since having the Jade Eye transnted five years ago, I gradually transformed into a High Elf, and now I waspletely one. That was a bit frightening.

    Kuuna was born three years ago. She was the only child born after I became a High Elf.

    I could only hope that this hadn''t had a strange impact on her. ��No, I mustn''t escape from reality. She was definitely affected. Her extraordinary talent was one indication, and ording to Kuu, Kuuna strongly exhibited traits of atavism, she had several of the characteristics present in the ancestor of the fire foxes that were described in fire fox lore. For example, the color of her tail, though golden like Kuu''s, was a dazzling gold, and vermilion mes were mixed into Kuuna''s fire magic.

    Just as Elves had the possibility of bing High Elves, among the fire foxes, there is a legend of a nine-tailed fire fox. Kuu thought that Kuuna might have the potential to reach that level. I even suspect that Ashno might have intended for this to happen. There are still things she hasn''t told me.

    ��Both of you, don''t worry so much. I''m bing stronger and stronger.��

    A significant change that urred in the world was Ashno altering the very rules of the world itself. Magic is the power to temporarily construct new rules different from the basicws. In Ashno''s case, she created a power that distorts existing rules instead of making new ones.

    As a result, the very nature of people in this world had changed, giving birth to concepts known as ��Blessings�� and ��Ranks��.

    Due to the need to control the umtion of the Erna, I regrly went to the undergroundbyrinth and ughtered monsters, in the process I became incredibly strong.

    ��Hey, Cyril. I still think it��s dangerous to go alone.��

    ��Yes, we want to help you too.��

    I appreciated their offer but shook my head. In the undergroundbyrinth, I often find myself in situations where I must summon the [Silver Dragon of Destruction], and I''m not confident I can protect both of them.

    ��It''s okay. I''ll soon be relieved of my duty. Right now, Ashno and the others in the Choline Kingdom are working on something. They''re setting things up so that soon, everyone will be able to take on thebyrinth. When that happens, I won��t need to go to the lower levels; just culling the monsters in the upper levels should suffice.��

    I believed in that future and was not sparing any technical assistance. It should take shape within another year.

    ��By the way, where are Sora and Rayna?��

    I asked about the whereabouts of the twins, my daughter and son born from Kuu.

    ��I think Sora-chan went out for peace negotiations, and Rayna-kun is leading Nettle to escort her.��

    ��Those two are essentially managing Erucy now. They''ve been really busytely.��

    Sora developed an interest in politics and governance from a young age. Thanks to the thorough education I provided, she now acted as Erucy''s leader in my absence, capably handling the responsibilities. Rayna, on the other hand, had always aspired to be strong and was now the leader of Nettle. He was oddly fond of Roleau and had been influenced by him, but he had grown up straight and true. So straightforward he was that he usually forgot to use his head, which gave me headaches in return.

    ��I see, with those two, Erucy might be fine even without me.��

    All my children, except for the young Kuuna, had found and were walking their own paths. I felt a bit of loneliness. The end of myst remaining work, the protection of the Erna��s seal was also in sight.

    ��Cyril, it''s fine, isn''t it? We should just retire.��

    ��That might be a good idea. Let''s leave everything to the children and enjoy the rest of our lives.��

    I smiled wryly at their suggestion. That might be a possibility. Thanks to the traits of Elves and fire foxes, we can maintain our youthful appearance and vigor until the moment of death. If we decide to enjoy ourselves, we can do so until the very end.

    ��Let''s go on a trip next time. A real vacation, without thinking about diplomacy or anything like that. Our wedding anniversary ising up, too.��

    The moment I suggested this, the two of them were unexpectedly delighted. So, such a simple thing could make them this happy. Why hadn''t I done this before? I began to think of the best travel n for them, utilizing my knowledge from diplomatic visits to various countries.

 Vol 05 Extra Chapter 3-1 Something More Wonderful Than Sweets

    <strong>Vol 05 Extra Chapter 3-1 Something More Wonderful Than Sweets</strong>

    ��Cyril, what are you making?��

    ��To add some color to our meals, I''m creating a new seasoning.��

    Today seemed that it would be a rare day for rxation, so I decided to cook something borate in the kitchen. That''s when Lucy approached me. Lucy, like myself, was an elf, she was a beautiful girl with golden hair.

    ��A seasoning?��

    ��Yes, to create a variety of dishes, seasoning is essential. We only have salt and meat juice sauce in our kitchen, right?��

    Thisck of seasonings was a big problem. While we had plenty of ingredients, the seasoning ultimately determined the vor''s direction. In Erucy, we used salt and a special sauce made by simmering boar or deer meat juice, adding cranberry for some sourness, and finished it with herbs and salt, but those seasonings alone were insufficient. So, today, I was trying to make a new one.

    The minimum requirement for a seasoning is that it can be mass-produced and stored for a long time.

    ��What type of seasoning are you going to make?����A walnut and cheese seasoning. It has a rich and tangy vor that goes well with anything.��

    There were walnut trees in the mountains, they were a valuable snack for the elves. As they were delicious and there were plenty of them, I decided to use these as ingredients.

    ��Walnuts are delicious on their own, and adding cheese should make them even better.��

    ��If it goes well, we might end up with something wonderful.��

    While chatting with Lucy, I continued working. First, I extracted the walnut kernels from their shells and steamed them to make them soft. Now I needed to add the cheese but��

    Then there was a knock on the door.

    ��Cyril-kun, I''ve brought the cheese you asked for.��

    ��It''s freshly made cheese.��

    ��Today''s cheese was made by Kuro!��

    ��I helped too. I hope it pleases you, Cyril-niisama.��

    ��Ah, you''re here? The door is open, soe on in.��

    Footsteps approached, and four figures appeared. There was my fianc��e Kuu, with her proud golden fox ears and tail, and my little sisters: Yukino, the silver fire fox, Kurone, the ck fire fox, and Kemin, the yellow fire fox. R?

    Since cheese-making was their job, I had requested them to create a somewhat special cheese.

    ��Look, Look, Cyril-niisama! Kuro''s cheese!��

    Kurone proudly presented a wooden te with cheese on it. The cheese she brought had a hardened exterior with a melting center, making it look really appetizing.

    ��Yeah, it''s well-made. Kurone, this is a lovely cheese.��

    This cheese was not the usual unripened fresh cheese we make in Erucy but a semi-hard type. Our usual cheese is simply coagted protein with vinegar, but because of that, it doesn''tst long. Therefore, I had challenged them to create a more fermented and matured cheese and had asked them to bring the prototype that had finally taken shape. Kurone narrowed her eyes contentedly as I stroked her head.

    ��Ah! It''s not fair that only Kurone gets praised! We all made it together.��

    ��Cyril-niisama, Yukino also worked hard on milking.��

    Yukino and Kemin rushed over and looked at me with eyes full of expectation, so I patted their heads too. All three of them were in high spirits, their tails wagging.

    ��I nned toe by myself as I only needed to bring the cheese, but these kids insisted oning along. Sorry for the intrusion, Cyril-kun.��

    ��It''s fine. I''m happy to have my cute little sisters visit. But, I was nning to invite you all in a week, when the new seasoning is ready, to thank you and let you taste the new dishes that can be made with it.��

    ��It takes a week to make? Seasonings take a lot of work, don��t they?��

    ��It takes a week to improve the vor and ensure it ferments well for preservation.��

    While talking, I continued with the work, crushing the steamed walnuts, which began to turn into paste as they mixed with their own moisture. I added a small amount of water to it and then the cheese Kuu and the girls brought. After mixing everything well, I seasoned the resulting paste with salt and herbs. Tasting it a bit, I confirmed it was a good vor.

    ��Alright, that finishes the preparation. Now it just needs to rest in a dark ce to beplete. In a week, I''ll serve a dish using this seasoning to everyone who brought the cheese and to Lucy.��

    Upon hearing this, everyone seemed both happy and a little disappointed. It must be a mix of excitement for being able to try the new seasoning and the letdown of not being able to do it today.

    ��Since everyone hase all this way, it wouldn''t be right to send you back empty-handed. I''ll prepare some simple treats for you today. Lucy, could you make some tea while I prepare the snacks?��

    ��Got it, Cyril.��

    Lucy cheerfully fetched the tea leaves from the shelf.

    ��You seem more happy than usual.��

    ��Yeah, actually, I''m more excited about the treats than the seasoning.��

    ncing over at Kuu and the girls, I noticed that they all shared Lucy''s sentiment. The moment I mentioned the treats, their faces lit up with smiles. It couldn''t be helped. Girls of any era had a weakness for sweets.

 Vol 05 Extra Chapter 3-2 Something More Wonderful Than Sweets

    <strong>Vol 05 Extra Chapter 3-2 Something More Wonderful Than Sweets</strong>

    Afterward, I quickly made some cookies by mixing flour,rd, a little bit of walnut paste, and sugar that I had taken from the Imperial soldier Lurvish. I added raw walnuts to the dough, gave them form, and baked them. When they were done I presented them to the girls.

    ��Cyril, these are delicious. They might be my favorite among all the ones you made so far.��

    ��The crisp texture with the crunchy walnuts is irresistible.��

    ��Yukino wants to eat these every day.��

    ��Kuro too, Kuro too, it''s sweet, rich, and the best.��

    ��Ah! Kurone, Yukino, you are eating too much! Ah, I need to secure my own portion!��

    The crispy, sweet cookies,yered with the richness and umami of walnuts andrd, ere a huge hit, disappearing as quickly as they were devoured. Watching them enjoy, I decided to surprise them even more with the dishes using the new seasoning.

    ��A weekter, the day to present the new seasoning arrived. I immediately started cooking with it. I took out the walnut and cheese seasoning that had been resting in the shade. The paste, a tea-brown color, had a glossy sheen.

    Tasting it, I found that the vors of the cheese and the walnuts hadpletely integrated. The sticky sensation clinging to the tongue, the sweetness of the walnuts, and the richness and acidity of the cheese filled my mouth, bringing a feeling of happiness.

    For today''s dish, I prepared a whole duck that I had caught while hunting. It was a whole duck, that I had already plucked and gutted. I stuffed it generously with the new seasoning and sewed it up to prevent the contents from leaking. This way, the vor would permeate from the inside. Then, I coated it liberally with malt syrup, locking in the moisture and juices, before putting it in a stone oven to roast.

    It was a simple dish, but it was perfect to highlight the new seasoning strengths. After slowly roasting the duck for an hour, it would be ready.

    ��Ah, Cyril. It smells so good.��

    Attracted by the aroma, Lucy came into the kitchen.

    ��It''ll be ready in a little while. Is everyone here already?��

    ��Yeah, they''re in the living room, drinking some tea while they wait. Everyone''s really looking forward to your new dish.��

    ��I see. Then I will bring it over as soon as it''s ready.��

    While saying that, I paid meticulous attention to adjusting the fire. In such a simple dish, even a slight mistake could be fatal. And finally, it was perfectly roasted.

    ��Let''s go, Lucy.��

    ��Yeah. Wow, this duck roast looks delicious.��

    But this wasn''t its true form yet. I was sure that the final form of this dish would utterly astonish Lucy.

    ��

    When we arrived in the living room, the table was already set with tes, and Kuu, along with Yukino, Kurone, and Kemin, were there. They swallowed their saliva at the sight of the duck roast I brought.

    ��Everyone, this is a duck roast made with the new seasoning.��

    ��Cyril-kun, it looks delicious. But where''s the seasoning? I can''t see it anywhere.��

    ��It��s a surprise, you will find soon.��

    With a smile, I lifted the roasted duck. Then, I cut the seam and swiftly pulled out the string. Suddenly, the juices, a blend of the seasoning I made and the duck''s own juices, flowed out.

    Steam rose, and the aroma of the juices, along with the umted sweetness of the cheese and walnuts, exploded in a burst of fragrance. It was a bomb of aroma, that instantly captivated everyone''s stomachs.

    I sliced the now-empty belly of the duck and generously poured the sauce resulting from mixing the seasoning and meat juices over it, serving it onto everyone''s tes. They were so engrossed in the duck dish on their tes that they couldn''t even speak.

    ��And with this, it''s ready. I should call it; special duck roast, Cyril-style, I guess. Go ahead, try it.��

    Each of them reached for the duck roast and took a bite.

    ��������

    Exmations of admiration escaped from each of them. This seasoning was like magic. It added just the right amount of richness and sweetness from the cheese and walnuts while the acidity tightened the vor. It enhanced the taste of anything it was put on. Moreover, it could even be stored long-term. Everyone was eating voraciously. After seeing this, there was no need to ask for their opinions.

    ����Phew, that was delicious. Cyril, this is amazing. I''ve never had meat this tasty before.��

    ��Yes, the duck was amazing, but the seasoning was incredible too. It seems like it would be delicious even spread on bread.��

    ��I''m d you all enjoyed it. It pairs best with lean meats like bird, but as Kuu said, it''s also great on bread or with potatoes.��

    At the mention of potatoes, my three little sisters perked up their fox ears. The fire foxes often had potatoes as a staple in their diet, but they were probably already getting tired of it.

    ��Hey, Cyril-niisama, what''s the name of this seasoning?��

    Yukino, the silver fire fox, asked me while sending a hungry gaze to her empty te. It seemed that she hadn��t had enough yet. But a name, huh? I hadn''t thought of that. Suddenly, a good idea came to me.

    ��Kuraharito.��

    I named it with a hint of irony for everyone who soon had forgotten about this seasoning and focused solely on the cookies. It meant ��to awaken from sleep��. This seasoning would surely grab their attention, no matter what else was upying their minds. And thus, a pleasant holiday mealtime passed by.

 Vol 05 Extra Chapter 4: A Story from the Past. Back When It Was Just the Two of Us

    <strong>Vol 05 Extra Chapter 4 A Story from the Past. Back When It Was Just the Two of Us</strong>

    ��Lucy, I''ve found some time, so let''s start your magic training,��

    ��Okay, I''ve just finished today''s work in the fields, so I''m good to go. Today, I''ll definitely get it right.��

    Ever since the war ended, I asionally took time to teach Lucy magic. She was diligent and had a knack for it, which made teaching her quite enjoyable.

    The magic I was currently teaching her was ��Perception Expansion��, a spell I was particrly skilled at. It involved syncing one''s consciousness with the mana of the wind, allowing one to receive visual and auditory information in any space where wind existed. It was a highly versatile magic that served as the base of mybat prowess.

    ��Here I go, ��Perception Expansion��.��

    Lucy activated the spell while looking a little unsure. Her consciousness melded with the wind''s mana, begining to spread. However��

    ��Ouch!��

    Lucy crouched down, clutching her head. The overwhelming flow of information was too much for her brain, and she had to interrupt the magic.��Lucy, are you okay?��

    ��Ugh, yeah, I''m fine, just�� this is a bit tough.��

    ��You''re spreading your consciousness too much.��

    ��I know, but when I try to be one with the wind, it just keeps spreading out, like, whoosh, everywhere.��

    I couldn''t help but chuckle. Lucy definitely had talent. Normally, one''s consciousness wouldn''t expand that far. Most practitioners can only manage a few meters and struggle to extend it further.

    ��You need to be one with the wind while maintaining the awareness that you are still here. Imagine it as if there are two of you: one that has be the wind and another that is observing from a distance.��

    ��Observing from a distance�� Yeah, I kind of get it. I''ll give it another try.��

    Lucy''s second attempt showed her talent once again. With just a single piece of advice from me, she grasped the essence of the magic. Her consciousness expanded and merged with the wind, stopping at about 30 meters. It seemed she was able to gather information efficiently within that range. I conjured a gust of wind and sent a small stone flying towards Lucy from behind. If she was properly perceiving, she should be able to dodge it.

    ��Kyaa!��

    Lucy let out a startled scream but sessfully avoided the stone from her blind spot.

    ��It looks like you can see properly. Let''s try to gradually increase the distance.��

    ��Cyril, it''s dangerous to suddenly throw stones like that!��

    ��It wouldn''t be training if it wasn''t a bit sudden.��

    ��That''s true, I guess. Okay, next, I''ll try to expand the range a little more. By the way, how far can you extend your ��Perception Expansion��, Cyril?��

    ��Let''s see, about 300 meters in all directions. If I focus in one direction, I can reach up to about 500 meters.��

    ��Ugh, the goal is a long way off.��

    ��If you can manage 100 meters, that''s more than enough for practical use in battle, so let''s aim for that first. Today, let''s continue until you run out of magical power.��

    And so, we spent the rest of the day immersed in magical training until dusk.

    ��

    ��Hmm, hmm, hmmm~��

    Lucy was humming a tune while cooking in the kitchen.

    After training, we went to bathe in the forest to wash off the sweat before returning to our home. It made me a bit sad to think that, unlike when we were little and bathed together, now Lucy insisted on bathing separately, making sure I didn''t peek.

    ��Cyril, just wait a bit longer. I found some delicious mushrooms on the way back from bathing, so it''s going to be a treat today. They are the rare Hitoyotake!��

    Lucy seemed to be making soup. The ingredients were Hitoyotake mushrooms and dried deer meat she had gathered from the forest. Both mushrooms and deer meat made a good broth, so I was looking forward to it. As the soup started to boil, she added wheat flour diluted with water, creating thin, white membranes in the soup like wonton.

    Watching Lucy cook in the kitchen like this was soothing. I guess as a man, I had a soft spot for a girl with a domestic side.

    ��Hey, Cyril, stop that. I''m cooking.��

    I couldn''t resist and hugged Lucy from behind, making sure to wait until she turned off the fire and it was safe. I couldn''t see her face, but Lucy''s ears turned bright red. They were cute and looked absolutely delectable. I gently nibbled on her long elven ears.

    ��Hyau!��

    Lucy''s back quivered with the surprise. She was so endearing and lovely.

    ��Seriously, it''s dangerous, you know.��

    ��Yeah, sorry. But you''re so cute, I couldn''t help myself.��

    ��Ugh, when you say things like that, I can''t stay mad at you.��

    Lucy leaned back into me, putting her weight on my body. I tightened my embrace, thoroughly enjoying the softness and warmth of Lucy.

    ��

    ��Today''s meal is delicious,��

    ��It got a bit cold because of you, though,��

    Lucy replied, her face still flushed.

    She''s fundamentally shy, so it would probably take a while for her to return to her usual self.

    ��Lucy, I''ve always longed for days like these.��

    The elf vige had been under the empire''s control for a very long time. We suffered from hunger as our food was taken away while living in fear of not knowing when our magic stones would be seized and we''d be killed. A normal happiness seemed so far away.

    ��I feel the same way. Being able to eat until I''m full, tough normally, and to have you by my side�� I''ve always dreamed of such a life.��

    And now, even if it might be fleeting, we had achieved that happiness. We had only won once, and the empire would probably attack again as soon as spring arrived. But for now, we were savoring this modest happiness.

    ��It would be nice if these days couldst forever.��

    ��Yeah. I don''t want to go back to how things were before. But, as it is now, something is still missing�� Once the issue with the empire is resolved, well�� you said you would marry me.��

    Lucy said this with a bashful smile. Her smile was so beautiful it made my heart race. Now that I was the Chief, in this precarious situation, I couldn''t just marry her. So, I had asked Lucy to wait until things with the empire were settled.

    Truthfully, I wanted to be with her right now, to make her mine immediately.

    ��You''re right, it''s too early to be content. We need to find more happiness, and we must win. For that, will you support me, Lucy?��

    ��Of course, let''s work hard together.��

    Naturally, our hands found each other''s. It felt a bit ticklish, somehow.

    ��Lucy, may I kiss you?��

    ����Yes, you may. But remember, nothing more until we''re married. I promised my grandmother that, and I mean it.��

    ��Alright, just a kiss then.��

    And so, my resolve to fight against the empire deepened even further. To continue such days and find happiness together.

 Vol 05 Extra Chapter 5: Large Public Bathhouse and Family Time

    <strong>Vol 05 Extra Chapter 5 Large Public Bathhouse and Family Time</strong>

    ��I think we should build arge public bathhouse in Erucy, one that everyone in the vige can use.��

    In the conference room of the former vige chief''s house in Erucy, I made this deration. Present were the key figures who were involved in deciding the policies of Erucy: Kurao, acting as the deputy vige chief; Roleau, the captain of the elite unit Nettle; Lucy, who had be the deputy captain; Kuu, the representative of the fire foxes; and the elders who had supported the elf vige for a long time.

    ��Arge bathhouse? What''s that?��

    ��Exactly as it sounds, arge bathing facility. We fill a big tub with plenty of hot water and soak in it.��

    I exined, but it seemed that Roleau was struggling to understand the concept. It was no surprise; it��s hard to imagine something you''ve never experienced.

    ��Cyril, you''re making a bathhouse. That''s great, isn''t it?��

    ��Yes, I love it too. It makes you feel warm and as if your body is melting.��

    Lucy and Kuu, who had already experienced it, excitedly showed their approval. A bathhouse, where groundwater is pumped up and warmed by the fire foxes'' mes, had already been installed in my home. Having confirmed that there were no problems with it, I decided to build arger-scale one.Kurao, the deputy chief, and the one who was left in charge of Erucy in my absence, raised his hand to speak.

    ��Cyril-sama, I understand that it''s a facility where we fill arge tub with hot water and soak in it. But from what I hear, it sounds quiterge-scale, requiring a significant amount of money and manpower. What is your goal in building such a facility?��

    ��There are two purposes: to heal the fatigue of the people of Erucy, both mentally and physically. This public bathhouse can serve as a great rxation facility for the people. The other is to prevent illness. I think we all recognize that staying unclean can lead to sickness, and everyone has the custom to bathe regrly. But as autumn turns to winter, bathing in cold water bes tough and is often neglected, right? With warm water, we can maintain cleanliness properly.��

    Enriching our lives and preventing diseases, arge public bathhouse is indeed a very useful facility. In ancient Rome, every major city had at least one.

    ��Cyril-sama is truly wise. Indeed, it is worth investing money and manpower for such a facility.��

    ��But Leader, I''m not quite convinced. Is it really pleasant to soak in hot water?��

    ��It''s something you won''t understand until you experience it. Alright, let''s end today''s meeting here and go take a bath now. I''ve made a prototype in my house. Just us three men will go, I��ll show you the benefits of a bathhouse.��

    ��That sounds fun, Leader. Count me in.��

    ��Your loyal Kurao will go anywhere Cyril-sama asks me to!��

    Roleau and Kurao dly agreed. The others gave wry smiles. To tell the truth, I wanted everyone to join, but I would never show the bodies of Lucy and Kuu to these two.

    ��

    ��Everything is ready, Cyril-niisama. You can go in anytime.��

    Immediately after returning home, I instructed Yukino, the silver fire fox who hade here to work as always, to heat the water.

    ��Thank you, Yukino.��

    As I stroked Yukino''s head, she narrowed her eyes in pleasure.

    The three of us didn��t take much time to enter the bathhouse. The one installed in my house could amodate about six people, I designed it with leeway for the future so we could enter with them when we have children.

    Roleau and Kurao were already naked, f and following my instruction, they started by pouring water over their heads. Roleau had healthy sun-tanned skin and a beautifully toned body from thorough training. Kurao, on the other hand, was pale and lean. For some reason, Kurao swallowed nervously while looking at my body, his face turning red. Well, let''s pretend I didn''t see that. And finally, we stepped into the bathtub.

    ��Wow, so this is the bathhouse, Chief. This is nice.��

    ��As expected of something made by Cyril-sama, how grand!��

    The two of them seemed thoroughly satisfied with their first experience in the bath. But the real pleasure of the bathhouse was just beginning.

    ��Yukino has brought what you asked for, Cyril-niisama.��

    Yukino arrived, carrying a tray with three cups on it. This was juice made from blueberries recently cultivated in Erucy�� with a little alcohol added. As I ced it in the bathtub, it floated lightly on the surface of the water. Enjoying a sweet and sour alcoholic drink while soaking in hot water was another of the pleasures of the bathhouse.

    ��Come on, let''s have a good drink.��

    ��Ah, thoughtful, aren''t you? Ahhhh, it permeates through my heated body.��

    ��What bliss! We must construct the public bathhouse as soon as possible.��

    The two happily gulped down the blueberry drink. By the time they got out of the bath, they hadpletely fallen in love with it, and left in a very good mood. They asked for permission to use it again, which I granted. After seeing them off, I smirked and spoke.

    ��Three men, having a bath all to ourselves isn''t bad. But the real pleasure of the bathhouse starts now.��

    I grinned. I felt a bit sorry for Roleau and Kurao, but I hadn''t yet shown them the essence of the bathhouse. That pleasure I was about to savor.

    ��Cyril, I''ve refilled the hot water.��

    ��Come quickly, Cyril-kun.��

    ��We''ve prepared plenty of drinks, Cyril-niisama.��

    Yes, the greatest delight of the bathhouse is mixed bathing. The joy of sharing it with someone you love. This is my exclusive privilege. My heart swelled with anticipation as I headed to the bathhouse.

    Sure, bathing us three men alone wasn''t bad, but it was much better to enjoy it while admiring the bodies of beautiful girls. Now, let''s thoroughly enjoy the bath.

 Vol 05 Extra Final Episode The End of Cyrils Journey

    <strong>Vol 05 Extra Final Episode The End of Cyril''s Journey</strong>

    We no longer lived in the small house Lucy and I once lived in. Now, we resided in arge mansion, built with the idea of amodating two families.

    Lucy had arranged a beautiful garden as part of her hobby, and I enjoyed sitting on the porch, relishing the scent of the flowers. Over thirty years had passed since the establishment of Erucy, growing from a mere vige of two hundred people into a nation sorge that no one would believe its humble beginnings.

    Bell Erucy�� the city I built as Erucy''s bulwark, had evolved into one of the world''s leadingmercial cities. Lately, Lately, a thought had been crossing my mind. Maybe Erucy no longer needed me?

    And perhaps, that thought was correct. After so many years, I had brought Erucy to a state where it could continue to prosper even without me. Once ��Thest task�� was done, I nned to retire and live leisurely with Lucy, Kuu, and the rest of my family. I wanted to travel aimlessly, slowly enjoying time. The day when such a leisurely life would be allowed finally seemed within reach.

    ��Cyril, what are you brooding over?��

    ��It''s rare to see you so lost in thought, Cyril-kun.��

    Lucy, the elf, and Kuu, the fire fox, my beloved wives, approached with tea and cookies. Both the elves and the fire foxes don��t show signs of aging, so the two of them remained as beautiful as ever.

    ��Well, I can be contemtive too. Who would''ve thought that little Kuuna would bring home a fianc��?����Cyril, you appeared calm, but you must have been panicking inside, right?��

    ��You especially doted on Kuuna, after all.��

    ��She was the youngest and was always so attached to me. To think that Kuuna is now old enough to marry�� I don''t want to get older�� I remember when she used to interrupt my work just to cling to me, saying she wanted to be Daddy''s bride.��

    I smiled faintly. Kuu and Lucy sat down beside me.

    The three of us enjoyed cookies and tea together, basking in the peacefulness of the moment. The daughter that I had with Lucy had long since married. With Kuu I had three children �C a set of twins, a boy and a girl, and our youngest daughter, Kuuna. The twins were still single but had already left the nest, each focused on finding their path in life. Kuuna, who I thought was still a child, suddenly ran away from home and then returned to Erucy with a fianc��. I rigorously trained them for about two months, and just yesterday, I saw my daughter off with her fianc��. I figured I deserved to spend today lost in thought.

    ��By the way, Cyril, you were really serious when fighting with that boy, Shouji. You should have let him shine a bit since Kuuna was watching.��

    ����Actually, I had thought about that too.��

    The young man called Shouji was strong. I approved of their engagement because I believed he could protect Kuuna, and I spent two months imparting all the skills I could to him.

    Before he left Erucy, he asked me to fight him with all my might. Technically, he was on par with me. His physical abilities were probably superior to mine, now in my mid-forties and starting to show signs of decline. But I didn''t feel like losing. There was a w in him that wasn''t rted to technique or physical prowess.

    However, to boost his confidence, I nned to hold back at the end and let him win.

    ��But I couldn''t do it. There wasn''t any room for that. If I had let my guard down, I might have been killed. So, I had to go all out and ended up winning.��

    That was the truth. For the past ten years, the thought of losing hadn''t even crossed my mind. He truly was a reliable man.

    ��Cyril-kun, you seem in high spirits.��

    ��It''s much better that the man taking away my daughter is strong rather than weak. Anyway, I enjoyed the time he was here�� Now, there''s nothing left for me to regret. Well, except for thatst big task.��

    That task was about the seal of the Erna, that Suzina entrusted to me before I underwent ��Samsara Recursion��that day. Despite all the efforts Ashno and I made, we could only prolong the life of the seal. Now, thirty yearster, its limit had arrived.

    Of course, it''s not like I hadn''t prepared any countermeasures. While the seal was on the brink of breaking, it also presented an opportunity to address the root cause of the seal. Neither my power alone nor the power of Erucy was sufficient. The keyy in my youngest daughter, Kuuna, and the man she chose. I intended to help them with that. I chewed on a cookie. My wives'' baking was as exquisite as ever.

    ��By the way, it arrived safely. The remnants of the weapon Shouji-kun broke.��

    ��Thank you. That guy, after all the help I gave him, he breaks the weapon in just one fight.��

    One of the reasons Shouji hade to Erucy was to learn cksmithing from me. The magical spear he envisioned had a very interesting structure, and it stirred my blood.

    He couldn''t havepleted it alone. So, I helped him finish it�� and yet, he broke it. I had ordered my subordinates to collect the fragments, and it seemed they had finally arrived.

    ��As their master, I should provide them with some unsolicited help. I haven''t given them an engagement gift yet, so this is a perfect opportunity.��

    I would repair and improve the magical spear for him, showing him the greatness of his father-inw. He''s a sore loser, so when he sees the difference in our skills, he''ll surely feel vexed. I''ll also include a little mischief. Who knows, it might even save his life one day.

    ��Ah, Cyril, you''re making a mischievous face.��

    ��Well, who knows what you''re talking about.��

    My afternoon ns were set. I was starting to look forward to it.

    ��Cough!��

    I coughed. Blood spilled from my mouth. My body wouldn''tst much longer. Originally, I only had about fifty years of lifespan, and I had suffered too much from the bacsh of ��Samsara Recursion��.

    ��I want to wrap up various things quickly. After finishing everything, I nned to go on a leisurely trip with the three of us, but it seems that my time is running out.��

    ��Don''t say such ominous things.��

    ��That''s right. We need you to live much longer.��

    ��Yeah. I might even want another child soon.��

    ��Ah, me too, Lucy-chan.��

    The two of them were concerned about me. I smiled.

    I couldn��t die just yet. ��Suddenly, I found myself thinking about the past ��Me��.

    ��Samsara Recursion��

    Over and over, being reborn with my memories intact, I''ve lived many lives. If I wanted to, I could embark on a new life again. But no, that was enough. I wanted to live as Cyril, and die as Cyril. I wanted to spend my time with Lucy and Kuu and die alongside them.

    I felt sorry for ��Me��, but I was satisfied now. There would be no more ��Samsara Recursion��. All my past selves died with some regret. That''s why I, Cyril, would end this life without any regrets. That would be my tribute to all the others ��Me��.

    ��Lucy, Kuu, think about where you''d like to travel. I''ll finish everything within a year. Then, we''ll enjoy a happy retired life.��

    I stand up. Now, let''s finish thest task. To add a flourish to the best life I''ve ever lived.

    TN: ��Elf Tensei'' concludes here, but the story extends into ��Cheat Majutsu de Unmei wo Nejifuseru.'' In this series, Kuuna, Cyril''s youngest daughter, emerges as one of the main heroines. You''ll also see adult Cyril and his family, albeit in more secondary roles. If you''re interested, you can follow the story at this Syosetsu link: /n8925cq/]. I had considered tranting this series as well, but another group has already started. However, if they discontinue their work and there''s still interest in the novel, I may pick it up in the future.

    That''s all from me. I hope you enjoyed ��Elf Tensei'' and feel that my trantion has done justice to this wonderful series.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!